Vintage model kits

Hi, is there a guide to the vintage kits released circa 1978 anywhere?

I think I'm right there were 5: Vader/3-PO/R2/X-wing/Tie

Everyone seemed to release these...Denys Fisher, Palitoy, MPC, Airfix, Ertl (late 80s reissues?). Why so many companies??? Anyone know the background and who released them first?

Thanks,
Tim

A very quick explanation: The X-Wing, DV Tie, R2, C-3PO and DV were produced in 1978 by MPC in America. Also some SW van kits. Dennis Fisher released all but the DV and the vans in Britain. I have seen German language Kenner versions of the X-Wing and C-3PO. Dennis Fisher later released The Millennium Falcon from MPC.

For ESB Palitoy issued the Millennium Falcon, Star Destroyer and Snow Speeder.

Airfix was bought by General Mills and handed over to Palitoy which released Airfix packaging versions of Snowspeeder, AT-AT, Slave One, Star Destroyer, Rebel Base diorama, Hoth Attack diorama, Dagobagh, Millennium Falcon and the X-Wing. For ROTJ: Shuttle Tydirium, Speeder Bike, Jabba's Palace, AT-ST and the four piece pack containing snapfix X-Wing, TIE Interceptor, B-Wing and A-Wing. The snapfix Y-Wing came out in America but not by Airfix.

C-3PO and R2-D2 are listed in "The Boy's Book of Airfix" as having been released in 1985 by Airfix but I have never seen them.

There are tons of American box variations, gold kit editions, free flight stands, you name it. There were some rubbish kits called, I believe the "Structors" that were clockwork including AT-ST and C-3PO. Also some even more rubbish "Mirror Kits" where you only got half of a model and a mirror to stick it on to, making it appear whole.

Later we got snapfix versions of the TIE Fighter in the scale of the TIE Interceptor (two in the box) and some kits from "Shadows of the Empire." Ertl bought out MPC in 1985 so all SW kits were labelled accordingly from then on.

The pics are of my MPC and Revell Y-Wings. They are both in the same scale, only the smaller MPC one was based on the under-scale studio prop and the Revell on the true life scale.


If anyone wants to talk about Star Wars kits - the scale issues especially, I'm your man!

Craig.

Weren't loads of these kits, especially the picture ROTJ Airfix ones (eg A-WIng, B-Wing,TIE Interceptor etc) dumped at retail in the early 90s as I seem to recall seeing them everywhere. Do you know if this was the case of was it just surplus stock trying to be shifted? I am trying to collect them but condition and price seem to be all over the place.

I was in Scarborough in 2013, found a tiny model/train shop that had piles of MPC Star Destroyers, Snowspeeders and AT-ATs for sale. Star Destroyers were £19.99, didn't see the prices on the others. So yeah, they're still around if you know where to look. My local Toys r us was still selling the Darth Vader model until 2006.

Thanks for the info Craig, you clearly know your stuff!! Love that Y-Wing!

I recall the early (SW) kits being re-issued as commemorative editions around late 80s, perhaps old stock with a new sticker?

Yep, those Structors were crap! Seemed like a bad attempt to mimic Zoids that were around at the time.

No worries. It's nice to be able to talk about kits at a place where people know what I'm talking about. I remember the SW kits being sold off more cheaply. My personal favourite SW kits as a child/young person were the two Hoth dioramas. As soon as the sets began to come down in price it was a chance to buy multiples set up some humungous battles with my friend.

I'm a person who doesn't keep any Star Wars kits in unmade condition. All of mine have either been constructed or are in various stages of completeness. I suppose there are two schools of thought – keeping kits mint sealed and the other to construct them.

I hang on to the hope that a manufacturer will hold on to a Star Wars kit licence long enough to produce some more unusual models. Bandai of course has begun with the standard X-Wing and Darth Vader T.I.E Fighter. A large scale Y-Wing or B-Wing would blow my mind, or perhaps even a Blockade Runner. An Executor would be just porn! I'd be interested to know what would be on people's wish list.