Return of the Jedi is Topps’ 1983 victory lap—cleaner photography, bold borders, and enough character cards to fill Jabba’s barge. It came in two series with a beefy base checklist and sticker inserts in every pack. Translation: tons of nostalgic cardboard… and enough centering “adventure” to keep graders caffeinated.

Why ROTJ Still Slaps

• Character heat spike: Luke, Leia, Han in full stride, a prime Vader, and the fan-favorite Boba aura.
• Design that pops: the red/blue border combo makes centered copies leap off the page (when they’re actually centered).
• Sticker rabbit hole: border-color variants in S1 + S2 puzzle backs = sneaky-tough high-grade chase.

Rarity & Grading (Where Joy Goes to Chip)

Yes, Topps printed plenty—but centered, clean, chip-free copies are a different universe. ROTJ surfaces show print snow, the colored borders tattle on every corner kiss, and the stickers are extra unforgiving. Eye appeal runs the show; labels don’t fix tilt.

Curmudgeon’s Corner: If your plan is “crack raw and pray,” I admire the optimism. I prefer “loupe, light, and leave it if it leans.”

The Two Series at Lightspeed

• Series 1 (Red, 132 cards): starts with a title card, then a run of character “Star Files”—Luke #2, Vader #3, Han #4, Leia #5, Lando #6, Chewie #7, C-3PO & R2-D2 #8—followed by scene cards and checklists.
• Series 2 (Blue, 88 cards): more ships, aliens, action shots, plus trivia-back “Star Quiz” cards for extra nerd cred.

Top Sales (Receipts, Not Fairy Tales)

• Star Files in high grade: Gem-mint tens of headliners (Luke/Vader/Boba/Yoda) are legitimately scarce; nines move consistently when centered and clean.
• Sticker stunners: Dark-outline die-cuts (S1) and clean S2 puzzle-backs in PSA 10 can punch above their weight relative to the base.
• Sealed & oddities: authenticated wax/rack and uncut items keep drawing strong bids from the ROTJ faithful.

Translation: We’re not in “$60k Luke rookie” land like 1977, but the best-looking ROTJ copies still command real money—because true centering is rarer than an honest Jabba deal.

What I’d Actually Buy

• Centered Star Files: Luke #2, Vader #3, Boba, Yoda—tight corners, minimal snow, no tilt.
• Sticker sleepers: S1 die-cuts with crisp edges; S2 puzzle-backs that aren’t chewed up.
• Blue-border eye candy: Series 2 shots that pop in a slab when centering is dialed.

Grading & Pitfalls

• Pre-grade under strong light. Catch corner flecks and print snow before the submission fee does.
• Respect centering. ROTJ can tilt like a Star Destroyer in a tractor beam—skip the leaners.
• Stickers scratch easy. Dark outlines magnify every nick; store them like they’re glass.

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Collector vs Gambler (Pick a Lane)

Break wax for fun, buy singles for sanity. If the card sings—centered, clean, sharp—pay up. If it hums off-key, let someone else chase the fairy tale.

TL;DR

Two series (red then blue), 220 base cards total, 55 stickers (with S1 variants), sticker per pack. Tons printed—but high-grade stunners still command respect. Buy with your eyes, not bedtime stories about “potential tens.”