Blues for Snaggletooth.

Blues for Snaggletooth. (Vintage Luke Skywalker,  Vintage Blue Snaggletooth, Vintage Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi)

Blues for Snaggletooth.
(Vintage Luke Skywalker, Vintage Blue Snaggletooth, Vintage Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi)

Hands down one of my favorite action figures back in the late ’70s was the short-statured red Snaggletooth. So it’s ironic that it was only about 3 years ago (when I began collecting as an adult) that I first heard about the rare and hallowed blue Snaggletooth.

It goes like this: in the original era of Star Wars action figure collecting information didn’t move in the mercurial manner it does today. If a toy wasn’t on your local shelves or reeling you in through a Saturday morning TV commercial it basically didn’t exist. And given that the blue Snaggletooth (available only in a very short run with a Sears Cantina playset) was neither, you can see how he escaped notice.

I’m glad I’ve got the blue Snaggletooth now. He’s exceptionally cool with his silver moon boots and, despite the hype I was still able to land him for well south of a hundred bucks. But when push comes to shove, it’s his small-fry counterpart that still wins me over.

Buying Notes for the 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.

j j j

With Signs & Wonders

With Signs & Wonders.<br>(Vintage R2-D2, Vintage Luke Skywalker Bespin Fatigues, Vintage Yoda the Jedi Master)

With Signs & Wonders.
(Vintage R2-D2, Vintage Luke Skywalker Bespin Fatigues, Vintage Yoda the Jedi Master)

I think it was actually late in 1981 before I went full tilt collecting Empire Strikes Back action figures. Teaming in my basement playroom were various Hoth rebel guys, a gnarly snowtrooper, bounty hunters (that looked cool but who I couldn’t really place in the storyline), a Bespin Guard or two… not to mention a Snowspeeder, a Twin-Pod Cloud Car, a couple of awesome mini rigs… plus the gigantic and epic Millenium Falcon. It was an embarassment of riches.

But for all that blasting, menacing, and soaring there was one quiet little action figure that I held in highest esteem. Smaller even than the tiny Jawa figure from 1978, it was Yoda that managed to keep my (limited) attention.

j j j

The Princess and the Pilots.

The Princess and the Pilots. (Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot, Princess Leia Organa)

The Princess and the Pilots. (Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot, Princess Leia Organa)

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

This Way Out Redux.

This Way Out Redux. (Vintage Luke Skywalker Stormtrooper Disguise, Vintage Han Solo, Vintage Chewbacca, Vintage Millennium Falcon)

This Way Out Redux.
(Vintage Luke Skywalker Stormtrooper Disguise, Vintage Han Solo, Vintage Chewbacca,
Vintage Millennium Falcon)

This is a much-stewed-over rethink of a recent underachiever. Happy to finally have it off my chest and onto yours. Enjoy!

j j j

This Way Out.

This Way Out. (Vintage Luke Skywalker Stormtrooper Disguise, Vintage Chewbacca, Vintage Han Solo, Vintage Millenium Falcon)

This Way Out. (Vintage Luke Skywalker Stormtrooper Disguise,
Vintage Chewbacca, Vintage Han Solo, Vintage Millennium Falcon)

I’ve been itching to see a Millennium Falcon on these pages for quite a while. Now I’ll be the first to admit this shot doesn’t do the old scrap heap justice, but it’s definitely a start. Or if not a start, at least a hint as to where this might go from here.

So we chalk it up to research, and next time I vow to present something that shows a bit more… shall we say… commitment.

j j j

Echo Base.

Echo Base. (Vintage Rebel Soldiers, Vintage R5-D4, Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot)

Echo Base. (Vintage Rebel Soldiers, Vintage R5-D4, Vintage Luke Skywalker 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