Star wars was a massive hit in the 70s and collectible action figures quickly because a miltimillion dollar business. The bible for the collectors of kenner star wars action figures. Original vintage kenner star wars action figures hobbylark. Kenners original vintage star wars toy line ran from 1977 to 1979 in the wake of. Ewoks including six character figures animated series. Vintage star wars vintage star wars packin figures. Kenner branded star wars toys remain the number one selling toy for almost 12 months straight, second only to kenners batman action figures and accessories. The history behind action figures, and the story about how do we get them is par of the magic of. Here at last is the complete and definitive collection of the more than 2,500 star wars action figures produced over the last 35 years. In october 2003 john kellerman released vintage star wars action figures.
The ultimate guide to vintage star wars action figures book. The original collection 19771985 by kenner vintage star wars. Mego refused the offer and the license was subsequently picked up by kenner, a subsidiary of. Needless to say, vintage action figures are still collected today on their original card and also in loose condition. A new hope was the first film to successfully market toys based on the movie. From 1978 to 1985 when only the first few films had been released, toy company kenner made action figures based on the original star wars trilogy characters. The original collection mini figure line which also included a selection of ships and playsets scaled to the 3 34 figures, and twelve large size action figures went on to be shipped worldwide from 1978 to 1985 and were packaged over those years under the titles star wars, the empire strikes back, return of the jedi, and the power of. Kenner star wars vintage loose star wars figures 19771985. Sansweets action figure archive is a completists bible, with fullcolor photos and rich details about all the hasbro kenner toys released from 1978 through 1997. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The original kenner star wars figures are often referred to as the star wars vintage figures and were released between 1977 and 1985. The ultimate guide to vintage star wars action figures, 19771985 bellomo, mark on.
Look no further for the ultimate star wars toy guide. In this article, ill shed some light on the main variations of kenner. My star wars kenner action figure collection 1978 1983ish i turn 49 in june i was born in 1966 and was 11 years old when star wars came out in 1977. A fascinating glimpse into the production process and a very early piece of kenner star wars history. Kellerman, john, the kellerman book matrices pdf, rebel scum, archived from the original pdf on february 2, 20. The kenner toy company produced a line of star wars action figures based on characters in the. But did you know that in 1977 the star wars license was offered to mego, who were at the time probably the best known company for producing action figures and were commonly referred to as the worlds. You see, although kenner had signed on to produce star wars toys prior to. Superb photos, thorough description of figurine and card variants, strict classification system including price guide. However, kenner discontinued production of its star wars action figure line due to decreasing demand. Here collectors can download updated pdf files for both the frontback fb.
Kenners star wars action figures were added to the national toy hall of fame in 2012. The original collection minifigure line which also included a selection of ships and playsets scaled to the 3 34 figures, and twelve large size action figures went on to be shipped worldwide from 1978 to 1985 and were packaged over those years under the titles star wars, the empire strikes back, return of the jedi, and the power of. The adventure continues with this exciting introduction of exclusive figures from the star wars trilogy. Kenners 1998 star wars action figures book on kickstarter posted on march 8, 2015 by gooney bird philip reed from has launched a new kickstarter project for a 96 page hard cover book focused on kenners 1998 star wars expanded universe toy line. The top vintage star wars action figures fromkenner. The last figures in the series were released during the power of the force series in 1985, before kenner released figures based on the droids and ewoks cartoon. The first set of 12 vintage star wars action figures were released by. Sep 30, 2014 steve sansweets the ultimate action figure collection this book focuses on individual star wars character figures and how theyve progressed over the decades. The early bird certificate package was the first kenner star wars action figure item.
Various past star wars figures were also rereleased with different cardbacks based on the particular movie, providing multiple opportunities to collect the same action figure. Return of the jedi collections royal guards toy catalog 1983. Star wars action figures catalog dash action figures. The ultimate action figure collection, is a massive, incredibly complete look at the plastic star wars armies 2,500plus figures between 1978 and early 2012. Mego refused the offer and the license was subsequently picked up by kenner, a subsidiary of general mills. With success of star wars action figures many movie studios stared licensing movie characters to be made as action figures. Top 10 best vintage star wars action figures kenner collection duration. Mego lost its share of the market in 1976 when the rights for manufacturing star wars action figures and toys went to kenner. Action figure history the beginning action figure fury. In 1985, kenner released 15 more star wars action figures under the power of the force banner including in which a further 15 figures were released, including anakin.
Introducing star wars the black series and vintage collection of premium action figures. It was also one of the great marketing coups in the history of toy retailing. The ultimate guide to vintage star wars action figures, 19771985. In 80s and 90s, styles and designs of action figures widen. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options.
Seize the force with kenner star wars action figures. Vintage star wars action figures from kenner the original vintage star wars action figures line comprised of 21 basic figures from luke skywalker to boba fett, on 12card backs and 20card backs, as they were released in two waves with 12 in the initial wave and another 8 released later. A history of star wars toys and action figures made by cincinnatibased kenner products. Luke skywalker with double telescoping lightsaber, princess leia, r2d2 and chewbacca with green crossbow. Dec 03, 2015 kenners star wars action figures were added to the national toy hall of fame in 2012. All of the figures on this page will be the highest quality grades that we have available. This, in fact, is one of the purposes of this book, to demonstrate that the fractured history of star wars has remained buried in time over the years and need. Star wars basic series released in 1977 by kenner with shining eyes and laser gun. Vintage in the star wars collecting world, vintage refers to items produced between 197785 and does not include stuff from the 1990s. From 1978 to 1985 when only the first few films had been released, toy company. Droids featuring twelve character figures and three vehicles and the more popular star wars. The license for star wars action figures was offered in 1976 to the mego corporation, which was the leading company in action figures in the 1970s.
A history of kenner star wars action figures completeset. A galaxy of information on star wars toys, action figures, statues, prop replicas, books, games, comics, miniatures, cards, and other collectibles. Kenner president bernie loomis saw an opportunity to make good toys with the license especially in the then relatively new space of 3. The history of star wars and kenner cincinnati enquirer. These action figures were produced from 1979 to 1980. The vintage star wars action figures are dear childhood friends of many. After that there was a ten year break until hasbro started to produce star wars figures again in 1995. Star wars figures this value guide is offered as a reference and information guide only. The vinyl cape jawa is the most notorious variant in the vintage line as the most well known and the most faked. Fans and collectors can finally trace the evolution of each character in toy form from the time of their first appearance through the designs of today, with pages of amazing and inventive variations crafted to tell the stories of luke skywalker, darth maul. Star wars collector series kenner action figure checklist. Nostalgiac fans who may or may not collect will see all the items they loved as kids, while experienced collectors will get comprehensive coverage on many different aspects of the hobby. The ultimate guide to vintage star wars action figures.
Return to list of kenner star wars action figures page. The book also contains two incredibly detailed but workinprogress matrices. The vintage star wars action figures are dear childhood friends of many older fans. The value of items is based on a number of factors. But did you know that in 1977 the star wars license was offered to mego, who were at the time probably the best known company for producing action figures and were commonly referred to as the worlds greatest action figure company. Moviestv shows movie scenes main characters species all categories. The action figure archive that kenners original star wars. History has its own way of dealing with decisions like that and the. After the debut of an action figure, details in the packaging, in the shape of the action figure and the name of the action figure were subject to change. My star wars kenner action figure collection 19781983ish. I collected the kenner star wars action figures when they came out in 1978 as some of you may know, they didnt have any toys ready for the 1977 christmas holiday.
The classic figures are still popular collectibles, with several books available on the subject. Steve sansweets the ultimate action figure collection this book focuses on individual star wars character figures and how theyve progressed over the decades. The fact that he looks and sounds cool and he beats the rebels thus cemented him in star wars history and even his. Vintage star wars figures free on line price and identification guide. Kenner also released action figures based the star wars.
Books andor other printed media, usually made from paper products. The story of star wars toys this documentary gives fans and collectors an excellent look into the world of toy collecting and the cultural impact its had. Dec 10, 2014 the vintage star wars action figures are dear childhood friends of many older fans. The last figures in the series were released during the power of the force series in 1985, before kenner released figures based on the droids and ewoks cartoon tv shows. Bellomos ultimate guide to star wars action figures and. Kenner released more than 100 action figures in their star wars range between 1977 and 1985. This is the book for anyone whos ever had an interest in the vintage kenner star wars action figure line from 19771985. Star wars collector series action collection released in 1998 by kenner a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Mego refused the offer and the license was subsequently picked up by kenner, a subsidiary of general mills star wars. May 04, 2017 kenner also released action figures based the star wars. This book makes star wars figurines collecting a very serious, professional activity. All of the action figures on this page are authentic vintage kenner toys from the original star wars. The star wars film franchise includes at least 12 movies and is one of the most successful franchises in the history of film.