Fans of “Star Wars” are some of the most devoted in the world. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that a figurine based on a character from the iconic sci-fi franchise has just set a world record for the most expensive toy sold at auction.
Per Parade, a mailer J-slot rocket-firing Boba Fett prototype sold at Goldin Auctions on Sunday, August 18, in 2024, for $1,342,000. The monumental sum dwarfed previous records — one of which was held by a different version of the same figure.
Prior to 2024, the record for any toy was held by a Barbie doll designed by Stefano Canturi, which sold for $302,500 in 2010. At that time, a rocket-firing Boba Fett figure had never sold for more than $236,000. An L-slot variant then broke the record, selling at Heritage Auctions for $525,000 in May 2024. The above-mentioned Goldin J-slot version then more than doubled that number just three months later.
This particular J-slot version of the toy was never sold to the public. Only three of them are believed to still exist. The reason behind that makes for an interesting story.
The J-Slot Boba Fett Prototype Was Deemed a Choking Hazard for Children
GettyIn January of 1979, a press release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the complete recall of Mattel’s “Battlestar Galactica” toys. The toys in question featured a rocket-firing mechanism similar to that of the J-slot Boba Fett figure.
Given that the recall came in response to reports of the toys becoming choking hazards for small children — including at least one confirmed death — Kenner took swift action to ensure their Boba Fett figure didn’t pose a similar fatal threat.
Development of the Boba Fett toy was shut down instantly — children expecting the mail-in figure to arrive on their doorsteps received revised versions at a later date — with all prototypes supposedly destroyed.
Evidently, a handful survived the safety-led cull. Specifically, roughly 100 avoided being disposed of. 70 of them had the initial L-slot version of the firing mechanism, while 30 had a J-slot (a later iteration designed to make the mechanism more difficult to misfire).
Nearly half a century later, the tiny number of remaining prototypes are incredibly highly sought after — as clearly evidenced by the record sale.
Who Is Boba Fett?
GettyRegardless of the rarity of this particular figure, Boba Fett is a hugely popular “Star Wars” character.
An armored bounty hunter, he is capable of going toe-to-toe with powerful characters like Jedis in battle. He first appeared in 1978 at the San Anselmo County Fair Parade, walking alongside Darth Vader. His first screen appearance came in 1978’s “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
Boba Fett has subsequently appeared in the likes of 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” 2002’s “Attack of the Clones,” and various other movies and television shows (most notably in “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett“). He’s also appeared in various other media, including video games, books, and comics.
Fett “died” in “Return of the Jedi” when a blinded Han Solo accidentally knocked him into the monstrous Sarlacc’s pit after his jetpack malfunctioned. However, it was later confirmed that he survived by using his armor and weapons to escape the beast.
Boba Fett has been portrayed by the likes of Jeremy Bulloch, John Morton, Daniel Logan, and Temuera Morrison.
We look forward to seeing more of Boba Fett in future “Star Wars” projects.
It’ll be interesting to see when and where the record sale of a toy of $1,342,000 will be beaten. Moreover, it’ll be even more interesting to see if it’s another Boba Fett figure that beats it.
