Star Wars collectables have become a serious part of my life and, honestly, a serious business. I am not just talking about the endless stream of new figures and merch that comes out every year for fresh fans. What really fascinates me are the single, standout pieces that can be worth a small fortune to the right collector. For me, the real magic is in the rare stuff. That might be original props and relics from the movies, or unusual and hard-to-find items from the vast world of toys, accessories and costumes that kids once used to act out their own lightsaber duels. Below, I have put together my personal top 10 most valuable Star Wars collectables.
Rebel “Blockade Runner” ship miniature
It does not get much cooler than owning a ship straight out of Star Wars. One of the pieces I daydream about is the Rebel “Blockade Runner” filming miniature, based on a design originally intended to be the Millennium Falcon. This is a real on-screen model from what we now call Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which first came out simply as Star Wars. Back in 2015, it sold at auction for $450,000, and in my opinion, it would easily fetch even more if it were to appear on the market today.
Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber
The one thing that might tempt me even more than a ship is an accurate Jedi weapon. Luke Skywalker’s original lightsaber prop has always felt like the holy grail to me. The hilt originated as a 1930s Graflex flash handle, with its branding taped over for filming purposes. In June 2017, anyone with $450,000 to spend in Dallas could have walked away with the very handle Mark Hamill used in the first two films. The glowing blade, which we all know, was added later in post-production, making it even more fascinating to me that the heart of this legendary weapon is really just an old torch.
Return of the Jedi blaster
Then there is Han Solo’s blaster, the thing I copied with my fingers as a kid every time I played space battles. The real prop is big business for serious collectors. In 2018, one of what experts believe might be no more than three screen-used Han Solo blasters sold for $550,000. Harrison Ford probably misplaced the original gun from the first movie, so the props team had to build a new version. This particular blaster originates from Return of the Jedi, the third film in the original trilogy, and it once belonged to James Schoppe, the art director on the movie, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work. If that piece ever ended up in my collection, I know I would never stop telling the story behind it.
For me, the story of the rarest and most valuable Star Wars toy has a real sadness at its core. By the time I got into collecting, everyone already knew about the legendary rocket-firing Boba Fett. Boba was an incredible character in my eyes. His armour, that shiny helmet that hides his eyes completely, and his quiet presence gave him instant cult status. Of course, fans wanted a figure of their own.
There is one Boba Fett that stands above all the others for me. The prototype with the firing rocket was pulled before release after a tragic incident in which a child in the United States died after choking on a part from another toy. Production stopped, stock vanished, and only a tiny number of samples survived. Employees kept some; others were rescued from the company trash. Those few that made it into collectors’ hands are now extremely valuable. One of them sold in June 2024 for 525,000 dollars and took the crown as the most expensive toy in the world.
Chasing pieces like that has also forced me to be smart with money. I may sound calm when I talk about prices, but behind the scenes I have had to stay realistic, set strict budgets and find ways to finance your Star Wars hobby without letting it swallow the rest of your life. Learning how to pace purchases, save ahead and look for flexible payment options has been just as important as knowing which item to bid on.
Stormtrooper costume
I have always had mixed feelings about Stormtroopers. I know what they represent in the story, and the name clearly echoes very dark parts of real history. At the same time, I cannot deny that the armour design looks incredibly striking on screen, and I am far from the only collector who feels that way. Someone took that admiration to the extreme and paid 645,000 dollars for a classic Stormtrooper uniform from the first film.
For pieces like this, screen matching is everything. Experts examine stills and footage frame by frame, looking for tiny scratches, paint marks, or dents that indicate a specific helmet or chest plate is present in a particular shot. That detective work is what turns a costume into a verified, screen-used treasure. As a collector, I love that human eye for detail. No simulation can replace the moment someone spots a minor scuff and realises they are looking at the same armour that marched across the Death Star.
Han Solo blaster
When I think back to my first viewings of Star Wars, Han Solo is still the coolest guy in that entire galaxy. His blaster is etched into my memory along with his grin. It feels fitting that one of his guns was the first piece in this list to cross the $1 million mark.
In August 2022, at an auction in Illinois, a Han Solo blaster sold for $1,057,500, more than doubling its high estimate of $500,000. The sellers described it as the original gun from Star Wars Episode IV, the very one Harrison Ford held in posters and publicity shots all over the world. I can still picture him pointing it at the camera. What makes it even more fascinating to me is that, just like Luke’s lightsaber, this blaster began life as something more ordinary. If you watch Frank Sinatra’s 1967 film The Naked Runner, you can see him using the real-world firearm that was later converted into Han’s sidearm for space adventures about a decade later. I love that connection between old thrillers and science fiction legends.
Darth Vader’s head
Darth Vader is not someone I would ever want to meet in a dark alley, but as a character, he completely owns the screen. For me, he is one of the greatest villains in cinema history. It took two remarkable performers to bring him to life. James Earl Jones gave Vader that deep, unforgettable voice. Inside the suit was David Prowse, whose natural Bristol accent was replaced in the final cut, but whose physical presence created the imposing figure we all recognise. Prowse, who appeared at numerous conventions and events, passed away in 2020 at the age of 85 and remains fondly remembered by fans.
Vader is more than any single actor, though. The costume itself, especially the helmet and mask, has become an icon of film design. A screen-used mask from the first movie is about as close as I can imagine getting to the dark side itself. One such piece was sold in September 2019 as an actual “holy grail” item for 1,125,000 dollars. If I ever stood in front of that mask in person, I know I would feel like a kid again, hearing that mechanical breathing and feeling the full weight of the saga all at once.