A vintage 'Star Wars' toy collection has sold for £400,000.

An elderly couple have been left far, far richer thanks to their array of merchandise inspired by the sci-fi films set in a galaxy far, far away when it went under the hammer.

The pair, thought to be in their 80s, had no idea how much the hundreds of plastic figures were worth and only found out they had one of the best collections in existence when their son asked an expert to take a look at the toys and value them.

Chris Aston, of Aston's Auctioneers, revealed that he only travelled to see the haul as the couple's home in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England, was nearby.

The auctioneer said: "He sent me a picture of about 10 things ... to be honest, I only went because it's about four miles down the road.

"When I walked in I found a double garage piled high with bin bags full of toys – it's the best 'Star Wars' collection I've ever seen."

The toys had been left to the couple in a neighbour's will and value was added to the collection as most were still in their packaging, including two highly sought-after figures.

A Star Destroyer Commander, one of just two known examples still in its box, sold for £32,500.

A rare Palitboy Jawa, with a vinyl cape on a 12-inch card, fetched £27,280 with fees, while a Cantina set from the first film, 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' earned £2,700.

Aston said of the couple: "The Star Destroyer Commander is one of only two that are known of and the Jawa figure is the holy grail for collectors. I would imagine they are thrilled with this result. It must feel like they've won the lottery."