There are many opinions on the "coolest" collectible toy markets, but most objective collectors agree on vintage Pez, vintage Hot Wheels, vintage Transformers, and vintage Star Wars. Out of all of these, Star Wars vintage toys are considered among the most valuable individually, though with the huge amount of Pez prototypes and variations on the secondary market, Pez are probably more valuable in sum.
In the late 70's, Kenner produced an original line of 12 Star Wars action figures, and this entire line is extremely desirable to Star Wars enthusiasts, each valued at over two thousand dollars if still in good condition and in their original packaging. The most valuable vintage toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character who was featured in a 80's Brazilian cartoon. Vlix runs well over six thousand dollars if in great condition.
Adding to the valuation of these figures is the license exclusivity. For example, Kenner Canada, located in Ontario, held the license for Star Wars figures in Canada for a decade beginning in the late seventies, but only distributed about ten percent of the figures at that time. That, in addition to the fact that the Canadian releases were packaged with bilingual packaging, adds a unique twist to those interested in the collectible value of these figures.
Another unique collectible item available, but very hard to uncover, are toy prototypes. Prototypes and test products are relatively common in other markets, e.g. the collectible Pez market, but much rarer 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 figures will probably never attain the valuations that current vintage toys attained. For example, a recent toy release features Star Wars toys that morph from characters like Darth Vader into objects like the Death Star. These Transformers figures mashups are selling right now, but supply is also high, and the law of supply and demand tells us that this will suppress valuations.
There are also other overseas releases, with the Japanese Star Wars toys being very unique, and therefore, highly 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 a killer movie franchise, a rabid 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 hold 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 goldmine on your hands!
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