Famiglia Rancore. (Vintage Rancor Monster, Vintage Rancor Keeper)
Let me make this perfectly clear: the vintage Rancor Monster and his chubby buddy the vintage Rancor Keeper flat out R-O-C-K.
Famiglia Rancore.
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Bespin State of Mind.
Bespin State of Mind. (Vintage Bespin Guards, Vintage Twin-Pod Cloud Car)
The Bespin Guards were the original Star Wars trilogy’s first uniformed crew that left something to be desired. Think about it. Stormtroopers, Jawas, Sandpeople, Death Star personnel (Commanders, TIE fighter pilots, Gunners — the whole bit), Rebel pilots, Rebel Soldiers, Snowtroopers … these characters all had such eye-peeling, imagination-infused costumes. And thanks to those costumes we were utterly convinced that Star Wars was of a reality not at all connected to our own.
Then, in walked the Bespin Guards with relatively sedate blue suits and funny bucket hats. It was almost as if someone said, “Shoot, I’m tired of all these badass never-seen-it-before get ups. Let’s just make this crew look like ticket takers at a Knicks game.” Am I wrong?
All that said, the Bespin Guards actually made for great action figures. Nice sculpt, interesting paint variations, and remarkably sold in both Caucasian and African-American skin tones.
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Yak Face Abides.
Yak Face Abides. (Vintage Yak Face, Vintage Jawas)
Pump thy fist and behold the Yak Face! He’s number one with a bullet on the list of legendary toys made in the likeness of entirely unknown Star Wars characters. I mean you could be a serious fan of the original Star Wars trilogy and not be aware of this guy. Did he carouse on Jabba’s barge, adding to the discord of Jabba’s final throwdown? Hair yes. Had he missed the whole shebang would anyone have noticed? Not a chance. Still the Vintage Yak Face action figure, riding the substantial rumors of his scarcity, fetches one of the highest price tags among vintage Star Wars action figures. Well done, Ace.
Buying Notes for vintage Yak Face
Check out the current vintage Yak Face listings here.
Welcome to the top draw among Kenner’s Last 17 action figures. Hope you brought your wallet!
It’s a drag that Yak Face requires such a hefty buy in, but I’d have to say it’s worthwhile to have one in your collection. Nice thing is that bidding on a vintage Yak Face is a fairly straight forward affair.
First you don’t have to sift through a ton of nonsense in order to find him. It’s not like they were making Yak Face dixie cups and toothbrushes.
Second, Yak Face rarely saw heavy play among the kids of the 80s so when you do find him he tends to be in good condition. Still check for paint wear as his design does involve a good deal of paint (not much on the head but plenty on the hands).
And of course you’ll be sure to see that his weapon is included. There have been repro version of this staff spotted, but it’s the same weapon that was issued with some other plentiful ROTJ figures so in all likelihood it should be the real thing.
So best of luck. And please feel free to add any further thoughts in the comments section.
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Stone Cold Storm.
Stone Cold Storm. (Vintage AT-AT Driver, Vintage Imperial Stormtroopers in Hoth Battle Gear)
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Walrus Man.
Walrus Man. (Vintage Walrus Man, Vintage Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi)
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Scourge of the Jedi.
Scourge of the Jedi (Vintage Boba Fett, Vintage Princess Leia in Boussh Disguise)
I will say this: it’s good to be back.
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On Hiatus.
On Hiatus. (Vintage Imperial Shuttle)
Alright kids, in case you haven’t already noticed, I’m taking a short break from the action figure photos while I get settled in a new house. Fear not, by early May I should be back in full swing. Cheers!
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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!
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The Gathering Storm.
The Gathering Storm. (Vintage Han Solo (Hoth Outfit), Vintage Rebel Soldiers (Hoth Battle Gear), Vintage Turret/Probot Playset)
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Switching to Plan B.
Switching to Plan B.
(Vintage B-Wing Fighter, Vintage B-Wing Pilot, Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot)
The B-Wing Fighter at rest looks pretty nice. But with the wings spread out the ship transforms completely and easily becomes one of the coolest vintage Star Wars vehicles out there. I’ll need to spend some time on a worthy shot that captures all that in-flight glory. Until then I’m afraid you’re stuck on the tarmac.
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