Over 300 Original ‘Star Wars’ Action Figures Found in a Collector’s Closet in Chicago
Over 300 pristine Star Wars action figures have emerged from a collector’s closet in Chicago — now dubbed ‘The Morphy Find’ — after a meeting with the CEO of Morphy Auctions led to the revelation of their value. The collector of primarily coin-operated vending machines mentioned the collection to CEO Tom Tolworthy at a coin-op show, who requested photos of the toys and was amazed to discover they were all in mint condition and packaged in their Kenner factory boxes — a stockpile of vintage toys which had been discontinued since 1985.
Chuck Lang, senior IT expert and Star Wars fan was enlisted to catalogue the toys. The question is, how does one estimate the price of priceless works of art and history? Toys have always been an important part of the Star Wars franchise, a way of bringing the galaxy far, far away into the hands of adoring kids and adults alike. In a sense, there is no other way to touch an untouchable world. Even as we entered a far more digital age, physical toys have not lost their popularity, for better or worse.
Interestingly, the history of the original Star Wars action figures is linked very closely to the uncertainty surrounding Star Wars‘ release. After an intensely rocky production stage, and with a skeptical cast and crew, few foresaw the success of Star Wars. Kenner was the toy company first contracted to produce Star Wars merchandise. They created a modest line of toys, entirely insufficient for the Christmas period of 1977, when the wild popularity of Star Wars left every parent searching shelves for a piece of its universe. As a solution, Kenner sold boxes containing an Early Bird Certificate that people could fill out with their names and addresses and send off in the mail. Once Kenner had caught up to the demand, they would send back a special four-figure set including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, and Chewbacca. Eight other figures were later added to the line, including Darth Vader and Han Solo.
The Luke Skywalkers with double-telescoping lightsabers from the Early Bird package recovered in ‘The Morphy Find’ are now worth up to $20,000 USD. Other highlights are the original 21 figures released by Kenner, including a “Death Commander that was pulled because the manufacturer decided the word ‘Death’ was unsuitable for kids”, Tommy Sage Jr. (head of Morphy’s Toys and Trains Division) said.
Hailed as a “once-in-a-lifetime find” by Lang, ‘The Morphy Find’ is a reminder of how Star Wars itself has become a timeless treasure, and whilst the monetary value of its merchandise only increases over time, its value to fans will always remain priceless.
‘The Morphy Find’ goes to auction on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. The full online catalogue can be found here.
Rosalie Lambert is a law student from Australia with a deep love for Star Wars, fantasy, and epic stylistic storytelling. Growing up in the country, Rosalie has always loved nature and outdoor activities, and has a passion for human rights and social justice that she wants to work towards in her field of study.
