Luke Skywalker, Ugnaught, Lobot & More!

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From August 1981, a lovely assortment of figures mainly from Empire Strikes Back. I was ten and had all of these guys, which seems so funny considering they're almost all background characters...For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


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[huedell]

This was the last Kenner SW wave that really captured my heart entirely at that classic childhood time.

[palitoy]

This was the last Kenner SW wave that really captured my heart entirely at that classic childhood time.

Yeah, I started getting spotty just after this. I remember not caring about the 4LOM or survival kit mailaways that my friends got, my "collect 'em all" mentality went down the drain. GI Joe RAH debuted in early 1982 and it had a lot of my attention.

[Mr.Marion]

It's hard not to get nostalgic for Kenner Star Wars I sold off what little SW items I had I used the money to buy a loose Speedy. There are definitely some cool pieces the Deathstar and Creature Cantina come to mind. But you can't collect everything.

[huedell]

Cool Brian!

I got this off of Wikipedia...

F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Ugnaught No. 39319 1981[41]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Dengar No. 39329 1981[42]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Han Solo (Bespin Outfit) No. 39339 1981[43]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Lobot No. 39349 1981[44]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Leia (Hoth Outfit) No. 39359 1981[45]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Rebel Commander No. 39369 1981[46]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" AT-AT Driver No. 39379 1981[47]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Imperial Commander No. 39389 1981[48]
F 41-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" 2-1B No. 39399 1981[49]

It confirms for me that that was indeed the last wave I was fully committed to...and since you felt similarly, i thought you and others would appreciate the list.

Also, maybe of interest...the "41-back" figure wave was preceded by one other ESB wave (the "31-back" plus Yoda on a "32-back" card),and here it is:

D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Leia Organa (Bespin Gown) No. 39720 1980[30]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" FX-7 No. 39730 1980[31]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) No. 39740 1980[32]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear) No. 39750 1980[33]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Bossk (Bounty Hunter) No. 39760 1980[34]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" IG-88 No. 39770 1980[35]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) No. 39780 1980[36]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) No. 39790 1980[37]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Lando Calrissian No. 39800 1980[38]
D 31-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Bespin Security Guard No. 39810 1980[39]

and, finally, here's the wave(s) (the "45-back" plus Tie Fighter Pilot, 4-LOM and Zuckuss) that broke us, 4-LOM and all

G 45-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) (with Sensorscope) No. 69420 / No. 69590 1982[50]
G 45-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" C-3PO (Removable Limbs) No. 69430 / No. 69600 1982[51]
G 45-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Luke Skywalker (Hoth Battle Gear) No. 69610 1982[52]
G 45-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" AT-AT Commander No. 69620 1982[53]
G 45-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" (Twin-Pod) Cloud Car Pilot No. 69630 1982[54]
G 45-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Bespin Security Guard No. 69640 1982[55]
H 48-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" 4-LOM No. 70010 1982[56]
H 47-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Zuckuss No. 70020 1982[56]
I 47-Back "The Empire Strikes Back" Imperial Tie Fighter Pilot No. 70030 1982[53]

Things just got wacky at that point... droid variants that weren't all that enticing... and a decent amount of army builders... not my thing although I have fond memories of picking out a Bespin Security Guard while visiting a family friend in Manhattan (possibly my last uber-stoked Kenner childhood "get"---odd). EDITED TO ADD: Whoops, that was the African-American Bespin Security guard, the Caucasian was part of the previous wave---which makes more sense as there's nobody in the 45/47/48-back wave that I had a huge lust for at that time in childhood.

And one last thing... you said

GI Joe RAH debuted in early 1982 and it had a lot of my attention.

well, looks like Masters Of The Universe was just entering my scope and taking my attention away from SW toys at the same exact time.

[huedell]

It's hard not to get nostalgic for Kenner Star Wars ...There are definitely some cool pieces the Deathstar and Creature Cantina come to mind.

I had the Death Star but not the Cantina.

Now I have both, and I'm in heaven.

These days, Kenner Star Wars is one of my favorite things to collect. And while I lioke the full collection as a whole (1978-1985) I will always treasure 1982 and backwards to 1978 above all other Kenner SW toys.

Heck, after Death Star and Creature Cantina? Number 3 playset nostalgia is for that piece of cardboard Bespin City playset exclusive via Sears.

[palitoy]

I think MOTU came out in the Summer of '82 here. I remember buying a He-Man and i thought they were interesting figures. A combination of the animated show and me turning 12 kind of ended that fascination.

[huedell]

I think MOTU came out in the Summer of '82 here. I remember buying a He-Man and i thought they were interesting figures. A combination of the animated show and me turning 12 kind of ended that fascination.

As it did with me...my final childhood toy collecting gasp came somewhere during 1984 with the Mekanek and Webstor MOTU figures, but those purchases were as empty to me as my 1984 store purchases of pre-Power Of The Force (POTF1) era (1985) Kenner mini-rigs (some left on shelves for years, now discounted) as well as trading some Atari cartridges for post 1982 Kenner ESB and ROTJ toys.

And it all got thrown out while I was away at camp, Summer of 1985!

Oh jeez... I just covered my entire falling out with childhood toy collecting on a toy board, and now I feel dirty

[Mr.Marion]

I had the Death Star but not the Cantina.

Now I have both, and I'm in heaven.

These days, Kenner Star Wars is one of my favorite things to collect. And while I lioke the full collection as a whole (1978-1985) I will always treasure 1982 and backwards to 1978 above all other Kenner SW toys.

Heck, after Death Star and Creature Cantina? Number 3 playset nostalgia is for that piece of cardboard Bespin City playset exclusive via Sears.

Same here I like 1978-82 the best. Although POTF had cool figures Carbonite Han and Stormtrooper Luke, etc.

If I did collect I would want the Deathstar and Creature Cantina filled with loose stormtroopers and the first 21 figures.

[Mr.Marion]

I had the Death Star but not the Cantina.

Now I have both, and I'm in heaven.

These days, Kenner Star Wars is one of my favorite things to collect. And while I lioke the full collection as a whole (1978-1985) I will always treasure 1982 and backwards to 1978 above all other Kenner SW toys.

Heck, after Death Star and Creature Cantina? Number 3 playset nostalgia is for that piece of cardboard Bespin City playset exclusive via Sears.

Same here I like 1978-82 the best. Although POTF had cool figures Carbonite Han and Stormtrooper Luke, etc.

If I did collect I would want the Deathstar and Creature Cantina filled with loose stormtroopers and the first 21 figures.

[cjefferys]

First wave of ESB is where I bowed out as a kid, I was twelve at that point. Came back a few years later as a "collector" though, right when POTF was just about done.

[Goblin19]

I bowed out with ROTJ. I was still full tilt with Empire. I was only 7 when these toys came out. 3 years later and I remember my mom showing me ROTJ toys and I had no interest.

[Bruce Banner]

The Kenner SW line held my interest until the end. I never did manage to collect all the figures, but I'm still working on it.
Even now I still pick up SW items I always wanted as a kid... in fact I finally scored a vintage Scout Walker only this week.

[drquest]

I bought the Death Star with my own money, but didn't ever have the cantina. Although my parents did buy me the cantina creatures from Sears, which means I had a blue Snaggletooth. I still have my Death Star and blue Snaggletooth. Funny, even back then I knew he was something special since all of my friends had the short squatty red version.

I got all of the Empire figures, but by the time Jedi came out in 1983 I didn't buy any. I guess the 13 year old in me decided something else was cooler I guess.

[huedell]

Same here I like 1978-82 the best. Although POTF had cool figures Carbonite Han and Stormtrooper Luke, etc.

I love the "first movie" Stormie Luke call-back in POTF. I have a replica one (I forget where I got it, but I got a Kenneresque Han Stormie with it).

If I did collect I would want the Deathstar and Creature Cantina...

They are just the best for those enamored with early Kenner SW. The definitive playgrounds for those "first 21" figures!

...filled with loose stormtroopers...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Vintage-Star-Wars-White-Stormtrooper-Army-Trooper-Builder-/202016468072?hash=item2f091eac68:g:cm8AAOSw~OdVVhEx

^^^^^
Custom very accurate replicas brand-new 7 bucks a piece (plus minimal shipping) packaged in baggies w/weapon! I bought, like, 20 of them at once to save on shipping.... they are awesome!

I'm jamming them in playsets, vehicles.... it's (please excuse my redundancy) Heaven