Got the ‘Star Wars’ collector gene? Advice on turning droids to dollars

Collector and author Steve Sansweet poses with the same kind of rare "Empire Strikes Back" medical droid action figure that sold for thousands in the UK.

(Credit: Steve Sansweet)

When an original 1980 Palitoy “Empire Strikes Back” medical droid action figure sold at a UK auction last week for more than $11,000, “Star Wars” fans and collectors were in a state of shock. It’s not every day childhood dreams translate to big dollars, after all.

“I was gobsmacked by the price!” Steve Sansweet, author of the book “Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection,” told Crave. “When you add the buyer’s premium and the value added tax, it comes to over $14,400 — for a nearly 34-year-old 4-inch piece of plastic sealed on a card. But as in any auction, it only takes two slightly crazed, somewhat wealthy folks to drive a price up to incredible heights. It may have been the last piece someone needed to complete a run, it looks like it was as in near-mint condition as these things get, and the heart-beating competition of an auction can lead to a lot of adrenaline pumping.”

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