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A 1978 Kenner Luke Skywalker figure is going under the hammer at Vectis in Thornaby on 15 October, and it's expected to fetch up to £20,000. The reason is a tiny bit of yellow plastic: the double-telescoping lightsaber.
I own Luke's lightsaber (well, a £250 Padawan Outpost replica), so I went down the rabbit hole. I cover how the original prop started life as a camera flash handle from a London shop, why the blue lightsaber was really Anakin's, and why Luke's green one only exists because the blue blade kept vanishing against the Tatooine sky.
Then it's the toys. Kenner sold kids an empty box for Christmas 1977, gave the first Luke, Vader and Obi-Wan figures a saber that snapped if you looked at it, and quickly swapped it for a simpler one. The ones that survived are now worth thousands, and the record for a double-telescoping Luke is $161,457.60.
I also emailed Vectis with a few questions, and I've put together a simple three-step test so you can check your own old Star Wars figures before anything goes in the skip.
I'll post the hammer price once the auction's done, so keep an eye on my feed.
What's still sitting in your loft? Tell me in the comments.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - A £20,000 Luke Skywalker in Thornaby
1:09 - My Luke lightsaber and the camera it came from
2:06 - The blue lightsaber was never Luke's
3:22 - Blue or green?
4:05 - My childhood Star Wars "collection"
4:39 - Christmas 1977: Kenner sold an empty box
5:54 - The design mistake worth a fortune
7:04 - I emailed Vectis
7:43 - The £20,000 Luke up close
8:26 - The $161,457 record
9:22 - Would I sell it?
10:30 - The Don't Chuck It Out test
11:21 - Go and check your loft
THE AUCTION
Vectis Star Wars auctions (lot 623, 15 October): https://www.vectis.co.uk/departments/star-wars-auctions
The news story: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rare-star-wars-luke-skywalker-161919433.html
CHECK YOUR OWN FIGURES
Standard vs double-telescoping saber, with an animated comparison: https://galacticcollector.com/fig/Luke-Skywalker
Double-telescoping lightsaber guide (Star Wars Collectors Archive): https://theswca.com/lexicon/dt.html
Antiques Roadshow values a double-telescoping Darth Vader: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/appraisals/1978-kenner-darth-vader-with-double-telescoping-lightsaber/
THE RECORD SALES
$161,457 Luke, the record for a production action figure: https://www.si.com/collectibles/new-record-for-most-expensive-production-toys-ever-sold
More on the $161k Luke: https://www.cllct.com/sports-collectibles/auctions/rare-luke-skywalker-toy-expected-to-sell-for-six-figures
The 2022 Luke that sold for $100,252: https://journalofantiques.com/columns/gavels-n-paddles/luke-skywalker-figure-100252-lcg-auctions/
THE LORE
How the lightsaber was made from camera parts: https://petapixel.com/2011/07/11/star-wars-lightsabers-were-originally-made-from-camera-parts/
Return of the Jedi deleted scene, Luke builds his lightsaber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Ms7echpVk
Mark Hamill on the cut Force Awakens opening: https://screenrant.com/star-wars-7-force-awakens-opening-sequence-lightsaber/
Kenner's 1977 Early Bird Certificate advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvYUjtowo5A
MY LIGHTSABER
Padawan Outpost Thin Neck Luke: https://padawanoutpost.com/en-us/products/thin-neck-saber-model-luke
#starwars #lukeskywalker #vintagestarwars #kenner #lightsaber #starwarscollector #toycollecting
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