Wreck of the X-34. (Vintage Landspeeder, Vintage Jawas, Vintage Sand People, Vintage C-3PO with Removeable Limbs)
Wreck of the X-34.
j j j
Posts from the 'A New Hope' Category
Entourage.
Entourage. (Vintage Death Star Droid, Vintage Stormtroopers)
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!
j j j
Armed to the ‘Tooth.
Armed to the 'Tooth. (Vintage Hammerhead, Vintage Snaggletooth)
I’ll be damned. Two of my favorite vintage figures together in what may very well be one of my favorite shots. Barkeep, I’ll drink to that!
Now the red Snaggletooth has some special memories for me.
First, back in June of 1978, I recall that I found him for sale on the shelves of a ‘Drews’ five and dime store that I would have never expected to sell Star Wars action figures. That eureka moment of discovery is something that miraculously hangs on.
Second, fate saw fit to send me on my first trip to a 3-week summer camp the very next day after finding Snaggletooth. Toys were obviously not welcome at camp, so it was a really big deal that I was going to have to part ways with my new prize so quickly. As much as I had the time of my life at that first summer camp, I’m sure I thought every day about that little red snaggletooth waiting for me at home.
Have a story about your Snaggletooth action figure? Share it here in the comments.
j j j
Built for Speeder.
Built for Speeder. (Vintage Landspeeder, Vintage Luke Skywalker, Vintage Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi)
j j j
Pair of Aces.
Pair of Aces. (Vintage Chewbacca, Vintage Han Solo)
Okay, cheating a bit. This one’s an outtake from the archived Koona Chuta, Solo? sessions hammered out last January.
j j j
The Wookie Wins.
The Wookie Wins. (Vintage Chewbacca)
The 1977 4″ Chewbacca action figure by Kenner. Best. Toy. Ever.
j j j
Leaving Rebel Base.
Leaving Rebel Base. (Vintage X-Wing Fighters, Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilots)
Blown away. No other words to describe what it felt like to unwrap my very own X-Wing Fighter(!) – given to me as a gift during Hanukkah, December of ’78.
Buying Notes on the Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot
Check out the current vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot listings here.
Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot was a toy sold by Kenner from 1978 to about 1985. So there were (and still are) great numbers in circulation, and a fair number of these are still in excellent shape. But keep a few things in mind when tracking one down on eBay.
The Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot action figure probably had more paint applied to it in the production process than any other vintage Star Wars action figure. Face color, facial features, helmet details, vest, chest panel, hands, leg straps, boots. The guy has paint details everywhere. Be sure to see plenty of photos showing that the paint all looks good.
This was an action figure in the true sense of the word. Luke Skwyalker X-Wing Pilot was played with extensively by little kids in the 70s and 80s. If the seller hasn’t already declared that the joints are tight in the auction description, you definitely want to ask before bidding.
Lastly, the figure’s weapon is the Han Solo pistol type of Kenner blaster. Don’t forget: repro accessories suck. Make certain that it’s authentic if possible. You can check out the Imperial Gunnery for some excellent reference on the topic.
Feel free to add any more thoughts on this in the comments section and drop me a line if you get into trouble!
Check out the current vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot listings here.
j j j
The Blue Moods of Max Rebo.
The Blue Moods of Max Rebo. (Vintage Max Rebo, Vintage Sy Snootles, Vintage Droopy McCool)
It had been a long time since I’d seen the theatrical release version of Return of the Jedi. So I was shocked recently when a video of the original Max Rebo band song was brought to my attention (thanks retrostarwars). The truth of it is that ‘Lapti Nek’ by John Williams, with it’s unapologetic 80’s dance groove, is just face-melting hot. But sadly, after 10 years of Special Editions, this footage had all but faded from memory.
And what about the Special Edition “Jedi Rocks” that replaced ‘Lapti Nek’? Yeah, don’t make me go there. I beg of you, don’t make me go there. At the end of the day, it’s all just further support for that ol’ golden nugget: if it ain’t broke, consider drinking a beer or something.
j j j
Walrus Man.
Walrus Man. (Vintage Walrus Man, Vintage Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi)
j j j
Threepio.
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!
j j j