‘Star Wars’ Battles With Hans Solo vs. ‘Star Trek’ Voyages

Star Trek envisions a future in which alien encounters teach us valuable moral lessons. Star Wars imagines a past when good and evil battled for the future of the universe. Both have created multi-billion-dollar franchises and armies of fanatical fans who go to extraordinary lengths to own children’s toys important figurines and mementos of these spectacular worlds. To decide once and for all which Star shines brightest, let’s examine whose collectibles are most coveted.

THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THAR GALAXIES

Created by George Lucas in 1977, the original film trilogy has spawned an empire of movies, TV shows, video games, comic books, and theme-park attractions. Disney “collected” Lucasfilm in 2012 for just under $6 billion.

George Lucas Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THAR GALAXIES

Created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek realm of television series, films, video games, and comic books has been owned in its entirety by Paramount since 1967.

Gene Roddenberry Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images

IT GETS GREAT MILEAGE

A 16-inch model of the Rebel Blockade Runner—the ship seen carrying Princess Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO in the opening of A New Hope—sold for $450,000 in 2015.

IT GETS GREAT MILEAGE

A model of the USS Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation sold for $576,000 in 2006. It was, coincidentally, created by a Lucasfilm subsidiary.

WHAT TO WEAR?

Darth Vader’s fiberglass and foam helmet from The Empire Strikes Back sold for $1.15 million in 2019. Quoth the Dark Lord, “Impressive. Most impressive.”

Dominic Lipinski/PA Images/Getty Images

WHAT TO WEAR?

The tunic Spock wore in season three of the original series sold for $123,000 in 2003. The season two tunic, auctioned in 2012, got only $114,000. “It’s not logical,” as the character liked to say.

Mr. Spock CBS via Getty Images

NOTHING COMICAL HERE

Marvel Comics tested a five-cent price increase in a few cities when it released Star Wars No. 1 in 1977. Known as the 35 Cent Variant, examples have sold for as much as $24,000.

NOTHING COMICAL HERE

Who needs variants? Star Trek No. 1, published by Gold Key in 1967, recently sold at $46,500—a sizeable premium on its original price of 12 cents.

STACKING THE CARDS

A Luke Skywalker 1977 Star Wars No. 1 Card from Topps can fetch up to $55,000—if it’s in mint condition, naturally.

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STACKING THE CARDS

While autographing his character Wesley Crusher’s card, actor Wil Wheaton crossed his “t” too far over his face, then doodled sunglasses to cover the mistake. Fan demand drove the 2012 auction price to $1,035.

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SOLO SHOT FIRST

The most valuable Star Wars weapon isn’t a lightsaber. Han Solo’s blaster pistol from 1977’s A New Hope—modified from a prop gun Frank Sinatra wielded in 1967’s The Naked Runner—went for over $1 million at auction in 2022.

Hans Solo ©Lucasfilm Ltd./Courtesy Everett Collection

SOLO SHOT FIRST

Set phasers to “stunned”: Star Trek’s priciest prop weapon is a unique phaser rifle William Shatner used in his debut appearance as Captain Kirk. It sold for $615,000 in 2021.

Captain Kirk and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in Star Trek CBS via Getty Images

THE HOLY GRAIL

A complete R2-D2 model, assembled from parts used in the first five movies, sold for $2.76 million in 2017. That is indeed the droid you’re looking for.

R2-D2 replica Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

THE HOLY GRAIL

In 2002, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen paid over $300,000 for the command chair Captain Kirk used in the original series. And you know he sat in it and swayed from side to side imagining an Apple—er, Klingon—attack.

Captain Kirk’s chair Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

“It’s impossible to calculate everything,”says Joe Maddalena, a Heritage Auctions executive, but some experts put the franchise’s lifetime gross around $50 billion. For memorabilia, “If we stick to the first three movies [released between 1977 and ‘83], I’d put it at $100 million.”

“Star Wars is always going to outperform Star Trek,” Maddalena says, estimating that $25 million to $50 million in items from the original series (aired from 1966 to ’69) have traded hands. Given the title’s lifetime revenues of around $10 billion, that makes sense. Still, he says, “Personally, I like Star Trek more.”