| Imperial Cruiser QC Sign-Off | |
| Pre-production toy collecting encompasses a wide range of items, from original artwork used to create toys and packaging, to production-quality samples used to test and vet products prior to release. The sign-off Imperial Cruiser you see here belongs to the latter group. It likely played a part in the process of quality control. As you can see, it bears the signature of a Kenner employee as well as the date on which it was reviewed. As the Imperial Cruiser was a Sears exclusive, first made available during the holiday season of 1981, the August date aligns with known facts.
The internals of the item, like the toy itself, match what you'd expect to find when looking at a production example of the product. What makes the item interesting is the signature and the lack of sealing tape and corresponding residue. Collectors take note: Items like this are easily forged. Fortunately, with the help of some experts, Jonathan was able to authenticate this example based on the evidence of a number of important details. |
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| Description by: | Ron Salvatore |
| Photo: | Jonathan Robinson |
| From the collection of: | Jonathan Robinson |
| Country: | United States |
| Film: | Empire Strikes Back |
| Licensee: | Kenner |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Category: | Prototypes / Action Figure Related |
