I have wanted to do a limelight for this guy for a while now. I thought that since TIG has many CoO collectors, this limelight could find a home here.
My outcome is to bring all the information on this variant into one place.
If you disagree with something, please add your comments, good or bad.
Please enjoy.

The "Taiwan" CoO Darth Vader, is very similar to (MITW) "Made in Taiwan" CoO. Both share the same features. Both are sometimes confused for being the same thing. The "Taiwan" CoO Darth Vader seems to be a hard bugger to find.

There are two CoO stamps for the "Taiwan" variant. Both stamps are alike with a small difference between the distance that the stamp is placed on the leg. The "gap" between the top of the leg and the copyright symbal, are different. I have labelled this by (Small gap) and (Large gap) on the photos below.
The distance is aproximately double.









The photo below shows 5 Taiwan CoO. All Are different.



I will try and point out the differences in the list below.
Looking at the group photo, and going from left to right.
-Small gap with small mouth points
-Small gap with large mouth points
-Large gap with small mouth points
-Large gap with dimple mouth point
-Small gap with dimple mouth point
Also,
-Large gap with Large mouth points-(confirmed by Dr Dengar)

The chest box and bottons are the same on all, long, thin buttons.
The red paint has been aplied on top of the white paint.
The white belt buckle is the same on all, with a tiny black dot showing on the buckle.
 


There are some notable differnces to the head on the Taiwan coo.
3 different heads.
-Small mouth points
-Large mouth points
-Dimple mouth point
The third head has a rough look, it is the same as the small mouth point, but the right side mouth point has a deformitty, i labelled it dimple cause thats what it reminds me of.



Small mouth points



Large mouth points



Dimple mouth point



At first i thought that the dimple head was play wear, but on both heads the dimple is identical. Also the section under the side of the cheek has the same rough textured area on both.

A close up of the dimple area.

3 capes.

Cape 1- common thinner Taiwan cape. Same as Made in Taiwan.
Cape 2- very thin, thinner than cape 1, with a very rough but fine texture, almost like a sandy feel to the texture.
Cape 3- very thick, thicker than any other cape for vader. Came with the figure, still looking into this one. It is an authentic Vader cape, but not sure it goes with a Taiwan CoO vader.

Edit... to confirm cape 3 is correct for this variant.
Capes 2 and 3 are exclusive to this variant.

Do any of the capes have the 'cut variation' ?

Could the dimple head be a result of a dirty mould?

Naked front and backs of the gang.

Cape 3 is similar IMO to Bill's photo that you show James, but it does not have the Cuts on the corners.

I agree without a doubt that the dimple head is most likelly the result of a dirty mold.
Would like to know others thoughts on dimple head, or just an odditty.

Jedidownunder pic:

'MITw' left Tw on the right.  A belt difference was mentioned, I can't really tell?

Lightsabers for this guy is always the Taiwan tappered tip saber, they are generally very flexible.
The joints are a nightmare, super, super tight, almost feels like your going to break the arms, legs, head right off if you move them.
There is sometimes a deformed foot, but not on all. The deformed foot is a may or maynot have feature so to speak. This is also shared with MITW CoO.
Happy Hunting.

Hey Oscar,

Thank you for giving us some more insight into the Taiwan Vader. Great work!

To add, my Taiwan Vader has:

• Large gap COO
  
• Large mouth points
  
• Type 2 cape (indeed with an unique sandy feeling)
  
• Deformed left foot
  
• Taiwan tappered tip saber
  

Pic taken from: http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t3812p30-the-official-fotw-thread-darth-vader#61480

M4K3R1 wrote:

There is sometimes a deformed foot, but not on all. The deformed foot is a may or maynot have feature so to speak. This is also shared with MITW CoO.

Do you mean that the MIT COO vader also has this deformed foot sometimes.
In general: Is the mould of the MIT COO the same as the Taiwan COO?

To me the Taiwan COO Vader is a bit mysterious. For what reason Kenner produced only a small number of them?  
Maybe the steel mould got worn very soon (explaining the deformed foot and the rought head sculpt), so Kenner had to produce new ones, which were labbelled 'Made in Taiwan' instead of 'Taiwan'?

What do you think, Oscar?

Excellent Marco, Large gap with Large mouth points is missing from my list and we can now confirm it.
I was hoping it would show up in someones collection.
So now we can confirm all the combinations of Large and Small gaps to Large and Small mouth points.

Regarding the deformed foot, one of my MITW has it, it can be found on both MITW and TW CoO.
My opinion is that the MITW and TW are very much the same sculpt, and both can be found with Large and Small mouth point heads, possiblly very minor difference on belt buttons as mentioned by AJ.
The Taiwan is indeed a figure which seems to be in small numbers, not many show up.
There has been the theory tossed around that it may have been produced and released for one country,
and only found there, but that information can not be confirmed,
but it seems that most of the Taiwan Vaders are found here.
This could possiblly explain the small numbers of the Taiwan CoO Vader.

an excellent and informative thread Oscar thanks very much for putting this up. I didn't realise there were so many variations to the TW and MITW  head and sculpts and coos. If I had, I wouldn't have sold one recently on ebay before checking it  

I dont yet have a TW coo, but until recently I had 3 MITW figures (one is from your good self mate  ), 2 of which had the large mouth points and deformed foot detail plus they all seem to have more flashing to the limbs and head than regular kenner figures.

Thank you Chris, your:welcome: 

I did'nt realise i had this until i recentlly had a closer look.
I thought it might be interesting to see a MOC of the Dimple head i mention above.
Sets my mind at ease that it is not playwear and comes from factory this way.
The figure should be a MITW CoO and not a TW in my opinion,
its on a SW12C Made in Taiwan cardback.

Its great to see a carded confirmation, that the dimple cheek is due to factory error, not play wear Oscar   

Here is my trio of mouth point variations, all are a VIII.1a MITW figures.
All have the standard, thin TW cape #1
From left to right: #1 small mouth point, 2# dimple cheek and 3# large mouth point.





And here is my TW only Vader he is a large mouth point variant with a IX.1b (small gap) coo.
The cape is a common thin cape #1.
Tapered, orange Taiwan saber with circle epm on hilt.

Interestingly the left side mouth point appears to be larger than the right, the same as the figure on the right in AJ's pic.
Mine also has a very slight defect to the left foot, but is not as large as on some MITW and TW coo figures.

local toy shop swap/trade ( I left a shop with more money than I walked in with!!! )

WOW!!! I hope that is a large gap coo/large mouth points with type 2 cape???
Congrats on the new Vader AJ, not often you come out of a store with more $ than you went in.

M4K3R1 wrote:

WOW!!! I hope that is a large gap coo/large mouth points with type 2 cape???
Congrats on the new Vader AJ, not often you come out of a store with more $ than you went in.

yes, yes & yes & apart from those times I've played dress up with a stocking over my head I've never left a store with more money than I started

Congrats AJ and acquiring one of the TW only Vaders

M4K3R1 wrote:

Cape 1- common thinner Taiwan cape. Same as Made in Taiwan.
Cape 2- very thin, thinner than cape 1, with a very rough but fine texture, almost like a sandy feel to the texture.
Cape 3- very thick, thicker than any other cape for vader. Came with the figure, still looking into this one. It is an authentic Vader cape, but not sure it goes with a Taiwan CoO vader.

Edit... to confirm cape 3 is correct for this variant.
Capes 2 and 3 are exclusive to this variant.

Forgive me for reopening an older thread, but I am new to the forum, and somewhat new to collecting vintage Kenner action figures for that matter. I am desperately trying to confirm 2 things:

1. I understand that these 3 different Taiwan capes vary in texture. However, do they still share the same dimensions; as in if you were lay them directly on top of another, would the length, width and trajectory of the curves line up exactly?
2. Are any of these 3 capes virtually the same cape as one of the Hong Kong variants; as in do they more or less share the same material, texture and dimensions?

Thanks in advance!

- Adam

generalzeldar wrote:

M4K3R1 wrote:

Cape 1- common thinner Taiwan cape. Same as Made in Taiwan.
Cape 2- very thin, thinner than cape 1, with a very rough but fine texture, almost like a sandy feel to the texture.
Cape 3- very thick, thicker than any other cape for vader. Came with the figure, still looking into this one. It is an authentic Vader cape, but not sure it goes with a Taiwan CoO vader.

Edit... to confirm cape 3 is correct for this variant.
Capes 2 and 3 are exclusive to this variant.

Forgive me for reopening an older thread, but I am new to the forum, and somewhat new to collecting vintage Kenner action figures for that matter. I am desperately trying to confirm 2 things:

1. I understand that these 3 different Taiwan capes vary in texture. However, do they still share the same dimensions; as in if you were lay them directly on top of another, would the length, width and trajectory of the curves line up exactly?
2. Are any of these 3 capes virtually the same cape as one of the Hong Kong variants; as in do they more or less share the same material, texture and dimensions?

Thanks in advance!

- Adam

Hi, the Taiwan or made in Taiwan capes are completely different in look and feel to any HK capes. They are thinner, slightly narrower and slightly longer, and have a completely different textured look.