Holy Wind-Up Batmobile! After a long, fierce bidding war, a Batmobile tin toy made in 1966 for the Japanese market roared out of Heritage Auctions for $150,000 to lead Heritages two-day Ultimate Batman Collection Signature Auction held Aug. 4 and 5. The rare wind-up with a painted plastic Batman at the wheel and the original box is now the most valuable Batman toy ever sold at auction. Yonezawa, one of the most imaginative and successful Japanese tin toy makers of the 1950s and 60s, made the Batmobile, which, on day one of the sale, raced past the previous auction record for a Bat-toy set in 2021. It was also far from the sole Japanese-made Bat-toy to shatter expectations during the sold-out auction, totaling $1,395,762. The Batman Japanese tin toys certainly made their mark, said Heritages consignment director of Action Figures and Toys, Justin Caravoulias. They accounted for more than $459,000 of the total. More than 1,000 bidders worldwide participated in the auction, which abounded with exceedingly rare toys, dolls, robots, action figures, dioramas, original packaging art, prized trinkets and other memorabilia featuring Batman, Robin and their famous foes. These treasures, most in or with their original packaging, also spanned the globe, hailing from Japan, England, the United States, South America, Europe and beyond. There was no shortage of bidding wars for every Bat-rarity, as evidenced by this Batpen counter display card with a single pen made for the UK market in 1966 by Derasco. It realized $20,000. From the moment live bidding began, it was clear that there was a voracious appetite for the international rarities available in this first-of-its-kind event: The 621-lot auction broke the half-million-dollar barrier in less than an hour. A decorated tin friction-powered Cessna, made by Japanese toy manufacturer Takatoku in the 1960s, was the first lot to take flight, and it shattered pre-auction estimates when it sold for $20,000. Moments later, a tin Batcopter made in 1966 by Masudaya brought $22,500. A few lots later, a tin Batmobile race car with its original box, also from Masudaya in 1966, raced to a new Batcave for $32,500. Just one lot later, a 1966 tin Batmobile race car, this one from Japanese toymaker Yonezawa, sold for $35,000. Then came the $150,000 Batmobile. This weekends results show, as weve long known, that there is an incredible international appetite for Japanese popular culture, according to Heritage Auctions executive vice president Joe Maddalena. These Japanese toy rarities are largely unknown except in Japan, but its clear from this auctions runaway success that a worldwide audience is eager to bid on and compete for the best of the best in character collectibles. Nearly every lot in this event sparked lengthy tussles between client-collectors who quickly realized they wouldnt likely see a collection like this again in their lifetimes. A battery-operated Batman robot made by Bandai in the 1960s, still with its original box, realized $42,500. An early action figure made in Hong Kong in 1966 likewise proved its reputation as a holy grail: Bidding on Marxs bendable Batman, who was still attached to his card, encased in plastic alongside his cape, Batarang, roller skates and several other accessories, sold for $21,250. Collectors vied for numerous utility belts, including the Bat-Belt and Gun Set made by Toyo Denki in 1966, which was in its original box and realized $13,750. We continue to smash barriers, make discoveries and open up marketplaces, including in places like Japan, which has its distinct pop culture collectibles and, as this auction proved, has a unique spin on internationally recognized characters, Batman among them, followed up Joshua Benesh, Heritages chief strategy officer. This sale had its share of modern centerpieces, too, chief among them Hot Toys one-of-a-kind 2016 1:6-scale Batcave diorama, with a Batmobile and four strange costumes lifted straight from the cover of Detective Comics No. 165. This dazzling display replicates Adam Wests underground lair down to the Batcomputer, Anti-Crime Eye Checker and Batanalyst. This holy prototype, first displayed at the Batman 100 Hot Toys exhibition in Tokyo in September 2016, realized $27,500. These Japanese toy rarities compete with and often dominate the best of the best of traditional toy collectibles, stated Maddalena. This auction demonstrates that with the tremendous interest in character-driven collectibles, there is an extraordinary interest in toys from around the world, and Heritage is eager to continue meeting that demand. For more information, visit www.HA.com.