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A Galaxy...of Epic Toys! When Star Wars landed in movie theaters in 1977, it became a popular cultural phenomenon and introduced the world to heroes like Luke Skywalker, super villain Darth Vader, Wookies, Stormtroopers, robots, Jedi Knights, space vehicles and lightsabers. The adventures continued with a toy line that soon followed, starting a hobby that still leaves collectors fascinated almost 40 years later. The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures 1977-1985 is the definitive reference to vintage action figures, accessories, creatures, playsets and vehicles. Written by nationally renowned toy expert Mark Bellomo, the book features current values on the secondary market and 600+ beautiful color photographs.|The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures 1977-1985 is the definitive reference to vintage action figures, accessories, creatures, playsets and vehicles. Written by nationally renowned toy expert Mark Bellomo, the book features current values on the secondary market and 600+ beautiful color photographs.|The foundation of global popular culture was shaken to its core in 1977 when George Lucas released one of the most important films in modern American history: the science fiction space opera, Star Wars: A New Hope. Over the past 35+ years, eager fans have popularized Star Wars terms that have been indelibly stamped onto our collective consciousness and even introduced into the American lexicon: words like ?light saber,? ?Jedi Knight,? and ?droids?; expressions such as ?May The Force Be With You,? and the moral/psychic concept of ?the dark side of the Force.? Kenner toys obtained the rights to produce 3-ó? action figures, playsets, creatures and vehicles based on important scenes from Star Wars. The smaller 3 ó? scale was utilized in direct response to the OPEC oil shortages of the 1970s, shortages that increased the cost of plastic production which was affecting many major toy companies. Star Wars figures became a sensation?a phenomenon?in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the items sold briskly throughout the release of the original trilogy, producing a bevy of toys for each of the three films: A New Hope (Episode IV), The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V), and The Return of the Jedi (Episode VI). A total of 96 figures were available in the original ?vintage? line (1977-1985), not including myriad figure variations (telescoping light sabers, vinyl-caped Jawas, etc.), or the Sy Snootles and the Rebo Band three-pack set. The most popular and valuable of these carded figures are the earliest Star Wars releases, those figures found on original ?12-back cards??those card backs that showed only the first 12 Star Wars action figures in 1977. Other pricey figures can be found within the final run of the line, 1984/85's ?Power of the Force? collection, where figures (both new sculpts and previously released characters) were carded along with a collector's coin. A few of these carded samples are worth thousands of dollars in Mint condition. (See below) Along with the standard 3-ó? figures was a collection of deluxe 12? figures based on more popular characters from the films?these were the very first deluxe 12? action figures made in the likenesses of the most popular characters from the original Star Wars trilogy, and are held in high regard by Star Wars aficionados. Apart from releasing 96 Star Wars action figures, Kenner crafted five creatures, 31 vehicles (including store exclusives), 13 playsets (again, including exclusives), a few accessories, and seven action figure storage cases. Also adding to the collecting fun were proof of-purchase mail-aways that children desired: Collector's Action Stands, Survival Kits, Display Arenas, Power of the Force coins, posters, and special bagged figures before their official retail carded release. These special offers added an air of anticipation to the hobby of collecting, and most kids couldn't wait for these packages to arrive in the mail. The Star Wars line was cancelled in 1985 due to poor sales and a shrinking sci-fi marketplace. Today, however, Star Wars toys are some of the most desirable action figures on the secondary market, and the people who collect them are often the most devoted in the hobby. Vintage figures and vehicles still sealed in their packages command outrageous prices on online auction sites such as eBay and in collectable stores.
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