By Simone Duiker | 22nd May 2018
With the new trilogy nearly finished and the Han Solo spin-off on the big screen, the Star Wars universe is very much alive: a great time to start collecting. This month in Catawiki Explains, we'll give you some tips on investing in Star Wars memorabilia. The famous film franchise has spawned all kinds of movie memorabilia, from figurines to kitchenware and cardboard cutouts to BB-8 drones. With so much on the market, you could collect anything imaginable related to Star Wars, but to build a cohesive and valuable collection, you’ll need to do a bit more curation. Here's how to get started.
Tip #1: Do it because you love it
Before you start collecting, you should decide why you want to collect. This might seem like a given, but if you’re only doing it because you want to get rich, then maybe you’re not doing it for the right reason. The truth is, predicting which memorabilia will increase in value is very difficult, especially with the new films and the vast amount of merchandise. Therefore there are no guarantees that your collection will make you a profit later on.
However, if you have enough memorabilia to fill a museum, then why not actually start a museum? That's exactly what collector Cho Woong did. He incorporated his collection beautifully into his home decor, purchasing specific items he thought suited best for interior design. The collection grew and grew and Woong decided he wanted to open the doors of his house, located above his restaurant in Daegu, South Korea, to the public.
Inside Cho Woong's Amazing Star Wars Collection - all photo credits to Star Wars
When the first films came out, toy collecting wasn’t really a thing and the films' success came as a surprise to many. This resulted in limited production as demand was higher than supply, which was a surefire way to make prices skyrocket. Nowadays, companies are aware of the demand and make sure their production matches it.
If you want to invest in memorabilia that is likely to increase in value, it's important to take into consideration how the films will be received. When the prequels came out during the 90s, people invested in memorabilia under the assumption that it would increase in value like the original movie merchandise, but the films weren’t exactly loved by the public, to put it lightly. That’s why toys from this era of films haven’t increased in value very much, if at all.
That being said, it's far better to invest in memorabilia that you truly love regardless of whether or not it will make you a profit. Like with any collection, collecting for money may let you down, but collecting for love never will.
Tip #2: Focus
As Qui-Gonn Jinn said in 'Episode I - The Phantom Menace': “Your focus determines your reality.” There are many paths you can choose, but you’ll need to find a focus in order to keep your spending in check and end up with a great collection. The amount of Star Wars memorabilia available may seem overwhelming, so think carefully about what you want to collect before getting started.
One way to find focus is to pick one type of item to centre your collection around: for example art, gadgets, autographs or a certain type of toy. You could choose items of high quality that you know will fit nicely into your home decor, like Cho Woong did. Another collector, Matt Booker, decided to stick to one character only: Boba Fett. His collection consists of more than 8,000 Boba Fett pieces.
- Star Wars collector Matt Booker and his Boba Fett collection
- Image source: Paul Hackett / Reuters
If you’re a bookworm, an interesting collection to look for is the original edition of the Star Wars: Frames book set. It incorporates six volumes of stills from the films hand-selected by George Lucas in a custom wooden case. Some other books to look out for include the first hardcover edition of 'Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker' published by Ballantine Books, 'Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars' by Trisha Bigger and 'Star Wars Complete Locations' by Dorling Kindersley. Looking for the best areas to invest in? Anything signed, limited edition, or used in films are solid investments that surely will increase in value over time.
- An interesting collector's item to look for is the Star Wars: Frames book set
- Image source: Wookiepedia
If life-sized memorabilia isn’t your thing, then an action figure collection could be for you. Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Han Solo, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Luke plus many more are all available in figurine size to kick-start your miniature memorabilia. What’s more, these tiny friends are a dead set winner to increase in value. For the best and most covetable plastic legends, head back to the original era as anything from 1977 to around 1985 are the most sought after action figures on the market.
Tip #3: Look for vintage toys, limited editions or misprints
One way you can be a little bit more sure that your collection will increase in value over time, is by looking out for limited editions or misprints. In 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' memorabilia for example, there was a packaging error causing a Kylo Ren figure to end up in a Captain Phasma box, which surely is a sought-after collector’s item now.
This Kylo Ren figure packaged in a Captain Phasma box surely is a sought-after collector’s item now
Older toys and merchandise from the original trilogy - issued in the 70s or 80s - also have a higher chance of increasing in value, although the price you can buy it for will presumably be higher as well.
Tip #4: Store it well & keep track
Last but not least: it’s important to keep your collection in good condition if you want the value to increase. As hard as it might be, try to keep toys in their original box, unopened, and store them in a dark, dry place to prevent discolouration. As your collection grows, it becomes easier to lose track of what items you actually own so it's important to stay organised. While you can keep track of your collection using spreadsheets, there are also a few tools entirely dedicated to Star Wars collecting online.
A creative way of storing your valuable Star Wars memorabilia, as demonstrated by Cho Woong below, is to put it not only in glass display cases, but in a glass case that also doubles as a coffee table.
- Cho Woong combines his collection by completely incoporating it into his home decor
- All photo credits to Star Wars
______
We hope this has informed you and inspired you to start your own Star Wars collection! If you are interested in buying vintage Star Wars memorabilia, keep an eye on our Iconic Toys & Movie Merchandise auction.
Discover more Star Wars | movie memorabilia | books | action figures
You might also like these articles: