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Star Wars collector who has lost 11 relatives in Turkey earthquake is selling his entire collection

Home> News

Updated 16:36 18 Feb 2023 GMTPublished 16:35 18 Feb 2023 GMT

Star Wars collector who has lost 11 relatives in Turkey earthquake is selling his entire collection

Over 42,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria following the earthquake

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Over 42,000 people have died in the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria.

Since then, there has been an outpouring of support from around the world, with people donating to charities working on the ground.

In a bid to do something to raise some funds to help his family affected by the disaster, a man is selling his extensive Star Wars collection.

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Nick Ibrahimoglu, from Queensland, Australia, has lost 11 members of his family in the aftermath of the quake, with dozens of others homeless as a result.

And while he's spent years building up a plethora of rare items related to the hit sci-fi series, he said it's time to give them up.

Nick is selling his extensive Star Wars collection.
7 News

His collection is estimated to be worth over $16,000 AUD ($23,255) and includes a rare 1978 Greedo toy.

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“I just can’t imagine the pain these people are going through,” he said. "You can’t fathom it.

"Seeing a father holding his 15-year-old daughter’s hand while she was under the concrete and she’d passed away. He was still holding her hand. That broke me."

After his dad, Harry, asked him to help raise some money to help their family in Turkey, Nick said he didn't think twice.

He said: "I instantly said, 'Dad, I got your back. I’ll make this happen'.

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"I didn’t know how but I was going to do it."

Discussing his collection, Nick said it's like being transported back to his childhood.

“The great thing is, is that you become a big kid again when you start getting into this,” he said.

"You go from being 50 back down to being 13.

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It's said to be worth over $16,000.
7 News

“This collection means the world to me because I’ve been collecting it for so long."

But even though he's had them in his life for so long, when he found out what the money raised from their sale could do, it was all worth it.

He said: "They think they found a two-bedroom home they could rent, so they’re going to try and fit around 20 people in a two-bedroom home."

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He added: “We want to get as much as we can because this is something I’ll never be able to replace again."

“But it’s going to do so (much) good for so many lives.”

As well as selling his toys, Nick has also set up a GoFundMe page for his family.

If you’d like to help those who’ve been affected by the recent devastating events unfolding in Turkey and Syria you can donate to the British Red Cross' emergency appeal.

Featured Image Credit: 7News Australia
Dominic Smithers
Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is the News/Agenda Desk Lead, covering the latest trends and breaking stories. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

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@SmithersDom

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