Vintage Star Wars Scores Big at Hake’s Auction
Hake’s first-ever Special Event Auction featuring vintage Star Wars memorabilia was held earlier this month, and proved collectors are still obsessed with rare Original Trilogy collectibles from the 1970s and 1980s. The auction, in total, took in $903,000, with all items selling and several new world records set. In Hake’s last two auctions, 500 lots of Star Wars items sold for a combined $2.1 million.
“We’re very pleased with the results from our Star Wars Special Event Auction,” Hake’s president Alex Winter said. “Star Wars has become an important part of our premier events, accounting for a strong percentage of the auction totals. Choosing to hold a Star Wars–only auction was an easy decision because we know our customers are hungry for the cream of the crop from Star Wars collectibles.”
Among the top-selling items were:
BOBA FETT ROCKET-FIRING PROTOTYPE ACTION FIGURE (L-SLOT) AFA 80+: Sold for $236,000
The top-selling item was a Boba Fett L-slot rocket-firing prototype, graded AFA 80+ NM (pictured above). The final price of $236,000 is a new world record for the infamous figure, which was pulled from Kenner’s Star Wars action figure line after it was determined that the “rocket firing” feature on the figure was a choking hazard. No “rocket-firing” Boba Fett were ever released to the public, but prototypes have surfaced, thanks to former Kenner employees. This particular prototype is unpainted and features the “L-slot” mechanism on the back (named for its shape).
“This sale set a new record for any rocket-firing Boba Fett prototype,” Hake’s president Alex Winter said. “What makes that so incredible is that it’s not the rarer J-slot and it’s in a lower grade than other L-slots we’ve sold.” Hake’s had just set a world record in March of this year when it sold a “J-slot” Rocket-Firing Boba Fett (Graded AFA 50) for $204,435. This latest auction beat that record by over $30,000. Click here to view the auction page.
JAWA (VINYL CAPE) CARDED 12 BACK-A AFA 80 NM: Sold for $40,887
The Vinyl Cape Jawa, as it came to be known, is the first version of the figure released in 1978. The popular little character underwent a running change early on, after Kenner determined the vinyl cape used on the figure looked too cheap. The decision was made to change the cape to cloth material, making the vinyl-caped Jawa a rarity. This figure, graded an 80 NM by AFA, features the figure on the “12 Back-A” unpunched cardback, the very first cardback Star Wars figures were released on. It sold for $40,887, a world-record price for any Jawa figure. Click here to view the auction page.
BOBA FETT CARDED 21 BACK-B (AFA 85+ NM+). Sold for $24,272
An AFA graded and encapsulated of a carded Boba Fett on a 21 Back-B Star Wars blister card was the first retail release for the classic figure, and is one of the most-sought-after, as the final bid shows. Check out the auction page for the Boba Fett figure right here.
HUNGARIAN BOOTLEG BOBA FETT CARDED (AFA 50 Q-VG). Sold for $20,768
Hungarian bootlegs of Star Wars figures have become a popular collecting niche, and this rare carded Boba Fett shocked everyone by selling for double the estimated value and a world record auction price for this figure. Part of a line of 10 bootleg figures produced in 1987 in Hungary, this carded figure was graded 50 by AFA. Click here to view the auction page.
YAK FACE POWER OF THE FORCE CARDED 92 BACK KENNER CANADA (AFA 80 Y-NM). Sold for $19,145.50
One of the most sought-after and rarest of Kenner’s “Last 17” vintage figures from 1985, Yak Face was only released in foreign markets, particularly Canada. A small number, however, made it into discount outlets in the United States. This particular carded figure is graded 80 by AFA and comes on a 92-back “Power of the Force” card. The final bid of over $19,000 is a world record for the figure in this grade. Click here to view the auction page.
KENNER STAR WARS ACTION FIGURES LONG DISPLAY HEADER (AFA 75 EX+/NM). Sold for $18,172.00
This double-sided “Action Figures” display header measures 11¾- by 35½ inches and was used as a shelf merchandiser for large store displays of the Kenner figures. Check out the auction page for the Kenner display header by clicking here.
EARLY BIRD MAILER KIT WITH DOUBLE-TELESCOPING LUKE SKYWALKER, PRINCESS LEIA, CHEWBACCA & R2-D2 (AFA 80 NM). Sold for $15,576.
The very first Star Wars figures were sent to kids who mailed in a certificate from the Early Bird Certificate Package, the infamous “empty box” sold in stores during the 1977 Christmas season. This lot includes the four figures that were sent to homes in the spring of 1978, in the original vacuform mailing tray and the original white mailer box. Check out the auction page for the Early Bird Kit by clicking here.
KENNER STAR WARS EARLY BIRD CERTIFICATE PACKAGE (AFA 85 NM+). Sold for $14,278.
The infamous Early Bird Certificate Package was the “empty box” (actually a large cardboard envelope), sold during the 1977 Christmas season when Star Wars figures weren’t ready to ship to stores. The envelope contained a cardboard stand, stickers, and a coupon to be sent in to Kenner, with the promise that the first four figures (Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, and R2-D2) would be mailed to them in spring of 1978. Click here to view the auction page.
Among other notable auction results include:
KENNER STAR WARS – 1979 TOY CENTER STORE DISPLAY (AFA 60 EX). Sold for $12,980. Click here to view the auction page.
LOOSE BOBA FETT ENGINEERING PILOT (AFA 80+). Sold for $9,540.30. Click here to view the auction page.
STAR WARS ACTION FIGURE 12 BACK BIN HEADER DISPLAY CARD (AFA 85 NM+). Sold for $2,383.84. Click here to view the auction page.
KENNER STAR WARS 12 BACK DISPLAY WITH HEADER CARD & TRAY INSERT. Sold for $3,283.94. Click here to view the auction page.
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