One of the Rarest Star Wars Toys Ever Made Could Be Yours
Tomorrow is May the Fourth, but you have a few more weeks to save up ahead of Heritage Auctions’ next Star Wars-themed sale, which happens May 31. The superstar of this one is Kenner’s famously rare Boba Fett figure with “rocket-firing” action, which was never released after being deemed a choking hazard.
Further making this an ultra-coveted item: of the 100 or so prototypes that survived, only two are of the hand-painted variety, including this one. The auction also includes an early draft of the first Star Wars script; lightsabers wielded by Kylo Ren, Leia, Luke, and Rey; an honest-to-goodness Ewok head; and other Star Wars rarities. Big-bucks collectors can learn more about how to bid at Heritage Auctions’ site. For the rest of us, here are some tempting photos of the goods.
Star Wars Prototype Rocket-Firing Boba Fett
The Holy Grail of Star Wars toys! Try not to swallow the rocket, it alone is probably worth five to six figures.
Certificate of Authenticity
Proof that this highly valuable bounty is legit.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Kylo Ren Lightsaber
Adam Driver himself wielded this distinctive cross-shaped lightsaber in the 2017 entry in the prequel trilogy.
EWOK HEAD
This Ewok head circa 1983's Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi was designed by Stuart Freeborn and crafted from production parts by artifact restoration expert Tom Spina.
Topps Han Solo sticker
Part of the very first Topps Star Wars trading card set, this Han Solo sticker is in mint condition—rare for such an ephemeral item.
Topps Princess Leia sticker
Same goes for this Leia sticker, which is in amazing shape considering it’s nearly 50 years old. How it managed to escape being stuck on a notebook or a locker between 1977 and now is a cosmic mystery.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Darth Maul Lightsaber
You really can’t beat this vivid description from the auction catalogue that details exactly what place this lightsaber has in Star Wars history: “This hybrid configuration of the prop was tailor-made [for] scenes requiring intricate lightsaber combat in close quarters, where computer-generated blades would be utilized. One such instance is when Darth Maul (Ray Park) triumphs over Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) in a harrowing lightsaber duel, piercing him to the dismay of his Padawan apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).”
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Hong Kong Poster
Tom Chantrell’s instantly recognizable artwork pops in a very rare poster from A New Hope’s Hong Kong release.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Script Revised Fourth Draft
Weird title—wonder if it’ll be a hit? This early draft of A New Hope is signed by George Lucas, as is the other curio that comes with it: a document detailing the estimated shooting budget for the film. You can see more images of the pages on the auction site, but the cost for making the first Star Wars movie was initially estimated at... just over $8 million.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope VHS Cassette
Physical media will never die! Per the auction site: “This 1982 release was the first time that the 1977 blockbuster film was made available for fans to own. At the point in time that this copy was released only about 4% of American households actually owned a VCR.” It’s still factory sealed but presumably whoever buys this won’t actually open it up to see if it still plays.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Luke and Rey Lightsaber
This is the original lightsaber that both Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley wielded in The Last Jedi, meant to represent the lightsaber Luke lost during his clash with Darth Vader a generation earlier in Cloud City. It’s also, according to the catalogue, “the only known bladed lightsaber prop screen-used by Mark Hamill from any Star Wars film outside of the Lucasfilm Archive.”
Darth Vader promotional helmet, shoulder armor, and chest box
This is an interesting item that wasn’t actually used for filming; instead, it was used for promotional tours to hype the Star Wars villain. According to the catalogue, “In 1980, Lucasfilm UK authorized Nicholas J. Farmer of N.J. Farmer Associates LTD. in England to create complete touring costumes of the iconic ‘Darth Vader’ character. Farmer contacted David Middleton, the credited construction storeman on The Empire Strikes Back at Pinewood Studios, who released one of the original Darth Vader costumes used in the film in order for Farmer to make the master molds and patterns necessary to create touring costumes for the film’s premiers in select major markets and press appearances. This specific helmet matches the early examples created to go on tour in May 1980 to coincide with the release of The Empire Strikes Back, and it was later used in the promotion of The Return of the Jedi in 1983.”
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Death Star Panel
Here’s a piece of the first Death Star used in “low-altitude” shots of its surface during A New Hope’s climactic battle. It’s impossible to tell the scale from the photograph, but it measures 11.75" x 11.75" x 3.9".
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Pinball Machine
This limited-edition release only dates back to 2021, but still feels like a necessary item for Grogu completists.
