Alien
 The 1977 Kenner Alien is one of the most sought after Alien movie collectibles. When the toy was first on shelves, it had a lot going against it, including the fact that the movie was rated R. Parents also thought the toy to frightening or ugly for children, and since the children weren’t that aware of the movie, their demand was low. The result was that few were actually sold through.
Besides being rare, the Kenner Alien is usually found loose and damaged, as it is a very poorly made toy. The back spikes often break off, especially the top center one, as well the tail, which is attached by a sharp metal ring inside the body which tends to cut off the plastic anchor. The translucent dome that covers the alien head is often lost, which has led to a none too small market in replacement domes. The interior set of teeth, which can thrust out the the aliens mouth by a lever, are also frequently missing. The arms are attached by rubber rings that also get brittle with age, occasionally leaving the alien an amputee. The usual poor condition of the alien has resulted in boxed ones selling for over $500, while loose complete ones go for upwards of $300. |
Alien Toy Instructions and Poster Not usually found with a loose Alien, this is the instruction sheet that came with it, documenting the jaw opening lever, the glow in the dark brain case, and the limited poseability of the alien’s wrists and tail.On the opposite side, the poster highlights the face hugger, Riply with the cat, the sleep chamber, an opening egg, and Dallas peering at the Juggernaut. |
  |
 Alien Game
A relatively common Alien collectable from 1977 is this board game, which takes players through the Nostromo and the wrecked Juggernaut space craft |
 Movie Viewer
Although this item from the movie isn’t easily found, it doesn’t necessarily sell for too much. The movie viewer is typical of many others like it from the ’70s, the user turns a crank and a mini film strip from the film is shown. Considering the audience for the film, it is surprising that so many kiddie toys were made for it. |
April 15th, 2008 at 2:43 am
Kenner’s Alien might not the toy with the biggest play value but in my opinion it is the most beautiful action figure ever created! The toy perfectly captures Giger’s design and like Toyfare magazine once wrote – ‘A very creepy toy that doesn’t even need a touch of color’ (…well, the glow-in-the-dark “face” aside) and in over 20 years and 4 toylines featuring Aliens it’s still the best toy yet.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:42 am
a 3 3/4 inch line of figs were supposed to follow but for the same reasons mentioned above, were never produced, however several prototypes/hardcopys were made by kenner, anything from this line is currently at the top of my personal wantlist!
May 29th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
[...] Alien. … by a sharp metal ring inside the body which tends to cut off the plastic anchor. …http://www.bugeyedmonster.com/alien/Army Men: Toys in Space PC – Review – Green plastic soldiers. …Army Men: toys in Space PC: Compare [...]
June 26th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I have the kenner alien toy still in the box never been played with in perfect condition do you know of anyone interested in purchasing this item ?????
June 29th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I would love to buy your alien Gina, but with gas prices what they are, my disposable income is somewhat curtailed. It should sell quickly on ebay however. If you are interested in a trade, I have a Wii and some games…
July 1st, 2008 at 10:52 am
Rick …thank you for your response I would like to be able to trade but the economy has taken its toll on me too… that is why I decided to see if I got any responses …thank you for the tip about ebay…Maybe I’ll give that a try………..thanks again …Gina
July 9th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I still have the Alien from 1979. Yes, the back spike did break off, the dome got lost and I had to glue the left arm back in the slot and I think the inner jaw may have gotten lost. Anyway, it is in my parent’s attic and I am going to retrieve it and bring in back here. I was 12 when the toy was out and I loved the movie. So the movie was rated R? The toys are not. I would think today’s kids would love to have that Alien toy. Kids play games that are far more violent and gory than Alien. By the way, Reel Toy launced an 18″ Alien figure and it is a beautiful statue. So much better made than the Kenner doll.
I proudly display it in my home and will do the same when I get the original.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:10 pm
How much did this cost in 1979? I remember the price being like $40 or something outrageous like that.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Some of you may have seen a post and reply about a transaction between to private parties. As I have no way of verifying the veracity of either post, both have been removed.
I am happy to have people post their eBay auctions when relevant and arrange to exchange toys for money or other toys via the site, but in all cases, remember, caveat emtor. (which I may have miss spelled)
I return you to your toy gazing.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
i used to have one of those the dome fell off but i sold it on ebay i wonder what the warrior from the kenner avp two-pack looks without a dome
August 24th, 2009 at 8:39 am
[...] here’s what the original figure (thanks and rest in peace, Mimi!) looked like. Isn’t it amazing? I thought so. In fact, as an only child, it served as pretty much my best [...]
August 24th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Anyone know where to find replacement Domes. I’m looking for the Tsukuda 18″ dome replacement, however I think I might be able to make do with a Kenner replacement. My e mail is zebcreed@gmail.com. Thanks
January 14th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I MAKE THE 18″ KENNER ALIEN BOX OR CAN SELL THE COPIES AND YOU MAKE YOUR OWN. DENH6177@YAHOO.COM
February 26th, 2010 at 1:26 am
[...] picked up this Kubrick Alien based on the original 1979 Kenner 18″ toy (more 1 & [...]