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  • 20/05/2025
Comedian Stephen Merchant's childhood Star Wars toys have been sold for more than £5,000 to help raise money for a local school.

Actor Stephen, 50, was born in Hanham in Bristol and went on to co-write The Office and Extras with Ricky Gervais.

Star Wars fans had the opportunity to purchase his childhood toys - with the funds going to a worthy cause.

More than 30 lots of action figures and playsets went under the hammer at Auctioneum Ltd in Bristol on May 19.

His Star Wars Collection was estimated to sell for between £300 and £500 but it fetched over £5,000.

All of the funds raised from the sale of Stephen’s childhood toys are being donated to Ashton Park School where his niece and nephew attend.

They are raising funds to build a new outdoor covered space for lessons, activities and events.

Video credit: Auctioneum / SWNS

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Transcript
00:00We are so excited to be able to offer comedian, actor, writer, director, Stephen Merchant's personal childhood Star Wars collection for auction.
00:10It takes place on May the 19th. The sale goes live on Star Wars Day, May the 4th.
00:16There's around 30 to 40 lots of action figures, play sets, memorabilia, all from his childhood collection.
00:24And it's all going to be available to be owned by any Star Wars fan around the world.
00:30My favourite piece in his collection is actually his Darth Vader action figure.
00:34Not only because it's the most famous bad guy in the whole of cinema history,
00:38but because Dave Prowse, the actor that played Darth Vader, was also born and raised in Bristol.
00:44And to have a lot that has such a big Bristol connection, two Bristol legends represented in one lot, is just incredible.
00:52My other favourite thing, and I think many people's favourite thing as well, will be the famous Millennium Falcon playset.
00:57Of course, every little boy in the 70s and 80s wanted a Millennium Falcon, and this was Stephen's own one.
01:04It's been very well played with, but it is complete, and it's actually in quite good condition.
01:08And it's got its original box as well, so that makes it quite special.
01:11All of the money raised from selling Stephen's collection is going straight to Ashton Park Parental Hub,
01:23who are looking to build some new outdoor spaces for lessons, for activities, and for social events as well.
01:29So all the money is going to a good cause, so we encourage people to bid as much as they can,
01:33get something really special, a very special piece of Star Wars memorabilia,
01:35and the money is going straight to a very worthy local cause.

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