STAR Wars fans are getting excited ahead of the release of the latest movie in the franchise - but fans of the original trilogy could be cashing in if they own these vintage figures...

A list of the top 10 rarest Star Wars figures has been compiled by promotionalcodes.org.uk, who found some original toys can sell for tens of thousands of pounds.

The list includes the very first Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobe and Darth Vader figures with “double telescoping” lightsabres and the near-legendary ‘rocket firing’ Boba Fett.

A rare Boba Fett in its original packaging has sold for more than £26,000, and other figures have gone for hundreds.

Various dolls from the 1970s and 80s frequently sell on eBay for around £70.

The most valuable and sought-after figures are the “carded” ones, which still retain the printed cardboard backing of their original packaging.

Original accessories, such as a blaster and cape for Princess Leia and lightsabre for Luke Skywalker, also increase the value, while figures also command higher prices when they are good condition.

Darren Williams of Promotionalcodes.org.uk said: “More than 300 million Star Wars action figures were sold between 1978 and 1985, so it’s safe to say there must be quite a lot that are still floating around in people’s possession.

“It’s hard to say which toy is the most valuable, since it all depends on things like the condition of the toy, whether it still has its packaging and if so what condition that’s in and so on.

“But if you do have a 1970s or 80s toy, it could potentially be worth a lot, so channel your inner mercenary Han Solo and get it valued.”

So get checking the loft and the shed for any of these rare figures - may the Force be with you...

  1. “Double telescoping lightsabre” figures

The very first action figures of Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobe and Luke Skywalker had lightsabres that extended twice to full length. These were quickly replaced for cost reasons and because the lightsabres were highly breakable.

The Darth Vader double telescoping lightsabre figure is believed to be the rarest of the three, followed by Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker.

  1. Rocket firing Boba Fett

This toy is almost legendary. An early Boba Fett prototype had a rocket that fired from its back, but did not go into mass production due to safety concerns.

  1. “Small head” Han Solo

The very first Han Solo was discontinued early for not bearing a close enough resemblance to Harrison Ford, and replaced by another version with a larger head.

  1. Vinyl cape Jawa

The original “vinyl cape” Jawa model from 1978 is another rarity, having been swiftly replaced with a cloth-caped version.

  1. Blue Snaggletooth

When creating this toy back in the day, manufacturer Kenner had only a black and white headshot to work from. It decided to make the creature blue, but then in the film the alien wore red and was half the height. The original Blue Snaggletooth is a collector’s item.

  1. Yak Face

This is especially valuable in America, where it was never sold. It was the last action figure to be made before the line ceased in 1985.

  1. FX-7 Medical Droid

It had just a few seconds of screen time in The Empire Strikes Back, but this model is a jewel for collectors.

  1. Vlix

This little-known character is from the Star Wars spin-off show Droids. It is very rare - only one line of the Vlix model was produced, in Brazil.

  1. 1985 Anakin Skywalker

There have been numerous recent Anakin Skywalker dolls, but the 1985 original is a rare collector’s item.

  1. White cloaked Bib Fortuna

The Bib Fortuna figure had a brown cloak, but a few prototypes with white ones were produced.