In December of 1982, George Lucas completed work on what would become the final “Star Wars” film in the original trilogy. Initially titled “Revenge of the Jedi,” the name was eventually changed to “Return of the Jedi” by George Lucas himself under the belief that a Jedi should not seek revenge. By the time the name was officially changed, licensing agreements were already in place and production had started to produce everything from official movie posters to preproduction toys all bearing the name “Revenge of the Jedi.”
When the film was eventually released in 1983 under the name “Return of the Jedi,” virtually no mention of the name change was made public except for those few lucky fans that had gotten their hands of some of this now coveted “Star Wars” merchandise. Many of these now sought-after vintage collectibles can be seen steadily selling on the secondary market for thousands of dollars. One of the most famous of these collectibles is the official “Revenge of the Jedi” movie poster. Originally shipped to theaters and distributors beginning in 1982, the infamous bright red poster that bears the “Revenge of the Jedi” insignia was quickly pulled out of distribution almost as quickly as it appeared. With roughly several thousand posters still in existence at the time of the name change, the decision was made to make the remaining stock of posters available for sale to fans through the official Star Wars Fan Club at a cost of less than $10 per poster! Today, several of these posters have been found in their original shipping containers, and a near mint condition example can sell for close to $1,000 or more. I personally know several collectors who ordered at least one poster and kept it in storage in its original unused condition. Today these posters are not hard to find but are coveted by enthusiasts and collectors alike. However, it should be noted that other collectibles bearing the now infamous “Revenge of the Jedi” name are even more sought after.
After the success of the first two “Star Wars” films, Kenner Toys solidified their standing in the domestic toy business. With brisk sales of the popular “Star Wars” toy line, it was no surprise that by late 1980 the company was already under contract by Lucas Films to produce a new set of figures and vehicles based on the upcoming third film in the series. Heavy promotion was used to create demand for the upcoming toys, and since the name of the third film of the series was listed as being “Revenge of the Jedi” Kenner had already started to promote several new figures based on characters from the upcoming film. These promotions already started to appear on card backs of several action figures created from “The Empire Strikes Back.” By the time the newest action figures were set to enter production, a series of proof cards were created for each character bearing the “Revenge of the Jedi” name. When George Lucas changed the name of the film to “Return of the Jedi,” the original “Revenge of the Jedi” backing cards could not be used for production. As a result, these action figure proof cards made their way onto the secondary market, where they languished for several years. Once again, lucky enthusiasts discovered these proof cards, and the race was on to establish a complete set of all noted characters created under the “Revenge of the Jedi” insignia. Today, it is believed that there are only 50 to 100 of these proof cards in existence for each character created. However, it wasn't until the advent of third party grading via AFA (Action Figure Authority) that a direct count could be established for any and all graded examples. Flash forward to today, and some of these proof cards graded and encapsulated by AFA in near mint or better condition can easily be seen selling for several thousand dollars each on the secondary market. That is quite a lot of money to pay for what amounts to a colorful piece of cardboard with no toy included! Adding to the interest of proof card collecting is the fact that several toy vehicle boxes were produced in preproduction form bearing the coveted “Revenge of the Jedi” name. When graded and encapsulated in near mint condition or better, these too can sell for upwards of several thousand dollars each, making the collecting of proofs and preproduction packaging one of the most expensive pursuits in all of vintage “Star Wars” toy collecting. I know of very few lucky collectors who can lay claim to a complete set of “Revenge of the Jedi” proof cards.
With the newest film in the “Star Wars” saga set to be released in December of 2015, interest in vintage “Star Wars” toys and collectibles is at an all-time high. Most experts agree that prices have yet to stabilize, and with at least two more films set to be released in the coming years, a collector could do much worse than invest in vintage “Star Wars” collectibles. Items bearing the name “Revenge of the Jedi” are always in demand!