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An incredibly rare prototype Star Wars action figure has become the most expensive toy ever sold at auction after fetching a world record £1million.
The plastic figure of a rocket-firing bounty hunter Boba Fett was produced as a prototype by manufacturer Kenner in 1979.
The 3.75ins J-slot figure was one of about 100 made for safety testing before they could be mass produced and sold to the public.
The tests revolved around the firing mechanism of a red plastic missile from the backpack of Boba Fett.
As a result of the testing, it was decided that only ‘non-firing’ figures with sealed missiles should be rolled out to the public as the original design was found to be a potential choking hazard for children.
Boba Fett appeared for the first time in the 1980 movie Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
The plastic figure of a rocket-firing bounty hunter Boba Fett was produced as a prototype by manufacturer Kenner in 1979. The 3.75ins J-slot figure was one of about 100 made for safety testing before they could be mass produced and sold to the public
Only around 30 J-slot prototypes are known to exist today, with this figure one of just three ‘mailer’ specimens and the one in the best condition.
It smashed the previous world record for a toy, an L-slot Boba Fett prototype, which went for £412,185 ($525,000) with the same auctioneers in May.
L-slot prototypes are more common than J-slot specimens, with 70 examples made.
A Kenner employee in their quality control department kept hold of it for many years before it passed into the hands of a private collector who has sold it now.
The undisclosed buyer paid £1.04million ($1.342million) including fees for it.
Goldin Auctions, of New Jersey, US, who sold the figure, said on X: ‘Breaking – new all time public auction record for any toy.’
A spokesman added: ‘Of the approximately 100 made, the batch comprised 70 L-slots and 30 J-slot figures.
‘The figures were subjected to some of the most rigorous testing of the time, including heating, freezing, and other destructive methods to test quality, with most surviving specimens bearing the scars of their battles.
‘During the testing phase, rival Mattel found itself in a bind when one of the launching missiles from their competing Battlestar Galactica toy took the life of a young child, sending Kenner scrambling to figure out a workaround.
‘When the L-slot mechanism proved too unsafe, Kenner commissioned the J-slot with the idea that it would be harder to misfire the missile.
It smashed the previous world record for a toy, an L-slot Boba Fett prototype, which went for £412,185 ($525,000) with the same auctioneers in May. The undisclosed buyer paid £1.04million ($1.342million) including fees for it
Boba Fett has taken on a cult status, mainly due to its cool-looking outfit and jet-powered backpack that enabled him to fly
‘The workaround proved insufficient, and the cost of the mechanism, coupled with the threat of harm to children, caused Kenner to scrap the entire project, opting to have the missile welded to the back of the Boba Fett figure.
‘As far as we know, there are only three Mailer J-Slot V2/2 missile examples in existence, with this specimen the highest-graded example of the three.
‘The toy comes with the original business cards of the Kenner employee who held onto it for many years before it ended up in our consignor’s hands.
‘This was the first time one had come up for auction, making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase this grail.’
Boba Fett appeared for the first time in the 1980 movie Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.
Since then his character has taken on a cult status, mainly due to its cool-looking outfit and jet-powered backpack that enabled him to fly.
