Prototype Star Wars action figure selling for over $130k

Why would someone pay over one-hundred-thousand dollars for an action figure? That's likely the question most people ask when they see the most recent listing of a Star Wars: Boba Fett "Rocket-Firing Prototype" action figure here in late October, 2019. Today we're going to give a nutshell version of the low-down on this particular action figure and why it, above all others, strikes the fancy of the most hardcore collectors.

The Star Wars Boba Fett Rocket-Firing Prototype (J-Slot) AFA 85+ NM+ Action Figure up on the auction block right now is amongst the rarest of the prototype action figures in the world – of this sort of notability, anyway. Surely there are prototypes of action figures that only see one or two prototypes made and are destroyed – no big deal. But here we've got something special.

This action figure represents a sweet spot between one-of-a-kind artwork and mass production. It's not entirely unique, so the owner can consider and compare the rest of the production run that's known to be out in the wild. This example, this Boba Fett, is one of the best-condition versions of this particularly rare-but-not-unique piece of entertainment history.

The Rocket-Firing Boba Fett was never released to the general public. Only 80-100 of this test piece were made when the first Star Wars figures began to advertise its existence. Two different sorts of Rocket Firing Boba Fett were made for product testing – this is the rarer of the two, with right around 25 known to have been made and shipped from Hong Kong to Kenner in around 1979.

Because the legacy of Star Wars is so inextricably connected with the existence of Star Wars action figures, this amalgamation of plastic parts is easily one of the most important toys in modern history. So, you know, it's gonna probably go for a lot of cash. We shall see!

Also I probably need to mention, because someone will inevitably ask: neither I nor SlashGear will profit from the sale of this action figure in any way at all. It's just an important auction and an interesting piece of entertainment history – that's all. And look, high definition photos straight from the auction house at Hakes!