Easily Frightened. (Vintage Landspeeder, Vintage Sand People)
Nothing says summer like a day out soaking up rays with your local Sand People!
Outtake from a 2009 photo shoot.
Easily Frightened.
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Archives: vintage
Threepio.
Threepio. (Vintage C-3PO, Vintage Biker Scouts)
Just cleaning out some old directories and came across this outtake from a set-up I put together almost two years ago.
If memory serves me well, the Biker Scout was the only figure that I actually bought from the ROTJ line back in the summer of 1983. At the ripe age of 12 I was getting ‘too old’ for Star Wars toys. Obviously he was just too damn cool to resist.
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The Rock Bottom Gang.
The Rock Bottom Gang. (Vintage Ree-Yees, Vintage Amanaman, Vintage Squid Head)
Essentially a man-sized leech featuring flaccid skin and absurdly-long atrophied arms, the Amanaman creature from Return of the Jedi is a double dog dare in the grotesque. Did I mention his knobby staff decorated with the skulls of his hapless victims? Yeah, well there’s that too. As you can see the vintage action figure in Amanaman’s name adds a nice touch, finishing the weirdness off with a devilish grin.
If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time you already know that the Ree-Yees and Squid Head action figures are perennial favorites. As far as the vintage line of Star Wars toys goes, these two beauties came along at the high-water mark period. Demand was still peaking for Star Wars goodies at this point in 1983 and Kenner clearly sought to keep their end of the bargain, designing toys that offered greater detail and newer features than their predecessors.
But sadly nothing good lasts forever. The Kenner line of Star Wars action figures would be dead (or at least relegated to the 59-cent bin) within 18 months.
Buying Notes for Vintage Amanaman
Check out the current vintage Amanaman listings here.
Hunting down the vintage Amanaman is pretty straight forward affair. It’s just a figure and a staff, and one can predict with almost 100% certainty that any existing example that turns up on eBay will be in virtually mint condition. It’s true. Neither the figure itself or his staff were actually played with by anyone, ever. The downside is of course that as a member of the ‘Last 17′ crowd, he can be a bit pricey. Be patient. With a little luck and some determination you should be able to snag one for about 50 bucks.
Now there is one twist: Amanaman was originally packaged with a coin by Kenner. If that’s important to you it may add another $25 your total to make it happen. My advice would be to start with just the figure and add the coin later. If you’re unfamiliar with the Power of the Force coins try buying a more common and inexpensive one first. If you find it’s something to your liking then loop back around and get the coin for ol’ Amanaman.
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Gas Miners United.
Gas Miners United. (Vintage Ugnaughts)
I have a few problems with the Empire Strikes Back. But the cantankerous band of get-the-job-done Ugnaughts isn’t one of them. And the vintage Ugnaught action figure has been a favorite since I was a kid, particularly because I somehow associated the figure’s hairstyle with George Washington’s hairstyle as seen on a one dollar bill. Apparently George Washington’s hair was so alluring to me that the only way my dad could trick me into letting him cut my hair was if he said “OK kid, you want the George Washington?”. Of course I’d agree but invariably I would end up looking more like Jay Baruchel on a bad day.
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Rebel Forces FTW.
Rebel Forces FTW.
(Vintage Snowspeeder, Vintage Tauntaun, Vintage Rebel Soldier, Vintage Princess Leia Hoth Outfit, Vintage Han Solo Bespin Outfit, Vintage 2-1B, Vintage Rebel Commander, Vintage Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot, Vintage Luke Skywalker Hoth Battle Gear, Vintage R5-D4, Vintage Chewbacca, Vintage C-3PO)
When a big box padded with white styrofoam comes into the house it can mean only one thing: Hoth diorama! And yes, I’ll own up to it straight away unless it’s not already completely obvious: unlike most of the shots presented on this site, what you’re looking at is not just one photo but a composite of several.
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!
Buying Notes on the Vintage Snowspeeder
Check out the current vintage Snowspeeder listings here.
If you’re a collector of loose Kenner vehicles from the vintage Star Wars run and you don’t own the vintage Snowspeeder yet, it’s time to turn that ship around. Ounce for ounce, this is my favorite vehicle for the whole ’78 to ’85 period.
For overall look the Snowspeeder’s got it where it counts. Add on the awesome lights and sound and you can see why we’ve got gold medal material. The harpoon and cool kickstand are icing on the cake.
Ready to climb aboard? Just keep in mind this checklist before going off half cocked on eBay:
1. The Snowspeeder’s lights and sounds are integral to your enjoyment factor. Make sure they both work before bidding. Sure you could take it apart and horse around with fixing the electronics, but that’s something to avoid unless you’ve really got the feel for it.
2. This vehicle has a ton of stickers applied to it. Something like 27 to be exact. Try to get a good feel that they’re all there and not peeling up. For this reason you might want to focus on the Snowspeeders that have clearly been kept over the years with their original box. I’ve seen a strong correlation between a present original box and nice looking stickers.
3. The rear harpoon with its black tether are a MUST. Make sure its there!
Best of luck, and if you have any other thoughts feel free to add them in the comments below.
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2-1B.
2-1B. (Vintage 2-1B, Vintage Han Solo Hoth Battle Gear, Vintage Rebel Commander)
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The Dark Proceeds.
The Dark Proceeds. (Vintage Imperial Shuttle, Vintage Emperor, Vintage Emperor's Royal Guards, Vintage Stormtroopers)
This post marks a potential sea change in this blog.
See, about 9 months ago I was given an extraordinary camera for my 40th birthday. The Lumix DMC-LX5 captures our toddler’s every movement with piercing clarity and speed. But I’ve been reluctant to introduce it into these pages of action figure photography for fear that the results would be at odds with the existing body of work. The older camera with it’s inferior performance somehow seems the appropriate match for these ancient toys.
But lately I’ve been tempted to experiment and compare results. There’ve been tight races, but today for the first time I felt that the Lumix just couldn’t be denied. Mind you the old Panasonic came close. Really close. If you want to check out that image, you can have a peek right here.
What I like about the older Panasonic in this case is that it has a more narrow lens that shows exactly what’s in front of the camera, as it appears. That Imperial Shuttle really looks like the Imperial Shuttle. The Lumix on the other hand has a much wider lens, so imagery quickly becomes distorted, especially towards the edges of the frame. In this situation the shuttle has a distorted and dramatic perspective that unfortunately takes away it’s immediate toyness.
So what do you think? With me or against me?
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The Princess and the Pilots.
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.
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Empire Strikes Black.
Empire Strikes Black.
(Vintage TIE Fighter Pilots, Vintage Darth Vader, Vintage Darth Vader TIE Fighter)
Buying Notes on Vintage Darth Vader
Check out the current vintage Darth Vader listings here.
A nice vintage Darth Vader action figure is pretty much the alpha and omega of any collection. This is true for the beginner and advanced collector alike. A classic toy reaching back to 1978, the vintage Darth Vader has spun countless revisions and imitations but really has never been improved upon.
So I can’t blame you for thinking about picking one up. But because this item is so popular, it can be rough seas acquiring a good (and authentic) example for a reasonable price. Let’s go over some of the main points to consider before pulling the trigger on a vintage Darth Vader.
Once you’re on board at eBay the first thing you’ll notice is that the key words “Darth Vader” are used and abused ad nauseum to get your attention to buy other stuff. Don’t be discouraged and whatever you do don’t be distracted or tricked into buying something else. Your eyes will quickly learn to ignore all of the nonsense and aim strictly for the vintage gold. The links I’ve provided already do it to some extent, but you may also want to play around with the search engine’s advanced function on eBay to filter out the unhelpful stuff. Be especially aware of the new Hasbro toys labelled as “Vintage Collection”, “Original Trilogy”, etc. Their packaging is cleverly retro and aims to steer the newcomer off course.
Important to keep in mind with the vintage Darth Vader is that you’ve got two accessories to contend with: the vinyl cape and the light saber. Both were easily lost and/or damaged by their original owners so it’s common to see reproductions in the marketplace being passed off as original. There are excellent resources to read through at the Imperial Gunnery forum that will help you avoid pitfalls. Read them carefully. Go here for the light saber and here for the cape. This is also a good time to correlate a seller’s claims of authenticity with their feedback score. Have they sold a ton of toys? Do they score 100% with their buyers? If not, you can think twice about believing their claims. Don’t forget to double check the photos closely. Does the cape look torn anywhere? Do the arm-holes look distressed or sharp? How about that saber tip. Does it look straight and strong or does it like a toddler might have chomped on it for a snack once or twice?
As much as any other vintage figure, Darth Vader was a character that saw heavy play at the hands of us grubby kids in the 70s and 80s. If it’s not mentioned in the auction be sure to ask the seller in a message if the figure’s limbs and head are loose or stiff. Let the loose limbed Vaders go to the diorama builders. You want the guy that’s as close to package fresh as possible. The vintage Darth Vader had very little paint applied by Kenner so not much to worry about there. And chances are if you’re buying a figure with loose limbs there won’t be paint loss.
Feel free to add any thoughts in the comments and drop me a line if you run into any trouble!
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Trouble Bound.
Trouble Bound. (Vintage R2-D2, Vintage EV-9D9, Vintage C-3PO)
Hard to imagine, but this photo represents the first proper portrait I’ve taken of the vintage R2-D2 and C-3PO action figures together. With chrome paint these two can be particularly hard to light. Worth the effort though as the results are spectacular when the stars finally do align.
Attention sports fans! If you want to dig deeper into the story of ‘Star Wars Action Figures Doing What They Do Best’, an interview has been published at the excellent Galactic Awesome blog. That blog has a terrific companion as well.
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