Hi guys, I was wondering when this thread might appear. I'm glad this didn't arrive mid auction like on another forum. That was a joke and not really productive. Anyways, I think whatever the case, this is an historic auction for 3 packs and for vintage star wars in general.
I 100% agree with Todd in hoping that the family of whoever these items belonged to saw a good return from what was sold. It was one hell of a find by all accounts.
The three ESB series one sets in this auction are commonly referred to in three pack circles as the trifecta which translates as the perfect three. A term derived from horse racing I believe.
They are considered the hardest three pack sets to find with around five or six graded examples of each and probably double that ungraded. The simple fact of the matter is that three pack collecting tends to take place behind closed doors by and large and sets like these are sold through private conversation amongst collectors.
I think the price the price they realised is a reflection of the circumstances in which they turned up. The fact they turned up all together from one find all bought from the same store (king Normans) added to the appeal in my opinion. I was surprised that they went quite as high as they did considering the tape seals had perished and they would only achieve q grades at grading.
The demand for three packs is extensive and for these three in particular. If you are ever to get very close to finish a full run of sixteen sets it tends to come down to trying to find one of these sets to finish the run. For me personally I think they went too high but as has been said many times, items are worth what anyone is willing to pay on a given day. I wouldnt be surprised if the sale of these sets brought someone very close to completing their run. If money is no real object then I can see why someone went for them . You could wait forever for an auction like this to repeat itself.
One thing is for sure. It was fun to watch from the point of view of a collector and has raised the bar and profile of three pack pricing on these esb series one sets.
I hope this is of some help. If anyone has any questions. Please feel free to ask. If you hadn't guessed, I like talking about three packs.
Chris.