The renewed Star Wars frenzy is reflecting on the prices of vintage Star Wars toys. They are skyrocketing. Should you sell? Let’s find out.
Millions of people around the world have been waiting for this day – the premiere of the Star Wars The Force Awakens movie is here! People are going bananas over it and the franchise is already the top toy seller for the year. Yes, the movie is not even out yet, but the toys for it are blockbuster hits.
But not only the new toys are enjoying huge attention. Classic Star Wars toys are also becoming very sought after. People are looking in their basements hoping to find that vintage Star Wars toy that now collectors would be going Crazy for. And they are, according to King 5.
They have talked to David Zussman who is making a living from selling hobby equipment and vintage toys. He says that the moment it’s all about Star Wars. Toys are grabbed as soon as they hit the shelves both in stores and flea markets. People are trying to get their hands on as much Star Wars gear as possible. This lead to only one thing – prices are rising. Fast.
Even toys that were just a few dollars a few years ago, are now into the tens even, hundreds of dollars for some toys. And if you have items from 1977-1981, then you may have some real gems in your hands, Zussman says. He points to various eBay listings for such toys. For example a full set of action figures from the original movie goes for $2700. An unopened Boba Fett from the early 1980s. goes for $1600. The small plastic space ships are now going for $200-$400 when they were $10 originally.
This doesn’t mean that all vintage Star Wars toys are going to fetch such prices, though. Zussman points that the toys must be in perfect condition, with their original packaging. If unopened, that’s is a further bonus. Art and antiques appraiser Morgan Cobb of Bryson Estates adds, that the items should be rare, it has no missing parts. Zussman comments that if you are buying new Star Wars toys for a child, you should buy a second one, to keep in storage for after a few years when it becomes a collectible.
Both Cobb and Zussman say that if you look at eBay, see the actual selling price of a toy, not the asking price as many people are going way overboard with their demands and overstate the actual price.
