There are many opinions 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 huge amount of Pez prototypes and variations available, Pez are probably more valuable in sum.

In 1977, Kenner produced the original line of twelve Star Wars action figures, and this entire line is highly desirable to Star Wars enthusiasts, each fetching more than $2,000 in great condition and in their original packaging. The most valuable Star Wars toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character that was featured in a Braziliam cartoon. Vlix runs well over six thousand dollars if in good shape.

Contributing to the valuation of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. For example, Kenner Canada, located in Ontario, was the Canadian licensee for Star Wars figures in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only produced about 10 percent of the figures at that time. That, in addition to the fact that the Canadian releases were packaged with bilingual packaging, adds an interesting twist to those interested in the collectible value of these figures.

Another unique collectible item available, but extremely difficult to uncover, are toy prototypes. Prototypes and unfinished products are very common in other markets, , 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 released, these newer figures will probably never attain the valuations that existing vintage toys 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 hot right now, but supply is also high, and the law of supply and demand tells us that this will suppress valuations.

There are also other foreign releases, with the Japanese toy lines 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 high demand for vintage toys, top-quality vintage figures, an excellent movie franchise, collectible opportunities, and a devoted fan base. These factors combine to lead many professional collectors to believe that Star Wars vintage action figures will retain their value for the long haul.

So dig in your attic, uncover that old TIE Fighter or Speeder Bike, and see if you have a goldmine on your hands!

Jared is a vintage toys and games enthusiasts, and focuses much of his collections on vintage Pez, Star War vintage action figures, and vintage Transformers figures. You can read about the history and backstory of each of these classic product lines on his blogs devoted to the subjects.

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