Do you like Star Wars action figures? Do you own a few? Would you like to own all of them? This recently listed eBay auction doesn’t actually contain every single character whoever lived a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. But it does contain a whopping 85 percent of all Star Wars action figures. Most impressive.
This eBay auction is giving you a chance to own 1,950 (3.75 inch) action figures, from your favorite characters (Han Solo in Carbonite Chamber) to the more obscure ones (Nien Nunb) (Actually, I know exactly who he is.) These figures have been documented in the recently released book, Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection by Stephen Sansweet, which covers the 2,500 figures that have been released in the last 35 years.
According to the listing,
This collection has been appraised at a minimum value of $8,200 by Pete Vilmur, collecting expert and co-author of four Star Wars books.
“This incredible collection of nearly every Star Wars action figure ever produced is the largest group of figures I’ve seen offered in a single lot,” Vilmur said. “Based on the sharp condition and completeness of this collection (100% of the 1978-85 series is here, and nearly every subsequent figure produced to early 2011), I’d appraise this set at a minimum $8,200 to $8,500.
The modern figures are in excellent condition, Vilmur said, but the vintage ones have some minor wear and tear.
One of the most remarkable Star Wars collections ever up for auction is also noteworthy not only because of its size but also its origin: According to the listing, “The figures have been donated by one-time ILM model maker Fon Davis” And even though these figures have been removed from their packaging, which means there’s no way to authenticate them, it’s seems reasonable to conclude that they’re original and not knock-offs.
The proceeds of this auction will benefit Rancho Obi-Wan, “a non-profit Star Wars memorabilia museum,” founded upon the personal collection of Sansweet, who in addition to running the museum and authoring Star Wars books, was Lucasfilm Ltd.’s former head of fan relations/director of content management and current fan relations advisor.
As of this posting, the bid is at $3950. The auction will close on December 9, 2012.
Last year, an informal survey found that there were 308,000 eBay listings for Star Wars-related memorabilia–more listings than any other fandom.
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Via TheForce.net.