Ah, it’s another one of those so-called “rare” 1979 Kenner ALIEN action figures all the cool kids are clamoring over for sale on eBay. This one is from Canada and it’s a “Buy Now” listing of Ca$2,000 (US$1,530). It includes the figure, the poster and a beat up old box. Those features alone don’t make it rare as boxed ALIEN figures appear on the service on a regular basis, almost weekly. Just wait. Another will appear soon. So frequently do they appear it’s almost like they are scheduled to do so. They are simply just not as rare as sellers will so readily claim. In which case, is it possible this listing may possess some other quality to justify this commonly overused claim of being “rare”? Let’s take a closer look at this sample for sale.

At least it’s all there – well, most of it, anyway – the toy, box and poster. Each of them show signs of damage or aging of some description. Nonetheless, it’s a great start  to be complete in this regard and all three together makes them valuable. Of significance, this item is a non-standard version of the toy. This item is not only being sold in Canada – it was made there. This is important because most Kenner ALIEN toys were manufactured in the USA. This one wasn’t and there are differences present in all the component parts of the package. Unlike the US version, this box and poster are bilingual, printed in English and French. The toy itself will have about a dozen different variations including – but not limited to – being constructed of a lighter grey styrene, 1979 production details stamped on the side of the jaw trigger will be absent and glue residue will be present on the arms. All of these features are limited to the Canadian version of the toy. Other anomalies will be present too, but rest assured, this sample differs from its counterparts produced south of the border in many albeit small details. Continue reading →

UPDATE: Sold for US$415. (5 bidders.)

Here’s another 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy for sale on eBay. Apparently, it’s “rare”. People must have a different appreciation of the word to what I believe it to mean. This is the second Kenner ALIEN freshly listed on eBay I have seen described this way, today. lol. Bidding starts at US$199. A very reasonable kick off to the sale, I say.Admittedly, this one is in very good condition. Excellent condition, actually; but even complete figures such as this are still relatively common and do appear frequently on eBay. Even if it included a box and poster, it would still not be rare – unless my understanding of the meaning of the word is seriously out of touch with reality. Nonetheless, this a great figure. It’s complete, in very good shape with only minor faults – and even those aren’t going to worry whoever purchases this fine example of the old vintage Kenner toy. Continue reading →

UPDATE: This item has been sold.

If you live in Canada and would like to own a 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy, right now there is one up for auction on eBay. Bidding starts at Ca$500 (US$382) for this “authentic” and “rare” toy. However, it does come with some caveats. Let’s check him out.Let’s get the notion this toy is rare out of the way, first. It’s not. Yesterday’s news article on this blog provided some ballpark figures as to how many were actually produced. Now that financial sales figures of the toy have been unearthed, it is possible to speculate somewhere between 110,000 and 150,000 of these toys were made by Kenner in the US and to this day, they still appear frequently on secondary markets. They appear on eBay regularly; at an almost daily rate. The high frequency of their appearance on the service means claims they are rare are false; but it makes a great selling point, right? Nonetheless, it’s not a credible claim. Continue reading →

How many ALIEN toys did Kenner actually produce in 1979? Up until now, any number you could care to nominate would have been considered viable; but now we have evidence that suggests a ballpark figure can now be estimated. Recently, some Kenner Products paperwork has surfaced that reveals some critical Kenner’s sales figures. In 1995-96 a sales report was generated within Hasbro, who owned Kenner at the time. The report covered data from 1973 to 1995 for all US domestic sales for every toy line they made during those years

As the 18 inch ALIEN toy was released in 1979, its sales information is also included in the paperwork. The previous best estimate cited to me of how many of these were actually made was 10,000 units, dispatched to retailers. It turns out this number is a gross under-estimate and the truth is significantly higher. Continue reading →

UPDATE: Sold within 24 hours with an accepted offer.

This is a nice looking pair of vintage Kenner ALIEN parts being auctioned on eBay. It’s a head dome and right arm for the old toy. Bidding starts at US$125. The dome appears to be in great condition, with no cracks, scratches, minimal blemishes and all 5 nubs present on the sides and back of the piece. The arm also appears to be in great shape although it is missing the rubber anchor that connects it to the central post within the figure. If you need a right arm, this one is a great piece and fabricating a means of connecting it to the toy is relatively easy.

This pair is an excellent quality pick up for someone wanting to spend at least US$125 on a pair of forty year old plastic parts to help complete their vintage ALIEN toy. Not too bad pricing, actually, considering the head dome itself can sell for upwards of US$100 alone. You just have to be lucky enough to be someone who wants both of these parts to truly make it worth purchasing. BARGAIN!!!

-Windebieste.