In the vast galaxy of Star Wars memorabilia, few items are as rare, legendary, or coveted as the rocket-firing Boba Fett prototype—a toy that never made it to toy store shelves, yet has earned near-mythical status among collectors.
And when one such figure—a one-of-a-kind carded prototype—walked into a Las Vegas pawn shop, it brought with it not just nostalgia, but a six-figure price tag.
“This is something I love more than anything,” the seller said. “But the time has come to pass it on to another die-hard Star Wars collector.”
But what makes this toy worth $150,000? Let’s fire up the jetpack and dive into one of the most iconic collector stories in the galaxy.
The Legend of the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett
To understand the value, you need to go back to 1979—the year before The Empire Strikes Back was released. Kenner, the toy company behind the Star Wars action figure empire, was preparing to launch Boba Fett, a new character with a mysterious backstory and a very cool gadget: a rocket-firing backpack.
The concept was straightforward and exciting: the figure would shoot a small red missile from a spring-loaded launcher in the back. Early promotional materials promised this action feature to kids across the country.
But just as quickly as it was announced, it was pulled.
Kenner realized that the rocket posed a choking hazard, potentially fatal to children if swallowed. In response, the toy was redesigned—the spring mechanism was removed or glued down, and all subsequent production units were non-functional.
As a result, no rocket-firing Boba Fett was ever officially released to the public.
Or so we thought.
The Holy Grail of Star Wars Collecting
Only a small number of prototype rocket-firing Boba Fetts were ever created—most in unpainted test molds. Even fewer made it to Toy Fair events or internal Kenner presentations.
The figure that came into the pawn shop? A carded prototype, used for display at the 1979 Toy Fair in New York City. It’s the only known example of its kind in the world: a fully assembled, packaged, rocket-firing Boba Fett—still affixed to its original card.
“It’s not just rare,” the toy expert explained. “It’s one of one.”
It’s the Mona Lisa of action figures, the crown jewel of vintage Star Wars collectibles.
Why Boba Fett?
Even before The Empire Strikes Back debuted, Boba Fett’s mystique was already building. Introduced in the Star Wars Holiday Special (of all places), he was visually striking, silent, and dangerous—a bounty hunter who didn’t say much but captured imaginations.
By the time the toy line expanded, Boba Fett was in high demand. But when the rocket-firing feature was pulled, rumors swirled for decades about “the one that got away.”
“Everyone was upset,” the seller recalled. “The rocket was the cool part.”
That made the prototypes instant legends, whispered about in collector circles, chased at conventions, and eventually commanding astronomical prices.
The Price of a Legend
The seller, who had owned the piece for many years, came in asking $150,000—firm.
“This isn’t just a toy. It’s a historical artifact,” he explained. “There’s not another one like it.”
To confirm the figure’s authenticity, the shop called in a Star Wars memorabilia expert—a true fan and industry professional.
After inspecting the piece, he confirmed what everyone hoped:
“No doubt about it. This is real. This is the Holy Grail.”
He estimated its market value at a minimum of $125,000, considering the extreme rarity, provenance, and condition.
The Negotiation: A Hundred Thousand Reasons to Say No
Despite the expert appraisal, the shop owner offered $100,000, citing resale risk and market unpredictability.
But the seller held firm.
“I can’t accept a hundred grand,” he said, respectfully but confidently. “It’s a bounty I cannot accept.”
In the end, no deal was made.
Some might wonder why someone would turn down six figures for a plastic toy. But to those in the collector world, it makes perfect sense. This isn’t just about plastic or packaging—it’s about legacy, mythology, and ownership of the impossible.
The Collector’s Perspective
In the Star Wars collecting universe, prototype figures like this Boba Fett exist in a separate class. They’re not just rare—they’re often one-of-a-kind, and their value increases each year as nostalgia deepens and original examples vanish into private collections.
Other notable Star Wars prototypes—such as early Darth Vader test molds, hand-painted Luke Skywalker figures, or proof card samples—fetch five-figure sums. But Boba Fett? Especially this one? He’s the apex predator.
As one collector famously put it:
“Owning the rocket-firing Boba Fett is like owning a lightsaber that actually works.”
Conclusion: A Toy, A Myth, A $150,000 Dream
For most kids in 1979, Boba Fett was just another cool character. But for today’s collectors, especially those who grew up during the golden age of Kenner, the rocket-firing Fett is the ultimate nostalgia bomb—a memory that was almost real.
And in a galaxy of mass-produced merchandise, it’s the prototype—the figure that was never supposed to exist—that now commands the highest price of all.
“If the right buyer comes along,” the seller said, “they’ll know exactly what this is. And they’ll be ready to pay what it’s worth.”
Until then, the galaxy waits.
