Half a million dollars raised at Star Wars auction

A grand total of $505,202 (£333,623) was raised when over 600 Star Wars action figures were sold off at auction recently.

The merchandise, which included unopened action figures, helmets, and posters, all belonged to one collector, the Japanese designer Nigo.

Some of the top ranked items included a 1978 Kenner Luke Skywalker action figure in-box which was bought for a staggering $25,000. It is just one of 20 confirmed in that condition in existence.

CNN reports that faulty items such as these are far more popular, as they have been recalled by manufacturers, making them even more rare than their fellow action figures.

Having said that, the pristine 'good as new' condition of some of the toys on sale is the main reason they fetched such a high price.

The top seller was a 7-pack of figures from Empire Strikes Back which went for an astonishing $32,500, although if one figure sold for $25,000, then that sounds like a steal.

According to CNN, the figurines were sold exclusively in the shop Sears in Canada.

The auction, which was done in partnership with eBay, was announced in March this year and Josh Pullen, Sotheby's e-commerce director, said: "We're really engaging and calling out the items for sale that may appeal to an online audience."