UPDATE: Sold for US $261 (4 bidders.)
He’s beautiful and he’s for sale on eBay right now. But is he as “rare” as the vendor would insist you believe? hmmmm… Not really. Even at forty years old, there’s an abundance of these toys constantly streaming onto eBay. There’s a good reason for that. Kenner made a lot of these things. …and I mean a LOT.
The fact these old toys appear with such regularity on eBay is testimony to the conclusion their rarity is an illusion. It is true they are scarce outside of the US. Try looking for one in Australia, UK, Europe or anywhere else beyond the borders of the US and you will have a challenge on your hands. In the US, however, there would appear to be no shortage of them, at all. Yup. Kenner sure made a lot of them to go around in 1979.
This sample is in decent shape, too. He’s not perfect as both parts of his tongue are missing. He’s otherwise complete albeit somewhat dusty and in need of a nice, hot bath. Minimum asking price at auction for this item started at US$155. Typically, there’s already a bid on it. Someone will land this incomplete, dusty old not-so-rare toy. I’d be happy with it at that price.
Rare or not – this sale will climb dramatically and exceed US$200. Easily.
-Windebieste.
Nonetheless, this is indeed a beautiful figure. All of its features are present and they look terrific. Just take a peek at that excellent glow in the dark paint work! It’s near perfect without chips, scratched or otherwise blemished. It’s pretty clear how this paint pattern on the toy’s face kept children awake at night and they then refused to sleep with these things in their room. Just imagine that face leering at you out of the darkness, glowing green and creepy. Yep. It’s a great toy, huh and this is a wonderful sample. It also includes one of those cheap Chinese metal display stands which actually work very well for around only US$4. Mind you, the vendor has admitted to keeping the upper dorsal crest in place “with a drop of glue since it is always loose”. As these pieces are innately loose, anyway, it may be possible the figure may have some damage to the slot it is being held in – which is very common – and shouldn’t need glue. Otherwise, a really nice figure and at US$400, this listing won’t last long. It’s simply a matter of how high the starting price will climb to.
While it’s not unknown for samples of the 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy being sold for over US$1,000, this boxed item in Japan isn’t anywhere near near what is expected from a vintage toy at this price. It would have to be unsealed, in immaculate condition and stored in an acrylic case with profressional toy gradings. This item certainly is not. The vendor describes it as “Used Kenner Alien Hobby Toy Collection With Box Rare.” It’s brief at best and for the asking price, you’d want more details. …and more photos, too. Let’s take a closer look and determine the real value of this item. 
Taking a look at this figure it appears good with all of his parts present. The dome is clean, tongue and teeth are very complete without chipping of the chrome. The tail is full length and he stands confidently – even on a soft surface like the bed he’s posed on – so we can determine his hip joints are firm. This is a great sample of the toy which can so often be found in substantially worse condition than this. Upon release in 1979, RRP for these toys was US$12.99. They were then later discounted to under US$5 in 1980 due to their unpopularity. Now, unless you’re lucky, you can’t find one in good condition like this for under US$300. This sample is going to be a treat for someone. Just don’t expect it to stay at this lowly starting bidding price of US$250 for very long. This one is going to be fun to watch! It’s just a matter of how high the closing bid on this prize actually climbs to. Wow…
This sample of the toy has issues that you’ll want to consider before investing your hard earned cash in. Both the head dome and the upper dorsal crest are reproduction parts. Being facsimiles will immediately reduce the value of the figure. People seeking a Kenner ALIEN toy want it to be as original and closer to 100% as possible. The high demand exists. It’s one of the reasons people want to purchase these things. There’s a depth of unique history tied to these old toys and while such reproduction parts don’t diminish the history – they do diminish its claim to possess 100% original parts. Why does this matter, anyway? 
Sure, his severed arms are being held in place with a rubber band, his left foot is broken, there’s a jagged crack with glue residue on the slot in his back where the dorsal crest is supposed to be and he’s missing his dome. It’s just another normal day on eBay for one of these oversized ugly ass vintage toys. His jaw works, though; and his tongue parts are both present. He stands well, too; which means his hips aren’t loose. That’s a good thing. …but with bidding starting at US$250 in the middle of a pandemic driving most peoples’ concerns towards other matters? 
Nonetheless, you can pre-order this pair now. 
Listed earlier today with a starting bid of US$9.99, four bids have already been made and it currently sits at US$36.00. Not bad for a piece of old paper featuring a forty year old toy few people wanted back in 1979. The auction will last for another four and half days. It will be interesting to see how high this item climbs during the next week or so. Usually, one of these posters will easily sell upwards of US$80, without flinching. Right now, however, we are all experiencing a global crisis of medical and economic stresses. I am curious to see how these current conditions will affect the outcome of this item. Collectors are an odd bunch, though; and this item could still easily sell for over US$100 regardless of the world health drama that continues to unfold around us.
The short version is, we are getting close to release. A few infrastructure details are all that needs to be addressed now. I am hoping to have more information regarding availability next week. (Which probably means the week after as I have discovered everything takes twice as long as anticipated.) For now, some site updates are currently also being addressed. The FAQ being one of them.
This is definitely a rough condition figure for the high asking price. Covered in dust, missing multiple parts and in generally average condition at best, these toys are often found in the wild in this degraded state. Usually, samples in this state are discovered in estate sales, garage finds, under houses and inside dog kennels. Yeah. I know of one such instance where a Kenner ALIEN in similar condition was discovered in a dog kennel. It was fine – just covered in loose fur and leached with dog odor. Nonetheless, this particular sample possesses so many issues it’s going to be hard to justify the price on this item. Lets take a closer look. 
The ALIEN QUEEN ULTRA SET features a new take on their previously available purple Queen Alien along with a pair of Aliens (also cast in alternate colours), a facehugger, an egg and a hapless Marine. Now this looks like a great, all encompassing set of ALIEN toys specifically intended as children’s toys. 