Author Topic: old Restoration topic  (Read 78782 times)

Offline Wookie-Balls

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old Restoration topic
« on: October 26, 2011, 05:17:05 AM »
Hi all!

I've started this thread to document my ongoing project to restore and recard my Vintage Kenner Star Wars figures.

Now this project will be unpopular with some Vintage Collectors. Why? Well, a lot of them hate figures having 'paint touch ups,' reproduction weapons are despised by a large number and as for repro cards? They might as well be spawned by the devil himself!!

The problem is a lot of unscrupulous folk are restoring and recarding figures and selling them on various sites claiming that they are original toys. This is without a doubt dishonest, wrong and criminal.

Now here's my viewpoint... These are my figures from my childhood (bar a few exceptions.) These figures are not for sale (and never will be.) The cards are marked on the rear as repros (as are weapons where applicable!)

These toys gave me a lot of enjoyment as a child - and I felt a little sad when I rediscovered them somewhat battered and dusty in my garage.

I decided to spruce them up - fixing paint rubs where appropriate. Then I decided to mount a few of them on reproduction cards - this then became a quest to restore all my vintage figures and replacing the ones that were beyond repair! Why the cards? Well I had a fair bit of wall space in my den and my vintage ships are, ahem, crewed by my modern figures. So the reproduction cards doubled as a nice wall mounting scheme!

Each figure that I restore will be posted individually on here to document the figure, paint restoration (if any,)  weapon origin and carding.

As I said before these figures will never be for sale - however if the worst were to happen and I was burgled then at least each item will be documented here!

Any questions please ask away. One last point of note- I am not a producer of repro weapons or cards/bubbles. Nor do I sell any of them.

Thanks for looking!!

Ray
« Last Edit: May 31, 2014, 08:02:49 AM by Wookie-Balls »

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2011, 06:18:42 AM »


This Biker Scout belonged to me as a child. I was given him for Christmas as a child (whilst living in Australia.) 

Restoration work includes a chemical bath to restore the yellowed white armour and some black touch ups.

The ROTJ Kenner card, bubble and blaster are all reproduction. Note this figure does not have an 'insert tray' which the original would have done. The Scout is the common variant - not the 'short mouth' version.

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2011, 06:20:16 AM »


I bought this Bespin Luke in a job lot of Lukes. As he was my favourite character all of my Luke figures are pretty battered!! I have cleaned them up but they are not of a standard worth recarding.

This figure has had some minor black touch ups to the belt and saber. The blaster is original vintage. The Kenner ESB card, bubble, footer and saber are reproduction. The saber is moulded in yellow plastic as opposed to painted as per some repros.

The figure is the dark hair variant - the same as I owned as a child.

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2011, 06:41:26 AM »


I never owned an AT-AT Commander as a child - strange as I did have the AT-AT and Driver!!

This figure has no paint restoration work. The blaster is genuine, from my own collection. The ESB Kennner card, bubble and footer are all reproduction.  

I believe that this figure came with a pale or fleshy face. This is the latter version.

Offline Tamer

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2011, 07:01:11 AM »
Wow, I love that AT-AT Commander, it looks factory case fresh as do the others.

Daggone, I used to have a friend named Trooper Larry who did some neat recarding, but this looks just as sweet to me.

I have some original figures I would love to see recarded too. I might just have to drop you a pm.

On the front page.

Offline Clonehead

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2011, 10:19:46 AM »
Looks good to me. That doesn't bug me a bit.

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2011, 10:26:17 AM »
Hey Tamer! Thanks for the FP!

Thought of you earlier as I restored and recarded an AT-AT Driver :D

He'll be in my next update...

WB out!!

Offline Tamer

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2011, 11:06:21 AM »
That sounds awesome. Can't wait to see it.

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2011, 12:36:11 AM »


One for Tamer! I received an AT-AT Driver back in Christmas 1980 or 81 along with the vehicle.

Sadly my driver is yellowed beyond repair and has a club foot (after my toddler sister introduced him to our fire!)

I picked up this figure for a song! He needed some VERY minor white paint touch ups. The blaster rifle is my original one.

The Kenner ESB card, footer and bubble are all reproduction. He's now on the Den wall with his Commander!

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2011, 12:37:26 AM »


This Hoth Stormie is another one of my childhood originals. He was either normally found in the belly of my AT-AT or attempting to retake my Imperial Attack Base from those dastardly rebels!

Over time he became yellowed and rubbed. He received the same chemical bath as my Biker Scout and had his black paint retouched where required.

The Blaster rifle is original, but the kama, Kenner ESB card, footer and bubble are all repro. I think he looks pretty good these days!

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2011, 12:39:14 AM »

Now this Jedi Luke is another of my original figures.

He is the "Pale Painted Face" variant. He has had the paintwork on his nose and hand touched up. The saber and cloak are genuine vintage. However the palace blaster, bubble and Tri Logo card are all reproduction. 

As a note of interest Tri Logo vintage figures weapons were not taped to the bubble - just packed loose inside.

I loved this figure so much that I bought a second with my pocket money! Who could resist a Luke figure so cool that he came with THREE accessories? 

I now own four vintage Jedi Lukes - one of all three major variants and my second 'Pale Face.'

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2011, 12:45:56 AM »


This B-Wing Pilot was bought out of my pocket money in Manly, Australia soon after Jedi was released! 

As a kid I loved having another rebel pilot to go with my X-Wing Luke. 

The paint work on his chest, helmet and hands needed retouching. Also the Endor blaster, bubble and Trilogo card are all reproductions.

Sadly those little Endor blasters were so easy to lose!!

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2011, 12:48:33 AM »


My own Darth Vader is long lost in the mists of time. Capeless and saber-less like so many others he's probably in an Australian landfill site as we speak.

This one however came as a surprise addition to a battered old Tie Interceptor that I picked up to restore!

The cape is original, but the saber, card, footer and bubble are all reproduction. 

The saber is moulded in the correct colour plastic, not painted as is the case with some repros.

Offline Wookie-Balls

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2011, 12:50:40 AM »


Ok now we have the original small head Han Solo.

This figure is one of my own. His hair was rather worn and had to be repainted in places. As did his white shirt.

 The blaster, 12 Back card, bubble and footer are all reproduction.

Of all of my restored figures this Han is on of my favourites.

Offline Luke Sprywalker

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Re: Wookie-Balls Vintage Kenner Restoration Project
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2011, 04:07:55 AM »
Thanks for sharing this awesome project with us! I say as long as you say up front they are are repros, what is the problem? I would love to have a set like this for my collection! You are doing a wonderful job recarding these! Are you also doing the card backs or are they blank?