What are the most valuable Star Wars cards to collect?

Star Wars is one of the most popular franchises in the world, with a legion of fans who would potentially like to add a couple of the most valuable trading cards to their personal collection. 

Star Wars trading cards were originally produced and released by Topps in 1977. They coincided with the first ever Star Wars movie, and Topps has been the official producer of themed cards in the United States ever since. 

The 1977 Topps set tends to be one of the most popular, with exceptional sale prices for pristine copies that are only matched by the rarest autographs. Here’s a roundup with 10 of the most valuable Star Wars cards to collect. 

The Best Star Wars Cards

The original set was released back in 1977, with frequent additions ever since. This includes rare autos and parallels for the main cast, which tend to be some of the more valuable modern versions. 

For the purposes of this list, we’ll be sticking with PSA 10 graded versions for the vintage cards.

10. 1977 Star Wars Princess Leia Organa #5 (eBay)

We’ll begin with the 1977 Star Wars Topps Series 1 collection. Cards from the 66-strong base set are easy to identify thanks to a distinct blue border with white stars. 

One of a range of profile cards from the collection, Princess Leia was played by the late Carrie Fisher.

There are only 12 PSA 10 graded copies on the market, with the last sale for $4,850.97. (Of course, there’s a significant dropoff for PSA 9 versions.)

9. 1977 Topps Series 1 Space Pirate Han Solo #4 (eBay)

Han Solo is the quintessential antihero, inspiring generations of fans. Sticking with the 1977 set, it’s another iconic collectible that is worth big money in pristine condition. 

For example, a PSA 10 version of his profile card last sold for $6,335.67, and there are only 10 on the market. As with the other 1977 Star Wars cards, you’ll be able to find lower grades for next to nothing.

8. 2020 Topps Star Wars Stellar Signatures (eBay) 

The autos from the 2020 Topps Star Wars Stellar Signatures set are some of the more popular collectibles released in recent years. 

An ultra-premium set, it was limited to 100 Collector Cases in total, with every box containing 40 on-card autographs. You’ll also find serial numbered parallels, with base cards numbered to 40 or less. (You’ll see an example of the Green ‘Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian’ in the image above.)

• Parallels: Blue #/25, Green #/20, Purple #/10, Gold #/5, Galactic Black 1/1, Rebel Alliance Orange 1/1, Imperial Red 1/1

7. 2015 Topps Star Wars Force Awakens Series 1 Harrison Ford Auto (eBay) 

Han Solo’s actor (Harrison Ford) signed this premium release as part of the 2015 Topps Star Wars Force Awakens set. A Retro Autograph, Solo is depicted in a classic pose. Autograph parallels are exclusive to Hobby boxes, such as the Gold version seen above.  

• Parallels: Lightsaber Purple #/25, Gold #/10, Imperial Guard Red 1/1, Printing Plates

6. 2004 Star Wars Heritage Luke Skywalker Auto (eBay) 

The 2004 Star Wars Heritage set contains a variety of signatures that are especially valuable. It’s the first Star Wars set to include cards from the first six theatrical films. It also offered collectors the first pack-inserted Mark Hamill autographs.

(Luke Skywalker is the main character of the first trilogy, played by Hamill.)

5. 1977 Star Wars Wonder Bread Luke Skywalker #1 (eBay)

As the hero of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker is always going to be a major hit for Star Wars card collectors. 

1977 Wonder Bread Star Wars is one of the few trading card sets released in North America that doesn’t feature Topps branding. Card fronts have a black border with a vintage Star Wars logo running up the right side.

As it’s not a Topps release, lower grades can be found for next to nothing, and PSA 10’s will sell for roughly $1,800. 

4. 1977 Star Wars C3PO (Anthony Daniels) Error Card #207 (eBay) 

This C3PO release from the 1977 set is one of the more memorable error cards ever produced. Somehow, this unfortunate image was released, before the extra appendage was hastily removed. According to the Star Wars website: 

“It appears that the extra appendage is not the work of an artist, but rather a trick of timing and light. The untouched archive photo shows the image just as it appears on the card. The current theory is that at the exact instant the photo was snapped, a piece fell off the Threepio costume, and just happened to line up in such a way as to suggest a bawdy image. The original contact sheets from the photo-shoot attests to this. They are not retouched in any way, yet still contain the same image. Whatever the real explanation is, the ‘mischievous airbrush artist’ scenario simply doesn’t fit.”

3. 1977 Topps Series 1 Ben Kenobi #6 (eBay)

Before Ewan McGregor, (Hello there!) Alec Guinness was Ben Kenobi. Jedi Master Obi-Wan is one of the more enduring characters from the series, recently starring in a Disney series solely focusing on the character.

There are 15 PSA 10 copies of the 1977 card, with a most recent sale price of $6,150. 

2. 1977 Star Wars Wonder Bread Darth Vader #5 (eBay)

Darth Vader is arguably the most famous villain of all-time. 

The 1977 Wonder Bread Star Wars trading card set only has 16 cards, with Vader being one of the more valuable options available overall. (For example, the most recent sale for a Gem Mint card was $5,913.13.) The darker background fits well with Vader’s armor, making for an iconic image. 

1. 1977 Star Wars Luke Skywalker #1 (eBay)

Luke Skywalker’s original 1977 collectible card is worth a ton of money in mint condition. It’ll be difficult to find more valuable options outside of one-of-one autos. (The most recent price for a PSA 10 copy is $55,255.)

This is helped by the overall scarcity, as there are only nine Gem Mint copies at the current time of writing. 

Valuable Star Wars Cards: Buyers Guide 

What does the market look like for the most valuable Star Wars cards ever? 

Star Wars cards are released all the time, so there’s always something affordable to add to your personal collection. Even the 1977 Luke Skywalker card is pretty cheap if you don’t mind the overall condition. 

Higher grades of the Luke Skywalker card have to be the best pick overall from an investment perspective. 

Final Thoughts 

The Star Wars franchise has been milked in recent years, including a new trilogy of films which were disappointing for many older fans. However, the well is far from dry, especially with notable success stories such as The Mandalorian. 

If you happen to be holding on to a complete set of pristine vintage 1977 Star Wars cards, you’re in luck. We’d advise sending them off to a company like PSA for grading, as you’ll see greater returns if they’re slabbed. 

For everyone else, it’s hard to look past the original 1977 set if you’re looking for the most valuable Star Wars cards on the planet. Some of the later parallel autographs do give them a run for their money.