5 of the Rarest Star Wars Action Figures

Star Wars is believed by many to be the birth of the entire action figures genre of collectibles … after all, they only came 20 years after the invention of Barbie, and it took a little time for people to stop thinking that dolls were only for little girls! Over time, though, Star Wars collectors have proven to be some of the most dedicated in the entire collecting world, and as such, the rare figurines spawned by the films fetch much more than any others. Today we are drooling over some of the rarest.

1. Darth Vader with Telescoping Lightsaber

This is from the first wave of Star Wars accessories, way back in 1978, and many people probably thought they were pretty dumb when they were released. Not so nowadays -- even non-fans of the film will appreciate that they fetch about $6,000 on the private market. There were only ever a few hundreds of these made.

2. Rocket Firing Boba Fett character

After the release of this Star Wars action figure, safety concerns arose about the tiny missile that could be shot from Boba Fett's missile launcher on his back. Kenner denied ever making a launching version of the figure (probably not the best strategy, were it ever to wind up in a personal injury court!), but several firing figures have definitely been found at auction houses and sold for hefty sums, up to $2,000.

3. Vinyl Cape Jawa

When the telescoping light saber Darth Vader, Skywalker etc were released in 1978, the Jawa were released along with them, originally with a vinyl cape. However Kenner changed the cape shortly afterwards to help them sell -- the new cloth cape was supposed to add perceived value to a toy that was half the size of Darth Vader but the same price. Now perceived value is, ironically, much higher for the original Star Warsfigurines!

4. Yak Face

Yak Face was never retailed in the States -- he was one of the last characters made before the entire line was cancelled in 1985. These were sold overseas to recoup production losses … if they'd kept them for another 30 years, there may have been a handsome profit. Yak Faces sell for around $1,000 each nowadays.

5. Blue Snaggletooth

This figurine was from 1978, along with the telescopers. The toy designers had nothing to work from other than a grainy black and white shot, and grossly messed up the design (as you would). This is one of the rarest Star Wars figures ever, and fetches about $400 per figurine.