Toy salesman's treasured Star Wars collection exceeds £15,000 at Staffordshire auction

Toy salesman's treasured Star Wars collection exceeds £15,000 at Staffordshire auction

THE Force was with this month's Tamworth auction as a former toy salesman’s Star Wars collection went under the hammer for £15,130.

Bidding went into hyperdrive on Wednesday, March 29, as rare early Kenner and Palitoy figures which had been lovingly kept sealed in original blister packs for 40 years sold with Richard Winterton Auctioneers.

Lot 120, pictured, a sealed 1983 Kenner figure of Boba Fett tying in with Return Of The Jedi, sold at £1,600.

The following lot, a sealed Palitoy figure of Luke Skywalker, also in Return Of The Jedi packaging, made £1,350.

Three original ‘Mail-away’ Boba Fett figures, sealed in original plain packaging – designed to have been ordered through the post via a special offer – totalled £3,300.

This Luke Skywalker figure sold at £1,350.

The collection had been accumulated by a toy salesman who went on to open his own shop.

He died in 2022 having asked his daughters to auction his collection so they could benefit from the proceeds.

One of the daughters, who asked not to be named, said she was ‘totally gobsmacked’ at the prices achieved at auction.

“I feel sure my Dad would have been just as shocked as us,” she said.

“I could not believe the Boba Fetts.

“It was very emotional watching it – the Force was very, very powerful!”

The Tamworth Auction Rooms in Church Street.

“Dad was a massive Star Wars fan and we have loved it all our lives as well,” the vendor added.

“He was very proud of his Star Wars things and he had them for 40 years.

“When we were little we certainly weren't allowed to play with these ones – it was look but don’t touch!

“When he was diagnosed with cancer he told us he wanted to auction them because he wanted his daughters to have the money.”

Other Star Wars items in the same auction included a collection of play-worn assorted vintage figures selling at £800 and a lot comprising the first 21 figures released, also play-worn, selling at £300.

This Palitoy Death Star Droid sold at £700. It is sealed in the original in ‘tri logo’ packaging – towards the end of the original run, figures for the market in Europe came out with the font card displaying three logos in English, French, and Spanish.

From beginnings as the eponymous 1977 film, Star Wars rocketed into a pop culture phenomenon and is one of the highest grossing media franchises ever.

The original movie, retroactively subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope, was followed by Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), forming the original Star Wars trilogy.

Between 1978 to 1985, American toy company Kenner produced and sold Star Wars action figures with more than 300 million units sold during the original run.

In the UK, the license was held by Palitoy with the company importing the figures for packaging in Britain on Palitoy branded cardbacks.

To book a free valuation of vintage toys, telephone 01827 217746 or email tamworth@richardwinterton.co.uk.