Sotheby’s and eBay Join Forces for $500,000 Sold-Out ‘Star Wars’ Auction

The online sale reached a new niche of film fans.

As fan anticipation grows ahead of the much-hyped release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens—slated for December 18—Sotheby’s and eBay joined forces for a Star Wars-themed sale this past Friday December 11 and realized $502,202.

In what is termed a “white glove” sale in the auction trade, the sale of toys, action figures, and “autographed rarities” from the collection of Japanese designer NIGO, sold all 175 lots offered for a 100-percent sell through rate by lot and value.

Following the sale, titled “Return of the NIGO,” Sotheby’s director of e-commerce, Josh Pullan, said the results “exceeded all expectations, with 71 percent of lots on offer selling above their high estimates and with 460 bidders participating—87 percent of which were new to Sotheby’s.”

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Canadian Star War:s Empire Strikes Back seven figure multi-pack (1980).
Image: Courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Of course, Star Wars collectibles are a proven commodity at auction, between Princess Leia’s $96,000 golden “slave bikini” and an £18,000 (about $27,000) Boba Fett action figure both hitting the block this year.

At Sotheby’s, the highest-selling lot was a Canadian Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back seven-figure multi-pack (1980), that sold for $32,500, or more than double the high $12,000 estimate. It was followed by the $27,500 winning bid for two Star Wars ‘Power of the Force’ Coin sets (1985), which was more in keeping with its presale estimate ($25,000 to $35,000).

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Star Wars Luke Skywalker action figure with double-telescoping saber (1978).
Image: Courtesy of Sotheby’s.

The third highest lot was a Luke Skywalker action figure holding a double telescoping saber (1978), which sold for $25,000, well above the $12,000–18,000 high estimate. A Star Wars “Early Bird Certificate” package store display from 1977, sold for $20,000, also far above its $7,000–9,000 estimate.

And a Hungarian Boba Fett action figure (1989) with a relatively modest estimate of $3,000–5,000, sold for triple the high estimate, at $15,000.


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