If the Dragon’s Lair movie coming to Netflix in December 2022 ends up great, some of the old, and new collectibles will spike in value.
For collectors looking to cash in, now might be the time to start picking up some top merch. But first…
What Is Dragon’s Lair?
For those who don’t know, Dragon’s Lair was a laser-disc game that came out back in 1983. In it, players would have to time joystick and button inputs to guide the hero, Dirk the Daring through a castle to rescue Princess Daphne from Singe the dragon. A complete playthrough is watchable below:
CHECK OUT: The 5 Most Valuable Retro Video Games.
Coming To Netflix
Back in March 2020, Netflix announced that it had closed a deal for rights to the game and that Ryan Reynolds was on board, both as a star and as a producer through his production label, Maximum Effort.
Don Bluth, who both designed and illustrated the original game, is also listed as a producer of the movie. Plus, the script was worked on by Dan and Kevin Hageman, who previously worked on ‘The LEGO Movie in 2014.
Interesting Fact: Dragon’s Lair cameos in the first episode of Stranger Things Season 2, back in 2017.
Dragon Lair Collectibles Worth Picking Up
Dragon Lair is definitely a nostalgic classic and that is shown by the numerous merch made in its honor. Below we mention the 3 best in our opinion:
3. Dragon’s Lair 1/6th Scale Arcade Machine, $120
Even though it may not be full-scale, this arcade machine is fully playable and the reviews are great!
Dragon’s Lair x RepliCade is presented by New Wave Toys and it runs the original LaserDisc ROM on the Daphne emulator and features a fully functional digital scoreboard to provide the ultimate arcade experience.
The officially licensed replica comes with HDTV connectivity and external USB controller support so you even play the game on the big screen.
Dragon’s Lair RepliCade has been designed in a one-sixth Play Scale that will look perfect next to your collectible figures. Sadly, it is no longer available, and you’ll need to chance your arm on eBay, where units have been selling for 3-5x the original $120 price.
CHECK OUT: 5 Best Arcade Games Of The 80s, From Centipede To Galada
2. “Dirk the Daring” by Hero Complex Gallery, $160+
This poster art made its debut at New York Comic-Con 2019 and was originally available from Hero Complex Gallery’s online shop.
This art is made by Patrick Connan, it is screen printed, and it’s approximately 24” x 36”.
Unsurprisingly, none are left in stock and this limited edition poster will need to be picked up from auction sites or resellers for an increased cost. We’ve seen them on eBay for around $160 internationally.
We still recommend looking out for this poster as not only does it look amazing, it has already proven to be climbing in value (original price was $75).
CHECK OUT: A Beginners Guide To Vintage Movie Posters.
1. Dragon’s Lair Comic Books, $40 – $400
Dragon’s Lair’s comic books are a mini-series produced by CrossGen Publishing in 2003 that also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the original Dragon’s Lair game.
There are only three issues, and all of them are 32 pages in full color. When they first came out, each comic cost $2.95. Now on eBay, you can find lower-graded copies for $38, or the whole collection near mint for up to $400 (grading quality changes the value of the comic drastically).
Amazingly, you can sometimes find them for sale on Amazon.com.
Regardless, the lucky people that bought these when they came out between 2003 and 2006 have quite a gem on their hands if the movie in December 2022 proves to be popular.