'Unusual' Star Wars hoard spanning three decades expected to make thousands at Scarborough auction
A remarkable collection of Star Wars memorabilia – some of the pieces picked up at Yorkshire flea markets for as little as a pound – is expected to make thousands when it goes under the hammer in Toys and Models auction in Scarborough on Thursday March 6.
The collection has been entered in the sale by former soldier Jason Darling, who caught the Star Wars bug back in 1983 when he got the dream Christmas present of half the nation ’sschoolboys – a Millennium Falcon, a model of the starship that had been created by Palitoy to coincide with the release of Return of the Jedi.
The first Star Wars craze passed quite quickly but Jason’s interest never did fade.
With flea market stalls and jumble sales in his native Sheffield awash with the stuff he was able to pick things up at pocket money prices, often boxed and in near mint condition.
By the time he joined the Army in the mid-1990s, the collection had grown to such a size that it had to go into storage.
He was posted to Germany and it would remain in storage for the next 20 years, although he continued to snap up interesting additions when opportunities
arose.
However today retired from the Army and downsizing to a smaller property in East Yorkshire, Jason has decided that the time has finally come to part with his Star Wars collection (well most of it), plus a few other bits and pieces that include Dr Who, Batman - and 19 lots of Star Trek!
David Duggleby toy specialist Chloe Mckenna said: “The Jason Darling Star Wars collection is being sold in 55 lots that cover the years from 1978 through to the early noughties, so almost three decades of collecting.
"That is one of the things that make this collection so unusual.
"We often see collections of toys that people have treasured since their childhood but the collections very rarely span such a long period of time.
“The oldest lot is a Kenner Land of the Jawas Action Playset dating from 1978, in which year it cost the princely sum of £5.50 or thereabouts.
"It goes into the auction with a pre-sale estimate of £80 to £120.
“Other noteworthy lots include the Christmas 1983 Palitoy Millennium Falcon Vehicle that triggered Jason’s collecting bug.
"That’s expected to make £100 to £200.
"We also have several of the Sheffield flea market action figure finds that he picked up for a pound or two but are now likely to make £50-£100 apiece.”
Getting on for half the figures and vehicles in the auction not only remain in their original boxes and packaging - but they have never been opened.
In total Jason’s collection is expected to make in the £3,500 to £7,000 range.
Viewing of the Toys & Models Sale is taking place at the Vine Street Saleroom in Scarborough throughout the week including Thursday March 6, from 9am until the start of the auction at 11am.
Visit www.davidduggleby.com to view the catalogue online.