Okay, so I'll admit I'm cheating a bit with this Fabriche Santa Yoda from the Kurt Adler Star Wars line as this is a 5-inch figurine with zero points of articulation and technically not an action figure as such, but 'tis the season to be jolly, so I'm sure you'll forgive me if I share this bit of Star Wars Christmas Kitsch that put a huge smile on my face when I saw it online the other day!An officially licensed Star Wars product, the attention to detail and hand painted finish does Yoda … [Read more...]
Legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett!
I say the legendary Boba Fett, for there can be no doubt that some vintage action figures acquire a kind of cult status and become must-haves in a collection. Boba Fett - everybody's favourite bounty hunter and man of few words – has always seemed to fit that role perfectly! He is hardly a rare figure and was available from his first appearance as a The Empire Strikes Back movie tie-in, right up to, and including, the Droids animation line, but he is just so perfect in his detailed moulding and … [Read more...]
Lando Calrissian: Show me your teeth!
When today's toy manufacturers launch a new action figure with myriad variations it's hard not to smile ruefully and picture the board meeting in which that decision was made and to hear the Kerching! of the cash register ringing in one's head as collectors scramble to add every version to their set. It's fun, therefore, to look back at vintage action figures with genuine oddities or variations depending on their country of origin or for reasons which are hard to explain. Kenner's Star Wars … [Read more...]
Han Solo: Two heads are better than one!
Without wanting to seem mono-thematic here at Vintage Action Figures, last week's look at Indiana Jones made me want to take a closer look at another Harrison Ford action figure – indeed, not one but TWO figures: the big and small head varieties of Han Solo. When in 1978 kids could finally get their hands on Kenner's 3 ¾ inch Star Wars action figures (with 1977 stamped on the back) the Han Solo figure complete with Rebel Blaster proved enormously popular. Let's face it, not only was he the … [Read more...]
Star Wars Variations: Grey-haired Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi
Back in 1977, the only Obi-Wan Kenobi anybody had ever heard of was played by veteran British actor Alec Guinness in the original Star Wars movie. Ewan McGregor, on the other hand, who would slip on Obi-Wan's cloak in the prequels, must have been just about old enough to play with the Kenner action figures which belatedly appeared in 1978, but was probably still too small to have seen the movie at the time!Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi was one of the original so called "12-back" Star Wars 3 … [Read more...]
Star Wars variations: I lost my heart to a Star Wars Stormtrooper!
Kenner's sculpt for the Star Wars Stormtrooper (later renamed Imperial Stormtrooper on the repackaged The Power Of The Force card back) was one of its most accurate action figures. Like many of the vintage Star Wars figures there are, however, minor variations in moldings and even stance - collectors should keen an eye out for varieties that may fly under the radar of less-informed sellers. … [Read more...]
Star Wars action figure variations: My, what small eyes you have, Chief Chirpa!
Love them or hate them (or even love-to-hate-them by joining those who have formed a Facebook group dedicated to their eradication) the Ewoks are very much part of the Star Wars trilogy and for the action figure collector provide a few harder to find variations to track down.Being the characters that so many – even die-hard Star Wars fans – loathe, as well as being figures that are not so instantly recognisable to the uninitiated, means that you can often pick them up for mere cents in the … [Read more...]