Toys in the Attic.

A co-worker named Damon came to me today with what I only describe as a challenging question. Apparently he inherited a collection of Star Wars toys from the original movie, in their original blister packs, and he was curious about their potential value.  He'd done some research online which suggested that they might be worth a substantial amount of cash, and was hoping that I might be able to help him confirm that research, and perhaps offer some advice on how to sell them.

Collecting vintage toys and action figures is one of those areas of obsessive geekhood that can completely consume someone's life - and very probably their bank accounts, in some cases.  I’ve made a few forays into the shallows, as it were, with Major Matt Mason and my Buck Rogers disintegrator pistol, but Star Wars toys are very deep water indeed.

In 1978, Kenner released twelve 3 3/4-inch Star Wars action figures in standard blister packs with a cardback that showed all twelve figures from the initial release: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, Artoo-Detoo, Chewbacca, See-Threepio, Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper, Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, Han Solo, a Jawa, a member of the Sand People, and the Death Squad Commander.

As time went on and more toys were released, the 12-back became a 20-back in order to include the new characters that had been introduced. Then a 21, a 31, a 32, and so on, culminating in a 92-back* in 1985. It’s generally considered that there are 111 distinct variations of the Kenner figures, ignoring minor variations in colour and so forth from different production runs.

However, some of the small variations in production can make a large difference in the value of a collectable toy. The Jawa featured in first run of figures had a vinyl cape, but Kenner felt that it made the toy feel cheap, given that it was a smaller toy than the others, and replaced it with a fabric cloak.  Due to the relative rarity of the original vinyl-caped figure, they're worth more on the market - a vinyl cape Jawa in its blister pack is generally valued at about $4,000 USD, and they have sold for as much as $18,000 USD**.

Damon's little collection is made up of the original 12-pack, including the vinyl cape Jawa, so he's obviously a bit excited about that particular sale price. However, the sad truth of any sort of collectible item is that there often a substantial difference between what a dealer will sell it for, and what they will pay you for it.

Based on online sources, if Damon's set is in reasonably good shape, it would probably be valued at between $14,000 and $18,000 USD, but that's not the same as selling them for that much.  Obviously, it would be to his advantage to bypass any sort of middleman and go directly to potential buyers, but what is the best way to do that?  eBay?  Some other form of auction?  Even eBay takes a cut, as would an auction house, but the benefit is that the transaction is protected on both ends.  How would someone go about doing a completely independent sale and feel confident that it was a safe transaction? 

But there's a more subtle question.  If we assume that the toys are worth $18,000 now, what would they be worth in another 20 years?  Toys are probably more subject to the ebb and flow of trend and fashion than most vintage items - today's treasure may well become tomorrow's trash, and as much as I'd like to think that Star Wars toys would continue to appreciate in price, there's no way of knowing that for sure.

As Damon quite accurately put it, “It’s like owning a bottle of fine wine - do I hold onto it in hopes that it becomes more valuable, or should I sell it before it turns to vinegar?”

- Sid

* In the interests of complete accuracy, there was a 93-back intended for distribution outside of the United States, which included the “Yak Face” figure from Return of the Jedi. Some sources say that the 93-back actually was made available in some American outlets - regardless, the figure is considered to be a very collectable rarity.

** Because of this, there are actually fake vinyl cape Jawas constructed from the fabric Jawa plus a cut-down version of Obi-Wan Kenobi's cloak. There are also "restoration" repro blister packs available on eBay. Caveat emptor.

Mea culpa.

I will never understand why the Internet seems to take away the basic humanity of most people, and allows — no, enables — them to say things that they’d never say to another person face to face.

- Wil Wheaton, Just A Geek

I'm sorry to say that I owe Wil Wheaton an apology.

To be fair, I think that a lot of people owe Wil Wheaton an apology, and probably a lot of them owe him a much larger apology than I do, but that in no way excuses me from offering mine.

Even before his departure from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil Wheaton had become somewhat of a punching bag for the fan community.  People were unimpressed by the direction that the character of Wesley Crusher had gone in, and in spite of the fact that he was only working with the material created for him by the writers, he became the focal point for the fan community's resentment regarding the situation.

When he left The Next Generation in 1994, he continued to be a target of criticism, paradoxically for his decision to leave - and probably by the same people who hated his work on the show.  At that point in time, Wheaton fell off the map for me, to be honest.  I heard various bits and pieces of news that suggested he had left the world of acting and had shifted his interest to computers, but I really didn't pay attention.

However, I've just finished reading Just A Geek, his well-written and deeply personal autobiographical description of those years following his departure from the show - his struggle to find work, his frustration, anger and disappointment at his lack of success, and the difficult process of reinventing himself as a writer, both online and in published form.

One of the things he discusses is the feelings of failure from not having an income, and having to resort to the sad irony of selling bits and pieces of personalized Star Trek memorabilia in order to pay his bills.

Unfortunately, I wrote a post in 2012 that discussed the loss of The Next Generation from television, and speculated as to the possibility of a Next Next Generation starring the various child actors - now adults - from the show, with "Wil Wheaton as the infamous Wesley Crusher" and a link to one of the less fortunate exchanges between Wesley, his mother, and Captain Picard.*

The posting then went on to hope that Wil Wheaton wasn't behind on his mortgage payments, which might well provide the impetus for just such a series.

So, Wil*, I'm very sorry - I feel that I was kicking you when you were down, or at least making fun of a time in your life when money was a serious issue for you. By way of explanation if not defense, I wasn't aware of the details of your situation, but that's no excuse for bad behaviour.

I've edited my original post so that the phrasing has nothing to do with your financial situation, and I've changed the link so that it takes readers to your scene from Nemesis that was cut from the movie - which shows you in a far more flattering light as a performer. 

And again, my sincere apologies.  There's a lot of people left to go, but at least it's a start.

 - Sid

* Which I won't quote here.

** Or Mr. Wheaton, whatever you go by with apologetic strangers.  Having a public persona tends to create a sort of artificial intimacy, but under the circumstances it may be inappropriate.

Gnomic Statements XV.

Well, at least this time he gets to drive.

- Sid

P.S. Seriously, though - a "Time Master"?  This is genre typecasting writ very large indeed.