The Most Dangerous Star Wars Toy Keeps Breaking Records
Would you believe that one of the most dangerous characters in Star Wars was once even more deadly in real life than onscreen? Back in 1979, toymaker Kenner offered a promotional bonus that would allow fans to receive a Boba Fett toy, complete with a cool rocket-firing feature. That feature made the toy a choking hazard and too dangerous to release, and one of its prototypes recently sold for $1.3 million courtesy of Goldin Auctions, making it the most valuable vintage toy in the world next to yet another unreleased prototype of the same figure.
Million-Dollar Boba
While the original Boba Fett toy was never actually released (a decision that disappointed children everywhere), about 100 prototypes of the figure were designed. Previously, a different prototype figure was sold for $525,000, which then made it the most valuable vintage toy ever sold. The reason that this latest prototype sold for almost three times more is that it was an even rarer version of this highly sought-after Boba Fett toy.
Only 100 Ever Made
What makes the new one so special, you may ask? Out of the 100 or so prototype Boba Fett toys that were designed, there were two varieties: about 70 “L-slot” versions and 30 “J-slot” versions, which would have been harder to misfire (more on this very soon). That makes the latter prototypes more valuable than the former, but the one that sold for $1.3 million is even rarer.
Found With All The Parts
The Boba Fett toy that sold for so much was hand-painted and included the mailer packaging along with the bounty hunter’s rocket and his blaster. Only three such versions of this J-slot figure are known to even exist, and this is the only one that has ever been publicly sold. That means that this lucky auction winner with deep pockets owns the rarest version of the rarest Star Wars figure ever made (as General Grievous might put it, a fine prize for his collection).
Avoiding Liability
As for why this Boba Fett toy was never mailed out with the rocket firing feature, Kenner had some concerns about the rocket being a choking hazard, and the toymaker was understandably nervous about the negative press generated by a completely different toy.
While Kenner was still prototyping the Fett toy, Mattel released a Battlestar Galactica figure that had a very similar rocket-firing feature, one which caused a child to choke to death. Had Boba Fett’s rocket-firing feature similarly caused the death of a child, the subsequent scandal could have jeopardized the future of Kenner and even Star Wars itself.
Boba Fett Isn’t Even A Good Bounty Hunter
Eventually, of course, Kenner did release a Boba Fett toy, but the rocket-firing feature was glued shut, effectively making the world’s most dangerous toy safe for children to play with. The version of this figure that finally came out also included a warning that the exciting rocket-firing feature that had previously been advertised was no more. Fans were disappointed, but Kenner effectively embraced their inner Darth Vader: they had altered the deal, and all we could do was pray they didn’t alter it any further.
One lucky fan, however, has the rarest version of the most dangerous Star Wars toy ever made. Just don’t get on his bad side…with that kind of money, he might have you frozen in carbonite and displayed in his palace, right next to the Boba Fett prototype toy.
Source: Goldin Auctions
