Will Seippel | January 9, 2025

I’m a collector, so I understand the mindset of wanting to own a complete set of something. From porcelain dishes to silverware to crystal, many collectors make it a goal to have a complete set. However, those are not the only collectibles that come in groups.

Toy enthusiasts know that playsets, action figures, and games often come in different variations and lines. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in movie merchandise tie-ins. When a movie comes out, there’s usually a toy line to go with it, and the Star Wars films are a perfect example. They spawned a generation of toy collectors.

A collection that has been getting a lot of attention recently is the one from Colorado homebuilder and Star Wars fan Jeff Jacob. Jacobs is self-described as a “completist,” which is a collector who makes it a goal to have one of every item in a specific line. The entire collection is about 3,000 pieces, and part one of the auction will include 435 lots. Our Industry Partner, Hake’s Auction, actually opened the bidding a week early because of the global interest in the items.

The items up for sale are not just a typical basement full of old toys. Many of the figures and sets are some of the highest-grade items ever put up for sale. The star of the show is likely to be the Obi-Wan Kenobi figure. It’s from 1978 and has a double-telescoping lightsaber. Kenner discontinued the figure, and the listing states, “There are only two examples of this historical figure in an AFA 85 grade according to the current AFA Population Report, with none higher.”

As a Star Wars fan and a collector of Star Wars merchandise, I will be closely watching this sale. It’s a rare auction that has many high-quality items and complete lines, some of which have never been sold at auction. Hundreds of like new collectibles that have been preserved in private collections? It’s one for record books.

If you want to see some of what I’ve got in my Star Wars collection, check out this video. It’s not as vast as the Jacob collection, but I’ve enjoyed collecting and reselling some of it.