· 3 Comments

Paint it Brown.

Paint it Brown. (Vintage Dengar, Vintage 4-LOM)

Paint it Brown. (Vintage Dengar, Vintage 4-LOM)

I seem to recall back in 1980 that the vintage Dengar action figures suffered lengthy stays lingering in retail toy aisles. Alongside his brothers the Lobots and the Bespin Security Guards, Dengar was a peg warmer.

First off, nobody knew of him. With his screen time totaling about .08 seconds, one could forgive even an avid fan for not making the positive ID. Second, he wasn’t much to brag about in terms of a ‘look’. Paunchy, drably colored, and armored in an array of junk and soiled linens, Dengar was not exactly giving Boba Fett’s hot appeal much competition.

But decades come and decades crumble, and Dengar’s still here. I’ve come not only to really appreciate him as an adult collector but might even go so far as to say he’s in my Top 10 vintage figures. I mean, just look at that twisted and beautiful face!

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· 4 Comments

The End.

The End. (Vintage AT-AT, Kenner, 1980)

The End. (Vintage AT-AT)

The End of the Line for those pesky Rebels that is!

And, sad is it may be, it’s also the End of this six-part AT-AT exposé. I said at the onset that taking on the whole toy in one shot wasn’t really feasible but of course that only made me feel the challenge that much more. So here she is in all her chin-to-tail glory, ready to do some serious business on behalf of her Imperial masters. Stomp on, trusty AT-AT, stomp on!

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· 1 Comment

All Fours.

All-Fours. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage Tie Fighter Pilot)

All-Fours. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage Tie Fighter Pilot)

Let’s circle back to the AT-AT’s feet for a minute. I realized after the fact that the earlier shot with the two X-Wing Pilots fell a bit short in only showing two of the AT-AT’s feet instead of all four. This little piece of drama goes the distance.

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· 2 Comments

Driven to Destruction, Pt. 2.

Driven to Destruction, Pt. 2. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage AT-AT Drivers)

Driven to Destruction, Pt. 2. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage AT-AT Drivers)

Voila! As promised, the AT-AT head exterior in all its glory. And of course I’ll own up straight away – the background on this one’s a fake. Sometimes I can’t resist the temptation.

This is fourth in the now burgeoning AT-AT Marathon of Summer 2012! When will it end!?

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· 3 Comments

Driven To Destruction, Pt. 1.

Driven to Destruction, Pt. 1. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage AT-AT Drivers)

Driven to Destruction, Pt. 1. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage AT-AT Drivers)

This is one of two shots necessary to give the vintage AT-AT’s cockpit/head the attention that it deserves. Let’s call this one the interior shot. I’ll post the one focused more on exterior tomorrow.

Third photo in the AT-AT series.

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· 2 Comments

The Trouble Below.

The Trouble Below. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot)

The Trouble Below. (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot)

This is second in a series dedicated to capturing the immense pleasure that is the vintage AT-AT. And this time it’s all about the feet.

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
· 7 Comments

On Board for Anything.

On Board for Anything (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage Imperial Stormtroopers in Hoth Battle Gear)

On Board for Anything (Vintage AT-AT, Vintage Imperial Stormtroopers in Hoth Battle Gear)

The vintage AT-AT is so huge and so wonderful a toy, it would be impossible to capture its essence all in one photo. Better to capture details in the macro (like the personnel bay door on the AT-AT’s lee side shown above) and work up to something that’s greater than the sum of its parts. I think what I’m trying to say is this is the first in a series of vintage AT-AT shots. Enjoy!

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· 4 Comments

Power Droid.

Power Droid. (Vintage R5-D4, Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage Power Droid)

Power Droid. (Vintage R5-D4, Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage Power Droid)

Strange coincidence: it’s three years almost to the day since I last snapped a photo of the celebrated Power (or ‘Gonk’) Droid. Glad to see him back!

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· 1 Comment

The X-Wing Pilot.

The X-Wing Pilot. (Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot, Vintage Rancor Monster)

The X-Wing Pilot. (Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot, Vintage Rancor Monster)

I’m afraid not every day ends with booze and prostitutes for an X-Wing Pilot.

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
· 3 Comments

E is for Easy Target.

E is for Easy Target (Vintage AT-ST, Vintage AT-ST Driver, Vintage Biker Scouts, Vintage Wicket W. Warrick, Vintage Chief Chirpa, Vintage Paploo, Vintage Romba)

E is for Easy Target
(Vintage AT-ST, Vintage AT-ST Driver, Vintage Biker Scouts, Vintage Wicket W. Warrick, Vintage Chief Chirpa, Vintage Paploo, Vintage Romba)

Nothing spells fun like watching Ewoks blow off steam at the expense of some Imperial flunkies!

Let’s call this shot a sequel to an old favorite from a couple years back.

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