The Toy List

 

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 PosterNot 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 GameA relatively common Alien collectable from 1977 is this board game, which takes players through the Nostromo and the wrecked Juggernaut space craft

Movie ViewerAlthough 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.

2 Responses to “Alien”

  1. Dave Mortensen Says:

    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.

  2. dennis Says:

    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!

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