I've been rolling this idea around in my head for awhile now and wanted to give it a go. I'm sure we've all seen Jason and Skye's wonderful Kenner carded figure rarity threads on RS (if you haven't then you can find the index thread here).

So along those same lines, I thought it would be fun to do a series on the foreign cardbacks. And since I have a soft spot for Palitoy, I thought we'd start there. We have Jason's wonderful Palitoy website (mrpalitoy.webs.com) to give us a starting off point and to use as a guide. I'd like to eventually work our way up to the ROTJ releases where things get really interesting, but let's start with the 12 backs to keep things in order.

Please post your photos, and thoughts as to rarity and availability and I'll update the list as we go along!

Here's the list of the figures available on the 12 backs. Let's have some fun!

1. Luke Skywalker
2. Princess Leia
3. R2-D2
4. Chewbacca
5. C-3PO
6. Darth Vader
7. Stormtrooper
8. Obi-Wan
9. Han Solo
10. Jawa
11. Sand People
12. Death Squad Commander

Chris,

Here is an old thread I started in 2008. It is a tad outdated, but should help out.

Definitive Foreign 12 Back List
http://forum.rebelscum.com/t1012458/

i get your love of palitoys chris,but they are all reasonably easy to get compared to other foriegn lines except the palitoy vc jawa
all meccanos except leia are extremly rare
toltoys are very thin on the ground.i don't know about a 12bk jawa but the 20 bk isn't that rare
all harberts are easy except han and luke which are rocking horse shit
most clippers are super rare
canadians are a mixed bag,some are reasonbly easy some are just a no no
takara aren't to hard to find except han
and the new zealand 12bks forget it,no chance
even some kenner 12bks aren't that easy to find,but i admit i can't think of any kenners that are as rare as some of the other foriegn 12bks.

daren

emperorburns wrote:

all harberts are easy except han and luke which are rocking horse shit


daren

Really?? I can't agree with that at all. Vader and R2 are usually available , I'll give you that. You don't see the rest with any real frequency IMHO. Over the last few years I've seen 2 Tuskens, 1 Ben, 1 DSC, maybe 3 Jawas, 1 C3PO. I'm not a hawk who's constantly looking around but I do get a decent overview of the public market.

I'm not saying I'm 100% right, so if anyone has evidence to the contrary please speak up!

DarthBerizing wrote:

emperorburns wrote:

all harberts are easy except han and luke which are rocking horse shit


daren

Really?? I can't agree with that at all. Vader and R2 are usually available , I'll give you that. You don't see the rest with any real frequency IMHO. Over the last few years I've seen 2 Tuskens, 1 Ben, 1 DSC, maybe 3 Jawas, 1 C3PO. I'm not a hawk who's constantly looking around but I do get a decent overview of the public market.

I'm not saying I'm 100% right, so if anyone has evidence to the contrary please speak up!

look harder

honestly i'd say harberts are by far the most easy to get (with the exception of han and luke of course) my set was the quickest to complete and i still need a han after nearly 2 decades of hunting.i check ebay reasonably regular and i'm always seeing the rest of the set at one time or another.granted i haven't done a head count for them,but i've seen all of them for sale on ebay in the last year (except han and luke) and i've kinda noticed it's been that way for many years.so i would still stick to my thoughts that harbert are the easiest set (without han and luke) to complete after kenner then palitoy.
definatly far easier than a meccano leia,which is the easiest meccano 12bk to get.but thats just imo

daren

emperorburns wrote:

look harder

That's all I can look!! LOL

I guess my searches are failing me. If you say they are, then they are. No reason to doubt you. I do completely agree that Harbert is the east 12BK line from EU.

emperorburns wrote:

i get your love of palitoys chris,but they are all reasonably easy to get compared to other foriegn lines except the palitoy vc jawa

I don't think Palitoy's are all that easy to get. Especially as you get further up the chain into ESB and ROTJ. That's the fun of these rarity guides, it's all speculative and from different perspectives. For example, I've only ever seen ONE Palitoy Rebel Commando 65A (the one I own), and I know a certain Luke Jedi collector that has yet to see a 65C.

You could say the same for Kenner's being relatively easy to come by, yet for some characters, finding certain MOC's is near impossible, i.e. C-3PO 79B, Lobot 65A or B, Rebel Commando 79A, etc.

I just thought we'd use the Palitoy 12backs as a good place to start, then move on. Hopefully make a series out of it. But maybe there isn't enough interest out there?

RebelChris wrote:

emperorburns wrote:

i get your love of palitoys chris,but they are all reasonably easy to get compared to other foriegn lines except the palitoy vc jawa

I don't think Palitoy's are all that easy to get. Especially as you get further up the chain into ESB and ROTJ. That's the fun of these rarity guides, it's all speculative and from different perspectives. For example, I've only ever seen ONE Palitoy Rebel Commando 65A (the one I own), and I know a certain Luke Jedi collector that has yet to see a 65C.

You could say the same for Kenner's being relatively easy to come by, yet for some characters, finding certain MOC's is near impossible, i.e. C-3PO 79B, Lobot 65A or B, Rebel Commando 79A, etc.

I just thought we'd use the Palitoy 12backs as a good place to start, then move on. Hopefully make a series out of it. But maybe there isn't enough interest out there?

I have a 65A rebel commando cardback. 65C luke jedi has never been seen yet on my matrix.

This is what my guide says about rarity of the 12 backs-

"A common collecting goal is to collect the original 12 figures MOC. This can be quite pricey as the rarer figures can cost quite a price premium. The rarest to find is Chewbacca, this is generally the figure you will need to find to complete the set of 12. Next is Luke Skywalker which is generally the most expensive to obtain. Next is Princess Leia Organa and Ben Kenobi followed by the small head Han Solo. Then comes Stormtrooper, Jawa, Death Squad Commander and C-3PO. The most common figures are R2-D2, Darth Vader and Sand People."

I grouped those in batches of similar rarity.

cheers Jason

mr_palitoy wrote:

RebelChris wrote:

emperorburns wrote:

i get your love of palitoys chris,but they are all reasonably easy to get compared to other foriegn lines except the palitoy vc jawa

I don't think Palitoy's are all that easy to get. Especially as you get further up the chain into ESB and ROTJ. That's the fun of these rarity guides, it's all speculative and from different perspectives. For example, I've only ever seen ONE Palitoy Rebel Commando 65A (the one I own), and I know a certain Luke Jedi collector that has yet to see a 65C.

You could say the same for Kenner's being relatively easy to come by, yet for some characters, finding certain MOC's is near impossible, i.e. C-3PO 79B, Lobot 65A or B, Rebel Commando 79A, etc.

I just thought we'd use the Palitoy 12backs as a good place to start, then move on. Hopefully make a series out of it. But maybe there isn't enough interest out there?

I have a 65A rebel commando cardback. 65C luke jedi has never been seen yet on my matrix.

This is what my guide says about rarity of the 12 backs-

"A common collecting goal is to collect the original 12 figures MOC. This can be quite pricey as the rarer figures can cost quite a price premium. The rarest to find is Chewbacca, this is generally the figure you will need to find to complete the set of 12. Next is Luke Skywalker which is generally the most expensive to obtain. Next is Princess Leia Organa and Ben Kenobi followed by the small head Han Solo. Then comes Stormtrooper, Jawa, Death Squad Commander and C-3PO. The most common figures are R2-D2, Darth Vader and Sand People."

I grouped those in batches of similar rarity.

cheers Jason

i have a rebel commando 65a bk cardback also,i think if you add cardbacks in the mix that definatly makes palitoy 12bks one of the easier sets to complete.and i agree the palitoy line has some impossible to find moc figures or even cardbacks.thats what keeps it interesting

daren

Chris,

Since you started this thread with Palitoy, here is an old list.

Palitoy
(Rarity Order):
Chewbacca
Luke
Ben
Leia
Han
Stormtrooper
DSC
Darth Vader
R2
Jawa
C3P0
Sandperson


Personally, the Jawa is not hard, but not easy either. I think he should rated a little higher on this list. The few that come up for sale are way over priced or reseals...

emperorburns wrote:

DarthBerizing wrote:

emperorburns wrote:

all harberts are easy except han and luke which are rocking horse shit


daren

Really?? I can't agree with that at all. Vader and R2 are usually available , I'll give you that. You don't see the rest with any real frequency IMHO. Over the last few years I've seen 2 Tuskens, 1 Ben, 1 DSC, maybe 3 Jawas, 1 C3PO. I'm not a hawk who's constantly looking around but I do get a decent overview of the public market.

I'm not saying I'm 100% right, so if anyone has evidence to the contrary please speak up!

look harder

honestly i'd say harberts are by far the most easy to get (with the exception of han and luke of course) my set was the quickest to complete and i still need a han after nearly 2 decades of hunting.i check ebay reasonably regular and i'm always seeing the rest of the set at one time or another.granted i haven't done a head count for them,but i've seen all of them for sale on ebay in the last year (except han and luke) and i've kinda noticed it's been that way for many years.so i would still stick to my thoughts that harbert are the easiest set (without han and luke) to complete after kenner then palitoy.
definatly far easier than a meccano leia,which is the easiest meccano 12bk to get.but thats just imo

daren

Hi Daren,

Did you ever find a Luke or Han Harbert? I've been looking for years but neither has changed hands publically in that time. I also believe that the reason you maybe saying some of the HTF Harberts (Ben Leia Stormie) have shown up recently is down to 2 simples facts - a major Harbert collector has been liquidating his superb collection (albeit at high prices) plus the state of the economy. Has anyone else noticed how in the 'bad' times more HTF and rare pieces are available for sale? It's just the way of the world.
If you do have a Luke or Han Harbert please do post a picture - even a picture of one would be great to confirm the existence beyond the ones that Paolo used to own.

Cheers,
Christian

P.S Sorry Chris - I know this isn't 'Palitoy-esque'!

Christian wrote:

emperorburns wrote:

DarthBerizing wrote:

emperorburns wrote:

all harberts are easy except han and luke which are rocking horse shit


daren

Really?? I can't agree with that at all. Vader and R2 are usually available , I'll give you that. You don't see the rest with any real frequency IMHO. Over the last few years I've seen 2 Tuskens, 1 Ben, 1 DSC, maybe 3 Jawas, 1 C3PO. I'm not a hawk who's constantly looking around but I do get a decent overview of the public market.

I'm not saying I'm 100% right, so if anyone has evidence to the contrary please speak up!

look harder

honestly i'd say harberts are by far the most easy to get (with the exception of han and luke of course) my set was the quickest to complete and i still need a han after nearly 2 decades of hunting.i check ebay reasonably regular and i'm always seeing the rest of the set at one time or another.granted i haven't done a head count for them,but i've seen all of them for sale on ebay in the last year (except han and luke) and i've kinda noticed it's been that way for many years.so i would still stick to my thoughts that harbert are the easiest set (without han and luke) to complete after kenner then palitoy.
definatly far easier than a meccano leia,which is the easiest meccano 12bk to get.but thats just imo

daren

Hi Daren,

Did you ever find a Luke or Han Harbert? I've been looking for years but neither has changed hands publically in that time. I also believe that the reason you maybe saying some of the HTF Harberts (Ben Leia Stormie) have shown up recently is down to 2 simples facts - a major Harbert collector has been liquidating his superb collection (albeit at high prices) plus the state of the economy. Has anyone else noticed how in the 'bad' times more HTF and rare pieces are available for sale? It's just the way of the world.
If you do have a Luke or Han Harbert please do post a picture - even a picture of one would be great to confirm the existence beyond the ones that Paolo used to own.

Cheers,
Christian

P.S Sorry Chris - I know this isn't 'Palitoy-esque'!

hello christian,i only have a luke.the only hans i've seen was somebodys full set and a full set that hit ebay several years ago and was snapped up by brians toys (i think) it could have been the same set i'd seen previously.but it went that quick i didn't have time to do anything about it.i only want the han and lxw anyway so my offer was low i would happily settle for just a cardback of han.i saw the near complete set that hit ebay at high prices,i pressumed somebody had bailed on a set.i didn't see a han though i totally agree with you,in hard times more stuff comes up for sale,which is certainly true these times as well.it's just i got all my harberts real quick back in the day,with the exception of luke,which took a long time to track down.and i always seem to see harberts come up for sale on ebay.maybe the fact that there was all those from that set has made me not realise which are the harder ones to find,as i never really keep track of anything i already have.once i have something it's off the hunt list and on to the next
sorry i have no idea how to upload pics,but here is my set with the luke:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2839385190072146139SLnQCW
as you can see theres a gap waiting for a han anybody got one for sale

daren

mr_palitoy wrote:

65C luke jedi has never been seen yet on my matrix.

Although I know of some other cardbacks out there, I'd like to offer up my newly acquired one for the matrix. Unfortunately, he had an accident on the way to the U.S. or else it would have been a MOC. I used John's toploader method, to make him look like a MOC again.

emperorburns wrote:

DarthBerizing wrote:

emperorburns wrote:

all harberts are easy except han and luke which are rocking horse shit


daren

Really?? I can't agree with that at all. Vader and R2 are usually available , I'll give you that. You don't see the rest with any real frequency IMHO. Over the last few years I've seen 2 Tuskens, 1 Ben, 1 DSC, maybe 3 Jawas, 1 C3PO. I'm not a hawk who's constantly looking around but I do get a decent overview of the public market.

I'm not saying I'm 100% right, so if anyone has evidence to the contrary please speak up!

look harder

honestly i'd say harberts are by far the most easy to get (with the exception of han and luke of course) my set was the quickest to complete and i still need a han after nearly 2 decades of hunting.i check ebay reasonably regular and i'm always seeing the rest of the set at one time or another.granted i haven't done a head count for them,but i've seen all of them for sale on ebay in the last year (except han and luke) and i've kinda noticed it's been that way for many years.so i would still stick to my thoughts that harbert are the easiest set (without han and luke) to complete after kenner then palitoy.
definatly far easier than a meccano leia,which is the easiest meccano 12bk to get.but thats just imo

daren

The harbert leia is extremly rare too. only a few are out there.
ben and c3po are pretty rare too.

shawn_k wrote:

mr_palitoy wrote:

65C luke jedi has never been seen yet on my matrix.

Although I know of some other cardbacks out there, I'd like to offer up my newly acquired one for the matrix. Unfortunately, he had an accident on the way to the U.S. or else it would have been a MOC. I used John's toploader method, to make him look like a MOC again.

Fantastic! Will get that up on my cardback guide!



Jason

Cardback guide updated!



Jason

So since this thread is now officially all over the place (), maybe we can discuss some of the oddities that exist out there and get some up-to-date data ironed out. The coolest thing about Jason's and Skye's rarity guides on RS is the knowledge that is shared about each release of MOC's. And since we don't have a lot of MOC discussion on TIG, I'd like to use this thread as a launching pad.

So... I'd like to ask you guys, which line, release, company would you like to discuss here next? Palitoy, at least to me is very interesting. I know next to nothing about Harbert, so that would be fun too. I also really like all the oddities that should have been released, but seem to always escape discovery on the Kenner MOCs. Can we make any new discoveries like Shawn just did? Has there been any more information that's come to light to suggest that Princess Leia isn't as hard to find on a Kenner ROTJ as we originally thought?

What do you guys think?

kenners a toughy.i really do think kenner made every combo possible.they were the biggest by a long shot of manufacturers and they were the ones who said which figures were going to be made and when etc.i do think that some character cardbacks were made in small runs due to either that character being a peg warmer already and couldn't shift much more of them or the next cardback was already nearly due out.so i'm sure some cardback types got short runs.but i'm sure most if not all combos where made.the fact that the u.s market was so big,the short runs got swallowed up by the huge amount of people buying them and ripping them of cards.but it was also the biggest country for people stashing mocs away with the thought of them being wanted years down the line.which means theres more kenners around than any other companys star wars figures.just some combos were lost in time,some only maybe the odd cardback.but i'm sure theres still tonns of mocs and cardbacks in lofts and basements waiting to be found.shame there arent to many harbert fetts stashed somewhere :scratch:

daren