eBay – Kenner ALIEN Parts for Sale.

If you’re looking to repopulate your old 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy with much needed pieces, a fresh batch of individual body parts have become listed on eBay. It’s almost a complete set from this tear down of the vintage toy. The downside is the post-ALIEN Day prices for each of these components. These things aren’t getting cheaper as demand for them increases. Remember, Kiddies. I don’t make these prices up. Demand drives these figures.
All parts appear to be clean and in reasonably good condition. Not all parts are available as individual listings and not all parts included are displayed in the image above. These parts all come from a US version of the figure. Here’s the complete list:

US$39.99 – Both Torso Halves. Damage to crest slot. No mention of any of the four screws needed to fasten it together.
US$59.99 – Quad Appendage. Undamaged.
US$79.99 – Head. Light scuffing. Paint looks good. Jaw mechanism works. Teeth on top and bottom jaws. No tongue parts (see below) or dome.
US$74.95 – Right Leg. Unbroken.
US$74.95 – Left Leg. Unbroken.
US$99.99 – Left Arm. Missing rubber anchor. Otherwise no missing fingers or spur.
US$99.99 – Tail. Unbroken. Includes clean metal serrated clip without rust.
US$99.99 – Lower Tongue Half. Unbroken with light wear.
US$199.99 – Dorsal Crest. Unbroken.

A great selection of parts to complete your vintage Kenner ALIEN toy. If you want to pay for these prices.

-windebieste.

ALIEN Day – KATblog – Canadian Kenner Aliens.

The Kenner Aliens Toy Blog (KATblog) is celebrating ALIEN Day with a post that will be of interest to anyone keen on obscure information regarding Kenner’s ALIENS toys of the 1990s. A new article dedicated to Canadian bilingual Fr/Eng packaged versions of Kenner’s ALIENS toys released in 1992 has been posted on the blog.
These bilingual card variants are fascinating as they provide a window into the distribution of these figures not only across the entirety of North America but also into Europe as well. Thank you Eric Fisher for the posting this article. It’s a curious read for anyone who may be interested in obscure details regarding thirty year old children’s toys based on creatures that want to rip your face off. Yeah. That’s me.

If you were wondering whether there was a bilingual Canadian Fr/Eng version of the older 18 inch tall 1979 Kenner ALIEN action figure released. Yes. There was. You can find it documented right here on HIDEOUS PLASTIC.

-windebieste.

eBay – Loose Kenner with Arm for Sale.

There’s a nice, average quality Kenner ALIEN toy listed on eBay right now. He’s currently for sale for US$269. Sure, his left arm has been severed but this is nothing new. It’s a strange feature of these old toys; if there’s a limb missing on the figure, it’s the left arm. In this case, however this limb is included in the sale. He just needs some attention to return it to the vacant shoulder socket and he’s good to go.

No real problem here as this is a relatively easy repair to the vintage toy. Beyond this issue he’s almost complete and only missing one other piece. Notably, the weird crest thing on his back is in place and all four mouth parts are also in situ. All that’s missing here is the transparent dome that sits on the head. All things considered, he’s not a bad purchase for US$269. Fit that arm back in place, give him a clean and he’ll become a lovely display piece for some lucky collector.

-windebieste

KATblog – The Kenner Vasquez Trio.

A wonderfully detailed article has been published at the Kenner ALIENS Toy blog. This new written piece delves into the exploration of a set of three ALIENS marine figures, Vasquez, O’Malley and Hudson, all released in 1993. It’s a lengthy read and covers this trio of old toys that were scarce in their day and certainly no less difficult to find now. Go and explore the fascinating background to Vasquez, O’Malley and Hudson. You’ll find details on their descriptions, identified international variants along with a welcome debunking of popular myths that surround these vintage toys. Read it all in this article detailing these curious toys over at the Kenner ALIENS Toy blog. There’s some fact along with some speculation but after reading this article, just one question remains… Who is this O’Malley person, anyway?

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN for Sale in Australia.

It’s been a few months since we’ve seen a 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy be listed on eBay in Australia. I am always on the lookout to see them become available in this country with this sample being listed today. Sadly, he falls a little short in some details but we don’t see many of these old toys listed in this country. It’s just a disappointing fact this sample is bereft of several critical parts. It’s still a Kenner ALIEN despite its state. Nonetheless this one is listed in ‘as is’ condition with the auction starting at AU$295. You do get a very incomplete item for your money but considering the scarcity of these items in this country, demand for it will be high and bidding will result in a good sale. This figure does look clean but a significant number of parts are missing. A dome is included in the sale but it’s a reproduction part, a post market fabrication by a third party. Along with the absence of the original dome the following items are also missing: both arms, the dorsal crest between the shoulders and all four quad appendages immediately below that crest. A set of seven obvious holes penetrating the upper torso are testimony to these pieces having gone astray, leaving the figure in a dramatically incomplete condition. To offset these blatant deficiencies, both halves of the tongue are present and the mouth activation trigger appears to work as intended. This appears to be a standard US version of the toy and not one of the rarer Canadian samples. Both versions of Kenner’s ALIEN toy were distributed in Australia. A great item if its condition is of no problem to you if you live in Australia want to add one to your collection without having to pay (at least) another AU$100 for postage from the US.

-windebieste.

eBay – Incomplete Kenner ALIEN for Sale.

This incomplete 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy is listed on eBay. Auction starts at US$199. Or if you want to purchase it now, the seller will accept US$300, on the spot. Not a bad price for a forty year old toy, missing parts. Anything particularly outstanding about this item? Not really. It’s in an average condition and missing a few parts. That’s not unusual, either. Let’s take a closer look. One important feature part still extant on this vintage toy is the presence of the dorsal crest mounted between the shoulders. The fact this toy possesses this much sought after piece in place gives him value. While this is a good thing for this frequently missing part in situ, the dome and both tongue parts are absent. As is the left arm. Oddly enough, if an arm goes missing, it’s usually the left limb. Why so many of these vintage Kenner ALIEN figures lack the left arm rather than the right is a peculiar oddity I don’t understand. Nonetheless, loose limbs do become available for figure in this condition and when they do, the left arm commonly sells before any right arm also offered for sale. There’s been a few sales recently of loose items and this has been consistently the case. The left arm sells first. This imperfect figure is an ideal restoration piece. It is also equally perfect for tearing down and salvaging parts to be used in another build that may itself be missing a right arm and dorsal crest. Then sell the carcass – or remaining parts individually – on eBay. You might even get your money back.

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN Parts for Sale.

Another torn down sample of Kenner’s 1979 ALIEN toy has become listed on eBay. Various loose parts including the head, both torso halves & tail, left arm and left leg are individually available to purchase. All parts are in reasonable condition, featuring some wear blemishes and varying degrees of completeness.Some cleaning will be necessary.
Both torso halves, tail and quad appendages – US$89.99. The listing includes a corroded serrated clip for holding the tail in place. It is missing the upper shoulder crest on the back with its mounting slot damaged. The tail tip is broken and missing. The eight support pins located inside the shoulders for supporting arms are all present with little wear – which is perfect for a rebuild of this toy when re-attaching the arms. There is no mention or images in the listing of the four screws needed to fasten the torso halves together. These screws can be tricky to find but screws salvaged from other Kenner toys of this vintage will fit perfectly. Typically, the Star Wars Millennium Falcon play set is a fantastic source for them.

The Head – US$89.99. Generally in very good shape. Missing the dome and both tongue halves. Upper and lower set of teeth are present. Trigger mechanism works as intended. Unbroken neck mount. This head is cast from a scratched mold. Glow in the dark head paint and vac coated teeth are chipped and scuffed.

Left arm – US$50. Scuffed and dirty, it is missing the rubber arm anchor, so an improvised method for re-attachment will be required. Otherwise, it is complete with no fingers missing. Elbow spur is attached and unbroken. For some weird reason, the left arm is missing more frequently than the right arm from these old toys. As such, left arms are in higher demand. This item might end up being first item listed from this tear down to sell. That’s been my experience from watching these items be listed when a left arm is included.

Left leg – US$40. One of the more robust parts of the toy. Some play and wear marks but this leg is complete and unbroken. Significantly, the area around the connection to the hip is scratched from rotation but the actual flange is complete and unbroken.

Rebuilding these old toys is a lot of fun! I’m sure these loose and disparate parts will all go to good use and refurbish other samples of these old toys to make them more complete.

-windebieste.

 

eBay – Kenner ALIEN in Box.

Starting at a mere US$0.99, there’s a very good condition 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy now listed on eBay. This one is complete in its box, with poster inclusion present and the much sought after vintage toy still fastened to the red insert card with zip ties. Bidding has already climbed rapidly to US$7.50! Hah! It won’t last at that price for long and the auction has a clear six days before closing.This sample does look great. The box is showing some signs of age and light creases but is otherwise decent looking piece for a four decades old piece of packaging. The figure appears to be as good as it gets having never been removed from the insert it is mounted on. The poster is likewise present and completes the item for sale. Starting at such a low auction price of only US$0.99, this item will definitely attract a lot of interest. It will also demonstrate the value of these items when the final bid is placed. I expect it will take little to no time to reach US$100. That should happen without any bets placed. As to how much higher this item will sell for? The end value will be determined by the final bidder. At least US$600 would be expected. More than that is not out of the question. This auction can potentially break the US$1,000 ceiling. This is definitely a worthy item to watch, that’s for certain! A four figure sale for a nasty looking old toy that didn’t sell well back in 1979, though? Sure. Why not? This is in no way setting any precedents. Mind you, back in 1980, these old toys were heavily discounted. All the way down to, you know… US$7.50.

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN Poster for Sale.

These black and white 1979 vintage Kenner ALIEN posters are neat, that’s for sure. They’re getting hard to find and it’s great to see them pop up on eBay like this. This one is in decent condition and being sold for a paltry US$149. CHEAP! OK, so maybe it’s not cheap but it’s still a neat poster.

The state of these old double sided inclusions for the old Kenner ALIEN toy can range dramatically from shredded and water stained to pristine condition. This one is in very good condition. No tears or water marks. No pinholes on the corners. Just a single hard crease, which is common considering the poster would have been folded at its point of manufacture to fit inside the toy’s box; and light buckling is present. Not bad for a poster. Sure, it’s a hike in terms of price but it’s a fantastic vintage item worth framing, if you need one of these things.

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN Parts for Sale.

Grab your spare parts now! Nope. That’s not a euphemism. Several 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy parts have become available on eBay. These loose items are ideal if you want to repair/restore an incomplete figure. Available are both arms along with the head. None of which are complete but all very useful if you need these items. The head at US$79.99 is the least attractive proposition on offer here. Battered and missing the dome along with all four mouth parts, this item features scuffed and stained paintwork on its upper surface. Significantly, it is broken at the neck and the piece needed to fit the head in place is not included in this listing. Any attempt to return the head to a torso WILL require some alternative and creative means of doing so. At least it’s clean.

The left arm at US$49.99, is missing its rubber arm anchor but is otherwise a good purchase. It’s generally clean but does feature signs of wear, especially around the ball joint where it has previously been attached to its former torso. Again, an improvised method will be needed to reattach the limb.

The right arm at US$49.99 is likewise missing its rubber anchor and exactly like it’s matching limb is otherwise complete with marks around the ball joint. It will go a long way to complete a figure with just a little attention.

Great pieces if you need ’em to complete a figure; but that head is in mighty rough shape, though. The arms are the real prizes here, and cheaper, too.

-windebieste.

eBay – Dismembered Kenner ALIEN for Sale.

If you’re looking for a cheap (or at least, not too expensive) 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy and keen on performing some much needed but not too demanding restoration work on one, then this sample currently listed on eBay for US$200 is a great candidate. He’s missing a few parts but most of his pieces are present and these old toys are relatively easy to bring up to a decent standard with some love and attention. He’s lacking three pieces commonly missing from these old toys. The head dome and both pieces of the two-part tongue are absent. Other than those errant parts, he’s all there. The notorious crest between the figure’s shoulders which is frequently absent is present here. Both arms are included in the sale but they will need to be re-attached. Not a difficult task. Aside from this basically assembly, he just needs a good bath with a toothbrush in hand to knock all the dust and dirt off of him. The only real concern with this sample is the possibility of the functionality of the lever operated mouth not working.

Here, it appears the mouth isn’t properly sitting in the closed position. It may be damaged inside or both internal springs required to close the jaws may be missing. If either of these problems are the case, it may not be repairable. Nonetheless, the head could just as easily be filthy, gummed up inside and preventing the mouth from operating normally. If this is the case, the mouth may just need a through dousing with warm soapy water to dislodge any detritus that may be clogging up the interior of the head. Regardless, a good and thorough clean would go a long way to improve the condition of this item.

Even if it is missing a few parts on the head, transforming this disassembled old toy and revitalising it into a vintage piece worthy of display is well within its potential. It’s a great item for someone wanting to restore a fantastic old ALIEN toy.

-windebieste.

The Story of the Infamous 1979 ALIEN Action Figure.

Here’s an online item of relevance. It’s something I don’t know if I have previously posted here on HIDEOUS PLASTIC. At least, I don’t remember doing so. Regardless, it certainly belongs in this space.

I barely recall this discussion but here is an interview I did with merritt k a little over a year ago for his blog, Other Strangeness. This must have been a great chat we had as looking back at it, I’m still more than happy with it.

-windebieste.

eBay – Two Dozen Kenner ALIEN Toys for Sale.

If you’re looking to buy a vintage 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy right now is a good time to look for one. There are currently at least two dozen of them listed on eBay right now. They come in various conditions from extremely well preserved in near pristine condition and in boxes right down to miscellaneous loose pieces ready to use as replacement parts on an incomplete sample you may already own. There’s a lot to choose from. The image below represents some of what’s currently available. Sure, the pricing on each of these things is still well above what some people are prepared to pay for an old toy but you can rest assured, those high prices aren’t in any way genuinely associated with any false claims to it being rare. If they’re not rare, as clearly and obviously indicated here, then what is the driving factor for the high price on these old toys? A lot of it does come to to “cool” factor, for sure but there’s more than that at play here. Importantly, it’s the toy’s reputation that drives these high prices. These toys were intended for children “AGES 5 AND UP” and failed miserably at retail due to the movie ALIEN being released with an R rating in the US. The Kenner ALIEN was the first mass market toy released to retail with an adult movie rating and it happened accidentally. It also caused conservative parents to respond to its release in an extremely unfavorable way. Some claiming it was “demonic”, “offensive” or just downright inappropriate for children.

It’s an amazing toy; and after more than forty years, you can still buy one. Which is an important consideration in another way. The presence of so many of these things available on eBay today (more than four decades later) is testimony to how many of these ALIEN toys Kenner actually made, around one hundred and fifty thousand units has been estimated – possibly more. So much for it being rare, hey. I have seen other ALIEN action figures made by different companies along with other related ALIEN merchandise released this century become truly rare, difficult to find and also priced accordingly. But this grotesque thing? Yes. It has a special standing. It was the first action figure of its type. That simple fact alone counts considerably towards its status as a collectible. So many reasons this item is regarded as one of the toy industry’s historical landmarks. This weird articulated thing is deservedly famous – albeit for all the wrong reasons.

Go spend a few hundred dollars and grab one for yourself. They’re great!

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN with Mailer Box.

Kenner ALIEN toys with boxes released in 1979 are surprisingly common. You can always find them listed on eBay with just an easy search. What about such boxed samples of the toy that include the shipping box from chain stores? There, now that’s genuinely rare. One such sample has become available for auction on the service recently. It includes the action figure, original packaging and mailer box. Bidding starts at US$5,500. Lordy!This item would have been purchased via the JCPenny catalog and accordingly posted to the purchaser via mail inside the corrugated cardboard mailer box included in the listing. Such mailer boxes are very rare. This one is in great condition but the high starting bid is difficult to justify. If you are looking for a perfect condition and unopened sample of the nefarious Kenner toy at this price, this item will not satisfy your expectations. The blue themed package has been opened and the front window is loosening around the bottom of its frame. The figure itself is in fantastic condition, true; and the presence of the ratchet zip ties continuing to fasten it to the red insert card is testimony to this fact. There’s also a poster included but it’s seen better days with multiple undesirable creases though it. This item is far from being a pristine and unopened sample that such prices can command and the presence of the third party mailer box is a great inclusion in the sale; but it hardly warrants the overly high starting bid. It’s a great addition to be sure but to escalate the value of the Kenner toy to this level simply because some postal packaging is present is likely to raise more eyebrows than interested bidders.

-windebieste.

eBay – Signed Kenner ALIEN for Sale.

Every now and again, something unusual crops up on eBay. This is one such item. This 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy, complete in iits box is listed on the service for US$2,000. The box is opened with all contents present and complete with action figure, poster and red insert card. It also includes around half a dozen signatures collected from people involved in the production of both ALIEN and ALIENS.I’m not an autograph hunter so I’m not familiar with some of the names scrawled across the outer surface of the box. Nonetheless, among at least seven signatures present are actors Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Mark Rolston (Pvt. Drake) and William Hope (Lt. Gorman). Also present is 20th Century Fox advertising consultant, Charles Lippencott. This item will be a wonderful addition to someone’s collection. It’s way outside the scope of my finances but no doubt it will eventually go to a deserving home where it will be appreciated.

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN Head for Sale.

Loose Kenner ALIEN heads suitable for replacement parts have been popping up on eBay lately. Here’s another one listed for sale at US$49.95. Unlike a similar decapitated item that appeared on the service a week ago (see post below this one), this sample isn’t damaged at the neck and its stub is unbroken. On the other hand, this one has been custom painted with some fashionable green trim highlighting some of the hose details and other ribbed features along the sides of the head. It has also been given some lovely silver pupil details inside the eye orbits. Very pretty indeed. Why have I never thought of doing this? lol…This head is missing some critical features with parts such as the upper dome and both tongue halves being absent. The chrome finish on the teeth is chipped and worn. On the other hand, the mouth trigger still works and the jaw opens. That’s always welcome. The upper head surface paint is still present, if a little rough in places, but it will continue to serve its purpose, function as intended and glow in the dark. It’s an unusual green custom paint job, probably done on the toy four decades ago by a creative child wanting to further embellish the toy – or possibly done by some basement stoner, bored with life. I’ve heard enough such stories to know it’s well within the realm of possibility. It’s definitely an ideal piece if you want to further customise one of these old toys and this is a perfect sample to exercise further creativity if that is your inclination. There is absolutely nothing wrong with transforming degraded samples of these vintage toys into an Objet d’Art. Just don’t attempt to remove the 3rd party paint with chemicals – you’ll risk damaging and dissolving the features – and that kind of damage is significantly uglier result than the hand crafted highlights that have been applied to this piece. Worth US$50? You have to decide that for yourself. I know if I needed a head in this state (it still works!) I’d buy it. Maybe for no more than US$40, though.

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN Head for Sale.

Spare parts for the 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy are always in demand. There’s always someone seeking a limb, a dome or other parts to complete their vintage toy. Right now, a head has become available for auction on eBay. This head is incomplete, broken and possibly priced above its actual worth with bidding commencing at US$45.

This item is damaged at the neck and that’s a serious fault. The nub allowing the head to be attached to the torso via a screw is missing. You’ll need some other means to attach it to a figure and the broken stub is not included in this auction. On the other hand, if you just want a Kenner ALIEN head for any other reason, say, you want to add one to your Predator skull trophy collection, it won’t matter! Nonetheless, the item does include the lower dentures present on the mandible and the upper tongue piece inside the mouth. At US$45 dollars starting bid, it’s a little expensive for a broken body part but coupled together with two (out of four) mouth parts, it might suit someone perfectly. This item has previously been relisted at the same price. It will sell. Eventually.

-windebieste.

eBay – “Magic Condition” ALIEN for Sale.

Lately there’s been an noticeable increase in people selling off their 1979 Kenner ALIEN toys in Australia. This “magic condition” figure has just been listed. It appears to be a good, clean piece with all of its parts in place, if not fully intact. This one is being sold by the owner for Au$999. A high price for sure and a closer look is warranted. At a glance, this item appears to be a near perfect example of the toy but the dome is in less than desirable condition for the asking price. Large cracks at the rear of the dome along with a pair of minor cracks towards the front mar its near perfect presentation. Sadly, these cracks will always be present regardless of how well they have been repaired. Make an offer. There’s no telling how long this item will remain available but heĀ  won’t last long, regardless of the negotiable asking price.

-windebieste.

eBay – Limbless Kenner ALIEN for Sale.

Way back in the 1960s when I grew up, Australian toy manufacturer TOLTOYS released a game called Creepy Critters. This substantially incomplete ALIEN toy for sale on eBay reminds me of that old game. Just start with the torso and build your insect-like “creepy critter” by rolling a die and continue until all body parts have been added. A game of chance selection for kids. All you need is a torso and you can start building from there. Obviously there’s a lot of parts missing from this toy and it’s not priced to be sympathetic to anyone who may want to ‘DIY’ their own Kenner ALIEN. Nonetheless, it’s a good base for a complete rebuild. There’s signs of wear throughout the figure and you’ll need to spend a substantial amount of more coin just to acquire the parts necessary to complete it’s presentation. To do so, you’ll need: both arms, both legs and the tail just to get it to a basic presentable state. Those are relatively easy to find. The more elusive parts such as the head dome, dorsal crest and both tongue parts may present a challenge, both to your patience and your wallet. Nonetheless, some of these parts necessary to rebuild this item can already be found on eBay.

Providing the screws are present in the remnants of this vintage toy, you’re good to go! The screws, if missing, can be replaced with compatible screws used to assemble Kenner’s 1979 Star Wars Millennium Falcon play set. Those are readily available in abundance on eBay. Once the screws have been removed, this item should be easy to pry apart to work on the reconstruction, providing no glue has been used in fastening both torso halves halves together. One quick message to the seller regarding the use of glue on this wonderful incomplete relic may be wise. Otherwise, this rebuild project may come to a grinding halt if both halves are assembled with adeshive. Having said all the above, this item is the perfect opportunity to build your own extraterrestrial creepy critter. You just need to roll a 1, first.

-windebieste.

eBay – Kenner ALIEN Crest for Sale.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these much sought after loose body parts for a 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy for sale on eBay. This crest is currently listed for US$99.99. Sure, it’s a little pricey for a small piece of worn plastic but these old toys occupy a very unique place in the history books in every sense of the definition.This sample is a little rough around the edges with some burring along the connectors with other minor imperfections present. Nonetheless, this item is a genuine piece salvaged from a forty year old vintage toy and not a reproduction part. Prices like this are commonplace, matching the demand for these elusive parts. Along with the dome that sits on the head (and to a lesser degree, the dual tongue halves) this item is the most sought after body part for collectors wanting to complete their own Kenner ALIEN toy. An estimated 60-70% of surviving samples of the toy released in 1979 now lack this odd shaped piece. It’s worth watching just to witness the duration of the sale and see how long it takes to sell. Someone will buy it. It won’t take long, even at this price.

-windebieste.