Death from Above. (Vintage TIE Fighter Pilot, Vintage Battle Damaged TIE Fighter)
2023 edit: This is one of the earlier shots where I started to get lucky with the tiny lights. The TIE Fighter Pilot is seated inside his cockpit and the photo is actually taken through what is probably a scratched plastic windshield. These were results that urged me forward for sure.
Vader! (Vintage Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, Vintage Darth Vader)
You’ll have to excuse me, I’ve been on a Darth Vader TIE Fighter tear lately. I’ve been restoring a couple of them and they’re keeping my attention pretty well locked down. I can only say get ready, as this is just the beginning. I’ll likely be tormenting you with TIE fighters well into the next decade.
Anyway, who could blame me? It’s Darth Vader. High priest of the Dark Side and number one administrator of Imperial Smackdownsmanship. If he says build some ships, then brother you build.
Check out the current vintage Darth Vader listings here.
A nice vintage Darth Vader action figure is pretty much the alpha and omega of any collection. This is true for the beginner and advanced collector alike. A classic toy reaching back to 1978, the vintage Darth Vader has spun countless revisions and imitations but really has never been improved upon.
So I can’t blame you for thinking about picking one up. But because this item is so popular, it can be rough seas acquiring a good (and authentic) example for a reasonable price. Let’s go over some of the main points to consider before pulling the trigger on a vintage Darth Vader.
Once you’re on board at eBay the first thing you’ll notice is that the key words “Darth Vader” are used and abused ad nauseum to get your attention to buy other stuff. Don’t be discouraged and whatever you do don’t be distracted or tricked into buying something else. Your eyes will quickly learn to ignore all of the nonsense and aim strictly for the vintage gold. The links I’ve provided already do it to some extent, but you may also want to play around with the search engine’s advanced function on eBay to filter out the unhelpful stuff. Be especially aware of the new Hasbro toys labelled as “Vintage Collection”, “Original Trilogy”, etc. Their packaging is cleverly retro and aims to steer the newcomer off course.
Important to keep in mind with the vintage Darth Vader is that you’ve got two accessories to contend with: the vinyl cape and the light saber. Both were easily lost and/or damaged by their original owners so it’s common to see reproductions in the marketplace being passed off as original. There are excellent resources to read through at the Imperial Gunnery forum that will help you avoid pitfalls. Read them carefully. Go here for the light saber and here for the cape. This is also a good time to correlate a seller’s claims of authenticity with their feedback score. Have they sold a ton of toys? Do they score 100% with their buyers? If not, you can think twice about believing their claims. Don’t forget to double check the photos closely. Does the cape look torn anywhere? Do the arm-holes look distressed or sharp? How about that saber tip. Does it look straight and strong or does it like a toddler might have chomped on it for a snack once or twice?
As much as any other vintage figure, Darth Vader was a character that saw heavy play at the hands of us grubby kids in the 70s and 80s. If it’s not mentioned in the auction be sure to ask the seller in a message if the figure’s limbs and head are loose or stiff. Let the loose limbed Vaders go to the diorama builders. You want the guy that’s as close to package fresh as possible. The vintage Darth Vader had very little paint applied by Kenner so not much to worry about there. And chances are if you’re buying a figure with loose limbs there won’t be paint loss.
Feel free to add any thoughts in the comments and drop me a line if you run into any trouble!
Gold Leader. (Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilots)
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.
One Step Ahead. (Vintage Princess Leia Organa, Vintage R2-D2)
This one’s collaborative. Many thanks to r2witco of DBSW for contributing the excellent handcrafted backdrop. West Coast loves Star Wars!
Luke Skywalker. (Vintage Landspeeder, Vintage Luke Skywalker)
Chewbacca Redux. (Vintage Chewbacca, Vintage General Lando Calrissian)
This is an evolving process. And looking back it seems that some early photos from last year were shorted by a lack of experience or imagination on my part. Mea culpa! So of course when the opportunity arises I like to take another shot at the ones that are really crying out for revision.
This is undoubtedly one of those situations. Today Chewie and Lando (an epic pairing) finally get some respect after suffering so long in total darkness. Sorry guys, I’ve been really busy.
Devil in Blue Dress. (Vintage Blue Snaggletooth)
Check out the current listings for the vintage Blue Snaggletooth here.
The Blue Snaggletooth is a highly-coveted vintage Kenner figure and therefore fetches higher prices. Depending on the condition, you can expect to pay between $70 and $140. That’s a fair amount of ka-ching so by all means pay close attention to what you’re getting into.
Some things to watch for:
The Blue Snaggletooth boots came painted silver. Not uncommon to see heavy wear in this area as (I’m guessing here) that silver paint didn’t have much staying power. So look closely at that.
He should also have a black Han Solo type blaster.
Check out the current listings for the vintage Blue Snaggletooth here.
Pushing Droids. (Vintage Jawas, Vintage R5-D4)
Koona Chuta, Solo? (Vintage Han Solo, Vintage Greedo)
It wouldn’t take much to convince me that Han Solo rates best-in-class among the original 12 Star Wars action figures. Kenner succeeded on so many levels here. Dashing good looks. A blaster arm bent for quick draw in a duel. Excellent detail in both sculpt and paint from head to toe.
At least that’s the way it began.
By the time Empire Strikes Back was released, (and for reasons that utterly escape me) Kenner scrapped the original sculpt you see here and revised smuggler Han Solo with a strange, disproportionately large, not-altogether-flattering new head.
Hey, living with a bounty on your head is tough enough. But to wake up one day completely disfigured? It’s just too much to bare.
Death Star Droid. (Vintage Death Star Droid, Vintage Death Squad Commanders)