Vintage toy collectors always have Kenner’s Star Wars figures on their radar. The manufacturer was among the first to partner with Lucasfilm to create toys for the beloved sci-fi franchise, and some of these figures are considered Grails among collectors. From figures of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan Kenobi with double telescoping lightsabers, to the elusive Jawa with the vinyl cape, and even the legendary missile-shooting Boba Fett, the toy line has plenty of figures that collectors would pay thousands or even millions of dollars for. However, some figures aren’t popular because of a special feature or a manufacturing defect. Some are highly coveted because of their packaging or even their shipping processes.
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The 1983 AT-AT Commander wasn’t really special in any way, even sealed versions of it barely go for over $50 today. However, this one that Goldin recently listed has managed to rack up 17 bids and has a current value of $351, and it has nothing to do with the figure itself. This particular one doesn’t come in the trademark Kenner packaging, but a simple plastic transparent bag, which is exactly why so many people are bidding on it. Kenner had certain figures shipped from Macau in these plastic baggies between 1983 and 1984, and their main purpose was to be used for mail-orders multi-packs, feature as catalog offers, or to be included in play sets. You couldn’t buy this action figure with the baggie off the shelves, and that’s why so many people want it.
Kenner AT-AT Commander Figure Is Receiving Multiple Bids Because It’s In A Plastic Bag
As I’ve mentioned on many occasions, the collectors market is a strange place. People will pay a lot of money for defected items, stickers, and in this case, plastic bags, because they’re technically rarer than the vanilla versions. And, of course, rule number one of the market is that value increases with rarity. At 17, this figure is currently in a three way tie for most bids on Goldin’s current lot of Kenner toys. So, it’s evident that collectors think its extremely valuable and highly coveted. The figure itself and its accessory are no different from the regular AT-AT commander in the traditional Kenner packaging, but collectors decide the value of an item, and this one has clearly stirred up the nest.
This is just one case of collectors perceiving a higher value from an otherwise regular figure. There have been several cases of action figures increasing in value simply because their card backs haven’t been punched. Other cases involve special promotional sticker on the packaging that make it stand out from the rest. One particularly bizarre case involved collectors paying over $3,500 for an empty IG-88 box. You can never really tell how much value one of these modifiers could add to a toy, especially since the collectors market has boomed in the last few years. Regardless of this, it’s pretty amusing to see the lowly AT-AT Commander getting more bids than other iconic Kenner figures on Goldin, and even one that’s signed by Mark Hamill himself.
This Forgotten Star Wars Toy Had a Packaging Feature You Have to See to Believe
