UPDATE: Sold for US$909.35

Currently for sale on eBay is this 1979 Kenner ALIEN action figure.  It includes everything: the toy, it’s box, the red insert card and the B&W poster.  This feature complete listing is being offered for sale for a healthy US$1,399 (or best offer).  That may seem like a lot of money to spend on an old toy in a box.  That’s because it is.  While the figure, box and other contents may be considered ‘feature complete’ that does not mean it’s in perfect condition.

This item suffers from one of these old toys many common ailments – one of the arms are broken off.  Let’s briefly explore this development a little further and investigate how it will affect this purchase.

Not only will this unfortunately damaged condition devalue the figure but samples of the Kenner toy sold at this price have much higher expectations.  These expectations include boxes in excellent condition that have never been opened or at the very least, opened but the figure inside remains securely attached to the red insert card with original black laddered ties.  Certainly, a loose figure with a severed left arm won’t command that kind of price tag.  A damaged Kenner ALIEN toy won’t sell quickly for the amount being asked here.

So, quickly then, what’s it worth?  In all actuality there’s no hard and fast rule for valuing these items but I would expect the toy in this state with a box – and while this box is a little scrappy around the edges, it still has a great display profile on all sides – to be worth around US$600-800 – which is still a very decent amount of money; and any rational person would simply wonder where the value lies.

Believe it or not, that’s a very realistic expectation for this 40 year old toy.  It is worth around half of what the seller’s expectation actually is. Considering when these old things hit store shelves in 1979 they were retailing for US$14.95; and many were reduced to under nine dollars soon thereafter, US$600+ is good money in anyone’s book.

-Windebieste.