1st Wave Figures
A New Hope "Original" Series Action Figures (1977-78)
Series History: The first run of Star Wars toys were not released in time for Christmas 1977... Which means that fans had been going without Star Wars Toys for over half a year, and didn't know what they were missing. -Poor Guys... Kenner finally caught a clue and just before that Christmas they issued a 'promisary' solution, called the "Early Bird kit," which DIDN'T come with any figures yet, just a pre-labled stand for them with a cardboard spacey background, and a certificate redeemable for four figures (Luke, Leia, Chewy & R2) by mail within 2-6 months.
Since there is no way to tell if a CNP figure was from an early bird kit or not, only those kids who didn't open them at all, meaning they are still in the sealed packages today, get the bonus collector's bragging rights... There are VERY few of these left around, as I'm sure you can imagine, making them among the most valuable, and certianly the oldest Star Wars Figures ever.
Because of all these marketing hijinks, many of you have figures from the first series marked "1977" on their legs... Sorry to break it to you guys, but they aren't any more valuable at all. 1977 and 1978 figures were all released in the spring of 1978, in about the same numbers. Too bad... I think all of mine say 1977 on them!
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Figure Name: Chewbacca | Kenner #: 38210 | Tomart's #: TO1101 |
| Weapons: Black Bowcaster | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $10 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: Issued for Episodes 4, 5, & 6 with the black gun only. | |||
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Figure Name: Chewbacca | Kenner #: 38210 | Tomart's #: TO1102 |
| Weapons: Green Bowcaster | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $40 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: Issued with the Green gun only for the first movie, Episode 4. I believe the Early Birds came with a green bowcaster, and if yours does, it's probably worth 4 times as much. (Assuming it's not a repro...) | |||
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Figure Name: Luke Skywalker | Kenner #: 38180 | Tomart's #: TO1104 |
| Weapons: Double-Extending Yellow Lightsaber | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $200 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: The very first luke had Yellow hair, darker leggings, and his lightsaber pulled out twice, a thinner shaft inside a telescoping outer tube... (All telescoping out of his right arm) -Which when closed, looks exactly like the later version that only telescopes out of the arm, because they glued the two together! (No, no one has had any luck dissolving the glue...) | |||
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Figure Name: Luke Skywalker | Kenner #: 38180 | Tomart's #: TO1105 |
| Weapons: Single-Extending Yellow Lightsaber | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $45 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: The hair is not darker yet like the ESB version, and neither are the leggings tan. The first Luke (TO1104) is exactly like this with a double-extending lightsaber and stuck in it's arm... If the parts are genuine, there is no way to tell... | |||
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Figure Name: Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) | Kenner #: 38200 | Tomart's #: TO1111 |
| Weapons: None | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $15 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: R2 here was reproduced with every series except POTF... He comes with nothing at all, but then again, when did 2 ever need anyone else's help? (Incidentally, if anyone out there has any Idea what one of these in CNP condition excepting for Kenny Baker's Autograph across it goes for, please email me!) | |||
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Figure Name: Princess Leia Organa | Kenner #: 38190 | Tomart's #: TO1113 |
| Weapons: Laser Pistol | Garments: White Vinyl Cape | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $35 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: The Gun is kinda rare because she's the only character that ever uses it. (The Hoth version of Leia uses it too, but no others at all.) | |||
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Figure Name: Han Solo (Small Head) |
Kenner #: 38260 | Tomart's #: TO1115 |
| Weapons: DL-44 Blaster Pistol | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $26 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: Small-headed Han was the first Incarnation, and is more rare because they only reproduced the small headed version for ESB, and even then in fewer numbers. (An ESB Small-head Han is quite rare itself, actually.) In contrast, they produced the Big-head Han all the way up through POTF. I find it really amusing how they tried TWICE to get the size right, and neither attempt came out looking quite... Human. | |||
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Figure Name: Han Solo (Big Head) |
Kenner #: 38260 | Tomart's #: TO1116 |
| Weapons: DL-44 Blaster Pistol | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $21 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: "...It's the size of Sputnik!" | |||
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Figure Name: See-Threepio (C-3PO) | Kenner #: 38220 | Tomart's #: TO1121 |
| Weapons: None | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $10 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: Goldenrod here was blasted out in huge numbers for the first run, and is therefore very cheap, despite the fact that his gold paint flakes quite easily. (Raise your hand if yours has a rusty-bronze finish... Be honest...) They did fewer for ESB, and no more after that due to the popularity of the pull-apart version of 3PO from Bespin. (Admit it, pulling him apart is just soooooo satisfying...) | |||
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Figure Name: Stormtrooper | Kenner #: 38240 | Tomart's #: TO1123 |
| Weapons: Imperial Blaster Pistol | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $12 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: Good old 'Jango the five millionth' here is well known as the best gift to give a Star Wars Collector... Apparently you can never have too many Stormtroopers. For this reason, they made more of these (I'm guessing here) than the rest of the series put together! The reason that they aren't the very cheapest is that the white ABS plastic that makes their head and torso section is prone to yellowing over the years if you ever left it in the sunlight as a kid. Yep, they were originally the same color as their limbs, so if yours isn't, then he's not a CNP. Sorry... | |||
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Figure Name: Darth Vader | Kenner #: 38230 | Tomart's #: TO1126 |
| Weapons: Double-Telescoping
Red lightsaber |
Garments: Black Vinyl Cloak | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $375 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: The most expensive Darth collectible. This version of Padme's ex was in the Early Bird kit, and is one of only three figures made with a double-telescoping Lightsaber. '1st Luke' and '1st Obi-wan' being the other two. | |||
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Figure Name: Darth Vader | Kenner #: 38230 | Tomart's #: TO1127 |
| Weapons: Single-Telescoping
Red lightsaber |
Garments: Black Vinyl Cloak | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $15 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: The most common version of any vintage Vader figure, (what do you expect, this cyborg never changed his clothes!) Middle-aged Anakin here was produced as is for Episodes 4, 5, & 6, but not POTF. Oddly enough, a version with different packaging (TO1128) was produced for ROTJ... AT THE SAME TIME as this one. As far as I know, only Vader, Luke and Obi-Wan can claim that. | |||
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Figure Name: Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi | Kenner #: 38250 | Tomart's #: TO1130 |
| Weapons: Double-Telescoping
Blue lightsaber |
Garments: Brown Vinyl Cape | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $775 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: This is the one. The all-time, most expensive, and presumably most rare Vintage Star Wars Figure there is. Ol' Ben here was in the Early Bird kit, and since they put out THREE versions of him for Episode 4 alone, this one was by far the most limited-run of the lot. If you don't have your mitts on one of these by now, expect to pay through the nose just to touch one... Most likely you won't get the chance! This is the only version that has both White hair and a DT lightsaber. | |||
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Figure Name: Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi | Kenner #: 38250 | Tomart's #: TO1131 |
| Weapons: Single-Telescoping
Blue lightsaber |
Garments: Brown Vinyl Cape | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $18 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: Still has White hair, but no DT-Lightsaber... So if you come across a Blue DT Lightsaber and this Version of Ben, well, then, let's just call you lucky and leave it at that. | |||
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Figure Name: Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi | Kenner #: 38250 | Tomart's #: TO1132 |
| Weapons: Single-Telescoping
Blue lightsaber |
Garments: Brown Vinyl Cape | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $18 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: The mind boggles, I have no idea why they decided to make a gray-headed version too, but they did, all for the same first movie. They produced this version for the first three movies, but when they did the collector's edition, (TO1135) they made his hair white again! ...The only explanation for all these Obi-Wans is that time right before the Clone Wars when he went to Kamino... Did he lose consciousness for a few minutes there? | |||
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Figure Name: Jawa (in Vinyl) |
Kenner #: 38270 | Tomart's #: TO1137 |
| Weapons: ION Blaster Rifle | Garments: A Brown Vinyl Cape | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $350 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: This exceptionally-easy-to-fake rarity was only made for Episode 4, and only in a limited run, so it WOULD be extremely rare if only the Vinyl capes weren't so easy to fake... The market is flooded with them now and I doubt anyone 'in the know' would buy them anymore for this very reason. | |||
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Figure Name: Jawa
(in Cloth) |
Kenner #: 38270 | Tomart's #: TO1139 |
| Weapons: ION Blaster Rifle | Garments: Dark Brown Cloth Robe | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $18 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: These Cloth Robes look more realistic than the limited-run Vinyl capes, so they made many more of them... In fact this is one of the only two figures that was made for every single series. (Don't ask me why... But X-wing Pilot Luke is the other one.) | |||
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Figure Name: "Sand People" (A Tusken Raider) |
Kenner #: 38280 | Tomart's #: TO1141 |
| Weapons: A Gaffi Stick | Garments: A Tan Vinyl Robe | Accessories: Hollow Breathing Tube | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $15 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: The very first Tuskin Raider had a hollow breathing Tube around his neck, and although these ones were only made for Episode 4, while two more series were printed, the price is the same because they were quite popular in the day... | |||
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Figure Name: Death Squad Commander | Kenner #: 38290 | Tomart's #: TO1145 |
| Weapons: Imperial Blaster Pistol | Garments: None | Accessories: None | |
| Tomart's Adjusted Price: $8 | Found on Ebay Low: | Found on Ebay High: | |
| Notes on this Item: This shroom-headed hoodlum was named pretty badly, considering we have never seen nor heard of a "Death Squad." -This is most likely why he was only called this for Episode 4's release, but all re-releases were named "Star Destroyer Commanders" instead. (TO1146) | |||
