A recent revival of interest in the early Star Wars films led the woman, now in her eighties, to contact specialist toy auctioneers Vectis who said pristine sets in their original packaging were almost impossible to obtain and as a result had become highly sought-after by collectors. They were right,
at their auction of toys and film memorabilia in Buckingham on August 13, the set – originally bought at 49p for each figure – made £8720 plus premium, laying claim to a world record for such items.
The two figures pictured here, of Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca, each contributed £1000 to the final sum.
Star Wars figures make £8720 at Vectis
Working in a newsagent’s shop in Flint, Wales, a generous grandmother decided to buy her grandson a complete set of the five-inch tall Star Wars figures when they originally came onto the market in 1977. She bought one complete set for her grandson to play with but kept a second set back in case any of the figures became lost, hiding the toys away in a cupboard where they remained for more than 25 years.
