Here’s a nice boxed toy if you are finding Kenner ALIEN action figures a little scarce at the moment. This one is being sold in Japan for a measly US$3,000. Bargain! Just wait till Mom finds out you spent this kind of money on an old toy, Little Jimi; and the box isn’t even sealed. I can hear the sound of spankings and wailings now. 
While it’s not unknown for samples of the 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy being sold for over US$1,000, this boxed item in Japan isn’t anywhere near near what is expected from a vintage toy at this price. It would have to be unsealed, in immaculate condition and stored in an acrylic case with profressional toy gradings. This item certainly is not. The vendor describes it as “Used Kenner Alien Hobby Toy Collection With Box Rare.” It’s brief at best and for the asking price, you’d want more details. …and more photos, too. Let’s take a closer look and determine the real value of this item.
While it’s easy to determine the general condition of the box is far removed from “mint”, the term “Used” doesn’t itself carry adequate information. How “Used” is it, exactly? Has it been opened? Yes. It has. One photo reveals the bottom may have been tampered with and opened – but it’s unclear to be conclusive. There is no way to be certain if the item has been opened from the top as no images are present to document this possibility, either. So, is it possible to determine whether this item has been opened if no documentation exists for the top or bottom to have had their seals broken? Yes. Multiple pieces of evidence are present in the photos that suggest this item has indeed been opened.
Kenner packaged these toys into bright blue boxes with the figure strapped securely to the corrugated red with laddered black zip ties. A white plastic coated wire twist tie has been used to secure the figure in place. The tie has broken free and hanging loose by the right arm and is visible in a photo used in the listing. As this white tie is as far removed from the black securings Kenner used as you can get, it has obviously been used to secure the figure in place by a third party. It’s proof this box has been opened. It’s not the only piece of evidence supporting this claim. The fact the red support card has had the bottom flap folded incorrectly instead of being folded back is also counter to how Kenner would have originally packaged these toys. The toy should not be standing on the red flap. 
Not only is the box clearly been opened but it may not be complete, either. In this condition, you will want to know the contents are 100% present. In which case, does the listing include the double sided, black and white poster that is expected to be inside the box? As the presence of this feature is neither documented in photos or the description and there’s good reason to believe this item has been opened, verifying its presence with the seller is strongly recommended.
Ultimately though, this item is nowhere near worth the asking price of US$3,000. Maybe it will sell in Japan at this price. These toys are “Rare” in Japan, that’s true. They’re certainly not rare in the US, though; but that doesn’t stop samples of Kenner ALIEN toys in a similar condition to this one selling for around US$750 – about one quarter of what’s being asked here. Still, US$750 is a lot to ask for an opened old toy that may be missing an integral component (the poster). Mind you, it happens frequently.
-Windebieste.
