Archives: vintage

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The Last Call.

The Last Call. (Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage Imperial Dignitary)

The Last Call. (Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage Imperial Dignitary)

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!

Check out the current vintage Stormtrooper listings here.

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Koona Chuta, Solo?

Koona Chuta, Solo? (Vintage Han Solo, Vintage Greedo)

Koona Chuta, Solo? (Vintage Han Solo, Vintage Greedo)

It wouldn’t take much to convince me that Han Solo rates best-in-class among the original 12 Star Wars action figures. Kenner succeeded on so many levels here. Dashing good looks. A blaster arm bent for quick draw in a duel. Excellent detail in both sculpt and paint from head to toe.

At least that’s the way it began.

By the time Empire Strikes Back was released, (and for reasons that utterly escape me) Kenner scrapped the original sculpt you see here and revised smuggler Han Solo with a strange, disproportionately large, not-altogether-flattering new head.

Hey, living with a bounty on your head is tough enough. But to wake up one day completely disfigured? It’s just too much to bare.

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The Automatic.

The Automatic. (Vintage 2-1B, Vintage C-3PO)

The Automatic. (Vintage 2-1B, Vintage C-3PO)

Thirty years ago the 2-1B action figure didn’t present a lot of game for me. That character in the Empire Strikes Back only had one or two spoken lines and his main gig was poking at dead Tauntauns and a near-dead Luke Skywalker. Kind of horrifying actually.

Now (much as I’ve done with all 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-string action figures) I’ve forgiven 2-1B all shortcomings and granted him unconditional rad toy status. His feats of medical derring-do are celebrated here in one of my personal favorite pics to date. Sock it to ’em One-bee!

This is the last post for 2009. Thanks to everyone for making this a really fun first year.

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Hammerhead.

Hammerhead. (Vintage Hammerhead)

Hammerhead. (Vintage Hammerhead)

Most of the time with these pics I like finding the right selection of figures, typically in groups of 2 or 3. The interplay creates either agitation or harmony in the frame, and a new narrative starts to spill out. That’s exciting. And then other times its just one expressive character that refuses to share the light.

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The Sand People Strike Back.

The Sand People Strike Back. (Vintage Sandpeople)

The Sand People Strike Back. (Vintage Sand People)

I loves ’em all. But let’s face it, nothing triggers an emotional response quite like the original group of 12 Star Wars action figures that were released in early 1978. Were the awesome Sand People part of all that biz? Oh, hell yes they were. Now seriously — can I get an “AROOOO”!?!

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Wired for Evil.

Wired for Evil. (Vintage 8D8)

Wired for Evil. (Vintage 8D8)


OK, this guy’s good. 8D8 is not only a droid that’s bent on torture. He’s a droid that’s bent on torturing other droids! I’m sorry, it just doesn’t get any colder than that. The 8D8 action figure, with a vaguely skeleton form and an icy white stare, pays fine tribute to the Return of The Jedi character of the same name and wicked ways in general.

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