Long considered the “crown jewel of unproduced toys” and a “holy grail” object of desire by “Star Wars” toy collectors, a 1979 rocket-firing Boba Fett prototype sold for a world-record $525,000 at Heritage Auctions May 31.
The previous toy record-holder was also a Boba Fett rocket-firing prototype which sold for $236,000 at Hake’s in 2022. The 3-3/4-inch prototype figure is famous in collecting circles because it was pulled from Kenner’s 1979 “Star Wars” toy line when the rocket-firing aspect was deemed a choking hazard.
Image courtesy Heritage Auctions
The limited prototypes that were made before the project’s cancellation mostly ended up with Kenner employees, with most units believed to have been destroyed. Today, only about 70 of these prototypes are known to exist, typically molded in blue-gray and lacking any decorative paint. They are referred to as “first shots,” used to test the mold and are devoid of any copyright or origin markings. Among these, only five are known to be hand-painted, with the record-breaking prototype being one of the two painted in what would have been the production color scheme, distinctively featuring gray painted appendages and head.a
Image courtesy Heritage Auctions
Originally, the Boba Fett action figure was offered as a mail-away for four “proof-of-purchase” seals in 1979. Those mail-away Boba Fetts showed up without a rocket-firing backpack but with a note explaining the part was missing because of safety concerns. Eventually, a Boba Fett action figure, with its rocket glued into its backpack and unable to be fired, was released.
The Heritage sale also smashed the record for the most expensive toy ever sold, which belonged to a Barbie doll designed by noted jewelry designer Stefano Canturi which sold for $302,500 in 2010. What made that Barbie so special beyond Canturi’s involvement, however, was the sparkling diamond necklace around her neck featuring a 1-carat colored diamond. Bidding at the Barbie auction was also intensified because proceeds went to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
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