When George Lucas made an $11 million gamble on his sci-fi Western set in “a galaxy, far, far away,” he never fathomed the payoff would land him in the multibillionaire’s club, let alone spawn this planet’s ultimate movie-merchandising juggernaut.
Also caught off guard by the “Star Wars” phenomenon was Ohio-based Kenner toys. Contracted in the spring of 1977 to produce a line of movie-related toys, the company figured on plenty of time to manufacture plastic action figures, spaceships and playsets. Wrong. Following the movie’s release, demand was instantaneous and rabid. And from 1978 to 1985, Kenner wound up selling more than 300 million “Star Wars” toys. As Lord Vader would say, “Impressive, most impressive.”
This latest generation of “Star Wars”-obsessed fans continues the tradition with a recent resurgent spike in the desire and prices for “Star Wars” collectibles. In terms of intrigue and value, however, all memorabilia is not created equal. So, we’ve corralled an eclectic list of treasures and added a dash of Kessel spice by not only featuring commercially available merch but also one-of-a-kind items directly tied to the saga’s production. May the eBay force be with you.
30. C-3PO ‘X-Rated Error’ Trading Card No. 207
Company: Topps
Year: 1977
Valued at: $80–$100
In “Star Wars,” an X-Wing Fighter pilot first lays eyes on the Death Star and marvels, “Look at the size of that thing!” The same could be said of C-3PO’s impressive, ahem, “droidhood” on this notorious “Star Wars” trading card.
According to urban legend, a disgruntled Topps employee airbrushed a pornographic appendage on Threepio as a prank. However, the official “Star Wars” website maintains it’s the original photo taken for the card and attributes the droid’s enhanced nether regions to a wardrobe malfunction.
Whatever the case, the offending image went unnoticed by Topps and soon kids across America were giggling over Threepio’s “goldenrod.” Parents were not amused and complained to Topps, which issued a cleaned-up “corrected card.” Naturally, collectors covet the infamous “X-rated” version.
26. ‘Star Wars’ Early Bird Certificate Package
eBay
Company: Kenner
Year: 1977
Valued at: Up to $9,000 (with figures)
Although the Kenner toy company had signed on to produce “Star Wars” toys before the movie’s May 1977 release, it was blindsided by the film’s surprise success and couldn’t meet the immediate, insatiable demand for merch. So, come Christmas 1977, kids anticipating a bounty of “Star Wars” action figures under the tree were instead presented with what was essentially an empty box.
The “Early Bird” package was an envelope containing a cardboard display stand, sans action figures, plus a paper snail-mail certificate that promised to ship you four figures (Luke, Leia, Chewie and R2-D2) once they were ready in the spring of ’78. Naturally, most kids had trashed the useless display stand and accompanying ephemera long before the actual toys arrived.
20. Jawa Action Figure With Vinyl Cape
eBay
Company: Kenner
Year: 1978
Valued at: Up to $28,000
Forget Luke and daddy Darth. Surely topping every kid’s wish list of original “Star Wars” action figures was the Jawa. Okay, not exactly, but eventually everyone bit the bullet and got a Jawa to complete their collection.
Were you among the few to grab a first edition of Tatooine’s pint-sized desert scavenger, the Jawa’s signature brown cloak was made of vinyl. After the initial production run, Kenner switched to a cloth cape.
Extremely scarce, a vinyl-cape Jawa packaged on its original unopened card can net between $10,000—$18,000 depending on condition; however, according to the BBC, one sold for significantly more in 2017.
Loose un-carded specimens in cherry condition sell on eBay for about $1,200. The Jawa has achieved mythic status among collectors, so beware the many fakes out there.
19. Carrie Fisher’s Personal Copy of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ Shooting Script
Company: Lucasfilm
Year: 1979
Price sold at auction: $51,000
Frustrated by George Lucas’ often clunky, hokey dialogue in the “Star Wars” screenplay, both Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford recall telling Lucas, “George, you can type this sh*t, but you can’t say it!”
Though “The Empire Strikes Back” script was penned by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett, by the time filming was underway in ’79, Fisher and Ford had taken to doctoring and punching up their own lines. That is, when they weren’t partying all night with the Rolling Stones and showing up drunk to work the next morning.
In 2017, Fisher’s estate auctioned her personal, hand-annotated shooting script for Episode VI. Sale proceeds were donated to The Jed Foundation, which works to prevent teen suicide.
18. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi Action Figure with Double-Telescoping Lightsaber
Company: Kenner
Year: 1978
Valued at: Up to $76,000
Though Sir Alec Guinness enjoyed the financial windfall from his Ben Kenobi role in “Star Wars,” he once famously called the saga “fairy tale rubbish.” Later, recalling an encounter with a young, autograph-seeking fan, Guinness said, “I just hope the lad, now in his thirties, is not living in a fantasy world of second hand, childish banalities.”
One can only imagine Guinness rolling his eyes had he lived to see the 2017 auction of a 3.75-inch-tall, plastic Kenobi action figure that fetched an astronomical five figure sum.
Why the high price? The original Kenobi figure came with a two-piece, telescoping lightsaber that slid out of the Jedi master’s arm. Kenner, citing high production costs, quickly switched to a cheaper single-piece saber. At a 2017 Hake’s Americana auction, a near-mint example of the rare, original version set the world-record price for a toy action figure.
17. Boba Fett Rocket-Firing Action Figure (Prototype)
Company: Kenner
Year: 1978
Valued at: Up to $86,000
Though it never caused a child fatality, arguably the most infamous, potential “choking hazard” toy of all time was the original Boba Fett action figure developed by Kenner. Nicknamed “Rocket Fett,” the figure wore a backpack with a mechanism that fired a small plastic missile — the perfect size for getting lodged in junior’s larynx.
As any old-school collector worth their bounty-hunter cred knows, “Rocket Fett” was never released to the public. So what you’ll find on today’s market are strictly prototype figures, which reportedly number less than 30 and appear in various stages of product development.
At the 2019 Star Wars Celebration convention in Chicago, a high-end dealer stunned nerds by offering a mega-rare “Rocket Fett” prototype with a price tag of $365,000, plus tax. So far, no takers.
1. R2-D2 Prop
Company: Lucasfilm
Years: 1976-2002
Price sold at auction: $2.76 million
If you’re a collector with pockets deeper than a sarlacc’s pit, this is the droid you’re looking for. Purportedly the only screen-featured Artoo unit in the public realm, the prop was assembled from original parts used to build and upgrade several Artoos employed throughout filming of the original trilogy, plus prequel Episodes I and II. For instance, Artoo’s domed top is from “Star Wars,” while its legs were fashioned for “The Empire Strikes Back.”
Though non-functional, the 3.5-foot-high, aluminum and fiberglass Artoo still managed to command almost $3 million at auction in 2017 — making it the priciest collectible in the “Star Wars” galaxy.
The buyer wished to remain anonymous, no doubt worried his droid will be kidnapped by Jawas.
