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.

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Armed to the ‘Tooth.

Armed to the 'Tooth. (Vintage Hammerhead, Vintage Snaggletooth)

Armed to the 'Tooth. (Vintage Hammerhead, Vintage Snaggletooth)

I’ll be damned. Two of my favorite vintage figures together in what may very well be one of my favorite shots. Barkeep, I’ll drink to that!

Now the red Snaggletooth has some special memories for me.

First, back in June of 1978, I recall that I found him for sale on the shelves of a ‘Drews’ five and dime store that I would have never expected to sell Star Wars action figures. That eureka moment of discovery is something that miraculously hangs on.

Second, fate saw fit to send me on my first trip to a 3-week summer camp the very next day after finding Snaggletooth. Toys were obviously not welcome at camp, so it was a really big deal that I was going to have to part ways with my new prize so quickly. As much as I had the time of my life at that first summer camp, I’m sure I thought every day about that little red snaggletooth waiting for me at home.

Have a story about your Snaggletooth action figure? Share it here in the comments.

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Devil in Blue Dress.

Devil in Blue Dress. (Vintage Blue Snaggletooth)

Devil in Blue Dress. (Vintage Blue Snaggletooth)

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.

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Red.

Red. (Vintage Walrus Man, Vintage Greedo, Vintage Snaggletooth)

Red. (Vintage Walrus Man, Vintage Greedo, Vintage Snaggletooth)

Given the mania surrounding the blue Snaggletooth action figure, the more prevalent red version is often overlooked. To my eyes he’s up there with the best of the vintage lot, and definitely one of my childhood favorites.

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Scum/Villainy

Scum/Villainy. (Vintage Blue Snaggletooth, Vintage Squid Head)

Scum/Villainy. (Vintage Blue Snaggletooth, Vintage Squid Head)

You need some dirty work done on Tatooine? You call these guys.

The Blue Snaggletooth and Squid Head figures both live pretty large in the vintage Star Wars collection. First, the blue Snaggletooth has reached legendary status among collectors due to his scarce numbers. In case you don’t know it already, this figure was only sold as part of the briefly available Cantina Adventure playset. So unlike the red, short-stature Snaggletooth that sold throughout all three early Star Wars films, the blue Snaggletooth is an extremely limited affair. These days this figure typically fetches north of $100 for a loose example in good condition, making him easily among the top 2 or 3 most sought-after Star Wars action figures. Is he all that? From a collectibility standpoint — yes, definitely. From a cool-figure standpoint, well it’s not all that different than the red Snaggletooth. Just taller. Oh, and where the red Snaggletooth has those rad beast feet, the blue version has silver moonboots. Yeah, a little nerdy I’d say. Anyway, if you want to spend that kind of dough, take care to see that it is truly in great shape before you buy. The Blue Snaggletooth is notorious for worn paint on boots and hands.

The vintage Squid Head figure on the other hand is far from rare. What he lacks in that department he makes up in an awesome detailed sculpt and accessories that are over-the-top sweetness. A great way to throw around five bucks on eBay.

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.

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