The Times of London counts down the top ten Star Wars collectibles that should increase in value.
1. Darth Vader with double-telescoping light sabre (Kenner, 1978) - £5,000-plus
The pinnacle of Star Wars collecting, this action figure was one of the groundbreaking range from Kenner that shrunk the format from the GI Joe-standard of 12" to a cheaper and more playable 3 3/4". Each came with accessories - in Darth Vader's case a light-sabre and cape. In the short-lived and most sought-after first issue the latter was "double-telescoping", with a two part beam. Only three carded examples – on their original card mount – are known to exist.
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9. SD Darth Vader (Comic Images, 2007) - £6.99
"SD" stands for "super deformed" - a cute style of Japanese animation where the heads of characters account for a third to half of their height (rather than one eighth, as in life). This 7" plush representation shows a very different – huggable – side to the sith lord than the action figure which heads this list and is a big seller – now sold-out at many retailers. Chewbacca from the same line might, however, make for a more comfortable sleeping companion. A 6" Vader is now available for pre-order
10. Chewbacca and Disassembled C-3PO (Hasbro, 2006) - £3
Thanks to Hasbro's Galactic Heroes range of cheap and chunky 2" figures, two much-loved and highly collectible Star Wars characters can be yours for the price of a rip-off sandwich. Critics say that the figures are too stylised – "even the bad guys are cute" – but the toys are widely popular and some lines are already trading at inflated prices on eBay.
The list has expensive and inexpensive items and is quite interesting. See the entire list here.
