A prototype Star Wars toy has realised a record £1 million at auction. The Boba Fett rocket-firing figure was never sold to the public after testing revealed it could be a choking hazard.
The example was sold at auction by New Jersey house Goldin on August 18, 2024.
Goldin say the figure is now the most expensive toy ever sold.
In May this year another, slightly different version, of the sought-after figure was sold by the same auction house for £412,000.
The Boba Fet figures were made by manufacturers Kenner in 1979.
Just after Christmas 1978, a Battlestar Galactica toy made by Mattell was involved in the choking death of a 4-year-old child. That toy was recalled.
Testing during production of the Star Wars toy ended the production of figures that shot a missile.
Around 100 toys had been made in two variants: a J- slot and an L- slot.
The L-slot was made first, and a J-slot introduced later as a safer alternative.
In the end, both were considered unsafe for sale.
There are thought to be 30 J-slots out there, kept by Kenner employees, some recovered from refuse. This example was one destined to be sent out by mail. It is believed to be one of just three such examples.
The May sale was of an L-slot model.
The full package shows the box in which the figure was due to be mailed, a certificate and a business card from the first keeper of the toy.
This J-slot example raised £1.04million ($1.342million) with fees and was sold by a private collector who had got it from a Kenner employee.
In a statement, Goldin said: “As far as we know, there are only three Mailer J-Slot V2/2 missile examples in existence, with this specimen the highest-graded example of the three.
“The toy comes with the original business cards of the Kenner employee who held onto it for many years before it ended up in our consignor’s hands.
“This was the first time one had come up for auction, making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase this grail.”
Star Wars is enormously popular as a continuing series and as a subject for collectors.
Boba Fett first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, the 1980-released second film in the original trilogy (not styled as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back).
Fet, a bounty hunter, is very much villain, but became something of a cult hit, and has since appeared in numerous Star Wars properties.
He has now twice been the most expensive toy in history.
Star Wars toys can be valuable. Last week, a sale of Star Wars figures saw a top price of over $5,000 paid for a 1978 Luke Skywalker figure in its original packaging.
Recent sales have seen enormous figures paid for Star Wars props, with a Y-Wing fighter going for $1.55 million last month.
