For a character with only four lines across the original trilogy of movies, Boba Fett left a massive impression on Star Wars fans. The bounty hunter and arch-rival to Han Solo has become one of the most enduring faces of the franchise. Above all, Boba Feet looked cool. With his weathered green armor, jetpack, and striking helmet. This translated into Boba Fett toys becoming incredibly popular among fans.
His toys were coveted by kids of all ages, and perhaps one of those grew up to have quite a bit of disposable income, as seen with the sale of a 1979 Kenner Boba Fett action figure for around US$1.34 million. Sold by Goldin on 18 August, the lot is the most expensive toy/action figure ever sold as well as the most expensive Star Wars item sold that wasn’t a prop.
The item was also featured on Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch second season and has long been hyped up as the “holy grail” of Star Wars non-prop collectibles, specifically this version that is in pristine condition. Besides this one, only two other figurines of this condition are known to exist, making it a rarity among already rare finds, due to this product never being officially released.
Lot 7⏐Kenner Products⏐1979 Kenner Star Wars Rocket-Firing Boba Fett (Mailer) J-Slot (V2)/2 Missiles Action Figure
Circa: 1979
Height: 9.5 cm
Grading: AFA NM+ 85+
Provenance:
- Kenner Products
Hammer Price: US$1,100,000
Sold: US$1,342,000
Auction House: Goldin
Date sold: 18 August 2024
Boba Fett was introduced to the Star Wars franchise in the 1978 Holiday Special. The mysterious bounty hunter would not make his official debut in the Star Wars films until The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The second movie of the original trilogy. He was introduced as an understated villain who was quiet, reserved, and one whose actions spoke louder than words, given he had so few. There was a certain efficient and calculating nature to Fett that made fans gravitate toward him.
Fett’s fandom only amplified as he was a prominent part of the first act of the third movie Return of the Jedi (1983). Here we saw Fett more in action, battling Luke Skywalker and his friends, cruising across the desert with his jetpack, and using all sorts of sci-fi tools. While he met an untimely and ambiguous demise, Fett’s legacy as a popular character endured.
The fame of Boba Fett grew so much that he received an origin story in the prequel movie Attack of the Clones (2002), frequent appearances in the Clone Wars TV show, and his own show in 2021. This is not to mention the countless comics and novels he's appeared in since the inception of his character.
Fett’s popularity as a character can be linked to his arch-rivalry with Han Solo, his inspiration from Western gunslingers, and his demeanor. However, foremostly, it was because Fett had a cool design that made a great toy for kids at the time, something that Kenner would take advantage of, announcing a toy of Boba Fett in 1979 before Fett's first official appearance in Empire Strikes Back, a toy which would never release in its original intended form.
Fett’s first appearance in Star Wars during the 1978 holiday special
Fett with Darth Vader in the Empire Strikes Back
Fett during The Return of the Jedi
As a promotion, those who already owned four Star Wars action figures could mail in seals from other toy sets to receive a Boba Fett figure for free. Kids were promised a Fett action figure who could fire a plastic rocket out of its backpack, an exciting feature for the time.
However, Kenner's rival Mattel was going through a legal and PR crisis. A toy from their Battlestar Galactica line with a similar rocket launching feature had caused a child to suffocate and pass away. This led to a crisis in Kenner and a scramble to find a solution to try and make a plastic launch system that would not misfire causing a child to choke.
No solution was found and instead, all Boba Fett toys that were mailed out came with the rockets solidly affixed to the packs. The story of how Kenner arrived at its conclusion of ditching the rocket and coming up with both the L-Slot and J-Slot systems is really at the root of the value of this lot, as without these components and history this would just be one of the millions of plastic Star Wars action figures created and sold in stores across the world.
An ad showcasing a selection of Kenner Star Wars action figures
That same ad featuring the Boba Fett action figure, singled out displaying its exclusivity
An ad showing how to get a hold of the toy, by mailing in 4 seals found in other action figure kits. It also prominently showcases the rocket launch feature as the key selling point of the toy
The Mattell choking incident led Kenner to try and develop the Boba Fett in such a way that the very heavily publicized and hyped-up rocket feature would be retained but without any of the associated safety hazards. This resulted in the L-Slot mechanism. The L-Slot required that the lever be turned sideways to fire theoretically, making it harder to accidentally shoot and choke on.
However, the L-Slot still proved to be inadequate for safety. This led to the J-Slot mechanism, which was designed as an upgrade to the L-Slot. The J-Slot requires the user to use pressure to push down the lever and hold it to release the rocket. The Kenner designers felt this would be even harder to misfire and thus make it safer for younger children.
The new design was still unsatisfactory, and instead of running the risk of putting a dangerous product out on the market, they opted to remove the rocket shooting function altogether. The rockets became solidly affixed to the jetpack, unable to shoot, its spring and lever system ditched entirely. This did lead to a sort of "Mandela effect" where grown-up adults who had the toy were convinced that it could indeed shoot the rocket, even though no such toy existed for the masses.
A comparison of the J-Slot system (on the left) and L-Slot system (on the right), note how on the J-Slot you'd have to push up on the lever to release the rocket whereas on the L-Slot a simple nudge to the left would release it
The final released version to the public lacks any features to launch the rocket
Kenner ordered a batch of 70 L-Slots and 30 J-Slots, from Hong Kong, for testing. Of the latter J-Slots by the 1990s, only 24-26 were known by collectors, and for the L-Slots, it is assumed all 70 are around, but in what state and where is unknown. Some were kept by Kenner staff, and made valuable collectibles, while the fate of many others is unknown especially after Kenner was merged into Hasbro in 2000.
The majority of the remaining J-Slots are thought to be in poor condition due to the testing subjected to them. The sold lot is one of the three known “mailer” editions. They were kept in boxes and plastic wrap and never subjected to testing, instead seemingly being ready for shipping. This raises its value immensely, as it acts as an example of what this toy could have been if it had been shipped.
It further includes business cards and other authentication documents verifying that it is indeed an authentic toy made in the 1970s. Verification came from staff at Kenner as well as 3rd part verification. Even the box it was to be mailed out in is preserved as a testament to what this toy could have been.
The business cards that come with the lot, showcase who may have been possibly testing on this lot and effectively act as its provenance
The box which the toy came in. It is also preserved with the lot and showcases how it would have been shipped out had the J-Slot been approved
Lot 81954⏐Kenner Products⏐Star Wars Prototype Rocket-Firing Boba Fett L-Slot / Hand-Painted AFA 60 (Kenner, 1979)⏐Sold for US$525,000 by Heritage Auction, 31 May 2024
A side-by-side comparison between the Boba Fett figure sold by Goldin and the one sold by Heritage, whose record was broken by the former. Note the wear and tear on the Heretige one most likely caused by testing damage that the Goldin one never endured
Further adding to the mythology of the lot is its record-breaking status, not just as the most expensive non-prop Star Wars collectible but also as the most expensive toy, beating the set just a few months ago. Interestingly enough, the lot it surpassed was an L-Slot Boba Fett action figure from the same batch of 100 ordered by Kenner.
It was auctioned by Heritage Auctions early in the summer and set the record at the time, which was US$525,000. However, it was quickly dethroned by the displayed lot by the end of the season. While the L-Slot lot was rare in its own right, the J-Slot lot just sold had a few distinct differences that raised its price. Firstly, there were fewer J-Slots made overall, making it slightly rarer. Additionally, the paint quality of the J-Slot lot sold is far superior and a better representation of what was meant to be released.