What nearly ended up in a charity shop has sold for £17,600 at auction.

John and June Scott almost gave away their late son Paul Scott’s collection of rare Star Wars toys after he died from a heart attack aged 52 last October. They decided to get the collection valued after watching Antiques Roadshow and seeing one of his toys featured on the BBC show.

The collection sold at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire, on Tuesday, May 5. John and June said they were “gobsmacked” by its value and later “delighted” with the result.

Two ultra-rare Star Wars figures, sold for $2.97, or £2.25, in 1985, made a combined £3,350 at auction. The figures were produced by US maker Kenner to accompany the cartoon spinoff series Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO.

David Wilson-Turner, toys expert at the auctioneers, said: “Ironically the Droids toy line by Kenner sold poorly because the cartoon wasn’t popular.

“So many shops discounting their stock.

“But because the production was cut short is exactly why the toys are so valuable now.”

The top seller was a Droids Boba Fett figure, which fetched £2,100, more than 10 times its low estimate of £200. A Droids A-Wing Pilot sold for £1,250, above its guide price of £300 to £400.

David added: “Late-era Droids figures, once overlooked at retail, are now among the most sought-after pieces in vintage Star Wars collecting.

“As part of a short-lived and underproduced line, surviving carded examples are increasingly difficult to source, driving sustained collector interest.

“It was a great sale and we were delighted to have been trusted with this great collection which had been valued at £2,500 by a dealer.

“It included some rare pieces which highlighted Paul’s skill as a collector.”

John, who is from Yorkshire and lives in Elgin in Scotland, said: “I’m really pleased with the result.

“I didn’t know anything about the Droids, or what they were, but they’ve gone to someone who will really appreciate them, so that’s the main thing.

“We’ve done Paul and his collection proud.”

Before the sale, he said: “Paul was nuts about Star Wars all his life and totally dedicated to his collection.

“I used to ask him why he was wasting his money on it. Well, I know now.

“We were flabbergasted when we discovered what it was worth. But it’s not about the money, we just want to honor him and show him how proud we are.

“Paul bought boxes and boxes of things just hoping to get the one piece he was after. He acquired pieces from all over the world.

“We thought he was nuts, but it just goes to show how special he was.”

A rare Palitoy C-3PO figure, which would have retailed for less than £2, sold for £1,700. A full-size Boba Fett Blaster fetched £1,350, and a rare vinyl caped Jawa sold for £950.

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