Archives: IG-88

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Hunting Solo.

Hunting Solo. (Vintage IG-88)

Hunting Solo. (Vintage IG-88)

A bounty hunter like IG-88 is truly as bad as they come. Heart of cold steel and wires. Never tires, never sleeps. And he has tiny little crab claws for hands (the better to clench his two blasters before he puts you away for keeps). Face it: you just don’t want to mess with this guy.

But mess with him we did.

There’s a surprising amount of love for IG-88 out there. People loved playing with him when they were kids, and they love him now. A rail-thin robot with no dialogue has captured the hearts of millions and even stars in his own awesome music video. Go figure!

Did you dig IG-88 as a kid? What was your favorite Star Wars action figure you played with back then? (I know, I know – you still play with action figures. We’ll get to that later!)

IG-88 Buying Notes

Check out the current listings here.

Happily, picking up a loose IG-88 is a snap thanks to eBay. On any given day there’s several dozen to choose from either in an auction or with a Buy It Now button. Let me offer a few tips though to make sure you’ve got your bases covered.

First of all, IG-88 comes with two guns not one. One is the standard-issue Stormtrooper rifle, and the other is a long-barreled sniper type affair with one handle (not two like the vintage Snowtrooper). See this if you’re unsure. Also, the vintage IG-88 came in two different colors of plastic molds. One color is a light grey plastic and the other is very similar but with a metallic sparkle mixed in with the plastic. The metallic I think is a nicer look so I’d recommend aiming for that one first. It’s rare that IG-88 saw a lot of aggressive play by kids in the ’80s, so you almost never have to worry about loose limbs. Just to be on the safe side, drop a note to the seller to inquire. You don’t want a figure that can’t stand or hold up his rifle!

How much should you expect to pay? Luckily large supply and cool demand is still where we’re at with vintage IG. I’d say you could have him delivered for well under $10. Just be patient and you’re bound to find a killer deal. As always, be careful not to buy anything that’s labeled ‘vintage collection’ or ‘original trilogy’. These are remakes from the past 10 years and they will seriously disappoint anyone with a pining for that good ol’ Kenner goodness. Best of luck and drop me a line if you get stuck.

Check out the current listings here.

j j j
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Bad Robot(s)!

Bad Robot(s)! (Vintage Zuckuss, Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage IG-88)

Bad Robot(s)! (Vintage Zuckuss, Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage IG-88)

The vintage Zuckuss action figure is just mired in intrigue. It appears that operatives at the Kenner factory botched their intel and named the 4-LOM action figure ‘Zuckuss’ (while naturally naming the Zuckuss action figure ‘4-LOM’). Would the ill-tempered Lord Vader be pissed if he’d caught wind of this mess? You bet your ass. Did anyone in Cincinnati lose their job over it? Well I doubt it.

j j j
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IG-88.

IG-88. (Vintage Death Squad Commander, Vinage Imperial Commander, Vintage IG-88)

IG-88. (Vintage Death Squad Commander, Vinage Imperial Commander, Vintage IG-88)

As a wee lad I wasn’t all that hot for the IG-88 figure. His rail-thin body, buoy-shaped head, and little pincer hands didn’t add up to a whole lot for me. But these days I’m kind of dumbfounded at how amazing this guy is. First, the detail of the sculpt is totally excellent. (Be warned though, there are two different sculpts for the vintage IG-88. One has a lot of fine detail and is easily recognized by hollow eye sockets. The other has fairly poor detail and has filled-in eye sockets. The one shown above is the more detailed version.) Second, I’m pretty sure that the IG-88 figure marked the first time Kenner experimented with using plastic mixed with a trace of metallic. To great effect. The sculpt is a really convincing dark matte silver that looks awesome when lit. And last, who could possibly argue with a second weapon? Two fists of firepower fury, IG-88 clears the room every time!

IG-88 Buying Notes

Check out the current listings here.

Happily, picking up a loose IG-88 is a snap thanks to eBay. On any given day there’s several dozen to choose from either in an auction or with a Buy It Now button. Let me offer a few tips though to make sure you’ve got your bases covered.

First of all, IG-88 comes with two guns not one. One is the standard-issue Stormtrooper rifle, and the other is a long-barreled sniper type affair with one handle (not two like the vintage Snowtrooper). See this if you’re unsure. As mentioned above, the vintage IG-88 came in two different colors of plastic molds. One color is a light grey plastic and the other is very similar but with a metallic sparkle mixed in with the plastic. The metallic I think is a nicer look so I’d recommend aiming for that one first. It’s rare that IG-88 saw a lot of aggressive play by kids in the ’80s, so you almost never have to worry about loose limbs. Just to be on the safe side, drop a note to the seller to inquire. You don’t want a figure that can’t stand or hold up his rifle!

How much should you expect to pay? Luckily large supply and cool demand is still where we’re at with vintage IG. I’d say you could have him delivered for well under $10. Just be patient and you’re bound to find a killer deal. As always, be careful not to buy anything that’s labeled ‘vintage collection’ or ‘original trilogy’. These are remakes from the past 10 years and they will seriously disappoint anyone with a pining for that good ol’ Kenner goodness. Best of luck and drop me a line if you get stuck.

Check out the current listings here.

j j j