There are many opinions on the “coolest” collectible toy markets, but most objective collectors agree on vintage Hot Wheels, vintage Star Wars, vintage Pez, and vintage Transformers. Out of these, Star Wars vintage toys are arguably among the most valuable individually, though with the myriad Pez prototypes and variations available, Pez are likely more valuable in sum.

In the late 70′s, Kenner produced the original line of 12 Star Wars figures, and this entire line is extremely desirable to Star Wars enthusiasts, each netting more than $2,000 if in their original packaging and in great condition. The most valuable Star Wars toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character who appeared in a Braziliam cartoon. Vlix fetches well over $6,000 if in good shape.

Contributing to the valuation of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. For example, Kenner Canada, located in Ontario, held the license for Star Wars toys in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only distributed about ten percent of the figures at that time. That, along with the fact that the Canadian lines were printed with bilingual packaging, adds a unique twist to those interested in the collectible value of Star Wars toys.

Another interesting collectible item available, but very hard to locate, are figure prototypes. Prototypes and test products are very common in other markets, e.g. the collectible Pez market, but much more rare in the Star Wars market.

While many current Star Wars fans are young, and because there has been a rush of new licenses released, these newer toys will likely never attain the valuations that existing vintage figures attained. For example, a new release features Star Wars toys that morph from characters like Darth Vader into objects like the Death Star. These Transformers figures mashups are hot right now, but supply is also high, removing one of the valuation factors from the equation.

There are also other foreign releases, with the Japanese Star Wars toys being very unique, and therefore, very desirable and highly collectible. European toys are also popular and regularly confused with Canadian releases, due to their bilingual packaging. The easiest way to tell these releases apart is by viewing the address on the package, which will clearly indicate the country of origin.

With Star Wars toys, you have an excellent movie franchise, a devoted fan base, opportunities to locate unique figures, and much heavier demand than supply. These factors combine to lead many professional collectors to believe that Star Wars vintage action figures will retain their valuations for the long haul.

So dig in your attic, uncover that old Landspeeder or AT-AT Walker, and see if you have a collectible on your hands!