UPDATE: This item is no longer listed, presumed sold for US$275.
Ah, it’s another one of these figures demonstrating a lack of upper limbs on eBay. Samples of these figures missing one or both arms is common so it’s no surprise, really. It’s why the arms, as loose individual listings on eBay, get snapped up pretty fast. An ALIEN toy missing his dome or dorsal crest is one thing – but missing his arms – that’s another level of incompleteness altogether as the toy can display well without either of the other pieces but lacking these limbs is overtly obvious. As we can see here.
So, once again, both legs, tail, quad dorsal appendages are present. As is the head, which is a little scuffed about but at least the jaws appear to work. While listed for US$275 (or Make Offer) it’s definitely not worth that kind of money. The Kenner Snake Alien included in the listing does nothing to justify the price. That 1992 vintage toy is worth about US$10. While there is nothing particularly special about this figure to justify it’s price, it does present other opportunities to understand a little known feature of these figures that is worth knowing.
The seller has include clear photos available of the shoulder sockets where the arms would normally be mounted. Importantly, this means we can see into the figure where the arms would sit and inside each shoulder are 4 small domed support pins molded into the front and rear torso pieces making a total of 8 pins. The presence of these pins is important because they help hold the arms in place and prevent the arms ball joint from collapsing into the figure. Clear photos of the cavity are needed to establish what condition these pins are in and the images provided with this listing demonstrates they are all present.
These pins can be fragile – or heavily worn. Some figures will have one or more support pins broken. Lose 3 or 4 of them and the figure’s arms will be pulled into the figure, giving it an awkward appearance where the arm connects to the shoulder. The pins are one of the least photographed features of the figure and here the seller has provided clear images of the shoulder interior and all 8 pins (4 inside each shoulder.) are present making both pieces of the torso viable for use in a restoration figure elsewhere.
Is it still worth US$275 knowing these pins are all intact? No. Sorry, it’s not. This item is worth around US$80-100. Maybe a little more if you’re lucky. The presence of the newer Snake Alien does little to raise the price but I do commend the seller for including images of the condition of a feature of the toy that is often absent from listings of this nature.
Needless to say, they’re both “Mostly ‘armless.”
Mostly.
-Windebieste.
