Star Wars

The two most popular manufacturers of Star Wars memorabilia were Kenner and Palitoy, both of which have since been swallowed up by Hasbro. Because of producer George Lucas’ strict control over Star Wars merchandise, the quality of Star Wars items is usually relatively high, and the pieces themselves are not easily duplicated.

One of the chief appeals of Star Wars memorabilia has been its abundance of recognizable and beloved characters, including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Yoda, and Han Solo. Entire books could be written about the range of collectibles featuring Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO alone. The objects these fictional characters manipulated have also been draws for collectors. Foremost among these are Star Wars light sabers, which have been manufactured in a variety of materials and editions.

While Luke, Leia, and Han may be the franchise’s most popular characters, and the light saber its most known artifact, it is actually some of the more obscure figures in the pair of trilogies and the subsequent television spinoffs that have attracted serious collectors. Jawa and Vlix action figures (the latter from a television series), replica Wookies, model Death Stars, Boba Fett’s backpack, and even Jar Jar Binks chocolate bars and Tusken Raider piñatas are highly collectible today.

When it comes to trading cards, the word “vintage” is used to describe cards published between 1977, when “Star Wars: A New Hope” was released, and 1983, when “Return of the Jedi” came out. There were 12 vintage sets of Topps Star Wars cards printed, each comprised of characters from the first trio of films. Between 1993 and 1997, more Star Wars cards were released—these are considered “classic” Star Wars cards, while those published between 1999 and 2004 are referred to as “modern.”

Some of the coolest Star Wars collectibles are models of aircraft like the Imperial Shuttle, the Skyhopper, the TIE Fighter, and Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon. But action figures are probably the most collected pieces of Star Wars memorabilia. Kenner’s figures were some of the finest. The original 1977 set had 93 figures, 92 of which are easily collected. The 93rd, a character named Yak Face, was only released in Europe and Asia and is difficult to find, especially for collectors in the United States.

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