Toys in the Attic.

A co-worker named Damon came to me today with what I only describe as a challenging question. Apparently he inherited a collection of Star Wars toys from the original movie, in their original blister packs, and he was curious about their potential value.  He'd done some research online which suggested that they might be worth a substantial amount of cash, and was hoping that I might be able to help him confirm that research, and perhaps offer some advice on how to sell them.

Collecting vintage toys and action figures is one of those areas of obsessive geekhood that can completely consume someone's life - and very probably their bank accounts, in some cases.  I’ve made a few forays into the shallows, as it were, with Major Matt Mason and my Buck Rogers disintegrator pistol, but Star Wars toys are very deep water indeed.

In 1978, Kenner released twelve 3 3/4-inch Star Wars action figures in standard blister packs with a cardback that showed all twelve figures from the initial release: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, Artoo-Detoo, Chewbacca, See-Threepio, Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper, Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, Han Solo, a Jawa, a member of the Sand People, and the Death Squad Commander.

As time went on and more toys were released, the 12-back became a 20-back in order to include the new characters that had been introduced. Then a 21, a 31, a 32, and so on, culminating in a 92-back* in 1985. It’s generally considered that there are 111 distinct variations of the Kenner figures, ignoring minor variations in colour and so forth from different production runs.

However, some of the small variations in production can make a large difference in the value of a collectable toy. The Jawa featured in first run of figures had a vinyl cape, but Kenner felt that it made the toy feel cheap, given that it was a smaller toy than the others, and replaced it with a fabric cloak.  Due to the relative rarity of the original vinyl-caped figure, they're worth more on the market - a vinyl cape Jawa in its blister pack is generally valued at about $4,000 USD, and they have sold for as much as $18,000 USD**.

Damon's little collection is made up of the original 12-pack, including the vinyl cape Jawa, so he's obviously a bit excited about that particular sale price. However, the sad truth of any sort of collectible item is that there often a substantial difference between what a dealer will sell it for, and what they will pay you for it.

Based on online sources, if Damon's set is in reasonably good shape, it would probably be valued at between $14,000 and $18,000 USD, but that's not the same as selling them for that much.  Obviously, it would be to his advantage to bypass any sort of middleman and go directly to potential buyers, but what is the best way to do that?  eBay?  Some other form of auction?  Even eBay takes a cut, as would an auction house, but the benefit is that the transaction is protected on both ends.  How would someone go about doing a completely independent sale and feel confident that it was a safe transaction? 

But there's a more subtle question.  If we assume that the toys are worth $18,000 now, what would they be worth in another 20 years?  Toys are probably more subject to the ebb and flow of trend and fashion than most vintage items - today's treasure may well become tomorrow's trash, and as much as I'd like to think that Star Wars toys would continue to appreciate in price, there's no way of knowing that for sure.

As Damon quite accurately put it, “It’s like owning a bottle of fine wine - do I hold onto it in hopes that it becomes more valuable, or should I sell it before it turns to vinegar?”

- Sid

* In the interests of complete accuracy, there was a 93-back intended for distribution outside of the United States, which included the “Yak Face” figure from Return of the Jedi. Some sources say that the 93-back actually was made available in some American outlets - regardless, the figure is considered to be a very collectable rarity.

** Because of this, there are actually fake vinyl cape Jawas constructed from the fabric Jawa plus a cut-down version of Obi-Wan Kenobi's cloak. There are also "restoration" repro blister packs available on eBay. Caveat emptor.