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.