| Darth Vader large size action figure ESB packaging | |
| When you think that every single item marketed during the original era has surfaced over the past 40 years, it keeps surfacing on a regular basis. That’s the case with this Darth Vader large size action figure from MECCANO. The Vader doll was released in 1979 in French ‘Guerre des Etoiles’ (Star Wars) packaging (as seen here) with the rest of the 12" line, with a frenchified box and character’s name (DARK VADOR). But the item shown is quite special – it’s a DENYS FISHER boxed toy imported from UK, onto which a sticker has been applied by Meccano to meet retailing standards for the French Market. In addition, it features the Empire Strikes Back movie, and not the original movie tied the toy packaging. That ESB logo, combined with that particular Meccano logo, allows dating the item to 1980. Although sticker notification on imported toy was a common practice for the French market, it has been seldom seen on the 12" line. The other toy known is the Chewbacca doll (also shown in the French Touch Definitive Guide to French Star Wars vintage collectibles) – and it has been rumored some other exists as well… Sticker notification was used by Meccano to solve issues with production and marketing constraints, for which they were often behind schedule, as well as a way to keep assortments available to retailers without having to plan a new production run for a toy on decreasing sales; which is the latter in that case.
The icing on the cake of that story is that, as always with such odd items, its find is a combination of luck and helping out between collectors – which leaves a sweet taste out of it. |
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| Description by: | Stephane Faucourt |
| Photo: | Matthieu Barthelemy |
| From the collection of: | Matthieu Barthelemy |
| Country: | France |
| Film: | Empire Strikes Back |
| Licensee: | Meccano |
| Year: | 1980 |
| Category: | Toys / Action Figure Related / Large Size Action Figures |