The world’s passion for Star Wars knows no bounds as a selection of 60 vintage toys – which had been gathering dust for years – sold for nearly £10,000 at auction.
The unopened toys, many made by Palitoy, which had its base in Coalville, Leicestershire, stormed to success selling for more than treble their original estimate at Derbyshire’s Hansons Auctioneers this week (Thurs Feb 22).
Toy valuer David Wilson-Turner, said: “We had 60 Star Wars figures and 23 lots which, altogether, had an estimate of £2,000-£3,000. The entire collection eventually sold for £9,240, which was amazing.
“The popularity of Star Wars is immense. We had huge interest in these figures right from the start but this result still exceeded our expectations.”
Many lots had estimates of £40-£60 but sold for hundreds. For example, lot 618, an original Star Wars Return of the Jedi tri-logo carded action figure, Yak Face, made by Palitoy, sold for £700 from a £40-60 estimate.
Other successes included sets of five original vintage Star Wars Stormtroopers which sold for around £400 per set.
Mr Wilson-Turner said: “All the toys came from one private Midlands seller and it was a real treasure-trove find to come across so many. They were untouched and in their original packaging which made them unmissable for collectors.”
Star Wars fever has gripped the world since the release of the first Star Wars film in 1977. It was followed in 1980 by The Empire Strikes Back and then the Return of the Jedi in 1983 – the original Star Wars trilogy.
