A rare Boba Fett toy will go up for auction next month, and it could be worth $500,000.
The toy — called the “Boba Fett J-slot rocket-firing prototype” never made it into stores because of safety concerns with the toy’s shooting mechanics.
Still, 80 to 100 of them were produced for testing and only 24 of them still exist in the world, making them an extremely rare piece of memorabilia, according to Fox News.
One of the figures will go up for auction next month. The figure is deemed AFA-85+ NM+, which means it is in “near mint condition,” according to The Action Figure Authority.
“Many people would describe this as the Holy Grail of ‘Star Wars’ toys,” said Kelly McClain of Hake’s Auctions in York, Pennsylvania, according to USA Today.
Consignment manager Kelly McClain said some of the toys aren’t in as strong condition because “they’ve undergone rigorous testing procedures that included heating, freezing and more..
But this one rare figure was “not put through such harsh testing challenges.” The only testing evidence comes from “the presence of indexing marks on the underside of the figure’s feet.”
The toy will go on sale on Nov. 7 at Hake’s Auctions. The toy will come with two letters of authenticity — one from Kenner’s Reliability and Safety technician who owns the toy and one from Tomart Publicans, who bought in the ’90s.
According to USA Today, the toy was offered before the release of “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” and as a part of a rebate promotion
A similar Boba Fett toy was sold at an auction in July. The Boba Fett prototype toy, which appears similar to the current one though without colors or design elements, was also pulled from shelves because of danger, according to the Deseret News.
“The toy was pulled from the line after being deemed a possible safety hazard for children, thus making the Boba Fett figure extremely rare and coveted in the collecting world,” according to a news release.
The interest in the item has ballooned in recent years because of the increase in “Star Wars” content across the country.
“Ten years ago, you could’ve bought this for $25,000,” said McClain, according to USA Today. “There was a moment before the new movies came out ... where people thought the market was dead.”