Opinions vary on the “coolest” vintage 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 considered among the most valuable individually, though with the plethora of Pez prototypes and variations on the market, Pez are likely more valuable in aggregate.
In 1977, Kenner produced the original line of twelve Star Wars action figures, and this entire line is highly desirable to collectors, each valued at over $2,000 if still boxed and in great condition. The most expensive vintage toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character that was featured in a 1983 cartoon. Vlix nets well over six thousand dollars if in good shape.
Contributing to the value of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. As an example, Kenner Canada, located in Toronto, was the Canadian licensee for Star Wars figures in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only manufactured about ten percent of the figures at this time. That, along with the fact that the Canadian releases featured bilingual packaging, adds a unique twist to those interested in the collectible value of Star Wars toys.
Another unique collectible item available, but incredibly hard to find, are figure 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 Star Wars fans are young, and because there has been a glut of new licenses on the market, these newer figures will likely never attain the valuations that existing vintage figures attained. For example, a recent toy 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, removing one of the valuation factors from the equation.
There are also other foreign releases, with the Japanese Star Wars figures 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 a devoted fan base, a killer movie franchise, and high demand for vintage toys. All of these factors 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 AT-AT Walker or Landspeeder, and see if you have a collectible on your hands!