Kenner Star Wars Action Figure Collection, ca. 1980
GUEST: I brought, uh, an original Star Wars action figure collection. They were owned by my parents. They had a toy store in Las Vegas, Nevada in the late '70s.
APPRAISER: Really!
GUEST: Yeah. (chuckles)
APPRAISER: So you're the child of toy store owners?
GUEST: Yes, yes, yeah, me and my three sisters. After the toy store closed, they were stored in their basement.
APPRAISER: When did the store close?
GUEST: Um, 1981. It actually caught fire and, uh, they closed after that and didn't reopen.
APPRAISER: So you're correct, they are original Kenner Star Wars figures.
GUEST: Okay. Right.
APPRAISER: The first figures that hit the store shelves were in 1978.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: The film came out in '77, but Kenner was not ready to get product on the shelves for '77.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: So your first toys hit in 1978. Your earliest piece here...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: ...is what we have, the Han Solo. And the reason why we know that is a 1978 Han Solo is two things. It's what we call a 12 back, as we see the 12 original figures...
GUEST: Oh, wow.
APPRAISER: ...that were first issued when Star Wars toys were released in 1978. The other indicator that we know is in the upper left hand corner, you'll notice it's the only figure here that has the little white price sticker box.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: That's because for 12 backs and early 20 backs...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: ...Kenner had put a box, as you see, "price." After the 20 back, Kenner decided to drop...
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: ...the price box on their card backs here.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Everything is from Empire Strikes Back...
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: ...except for our Han Solo here.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And your earliest in terms of Empire Strikes Backs cards is what we call a 31 back. The majority of the figures here all show 31 different figures...
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: ...on the style.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: When it comes to Star Wars figures, condition is crucial because you can imagine...
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: ...these were meant to be on a store peg, right?
GUEST: Mm-hmm. Right.
APPRAISER: That's why seeing so many unpunched...
GUEST: Oh... Okay.
APPRAISER: ...is like an unbelievable sight.
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: When you were laying these out at the table, like bam, bam, bam.
GUEST: Oh, wow.
APPRAISER: I was like...
GUEST: (laughs)
APPRAISER: Usually you see two, three...
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: ...factory-sealed Star Wars figures.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: To get an array of 18 like this was mind blowing.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: It's awesome. For the figures laid out in the fan, we have some more common figures. In their condition with yellowed bubble here, yellowed bubble, some creasing here.
GUEST: Right. Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: They're gonna be in that $250, $350, $400 range. Not the biggest deal. My favorites of the fan on the bottom are that you have two Yodas.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: Both with clear bubbles, unpunched, no price sticker.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: I would say, conservatively $700 to $1,000 each.
GUEST: Wow. Oh, my gosh.
APPRAISER: But to bring it back a little to your Han Solo.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: He is known as a small head variant. The earliest issues have the smaller head.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: Then Kenner had decided it looked a little strange.
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: And so there's a large head version of Han. Condition is a little rough. Some creasing along the top.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: And there's a crack along the bottom here.
GUEST: Oh, okay.
APPRAISER: It's a great entry level piece that would be in the...
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER:...$700 to $1,000 range.
GUEST: Oh, my gosh, wow! (laughs) That's great.
APPRAISER: We get to 1980, Empire Strikes Back. This is the first time you're seeing Luke, Leia and Han in new attire.
GUEST: Oh... okay.
APPRAISER: New outfits compared to the traditional release.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: All three figures...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: ...clear bubble, no damage, really. And another important factor here, especially when you look at Leia, her pistol, her little gun accessory's...
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: ...still behind the factory tape...
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER:...within the bubble.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: These are beautiful figures. For the three of them each...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:...they would be in the $1,000 to $1,500 mark.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: Then we get to my man on the end, IG-88.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: In the lore of Star Wars, everybody loves bounty hunters. Original Empire Strikes Back, you see IG-88 in a weird little background seat. You don't see much of him...
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:...but he's just wicked cool. He's the baddest droid in the galaxy.
GUEST: Exactly. Yeah.
APPRAISER: IG-88, the best figure here, would be $1,200 to $1,800 at auction.
GUEST: Oh, my gosh. Wow! (laughs)
APPRAISER: For the group of 18 figures, easily $8,000 to 12,000 at auction today.
GUEST: Oh, my goodness, wow! Who would have known? (laughs)
APPRAISER: Not bad when you think they were $2.47 apiece.
GUEST: Exactly, yeah, with the original price tags, yeah. (laughs)
APPRAISER: Thank you, Mom and Dad!
GUEST: That's awesome. Thank you.
$8,000 - $12,000 Auction
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