In the world of collectible action figures, it’s tough to beat the 1978 Kenner Luke Skywalker.
Arguably the most recognizable toy of its era, the Skywalker has long been among the most coveted among collectors, and considered the “holy grail” of production action figures.
The rocket-firing Boba Fett, which made headlines last year when one sold for an eye-catching $1.34 million, is a prototype and thus considered in a separate category.
What might be the single-finest and most significant example of a Skywalker figure in the world, graded AFA 90 (one of two at the grade with none higher), with a double telescoping lightsaber, sold for a record $161,458 at LCG on Sunday night.
The double telescoping designation signifies the figure was released prior to the modification of the lightsaber early on in production to release cost and streamline production — making it the rarest of rare for the popular figure.
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The other AFA 90 example of a DT Skywalker sold for $100,251 in 2022, setting the previous record for the most expensive production figure ever sold at that time. That record was also eclipsed by a DT Darth Vader which fetched $130,095 earlier this year.
LCG writes in its auction description that, between the offered figure and the other which they sold in 2022, this reigns supreme thanks to various condition factors in addition to a fully extended saber visible within the package.
“This anomaly is unexplained, and we could only find one other example of this feature in the online auction archives made public by the major auction houses (our search included all three characters featuring DT saber: Luke, Vader, Ben Kenobi),” writes LCG in its lot description.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.