My mother used to work at the Sears warehouse here in Philly back in the late 70's and 80's . She recently told me how back then she used to hide all the toys she wanted to get us for Christmas. I had the AT-AT(still do) and the Imperial Shuttle which my all time favorite but NEVER had the Falcon. I asked her why cause I was always mad that I didn't get it and she explained how she had it hidden but when she went to get it , it was gone. It was always a hot item at the time. We were a lower class family and my mother had to work 2 and sometimes 3 jobs so I was lucky to get the toys that I got. I have a few carded figures with a 2 for $1 sticker on them. Could YOU imagine?
You had a nice mother. My dad was the one who bought Star Wars figures and vehicles for me. Luckily my stepmom worked at Sears and they were able to get me the Falcon and death star playset, x wing and tie fighter, imperial troop transport, landspeeder, dewback, land of the jawa playset, bespin playset, twin pod cloud car, Slave 1. Never got the AT AT or Imperial shuttle. But by then I wanted a computer and was through with Star Wars toy collecting, but so many fond childhood memories playing with my Star Wars figures.
Bless your Mother for all she did. I remember my Parents not being able to find the Falcon for Christmas 1980 because it sold out but they begged the shop assistant if they could have the one on display in the shop window? I was able to go down to the store the day after Christmas and pick it up. They even boxed it up for me and threw in some loose storm troopers for half the normal retail price. Man was I a happy little sausage 💜💜💜
I had all those toys as a kid. I was a spoiled brat. The AT-AT went as low as $29.99 at K-Mart in 1981, and Kaybee actually sold AT-AT's for $100.00! That was nuts!
Prices of original Kenner toys. . . Affordable and lots of fun! Prices of Hasbro. . . Expensive and not as fun with exclusives at stores not readily available to all collectors! Kenner. . . We miss you guys and wish you were still making, selling, and own the rights to making Star Wars toys!
@@mymechanicalheart371 it's a shame. Hasbro unlike Kenner are full of greed! For them it's not about making toys for all to enjoy, it's about lining their pockets with money and taking advantage of collectors! Kenner always had a saying. . . "It's Kenner, it's fun!" Well, I say now days "It's Hasbro, it sucks!" Not to say they haven't released some great stuff over the years, but they go out of their way to jack prices up and have annoying exclusives not everyone can get to. Galoob was great back in the day with some awesome toys!
hasbro wasn t like that in the 80's gi joe 's were fun and affordable. i think that the managers of 2019 are just people Who can sell anything food, bikes clothes and answer to job ads without knowing anything about toys....
@@jebstuart4004 that's right! they did do G.I. Joe didn't they. I guess these days they just care about the money. Or as you said answer to a job add and not know anything about toys. I really do miss Kenner though. They really did care about the customers. Even on the cards it said "we really do care!" And they listened to the customers and stood behind their products 100%
Great video! I had at least half of those too. :) Among the ones I DIDN'T have were the Millennum Falcon playset (the big one. I DID have the Micro one later on,) which my dad really wanted to get me when I was 4 but couldn't. And the AT-AT, which my mom really wanted to get me for Christmas to compliment the Snowspeeder my dad gave me for my birthday that year (or compete with him, since they were divorced.) Again, she couldn't because of the $50 price tag. She got me a Hoth Rebel base playset instead which was still great! I did have Slave I, Jabba the Hutt, the aforementioned Snowspeeder and the Micro Falcon, freeze chamber and Wampa cave. The 80's WERE great times!!!! :D
As a five year old in 1977, the price of STAR WARS toys seemed so expensive, with maybe the exception of the 3 3/4" action figures which I remember were around $2.00.
$2 back in the late 70s was a lot of money. Minimum wage was about $2. What's minimum wage now? $10 to $15 now. A Star Wars action figure usually costs an hour of working minimum wage throughout the years.
I had 3 stormtroopers. That was it. I remember going to the toy aisle at Fred Meyer's when I was a kid, looking for more stormtroopers. I lived 2 blocks away, so I would walk over there whenever I had some money. I was lucky to have found one stormtrooper on the pegs and a death squad commander. So I had 4 stormtroopers and 2 death squad commanders. I got some white out and painted one of the death squad commander's helmets white and turned him into a rebel fleet trooper. We had to be inventive back in those days since Kenner didn't give us everything we wanted.
Likewise! If I wanted a new figure or vehicle I'd be doin yard work all day. And it was definitely worth it 😁 I'd always be so excited to rip open that action figure and play with it. Those were the days man!
I started cutting yards in 85, for $5 each & 1 extra to trim lol. I had 20 I took care of so I was getting several new figures or a ship each week. Plus my mother was toy manager at Kmart so I was a spoiled kid. I had just about everything they made & had a near complete SW, Transformers & GI Joe collection all the way through 10 years ago when it was stolen. I was devastated, especially since I discovered Ebay and was working on MOC collection of all figures & also getting overseas stuff as well (mostly Joe's). Easily over $100k spent on everything and a large Lego, Thundercat & few other lines. Still not over it, probably never will be. It really burns my ass when I buy something that I used to have off Ebay for much higher prices today, so I've almost given up on trying to rebuild what I used to have. Its impossible to replace a 30+ year collection when you don't make much money anymore. So I just buy the occasional piece every now and then & most of my money goes towards current junk that will probably never go up much in value. Unfortunately there's no Joe's to buy & barely any good SW, & the Transformer products stink today. Oh well, I still have fun with my overpriced Lego collecting lol
Mom ordered me a snowspeeder in 1980 for my birthday from the Sears catalog. These things were sold out everywhere and you could not get your hands on one in Arkansas and Sears had gone through their allotment. I cried my eyes out! Never actually saw one in person until I was an adult of 21. Now, have 5 in various states of repair.
I thought this was a fantastic video...👌🏼 It was definitely great reminiscing about old prices...💲 We definitely need that time machine so we can go back to a toy store and raid it...💯✔
what it would be like if we could go back in time and see all the toys of the shelves and say how expensive all those are today. I personally like to collect G.I. Joe’s 1960 ones and they’re very expensive and I asked somebody and they said that they had walls and walls of these toys
I'd buy every vinyl Cape jawa I could find and purchase 10 of each figure lol! And quadruplets of the vehicles then preserve them in airtight containers with climate control and come back through the time machine and make a fortune lol
Man..this is an awesome video, I can't believe how much they were back then, even though I'm a trekkie I still like the original Star Wars trilogy, as a matter of fact I still have my Luke Skywalker figure, my Han Solo figure, the landspeeder from '78 and the Hoth base from '80 I believe I just need to get the parts for it and it's complete, the figures are in good shape to and I still have the weapons that goes with them.
I loved it but it would have been cooler if you gave the today's value conversion along with the back in the day price. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I remember my mom saying I bought your Christmas presents from Pic and Save she got me Luke's landspeeder and a Tie Interceptor for cheap.Thank God for closeout stores
I have an explanation for why Vader's Tie fighter cost more, but you'll have to bear with me as this may be a bit long. Keep in mind, it's just a guess, and not a fact, but a good guess, nonetheless... Kenner probably thought that the X-WING would be seen as a "fleet" vehicle, to be flown by random rebels and other figures a kid might have lying around. The basic Tie fighter probably was cheaper also. But Vader's Tie fighter was special. Only to be piloted by Vader himself. One Vader, one Tie Advance. So, jack the price up. Kids only needed that one. Just like you don't see a fleet of Millennium Falcons all over the big screen. It was an iconic ship, so it cost more. I would say my guess makes a little sense. If I'm wrong, tell me why you think so in the comments section down below. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay up to date on more content, and don't forget to check out the Patreon page. I know.... Thank you sir, for that unsolicited testimonial...
Also put into fact the wings had more plastic to them too. During that time we had the "oil embargo" going on and the cost of plastics skyrocketed. I agree with you and your theory but also think it has to do with the cost of plastics. The wings required more because of the shape. If you were to straighten them out they would be nearly 2-4 inches taller than the standard TIE Fighter toy. Anyways 😁 good thought and theory.
Kids were getting a darth vader figure anyway. So one would not be sold to go with the darth vider tie figther. However not many would get the regular tie figther pilot without getting the vehicle. So the vehicle and figure kind of helped subsidize each other.
@@mrmovieprop It's like the AT-ST Walker, we all wanted the driver to go with it, or the A Wing needed the "A wing pilot" ect. That's how they made money off us lol. Except for the AT-AT Walker which came with driver and commander.
One of my favorite things about the vintage figure line cards are the old price tags on them! The other thing I love are the mail away offer stickers. Thanks Junkman for this video
Never bought me a SW toy or figure with my pocket money back then. My mon always used to bought me my SW toys and figures when we were in the toy stores. I'm born in 1976 and I was 9 yo at the end of the SW toy line in 1985 and started very late with Star Wars in 1982 at the age of 6. Still remember my mon bought me a Wampa, Radar Laser Cannon, The Rebo Band, Speeder Bike and some Mini Rigs like the MLC and a lot of figures. For Christmas 1982 I got the AT-AT and Snowspeeder and on my birthday that year I got the Imperial Attack Base and for Christmas 1983 and 1984 the Ewok Village, AT-ST Walker, the Falcon in ROTJ box and the Jabba The Hutt Playset. The Prices here in Germany were a little higher as in the USA I guess. The average prices were 7-9 german marks for a figure, what was a lot of money for a 6 yo kid back in the days.
Living in Canada, I remember getting RotJ figures from a local department store in 1985-1986 for $1.44 each, which would be around $3.14 in canadian dollars today, so about $2.40 US dollars today. What a steal! Additionally, on one occasion, that store had both Jabba the Hutt and the Rancor monster on clearance at only $6 each! Thankfully, my parents agreed to buy them for me! :D
The Falcon I have that is in the box has an original K-Mart price tag from 1978 that says $26.49. Actually, I am assuming it was 1978 since it is in a Star Wars box, but it could have been from '79 or early 1980 as well.
I remember the earliest Star Wars figures selling for about $1.39 at the malls, toy stores, and discount stores like Woolworth's. I remember getting many Star Wars toys for Christmas in 1978 (Death Star play set, Landspeeder, board game, 12" Luke, large R2-D2, among others) I added up all the prices on a calculator, and the total was only $90. For the next two years I got mostly Star Wars for Christmas. After that I was considered "too old" for toys and got lots of clothes instead.
Back in 1978 or 1979 (whenever it came out) my mom told me to get a bag from the trunk of her car. I was 10 in 1978. It was the Death Star Space Station- for my birthday! I was floored. I still have the thing after all this time.
I remember that we had no money at the time, so me and my brother made working bow and arrows out of willow branches and junkyard wires. We got good at it and then traded them for toys (some Star Wars, but mostly Micronauts)! Benefit of growing up on an Air Force base I guess/ the parents never objected to our violent plans!
I'm from Germany and I remember well that at the end of the SW toyline in 1984-85 you could grab SW figures in the toy stores for 1.49 German Marks and later for only 50 Pfennige (half of a german Mark). When SW was at the edge of its popularity in 1980 you had to pay 8 or even 9 German Marks for each figure. In 1985 I was a 9 years old kid and I was with my Mom and Grandmom in a toy store here in Cologne and there was a big box full of Star Wars action figures each for 50 Pfennige. I took all my pocket money (10 Marks) together and bought 20 figures for it. They came all on ROTJ cards. I believe we never had POTF toys here in Germany. Never saw some back then. I remember that I bought Nikto, Han Endor, Leia Endor, Emperors Royal Guard, Biker Scout, AT-ST Driver, The Emperor, IG-88, Dengar, Han in Carbonite, Klaatu, Klaatu Skiff Guard, Teebo, Leia Boussh, Lando Skiff Guard, Imperial Dignitary, Ree Yees and Gamorrean Guard that day. This was the last time I ever saw SW figures in toy stores. A few weeks later there were no signs of Star Wars in that store left :(
I remember G.I. Joe figures costing about $4 in the 80's and it took forever to save for one. So many franchise to choose from then too. When I shop for my nephews, it hard to believe how much figures have gone up.
Kind of makes you appreciate what our parents went through to get us these toys. I was probably 5 years old when I got the original MF. My grandfather had to special order it from a local store as the TRU shelves were pretty much empty. I remember him saying he paid close to $40 for it.
I remember all the figures being $1 each. Always was saving from doing chores in the neighborhood, and other "hustles"... The problem was that I loved Wacky Packages at the same time and those were 25 cents...
I grew up on nantucket Island where everything was expensive as all hell. In the 80's, a Star Wars figure cost $10 a piece. I remember it well because when I had my appendix out, my mother went to the 5&10 and bought 5 of them so I could send away for Nein Numb. I found it seriously strange that when they were discontinuing the line, we managed to visit a Toys R Us and every ship was marked down to $10. One Christmas there were multiple playsets and ships under the tree which cost my mother less than those 5 figures cost.
I have an actual 1980 Kenner Price Guide that I could share with you if you are interested. At the time, my brother needed parts for his Death Star. Using the reply form on my Death Star instruction sheet (which I still have with the lower portion missing), I wrote to Kenner asking for a replacement. In their reply, Kenner stated that the Death Star was discontinued, but I could order something from the list at replacement cost. My brother, as good-hearted as he was, didn't think selfishly, but ordered three PDT-8s - one for himself and two for his brothers.
The sandcrawler was very expensive, and it took a long time before my uncle was able to get me one finally. I wanted one for Christmas 1979 and didn't get it until sometime later in 1980.
I *almost* got one of those. It was the local Zayre's department store. My brother and I were getting an unexpected treat at the store that day (our dad was laid off from the mill back when the steel industry was exported overseas and money was ultra tight). It was right after Empire released and my brother and I both wanted Tauntauns to go with the Hoth figures and playsets we got for Christmas. Our parents may have struggled back then with the two of us but they always made sure we had a good Christmas. The sandcrawler was on discount because it was expensive and the previously mentioned depression in our area meant they didn't sell well. My mom pointed it out to me and told me it was the same price as the Tauntaun, that it was different from my brothers toy and was bigger. But I had my heart set on the Tauntaun because reasons. . . mainly 'Empire new and shiny', 'Star Wars old and dull'.
Regarding the rebel transport, it doesn’t make sounds. It’s main selling point was it could hold 40 figures inside, and came with accessories like hoth backpacks and asteroid gas masks. I have 2 of them in my collection incomplete. It’s not a bad toy, had decent play value
You are slightly off with your inflation calculations. $2 in 1978 would be almost $8 today ($7.86) The other estimates are accurate. It’s always the same rate- currently slightly less than 4 times.
Back around late 83 to early 84 there was a Sears in Los Angeles that had a sale on Star Wars Action Figures for 99 cents. Back then in Los Angeles, Action figures can be sold from anywhere between $2.99 to $6.99 depending on the stores. My friend & I must have bought 30~40 dollars worth each. Even had to get my old man to pick us up at a Carls Jr. afterwards
In 1988 and 89 , Star Wars figures at my local Kaybee toys were a dollar to 25 cents. POTF was a dollar and the rest cheaper. True story. POTF started out at Kaybee priced at 3.79 in 1985 and 86. I know this because I still have some of the cardbacks lol
You convert these 70's 80's prices to today, and even the "cheaper stuff" is still pretty damn expensive when minimum wage was still under 3 bucks an hour. $9 in 81 is $25 and change today. Just to keep things in perspective. That Falcon would be $70 today. Still slightly better than the overpriced Hasbro shit going on today, but pricey, nonetheless. Keep up the good work JM. I used 1981 for those conversions, just to clarify. Plus, glad to know I paid roughly the same for a MIB B Wing that it ran for in 84 about 3 years ago lol. That 25 then is 65 to 70 bucks now. I paid 70. Enough of my ranting.
I remember waaay back, Warren Michigan, Tech Plaza. Kmart & Kresge in the same strip mall. Star Wars action figures were $2.43 each, Kresge was $2.67 each. Millenium Falcon was $24.99 back in the day when I snagged it.
fan of the b wing too ! i remember seeing it in trilogo box around 1985 or 1986 but didn't bought it, damn !! my interest was focused on this new red boxes ....MASK...good old days...
Still remember my first. Tusken Raider then jawa. Started around $1.79 to $1.99 a piece. I had to save up 8 quarters. Helped local paper boy deliver papers for 25 to 50 cents a day. Was so frustrated when empire figures jumped to $2.99. 12 whole quarters! What a time to be a kid. Bought most figures myself but got ships as Christmas gifts
The action figures in 1978 were no less than $2.48. I never saw them below $1.99 anywhere. Believe it or not, the Jawa which came out last, cost $4.61 in the fall of 1978 from a grocery store. It was a cloth caped version, and my uncle found him for me.
Let's have a part 2! And may I humbly suggest mini rigs for part 2, as well as the Ewok Village? As for figures, admittedly my memory may be off, but the K Mart here usually had figures just under $3. 2.88, if memory serves.
Looking at all the classic carded and boxed figures from "the good old days" was fantastic. If you do part two I would like to see the ewok tree house thing!
A great video that really brought back some old memories I remember adding up alot of this prices while making birthday and Christmas lists through my childhood.
Gotta remember that minimum wage was $3.35 per hour then as well, so about 9 hours of work to get it. That's the same wage I started working for a few years later since it didn't go up for another 10 years approx. The mid 90s is when everything started going up every year & still hasn't stopped for long since. Ridiculous honestly.
I had an x wing, Darth Vader's tie, Luke's landspeeder, imperial troop transporter, Death Star playset, Millennium falcon, twin pod cloud car, Slave one, dewback, Bespin playset, Land of the Jawas playset. I think that was about it. I had all of the New Hope and Empire Strikes Back figures. I quit asking for Star Wars toys for Christmas at the time Return of the Jedi came out since I wanted a computer by that time. Never got the At At walker.
Orange clown shoes, lol. I liked the cloud car, it had two cockpits, you could put 2 figures in there. I remember playing with that a lot, it was a cool little flying vehicle. But my favorite was the millennium falcon and the death star playset. Played with those two the most.
They were around $2 a piece. I distinctly remember my dad expressing his disgust on the way out of a toy store once when the original POTF figures were over $3.50
My collection mostly consisted of figures because of exactly the topic of this video... the price point. Before I had coins in my pocket to purchase my own Star Wars figures (at which time I calculated the value of a vehicle purchase in "lost" figures and always opted for a couple of figures or realized I was only daydreaming anyway as I had only enough to purchase a single figure if I begged a sibling or parent to cover the tax), my cash poor mother mailed away for a Star Wars Punch-Out and Make-It Book which was offered with a small outlay of money and proofs of purchase of Dixie paper cups (Star Wars themed, of course). Have you ever seen this book? I can attest it is amazing and I was delighted to possess my very own Lightsaber and Blaster, as well as a Sandcrawler and some other vehicles. I loved these paper items and a few of them lasted several years because the quality of the paper was incredible. Were these toys as good as store bought Kenner items??? No, but they took some of the sting away when neighborhood kids showed off their X-wings and Tie Fighters and the unattainable Falcon. I shot those rich kids with my paper Blaster like they were Greedo across a cantina table and ran home and played with my paper vehicles and Kenner figures. thetoystimeforgot.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PUNCH-OUT-BOOK-1.jpg
What’s frustrating about current retail is they don’t stock much Star Wars toys anymore. My local Walmart/Target are still stocking last years VC’s like TFA Rey and TLJ Snoke. The only new VC I ever see in retail is ANH Stormtrooper Han. Why are the new VC’s not hitting any retail stores anymore?
Awesome video! Now I know how much my parents really spent on all my Star Wars toys. Also, I was one of the kids with an AT-AT...purchased from Zayre's. One more point...I don't think you should have a time machine. Something about the way you looked longingly into the camera when you repeated it.
The Falcon was considered one of the priciest of the SW toys at the time. It would be about $100 today. Of course what makes them valuable today is not just buying them but keeping and storing them for 30 or 40 years.
If the Force Awakens MF is any indication (which was cheap garbage and cost over $100 retail), a vintage style MF would probably be $150 or more. Which is crazy considering the BMF was released at $150 around 2010 or 2011, and it is far bigger with far more features.
I was five when ROTJ came out, and had a few Star Wars toys, but was still too young to get the earlier ones. Did have the TIE Interceptor, the AT-ST, and a few others, but one friend in kindergarten actually had the AT-AT. I always hated him for it.
“I have an X-Wing right over there… where’s my X-Wing?” Great video… and review on prices? You could say? Also the Death Star and Millennium Falcon was released in 1979, with the AT-AT in 1981. But close enough, seeing that you’re referring to a list of prices it doesn’t matter that much. Still great video and it’s very interesting how much toy prices have increased since the 1980’s. Ridiculous what we’re paying for the modern Star Wars and Transformers figures now. What happened to the great pricing Hasbro?
I like this topic. It’s what kids would’ve been aware of ... what was in their minds at the time. It also demonstrates how much toy prices have shot up, even considering inflation. One project of mine was figuring out the approximate order of the commercials you now see jumbled in home made DVDs.
You are quite right about toy prices shooting up. It literally costs $13 for one VC figure. Back in the 80’s, I could have gotten Slave 1 plus 2 individual figures
I remember a store having so many bespin Princess Leia figures that weren't selling that they kept getting marked down. Know they got down to 50 cents maybe even lower.
The first 12 Figures here in california at the local ZODYS,and Newberrys. Were 2.00.. I got the ATAT in the Empire box for 50.00. The last figure i bought was a ReeYees at target for 3.99...drug stores lile thrifty and clarks.and SavOn usually marked up the prices by almost a Dollar..
I remember my grandmother got me the little Chewbacca Star Wars action figure and the big Chewbacca action figure back in the day. I wish I still had them and I had all the Star War toys to thanks for posting your video with really cool Happy New Year.
My favorite videos of yours Junkman is the one where you discuss being a Dumb Kid and the misconceptions you had. That'd be so funny if you got an cartoon pic of you as a kid and did a video/split screen style of you now having a convo with little kid version of you. Pure Comedy.
From what I remember as a child in the 70s in the UK when the figures came out they were 99 pence and a lot of people thought that was a lot of money. When I first saw the landspeeder it was £4.50. Not a cheap toy at that time.
Forgive the TL;DR, Junkman. Thought I'd write down some of my reactions to a bygone era...when times were simpler, when we waited three years between Star Wars movies, and all we had to worry about was nuclear annihilation at any moment. 😊 Good Lord, $25 for the first Falcon?! My mom lied to me! She made it sound more expensive than it really was, so I never got a Falcon. Oh, yeah! Umm...value of a dollar...inflation.. and all that. My mom actually bought me a Darth Vader TIE Fighter at an auction, I think for about $5.00. I had to suppress a laugh (I was probably 11 or 12 at the time) as the elderly auctioneer described it. "I think this is a game, here...a Darth...Vader's ...TIE Fighter." Ahhh.. the X-wing, bless it's stubby little wings. Never got one, so my Darth Vader TIE Fighter didn't have any enemies....until I had Luke and Han convert the Luke's Landspeeder for space flight...in my mind. The intakes of the engine pods became laser cannons, and the back of the pods became ion engines. The hood housed the hyperdrive.... and the open air cockpit somehow created an atmosphere for Luke Skywalker, X-wing pilot. The large sized action figures...those were cool. My little brother got C-3P0 and R2-D2 (although he had no use for Star Wars toys..he eventually gave them to me.) Over a couple of years, my mom got me Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker (why did he have such a small lightsaber?), Chewbacca, and Han Solo. Could you imagine if Kenner made ships and playsets that could accommodate the 12inch figure line? Darth Vader's TIE Fighter would be huge. The Falcon would be ginormous! Also, one would quite literally say: "Look at the size of that thing!" if a Death Star playset were made for the large size figure line. The Tauntaun.... Princess Leia must've freezing her.......umm...hairbuns off in that package picture. She was still wearing the original outfit with the vinyl cape. LOL! I suppose they could have stuffed her in the gut pocket of the poor beast whenever she was about to highbeam.😀 The All-Terrain Armored Transport....ahhhh... the goal of my young life, the bane of my hopes and dreams. Hey, looks like they finally got Leia some Hoth clothes! What did the Rebels array against the AT-AT in this box pic? Let's see... a medical droid, two tauntauns, a couple of Rebel Hoth Troops, Leia, 3P0 and R2. What?! No snowspeeders?! Wow...it's a good thing Luke Skywalker X-wing pilot is on his way up to negotiate with the Imperial Snowtroopers! You know what the most disheartening thing of all these cool ships and playsets was?! Seeing all those other figures and toys on the box art....followed by the words, action figures, Tauntauns NOT INCLUDED! Come on! Batteries?! That was understandable! But no other figures or accessories or toys?! Dang it! Didn't they know how expensive all those things were on their own?! Prices add up, darn it! Ahhhh.... Slave One! That was also one of the coolest ships my mom ever got for me! Thank God she also got me a Boba Fett! I woulda thought it ridiculous to have Han, Luke, or Vader...or C-3P0 pilot the ship. (One of the funniest skits I ever saw was on Robot Chicken....Lando Calrissian ...voiced by Billy Dee Williams... was standing next to Fett, admiring the ship. Lando says: "That's a nice lookin' ship. Not crazy 'bout the name though." LMAO!) Gaahhhhhhh!!!!! I wanted a Han Solo blaster so bad...that and the Stormtrooper rifle. Never got 'em! All I ever got were those rinky-dink, red-plastic-transparent spark guns they used to make (and would likely be considered fire-hazards today). I did manage to get them later (in my younger adult life...about 75 years ago....but the Han Solo pistol was almost blaze orange, and the Stormtrooper rifle was white with an orange tip....God forbid people mistake a white Stormtrooper rifle for a real gun, they had to put that blaze orange tip on the muzzle!) Ahhh...the Sy Snootles band set. It's a good thing they didn't go with the original name.. Max Rebo and the Jizz-wailers! (Coulda been mistaken for a porn title!) A time machine indeed! How great it would be to have one today. Thanks for this video. May the Force Be With You and Yours, Junkman.
Prices are way to high today! I remember getting an R2D2 with pop up lightsaber at Kay Bee on clearance in a bin full of POTF figures. If only we knew I would have bought the whole bin.
Without question, those WERE the good old days, What I wouldn’t give to go back to 1977 or 1978 or 1979 or 1980. I remember paying $1.79 per figure back in 1978 for my Star Wars figures from the Kmart in Grand Forks, North Dakota. [Sometimes I bought my figures from Sears - for the same price. It was just a matter of which store had which figure I wanted in stock.] I can remember searching the card stocked action figures for Luke Skywalker X Wing Pilot - I wanted that figure more than anything! Good times...
Oh oh Fonzie at the beach? Batman & Joker best watch out.JUNKMAN my first time ever having any STAR WARS was in 1984 when the left overs of Jedi stuff was sold.Love the background JUNKMAN.
I’m probably wrong but I don’t think Palitoy in the UK released half as much as Kenner did in the US. I certainly don’t remember the micro collection hitting the shelves in any UK store.
For people (including myself) who don't math very well when it comes to finances and dollar worth over the years, it sounds like Junkman's baseline boils down to the 1978 dollar being worth anywhere from 2x to 4x as much in modern times. Honestly, I was expecting a much wider breadth and range.
Bonjour Junkman, Very good video ( as Always !! ) and a very good - rare, honest and unusual !! - related to the STAR WARS universe ! after all, owning a part of a dream has a cost ! of course, when you are a kid, the cost and value mean nothing… Anyway nostalgia… Thank you !!
Ray Deen you were lucky. I went to the local Woolworths in 1978 when the figures first came out and they had what must have been 40 princess Leia's and ONE, yes ONE Ben Kenobi. So those were my first two figs.
Funny how the Imperial shuttle cost about $50 when it was rereleased in the 2000s at Target and it cost $39.99 back in the 80s? It was a better deal in the 2000s, plus it came with 2 figures. But I also remember paying $250 for it from FAO Swartz in the early 2000s.
I remember paying $2.25 for my first action figures. Not dissing you, just price difference between retail stores and regions. I got most of ships from JCPenny catalog.
We had a Zayre’s nearby and they had sales on figures all the time for $1 each. That’s how my 10 year old self learned about tax, if I had $10 I could get 9 figures. Good times.
How did Twin Pod Cloud Car Pilots communicate within the vehicle? Well, I guess most kids would not assume/imagine on-board telecommunications within the cockpits, hence the little handheld com-links they held in their left hand. :-D
I agree with you being spot on with all the prices except the Slave 1. I never got it back then because I could not afford that one. It seems like that one was more around the $20 range. $1.78 Chewbacca was my first figure bought from Kroger! They were the first in my area to have Star Wars.
My mother used to work at the Sears warehouse here in Philly back in the late 70's and 80's . She recently told me how back then she used to hide all the toys she wanted to get us for Christmas. I had the AT-AT(still do) and the Imperial Shuttle which my all time favorite but NEVER had the Falcon. I asked her why cause I was always mad that I didn't get it and she explained how she had it hidden but when she went to get it , it was gone. It was always a hot item at the time. We were a lower class family and my mother had to work 2 and sometimes 3 jobs so I was lucky to get the toys that I got.
I have a few carded figures with a 2 for $1 sticker on them. Could YOU imagine?
You had a nice mother. My dad was the one who bought Star Wars figures and vehicles for me. Luckily my stepmom worked at Sears and they were able to get me the Falcon and death star playset, x wing and tie fighter, imperial troop transport, landspeeder, dewback, land of the jawa playset, bespin playset, twin pod cloud car, Slave 1. Never got the AT AT or Imperial shuttle. But by then I wanted a computer and was through with Star Wars toy collecting, but so many fond childhood memories playing with my Star Wars figures.
Seems like we all got some pretty nice Star Wars toys related memories, nice share btw.
@@hanniballecter4924 thanks
Thank you so much for that story. Thank your mom for me too. Let her know her hard work back then still makes others happy today.
Bless your Mother for all she did. I remember my Parents not being able to find the Falcon for Christmas 1980 because it sold out but they begged the shop assistant if they could have the one on display in the shop window? I was able to go down to the store the day after Christmas and pick it up. They even boxed it up for me and threw in some loose storm troopers for half the normal retail price. Man was I a happy little sausage 💜💜💜
I had all those toys as a kid. I was a spoiled brat. The AT-AT went as low as $29.99 at K-Mart in 1981, and Kaybee actually sold AT-AT's for $100.00! That was nuts!
Prices of original Kenner toys. . . Affordable and lots of fun!
Prices of Hasbro. . . Expensive and not as fun with exclusives at stores not readily available to all collectors!
Kenner. . . We miss you guys and wish you were still making, selling, and own the rights to making Star Wars toys!
Sucks Hasbro shut them down after they bought them. Same goes with Galoob.
@@mymechanicalheart371 it's a shame. Hasbro unlike Kenner are full of greed! For them it's not about making toys for all to enjoy, it's about lining their pockets with money and taking advantage of collectors! Kenner always had a saying. . . "It's Kenner, it's fun!" Well, I say now days "It's Hasbro, it sucks!" Not to say they haven't released some great stuff over the years, but they go out of their way to jack prices up and have annoying exclusives not everyone can get to. Galoob was great back in the day with some awesome toys!
@Cowel of the Ewok couldn't have said it better! They don't really care about the average collector at all.
hasbro wasn t like that in the 80's gi joe 's were fun and affordable. i think that the managers of 2019 are just people Who can sell anything food, bikes clothes and answer to job ads without knowing anything about toys....
@@jebstuart4004 that's right! they did do G.I. Joe didn't they. I guess these days they just care about the money. Or as you said answer to a job add and not know anything about toys. I really do miss Kenner though. They really did care about the customers. Even on the cards it said "we really do care!" And they listened to the customers and stood behind their products 100%
The only vehicle I had was the 1978 Landspeeder. Loved it! Stored all my weapons under the hood.
Great video! I had at least half of those too. :) Among the ones I DIDN'T have were the Millennum Falcon playset (the big one. I DID have the Micro one later on,) which my dad really wanted to get me when I was 4 but couldn't. And the AT-AT, which my mom really wanted to get me for Christmas to compliment the Snowspeeder my dad gave me for my birthday that year (or compete with him, since they were divorced.) Again, she couldn't because of the $50 price tag. She got me a Hoth Rebel base playset instead which was still great!
I did have Slave I, Jabba the Hutt, the aforementioned Snowspeeder and the Micro Falcon, freeze chamber and Wampa cave.
The 80's WERE great times!!!! :D
As a five year old in 1977, the price of STAR WARS toys seemed so expensive, with maybe the exception of the 3 3/4" action figures which I remember were around $2.00.
$2 back in the late 70s was a lot of money. Minimum wage was about $2. What's minimum wage now? $10 to $15 now. A Star Wars action figure usually costs an hour of working minimum wage throughout the years.
@@lamarravery4094 minimum wage in America now is $7.25 dude. It’s not enough
I had 3 stormtroopers. That was it. I remember going to the toy aisle at Fred Meyer's when I was a kid, looking for more stormtroopers. I lived 2 blocks away, so I would walk over there whenever I had some money. I was lucky to have found one stormtrooper on the pegs and a death squad commander. So I had 4 stormtroopers and 2 death squad commanders. I got some white out and painted one of the death squad commander's helmets white and turned him into a rebel fleet trooper. We had to be inventive back in those days since Kenner didn't give us everything we wanted.
A Kenner Star Wars figure cost me an afternoon of lawn mowing. ❤️ thanks Junkman
Likewise! If I wanted a new figure or vehicle I'd be doin yard work all day. And it was definitely worth it 😁 I'd always be so excited to rip open that action figure and play with it. Those were the days man!
I started cutting yards in 85, for $5 each & 1 extra to trim lol. I had 20 I took care of so I was getting several new figures or a ship each week. Plus my mother was toy manager at Kmart so I was a spoiled kid. I had just about everything they made & had a near complete SW, Transformers & GI Joe collection all the way through 10 years ago when it was stolen. I was devastated, especially since I discovered Ebay and was working on MOC collection of all figures & also getting overseas stuff as well (mostly Joe's). Easily over $100k spent on everything and a large Lego, Thundercat & few other lines. Still not over it, probably never will be. It really burns my ass when I buy something that I used to have off Ebay for much higher prices today, so I've almost given up on trying to rebuild what I used to have. Its impossible to replace a 30+ year collection when you don't make much money anymore. So I just buy the occasional piece every now and then & most of my money goes towards current junk that will probably never go up much in value. Unfortunately there's no Joe's to buy & barely any good SW, & the Transformer products stink today. Oh well, I still have fun with my overpriced Lego collecting lol
Mom ordered me a snowspeeder in 1980 for my birthday from the Sears catalog. These things were sold out everywhere and you could not get your hands on one in Arkansas and Sears had gone through their allotment. I cried my eyes out! Never actually saw one in person until I was an adult of 21. Now, have 5 in various states of repair.
This was most enjoyable. A "part II" would be appreciated. :)
I'm about your age Junkman. I vaguely remember in 1982 or so the individual figurines costing $4, maybe $5 here in Australia. Nice deal for Kenner.
The disney hasbro star wars stuff still sells for the same price once it hit the dollar store shelf🤣
I thought this was a fantastic video...👌🏼 It was definitely great reminiscing about old prices...💲 We definitely need that time machine so we can go back to a toy store and raid it...💯✔
what it would be like if we could go back in time and see all the toys of the shelves and say how expensive all those are today. I personally like to collect G.I. Joe’s 1960 ones and they’re very expensive and I asked somebody and they said that they had walls and walls of these toys
I'd buy every vinyl Cape jawa I could find and purchase 10 of each figure lol! And quadruplets of the vehicles then preserve them in airtight containers with climate control and come back through the time machine and make a fortune lol
Man..this is an awesome video, I can't believe how much they were back then, even though I'm a trekkie I still like the original Star Wars trilogy, as a matter of fact I still have my Luke Skywalker figure, my Han Solo figure, the landspeeder from '78 and the Hoth base from '80 I believe I just need to get the parts for it and it's complete, the figures are in good shape to and I still have the weapons that goes with them.
I loved it but it would have been cooler if you gave the today's value conversion along with the back in the day price. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I have one of the PotF skiffs. I think I bought it at a Lionel Playworld. I absolutely loved it. I always wished they had made a matching Sail Barge.
1978 In the UK they were pocket money priced toys... £1:50 each. You could get one on a Saturday but it meant no sweets or comics to go with it
They started off at 99p in 1978 and steadily increased up to about £1.50by the time the Empire figures came out.
My pimp says I have to work overtime if I want a carded EV-9D9!
You're probably not thinking about buying Star Wars figures if you have a pimp. More like you're working for crack. Lol.
I remember my mom saying I bought your Christmas presents from Pic and Save she got me Luke's landspeeder and a Tie Interceptor for cheap.Thank God for closeout stores
I have an explanation for why Vader's Tie fighter cost more, but you'll have to bear with me as this may be a bit long. Keep in mind, it's just a guess, and not a fact, but a good guess, nonetheless...
Kenner probably thought that the X-WING would be seen as a "fleet" vehicle, to be flown by random rebels and other figures a kid might have lying around. The basic Tie fighter probably was cheaper also. But Vader's Tie fighter was special. Only to be piloted by Vader himself. One Vader, one Tie Advance. So, jack the price up. Kids only needed that one. Just like you don't see a fleet of Millennium Falcons all over the big screen.
It was an iconic ship, so it cost more.
I would say my guess makes a little sense. If I'm wrong, tell me why you think so in the comments section down below. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay up to date on more content, and don't forget to check out the Patreon page.
I know.... Thank you sir, for that unsolicited testimonial...
Also put into fact the wings had more plastic to them too. During that time we had the "oil embargo" going on and the cost of plastics skyrocketed. I agree with you and your theory but also think it has to do with the cost of plastics. The wings required more because of the shape. If you were to straighten them out they would be nearly 2-4 inches taller than the standard TIE Fighter toy. Anyways 😁 good thought and theory.
Kids were getting a darth vader figure anyway. So one would not be sold to go with the darth vider tie figther. However not many would get the regular tie figther pilot without getting the vehicle. So the vehicle and figure kind of helped subsidize each other.
@@mrmovieprop It's like the AT-ST Walker, we all wanted the driver to go with it, or the A Wing needed the "A wing pilot" ect. That's how they made money off us lol. Except for the AT-AT Walker which came with driver and commander.
One of my favorite things about the vintage figure line cards are the old price tags on them! The other thing I love are the mail away offer stickers. Thanks Junkman for this video
Never bought me a SW toy or figure with my pocket money back then. My mon always used to bought me my SW toys and figures when we were in the toy stores. I'm born in 1976 and I was 9 yo at the end of the SW toy line in 1985 and started very late with Star Wars in 1982 at the age of 6. Still remember my mon bought me a Wampa, Radar Laser Cannon, The Rebo Band, Speeder Bike and some Mini Rigs like the MLC and a lot of figures. For Christmas 1982 I got the AT-AT and Snowspeeder and on my birthday that year I got the Imperial Attack Base and for Christmas 1983 and 1984 the Ewok Village, AT-ST Walker, the Falcon in ROTJ box and the Jabba The Hutt Playset. The Prices here in Germany were a little higher as in the USA I guess. The average prices were 7-9 german marks for a figure, what was a lot of money for a 6 yo kid back in the days.
Living in Canada, I remember getting RotJ figures from a local department store in 1985-1986 for $1.44 each, which would be around $3.14 in canadian dollars today, so about $2.40 US dollars today. What a steal! Additionally, on one occasion, that store had both Jabba the Hutt and the Rancor monster on clearance at only $6 each! Thankfully, my parents agreed to buy them for me! :D
I recall Yak face figures on the pegs for $0.99 cents and there must have been 50 of them and NOT selling !
What country was that? Yakface was never available inside the US.
@@spaceknight793 AUSTRALIA...
The Falcon I have that is in the box has an original K-Mart price tag from 1978 that says $26.49. Actually, I am assuming it was 1978 since it is in a Star Wars box, but it could have been from '79 or early 1980 as well.
I remember the earliest Star Wars figures selling for about $1.39 at the malls, toy stores, and discount stores like Woolworth's. I remember getting many Star Wars toys for Christmas in 1978 (Death Star play set, Landspeeder, board game, 12" Luke, large R2-D2, among others) I added up all the prices on a calculator, and the total was only $90. For the next two years I got mostly Star Wars for Christmas. After that I was considered "too old" for toys and got lots of clothes instead.
In the UK prices for vintage Star Wars action figures were 99p in 1978 to about £2.20 in early 1984. Interesting video 😎
I remember getting my very first figures for 99p, including the Jawa with vinyl cape. :D
Great video JM! You put a lot of time into these videos and we all appreciate it! Stay blessed!
Back in 1978 or 1979 (whenever it came out) my mom told me to get a bag from the trunk of her car. I was 10 in 1978. It was the Death Star Space Station- for my birthday! I was floored. I still have the thing after all this time.
I remember that we had no money at the time, so me and my brother made working bow and arrows out of willow branches and junkyard wires. We got good at it and then traded them for toys (some Star Wars, but mostly Micronauts)! Benefit of growing up on an Air Force base I guess/ the parents never objected to our violent plans!
Man home made bows and arrows. Thought only me and my brother did that
I'm from Germany and I remember well that at the end of the SW toyline in 1984-85 you could grab SW figures in the toy stores for 1.49 German Marks and later for only 50 Pfennige (half of a german Mark). When SW was at the edge of its popularity in 1980 you had to pay 8 or even 9 German Marks for each figure. In 1985 I was a 9 years old kid and I was with my Mom and Grandmom in a toy store here in Cologne and there was a big box full of Star Wars action figures each for 50 Pfennige. I took all my pocket money (10 Marks) together and bought 20 figures for it. They came all on ROTJ cards. I believe we never had POTF toys here in Germany. Never saw some back then. I remember that I bought Nikto, Han Endor, Leia Endor, Emperors Royal Guard, Biker Scout, AT-ST Driver, The Emperor, IG-88, Dengar, Han in Carbonite, Klaatu, Klaatu Skiff Guard, Teebo, Leia Boussh, Lando Skiff Guard, Imperial Dignitary, Ree Yees and Gamorrean Guard that day. This was the last time I ever saw SW figures in toy stores. A few weeks later there were no signs of Star Wars in that store left :(
Boy here In the state's half of those figures were power of the force
I remember G.I. Joe figures costing about $4 in the 80's and it took forever to save for one. So many franchise to choose from then too. When I shop for my nephews, it hard to believe how much figures have gone up.
Mine were always between $2.00 to $3.00, depending on where my parents got them.
Kind of makes you appreciate what our parents went through to get us these toys. I was probably 5 years old when I got the original MF. My grandfather had to special order it from a local store as the TRU shelves were pretty much empty. I remember him saying he paid close to $40 for it.
I remember all the figures being $1 each. Always was saving from doing chores in the neighborhood, and other "hustles"... The problem was that I loved Wacky Packages at the same time and those were 25 cents...
I grew up on nantucket Island where everything was expensive as all hell. In the 80's, a Star Wars figure cost $10 a piece. I remember it well because when I had my appendix out, my mother went to the 5&10 and bought 5 of them so I could send away for Nein Numb. I found it seriously strange that when they were discontinuing the line, we managed to visit a Toys R Us and every ship was marked down to $10. One Christmas there were multiple playsets and ships under the tree which cost my mother less than those 5 figures cost.
I have an actual 1980 Kenner Price Guide that I could share with you if you are interested. At the time, my brother needed parts for his Death Star. Using the reply form on my Death Star instruction sheet (which I still have with the lower portion missing), I wrote to Kenner asking for a replacement. In their reply, Kenner stated that the Death Star was discontinued, but I could order something from the list at replacement cost. My brother, as good-hearted as he was, didn't think selfishly, but ordered three PDT-8s - one for himself and two for his brothers.
Email it to junk@thatjunkman.com
@@ThatJunkman Will do later this evening. I will see if I can turn it into a pdf for you.
@@ThatJunkman I tried sending a test e-mail, but it bounced back. Any others?
Never had the radio controlled Sandcrawler. If I remember correctly, my parents thought it was too expensive.
The sandcrawler was very expensive, and it took a long time before my uncle was able to get me one finally. I wanted one for Christmas 1979 and didn't get it until sometime later in 1980.
I *almost* got one of those. It was the local Zayre's department store. My brother and I were getting an unexpected treat at the store that day (our dad was laid off from the mill back when the steel industry was exported overseas and money was ultra tight). It was right after Empire released and my brother and I both wanted Tauntauns to go with the Hoth figures and playsets we got for Christmas. Our parents may have struggled back then with the two of us but they always made sure we had a good Christmas. The sandcrawler was on discount because it was expensive and the previously mentioned depression in our area meant they didn't sell well. My mom pointed it out to me and told me it was the same price as the Tauntaun, that it was different from my brothers toy and was bigger. But I had my heart set on the Tauntaun because reasons. . . mainly 'Empire new and shiny', 'Star Wars old and dull'.
I remember prices for figures ranged from $1.49 to $2.49, depending on the store. Generally around $1.99 in 1978.
Regarding the rebel transport, it doesn’t make sounds. It’s main selling point was it could hold 40 figures inside, and came with accessories like hoth backpacks and asteroid gas masks. I have 2 of them in my collection incomplete. It’s not a bad toy, had decent play value
Definitely the “good ‘ol days”, Junkman!
You are slightly off with your inflation calculations. $2 in 1978 would be almost $8 today ($7.86)
The other estimates are accurate. It’s always the same rate- currently slightly less than 4 times.
Back around late 83 to early 84 there was a Sears in Los Angeles that had a sale on Star Wars Action Figures for 99 cents. Back then in Los Angeles, Action figures can be sold from anywhere between $2.99 to $6.99 depending on the stores. My friend & I must have bought 30~40 dollars worth each. Even had to get my old man to pick us up at a Carls Jr. afterwards
In 1988 and 89 , Star Wars figures at my local Kaybee toys were a dollar to 25 cents. POTF was a dollar and the rest cheaper. True story. POTF started out at Kaybee priced at 3.79 in 1985 and 86. I know this because I still have some of the cardbacks lol
Am down for a part 2
You convert these 70's 80's prices to today, and even the "cheaper stuff" is still pretty damn expensive when minimum wage was still under 3 bucks an hour. $9 in 81 is $25 and change today. Just to keep things in perspective. That Falcon would be $70 today. Still slightly better than the overpriced Hasbro shit going on today, but pricey, nonetheless. Keep up the good work JM. I used 1981 for those conversions, just to clarify. Plus, glad to know I paid roughly the same for a MIB B Wing that it ran for in 84 about 3 years ago lol. That 25 then is 65 to 70 bucks now. I paid 70. Enough of my ranting.
Damn!
Minimum wage was under 3bucks!?
I remember waaay back, Warren Michigan, Tech Plaza. Kmart & Kresge in the same strip mall. Star Wars action figures were $2.43 each, Kresge was $2.67 each. Millenium Falcon was $24.99 back in the day when I snagged it.
When first released
I remember figures we about
$1.80
Landspeeder I got for $4.50 on sale
Xwing about $10
Any other questions??
At-At was $29.95 at TRU in mid 80s California!
fan of the b wing too ! i remember seeing it in trilogo box around 1985 or 1986 but didn't bought it, damn !! my interest was focused on this new red boxes ....MASK...good old days...
Still remember my first. Tusken Raider then jawa. Started around $1.79 to $1.99 a piece. I had to save up 8 quarters. Helped local paper boy deliver papers for 25 to 50 cents a day. Was so frustrated when empire figures jumped to $2.99. 12 whole quarters! What a time to be a kid. Bought most figures myself but got ships as Christmas gifts
The action figures in 1978 were no less than $2.48. I never saw them below $1.99 anywhere. Believe it or not, the Jawa which came out last, cost $4.61 in the fall of 1978 from a grocery store. It was a cloth caped version, and my uncle found him for me.
Yep. Different prices in different areas
Let's have a part 2!
And may I humbly suggest mini rigs for part 2, as well as the Ewok Village?
As for figures, admittedly my memory may be off, but the K Mart here usually had figures just under $3. 2.88, if memory serves.
I remember the Xing going for $15-$20 when it came out. I never had one but my Snowspeeder was $6.99 on a clearance rack. Bought that one myself.
Looking at all the classic carded and boxed figures from "the good old days" was fantastic. If you do part two I would like to see the ewok tree house thing!
A great video that really brought back some old memories I remember adding up alot of this prices while making birthday and Christmas lists through my childhood.
I had that Slave-1 as a kid i thought it was expensive $24 is all it cost??? My parents had me fooled😄
Gotta remember that minimum wage was $3.35 per hour then as well, so about 9 hours of work to get it. That's the same wage I started working for a few years later since it didn't go up for another 10 years approx. The mid 90s is when everything started going up every year & still hasn't stopped for long since. Ridiculous honestly.
I had a Tauntaun and think i still have a AT-AT somewhere in my dad's attic. Had the snowspeeder too. Forgot how many vehicles i had.
I had an x wing, Darth Vader's tie, Luke's landspeeder, imperial troop transporter, Death Star playset, Millennium falcon, twin pod cloud car, Slave one, dewback, Bespin playset, Land of the Jawas playset. I think that was about it. I had all of the New Hope and Empire Strikes Back figures. I quit asking for Star Wars toys for Christmas at the time Return of the Jedi came out since I wanted a computer by that time. Never got the At At walker.
Orange clown shoes, lol. I liked the cloud car, it had two cockpits, you could put 2 figures in there. I remember playing with that a lot, it was a cool little flying vehicle. But my favorite was the millennium falcon and the death star playset. Played with those two the most.
They were around $2 a piece. I distinctly remember my dad expressing his disgust on the way out of a toy store once when the original POTF figures were over $3.50
My collection mostly consisted of figures because of exactly the topic of this video... the price point. Before I had coins in my pocket to purchase my own Star Wars figures (at which time I calculated the value of a vehicle purchase in "lost" figures and always opted for a couple of figures or realized I was only daydreaming anyway as I had only enough to purchase a single figure if I begged a sibling or parent to cover the tax), my cash poor mother mailed away for a Star Wars Punch-Out and Make-It Book which was offered with a small outlay of money and proofs of purchase of Dixie paper cups (Star Wars themed, of course). Have you ever seen this book? I can attest it is amazing and I was delighted to possess my very own Lightsaber and Blaster, as well as a Sandcrawler and some other vehicles. I loved these paper items and a few of them lasted several years because the quality of the paper was incredible. Were these toys as good as store bought Kenner items??? No, but they took some of the sting away when neighborhood kids showed off their X-wings and Tie Fighters and the unattainable Falcon. I shot those rich kids with my paper Blaster like they were Greedo across a cantina table and ran home and played with my paper vehicles and Kenner figures. thetoystimeforgot.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PUNCH-OUT-BOOK-1.jpg
What’s frustrating about current retail is they don’t stock much Star Wars toys anymore. My local Walmart/Target are still stocking last years VC’s like TFA Rey and TLJ Snoke. The only new VC I ever see in retail is ANH Stormtrooper Han. Why are the new VC’s not hitting any retail stores anymore?
Chris Olivo IKR! They pretty much took out all of the good Star Wars toys. All they have are a few VC figures and crappy lightsabers at my Target!
After the Falcon I think the troop transporter was my favourite ship. Loved it.
Awesome video! Now I know how much my parents really spent on all my Star Wars toys. Also, I was one of the kids with an AT-AT...purchased from Zayre's.
One more point...I don't think you should have a time machine. Something about the way you looked longingly into the camera when you repeated it.
The Falcon was considered one of the priciest of the SW toys at the time. It would be about $100 today. Of course what makes them valuable today is not just buying them but keeping and storing them for 30 or 40 years.
If the Force Awakens MF is any indication (which was cheap garbage and cost over $100 retail), a vintage style MF would probably be $150 or more. Which is crazy considering the BMF was released at $150 around 2010 or 2011, and it is far bigger with far more features.
I was five when ROTJ came out, and had a few Star Wars toys, but was still too young to get the earlier ones. Did have the TIE Interceptor, the AT-ST, and a few others, but one friend in kindergarten actually had the AT-AT. I always hated him for it.
I never got a Falcon but I did get an AT-AT. The single greatest Christmas present of my life and a total surprise too.
“I have an X-Wing right over there… where’s my X-Wing?”
Great video… and review on prices? You could say?
Also the Death Star and Millennium Falcon was released in 1979, with the AT-AT in 1981. But close enough, seeing that you’re referring to a list of prices it doesn’t matter that much. Still great video and it’s very interesting how much toy prices have increased since the 1980’s. Ridiculous what we’re paying for the modern Star Wars and Transformers figures now. What happened to the great pricing Hasbro?
I like this topic. It’s what kids would’ve been aware of ... what was in their minds at the time. It also demonstrates how much toy prices have shot up, even considering inflation. One project of mine was figuring out the approximate order of the commercials you now see jumbled in home made DVDs.
You are quite right about toy prices shooting up. It literally costs $13 for one VC figure. Back in the 80’s, I could have gotten Slave 1 plus 2 individual figures
I remember a store having so many bespin Princess Leia figures that weren't selling that they kept getting marked down. Know they got down to 50 cents maybe even lower.
Who would of thought star wars figures and ships would be so valuable today for collectors!
$2.68 for the longest times at Toys R Us. Then $1.00 for a bit at Thrifty in 1988-1990 (but only locally).
The first 12 Figures here in california at the local ZODYS,and Newberrys. Were 2.00.. I got the ATAT in the Empire box for 50.00. The last figure i bought was a ReeYees at target for 3.99...drug stores lile thrifty and clarks.and SavOn usually marked up the prices by almost a Dollar..
I remember the figures being £1.50, Leeds, UK when it was ROTJ era. I was about 5.
I remember my grandmother got me the little Chewbacca Star Wars action figure and the big Chewbacca action figure back in the day. I wish I still had them and I had all the Star War toys to thanks for posting your video with really cool Happy New Year.
My favorite videos of yours Junkman is the one where you discuss being a Dumb Kid and the misconceptions you had. That'd be so funny if you got an cartoon pic of you as a kid and did a video/split screen style
of you now having a convo with little kid version of you. Pure Comedy.
Lot of people liked it. I’m working on a part 2. Love the cartoon idea
I just went on your site,i want every tee!!Ill be ordering matching one for my grandson and myself,keep up the good work!!
From what I remember as a child in the 70s in the UK when the figures came out they were 99 pence and a lot of people thought that was a lot of money. When I first saw the landspeeder it was £4.50.
Not a cheap toy at that time.
I remember by first figures circa 1978/79 was 99p (UK) Later figures from ESB and ROTJ around £1.25
Junkman I think you forgot the Droids A wing,even though it wasn't the power of the force line,it was a notable ship from the move
Forgive the TL;DR, Junkman. Thought I'd write down some of my reactions to a bygone era...when times were simpler, when we waited three years between Star Wars movies, and all we had to worry about was nuclear annihilation at any moment. 😊
Good Lord, $25 for the first Falcon?! My mom lied to me! She made it sound more expensive than it really was, so I never got a Falcon.
Oh, yeah! Umm...value of a dollar...inflation.. and all that.
My mom actually bought me a Darth Vader TIE Fighter at an auction, I think for about $5.00. I had to suppress a laugh (I was probably 11 or 12 at the time) as the elderly auctioneer described it. "I think this is a game, here...a Darth...Vader's ...TIE Fighter."
Ahhh.. the X-wing, bless it's stubby little wings. Never got one, so my Darth Vader TIE Fighter didn't have any enemies....until I had Luke and Han convert the Luke's Landspeeder for space flight...in my mind. The intakes of the engine pods became laser cannons, and the back of the pods became ion engines. The hood housed the hyperdrive.... and the open air cockpit somehow created an atmosphere for Luke Skywalker, X-wing pilot.
The large sized action figures...those were cool. My little brother got C-3P0 and R2-D2 (although he had no use for Star Wars toys..he eventually gave them to me.) Over a couple of years, my mom got me Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker (why did he have such a small lightsaber?), Chewbacca, and Han Solo. Could you imagine if Kenner made ships and playsets that could accommodate the 12inch figure line? Darth Vader's TIE Fighter would be huge. The Falcon would be ginormous! Also, one would quite literally say: "Look at the size of that thing!" if a Death Star playset were made for the large size figure line.
The Tauntaun.... Princess Leia must've freezing her.......umm...hairbuns off in that package picture. She was still wearing the original outfit with the vinyl cape. LOL! I suppose they could have stuffed her in the gut pocket of the poor beast whenever she was about to highbeam.😀
The All-Terrain Armored Transport....ahhhh... the goal of my young life, the bane of my hopes and dreams. Hey, looks like they finally got Leia some Hoth clothes! What did the Rebels array against the AT-AT in this box pic? Let's see... a medical droid, two tauntauns, a couple of Rebel Hoth Troops, Leia, 3P0 and R2. What?! No snowspeeders?! Wow...it's a good thing Luke Skywalker X-wing pilot is on his way up to negotiate with the Imperial Snowtroopers! You know what the most disheartening thing of all these cool ships and playsets was?! Seeing all those other figures and toys on the box art....followed by the words, action figures, Tauntauns NOT INCLUDED! Come on! Batteries?! That was understandable! But no other figures or accessories or toys?! Dang it! Didn't they know how expensive all those things were on their own?! Prices add up, darn it!
Ahhhh.... Slave One! That was also one of the coolest ships my mom ever got for me! Thank God she also got me a Boba Fett! I woulda thought it ridiculous to have Han, Luke, or Vader...or C-3P0 pilot the ship. (One of the funniest skits I ever saw was on Robot Chicken....Lando Calrissian ...voiced by Billy Dee Williams... was standing next to Fett, admiring the ship. Lando says: "That's a nice lookin' ship. Not crazy 'bout the name though." LMAO!)
Gaahhhhhhh!!!!! I wanted a Han Solo blaster so bad...that and the Stormtrooper rifle. Never got 'em! All I ever got were those rinky-dink, red-plastic-transparent spark guns they used to make (and would likely be considered fire-hazards today). I did manage to get them later (in my younger adult life...about 75 years ago....but the Han Solo pistol was almost blaze orange, and the Stormtrooper rifle was white with an orange tip....God forbid people mistake a white Stormtrooper rifle for a real gun, they had to put that blaze orange tip on the muzzle!)
Ahhh...the Sy Snootles band set. It's a good thing they didn't go with the original name.. Max Rebo and the Jizz-wailers! (Coulda been mistaken for a porn title!)
A time machine indeed! How great it would be to have one today.
Thanks for this video. May the Force Be With You and Yours, Junkman.
Prices are way to high today! I remember getting an R2D2 with pop up lightsaber at Kay Bee on clearance in a bin full of POTF figures. If only we knew I would have bought the whole bin.
Without question, those WERE the good old days,
What I wouldn’t give to go back to 1977 or 1978 or 1979 or 1980.
I remember paying $1.79 per figure back in 1978 for my Star Wars figures from the Kmart in Grand Forks, North Dakota. [Sometimes I bought my figures from Sears - for the same price. It was just a matter of which store had which figure I wanted in stock.]
I can remember searching the card stocked action figures for Luke Skywalker X Wing Pilot - I wanted that figure more than anything!
Good times...
Cool stuff Junkman any chance of a follow up video of what those items in boxed good condition are going for today?. Would be nice to see a comparison
Each UK Palitoy Figure cost 99pence back in 1978 roughly about a third of the cost of an LP.
Great video junkman keep pumping out the hits
Oh oh Fonzie at the beach? Batman & Joker best watch out.JUNKMAN my first time ever having any STAR WARS was in 1984 when the left overs of Jedi stuff was sold.Love the background JUNKMAN.
I’m probably wrong but I don’t think Palitoy in the UK released half as much as Kenner did in the US. I certainly don’t remember the micro collection hitting the shelves in any UK store.
For people (including myself) who don't math very well when it comes to finances and dollar worth over the years, it sounds like Junkman's baseline boils down to the 1978 dollar being worth anywhere from 2x to 4x as much in modern times.
Honestly, I was expecting a much wider breadth and range.
Bonjour Junkman,
Very good video ( as Always !! ) and a very good - rare, honest and unusual !! - related to the STAR WARS universe ! after all, owning a part of a dream has a cost ! of course, when you are a kid, the cost and value mean nothing…
Anyway nostalgia…
Thank you !!
I happened to be at the local shop the day they got the first 4 Star Wars figures in 1978. Luke, Leia, Chewie and R2. I paid $1.49 for R2.
Ray Deen you were lucky. I went to the local Woolworths in 1978 when the figures first came out and they had what must have been 40 princess Leia's and ONE, yes ONE Ben Kenobi. So those were my first two figs.
Funny how the Imperial shuttle cost about $50 when it was rereleased in the 2000s at Target and it cost $39.99 back in the 80s? It was a better deal in the 2000s, plus it came with 2 figures. But I also remember paying $250 for it from FAO Swartz in the early 2000s.
Very enjoyable video Junkman. Good job!!!
I remember paying $2.25 for my first action figures. Not dissing you, just price difference between retail stores and regions. I got most of ships from JCPenny catalog.
We had a Zayre’s nearby and they had sales on figures all the time for $1 each. That’s how my 10 year old self learned about tax, if I had $10 I could get 9 figures. Good times.
Great video Junkman! I love B-Wing as well!!
How did Twin Pod Cloud Car Pilots communicate within the vehicle?
Well, I guess most kids would not assume/imagine on-board telecommunications within the cockpits, hence the little handheld com-links they held in their left hand.
:-D
Loving the Fred Sanford POP!.
Lamont is in front of The Empire Strikes Back lunchbox.
I agree with you being spot on with all the prices except the Slave 1. I never got it back then because I could not afford that one. It seems like that one was more around the $20 range. $1.78 Chewbacca was my first figure bought from Kroger! They were the first in my area to have Star Wars.
maybe so but going by what the price was in catalog and ads during the release time
I remember saving up my allowance for months to buy the Millennium Falcon.