Threepio. (Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage C-3PO)
The 3.75″ Stormtrooper was the very first Star Wars action figure that I laid eyes on back in early Spring of 1978. A river of spectacular Star Wars toys would come and go for me over the following years, but it’s most noteably the Stormtrooper that still gives me goosebumps to this day.
Buying Notes on the Vintage Stormtrooper
Check out the current vintage Stormtrooper listings here.
The vintage Stormtrooper is among the most iconic of the vintage Kenner figures. The good news is they’re plentiful and you can pull a gorgeous, like-new one off the auction table for not much dough. Certainly no more than $15 delivered. But you’ve got to be a bit careful as you go.
First it’s common to see reproduction accessories. The vintage Stormie came with a beautiful little imperial blaster that helped him shoot up jawas and rebels alike. But small and fun often equals small and lost. Enter the repro accessory makers and with them a lot of confusion on how to keep things straight. How to tell? Thanks to the good guys over at Imperial Gunnery, this is a nut easily cracked. Check out their awesome guide first before you buy something your unsure of.
Second, take a good look at the photos to spot yellowing. The vintage figures molded in white plastic are the ones most prone to a change in color due to plastic degradation. Some are yellowing and some aren’t, just keep a keen eye on what the seller is showing you and ask for more or better photos if its unclear.
And lastly be sure to inquire on whether or not the figure has loose joints or not. Stormtroopers saw a lot of play in their day and the limbs became loose quickly. If this is important to you (it’s important to me) drop the seller a line through the eBay message system before bidding.
Feel free to add any thoughts in the comments and drop me a line if you run into any trouble!
Classic!!
That’s an amazing background you created for this shot! As much as I want to know how you did it, I don’t want the illusion broken – so please keep it a secret 😉
It was a happy accident that totally amazed me as well. Secret locked.
Once again you’ve managed to create a photograph that looks exactly like my memories of my childhood.
Thank you.
Thanks, very happy to provide.
Somehow you have managed to make Threepio look proud of himself and unsure of himself at the same time. Amazing the emotive effects you can get out of an action figure.
Too true. The majority of the credit I’d have to assign to the toy’s original sculptor. But the right lighting and camera angle definitely help take it to the next level.
Wow, I LOVE your site. Totally inspirational. There are too few people who actually appreciate the elegant aesthetics of the classic Star Wars films. I was actually toying with the idea of making a Star Wars film using action figures. This clinches it! Keep up the good work. Your site is awesome!
Thanks. It really makes me happy that these photos are making the connection with more and more people. Hey if you haven’t heard of the Star Wars Uncut project, you’ve gotta check it out. I contributed some action figure scenes that you can see here. I think they’re doing Empire Strikes Back next. You should consider joining in!