Author Topic: Darth Vader Carry Case  (Read 11688 times)

Offline JesseVader08

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Re: Darth Vader Carry Case
« Reply #15 on: August 23, 2007, 02:59 AM »
Thanks for the info Bill. 

So, did I have any chance of winning that auction (if I had been smart enough to bid), or were you determined to have it at any cost? ;) 

Offline sithtoys

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Re: Darth Vader Carry Case
« Reply #16 on: August 23, 2007, 11:51 AM »
I can't rememeber what my high bid on that auction was, but I pretty much bid high/market value on things like that. (So it would have been at least $1200 or more)
It is the last known vintage piece I needed to complete my run of prototype cases, so I would have certainly bid more than any sane person would have ;)

Bill

Here is a group shot of the prototype Vader Cases:


From Left to Right:
Test Shot/Sample
Gold Chrome - Gold Plastic Case
Dull Gold Case (no chrome)
White/Marble Case
Gold Chrome - Black Plastic Case

Offline JesseVader08

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Re: Darth Vader Carry Case
« Reply #17 on: August 24, 2007, 07:51 PM »
Woah, sweet pic. 

It is the last known vintage piece I needed to complete my run of prototype cases, so I would have certainly bid more than any sane person would have ;)

Sane is a relative term.  :D

Offline starwarsnut89

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Re: Darth Vader Carry Case
« Reply #18 on: August 29, 2007, 12:38 AM »
hi there.i found something in one of Sansweet's books. i hope this will help out:

   When Kenner decided to make a gold C-3PO action figure carrying case,they wanted to see how much packaging it needed to protect the finish in the shipping process. So they took about 100 of the black plastic Darth Vader cases,vacuum metalized them in a gold finish,and shipped them to and from Kenner headquarters.(i would love to have one of them!) I have never seen a white one.it could be a prototype.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2007, 12:41 AM by starwarsnut89 »

Offline sithtoys

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Re: Darth Vader Carry Case
« Reply #19 on: September 26, 2007, 11:53 AM »
hi there.i found something in one of Sansweet's books. i hope this will help out:

   When Kenner decided to make a gold C-3PO action figure carrying case,they wanted to see how much packaging it needed to protect the finish in the shipping process. So they took about 100 of the black plastic Darth Vader cases,vacuum metalized them in a gold finish,and shipped them to and from Kenner headquarters.(i would love to have one of them!) I have never seen a white one.it could be a prototype.

LOL... you think ? ;)  I wonder what those other cases in the pic might be ? :)

Bill

Offline CorranHorn

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Re: Darth Vader Carry Case
« Reply #20 on: September 26, 2007, 01:03 PM »
The only vintage Vader case fake/repro prototype cases are the Gold Chrome on black plastic cases. A few years ago in Toy Shop, there was a dealer making repro's. They are very easy to tell apart from the real thing, but shady dealers picked up on them and resold a few of them as legit.
If there is ever any doubt, contact me or another vintage collector.

Bill

Bill - the fakes were they just gold "plated" on the exterior, but the interior was left black? A vintage toy shop I visit has one such Vader case buried under a pile of junk behind a display case (it's been there for at least two years). I've always figured it to be a fake, but I'd find it kind of funny if it was one of the Kenner test pieces and the owner doesn't even know what he has. I've never seen interior shots of the test pieces and can only find exterior pics on the Archive with no references to the interiors.

Cheers!
Jason F.

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- Vintage Needs: Micro Collection Snowspeeder box and pilots, Micro Collection X-Wing pilot

Offline sithtoys

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Re: Darth Vader Carry Case
« Reply #21 on: September 26, 2007, 11:15 PM »
The only vintage Vader case fake/repro prototype cases are the Gold Chrome on black plastic cases. A few years ago in Toy Shop, there was a dealer making repro's. They are very easy to tell apart from the real thing, but shady dealers picked up on them and resold a few of them as legit.
If there is ever any doubt, contact me or another vintage collector.

Bill

Bill - the fakes were they just gold "plated" on the exterior, but the interior was left black? A vintage toy shop I visit has one such Vader case buried under a pile of junk behind a display case (it's been there for at least two years). I've always figured it to be a fake, but I'd find it kind of funny if it was one of the Kenner test pieces and the owner doesn't even know what he has. I've never seen interior shots of the test pieces and can only find exterior pics on the Archive with no references to the interiors.

Cheers!

All of the known fakes/repros are the black cases w/ the gold chrome. This is NOT saying that all such cases are fake. The original chroming tests by Kenner were done using the black cases. (this is what they had on-hand)
As the process evolved, Kenner started using different plastics (ie. the Dull Gold Case), and some of them being Chromed as well. In all, there are 3 main variants for the Gold Chrome case.
Your best bet it to examine it, and see if it has been split/cut along the main seam for the case. (Kenner cut the cases to aid the chroming process.) Also, look for general signs of wear and aging. If it is a black case (whole) and has a very deep gold color, without a lot of wear, then it is probably one of the vintage repros/fakes.

Bill

If you can post some pics of the case, or send them to me I can give you a better idea.