Sign up for our newsletter for the latest news and updates!
Vintage Star Wars Action Figures from Kenner
The original Vintage Star Wars Action Figures line comprised of 21 basic figures from Luke Skywalker to Boba Fett, on 12-card backs and 20-card backs, as they were released in two waves with 12 in the initial wave and another 8 released later.
The Boba Fett figure was featured on the Vintage Star Wars Action Figurescard backs as this was the now-legendary mail-away figure with a missile-firing backpack that ultimately hit the market without this feature for safety reasons.
The Best + Biggest Action Figure Database in the World!!
It’s very possible that the popularity of Fett relative to his low screen time is related to how awesome this figure looked, over the interim two years before The Empire Strikes Back. The fact that he looks and sounds cool and he beats the rebels thus cemented him in Star Wars history and even his ignoble fate in Jedi couldn’t erase that.
Two other creature toys were released which
could qualify as figures to the avid collector, namely the Dianoga trash
compactor monster which came with the Death Star playset and the Patrol Dewback
The 12-back Vintage Star Wars Action Figures
Key:
First Wave / Second
Wave / Omitted From Card Backs
Key:
First Wave / Second
Wave / Omitted From Card Backs
(Alternate Name/Costume)
(“Name Later Applied”)
1.Greedo
2.Walrus Man (“Ponda Baba”)
3.Hammerhead (“Momaw Nadon”)
4.Snaggletooth (“Zutton”)
5.Luke Skywalker (X-Wing Pilot)
6.R5-D4
7.Death Star Droid
8.Power Droid (“Gonk Droid”)
9.Boba Fett
The Variant Star Wars Vintage Figures
Now most of the truly sought-after vintage
Kenner Star Wars line variants came from these early days when mistakes were
still being hammered out and some slipped through.
Listing the variants in order of scarcity with the most common first
Walrus Man has slightly different coloured tusks, either white or piPrincess Leia Organa, Luke in X-Wing Gear and the Death Squad Commander can be found with slightly different coloured faces.
Chewbacca exists in a variety of different shades of brown with slight variations in the colour of his pouch and bowcaster.
Luke has blonde or sandy brown hair along with various shades of pants.
Han solo with his early facial sculpt of what’s been dubbed the pinhead recently went for $561.
The Tusken Raider or Sand People on the Return of the Jedi carded version often featured more detailed hollow tubing on his face mask. However that version still sells for a fraction of a mint, carded Star Wars version.
Ben Kenobi has either white or grey hair and the far more rare white haired version recently went for $2,399.
The very rare ones include the Blue Snaggletooth, which technically counts as his own figure and more than just a variant in many circles. However he was never carded and came with the Sears version of the Cantina playset. An AFA 90 graded example sold for $2,600.
Luke with his double-telescoping lightsaber from that Early Bird kit.
Rocket Firing Boba Fett.
Then the extremely rare Ben Kenobi and Darth Vader with double-telescoping sabers.
12-back Vinyl-caped Jawa will fetch a pretty penny.
Mego’s first Star Trek Action Figures were released as far back as 1974, pre-Star Wars, and were based primarily on the live-action TV series [ read more ]
The very first baseball action figures were similar in design and look to Hasbro's popular GI Joe figure with interchangeable uniforms and a generic look
As sales of sport trading cards continue to drop alarmingly sales of NFL action figures continues to grow despite the current economic crisis [Read more]
PLEASE NOTE: All prices and values quoted on this site were correct at the time of publication based on the average value across several online and offline auction sites etc. The prices quoted ARE NOT an offer or solicitation to buy any figures at these prices.
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...
Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?
Click on the HTML link code below.
Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment,
your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.
var l = window.location.href,
d = document;
document.write('<form action="#"><div style="text-align:center"><textarea cols="50" rows="2" onclick="this.select();"><a href="'+l+'">'+d.title+'</a></textarea></div></form>');
The following websites, magazines and books are some of the sources I have used to research the material on this site as well as many of the images etc: Wikipedia | MegoMuseum | FigureRealm | RebbleScum | Mego Action Figure Toys by John Bonavita | Toyfare Magazine | Official Price Guide to Action Figures by Stuart W. Wells III and Jim Main
Please send any communication to: Colin Dorman, ACS Barnley House, 51–53 Sterte Ave West, Poole Dorset BH15 2AJ, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1202080082 (if calling from the UK you must dial the full number but NOT +44)
All trademarks and registered
trademarks, whether or not so identified, are acknowledged to be the property
of their respective owners. The use of a trademark does not imply that such use
has been authorised, endorsed or sponsored by the trademark owner.