Everyone believes "their" markets are the "coolest" vintage toy markets, but most objective collectors agree on vintage Star Wars, vintage Transformers, vintage Hot Wheels, and vintage Pez. Out of all of these, Star Wars vintage toys are arguably among the most valuable individually, though with the plethora of Pez prototypes and variations on the market, Pez probablt have the edge when we're looking at total collection valuation.
In the late seventies, Kenner produced the original line of twelve Star Wars toys, and this entire line is highly desirable to Star Wars enthusiasts, each netting more than two thousand dollars in great condition and in their original packaging. The most valuable vintage toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character who was featured in a 1983 cartoon. Vlix runs well over $6,000 if in great condition.
Contributing to the valuation of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. As an example, Kenner Canada, located in Toronto, Ontario, was the Canadian licensee for Star Wars toys in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only manufactured about ten percent of the figures at that time. That, plus the fact that the Canadian releases were printed with bilingual packaging, adds a unique twist to those interested in the collectible value of Star Wars figures.
Another interesting collectible item available, but incredibly difficult to find, are figure prototypes. Prototypes and unfinished products are relatively common in other markets, e.g. the collectible Pez market, but much more rare in the Star Wars market.
While many current Star Wars fans are young, and because there has been a glut of new licenses on the market, these newer toys will likely never attain the valuations that existing vintage toys attained. For example, a new release features Star Wars toys that transform from characters like Darth Vader into objects like the Death Star. These Transformers figures mashups are popular right now, but supply is also high, and the law of supply and demand tells us that this will suppress valuations.
There are also other foreign releases, with the Japanese Star Wars figures being very unique, and therefore, very desirable and very collectible. European toys are also popular and regularly confused with Canadian releases, due to their bilingual packaging. The easiest way to tell these releases apart is by viewing the address on the package, which will clearly indicate the country of origin.
With Star Wars toys, you have a rabid fan base, a killer movie franchise, and heavy demand for vintage figures. These factors combine to lead many professional collectors to believe that Star Wars vintage action figures will retain their valuations for the long haul.
So dig in your attic, uncover that old Landspeeder or AT-AT Walker, and see if you have a collectible on your hands!
In the late seventies, Kenner produced the original line of twelve Star Wars toys, and this entire line is highly desirable to Star Wars enthusiasts, each netting more than two thousand dollars in great condition and in their original packaging. The most valuable vintage toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character who was featured in a 1983 cartoon. Vlix runs well over $6,000 if in great condition.
Contributing to the valuation of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. As an example, Kenner Canada, located in Toronto, Ontario, was the Canadian licensee for Star Wars toys in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only manufactured about ten percent of the figures at that time. That, plus the fact that the Canadian releases were printed with bilingual packaging, adds a unique twist to those interested in the collectible value of Star Wars figures.
Another interesting collectible item available, but incredibly difficult to find, are figure prototypes. Prototypes and unfinished products are relatively common in other markets, e.g. the collectible Pez market, but much more rare in the Star Wars market.
While many current Star Wars fans are young, and because there has been a glut of new licenses on the market, these newer toys will likely never attain the valuations that existing vintage toys attained. For example, a new release features Star Wars toys that transform from characters like Darth Vader into objects like the Death Star. These Transformers figures mashups are popular right now, but supply is also high, and the law of supply and demand tells us that this will suppress valuations.
There are also other foreign releases, with the Japanese Star Wars figures being very unique, and therefore, very desirable and very collectible. European toys are also popular and regularly confused with Canadian releases, due to their bilingual packaging. The easiest way to tell these releases apart is by viewing the address on the package, which will clearly indicate the country of origin.
With Star Wars toys, you have a rabid fan base, a killer movie franchise, and heavy demand for vintage figures. These factors combine to lead many professional collectors to believe that Star Wars vintage action figures will retain their valuations for the long haul.
So dig in your attic, uncover that old Landspeeder or AT-AT Walker, and see if you have a collectible on your hands!
About the Author:
Jared is an avid collector of Star Wars vintage toys, Pez, and Transformers. He has been obsessed with the Star Wars franchise ever since he played with his first Landspeeder nearly 30 years ago. He blogs about his collections on his Star Wars and Transformers figures blogs.
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