Week 7: Darth Vader

My favorite character has become Darth Vader and as a result I collect alot!

A Takara (Japan) variant head sculpt

Darth Vader SW 12 back Harbert (Italy) AFA graded 70

Darth Vader ESB 21 back C Secret figure offer

Darth Vader ESB 41 back A Survival Kit offer

Darth Vader ESB 41 back D

Darth Vader ESB 47 back A 4LOM offer

Darth Vader ROTJ 65 back A 

Darth Vader ROTJ 65 back Bandolier offer on back

Darth Vader ROTJ 77 back A 

Darth Vader ROTJ 77 back B Anakin offer


Darth Vader Tri-Logo 79 back 


Darth Vader ROTJ Top Toys

Darth Vader POTF 92 back

 


Darth Vader, being one of the first original twelve, is offered on a variety of cardbacks. Like many early release figures, Vader also underwent a change in the picture used on the front of the card at the tail end of the ROTJ line. Here is what is known to exist according to the Kellerman book (Kenner releases):

Original Picture on Front:

SW 12A (double telescoping saber)
SW 12A,B,C 
SW 20E w/Fett Offer
SW 21A 
SW 21A w/secret figure offer
ESB 21G w/secret figure offer
ESB 31B 
ESB 32B 
ESB 41A w/survival kit offer
ESB 41D 
ESB 45B w/display arena offer
ESB 47A w/4-LOM offer
ESB 48C w/Ackbar offer
ROTJ 48D w/Nien Nunb offer
ROTJ 65B 
ROTJ 65C w/Emperor offer
POTF 92A

Pointing Picture on Front:

ROTJ 65B (made in Mexico)
ROTJ 77A 
ROTJ 77B w/Anakin offer
ROTJ 79A 
ROTJ 79B w/Anakin offer

And there are many foreign release Vader cardbacks out there as well including:

Takara and Popy (Japan)
Irwin Toys (Canadian)
Clipper (Netherlands)
Glasslite (Brazil)
Harbert (Italy)
Palitoy/Trilogo (U.K.)
Meccano (France)
PBP (Spain)
Toltoys (Australia)
Top Toys (Argentina)
Lili Ledy (Mexico)

and probably some others I dont know about......I have started a "definitive" Darth Vader list of all moc figures foreign and otherwise, but I have not worked on it for quite some time. At last count, I have a list of 70+ known (and a few as "possible") Vader mocs out there. I have 14 of them with 1 on the way (ROTJ Canadian). This list as of now does not take into account multi-pack releases. 

Of course the 12 back Vader is one of the most popular cardbacks and moderately expensive; however, I have found that it is also seems to be fairly common and that other cardbacks such as the 20 back Fett offer and the 21 back is actually harder to find. Yet, they still doesnt command the price that the 12-back does. Alot of these foreign mocs are pretty hard to find as well, and many can cost alot more than the standard Kenner 12 back. Vader is a very popular character and there are alot of people out there with a Vader collection focus, so competition can be tough. I have had the fortune of finding a collector who was getting out of Vader stuff and this is how I picked up a large number of my loose variants.

Much like Chewbacca Rik Biel talked about earlier, this is a pretty simple figure however there are quite a few variations I am aware of....some ever so slight and others very obvious. 

Pictured here is 3 Kenner variants: 

First, on the left is a Kenner Darth Vader with Hong Kong COO (left leg) in large text with a reproduction double telescoping (DT) saber. The DT Vader is one of the rarest production figures ever produced with a very limited number of authentic examples available. A loose DT can cost a couple of thousand dollars or more with a moc example running over $10,000. The last auction I saw for a non-graded DT Vader moc sold for $13,001 alittle less than 3 years ago. An AFA 70 DT Vader MOC recently went as high as $9700 but did not meet the reserve. The next figure in the middle is Darth Vader with Hong Kong COO in smaller text, and the Vader on the far right has a Taiwan COO on the left leg and appears to be a "protruding points" Vader. 

As I have tried to show in the comparison pic, the "protruding points" Vader has the two protrusions at the corners of the mouth area. The "protruding points" Vader is often mistaken as being the Takara head sculpt variant. The Takara has a completely different head sculpt and is not the so-called "protruding points" Vader. I dont have a loose Takara Vader and efforts to take a good pic of the head of my carded example for a comparison was fruitless. I couldnt get a good pic to show the differences.

Glasslite Darth Vader:

Another interesting Vader variant is the Glasslite Darth Vader who has some obvious paint differences on the Belt buckle. The figure also features no COO on either leg and GMGFI 1977 on the left leg. The figure also appears to have a very glossy sheen on the head unlike any of my other loose examples and the figure wields a lightsaber with thicker tip much like the Lili Ledy and Mexican examples.

Mexican/Lili Ledy Vader:

I have both examples. The Mexican is from the Kenner 77 back Vader MOC with pointing pic but it is made in Mexico. The figure is basically the same as the Kenner releases with exeception of the thicker saber tip and the removal of the COO. On the ROTJ Mexican Vader, the COO is gone completely, on the LL Vader it is still legible as Hong Kong. I find little difference between the Mexican and the LL Vaders. I have been told that a Lili Ledy moc Vader would be next to impossible to find as this collector has only seen the one they own. The Mexican ROTJ 77 back is one of the most common to find. 

Clipper Darth Vader:

The Clipper Darth Vader is from the Netherlands and the one I have came in a white mailer box. This figure is also known to exist carded (pic on page 109 of the Kellerman book). This loose Vader is interesting in that it comes with a longer textured cape than the Kenner version as seen in the pic. 

The longer cape actually makes the figure kinda hard to stand up without a stand. The COO has been removed on the left leg and GMGFI is in big text on the left leg as well. 

Top Toys Darth Vader:

In my opinion, on of the most interesting of all the foreign Vader variants is the Top Toys Darth Vader from Argentina. The figure is noticeably shorted with an obviously different head sculpt as seen in the pics. 

The cape is a very thin and textured cape that fits the figure quite well.

 Like all Top Toys figures, Vader has no holes in his feet. The Top Toys figures much like bootlegs were actually cast from original Kenner figures so this is why there is the height difference and the absense of holes in the feet.

POTF2 era Vader re-release:

As part of the TRU exclusive POTF2 vintage reissue set, this Vader being cast from an original vintage Vader results in a figure that is slightly smaller in size (see comparison pic).

The figure also has a COO of Kenner China on the right leg and LFL 1995 on the Left as well as a thicker and shorter saber tip much like the Mexican and Ledy versions. It also features smaller peg holes in his feet much like the figures of the POTF2 and modern lines to come.

I am not very certain of other Vader variations. I believe the early release Palitoys had a textured cape with no Hong Kong COO. I do not know if Harbert, Toltoys, Meccano, or other foreign released Vaders have any differences than their Kenner counterparts. I would like to find out though. My Tri-Logo moc appears to have a darker red on the breast plate than any of my other figures so there may be a bit of a variation in that figure. 

Darth Vader Bootlegs:

There are a number of vintage bootlegs for all figures produced by many countries mostly in eastern Europe. I havent mentioned bootlegs before because I dont collect bootlegs per say, but I do have a couple Vaders of course.

Polish 3rd Generation Articulated: 

This figure like most or all of the Polish bootlegs of this period include the Kenner torso and head we are familiar with yet the legs and arms are that of the Biker Scout! This Vader figure also has a very flimsy and fragile cape made out of a material similar to a really cheap garbage bag. The weapon is also very unique as well. It is a sword with holes in the blade (see pic).

Mexican Bootleg:

Mexican bootlegs are very common and this one is one of the most common. This figure only has articualation in the head and shoulders. The figure is made out of a very cheap plastic with a fixed saber made out of a rubber-like material that is painted. The paint on these Mexican bootlegs are atrocious to say the least but at the same time kinda cool as well and you know there were some kids in Mexico that thought this things were just great!. 

Other bootlegs include:

Uzay (Turkey)
Csillagok Haboruia (Hungary)
Brazilian Lead Vader
Dutch Vader bootleg
Polish 1st Generation unarticulated
and others I probably dont know about. I am not a very big bootleg enthusiast. 

Prices: A loose C-9 complete Kenner Darth Vader figure averages about $10 or so. Carded once again depends on the cardback. 12-backs are very popular and usually command prices of $300+ for good examples with graded being higher. The common ROTJ "Pointing Pic" Vader made in Mexico is the most affordable with many examples selling for under $50. Foreign carded can be quite high as well. For example, the last Glasslite moc I saw for sale sold for $600+.
 

 Thanks for reading!