Chris Aston of Aston’s Auctioneers in Dudley, England, was called to Stourbridge by the son of an unnamed couple shortly after they came into possession of a collection of “Star Wars” dolls, figurines and spacecraft models left to them by a neighbor.
The collectibles reportedly span several decades.
“A lot of them were a bit damp because of how they’ve been stored but generally it’s the best ‘Star Wars’ collection I’ve ever seen,” Aston told UK newspaper The Times.
Many of the action figures found within the couple’s bins were still in their sealed packaging, as their neighbor was a collector.
Rather than starting their own collection, the Stourbridge couple looked to cash in on the donated items and hopefully obtain somewhere around their estimated worth of £400,000.
"We had a huge amount of interest from all over the world and were always expecting the sale to do very well,” Aston claimed.
Among the items posted for sale in the auction were a packaged Palitoy Jawa - one of 10 believed to exist - that fetched £27,280, and an eight-piece “Return of the Jedi” figurine set from the 1980s that was auctioned off for £1,400.
Also included was a Star Destroyer Commander - one of two believed to be in its original packaging - sold for £32,500.
According to Aston, the couple will be “thrilled” with their cut from the sale of their items. However, they have not yet announced any concrete plans.
"I don't know if they have any specific plans, but it must feel like they've won the lottery," he said.
