Loose body parts for the 40 year old Kenner ALIEN toy frequently appear on eBay. Listed currently for sale is a set of 4 screws and a tail connector clip. The asking price for these items is US$20 for the set of 5. Their important job is to hold the toy together. The 4 screws are concealed within recesses of the figure’s back to hold the figure in an assembled state while the round serrated clip secures the tail onto the figure internally.
Is this set of 5 old pieces really worth US$20? That’s a good question. If you need these parts, yes, they are – but only under specific conditions; and these are very, very purpose specific items that do come with their own set of caveats. The important question is: Who needs this 40 year old stuff, anyway?
Well, I’m not alone in the desire to fix and maintain these old ALIEN toys. There will definitely be someone who will want these genuine parts for their rebuild/restoration figure.
Like all other parts of the four decades old toy, condition of these parts can vary greatly. Being made of metal makes them susceptible to corrosion. In the image above, we can see the upper surface of the connector disc is lightly rusted. This is a very common condition and figures in a poor state may have the clip completely corroded. This item is only lightly rusted on a single side. The obverse side being in very good condition without corrosion. The screws can also suffer from corrosion but these items for sale appear to be in good condition.
As the thread on the screw matches the unique thread patterns within the styrene torso of the figure itself, using anything but original fasteners will strip the thread of the brittle styrene. So their use is highly preferred. What’s more, these parts aren’t made any more – not by anyone. Kenner made these parts – including the screws – as proprietary parts for their toy lines. As there is no modern production of these items you can’t purchase the screws off the shelf. Not from a hardware retailer. Not from a hobby store. Nowhere.
In this regard, if you have a Kenner ALIEN figure that needs to be assembled, then these are a Godsend. $20 is a bit much to ask, but if you need to assemble a tail as well, then it’s certainly a bonus. You could always sell the disc clip on eBay if you just wanted the screws. The tail clip will probably be worth US$10, even if lightly corroded on one side.
Of course, other alternatives are also available to you for fastening the torso halves together but they are also vintage in nature. Kenner intended for these screws to be used across multiple toy lines. Most of the Star Wars vehicle play sets also use them. You can easily find very similar and compatible screws extracted from wrecked 1979 Kenner Millennium Falcons on eBay for less than half price of what is being asked for here that will do exactly the same job. (NOTE: This is true only for ALIEN figures made in the US and not versions made and distributed in Canada. Those toys use different fasteners.). The Falcon screws are silver in appearance but are otherwise exactly alike to those holding the ALIEN figure together adequately without causing any damage.
-Windebieste.
