There are many opinions on the "coolest" collectible toy markets, but most fingers point to vintage Star Wars, vintage Transformers, vintage Hot Wheels, and vintage Pez. Out of these, Star Wars vintage toys are arguably 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 seventies, Kenner produced an original line of twelve Star Wars action figures, and this entire line is very desirable to collectors, each valued at over two thousand dollars in great condition and in their original packaging. The most valuable vintage toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character who appeared in a Braziliam cartoon. Vlix runs well over $6,000 if in great condition.
Adding to the valuation of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. For example, Kenner Canada, located in Ontario, was the Canadian licensee for Star Wars toys in Canada for a decade beginning in the late 70's, but only manufactured about ten percent of the market 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 these figures.
Another unique collectible item available, but very difficult to uncover, are figure prototypes. Prototypes and unfinished 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 probably never attain the valuations that current vintage figures attained. For example, a recent release features Star Wars toys that transform 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 foreign releases, with the Japanese toy lines being very unique, and therefore, very 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 heavy demand for vintage figures, top-quality vintage figures, a killer movie franchise, collectible opportunities, and a rabid fan base. 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 TIE Fighter or Speeder Bike, and see if you have a collectible on your hands!
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