When George Lucas negotiated his deal to write and direct 1977’s Star Wars for 20th Century Fox, he offered to take a smaller upfront fee in exchange for the merchandising rights. The studio didn’t hesitate, because at the time, toys based on movies or television weren’t seen as big business.

Fox would later come to regret that concession: The franchise went on to gross an estimated $32 billion in tie-in products alone.

One of the biggest contributors to that revenue? Action figures. Initial licensee Kenner sold an estimated $200 million of them between 1977 and 1983, the period when the original trilogy was first released. Since then, nostalgic fans have been willing to pay ever-increasing prices for rare figures in excellent condition that are still in their original packaging.

Just be mindful that prices can vary widely depending on condition, demand, type of packaging, accessories, and other factors. Graded figures typically command higher prices. For basic “yard sale” type figures—out of the package, missing weapons, and ungraded—don’t expect more than $10 to $50.

Deciphering the price of vintage Star Wars toys requires parsing a lot of small details. While millions of Darth Vader figures are out there, only a handful were produced in 1978, and with two key differences: the figure features packaging with 12 other Star Wars characters on the back, and the toy itself sports a double-telescoping lightsaber, a feature Kenner quickly curtailed to save on manufacturing costs.

This rare Vader sold at auction for $130,095 in 2025. It’s believed to be the most a Star Wars figure has ever earned, or at least, that was released to the general public. (The all-time record holder, a rocket-firing Boba Fett prototype, was never commercially available: It sold for $1.34 million in 2024.)

Kenner originally released their Jawa figure with a vinyl cape in 1978. Subsequent runs of the toy used a cloth cloak instead. The vinyl version, which is extremely rare, is one of the priciest Kenner collectibles out there. A carded, high-grade version sold for $30,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2024, while a loose (unpackaged) and graded Jawa nabbed $4995 on eBay in 2025.

A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it creature from 1983’s Return of the Jedi, Yak Face wasn’t given a figure until Kenner released their Power of the Force toy line in 1985. As it wasn’t quite the heyday of Star Wars toys anymore, Yak Face was only distributed in Canada. According to Action Figure 411, a carded version can go for an average of $6745, though a loose Yak Face figure sold for $1000 on eBay in 2025.

The classic 1978 Luke Skywalker figure—clad in the desert casual wear from 1977’s A New Hope—remains a perennial favorite among collectors. A highly-graded Luke on a 12-back card that was still “unpunched” (meaning the hole for the store peg was intact) went for $5000 on eBay in 2025. A later 1979 figure, which has a 21-back, went for $2500. A rare double-telescoping lightsaber Luke sold for $3500, even loose. Luke at his most basic—loose and missing any kind of lightsaber at all—might only net $25 or so.

The bounty hunter made his onscreen animated debut in 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special. But his status as a cult figure didn’t really begin until 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. An original Kenner Fett—which was actually released in 1979, prior to Empire’s release—sells for an average of about $1200, though finding one in great condition can get pricey. A carded Fett figure sold for $4551 on eBay in 2025.

Chewbacca doesn’t sport any weird anomalies: He’s simply an A-list character released during the first wave of 12 figures in Kenner’s inaugural 1978 line. On a card and in good shape, the Wookiee can sell for an average of $1100, but he can go as high as $3000. A loose Chewie in high grade recently sold for $325.

A 1985 Power of the Force figure, this Luke sports the battle poncho he wore on Endor in Return of the Jedi. It can sell for up to nearly $3000, though recent eBay auctions have him closer to $600 carded and $270 loose.

This vintage Kenner boxed set of six Empire Strikes Back figures—a generic Rebel soldier, C-3PO, R2-D2, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and a Stormtrooper—was released in 1981 to tide fans over between sequels. If you can find it in the packaging with a red background, it could sell for roughly $2010. A box with a yellow background is a bit more commonplace and could earn closer to $700.

The mute Royal Guards that accompany the Emperor in Return of the Jedi may not have been good for much—the guy was thrown into a power reactor, after all—but they still make a fine collectible. One carded Royal Guard sold for $2000 on eBay in 2025, while a loose figure went for $150.

The first Kenner Princess Leia figure from 1978 remains in demand. A 12-back version sold for $1700 on eBay in 2025, while a loose figure went for $45.

The philosophical Jedi master introduced in The Empire Strikes Back recently sold for $1500 on eBay, fetching an above-average price due to the bubble on the card packaging being clear rather than hazy. The color of Yoda’s snake sidekick also matters to collectors, with some prioritizing a brown snake over the more common orange. A loose and graded Yoda with an orange serpent fetched $162.

Solo’s Bespin-style garb as seen in The Empire Strikes Back is one of the more popular variants of the character. A carded figure sold for $1150 on eBay in 2025. A loose 1980 Kenner Han on Bespin that was graded nabbed $145.

One of the more sought-after Kenner toys was Snaggletooth, a peripheral creature senn in the Cantina sequence of 1977’s Star Wars. Kenner toy designers only had a black and white set photo of the character and sculpted him as a full-size (3.75-inch) figure in blue, not realizing the creature in the film was actually closer to 3 feet tall and sported a red outfit. The oversized version was sold as part of figure sets and never on an individual card. According to Galactic Collector, he’s worth about $362 in good condition, though one recently sold on eBay for $900.

The put-upon droid is one of the more affordable core characters from Kenner’s 1978 run. A 12-back version sold for $860 on eBay in 2025. Loose and graded, a vintage C-3PO figure can go for around $145.

Many perceived the inclusion of the Ewoks in 1983’s Return of the Jedi as an excuse to sell Ewok toys, and Kenner didn’t disappoint. One of the rarer creatures is Lumat, who recently netted $225 on eBay. Loose, this vintage Kenner action figure collected about $132.