In an auction house far, far away...Couple's lifetime collection of 250 Star Wars toys, themed bubblegum, trainers, and rollerskates sell for £84,000
23/12/2020 | Glen Chapman
A retired couple's 30-year collection of Star Wars toys and memorabilia has sold for more than double what it was estimated to at auction.
The married couple from Surbiton have amassed 250 items from the sci-film's product line since the 1980s, almost half of which were coveted Palitoy figures which, crucially, were still in their original cardboard packaging.
Among the haul of 3.75ins tall plastic figures of Anakin Skywalker and Chewbacca, there were also more unique pieces of merchandise, including a pair of Empire Strikes Back rollerskates and themed bubblegum.
Their collection also included Star Wars space craft and vehicles that hadn’t been played with.
Some of the lots were acquired on annual visits to a gaming convention in the US in the 1980s and ‘90s.
Now aged in their late 60s, the couple decided to have a clear out of the south London home and decided to cash in on their collection.
The online sale, which sparked an international bidding war, was held by C&T Auctions, of Ashford, Kent.
The marquee lot was a rare Anakin Skywalker figure that fetched £4,800.
A Chewbacca figure went for £3,960, while a power droid figure achieved £2,340.
A boxed Palitoy Boba Fett space ship sold for £750.
One of the most unusual items in the sale was a pack of Star Wars bubblegum the couple bought in America.
The unopened pack of sugarfree bubblegum which they paid 20 cents (16p) for sold for a staggering £200.
A pair of Darth Vader rollerskates sold for £60, the same price as a pair of toy Ewoks.
The auction achieved a hammer price of £70,000, with extra fees taking the overall figure raised to £84,000.
The final result left the couple ‘overwhelmed’ since they were told it would make £30,000.
Glen Chapman, specialist at C&T Auctions, said: 'The collection was put together by a married couple who built it up from the early eighties until the late nineties.
'They would collect items at specialist shows and pick up pieces during annual visits to America to go to gaming conventions.
'It is impressive that they put together this collection before the rise of the internet.
'There was a mixture of expensive figures and also obscure items like trainers and Star Wars bubblegum.
'The estimate was £30,000 but this auction achieved over double that.
'The couple were overwhelmed by the result.'