So far this year, fans of Star Wars and other action figures have had two prime opportunities to dip into the world-class collection of Colorado supercollector Jeff Jacob. In January, Hakes made international headlines as the first auction house ever to break the million-dollar mark with an auction focused exclusively on action figures, as Part I of Jeffs collection rocketed to $1.45 million. Highlights were led by a Kenner 1978 Star Wars Double-Telescoping Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi 12 Back-A action figure that sold for $105,182, a world auction record for a figure of its type. Less than four months later, Hakes returned to the auction spotlight with a second helping from the stellar collection, which closed the books at $1.2 million and became the second action-figure-specific sale in history to land in seven-figure territory. Now its time for Americas first pop culture auction house to roll out Part III of the Jacob trove in a cataloged auction event that will take place on Thursday, Oct. 16. Nearly 600 lots are offered in this sale, which is especially noteworthy for its bumper crop of rare toys from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the third installment in George Lucas immortal fantasy franchise. It is also the film that introduced the mysterious, uncommunicative and wildly popular intergalactic bounty hunter Boba Fett, who is well represented in the auction lineup. Its fair to say that some collectors will go to the ends of the Earth to acquire an ultra-rare piece theyve been chasing for years. That was exactly Jeffs mindset as he waited for the opportunity to close in on a figure that had tantalized him for decades. He also knew he would have to agree to just about any terms to capture the ultimate Boba Fett treasure: a Lili Ledy Spanish-language Star Wars: Return of the Jedi/La Guerra de las Galaxias: El Regreso del Jedi (1983) 30 Back action figure located in Mexico. AFA-graded 75 Ex+/NM, the 3.75-inch-tall figure, dark-armor variety with a fixed rocket, was the highest-graded of only three AFA-graded examples known. Jeff Jacob had been fascinated by the Boba Fett character since he was a boy. Also, when he became a Star Wars collector in earnest, one of the specialty areas he found most appealing was foreign-made figures, which are especially sought after for their design and packaging differences. So the combination of an elusive Boba Fett with a Spanish-language card was always the ultimate acquisition for Jacob, and he got his chance because he was patient. I always knew who owned the figure, but I had to wait 20 years until he needed money to start a new business. I had to buy all of his other figures to get the Fett, so I bought his whole collection of Lili Ledy MOCs (mint-on-card figures). It was never a matter of price, said Jacob. It had to be the right time for that collector to let it go I can remember the day the owner brought it to me in person at the Star Wars Celebration (Anaheim, Calif.) in 2020. I was just in awe, and it immediately became the crown jewel of my collection. The first carded example of its type ever to appear at auction, the Lili Ledy Boba Fett is entered with an open estimate, as no auction-price comparables exist. As production pieces go, as opposed to prototypes, this is the one. Collectors bidding on it will decide its value, said Alex Winter, president of Hakes Auctions. Another prized foreign issue is Jacobs Palitoy Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) General Madine Tri-Logo 70 Back-B figure, AFA-graded 80 NM and retaining its accessory staff. Released with text in multiple European languages, General Madine was only released on a Tri-Logo French/Spanish/English card in France, which only adds to the figures rarity. According to the current AFA Population Report (at the time of cataloging), this is one of only 10 that have been graded by AFA, with only two in the AFA 80 grade, and only one higher. A Palitoys Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1984) Boba Fett Tri-Logo 70 Back-B figure, AFA-graded a strong 85 NM+, is packaged on a French Meccano-style blister card. Like the General Madine figure, it carries English, Spanish and French text. According to the current AFA Population Report, this is one of only two examples known in an AFA 85 grade, with none graded higher. Boba Fett appears yet again, but in a larger size, as a Kenner Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) figure from the 12-inch Series. When introduced, this series didnt sell well, so production was scaled back. The trend was headed toward smaller figures. As a result, figures like this Boba Fett are very scarce, especially in such high-grade condition, explained Winter. Housed in its window box, this toy is AFA-graded 85 NM+ and is one of only four examples in that grade, according to the current AFA Population Report. No others have received a higher grade. Jacobs collection also includes super-popular Hasbro Transformers, whose winning streak in the marketplace has shown no signs of cooling down. At the forefront of the category is a 1984 Series 1 Soundwave (Decepticon Communicator), which is secured in its original mint-condition sealed window box with rubsign and Buzzsaw (Condor Cassette). Among the most desirable of all Series 1 Transformer toys, it will cross the auction block with a $5,000 to $10,000 estimate. Hakes Oct. 16, online auction exclusively featuring Part III of the Jeff Jacob Collection of Star Wars, GI Joes, Masters of the Universe and other top-notch pop-culture toys is now open for bidding. For a free printed catalog or additional information on any item in the sale, call +1 866-404-9800 (toll-free) or +1 717-434-1600 or email hakes@hakes.com. All images courtesy of Hakes Auctions.