This $525,000 Boba Fett Is Now the World’s Most Expensive Vintage Toy
A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, a Star Wars action figure set a new auction record.
A small model of bounty hunter Boba Fett hammered down for $525,000 at Heritage’s first Star Wars Signature sale on May 31, becoming the most expensive vintage toy to be sold at auction. The rarity—one of only two hand-painted, rocket-firing Boba Fetts still in existence, according to the auction house—comfortably eclipsed a one-of-a-kind vintage Barbie that sold for $302,000 in 2010 to claim the title. It also cemented itself as the priciest Star Wars action figure to be sold at auction, surpassing a rocket-firing Boba Fett that went for $236,000 in 2022.
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A large part of the toy’s appeal is its legendary backstory. For the unversed, the Boba Fett saga began 45 years ago. In early 1979, toy company Kenner started spruiking an action figure based on the bounty-hunter character set to appear in The Empire Strikes Back the following year. The Boba Fett with a “rocket-firing backpack” couldn’t be purchased in-store, rather it was part of a giveaway. All kids had to do was provide proof they’d purchased four other Kenner toys, then wait six to eight weeks for the mini bounty hunter to arrive. However, Kenner swiftly pulled the advertised toy from the production line after reports surfaced that Mattel’s missile-firing Battlestar Galactica toys had become choking hazards. The Boba Fett eventually rolled out, but the rocket was glued into place. The toy company added a “Note to Consumers,” stating “The launcher has been removed from the product for safety reasons.”
Kenner reportedly created as many as 100 prototypes of the rocket-firing Fett, many of which were saved from the trash by employees. This particular example is among the rarest, as it is the only one with its head and appendages painted gray. It was made at Kenner in Cincinnati and salvaged from a box of discarded toys left for employees. It eventually ended up with collector Justin Kerns, who once had nine unique survivors from the discarded lot.
“The rocket-firing Boba Fett action figure long ago became such a mythic icon that people worldwide know about it even if they don’t collect anything at all,” Joe Maddalena, executive vice president at Heritage Auctions, said in a statement. “We knew this one had a chance to enter the record books, and it was thrilling to see it become the most valuable vintage toy in the world.”
Heritage’s Star Wars Signature auction realized just over $1.6 million, with the top two lots both Boba Fett figurines.
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