The Star Wars movie franchise will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most popular of all time.
While the franchise continues to produce films and TV shows which find new audiences, merchandise from when it all began can prove very valuable indeed.
As one of the most engaging characters in the entire franchise, a
In this guide, we will look at how much a 1977
The Wonder Bread #5 (1977)

For a Gem Mint 10
Believe it or not, one of the most valuable trading cards was actually sold with loaves of bread when the opening film was released.
The Wonder Bread Star Wars card series may have seemed trivial at the time yet almost five decades later, those cards can sell for four or even five figures.
As the main villain and a commanding figure in the opening film, ‘A New Hope’, a
The figure is largely down to how scarce it is to find a PSA of 10 in that Wonder Bread series, possibly because they were sold in packs of a specific brand of bread.
1977 Lord Vader # 196

At the top end, for a Gem Mint 10 card, you can expect close to four figures at a sale with one of those Topps originals going for $875.2
The Importance Of The PSA
Of course, the better condition the card is in, the more it will sell for. For instance, the price guide for the 1977 Lord
At NM-MT, one of those trading cards can sell for just $6.
This is classified when the card is considered a Mint PSA 9 at the first glance yet at close inspection falls down to a PSA of 8 which is crucial for a super high-end card.
That’s only due to minimal fraying at one or maybe two corners, a tiny slight wax stain on the reverse side, off-white borders, and a slight printing imperfection.
At MT, or a PSA of 9 for mint condition, that same card more than doubles in value to $15.
However, at a PSA of 10 for Gem Mint cards that are virtually perfect with sharp corners, the full original gloss, and sharp focus, you can expect that price to quadruple.
As long as the card is free of staining, you may even allow for a slight printing imperfection and it will still command a figure of $60. This value is likely down to how scarce the card is in that condition.
Yet those are the PSA prices and those are typically a lot lower than the prices the cards actually go for.
Even at Mint 9, the price drop is not that substantial and remains close to four figures with one sale costing just over $800.
However, at NM-MT you may only get around $150 which shows how important the PSA rating of the card can be.
Not just the rating but the popularity of the card in that specific condition. As there are fewer cards available in Gem Mint condition, its value rises.
As you go further down the scale, you should see more popular cards and so the value drops.
It tends to be the case that fewer cards are deemed to be in excellent condition so if you are not overly concerned with a faultless card then I’d say go for a PSA of 8.
The Even More Valuable Star Wars Trading Card
While you may think that $8,000 for an original trading card given away with a loaf of bread is the most valuable Star Wars trading card, you would be wrong.
A
This is for a card that marks Skywalker’s opening appearance in trading cards, which is one factor to consider in its exceptional value.
Again, its scarcity helps command its value as there are less than ten copies of that card in the series to have a PSA 10 grade.
Perhaps his re-emergence in the Star Wars films themselves has also helped bump up the price which has gone up by over 17,668% since 2015 when ‘The Force Awakens’ was released.
Final Thoughts
If you were an original fan of the Star Wars films from the very beginning in 1977, chances are you would have collected the trading cards.
Those in mint condition can go for huge sums of money yet tend to center around the most popular characters.
Should you have trading cards of
Frequently Asked Questions
When Were The First Star Wars Trading Cards Released?
The very first Star Wars trading cards were released between 1977 and 1978 to go alongside the opening film in the franchise.
‘A New Hope’ was released in 1977 and Topps released a series of cards that was distinct for the cards in their blue star-dotted borders.
There was also the Wonder Bread card series that was also released in 1977 and came with packs of bread.
Which Star Wars Trading Cards Are Worth A Lot Of Money?
Aside from the
These include the
Just below those cards is the #6 one of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi from the Topps Series 1 and a rather adult one of C-3PO from the same Topps series as #207.
Sources:
psacard.com/cardfacts/non-sports-cards/1977-star-wars-wonder-bread/darth-vader-5/594876
https://www.psacard.com/auctionprices/non-sport-cards/1977-star-wars/lord-darth-vader/summary/551249