Posted in: Collectibles, Games | Tagged: auction, empire strikes back, Ewoks, howard chaykin, Kenner, lucasfilm, mark hamill, Obi Wan Kenobi, proof cards, return of the jedi, star wars, takara, tri-logo, vintage, yoda

Star Wars Collectible Heaven Is A Fun Way To Spend A Saturday

As an avid Star Wars collector, you are always on the lookout for anything and everything, every opportunity to add to your collection. Nothing is more thrilling than to come across a huge amount of collectibles all in one place, and that was precisely how I got to spend my Saturday morning. I attended a large, massive live auction of Star Wars vintage and modern collectibles here in the good ole state of Ohio at Milestone Auctions. Myself and about 50 obsessive fans, along with who knows how many online bidders gathered together to peruse a jaw-dropping array of everything Star Wars, including action figures, vintage notebooks, ceramic cookie jars, movie posters, Dixie cups. A little of everything. here are some highlights:

This was the first time I had ever seen one of the Howard Chaykin Star Wars posters in person. Only 1000 were made, and they were distributed to some comic shops and offered at SDCC in 1976 for $1. This one was signed by Mark Hamill and sold for $1900. The other item below is a uncut sheet of stickers from Empire Strikes Back by Topps. Uncut sheets are awesome to frame and put up on the wall, and this one set someone back $100.

Next are some production pieces that I was drooling over. First was an actual shooting script from Empire Strikes Back. No note on who is belonged to, but that didn't matter as it sold for $2500. Next were three animation cells from the Ewoks cartoon that ran from 1985-1986. I love this cartoon, it is not very good at all but I love it anyway. These sold for $170.

Nothing is bigger in Star Wars collecting than the action figures, and these next two are the upper echelon. We have a carded tri-logo Yakface and maybe the rarest of all Boba Fett figures (besides a rocket-firing fett): a tri-logo Return of the Jedi Fett. Yakface was never distributed in the states, so he is very sought after here. He sold for $1000. Then: the Fett. You can read all the info as to this figures rarity here. This one? He sold for $8750. Yes you read that right.

The Return of the Jedi Proof Cards are cool collectibles, and again: read about those here. The proof card market has blown up big time in recent years, and these two were no different as they sold for a combined $2300. That Chewbacca looks pretty different down there huh? That is because it is a Japanese import. Takara produced four figures in an 8-inch scale that featured more action than their Kenner counterparts, and had some weird sculpts as well. They are pretty hard to obtain, and this one went for $450.

Finally, my two favorite items from the auction. First, a ceramic Obi-Wan Kenobi cookie jar, that I desperately wanted for my kitchen. Produced in 1998 and limited to 1,000 pieces, this is one of the better likenesses of Sir Alec Guinness ever done. He sold for $80. Lastly, something I never thought I would see (and I was so excited I took a picture with it!): a Lawrence Noble Bronze Yoda statue. Standing at 30" tall and weighing in at 150 pounds, this is numbered 16/30 in the world. If you are ever lucky enough to visit Lucasfilm, one will greet you in front of the building. These don't change hands too often, and one lucky person walked away with this at a whopping $8250.

Sadly, I walked away empty-handed this time. But to be around all of these collectibles and collectors made the whole trip well worth it, and while I can't put cookies in it, I can stare at the Obi-Wan cookie jar and dream. Maybe some day…

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