Getting into the Christmas Spirit with Valuable Collectible Toys from Bad Movies
If you grew up in the late 70s through the 90s you remember the movies and tv shows that came out trying to capitalize on the toy market. Some were successful both at the box office and the toy store. Others were not so lucky. With Christmas coming up I thought it would be fun to take a look at a couple of valuable collectibles that had their origin in bad movies.
Star Wars Cloud City Lego set 2003, Star Wars Holiday Special
Star Wars is and always will be a pop culture powerhouse so I acknowledge that at first glance the inclusion of a Star Wars related product might seem like a stretch but hear me out on this one. Back in 1978 after the release of the first Star Wars movie CBS aired a two hour made for TV movie called the Star Wars Holiday Special. Although it included the original cast and stars of the day like Bea Arthure the film was universally panned by basically everyone. Here's an example of why it was so bad: After a brief intro the first fifteen minutes of the movie were Chewbacca’s family speaking wookie by grunting to each other…without subtitles. Sadly it only got worse from there. The best description I’ve seen of the special was when Nathan Ruben of the AV Club said "I'm not convinced the special wasn't ultimately written and directed by a sentient bag of cocaine”. Ruben's description might be the most accurate one done on anything ever. Everyone even peripherally involved including George Lucas has disavowed the movie. As a Star Wars fan I can safely say it’s the worst thing ever produced with the Star Wars name attached to it.
The only bright spot of the special was the well received animated short which introduced the character of Boba Fett. The tie in to the Cloud City Lego set is that that particular set is the figure debut of Boba Fett. Since the set's release the character has had a Disney+ series and made appearances in other movies. Lego sets in general sell extremely well on secondary markets with one study suggesting it's more lucrative than investing in art or gold. This set is not an exception. eBay sales of the loose Boba Fett Figure alone have sold for over $1000. If you’re looking for a mint condition unopened set expect to pay in the $4000 range or higher.
The Blank Toy by Playmates, 1990 Dick Tracy
I remember watching the Dick Tracy movie as a kid and really enjoying the action sequences and bright set design. Watching the movie again as an adult I now realize why many think Carly Simon’s song You're so Vain is about Warren Beatty (in fairness so does he) who directed and starred in the movie. Beatty is by no means a bad actor or director, in fact he’s quite the opposite. It’s just that at 52 years old at the time of filming he was not a convincing Dick Tracy. The movie itself wasn’t bad, just more mediocre. Disney, who produced this movie, expected the movie to have the same impact as Batman had the year prior, a commercial, toy, and marketing success. Unfortunately for Disney it didn't but part of the marketing of Dick Tracy was a toy line by Playmates (more on that shortly). Mixed critical reviews and poorer than expected box office returns killed any momentum the movie might have in the market.
As for the toy line it included several characters that appeared in the movie such as Dick Tracy, Flat Top, Mumbles, and others. The toy set was supposed to include the character of the Blank but because the Blank had a removable mask that gave away the character’s identity, which was a major spoiler, the release of the figure was delayed. However due to the film's lackluster showing at the box office the Blank toy release was canceled in the United States and only released as an exclusive in Canada. Most collectors in the toy hobby speculate that about 3000 or some made it onto shelves at retail stores north of the border. If you’re looking for the Blank toy expect the figure to be AFA graded and to pay a few thousand dollars for one mint on card.
