What Are My Star Wars Action Figures Worth?
Star Wars action figures are perhaps the most recognizable pop culture collectibles ever made, with some of the 3 3/4 inch figures worth serious money.
Many wonder if their childhood toys are now valuable, especially when they hear news stories about a Star Wars action figure setting records by selling for tens of thousands of dollars. The reality, however, is most Star Wars figures aren’t worth a lot of money, and very few people have been able to retire by selling their collection.
That’s because, most of the Star Wars figures in closets, toy boxes, and attics were made in the last 25 or so years, in such large quantities that they aren’t worth much more than their original purchase price. That’s often a sobering reality to someone who threw their collection onto eBay for big bucks, assuming that if it’s Star Wars, it’s worth lots of money.
It isn’t all bad news, however. Some Star Wars figures, even some modern ones, can be quite valuable. Knowing if they are, however, isn’t easy. Knowing the collector’s market and the type of figures you have are just some of the factors that must be considered in determining worth.
Here are some common factors in determining a Star Wars action figure’s value. We’ll go more in-depth on each of these factors below.
Vintage vs. Modern – When a figure was made is often the most important factor in value.
Boxed vs. Loose – Unopened figures are highly sought after, and command far higher prices over loose figures.
Condition – As you might expect, MINT condition is king, but what constitutes mint or non-mint makes a difference.
Complete vs. Incomplete – Loose figures are more desirable, and more valuable, if they have their original weapons and/or accessories.
Rarity and Demand – These factors often work in unison to determine value, and they are often the reasons why some Star Wars items are worth far less than some may think.
Variants, Exclusives, and Foreign – On rare occasions, a “variant” version of a common figure is made, either mistakenly or deliberately. These variant figures will sometimes (but not always) command a premium from collectors. Exclusive figures, often available from a particular retailer or at a comic convention, are often extremely popular among collectors. A small number of foreign-released figures are also in high demand.
Graded vs. Raw – High value figures are often graded and sealed by collectible grading companies, which significantly raises the value.
This is a very general guide to figuring out how much your Star Wars action figures are worth. We’ll include some key sources to find out exact values. Note that prices for Star Wars figures are often volatile, so always do your research and use this guide to research factors to determine current value.
Vintage vs. Modern
Perhaps the most important distinction to make when assessing your collection is determining what is vintage and modern. Many new or casual collectors don’t know the distinction, but it is an important one.
Vintage is the term generally assigned to Star Wars products (including Kenner action figures) produced between 1977 and 1985. Nearly 100 figures were produced by Kenner between 1978 and 1985, although the exact number varies by the opinions of collectors. Some only count figures released on a card, while others count variants (like the “Blue” Snaggletooth) and boxed creatures like Jabba the Hutt, the Wampa, and The Max Rebo Band.
Card packaging for vintage Star Wars action figures was fairly consistent, which featured a large photo of the character against a black starfield. As new films were released, the title on cards would change. Photos sometimes changed as figures were reissued in later releases.
The card design changed slightly when new films were released. Figures carried the “Empire Strikes Back” logo beginning in 1980, and then the “Return of the Jedi” logo beginning in 1983. This makes it easy to distinguish when the figure was released: “Star Wars” cards were released in 1978 and 1979. “Empire” cards were released from spring 1980 to 1982, and “Jedi” cards were released from spring 1983 to 1985. Figures were produced in higher quantities as the sequels were released, and are more readily available today. As a result, figures on “Star Wars” cards are rarer and are more valuable than figures with “Empire” and “Jedi” cards.
In 1985, the final Star Wars figures were released under a “Power of the Force” banner. With no new films being released, interest in Star Wars waned, and Kenner used the “Power of the Force” series to revive sales. Unfortunately, the attempt failed. Despite releasing some impressive figures, like Luke Skywalker in a Stormtrooper Disguise, poor sales led to the cancellation of the line by the end of the year.
Today, those final figures are among the rarest and most valuable of the vintage line, with loose figures selling for anywhere from $50 to $500 loose (particularly for the Yak Face figure, which was only available in foreign markets). “Power of the Force” figures featured a distinctive bonus item: a coin featuring the likeness of the character you were buying. Although kids at the time didn’t care much them, loose coins have since become quite collectible, particularly those from the hard-to-find figures.
The “Power of the Force” line included what came to be known as the “Last 17” figures to be released: A-Wing Pilot, Amanaman, Anakin Skywalker, Barada, Lando Calrissian (General Outfit), EV-9D9, Han Solo in Carbonite Chamber, Imperial Dignitary, Imperial Gunner, Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise), Luke Skywalker (Battle Poncho), Lumat, Paploo, R2-D2 with pop-up Lightsaber, Romba, Warok, and Yak Face. Technically, Lumat and Paploo were part of the “Return of the Jedi” line, but were also prominently released during the “Power of the Force” line, so they are often included with the final figures. Some previously-released figures were reissued in the “Power of the Force” line, but are identical to earlier issues.
Also in 1985, a line of animated-style figures from the “Droids” and “Ewoks” cartoons were released, but they sold poorly as well and were quickly canceled. Although they are now highly sought-after by collectors, the Droids and Ewoks lines are considered separate lines from the original Kenner line based (and styled) on the movie characters.
For nearly ten years after that (1986-1994), there were virtually no major Star Wars products on the market, except for novels and a handful of novelties like bendable figures.
In 1995, however, Kenner (now owned by Hasbro) began making Star Wars figures again, triggering a revival in Star Wars toys that continues to this day. Because of that, figures made from 1995 until now are considered Modern figures. This is an important distinction, as many collectors often choose to collect either Vintage or Modern figures exclusively. As you might expect, modern figures are usually much more common than vintage figures, and not as valuable.
The first line of modern figures were sold on die-cut cardbacks, and featured the “Power of the Force” title, a nod to the 1985 line. Collectors refer to the 1995 line as the “Power of the Force 2” series, or “POTF2” for short. The initial wave of figures are referred to as “Red Cards” for the reddish stripe on the cardback.
The initial series of 1995 featured the core characters, often with absurd “body builder” physiques and poor facial sculpting. The Princess Leia figure featured such a poor likeness of Carrie Fisher that collectors referred to it as the “Monkey Face” Leia.
Through the years, however, the look and design of figures improved, becoming more detailed and life-like. These advancements in quality can help novice collectors identify the age of the figures they have.
This photo shows three different kinds of Luke Skywalker in Bespin Outfit figures made since 1980, which shows how the level of detail and realism on the figures has increased over time. These are only three of many versions that have been made.
For modern figures, Hasbro would take a different approach to figure packaging from Kenner’s 80’s figures, revamping the look of the cards on an almost yearly basis. Following the Power of the Force series (which ran from 1995 to 2000), Hasbro released an Episode I series in 1999, with new packaging to highlight characters from the new film. That was followed by the Power of the Jedi series in 2000, which featured characters from across all the films. The Saga series was released in 2002, to coincide with the release of Episode II: Attack of the Clones. New lines and cardbacks were released nearly every year, with the number of packaging changes now numbering over 40.
Beginning in 2010, Hasbro introduced The Vintage Collection, which released figures on vintage-style cardbacks. Collector reaction to the line has been so strong, Hasbro seems to be consolidating its post-movie figure lines into The Vintage Collection rather than creating new series and cardbacks. Because of lower production numbers and limited availability in stores, many Vintage Collection figures sell for high prices on the secondary market, despite their recent release.
It should be noted that Hasbro has been rereleasing vintage figures in what they call a Retro series. The Retro figures look nearly identical to the figures released in the 1970s and 80s, with minor variations. They come on cards that are nearly identical to the original figures, but include some stylized “weathering” and a sticker to distinguish them from the originals. When loose, however, these figures have fooled even seasoned collectors into thinking they are vintage, and therefore, worth more. Be wary of unscrupulous sellers who may try to pass off loose Retro figures and accessories as the more valuable vintage versions. If a “vintage” figure looks too new, it possibly is.
In 2013, Hasbro began releasing 6-inch scale figures, under the Black Series line, so any figures in that scale are obviously not vintage. This larger-scale line, however, is quite popular with collectors, and often sell for higher prices on secondary markets like eBay.
Packaged vs. Loose
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they hear about astronomical values of Star Wars action figures is the failure to distinguish the value between opened and unopened figures.
Because most action figures are open and played with, unopened figures (often called on-card) command a premium from collectors over their loose counterparts. Therefore, a loose figure is worth only a fraction of of an unopened version of the figure, even if it is highly collectible and includes all the accessories.
Opened figures, or loose figures, are still sought after by many collectors, but they usually want them in like-new condition and include their original weapons and accessories. Loose figures can often be purchased on the secondary market for under $5 each. That goes for both vintage and modern, although inexpensive vintage figures are usually in used condition and missing accessories.
Many action figure collectors prefer to keep their figures unopened, especially vintage figures. For vintage Star Wars figures, very few survived the 70s and 80s unopened, so carded figures from the era command a premium. Generally, vintage carded Star Wars figures of key characters in good condition sell for hundreds of dollars, and into the thousands if they are graded and encased by third-party grading companies.
Because the value of carded figures (vintage or modern) can vary wildly, we strongly suggest doing your research before making a major purchase. If a deal sounds too good to be true or if a seller is pushing you to buy immediately, take precautions. Be aware that some vintage figures may be re-carded. Counterfeit cardbacks and the plastic bubbles that hold the figure are readily available online. To an untrained eye, re-carded figures could appear to be originals from the vintage era.
The message board at Rebelscum.com includes a section for vintage action figure collectors, and it features a post for ways to spot fake carded figures. You can read it by clicking right here.
Condition
Whether a figure is loose or carded, condition is most often the key to value, especially with vintage figures.
There are a lot of terms thrown around in the collecting hobby to describe condition, and there is no true standard for what any of those terms mean. The most common term, “Mint,” comes with certain expectations of condition. With so many purchases made online these days, it’s important to never rely on simple terms to determine condition.
A mint loose figure should look like it was just removed from the cardback, and have no paint loss or yellowing of white areas, and tight limbs. Paint loss is a major issue with vintage figures, and if a figure is particularly valuable, some unscrupulous dealers will often “touch up” paint wear, so be aware of that. Many vintage figures, like the Stormtrooper and the original Luke Skywalker, are primarily white, and it’s not uncommon for them to turn off-white and then yellow over time. There is a method that can be found online to “bleach” yellowing figures to make hem appear like new, but the effect is temporary and can damage the plastic over time. If a vintage figure looks too white, and any non-white paint applications on the figure look lightened or pale, it may have been bleached.
Loose figures in new, or even in slightly-used but good condition, will demand a premium on the collector’s market. For example, the original Kenner “Tatooine” Luke Skywalker from 1978 has always been a popular figure on the secondary market, but several years ago collectors began to pay a premium for the figure in good condition, and with his lightsaber. Many of the loose Lukes exhibited yellowing of his white tunic, so values jumped for good examples of what collectors affectionately called the “Farmboy Luke” figure. You can now expect to pay at least $50 for a loose Luke Skywalker figure, in mint condition and with his lightsaber.
Vintage figures in particular often suffer from “loose limbs,” making it difficult or them to stand and pose. Figures with tight limbs will be worth slightly more. Condition is also an issue on the vinyl capes on vintage figures. they tend to wear around the “arm holes,” so check them closely for tears.
A carded figure will always be more valuable than that same figure loose, but if the package it is carded on is in great shape, that value can be even higher. Vintage figures are harder to find carded in new condition: most will have some wear on the edges and the “bubble” that holds the figure will often yellow over time. A small number of vintage carded figures will often still have the “hang tab” unpunched on the card, meaning it likely never hung on a hook in a store, so they command a higher price.
However, if a carded figure is in poor shape, with bent corners, creases, and a yellow, cracked, or detaching bubble, it sometimes isn’t worth much more than that figure loose. Don’t overpay for a carded figure in poor condition.
The acronyms MOC and MOMC are often used in sales of carded figures. MOC means “Mint on Card,” while MOMC means “Mint on Mint Card,” which is an important distinction. MOMC means the figure is in mint condition on a cardback in mint condition, while MOC means a mint figure on a cardback that may have condition issues, which is common on vintage cards.
Complete vs. Incomplete
Loose figures are worth more if they come with all their original accessories. This isn’t a factor for carded figures, obviously, but it makes a huge difference in the value of loose figures.
Most collectors prefer to have their loose figures include all of their weapons and/or accessories, and will pay a premium for them. In some cases, the accessories themselves can hold significant value. For example, the blaster that came with the original Princess Leia figure from 1978 was only issued with that figure and is extremely small, so it was often lost and extremely difficult to find loose today. As a result, it commands a premium these days, and in some cases, can be worth more than a loose Leia figure in used condition. Of course, vintage figure accessories are rarer and more valuable than accessories for modern figures, which can be found in abundance on eBay.
This also applies to ships and playsets from the vintage Kenner line. Parts to some ships can be extremely hard to find, raising the price of a complete ship over a “shell” ship that is missing pieces. The “Jedi Training Ball” in the Millennium Falcon is almost always missing from loose ships, and will set you back quite a bit. As well, the “swinging rope” from the vintage Death Star Playset is a small, easily lost accessory that is hard to find these days.
While vintage figures usually only came with a single weapon or accessory, modern figures often come with multiple accessories. When buying loose, we suggest using online or printed guides to figures to determine which accessories come with a particular figure.
The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Figures by Mark Bellomo is a favorite of ours. You can order it from Amazon by clicking right here.
Because accessories for vintage figures can be quite valuable, some unscrupulous people have created some very convincing reproductions that often pass as original. Before paying big bucks on a vintage accessory, do a little research on the item, and only buy from a known, reputable seller. The Imperial Gunnery website has an online guide with several ways to detect reproduction weapons. We highly suggest you click here to check it out before making a major purchase.
Rarity and Demand
Some people are under the impression that every Star Wars action figure they have is valuable, often to discover they haven’t exactly hit the mother lode. That’s because two factors, rarity and demand, often work in unison to determine value.
Perhaps one of the hardest truths for some speculators and new collectors to accept is that rarity does not always drive collectability or value. There have been many rare and underproduced Star Wars items since Star Wars merchandise first hit stores in 1977. If there is little demand for the item, however, it isn’t worth much, as many eBay sellers have realized. Simply because a Star Wars item dates from the 1970s or 1980s, that does not necessarily mean it is valuable.
For example, Star Wars trading cards, manufactured by Topps in the 1970s and 80s, are popular collectibles because of the high nostalgia factor. However, they aren’t particularly rare, so individual cards can often be found for a dollar or less. The supply has always been higher than the demand. Unopened packs of vintage Star Wars cards, however, are extremely rare, and because demand for them is high, prices for packs are very high.
There are those occurrences, however, where rarity and demand intersect to create a truly valuable collectible. It isn’t always easy to determine, however.
Action figures are the king of Star Wars collectibles, so they will always be in demand. However, some figures were made in such high numbers – with more being made every year – that many collectors won’t try to get them all, which dilutes demand for some of those figure made in big numbers.
When it comes to vintage figures, rarity and demand often work together to keep value high. That is in spite of estimates that, during the 1970s and 1980s, Kenner produced hundreds of millions of figures, which doesn’t make them particularly rare. Even though millions of Boba Fett figures were likely made, it is still in high demand, so it is worth more, even in less-than-mint condition.
However, some of the more obscure, less popular characters from the Return of the Jedi line don’t sell for a lot, because a lot of collectors don’t want a General Madine figure, even complete and in mint condition. This is often the case for loose figures, but vintage carded figures of unpopular characters still command a premium, just not as much as popular characters.
The Power of the Force 2 figure line from 1995 was produced in very high numbers, as was the Episode I line. As a result, even though they are the oldest of the “Modern” line of figures, most of the figures can be found for as little as $5 on the secondary markets like eBay. That’s because demand is low. Figures from that line often featured inferior sculpts, and newer, better looking versions of the characters have been made since, so collectors aren’t really interested in them.
As mentioned before, The Vintage Collection of figures (introduced in 2010) often weren’t produced in high numbers, and weren’t as easily available at stores. With the closing of Toys R Us, and so many competing toy lines, stores don’t stock as many Star Wars figures as they used to. This also applies to online retailers, who rarely “restock” on particular figures once initial shipments sell out. As a result, there is more demand than supply.
For example, the Ahsoka Tano Vintage Collection figure (VC102) issued in 2012 was produced in limited quantities, was hard to find in stores, and is now highly sought after, due in part to her appearances in The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian. In January of 2022, an unopened Ahsoka in good condition raked in bids between $300 and $500. Other figures released during that time (including Weequay, Lumat the Ewok, and Nien Numb) sell for less than half the price. While rare, those figures don’t carry as much collector demand as Ahsoka.
Rarity and demand also apply to variant or exclusive figures, which we will cover next. Those types of figures often get notoriety, so collectors want them more, so the value may be higher than usual, because demand is elevated towards an already limited supply.
Variants, Exclusives, and Foreign
Variant Star Wars figures are alternate versions of a figure, which are often highly-sought after by collectors. Most of the time, these variants are errors, usually caused by a change during a figure’s production. In the case of Star Wars figures, variants usually feature a change in the figure’s paint scheme, or a change in accessories.
An early variant in the vintage Kenner line included what came to be known as “double telescoping” lightsabers. Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Ben Kenobi were all initially released with lightsabers that “telescoped” from their arms, but early figures included lightsabers that had a second, extended section that came out of the end of the saber. It was quickly discontinued, but those “double telescoping” sabers are now very collectible. In December of 2022, a Double Telescoping Luke Skywalker (Graded an 80 by AFA) sold on eBay for $1850.
In some rare cases, however, a variant can become legendary because it is a whole different figure from what was originally intended. In 1978, Sears sold a “Cantina Adventure Set,” basically a cardboard backdrop that was packaged with four “Cantina Aliens.” Three of the figures, Greedo, Hammerhead, and Walrus Man, were the same figures that were later sold on individually on cards. However, the fourth figure, Snaggletooth, was made as a tall creature with a blue jumpsuit. Kenner created the figure before the film opened, and only had a headshot as a reference. Lucasfilm alerted them to the error after the figure was released, and when Snaggletooth was later released individually on a card, Kenner remade the figure in a more correct, shorter scale, with a red jumpsuit.
The “Blue Snaggletooth,” as it has become known, was never made again, and was only available in the Sears Cantina set. It now commands hundreds of dollars in mint condition (even worn, played-with figures are valuable, because of their scarcity). The shorter. movie-accurate Snaggletooth, in a red outfit, was the only version sold on a card and is quite common today. It can be found loose for a few bucks on eBay.
In some cases, a figure is a variant with a variant accessory. For example, the 1980 Yoda figure came with both orange and brown snakes as an accessory. It was originally released with a brown snake, but it was soon changed to orange. The brown snake is far rarer than the orange snake, and by itself demands a much higher price. As you can see in the picture, there was also a change in the Yoda figure itself, with the plastic used in the figure going from darker green to lighter green. The eyes were also different colors.
Exclusive Star Wars figures, playsets, and accessories are those that were sold only through a particular retailer (or retailers), or a special event. Both the vintage and modern lines offered Star Wars merchandise that was exclusive to retailers. In the vintage era, Sears carried several exclusive items, including the Cantina Adventure Set, but exclusives were a rare thing. In the modern era, however, exclusives exploded, as retailers and conventions all sought to bring in collectors of the hugely popular line by offering exclusives. Major conventions like the San Diego Comic Con also offer exclusive figures.
Exclusives weren’t just limited to figures. Ships and playsets were often offered as well, usually in the modern era. While Sears was the common retailer of exclusives during the vintage era, mass merchandisers usually carried exclusives in the modern era. Toys R Us, K-Mart, Target, Walmart, and Service Merchandise were the most common retailers to carry exclusives beginning in the mid-1990s and into the 2000s. Online retailers have jumped on the exclusives bandwagon over the past decade, with Amazon and Entertainment Earth leading the way.
Foreign figures are those that were released outside of the American market. During the vintage era, only a handful of figures were released in foreign markets, most notably Yak Face, one of the “Last 17” figures released in the Kenner line. That is why Yak Face is one of the most expensive vintage figures on the secondary market, although he was available in the United States in limited quantities in the 1980s. After the Kenner line ended, some closeout and clearance outlets sold Star Wars figures from unsold store stick, including some Canadian figure stock, which included Yak Face. That is how some American collectors were able to buy Yak Face at the time.
Another legendary foreign release is the Vlix figure, a figure released in the 1985 Droids line. The figure was only available in Brazil, and was released by Glasslite, the company Kenner licensed to produce and release Star Wars figures in the country. They released the figure in 1988, when the Droids cartoon finally aired in Brazil, and well after Kenner stopped producing Droids figures in the United States. Kenner canceled the Droids figure line early on, and never had the chance to release Vlix, but Glasslite included it with their 1988 line. Lucasfilm reportedly didn’t like that when they learned of it, and told Glasslite to recall the figure, but it was too late. A few ended up making it to stores shelves and were sold, making it the rarest figure to ever be released at retail. In 2018, a carded Vlix sold for over $45,000 at auction – and it would easily sell for more in today’s collector market.
In the modern era, foreign figure releases are rare, as most figures receive international distribution. The only real differences are in packaging, which has become its own collecting niche. Even dating back to the vintage era, Kenner/Hasbro would often release figures on “Tri-Logo” cards, featuring the Star Wars logo and text in English, Spanish, and French, for sale in some international markets. Although they do carry some value, “Tri-Logo” cards and alternate packaging often do not have as much demand as domestic releases.
Graded vs. Raw
Recently, grading companies, that assess the authenticity and condition of action figures (both carded and loose) are changing the values of figures. Basically, a reputable grading company can raise the value of a figure by five to ten times its regular, ungraded value. At a time when condition is important to collectors, these graded figures (which come in a sealed acrylic case with a grading label) have become a popular option for collectors looking for high-end and valuable figures. Many original 1978 figures, that are still carded, are often graded by their owners, to certify their value. Grading is important, because it erase the ambiguity of whether a figure is mint, near mint, or erely in excellent condition.
With all of that mind, here are some general guides to prices of Star Wars action figures. These will be very general examples, and prices will often spike unexpectedly.
Vintage Kenner Figures (1978-1985)
Vintage figures, especially figures from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi collections, are often found loose for as little as $5. Mind you, those figures are often secondary characters, and incomplete with some wear. However, even popular characters like the Stormtrooper and Darth Vader will sell for as little as $5 in used, incomplete condition, because they were produced in large numbers, so supply is plentiful.
Key characters, complete and in great condition, command higher prices. Luke Skywalker in his A New Hope outfit will cost $30 – $50 complete. If he has the rare “telescoping” lightsaber (a two-part extending saber included in the first release of the figure), the price jumps to over $1000 in mint condition.
The original Princess Leia commands a premium of $40 or more loose and incomplete, especially if her white outfit is in mint condition. Her blaster (unique to this figure and was easily lost due to size) often sells for more than the figure itself.
Darth Vader is not a hard figure to find, as it was released often throughout the series’ run. It can be found for about $5 loose, but with his vinyl cape and lightsaber, expect to pay an extra $20 at least.
Boba Fett was released in large quantities, but its popularity has boosted the price to over $50 for a loose, complete figure.
Recommended Apps and Sites
As the largest secondary market on the internet, eBay is your best resource for determining value of Star Wars action figures. To determine value, never go by the “asking” price of a figure with a “Buy It Now” price. Using the search option, narrow a figure search by selecting “Sold” and Completed” listings, and see what the figure has actually sold for recently. Click here to search for Star Wars figures (vintage and modern) on eBay.
Star Wars action figure sales groups on Facebook can provide a good feel for current values. They also have the added benefit of having collectors commenting about the hobby, who can provide good insight and advice for fellow collectors.
One of our favorite apps is My Toy Box, by developer Jason Gloor. It lists every Star Wars figure ever made, broken down in release order by series. It also includes lots of pictures of every figure for easy identification. The database is also available via a website (MyToyBox.online), and includes values based on completed eBay auctions.
Websites like WorthPoint provide searchable results of eBay and major auction houses, but it is a service you have to pay for.
