Ten-year anniversary of Kenner 12" figures

[Kane429]

Not the few that came out in '79--these were the figures in the window packaging that everyone went nuts over back in the day. People would line up in droves outside the old TRU on 34th St. every Saturday morning to get their hands on the latest offerings--not mention the Target, KB, and FAO exclusives. While hunting for and paying marked-up prices for some of these at conventions was an absolute pain in the ass, I really enjoyed collecting them. My first one was Boba Fett, which was the most detailed incarnation of Fett ever produced at the time. My favorite was probably the original Chewbacca--all that fur! (I have a soft spot for fur and flocking on figures--probably why I love the Adventure Team G.I. Joe figures). It wasn't until a few years ago that I was able to score some of the more-expensive-at-the-time exclusive sets off Ebay (Wampa/Hoth Luke, Tarkin/Death Star Gunner, Hoth 4-pack, Trilogy 3-pack)--all for quite decent prices compared to what they went for back in '96-'99 or so.

 

I just wanted to mark the anniversary of this great line. The new Sideshow figures are nice, but I think they lack the charm and fuzzy memories of these Kenner masterpieces.

 

Here's to 10 years of the Kenner 12' Star Wars line!

[ARROW]

I still have my 12" Scout Trooper and Speeder bike, one of the most spectacular toys I've ever owned. Actually, if Sideshow did a Scout Trooper I'd get him for the Speeder Bike.

I have the big Dewback but replaced the Sandtooper with the Marmit Sandtrooper--always turns heads that thing.

Its bigger than my cats!!

 

Only other figure I have is the Hoth Luke, something about the combined look of the cold-weather gear and stuff just grabbed me then, still does.

[jedimaster-c]

The one I was able to get my hands on was the Han/Luke stormtrooper set from KB.That one was awesome.The Han Tauntaun was great too.These were my faves.

[DPrime]

I never got into them, but I gotta admit they were pretty cool, especially the Tauntaun and Dewback.

[JoeRhyno]

I think I have like 90% of the 12" line... the only ones I never got were some of the ones they redid, like the Jawas, some of the EP1 lil ones that came in the small boxes, the single Scout trooper that came out(I had the one with the bike) and Plo koon... I was poor around the time, and after that, it was a little too late and he was already reaching $100+ on ebay...

Oh and I never got the OTC ones.. they weren't different enough to me to justify getting them(besdes Chewie.. I still want to get him).

 

One of these years, I'll have them all set up, lol

 

ARROW, you should get the 12" Luke and Han on Taun tauns, you think the Dewback is sweet, those are just as cool sitting next to eachother

[KENNY GUIDO]

I have all of them, except for 3 or 4. I snagged the biker scout with speeder bike for like $14. I had to get an extra to go along with leia and luke on speeder bike!

[ARROW]

 

ARROW, you should get the 12" Luke and Han on Taun tauns, you think the Dewback is sweet, those are just as cool sitting next to eachother

 

Y'know.......I had a few chances over the years to get both those, and passed every time.

 

Mostly it was due to the figures, not the Tauntauns. I absolutely HATED the Hall of Fame and Action Articulated bodies that Hasbro used for the 12" Star Wars line.

Back then, it was one of those things that didn't make any sense to a collector--but obviously made sense from a business standpoint.

See, Hasbro, at that time, has come out with their completely re-designed 12" GIJOE figures, dubbed the Classic Collection bodies. Far less "chunky" and somewhat better articulated, there was a lot of questioning at the time as to why Hasbro didn't use this supperior armature with the Star Wars line.

 

Well, we can thank the Phantom Menace for that. It stems from the fact that Hasbro paid Lucasfilm a billion dollars for the rights to Star Wars toys, waaaaaaay back. When the Phantom Menace toys didn't sell to expectations, Hasbro was literally up shite-creek. Remember back around that time, they dropped the Batman license, and announced they were focussing most on "core in-house brands"?? Well, they came fairly close to some serious trouble because of the Star Wars franchise--so much so that Lucasfilm wrote down the fee by some huge chunk--rumours have it was anywhere from 250 to 500 Million dollars off the original billion dollar fee.

Now, in doing so...........anything from that point on that could be cut, re-used or taken from stock already owned elements was employed in the toy lines. There was a LOT of re-use from Hasbro right after that time in all their toy lines.

 

Since Hasbro already had the molds almost paid off for the Hall of Fame and Articulate Action Man toys, they used those INSTEAD of the superior Classic Collection armatures.

In fact, it was the 12" Count Dooku figure that became the first to use the Classic Collection body--some years afterwards.

 

I passed on just about everything in the 12" Star Wars line because of the armature used. Only reason I ever got a Dewback was because I'd just gotten the Marmit Sandtrooper. The trooper that came with the Dewback went straight from the box into my step-kids hands--as I considered it to be junk.

 

To this day, if they made a Darth Maul or Darth Vader with that Classic Collection body, I'd probably go for it.

The Sideshow stuff has a even better body armature, but they are so expensive that I'm soundly out of that game these days.

 

Still, I'll put that Speeder Bike up as one of Hasbro's all-time masterpieces any day and the Scout Trooper is is not that bad.

[synch]

I still have my 12" Scout Trooper and Speeder bike, one of the most spectacular toys I've ever owned. Actually, if Sideshow did a Scout Trooper I'd get him for the Speeder Bike.

I have the big Dewback but replaced the Sandtooper with the Marmit Sandtrooper--always turns heads that thing.

Its bigger than my cats!!

 

Only other figure I have is the Hoth Luke, something about the combined look of the cold-weather gear and stuff just grabbed me then, still does.

 

Wow, ok nuts to buying the regular sized one if there is one that big outthere

[Bespin refugee]

Like the 3 3/4"line, I bought almost all of the first few waves of 12"er's, including the Luke & Tusken Raider variants, and the exclusives; I couldn't afford to keep with it though, and only bought a handful of them over the next few years. (R2, Yoda, Dooku, VOTC Boba Fett) I was really disappointed in the articulation. I opened a Han Solo to make up for the one I had missed out on in the vintage line; and I couldn't understand how the company that made G.I.*Joe had made made a figure with not much more articulation than his vintage counterpart (he couldn't hold his pistol either ) I like the Collector Series packaging though, with all of the boxes lined up.

[midnight doctor]

Like the 3 3/4"line, I bought almost all of the first few waves of 12"er's, including the Luke & Tusken Raider variants, and the exclusives; I couldn't afford to keep with it though, and only bought a handful of them over the next few years. (R2, Yoda, Dooku, VOTC Boba Fett) I was really disappointed in the articulation. I opened a Han Solo to make up for the one I had missed out on in the vintage line; and I couldn't understand how the company that made G.I.*Joe had made made a figure with not much more articulation than his vintage counterpart (he couldn't hold his pistol either ) I like the Collector Series packaging though, with all of the boxes lined up.

 

This mirrors my story when it comes to the 12 inch line.With all the 3 3/4 stuff that kept flooding the market I had to drop something.It turned out to be the 12 inch line though I still bought a piece now and then.

[hamsterboy]

I miss the days when you could pick them up at KBs for ten bucks a pop. Got quite a few that way.

[kndy]

Could of gotten them...but didn't. Actually still see them at a Hobby store....many times I thought about trading them for Marvel Legends variants for them but as much as I had my opportunities then and now, if I got one...my completist behavior will kick in and hell would break loose.

 

kndy

[darthsith]

I have most of them except for the rare ones. No Plo, Ki Adi or others that are super rare.

 

I don't have the Biker Scout but I do have 2 Dewbacks and 2 Tauntauns.

[KENNY GUIDO]

I have most of them except for the rare ones. No Plo, Ki Adi or others that are super rare.

 

I don't have the Biker Scout but I do have 2 Dewbacks and 2 Tauntauns.

 

 

they were selling Ki Adi at some geek stores across america for $5.