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EXTRAS
Q
&
A
3
What was your first piece?
A friend bought me a Star
Wars X-wing model kit in
1992. Before I knew what
was happening, I’d dusted
off my childhood figures,
and spent $180 on a vintage
packaged Han Carbonite figure.
The guy selling it ripped me off –
it definitely pays to research before
you buy.
When did the market for vintage SW initially
develop?
It was there in the US and Australia even in
the late 1970s – albeit a small one. Collectors
were struggling to get their hands on every
figure even at this time. It kind of hummed
along until the line was cancelled in 1985,
then really came to life in the early to mid-
1990s. Lucasfilm started licensing Star Wars
again at that time, and interest just exploded.
There were also a few collecting related books
published at that time.
Is it possible to predict trends?
To a degree. Collectors often carve out
a niche for themselves in a particular area
of the hobby by making new discoveries or
specialising. It might be, say, an Australian
collector mapping out which toys were only
available locally. Publicising something like
that often leads to a rush of interest in those
items. So if you keep your finger on the pulse
of what’s happening in the hobby around the
world, you can see this type of thing unfolding.
What is currently hot in the marketplace?
Early Star Wars figures in first release
packaging, that are in high grade condition.
They’ve jumped in value around 300 per cent
or more over the past few years. Rare figures
such as a double telescoping
Luke Skywalker are selling for
around $25,000 in absolutely
mint condition. Prototypes
of Star Wars toys are also
exceptionally popular right
now.
What is the rarest piece you
have personally acquired?
Because I collect vintage Star Wars
pre-production items almost exclusively, it’s all
pretty rare by definition. A lot of pieces I own
are one of a kind. But I’d say the wood pattern/
sculpt of the Millennium Falcon ship that was
made from the same mold between 1978 and
2009 or so would be it. It’s pretty much a piece
or art in its own right.
In terms of vintage action figures, is the
vinyl -caped Jawa still the most valuable?
The loose Australian version of the vinyl-
caped Jawa is the most expensive production
toy – it generally sells for between $1 to $2,000
depending on condition. The double telescoping
versions of Ben Kenobi and Darth Vader sell for
around four times as much, but they weren’t
released in Australia, and are so rare even in
the US that most people don’t regard them as
part of a standard loose set of action figures.
All three of these figures are roughly on par
in their original packaging – they’d be worth
somewhere north of $30,000 each.
What are the most popular figures to
collect?
Probably the first 12 release figures from
Kenner’s 1977/8 Star Wars series, and then the
last 17 from the Power of the Force series in
1984/5. That last series of figures saw a really
short release at retail, and they are on average
the most expensive as a result.
What’s the most extreme length you’ve seen
someone go to for their collecting?
Without naming anyone – guys have survived
on noodles, mortgaged their houses, travelled
overseas to find items, gotten themselves
hopelessly into debt, begged, borrowed and
stolen for their collections. You name it, it’s
been done. I’m no longer surprised by anything
I hear. I would say though, that as long as
it’s approached in a healthy way and doesn’t
involve neglecting your partner or family, it’s a
great hobby to be involved in.
The StarWars movie franchise has grossed more than US $4.3
billion at the box office since 1977.While that number is impressive,
it’s the US $20 billion-plus it’s earned in the sales of toys, rides, books
and games that has truly driven the money-making potential of the
Force. Collectors have gobbled up everything from underwear and
jewelry, to the vintage StarWars action figures that helped kickstart
it all in 1978.That vintage toy line, sold in Australia up until the late
1980s, is now highly valued by Gen-Xers, who are just starting to hit
their peak earning years. Competition, demand, and prices for rare
items has become fierce.
STACK
catches up with local collector Ben
Sheehan, to find out what drives grown-ups to spend increasingly
large sums of money on StarWars toys from their childhood.