I have two Star Wars Jawa figures from 1978. I've had them in my cupboards at home for years and it wasn't until recently that I saw headlines that informed me figures like mine were going for a fortune.
Some were sold for £20,000 others seemed to be sold for nearly £30,000. What do you reckon mine are worth?
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Dan Hatfield, This is Money's expert valuer, replies: In a galaxy far, far away…specifically, a toy shop in Cheltenham - which, granted, might not be the Outer Rim, but does often feel a little like Tatooine.
That's where our story begins. Not in space. Not in a rebel base. But somewhere between the Scalextric aisle and a display of Airfix glue that definitely wasn't age appropriate.
It's 1978. Star Wars fever is sweeping the UK, and a child walks out with not one but two small plastic Jawa figures.
When Star Wars first hit British cinemas in 1977, nobody, not even George Lucas himself, could have predicted what was coming.
The special effects were groundbreaking, the storytelling was classic good vs evil, and Alec Guinness was probably wondering what on earth he'd signed up for.
But the real genius wasn't just in the film. It was in the merchandise. Here's where it gets interesting.
The film studios thought the toy rights were a sideshow, or as we would call it today a side hustle. Lucas disagreed. He kept them. And what followed was a marketing supernova.
It wasn't just a movie anymore, it was a lifestyle, a universe almost as big as the one portrayed in the films was being created in toy form.
Children didn't just watch Star Wars; they recreated it, relived it, expanded it in living rooms and school playgrounds across the globe.
Sale figures were astronomical. For example between 1977 and 1978, Kenner, the American producer of the toys, sold over 40million action figures, generating around $100million, a staggering return on their modest initial investment of about $100,000.
Fast-forward 35 years, and Star Wars toys had generated around $12billion in total retail revenue, with current annual sales estimated at $2–3billion Star Wars merchandise overall, including toys, books, games, and collectibles, has brought in a colossal $29billion contributing to a total franchise revenue exceeding $46billion.
Now let's talk about the little robed fellow himself.
The Jawa, in cinematic terms, isn't exactly central to the Star Wars saga.
He gets little screen time and is seen scuttling around the desert in a giant metal sandcrawler, kidnapping droids and muttering in a language that sounds like someone dropped a toaster in a bath.
He doesn't get a backstory, a lightsaber, or even a proper name. On paper, he's background noise.
But in the toy world there is a certain incarnation of him that makes him one of the rarest and most sought after toys ever known to man.
In the UK, Star Wars toys weren't made by Kenner, they were licensed to Palitoy, a long established and well respected British toy company.
Palitoy had already brought us Action Man and the talking Dalek, so they knew their way around a toy line.
Their Star Wars figures were nearly identical to the American versions but with subtle differences in packaging, materials, and manufacturing.
Differences that, decades later, would send collectors into hysterics. One such item was the Jawas that you suggest you have. With their vinyl cape they are very rare indeed.
So why the vinyl cape in the first place?
Palitoy wanted to save as much money as possible when creating their toys. To make the Jawa feel more 'substantial' without spending more dosh, they cut a corner: instead of giving him a proper fabric robe, they wrapped him in a vinyl cape — basically a sheet of plastic with arm holes.
It looked vaguely cloak like, and crucially, it was far cheaper to produce than sewing tiny cloth garments.
But the illusion didn't quite work.
Next to other figures with soft goods capes, the vinyl looked stiff, cheap The toy didn't feel 'premium' enough to justify the price.
Additionally there were concerns of the vinyl posing as a choking risk. Hardly any of these toys made their way to shops before they were pulled, no announcement, no reissue, just a quiet pivot that most kids didn't notice at the time.
In their place, a Jawa with a cloth cape appeared.
How rare are Star Wars Jawa toys?
Bearing all this in mind just how rare are these little figures?
Well actually extremely rare indeed. Estimates vary, but it's believed only a few hundred Palitoy vinyl-caped Jawas were ever made. Fewer still survive.
Some collectors suggest there may be fewer than 30 carded examples known to exist worldwide today — and even fewer in original, sealed condition.
Loose versions are slightly more common, but the cape is notoriously fragile and often went missing within weeks of being opened.
So when a Palitoy vinyl-caped Jawa turns up, especially one with its original card, bubble, or even just the cape still intact. collectors pay attention.
Amazingly, you have two of them.
Honestly, when I first read your email, I assumed it was a hoax.
I thought, 'No one just stumbles across two vinyl-caped Jawas.'
But I poured over the photos, studied the cards they come with, carefully examined the waffle like texture on the inside of the capes, and, after some very satisfying detective work, I had to conclude, quite happily, that you do indeed own two of the rarest toys ever produced.
How fortune smiled on you that day in Cheltenham.
You, fists full of coins, marching into a toy shop with all the excitement a small child could muster, and walking out with a character so obscure he barely registered on screen. And yet, here he is: a little plastic Jawa, two of them, that’s quite incredible.
Now, before we crack open the champagne let's take a breath.
How much are the toys worth?
I've seen from your photos that the packaging has been opened. The figures you've seen selling for eye watering prices at auction £20,000 even £30,000, are ones that remain sealed, untouched, time capsules.
Please don't berate yourself. What child in 1978 would have thought to keep a toy in its packaging? (Well, I might have, but I was an odd on, I was born a collector, even if I didn't know it yet.)
You, on the other hand, did exactly what you were supposed to do. You played with your Jawa. You enjoyed it. You gave it the life it was intended to have.
Although, to be fair, if you hadn't, you might be looking at an extra £60,000 in the bank right about now. Also, you've misplaced the blaster that originally came with it, which, unfortunately, doesn't help your case either.
So, with all of that in mind, just how much are your two Jawas worth?
Taking into account the opened packaging, the missing weapons, and general condition, I'd value each one at somewhere between £1,000 and £1,500.
That gives you a potential combined windfall of around £3,000 , which, for two tiny plastic scavengers, is still pretty astronomical.
Now, I know you might be feeling a little disappointed. Actually, scratch that, probably very disappointed. You've seen the headlines: 'Rare Star Wars figure sells for £30,000!' And here I am telling you it's worth a fraction of that.
But let's put it in perspective: according to the original price sticker still proudly clinging to the card, you paid 99p. So that's a return of roughly 150,000 per cent.
You may not be retiring to a private island in the Outer Rim just yet, but you can take satisfaction in the fact that a dusty old toy from a Cheltenham childhood has earned you a tidy little sum, and a great story to tell
Send in your Modern Treasures
Dan Hatfield is This Morning's money-making expert and resident pawnbroker. He is an international specialist in antiques, jewellery, diamonds and collectibles.
Dan's first non-fiction book, Money Maker: Unlock Your Money Making Potential is available now.
This is Money's Modern Treasures column is after your items and collections for valuations.
Please send in as much information as possible, including photographs, to: [email protected] with the email subject line: Modern Treasures
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As with anything, if you are looking to sell items and collections, it is wise to get a second and third opinion - not just rely on Dan's suggestions.
