Star Wars

Star Wars

Star Wars Figures And Their Mass Appeal!

While there had been boys toys and action figures before the release of Star Wars. You really have to credit Star Wars with kicking of the action figure craze that is still happening to this day. The original line of Star Wars figures is very well known as Kenner who made the figures could not meet the demand for the figures, but they were very smart and released the Early Bird Certificate Package for Christmas of 1977. This was a way that a parent could give their kids a Star Wars present with the promise of getting four Star Wars action figures the following year.

Kenner would have the Star Wars line until 1985. They made an phenomenal 100 plus unique Star Wars action figures. Many of these are small variations to certain characters, but the sheer volume is just amazing. By the mid 80's the Star Wars line started to die down. But thanks to the vast number of action figures, play sets and vehicle that Kenner had produced. There was still more than enough Star Wars action figures in stores all over the world for kids to collect.

Kenner would eventually be bought out by Tonka who then were bought out by Hasbro. Hasbro would release Star Wars figures for a while under the Kenner name before changing it to Hasbro. And if Kenner get the credit for creating the Star Wars line then Hasbro get the credit for just making it explode. Star Wars thanks to the re-release of the movies in the 90's and of course with Star Wars Episode 1 being released in 1999 saw a huge surge in interest about Star Wars and as a result a ton and we mean a ton of Star Wars action figures were released.

The amount of Star Wars lines that have been released since Hasbro got the license in just crazy. For a hard core collector it must be a nightmare to track down and afford all of these figures. Hasbro have pretty much made a figure for every single character who appeared in the first three movies as well as the prequel trilogy also. You would think that by now people would have had their fill of Star Wars action figures, but that is not the case at all. Hasbro have had amazing success with their vintage line which is based on the old Kenner toys from the 80's. And they also have the black card series which features great newer versions of the characters we all know and love.

Just for fun here are a few of the most valuable and interesting Star Wars action figures out there.

Darth Vader With Telescoping Lightsaber

Kenner had a great idea that the lightsabers for Darth Vader and Luke would come out of their arms giving the illusion like they were being turned on like in the movie. While a good idea the execution did not work and as a result the lightsaber would just break off. It has been said that only a few hundred at most of these Darth Vader figures made it into kids hands!

Rocket Firing Boba Fett

Man people love just the Fett. It's pretty common knowledge that one of the holy grails for Star Wars collectors is the Boba Fett figure with the firing jet pack. Kenner were worried that the little missile would be a choking hazard. But there were a few production models made and some very lucky collectors have managed to add a Rocket Firing Boba Fett to their collection.

Jawa With Vinyl Cape

The first run of Jawa action figures had a little vinyl cape, but Kenner after the first wave changed it to a cloth one. What is interesting about this is that Kenner were looking out for the consumer as they felt that customers would feel short changed with the "cheap" vinyl cape. Due to the small amount released this is one of the most sought after and expensive Star Wars action figures.