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

In the late 70's, Kenner produced the original line of 12 Star Wars action figures, and this entire line is extremely desirable to collectors, each valued at more than two thousand dollars if in their original packaging and in great condition. The most valuable Star Wars toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character that was featured in a Braziliam cartoon. Vlix fetches well over $6,000 if in good condition.

Contributing to the valuation of these figures is the license exclusivity. For example, Kenner Canada, located in Toronto, had rights to Star Wars figures in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only distributed about ten percent of the figures at that time. That, in addition to the fact that the Canadian lines were packaged with bilingual packaging, adds an interesting twist to those interested in the collectible value of Star Wars toys.

Another interesting collectible item available, but extremely difficult to find, are figure prototypes. Prototypes and test products are very common in other markets, e.g. the collectible Pez market, but much rarer in the Star Wars market.

While many Star Wars fans are young, and because there has been a rush of new licenses released, these newer figures will likely never attain the valuations that current vintage toys attained. For example, a new toy 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, highly desirable and very 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 value for the long haul.

So dig in your attic, uncover that old Speeder Bike or TIE Fighter, and see if you have a collectible on your hands!

Jared is a vintage toys and games enthusiasts, and focuses much of his collections on vintage Pez, Star War vintage toys, and vintage Transformers figures. You can read about the history and backstory of each of these classic product lines on his blogs devoted to the subjects.

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