Prop Store: Rocket firing-Boba Fett goes to auction

It really is the holy grail of vintage action figure collecting, and while there are plenty of other must-have’s out there this figure is the most infamous. With only a few known genuine prototypes in the world, when a rocket firing Boba Fett becomes (legally) available, it’s a big deal and Prop Store have one in their forthcoming auction on 4th March and here’s the inside info.

The undisputed Holy Grail of Star Wars toys, the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett is  legendary due to Kenner’s early promotion of the toy, though they never produced it. Originally used in promotions leading up to the release of the second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett figure was to be a free gift to anyone who sent in four proof-of-purchase seals from other Star Wars toys into Kenner during 1979. But safety concerns over the toy’s promised projectile, triggered by the death of an infant who had played with a similar rocket-launching toy, made Kenner reconsider their approach, opting instead to produce a safer, non-firing version of the character. Though never distributed, Kenner had been hard at work producing the toy before the change in direction was deciding, which makes the few prototypes known to exist some of the rarest toys to ever exist.

The version at auction from Prop Store is an early, unpainted “L-Slot” prototype (so called for the “L” shaped firing mechanism on the figure’s back. This was later redesigned as a “J-Slot” for safety reason) and comes complete with its original red rocket projectile. The figure has a 85 (NM+) rating from the Collectible Investment Brokerage and is offered sealed in an acrylic case and framed with its grading certificate.

Brandon Alinger, COO of Prop Store, had this to say:

“We’re thrilled to have this piece in our auction since it represents the most legendary story in the Star Wars toy collecting world. The Rocket-Firing Boba Fett was the toy everyone was looking forward to that never actually made it to the toy shelves. This elusive quality is what makes the few original prototypes that do exist so sought after. We often see bidders who are ‘buying back their childhood’ in our auctions, but this piece represents the opportunity to pick up something many were familiar with from their childhoods, but no one actually owned.”