On Christmas morning in 1977, there was nothing kids wanted to find under the tree more than action figures of the heroes and villains from their new favorite movie, Star Wars. Most of them would have to wait: even though Kenner Toys had the Star Wars license, they were caught off-guard by the film’s success, and wouldn’t have action figures on shelves until the spring of 1978. But for a few, the first four figures in their Star Wars collection would be coming straight to their door – eventually.
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Kenner’s “Early Bird” certificate is one of the most famous marketing gimmicks in toy history. The certificate, packaged in a flat cardboard envelope along with a sticker sheet and a Star Wars fan club membership card, promised the purchaser that when Kenner’s Star Wars action figures were ready the next year, they would be the first to have them. Torn open by eager young fans as soon as they came in the mail, complete Early Bird mailer kits are a rare find in any condition. That’s why Hakes expects this near-mint sample – one of the four highest-graded in existence – to fetch a price of $25-35k.
What Makes The “Early Bird” Figures Unique
The Early Bird mailer kit consisted of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, and Chewbacca. Even loose, the Early Bird Luke Skywalker is a rare and coveted variant among hardcore Kenner Star Wars collectors: the Early Bird Luke features a “double telescoping” lightsaber that extends almost two inches. The double telescoping lightsaber was phased out early in the 1978 production run after it was discovered to be prone to breakage. In high-grade, a loose double-telescoping Luke Skywalker will run a collector $1-2k depending on condition.
While less famous than the double telescoping lightsaber, the Early Bird Chewbacca comes with a unique accessory of its own. The bowcaster laser gun included with the initial 1978 production run of Chewbaccas was cast in a green-blue plastic, as opposed to the black used from 1979-1984. A green bowcaster almost triples the value of a loose Kenner Chewbacca, with mint samples worth at least $350, versus the $150 price tag for a black bowcaster.
Why This Auction is Making Toy Collecting History
This Early Bird mailer kit comes from the collection of Jeff Jacob, described by Hake’s as “the most significant Star Wars collection ever to come to auction.” Jacob, whose collection was once appraised at a value of $7 million, made the decision to sell in late 2024, and contacted Hake’s to broker the deal. Since 2025, Hake’s has been selling his collection in a series of auctions that have set and broken virtually every Star Wars collecting record. The January 2025 inaugural Jeff Jacob auction was the first ever action-figure-specific auction to collect bids in excess of $1 million dollars, with the total for all lots coming in at an astonishing $1.45 million.
Next month is the fifth and final of the Hake’s Jeff Jacob auctions, and the Early Bird mailer kit is expected to be the most expensive sale. Hake’s anticipated $25-35k price is informed by the sale of one of Jacob’s other Early Bird mailers last year for $32,450, a “world auction record for any Star Wars kit” according to Auction Daily. The auction for this sample has already reached a price of $11,821 with nine bids. It has every chance to break the record set last year, given that a lower-grade sample has already surpassed Hake’s high-end estimate for its sale price with over a week left to bid.
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