On October 15, 2019, Hake’s Auctions opened their November premier auction, which is packed with 2,388 lots of Americana and pop culture memorabilia. A sizeable chunk of those lots is devoted to Star Wars collectibles, including some of the hobby’s most desirable items. Topping that list of coveted material is the Boba Fett J-slot rocket-firing prototype.

The Boba Fett prototype was originally displayed at the New York Toy Fair in 1979, but never went into mass production due to concerns surrounding the toy’s rocket-firing capabilities. This has left a small number in the collecting community and is wanted by the most serious collectors.

The rocket-firing prototype is described as L-slot or J-slot, referring to the shape of the firing mechanism on the figure’s back. The L-slot is the more commonly seen version (resembles a backward “L”), but quality issues arose because there wasn’t a tab to secure the mechanism when not firing. The J-slot design (shaped like a “J”) features a small catch to set the mechanism in a resting position when not in use.

The J-slot Boba Fett prototype offered at Hake’s is graded AFA 85+. The 3-3/4” figure is a fully painted engineering pilot with country of origin and copyright stamps, which represents the final phase of development for the famous 1979 Boba Fett prototype toy.

Originally 80-100 examples were shipped to Kenner from Hong Kong for safety testing and of those, approximately 24-26 examples of the J-slot variety are known to have survived. Several of the remaining J-slots are in “rather rough condition,” according to Hake’s, as a result of testing procedures that included heating, freezing, and more. Due to the high grade condition of this example, it was clearly not put through the harsh testing procedures. The only evidence that it went through testing evaluations are the indexing marks on the underside of the figure’s feet.

This figure is also the photo example that was used in Tomart’s Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles by Stephen J. Sansweet and T.N. Tumbusch, and Star Wars Vintage Action Figures: A Guide for Collectors by John Kellerman. Based on the inclusion in Tumbusch’s book, it is likely that this is one of the first three J-slots discovered in the mid-1990s. Prior to that discovery, the J-slot variation was unknown to the hobby.

The graded prototype exhibits attractively in an AFA Archival case with their updated laser cut casing style. The figure and rocket display separately and the J-slot mechanism and spring are clearly visible. It also comes with the Collectible Investment Brokerage COA, a Letter of Provenance from noted Star Wars expert Brian Rachfal, and LOAs from Kenner Reliability & Safety Technician John R. Howison (the figure’s original owner), and Tomart Publications (signed by Tumbusch).

Given the provenance, grade, and rarity of the figure, this Boba Fett J-slot prototype is poised to lead the auction. It follows two other incredible sales at Hake’s, starting with an unpainted L-slot prototype graded AFA 85+, that reached $86,383 in March 2018. Then in July 2019, Hake’s sold another unpainted L-slot, also graded AFA 85+, for $112,926. That second sale set a new world record for a Star Wars toy and was the first one from the series to surpass the six-figure mark in an auction.

The Boba Fett J-slot rocket-firing prototype is now open for bids at hakes.com. Hake’s Auction #228 will be open through November 6-7.