Only a matter of days after this https://www.jedinews.com/collecting/articles/italian-cape-r/ achieved £10,200 at Vectis Auctions a link to the following image was posted by long time dealer and collector James Gallo on Facebook. I think it is fair to say that no auction of this magnitude, both in quality and quantity, has appeared to date.
This first image alone is simply jaw dropping. Not only do we see one of a full set of rare 3 packs and a carded Glasslite Vlix, but also a graded double telescoping (DT) Luke, Ben and Vader on their cards! A full set of 3 packs in this condition could easily fetch $150,000 and the number of full sets to date are believed to total 5. (A future article on 3 packs will be available soon). There are around the same number of carded DT Ben and Vader and these could hit $50,000 each, with Luke, being more numerous coming in at around $20,000. DT figures, so called because their telescoping sabers were in two pieces, are in high demand and command a premium in loose condition. Kenner switched from the DT saber to the regular saber very early in the production run, although there are plenty of loose DT Lukes around as there were far more of these released due to the inclusion of Luke in the early bird release. Vlix, often voted the ugliest of the Star Wars related figures, was only released in Brazil under the Glasslite licence. A similar carded one sold for around $15,000 at Vectis last year.
But it doesn’t end there. Russell Branton, the owner of this collection, has accumulated a vast array of Star Wars items over his 20+ years of collecting. James informs us that some of the 12backs, the very first carded Star Wars run of 12 figures, are graded at AFA95. These are possibly the figures to be awarded the highest possible grade for quality. Our second image adds to the excitement.
As discussed in this article the L slot Boba Fett is a prototype figure and arguably the most desirable pre-production figure of any toy range. Other noticeable pieces here are the Power of the Force AT-AT Driver, very rare and was only released in Australia; an Empire Strikes Back 6 pack of figures, a boxed Chewbacca on a highly sought after ESB logo and a range of proof cards.
Although I have no information on this, I expect this auction to be spread out over several months and to be the discussion of collectors for years to come. Keep your eyes on www.hakes.com
The final image would be the star at many other auctions. Graded Vinyl Cape Jawas and Boba Fett’s on any cardback are always popular. A prototype Anakin on the POTF cardback is another jewel in this crown which will be available in auctions beginning in November 2017.
For more information on this auction then contact James Gallo via email at jgallony@aol.com, at https://www.thetoyheaven.com/ or catch him at Celebration on his booth in Orlando.
