'Delight' as rare Yak Face Star Wars figure found in Wellingborough attic sells for over twice asking price

Yak Face, a character who appears briefly in Return of the Jedi as a member of Jabba the Hutt's entourage, had an expected price of £1,000, but sold for £2,100, over 1320-times its original price of £1.59.

All 15 of the unopened action figures which were produced between 1984 and 1985, and still featured a sticker showing their £1.59 price in the mid-80s, sold for a total of £5,460.

Hansons Auctioneer’s toy expert David Wilson-Turner said: “The figures came from the vendor’s husband’s collection. He didn’t collect as such, just toys from his childhood that didn’t get played with much. She was delighted with the result.”

“Palitoy secured the rights to produce Star Wars toys in UK. While America went on produce the franchise’s merchandise in the millions, Palitoy’s output was more modest, making it all the more appealing to collectors both sides of the Atlantic.”

Yak Face – Saelt-Marae an informant for Jabba the Hutt – is the rarest figure as it was never made available in the US.

The auction took place at Hansons Auctioneers’ Etwall saleroom near Derby after the figures were discovered in an attic in Wellingborough.

All of the toys were made in in Coalville, Leicestershire. The figure of Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2), with pop-up lightsabre, also beat its pre-sale guide price of £300-£400 by rising to £520, making it the second highest seller of the bunch.

A Warok, expected to sell for £150-£200, sold for £340 a the auction on Thursday, July 24.