Star Wars figures fetch £350,000 at Teesside auction

The figures were sourced from across the globe

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, toys were simply toys.

But such is the nostalgia and interest in the Star Wars universe, it might be worth checking whether you have any hidden away in your attic.

A collection of rare figures has just been snapped up for an eye-watering £350,000 at an auction on Teesside.

A boxed figure of bounty hunter Boba Fett was the most expensive item, fetching £26,000, while a prototype of the same character went for £18,000.

According to Louise Harker from Teesside-based auctioneers Vectis, the hundreds of figures had been collected by a French family over 40 years.

This Boba Fett, sold for £26,000, faces a less painful fate than 1,000 years being digested in a Sarlaac pit

"The owners have a museum in France and collect all sorts of toys," she said.

"A lot of the items, such as the boxed Boba Fett figure, were European in origin and so not readily available in Britain.

"Interest is stronger than ever and the new batch of films is introducing a new audience."

Other figures in the auction, which had almost 800 lots, included a vintage Yoda, Luke Skywalker and Jawa.

The collection was described as "diverse" by auctioneers Vectis