The force is with local Star Wars fans as they snap up memorabilia

Chewbacca holds a jigsaw puzzle of himself at Sylvia Park Toyworld. Photo / James Bennett

Kiwi Sith Lords, Wookiees, Storm Troopers and Rebel pilots queued outside toy stores across the country yesterday, to officially be the first in the world to get their hands on new Star Wars memorabilia.

The toys went on sale at 12.01am in "midnight madness" events at The Warehouse and Toy World stores from Auckland to Invercargill, ahead of the release of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, which will be the seventh instalment of the cult sci-fi franchise that began in 1977.

Matt Glasgow of New Zealand's Star Wars fan club headed to two of the early morning openings yesterday - at The Warehouse and Toy World, both in Albany.

He estimated about 50 people lined up outside the store ahead of the opening - including himself, his wife and their 14-year-old daughter who was dressed as a Sith.

When it came to merchandise, Lego was a popular choice, as were action figures, the die-hard fan said.

"The Black Series figures have been very popular - they are probably the ones that have been disappearing the most rapidly, the most sought after," Mr Glasgow said.

Midnight madness events were occurring across the globe when clocks hit midnight on September 4 - meaning New Zealand fans were in first, he said.

A spokeswoman for The Warehouse said the Black Series figures sold out in three minutes, while a Toy World spokeswoman said Lego was the biggest hit, as expected.

Toy analyst Miguel Velasquz said Star Wars toys were "evergreen" in the industry, because sales were always significant, whether a film was coming out or not.

"As the movie will coincide with the Christmas period, the [sales] impact will be even more significant."

The latest Star Wars instalment hits cinemas in December.

Additional reporting AAP