DALLAS, TX.- If the name “Vlix” or the phrase “double-telescoping lightsaber” mean anything to you, there will be a great disturbance in the Force if you miss the back-to-back Star Wars Movie Poster Signature® Auction: The Doug Hott Collection and Doug Hott Star Wars Collection Action Figures & Toys Signature® Extended Bidding Auction Dec. 6–7 at Heritage Auctions.

One of the most comprehensive assemblages of Star Wars movie posters and action figures ever to reach the market, compiled by a lifelong collector over the course of decades, Hott’s collections center on rarely seen international variants and scarce production pieces that seldom appear at auction. At a time when Star Wars memorabilia continues to set record prices, this sale stands poised to write a new chapter in this timeless saga.

“Doug Hott is a collector’s collector,” says Charles Epting, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Consignments, Pop Culture. “For decades he has scoured the globe for the rarest of the rare, putting together a collection that demonstrates the ways in which George Lucas’ saga has impacted countless lives.”

Hott’s journey from movie fan to collector jumped to lightspeed almost as soon as the merchandise first hit store shelves. He recalls asking family members for action figures as soon as they were announced in 1977, but his focus expanded from playthings to display pieces after he discovered a framed re-release poster for The Empire Strikes Back at a local flea market. “My grandparents bought it for me for less than $10,” Hott says. “It was pretty beat-up, but my grandpa made a new frame for it, and I had it hanging in my room for years.”

That early find ignited what would become a lifelong passion for international theatrical posters. Hott soon set out to collect Star Wars posters from every country, assembling an extraordinary array of global designs that reflect the film’s universal appeal. Notably rare examples include original posters from South Africa, Greece, Hungary and Israel,each offering its own distinct visual interpretation of the saga that started it all.

Of particular interest are the posters released during the early 1990s Russian debut of Star Wars. Since the film never appeared in theaters under the former USSR, these posters marked the first time audiences there encountered the galaxy far, far away, though their imagery bore little resemblance to the familiar space opera iconography. One especially striking example, a three-sheet poster depicting a horseback-riding, gun-toting figure built from mechanical components and advertising the film as “A Space Western,” has only been offered by Heritage once before. These surreal, otherworldly designs stand as a testament to how Star Wars captured imaginations across borders and generations alike.

After parting with his toy collection several times over the years, including once “to buy an engagement ring,” he recalls with a laugh, Hott returned to that facet of the hobby in the mid-2000s with renewed focus and a deeper appreciation for its history. This time, he sought out some of the rarest and most significant pieces ever produced in the Star Wars toy universe.

Chief among them is Vlix, widely regarded as the rarest Star Wars action figure ever made available to the public. Originally planned for release alongside the short-lived Droids animated series, the figure’s U.S. debut was abruptly canceled upon the show’s cancellation, and it ultimately appeared only on Brazilian toy shelves in 1988. “The same bug that had bitten me to get posters from other countries got me here, too,” Hott says. Examples of Vlix surface only on the rarest occasions, making it a holy grail for collectors worldwide. This example is expected to realize more than $10,000.

Other scarce and unusual figures in Hott’s collection trace their origins to Australia, Spain, Mexico and particularly Eastern Europe, where fans often relied on bootleg or unlicensed versions during eras when officially sanctioned toys were unavailable. Together, these figures tell a story not just of Star Wars as a franchise, but of its global reach and the ingenuity of fans who found ways to connect with the saga no matter where they lived.

“Heritage Auctions feels privileged to be able to work with Mr. Hott on these collections,” says Epting. “His collecting focus was worldwide in scope, and we are proud to have a worldwide reach that ensures these pieces will find loving new homes when they cross the auction block.”