I remember whenThe Phantom Menaceopened, some of my friends tried to pick up as many action figures as they could in the hopes that one day those toys would be worth some serious money. Today,those toys are worthat most a few bucks more than what my friends paid for them back in 1999. Toys are tough investment, but if you got in on the ground floor withStar Wars, you could make some serious bank today.
I’ve rounded up a list of the ten most valuableStar Warstoys. It’s worth noting the prices fluctuate, so this list isn’t set in stone, but these ten toys have netted a huge profit in the past, and if you have them in mint condition, they could be worth thousands of dollars. While some of these prices make sense because of a character’s popularity, scarcity also plays a huge factor, sometimes far more than whether or not a character is a fan favorite. For example…
Blue Snaggletooth
Original Price:N/A (was part of a larger set)
Who could forget Blue Snaggletooth, which actually isn’t the character’s name (it’s“Zutton”)? This figure can fetch around $500 thanks to a mistake in the manufacturing. Originally released as part of a Cantina playset from Sears, the manufacturers took a guess on the character’s look because theyonly had a black-and-white phototo work from. They ended up making the character too tall and gave him the wrong color outfit.
Luke Skywalker with Double-Telescoping Lightsaber
Original Price:$9.99 (part of a mail-away early bird set that contained 3 other figures)
In which a rushed manufacturing job actually led to higher value, the “telescoping lightsaber” was easily breakable and eventually released with a single piece. However, fans who were able to get this early release, which Kenner rushed out to meet demand, were in luck, although Luke is at the low-end of the collectors scale when it comes toStar Warsaction figures that have this feature. And bye “low-end”, I mean this thing can go for $1,000.
Han Solo with Blaster
Original Price:$2.49
Or “The Curious Case of Trying to Get a Proper Head Size”, the original version of Han Solo with Blaster (part of the original 12-back 1978 figures) was re-released with a bigger head to try and properly captureHarrison Ford’s visage (they did not succeed, but kudos for trying). If you can get your hands on this small-headed figure, he’s worth at least a grand.
Original Price: $2.99
Again, character popularity isn’t everything. So why is this “blink and you’ll miss him” character fromReturn of the Jediworth around $1,000? Because Kenner shut down the line due to slumping sales (that’s right: there was a time whenStar Warswasn’t popular), and only shipped the figure to Canada and Europe. The U.S. never officially got old Yak Face (his real name is “Saelt-Marae” for those who don’t want to be insulting towards the fictional character), which increased his value.
Boba Fett with Rocket Blaster
Original Price: $2.49
This figure oncesold for $27,000 in packaging, althoughThe RichestandeBayhave him down for around $2,000. Why so valuable? Because he could literally kill someone. Specifically, this Boba Fett had a rocket blaster that was deemed a choking hazard. Combine the figure being pulled with the character being a fan favorite along with the toy getting released beforeEmpire Strikes Backopened, and you have a recipe for an action figure that’s worth a lot to you.
Original Price:N/A (Only released in Brazil)
Proving that you don’t even have to be in theStar Warsmovies to be a valuableStar Warsfigure, Vlix came out of the animated seriesStar Wars: Droids. The show was short-lived, which means Kenner didn’t produce a long run of action figures. Vlix was made even more valuable because he was part of a mold for a second-wave of releases that never came to be. Brazilian company Glasslite sent the figure into production in 1988, and that’s all there is. If you can get him in packaging, that’s worth at least $4,000.
Original Price:N/A (Only released in the U.K.)
Sorry, Artoo and Threepio, but when it comes to valuable droids, the FX-7 toy has you both beat. Even though he was only briefly glimpsed healing Luke inEmpire Strikes Back, the toy for the medical droid is worth a lot. The 1980 figure from British toymaker Palitoy is highlight sought after, but the price is debatable.The Richestsays it can go for $12,000 because someone was willing to pay that amount back in February 2014, but you couldbuy it now for $600 on eBay. However, it’s important to always keep the condition of the figure in mind.
Jawa with Vinyl Cape
Ootini! Rarely has a little scrap of vinyl been so valuable. WhileThe Richestsays that this figure can go for over $18,000 that depends on condition and availability (eBayranges it at least $3,000). Why so much for these filthy creatures? Because the original release had a vinyl cape, but Kenner then decided that there should be something more durable for the tiny scavengers, so they replaced it with cloth. That means there aren’t too many of these floating around.
Obi-Wan with Double-Telescoping Lightsaber
While these last two may not reach the highs of the Jawa or FX-7, they’re consistently worth in the thousands of dollars. Like Luke Skywalker, it features the easily breakable double-telescoping lightsaber, and it was part of the original 12-back set from 1978. However, Obi-Wan is worth more because there weren’t as many in production. Luke, by comparison, was part of the “early-bird” set, so Kenner had time to make more them.
Darth Vader with Double-Telescoping Lightsaber
This figure is basically on the same level as Obi-Wan: double-telescoping lightsaber, original 12-back set, not as many available as Luke. But he gets the edge because he’s Darth Vader and Vader has been and will always be ridiculously popular. Never underestimate the power of the Dark Side.
[Original release dates and prices viaToyworth]
