PDT-8 Mini-Rig With "Special Offer" Sticker: In order to make overstock product more attractive to retailers, Kenner offered very limited numbers of some of their action figure and Micro Collection toys with in-box bonuses such as figures or cardboard backdrops. In most cases, such toys had bright yellow notices either printed onto the front of their boxes or affixed to them in the form of stickers. These yellow areas usually have the word "Special" printed in large block letters on them; the more interesting of them actually include a small image of the figure bundled inside of the box. While, in recent years, "Special Offer" items have begun to attract more collector attention, they remain some of the most obscure and infrequently-seen toy collectibles produced by Kenner. A good reference source for collectors interested in this material are the "Department Store Programs" issued by Kenner to their retailers during the Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back years. Unfortunately, no "Special Offer" pieces of this kind were released for the Return of the Jedi line.

Here we have the Special Offer version of the PDT-8 Mini-Rig, an item originally offered through the 1981 Department Store Program. As you can see, it came packaged with a 2-1B action figure, which would have been sealed within a factory baggie inside of the box. Though they are quite rare, the Mini-Rigs are among the more frequently-seen Special Offer items.

Description: Ron Salvatore
Photo: Anonymous
From the collection of Anonymous