In October of 2012 the science fiction world was turned upside down when it was announced that George Lucas would be selling the coveted Star Wars franchise to the Walt Disney Company. Mickey Mouse and friends would assume all rights to the franchise for an estimated cost of $4 billion dollars. The announcement generated even more excitement than that of Disney buying the beloved Marvel Comics franchise back in 2009. Hardcore Star Wars enthusiasts were split on the news, as some were now happy that Disney owned the rights to the series since a lot of fans criticized George Lucas for failing to announce any new theatrical material in almost a decade. As soon as the deal was signed Disney quickly announced plans to release the next three movies in the ongoing space saga. The first of these new films will be released in 2015 and will be a direct sequel to 1983's “Return of the Jedi.” While details of the next film in the series are being kept under extremely tight wraps, the collecting market is taking notice.
The prices of quality vintage Star Wars toys and action figures from the original trilogy of films are steadily rising. Thanks in part to the popularity of toy collecting and reality-based collecting shows like "Toy Hunter," vintage Star Wars toys remain some of the most popular toy lines ever to hit the collector's market. Some of the most coveted toys are generally still factory-sealed or new in their original package.
Much like coins, currency, and comic books, toy collectors also have a third party grading company that certifies and assigns a numerical grade to each toy it reviews before encasing them in a tamper evident plastic case. Action Figure Authority (or AFA for short) is the premier third party grading company for toys and action figures. While collectors were cautious to accept a grading service devoted to toy collecting when the service first premiered, its popularity grew as the value of vintage toys and the rise of fraud increased with the continued success of Internet auctions. As such, there are a lot of collectors who will not buy a vintage toy or action figure on the Internet unless it is graded by AFA. Controversy aside, this has also led to an increase in prices for higher graded specimens as collectors attempt to get the most coveted examples of their favorite vintage toy lines.
The history of these cherished Star Wars toys remains etched in the hearts and minds of not only toy collectors, but Star Wars enthusiasts alike. Kenner Toys released the first wave of vintage Star Wars figures in 1978 amidst growing enthusiasm. The first twelve figures released are commonly referred to as “twelve backs” because they show the original twelve handpainted figures on the back of their packaging. These figures included the following popular characters direct from the first Star Wars movie: C-3PO, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Death Squad Commander, Han Solo, Jawa, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia Organa, R2-D2, Sand People, and Stormtrooper. In original factory-sealed condition these are highly coveted by collectors and can command thousands of dollars each on the secondary market.
Aside from the factory-sealed twelve back figures, there are several highly collectible oddities and exclusives that every collector of vintage Star Wars toys should watch out for. If you happen to find any of the double telescoping light saber action figures, which include Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, don't hesitate to buy them. These figures are quite rare and extremely valuable even if they are not sealed in their original package. Loose action figures can also be authenticated and graded by AFA, giving both collectors and investors of these vintage items assured confidence as to what they are getting. These double scoping figures featured an additional piece of plastic that extended from the tip of the light saber contained in the arm of each action figure. These figures were pulled off the market and replaced with non-telescoping versions very early on, most likely due to safety concerns. As such it can be somewhat difficult for a novice collector to tell the difference between a typical figure and its far scarcer version.
Another popular and hard to find vintage figure that can be found in both carded (i.e. factory-sealed) and loose versions is the popular vinyl cape Jawa. This figure was part of the original twelve figures to be released when Star Wars first appeared in 1978. The figure features a vinyl cape, but was quickly changed to a cloth cape after Kenner Toys feared complaints from consumers that the small size of the figure did not merit the same cost of the other figures in the line. As a result Kenner felt that the vinyl cape made the figure look too cheap, so it was quickly changed to a much more realistic cloth cape going forward. Loose certified examples of a vinyl cape Jawa in near mint condition can sell for close to $1,000 each, while carded examples can sell for upwards of $5,000 or more.
One of the most infamous well-known exclusive figures has got to be the Blue Snaggletooth figure produced in part with the Sears retail Exclusive Cantina Adventure play set. This figure was supposed to be red and small, much like the character that appears briefly in the original Star Wars movie, but due to the fact that Kenner Toys only had a black-and-white headshot of the figure to go by when it was produced, they ended up producing the figure as a full-sized alien in a blue-colored jumpsuit. Lucas Film asked them to pull the figure and a new correctly sized red figure was made instead. Contrary to popular belief, the Blue Snaggletooth figure did see a relative high production run when compared to other rarities in the vintage Star Wars line. Still a Blue Snaggletooth figure with original blaster in mint condition certified by AFA can be worth close to $500 or more. Due to its unique history, it is highly sought after by collectors.
Ironically one of the most popular characters in the entire Star Wars universe received less than three minutes of screen time in the first three movies combined! Boba Fett was promised to be available as a rocket firing mail-away exclusive before being released into retail stores. Unfortunately, the rocket firing projectile was never approved for production due to safety concerns. It is available in pre-production prototype form only and is known solely as the rocket firing Boba Fett to most collectors. The figure was in pre-production stages when canceled and quite a few exist in this form. As such, it is best to only purchase certified, well-documented examples, as a near mint condition fully complete figure has been seen selling for close to $20,000 on the secondary market and many collectors think the price is set to rise sharply as soon as the new movies are released. This is a “holy grail” piece that any collector would love to own.
While it can be said that “The Force” has truly been with avid collectors of vintage Star Wars toys over the past few decades, novice collectors should enter this market well informed and cautious. There are many documented reproductions and forgeries as a result of the popularity and high prices being paid for a lot of these items. Even factory-sealed figures exist as reproductions so novice enthusiasts should not get too excited when finding a stash of vintage Star Wars figures. If the price is too good to be true, most likely so is the find. New collectors should only purchase AFA-certified pieces from well-known sellers or when buying online, from those sellers with high feedback ratings. If buying for investment purposes, it is also best to avoid any kinds of figures or toys made after the 1990s. Most of these figures were widely hoarded and saved by speculators and are readily available on the secondary market for far less than what they originally sold for. While very few speculators and collectors had the foresight to save many of the vintage pieces, by the time the movies were released in the 1990s almost everyone knew that Star Wars had a loyal following of collectors. As such be very wary of dealers and other collectors trying to unload commonly hoarded factory-sealed figures from this era. Collectors of vintage Star Wars toys, much like followers of “The Force,” have been well rewarded for their patience, and I don't see this trend ending any time soon!