Kenner Action Figures
kenner action figures
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BATMAN animated – 1992 TURBO JET BATMAN series kenner $18.95 |
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1979 KENNER STAR WARS 21 BACK-A DEATH STAR DROID AFA 75 $259.00 |
Star Wars: The Franchise That May Never Disappear by
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was the little sci-fi movie that could “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”. At the time, though, it was just known as Star Wars, and it created a franchise unlike anything seen before.
In 2005, Forbes magazine estimated that the Star Wars franchise, from the time it began in the late seventies, had generated more than twenty billion dollars in revenue, and with six big screen success stories, at least three spin-off films, five licensed television shows, and thousands of books, comic books, and toys, it’s no surprise. What might be a surprise, though, is that by the time Star Wars creator George Lucas finished the first film, he was over-budget, out of time, and convinced the film would be a flop. Early screenings of the film did little to improve Lucas’ ideas that the film would be any kind of success, but when it was finally released in the summer of 1977, the film earned nearly seven million dollars in its first weekend. It is considered to be the second highest profitable film of all time.
More than Great Films
Ask any Star Wars fan, though, and they’ll tell you it’s not just about the movies, it’s also about the associated merchandise. The initial film was predicted to be a flop, so no merchandise was created to debut with the film’s release. The toy company, Kenner, though had purchased the license to sell associate products By Christmas of 1977, demand was so high, Kenner created an “Early Bird Special” kit. The kit held a certificate fans could send in for four 3 inch figures as soon as they became available. On Christmas morning, thousands of kids got empty cardboard envelopes that held only a display stand, a Star Wars club card, a few stickers, and a certificate they could put their name and address on, mail in, and wait for several months for the first Star Wars toys ever produced to arrive. Months later, lots of kids did get Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, and Chewbacca in the mail, and years later, these four figures are considered to be some of the most valuable action figures on the collectors’ market today.
Explosive Industry Growth
As you can probably imagine, the Star Wars toy and merchandise franchise has grown considerably since the Christmas of 1977. Once Kenner geared up the production machine, it slowed for no one. From additional action figures to vehicles, playsets, and lightsabers, the vintage Star Wars toy market had everything. As Episodes V and VI were released, more toys hit the market. T-shirts, bed sheets, toothbrushes, combs, and watches were all part of the marketing campaign as well.
After the release of Return of the Jedi, though, the Star Wars marketing machine slowed considerably. People seemed to thing the Star Wars market was nearing the end. However, in the late 1990s, a new line of Star Wars action figures was released. Dubbed “The Power of the Force” line, these green carded figures created a whole new generation of collectors, and with the release of the special edition of the original trilogy, and the subsequent release of Star Wars Episode I, the marketing machine kicked back into high gear. From bubble bath to sandals, the Star Wars name can be found on almost anything these days, and with talk of additional television series, DVDs, and even other films, it’s hard to tell when the franchise will ever slow down.
The author is the Admin of the Anime Friends Network site AnimeMine.com, where you can meet new friends and discuss your favorite anime and manga subjects. This article can also be found at our free article directory Smarticlesmart.com. For more anime information please go to Animemine.com today. For more free articles please try Smarticlesmart.com.
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Star-Wars–The-Franchise-That-May-Never-Disappear/198798
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BATMAN animated – 1992 TURBO JET BATMAN series kenner $18.95 |
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1979 KENNER STAR WARS 21 BACK-A DEATH STAR DROID AFA 75 $259.00 |
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1978 KENNER STAR WARS 20 BACK-G PRINCESS LEIA AFA 80 NM $599.00 |
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MIB 1996 Kenner Hasbro DESPERO Action Figure $5.00 |
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1995 KENNER STARTING LINEUP ALEX RODRIGUEZ (RODRIQUEZ) ROOKIE {AROD} $53.99 |
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1997* RYNE SANDBERG*STARTING LINEUP*CHICAGO CUBS*KENNER $7.65 |
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Star Wars Lando Calrissian Kenner POTF 1995 MOSC 3 3/4″ $7.99 |
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1993 DC COMICS KENNER RIDDLER BATMAN’S ENEMY 4.5 INCHES LOOSE FIGURE $2.99 |
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SILVER HAWKS SKY-SHADOW ( BOX ONLY) FOR SUPER ATTACK BIRD BY KENNER $26.99 |
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1998 HASBRO KENNER COLLECTION STAP & BATTLE DROID NIB $5.50 |
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1980 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action AT ST Driver $5.99 |
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1978 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure Greedo $5.99 |
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1983 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure Gamorrean Guard $5.99 |
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1984 KENNER JLA SUPERPOWERS ACTION FIGURE BROCHURE POSTER:BATMAN/SUPERMAN/1980′s $49.99 |
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1977 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure Tusken Raider $5.99 |
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1978 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure Hammerhead $5.99 |
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1978 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure Hammerhead $5.99 |
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1983 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure 8D8 $5.99 |
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1978 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure Death Star Droid $5.99 |
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Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4″ Action Figure Warok Teebo $5.99 |
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Nothing To Attract You EP Very rare 4-song cd: Time Bomb, Four Leaf Clover, Barrier Reef, and Northern Line…. |
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Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show – The Complete Series (DC Comics Classic Collection) $6.99 SUPERFRIENDS:LEGENDARY SUPER POWERS S – DVD Movie… |
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1998 NCAA Football Starting Lineup Heisman Collection – Charles Woodson (University of Michigan) 1998 Starting Lineup Heisman Collection – Charles Woodson – University of Michigan… |
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1998 NCAA Basketball Starting Lineup – Larry Bird – Indiana State University During basketball legend Larry Bird’s career at Indiana State, he gave the team its first real shot at an NCAA title, was named College Player of the Year, and became the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Then it was on to the Boston Celtics for a phenomenal twelve-year career. This six-inch figure has movable head and arms (though the basketball is firmly stuck to Bird’s right hand), and incl… |
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Star Wars 2.5′ New Millennium Falcon $169.99 The new Millennium Flacon might well be the ultimate Star Wars toy. This famous spaceship can now seat 18 characters (including four in the cockpit, just like the movies), has a medical bay, auto-ramp, smuggling compartments, gunning station, Jedi training probe, Devarik table, and lots of lights and sounds. Hasbro. Ages: 6+… |
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Kenner Captain America Movie Hero Mask $9.99 Kenner Captain America Movie Hero Mask…. |
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Thor Basic Helmet $9.99 … |
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The Shadow Ambush with Quick Draw Action Figure $1.14 Produced in 1994…. |
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The Shadow Transforming Lamont Cranston Action Figure $5.75 Produced in 1994…. |
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BATMAN ANIMATED MOVIE: MASK OF THE PHANTASM DECOY BATMAN ACTION FIGURE $7.99 This figure is fully articulated with crime fighting Decoy Disquise accessories,figure was released by KENNER in 1993 durring the Animated movie MASK OF THE PHANTASM…. |