Leia/Ackbar. (Vintage Princess Leia Organa, Vintage Admiral Ackbar)
Leia/Ackbar.
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Archives: Kenner
On Arrival.
On Arrival. (Vintage Bossk, Vintage 4-LOM)
I remember as a kid really loving the Bossk figure. I don’t actually recall noticing the Bossk character on-screen when I saw Empire Strikes Back in the theater. After all he has no spoken lines and probably enjoys only about 3.2 seconds of screen time. But no matter. For me a Star Wars action figure was a Star Wars action figure, and this one was particularly nice. The 4-LOM character came out shortly after I stopped collecting as a kid, so this p’ugly bounty hunter’s a new-comer for me. I love the irony of his human-fly head finished with a mouthpiece that looks to be straight out of a pesticide respirator. Too funny. And you say you’re looking for a naugahyde cloak? 4-LOM’s got it!
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Taking Interest.
Taking Interest. (Vintage Luke Skywalker, POTF2 Sandtrooper, Vintage Hammerhead)
If you’ve been keeping score for a while, you’ll recognize that this comes just a moment or two before this.
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Yoda Redux.
Yoda Redux. (Vintage Yoda the Jedi Master, Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot)
I like to spend as little time as possible on these shots, and pretty often that means I’ll rush to post photos that at the time look good but later really start to bug me. The original Yoda post is definitely one of those. Finally (with the shot you see here) I believe I’ve gotten this one right.
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On Endor, More.
On Endor, More. (Vintage Paploo, Vintage Romba, Vintage Chief Chirpa, Vintage Logray)
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Protocol.
Protocol. (Vintage A-Wing Pilot, Vintage General Madine, Vintage C-3PO, Vintage B-Wing Pilot)
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On Endor.
On Endor. (Vintage Han Solo (in Trench Coat), Vintage Princess Leia Organa (in Combat Poncho))
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Chewbacca Unleashed.
Chewbacca Unleashed. (Vintage Chewbacca, Vintage Stormtroopers)
Even better, I think this is the first Chewbacca shot that I’m actually pretty psyched about.
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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Original Player.
Original Player. (Vintage R2-D2)
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Twisted.
Twisted. (Vintage Death Star Droid, Vintage Boba Fett, Vintage Bib Fortuna)
There are dozens of groovy creatures from the original Star Wars trilogy that still hold up well in the sci-fi movie genre 30 years later. Among the top of that heap is Bib Fortuna. Mammoth skull-born tentacles. Red eyes all aglow with malice. I can’t say there was anything like him before or since Return of the Jedi. Happily, Kenner took great care to make a faithful representation with their 1983 figure. The sculpt and paint are sweet. The removable vest and twisted staff are right on point. But let’s face it, it’s the imitation suede cloak, unique to this figure, that really puts vintage Bib Fortuna over the top. Yo, high five Bib!
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