Heya!

Just Casually Browsing as you do and I came upon one of your many Interesting Topics On Vintage Star Wars Figure Variations! I Too Have Both IG-88 Variations. One is Dull Aluminium whereas the Other is More Metallic with Hollow Eyes. I would Honestly Say that the More Silver with Hollow Eyes Variant is the One I got on an Empire Card and the Second Variant I bought on a Jedi Card Because He was going Cheap! It’s a bit like my R2’s with the Pop Lightsaber- I thought they Looked a bit Rubbish but at 50p each in a Discount Bin I bought them to Complete the Series- didn’t really Imagine that that was that until the 90s???!

But getting Back to Our Enigmatic Bounty Hunter- I noticed with the Jedi Variant His Bandolier is Textured whereas the Empire Variant Dose not- or there is more paint applied. Also the Jedi IG has a Recessed Rivet in His Neck Both in the Front and in the Back. But this Feature is Only Evidenced in the Empire Variants Back. Also on the top of their Heads there are Four Recessed Rivets But this is more Pronounced on the Jedi IG. The Detail seems to be softer on the Empire Variant.

If you look at the Two Canisters on the Left Front there are Tubes Leading into the
Figures Torso- On the Empire IG the Tubes Can Be Seen Entering through a slight Slight Undercut whereas on the Other the Undercut is all but a clean transition? Also another Feature is that on the Empire Variant there are Two Pins Missing From His Forearms But these are Present on Both Front And Back On the Jedi IG-88. On Both Variants there seems to be an Interchange Between adding Detail or Taking it Away or Sharpening it for One whilst Softening it For the Other? The COO are both HK. I will have to Double Check the Copyright C, however?

On the Jedi Variant IG’s Photo Receptors Have More Of a Phosphorus Quality to them and is not very well applied? The Empire Variant is Neater But Dose not stand out as much. His Head also Leans Slightly to the Right. None of the Joints were Ever Painted Black, Satin, Gloss, Matt or Otherwise! Rifle and Imperial Blaster are Standard for the Time.

As I said in a Previous Post all this is Really Fascinating!

Best,

E

You will find the three 'main variants' from the 3 Hong Kong factories (Kader, Unitoy & Smile) existed from the start- ESB. http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t6958-the-mould-family-guide-discussion-thread#esb_ig_88
http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t4078-the-tig-fotw-thread-ig-88

Heya!


Great reference guide! I Hugely Appreciate It!

But I noticed that there are some other Figures Missing from the List Like the Made In China Variants with a Bar That Stands Proud Of the Figures Leg? Also there dose not seem to be any No COO Mentioned? I did not notice a Fixed Limbed C3P-0 unless I was being totally blind? But I will have another Gander? One of these Figures has a Very Odd COO in The spacing. The Finish is a Slight Pearl Gold as opposed to the Pale or Deep Variant?

In my Collection I have Three Leia in Bespin Figure’s. One is Made In China. The Sculpt in many ways is radically different to the HK Ones. The Plastic is Different Too. I know that it isn’t a Modern Reproduction As I’ve Had Her Since Childhood As With the Majority Of My Collection. The Irony is that as I Approached my Teens I started buying doubles- not because of the Variants but I wanted my Collection to Look Mint. Less Played With As My Appreciation And General Aesthetic Was Changing. I keep meaning to pull mine out of Storage for a good review and Clean Up! And then have their Pictures Taken!

One thing I do disagree with is the Power of The Force Line- I remember being in London and bought a bunch of these Carded Figures In 85. The General Consensus is that they could not be bought in the United Kingdom??? The Only True Foreign Carded Figure I got bought me was My Meccano Jawa in Paris France. Everything Else was Bought in the UK.

There is one thing, however, I’m Beginning to Realise that the Variations in the Vintage Line Could Be Truly Infinite? There are Variations in their Accessories Too- But That Really is Another Subject That recently is Causing Great Debate!?

Best & Much Thanks

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Hi, not all figures are in the mould family guide. No 'China' or no CoO etc. are mentioned as they are altered original moulds & will have the same 'sculpt' details as the unaltered versions. https://swspaceclub.com/wbobafett/introduction-coos/

'Last 17' figures were available on trilogo cards in the UK. And yes weapon variants will often correspond to figure variants ( ie. from the same factory)

some Leia bespin info: http://leia.bespin.info/

Heya!

Thanks for that. I’ll have a Gander. But as I was saying although the Last 17 Figures were Released on the Tri- Logo Cards in Europe etc, The Power of the Force Carded Figures were available also. The only concession I will make is that I couldn’t find any outside London?! So who knows why? I’ve been selling My Cards for Good Money though! I’m almost out of my Power Of the Force Ones! But then as I got older I did not hack and slash the packaging and the Special Offers were winding down so there was no need to cut out the names or the stamp on the back! I’m trying to find the rest of the cards for sale but with so many moves unless it’s poking out the box is going to get overlooked!? I’ve no idea why people are snapping up Vintage Cards unless it is for State Of the Art Reproductions, or other nefarious Dealings. But at the Very Least I must have about Thirty Carefully Opened Vintage Card Backs. I know I have a Luke in Stormtrooper Disguise on a Tri- Logo Card Back. His Blaster is a Little Darker than the Others. The Figures that I bought on TPOTF Card Backs are:- Imperial Dignitary, A-Wing Pilot, R2D2 with Pop- Lightsaber, EV-9D9, B-Wing Pilot And Baraada. Everyone
Else was Bought Either On Empire, Jedi, or Tri- Logo Card Backs with the Exception Of the Jawa.

But what I’m still Trying to Track Down is Reference for the Vintage C3P-0 Fixed Limb with a Very Different COO Arrangement? I can’t find reference for Him Anywhere? The Spacing is as Follows:-

(C) GMFGL

1977

Hong Kong


This is how it Literally Reads on the Leg? The Others are not the Same although they are all Hong Kong? Or should I say the others are consistent bar one? Who knows I will continue to look to see if I can Find His Counterpart!

Best

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I collect cardbacks- has no nefarious reasons. Occupy less space, are a budget option for MOC
https://swspaceclub.com/wbobafett/coo-guide-3-0/anh/c-3po/#a

pictures would help of yours

Heya!

Oh right!? I never knew? There we go!

Years ago when I was in my First Year at College I chanced upon some Carded Figures- One was the Rancor Keeper the other two were Logray and Wicket. All Original and stored in the Goldilocks Zone So to speak. But after a wee while I discovered that the Rancor Keeper Card Bubble began to fill with strange purple liquid. It began pooling around his feet and boots. While not quite the same thing happened to Logray initially, I noticed that he had become stuck to the back of his card!? So for a long while I Hummed and Ahhed!? But Eventually I thought that it had to be some chemical Break Down Of the Paint? After all in 1995 this Figure was already ten years old and Logray Possibly Older? So I carefully removed them from their Card Backs Only To Dicover That things were very much worse than they looked! The Rancor Keepers Boots And Arm Bands- the paintwork had deteriorated to the extent where they had become sticky and could be rubbed off at a Touch. And the Liquid Really had a Nasty Plastic Break Down Smell To It! Logray was Even Worse? His Stripes were the Consistency Of Chewing Gum To The Point where is his Head Gear was stuck to his head and the paint had pooled around his ears!? Yuck! So as much as I tried in those days I could not arrest their decline so I sold the Keeper- Honestly to a Collector but I still kept the Logray- nobody back then really liked Ewoks. Not many are too keen now according to some Forums or YouTube Presentations. But it’s only now after twenty three years and Quarantine that the paint has dried out!? He can never be stored with my main Collection. Curiously though I inherited two Admiral Akbar Figures And they broke down in a similar way. Their Tabbards Completely Broke Down, And On one it discoloured the surrounding plastic to the extent that the sides turned yellow! I considered a restoration job on them but I have a Mint One so as yet I’ve not Bothered!

Thanks for the C3P-0 Vintage Fixed Limb And Princess Leia in Bespin Gown Reference Guide! I realised that I already had the C3P-0 saved on the Desktop. He is Version Number Seven. This is the one that has a Slight Pearl Lustre in His Gold Paint! As for the Princess Leia, it would seem that I have one of the rare Variants in that her eyes and eyebrows are black, she wears no lipstick, the head is a smaller sculpt and the gold at the base of the neck has not discoloured the flesh tone. The only difference is that she has a slightly wider stance than some the examples!? But the Funny thing is I do not ever remember having bought her on a Kenner Card? Rather that it was a Palitoy Card Back with a split display on a blue background with Original Figure Line whilst Introducing those of the Empire? Most of my 1978 and 1980 Figures were Originally on Palitoy Card Backs until somewhere in 1982 when everything made the Transition To Palitoy Kenner To Kenner! I remember back then as Child asking were they the same especially as I began to see made in China or Taiwan and in 83/4-85 Macu really threw me? “Where?” As I was never a great Geographer! By the way the Figures That Broke Down are Taiwan Variants.

Thanks Once Again for the Help! I’m Enjoying the Investigation!

Best

Logray is not Taiwan it may have no leg markings at all. The Mexican paint is prone to remain sticky

Heya!

I’ve not made myself clear on Mr Logray or I confused myself. He is from Macau! The Admiral Akbar Figures are from Taiwan. The same as the Rancor Keeper.


Best

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