Star Wars Figurine Set (Photo : Facebook)
The Star Wars toy collection and other rare film memorabilia owned by a mega-fan was put up for auction in New York on December 11, Friday. Japanese fashion designer NIGO (Tomoaki Nagao) earned over half a million dollars by putting a small portion of his movie collectibles on the auction block, including Star Wars merchandise featuring characters such as Han Solo and Darth Vader.
Sotheby's 600-piece auction of Star Wars memorabilia earned over $505,000. The top-selling item was a 7-piece figurine set from "The Empire Strikes Back," according to NBC-2.
This mint-condition multipack that included characters such as Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett sold to the highest bidder at $32,500. The item was originally only offered in Sears department stores throughout Canada.
Another top earner was a 1977 store display that was basically a fancy cardboard box. The "Early Bird Certificate Package" sold for $20,000 because only five still exist in the world.
Although people usually return broken merchandise to stores, in the toy industry recalled products have higher values due to the niche market. For instance, the ultra-rare Yak Face from "Return of the Jedi" (on Jabba the Hutt's barge) sold for $7,250 after it went under the hammer.
Another example was a Kenner lightsaber that went for $25,000. The toy company stopped production after it discovered that the flimsy lightsaber easily broke off, and only 20 units still exist worldwide.
Australian rocker Rick Springfield is another major Star Wars toy collector. However, he refuses to sell any of his collectibles or remove their packaging, and likes the franchise's toys more than the films, according to Rolling Stone.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in North American theaters on December 18, Friday. It has been one decade since "Revenge of the Sith" completed the prequels.
Here are some of the all-time most expensive toys:
