21 Original Star Wars Figures Worth Serious Money
The hottest Star Wars toy of Christmas 1977 was an empty box. Kenner had no figures ready, so it sold a promise, and kids unwrapped a piece of paper instead of a Wookiee.
That odd beginning set the tone for a toy line in which the strangest, scarcest and most overlooked pieces ended up as the prizes. The items below are real Kenner-era releases, and what any of them brings depends on condition, completeness and authenticity.
The Empty Box Under the Tree
The Early Bird Certificate Package was Kenner’s stopgap for a Christmas with no figures to sell. Parents bought a cardboard package that held a certificate to redeem later, which is why Mental Floss describes the hottest toy of that season as an empty box.
A store display version dated 1978 has also turned up at auction, graded by AFA. Condition and completeness drive the price, and an intact, unused package is the version collectors want.
The Boba Fett Who Fired Rockets
The prototype Boba Fett with a rocket-firing backpack never reached production, which is exactly why it became legendary. One prototype sold at auction for $525,000, and a later sale reached $1.34 million, billed as a record for any toy.
Those prices belong to documented prototypes, so a production figure, a lookalike or a modified piece sits in an entirely different category. Even among prototypes, provenance and condition shape what a buyer will pay.
A Jawa in a Vinyl Cape
The first Jawa figures of 1977 wore a vinyl cape, a detail that separates them from the cloth-caped version most kids owned. One vinyl-caped Jawa beat its auction estimate by 70 percent, according to a report from a collectibles dealer.
Original vinyl capes are fragile, so examples with the cape intact and the card clean draw the strongest interest. Authenticity matters, because the Jawa is easy to confuse with later versions.
Luke Skywalker With a Telescoping Saber
Collectors hunt for Luke Skywalker figures that carry the double-telescoping lightsaber, often shortened to DT saber in auction listings. One auction listing described a 12 Back example graded AFA 90 as one of two at that grade with none higher.
A 12 Back card places the figure among the first Kenner releases, when the line showed just a dozen characters. Grade, card condition and an original saber all move the price.
The Blue Snaggletooth
Snaggletooth came in a red outfit and in a blue one, and the blue version belongs to the 1978 Cantina Adventure playset. The character is one of the aliens glimpsed in the Mos Eisley cantina, and he ranks among the most discussed variants in the hobby.
Collectors treat the blue figure as a grail, and a loose one is worth less than one with its packaging. Condition and completeness decide the price.
The Palitoy Jawa on a 12 Back Card
Palitoy was the British company that sold Star Wars figures in the United Kingdom, and its packaging is collected in its own right. A Palitoy Jawa on a 12 Back card is cataloged by collectors as its own piece, separate from the Kenner version.
British auction houses regularly offer sealed Kenner and Palitoy figures side by side. As with any carded figure, bubble clarity, card corners and grade control the value.
Anakin Skywalker, the Force Ghost Figure
Anakin Skywalker appears at the end of Return of the Jedi as a glowing spirit beside Obi-Wan and Yoda. Kenner released the figure in 1985 as part of the Power of the Force line, among the figures collectors call the Last 17.
Dealers list examples that are tri-logo, complete and with the collector coin. Missing coins, worn cards or unclear bubbles can sharply lower the price.
Yak Face, the Palace Oddity
Yak Face is a creature from Jabba’s palace in Return of the Jedi, with the heavy, elongated head that gave him his name. Kenner included him in the Power of the Force line, and collectors sort him among the Last 17.
He is a good illustration of how a background character from the films can become a prized toy. A carded figure with its coin and a clean bubble costs more than a loose one.
Romba, the Forgotten Ewok
Romba is an Ewok who appears in Return of the Jedi, and Kenner made him one of the Last 17 figures of the Power of the Force line. Few casual fans can name him, which makes his place on a collector’s want list a little surprising.
Collectors track him on the same checklists as the other late figures. Whether he is carded, complete and clean sets his price.
Amanaman and the Late Wave
Amanaman is an alien who appears among Jabba’s court in Return of the Jedi, and he came late in the Power of the Force line. He is another of the Last 17, a group that collectors prize as the end of the original run.
Carded versions are the standard to pursue, while loose figures sell for less. Accessories, coin and card condition all affect the price.
Kez-Iban From the Droids Cartoon
Kenner followed the Star Wars: Droids animated series with its own line of figures in 1985, and Kez-Iban is one of the characters it covered. The series was a spin-off focused on R2-D2 and C-3PO, so these figures come from outside the films themselves.
Collectors who want complete runs have to track down the lesser-known characters. A carded figure in good condition is worth far more than a loose one.
Thall Joben and the Racing Mechanic
Thall Joben is a human character from the Droids cartoon, and Kenner gave him a figure in the same 1985 line as Kez-Iban. Like the rest of the series, he is far less familiar than the movie heroes.
That unfamiliarity is part of the appeal for collectors completing a set. A clean card and bubble matter more than anything else.
King Gorneesh of the Ewoks Line
Kenner made figures for the Ewoks animated series in 1985, and King Gorneesh is one of the characters from that cartoon. The line sits alongside Droids as an offshoot of the original trilogy.
Collectors seeking everything Kenner produced have to track these figures down. As with the others, sealed packaging and card condition determine the value.
The 12-Inch Boba Fett
Kenner’s large-size line produced Star Wars figures about 12 inches tall, far bigger than the standard 3 3/4-inch toys. Boba Fett was among the characters made in that size, and the bounty hunter’s popularity keeps him in demand.
Collectors look for examples with all of their gear. A boxed, complete figure carries a different value than a loose one with missing parts.
The 12-Inch Han Solo
Han Solo was also made as a large-size figure, and the Star Wars Collectors Archive documents it as part of the line. At 12 inches, the toy needed fabric and larger accessories that were easy to lose.
That makes a complete example harder to find than the figure’s popularity suggests. Box condition, completeness and originality influence what a buyer will pay.
The 12-Inch Stormtrooper
The Stormtrooper joined the large-size lineup, a faceless soldier scaled up from the usual pocket-size figure. Because stormtroopers are everywhere in the films, the toy had instant recognition.
Collectors look for an unfaded figure with all of its original equipment. A boxed example is worth more than a loose one.
The 12-Inch Ben Kenobi
Ben Kenobi was released as a large-size figure with fabric robes, like others in the 12-inch line. The hooded design made him one of the more recognizable toys in the range.
Robes fade and tear easily, so a clean one stands out. Boxed examples are worth more than loose ones.
The Death Star Space Station
Kenner’s Death Star Space Station playset dates to around 1978, and it was large enough to be collected by the Henry Ford museum. It lets kids stage scenes from the first film on a multi-level battle station.
Playsets of this size were rarely kept in good shape, since pieces and stickers were lost to play. A complete example with its box is worth far more than a worn one.
The Radio Controlled Jawa Sandcrawler
Kenner’s Radio Controlled Jawa Sandcrawler was sold from about 1979 to 1980 and rolled on its own under remote control. It recreates the huge desert vehicle that carries the Jawas in A New Hope.
Large electronic toys from that era often stopped working, which makes a complete, functioning one harder to find. Condition, working electronics and the original box all affect the price.
Land of the Jawas
The Land of the Jawas playset went on sale in 1979 and gave kids a desert setting for their figures. It was a playset tied to the Tatooine scenes, and collectors catalog it among Kenner’s action playsets.
Cardboard and plastic pieces from that era were easy to damage or lose. A complete set in clean condition is worth the most.
Jabba the Hutt’s Dungeon
The Jabba the Hutt Dungeon Action Playset belongs to the Return of the Jedi era and was a Sears exclusive. Listings show it in gray, dated to 1984, and sellers make a point of marking complete examples.
Because it was sold through a single retailer, it is harder to find than mass-market playsets. A complete set with its box is the example to seek.
When the Leftovers Become the Treasure
Looking back, very few of these items were made to be treasured. The Early Bird package was a placeholder, the rocket Boba Fett was an idea Kenner shelved, and the late Power of the Force figures were tail-end releases.
Scarcity came from the circumstances around the toys, not from anything the plastic could do.
That is why value in this market keeps returning to the same questions. Is it original, complete, in its packaging and in good shape?
A figure that checks those boxes is a different object from one that was simply played with, and the market prices it that way.
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