For passionate collectors of Star Wars merchandise, finding a few of the most sought-after toys and other memorabilia can be a daunting enterprise. Too often, collections remain incomplete as the rarest and most prized collectibles are as hard to come by as a tube of refined coaxium fuel. The few items confirmed to still be around remaining tantalizingly out of reach, even for those whose budgets exceed those of the Trade Federation.

Rather than chart a heist as complex as the Kessel Run, however, fans—with the right amount of money, of course—can wait for some items to become available for auction. A few fans had the rare opportunity to bid on and acquire an incredible amount of priceless Star Wars collectibles in an auction held by Neat Stuff Collectibles and Sparkle City Comics in March last year. The eBay event featured many of the typical types of merchandise sought after by many of the galaxy’s most impassioned collectors.

Unproduced Models

Some of the collectibles that had been auctioned included one-of-a-kind items that had previously remained in the possession of the few collectors who have managed to get a hold of them. Among those in last year’s eBay event include a 1:18 scale replica of Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge, the Khettana, which featured prominently in the Sarlaac sequence in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The process of building this one model, first commissioned 20 years ago, proved too expensive that no others could be built; it was only in recently that a similarly-scaled model was crowdsourced by Hasbro.

The auction also has a few other unreleased prototypical figures from the sail barge sequence of the film. First released in the mid-90s, the divisive Hasbro-produced Power of the Force line of figures also included a few sets that never made it past the prototype stage. One of these includes a four-pack with Han Solo, Klaatu, Barrada, and Nikito—which wouldn’t look too out of place alongside the Khettana.

Rarities and Prototypes

Rare Originals are one of the biggest attractions in collectibles auctions, especially those revolving around Star Wars merchandise. For instance, Early-bird Kenner Star Wars toys can easily go between $6,000 to $8,000. Truly rare collectibles mark their prices in the tens of thousands; one of the most expensive collectibles in the two-day Prop Store auction held last February and March was a French Boba Fett figure from Meccano, which had a guide price of up to $30,000.

One of the biggest features of the Star Wars franchise and its current and former expanded universe is the expansive backstories of every minor character seen on screen—or at least appear somewhere in the toy line. So it comes as a surprise to many fans that some background or minor characters end up not getting a toy at all.

Last year’s eBay auction also featured many of these unsung rarities. Among these prototypes that never made it to production was a set by Kenner featuring a Rebel Alliance technician, which features a ladder that matches with the X- and Y-wing fighters from the Kenner’s original Star Wars toy line. These prototypical sets, although, rare can fit in comfortably within the modest budgets of the novice collector.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2019/02/01/rare-star-wars-figures-expected-to-fetch-30k-or-more-at-auction/#6b034c7e4a73
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/massive-star-wars-auction-offers-smugglers-bounty-of-rare-collectibles