AFA graded palitoy vinyl cape jawa

[Caswellbot]

Great revelation! Congrats to the new owner, I expect many palitoy collectors are salivating right now! 8)

 

[Palifan]

I'm just so glad that it made it back in one piece and we didn't end up with some horrible ending to this thread. Big congratulations Richard on both finding one and having it graded. I don't care so much for the grade, more the fact that it exists but I know we'd never hear the end of it if you hadn't graded it and also I can only imagine how great your collection looks fully graded (hopefully not for too long until you post some pictures ).

I'm sure I'll have some questions for you about your collection soon enough but know that you've certainly made my week as I'm sure you have for many others.

Ian

 

[Palitoyman]

Thanks for that Ian, much appreciated, I'm no expert with the camera but will get some photo's of my collection out soon.

Rich

 

[palitoyjunky]

A massive congrats Rich, you now own the Premier piece in the world of Star Wars Palitoy!!!
Am so glad(as far as I am concerned)the debate is put to rest!
And also glad that this piece once so dirty and corrupt being in the hands of Richard Torres has come out shining and as clean as it gets!!

It simply had to go to AFA!! UKG I'm afraid just wouldn't have cut the mustard!!!

Biggest vintage Star Wars toy news I have heard in the 17 odd years I have been in the game!!! :shock: :shock:

 

[Joe]

So this was the one Torres found?

Interestingly I found his original thread yesterday: http://forum.rebelscum.com/t904885/

 

[batman]

This figure is on a 12 back B cardback, does this mean Palitoy released the vinyl cape jawa after the cloth cape version?

 

[palitoyjunky]

So this was the one Torres found?

Interestingly I found his original thread yesterday: http://forum.rebelscum.com/t904885/

Yes, he sent me pics of this years ago.

 

[mr_palitoy]

This figure is on a 12 back B cardback, does this mean Palitoy released the vinyl cape jawa after the cloth cape version?

There is no 12 back A card jawa. Vinyl came first and was replaced shortly afterwards with cloth cape, both on the 12 back B card.



Jason

 

[palitoyjunky]

This figure is on a 12 back B cardback, does this mean Palitoy released the vinyl cape jawa after the cloth cape version?

The Palitoy Jawa has only ever been found on a B card, just as Han has only ever been found on an A card including the large head!

 

[batman]

Thanks for the quick responce guys,guess i should have read the text in the cardback guide instead of just looking at the pictures :wink:

 

[Palifan]

I enjoyed reading the thread you attached Joe, especially the resealed Large head Han bit. It's amazing that he had both the Han and Chewbacca offered to him at the same time. I'm not sure what the final outcome was of it all and if in fact they were even real but that guy sure does seem to dig up some pretty rare items........well that's if they're the real deal (not that there's any doubt about the VC Jawa).

 

[Joe]

Sorry Shawn I missed your post earlier in the thread.

Before a few years ago that would have been good enough, but if this has similar comments like the Yakface mailer, then I wouldn't call it 100% fact.

What a blast from the past but you are totally right! The Yak mailer was a HUGE deal a few years ago and I still don't believe it was real (yet was graded) the report was awesome though wasn't it? It basically had no proof the thing was genuine yet it was graded anyway! Perfect example of where an AFA grade may not be the end to the discussion :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Honestly, I hope everything turns out to be correct. I don't doubt that the possibility is there where we have others that surfaced like the Meccano VCJ a few years ago, but yes, I will question it.

Nothing wrong with questioning things in this hobby Shawn, it would be foolish to blindly accept whatever you read or hear about toys as there is a lot of information out there that is wrong unfortunately. Only the other month someone thought a Black Ledy Wampa existed based on reading a joke thread on another forum (oh and let's not forgot the "ALL CHINA STORMTROOPERS ARE FAKES" guide on ebay! lol :lol:

Anyway, just wanted to say you aren't the only one that likes to question stuff like this and again there is nothing wrong with asking questions and raising doubts especially if the figures in question are coming from questionable sources with bad reps..we all know the hobby has been plagued by fakes over the years and although it's great to have an open mind, airing on the side of caution is totally the right thing to do.

Looking forward to the grading report and the COA if Richard would be so kind to post that info up for everyone when he gets it.

 

[_Lee_]

The more i think about this,the more curious i am.Jason,you say there are now 3 sealed examples existing,but i would like to know why they have all stayed a mystery until now? The other 2 examples apart from this one,have come to light from two dubious sources and i would say this is a good reason to be questioning them. It just doesnt make sense why this would have stayed quiet for so long,when there were apparently 3 sealed examples in existence.That astounds me,especially when people would have known the mystery was being discussed openly on the net-something just doesnt add up.Ok,if there was one in existence i would understand it-but three? :? Someone,somewhere would have heard on the grapevine surely.

Also,with all due respect,opened bubble reseals mean nothing with regards to this.Bubbles have been mismatched on different cards from day one.Trying to decipher if a VCJ was on an opened cardback is crazy,and is obviously never going to be known.Plastic sheet behind the figure,bubble shape/definition mean nothing either as a cloth cape could still have been on that card.Dont forget that Uk production was reliant on USA Kenner help with tooling etc,meaning that we were probably some way behind our american pals,and packaging etc was probably mismatched.

I am in no way putting your research down,as i admire the work you do hugely but there are still lingering questions that need to be asked.Another of my thoughts and worrys is why people still feel the need to use AFA to verify such a piece,especially when we have UKG here-that is one almighty kick in the balls to those guys.Not being rude but i would rather meet up with Gary,Lee,Jim S,Lee G,Andy Clarke,UKG and others to gather opinions and verification,not use some silent company whom have previously made massive cock ups.I think this isn't doing any good for us guys over here,and showing that no one over here is confident enough to verify it.I still laugh that AFA consider themselves The Authority,which i think is cocky and arrogant.The Yakface debacle proved the incompetence of them,and how they try to hide behind every door and not admit they were caught out.Its excuse after excuse,with dreamt up explanations and that doesnt sit right with me.

Still,they made a pretty penny grading that...money can buy a lot in this world.

 

[mr_palitoy]

The AFA graded example was originally the Torres one after all, so we are still looking at 2 sealed examples along with the one at Elstree last year.

Don't agree with you on the opened examples not being relevant. Several of them have good provenance and back story to suggest they have not
been tampered with and did contain the vinyl cape jawas they were sold with.

There was also some work done on one of the opened examples which has the top of the bubble cut off, where a cloth cape jawa was inserted
inside the vinyl cape bubble and it clearly didn't fit. Also there are no known sealed examples of cloth cape jawas using the vinyl cape bubble.

As to AFA vs UKG, AFA are still the best place to get COA and grading for this kind of stuff. In this particular case, the rest of Richards collection
is AFA graded so there was not other choice for him to make.

cheers Jason

 

[_Lee_]

Thanks Jason.

This is a good discussion on an important subject,and its great questions/queries can be asked without fear or argument.

 

[sith-smith]

If we are talking about the Torres one, then I have been offered several times. And have seen it in the flesh several years ago.

As far as I could tell...and I'm only basing this on 20 years of collecting and having owned over 500 sealed Palitoy MOC... it looked legitimate. I could see none of the usual, or even rare signs of a reseal and it looked in all ways to be an official sealed Palitoy VC Jawa.

For what it's worth, Torres was not the finder/originator of this piece, it merely passed through his hands. Though I can appreciate that for many in the know that is enough to cast doubts on a piece, it does appear that those who said from the start that it 'looks' genine are right.

Ultimately a fellow collector has shown considerable courage in getting this piece and sending it for grading. So while many seem to want to doubt it ( and I can't say I blame them and totally expected this to happen) I totally applaud Richard in what his done. And fair play for having one of the finest 12/20 back collections in the world

Though that's just my opinion of course :wink:

 

[Palifan]

As far as I could tell...and I'm only basing this on 20 years of collecting and having owned over 500 sealed Palitoy MOC... it looked legitimate. .


Well I don't know about the rest of you but that's good enough for me Gary!

Also I can see why it might be a bit of a blow for UKG to not have graded this piece but can you imagine the comments from everyone out there if it had been done by them? People just don't seem to trust UKG as much as they do AFA outside of the UK. I personally think it's pretty unfair as the loose VC Jawa's I've had that are UKG have been of a way higher standard than the AFA ones with the same grade. I'm sure as time goes by more and more people will be just as happy with owning a UKG item over an AFA one and I even noticed yesterday that a UKG 85 grade VC Jawa went for over the 600 mark. I'm guessing this is because people are trying to get a grand for their AFA ones nowadays but it does show you that the value is becoming more similar.

Anyway, this isn't really the thread for this debate and I'm just looking forward to hearing a bit more news about the sealed Palitoy one when Richard has more for us.

It's been a great week!

 

[palitoyjunky]

Well I am glad that the undeserving Richard Torres Blemish on this piece has been washed away
The fact that people like Gary and Jim Stevenson have seen it in the flesh and can't fault it with all their experience speaks volumes for this piece!

And to top it all off the Jawa on this MOC is a beauty! The cape sits in a lovely position, nice and tight, no discolouration and it's an AFA 90! 8)

It's alright for some :lol:

 

[RKW1138]

Any one know which publication this photo was in?

They were the winners from the 1979 Draw a droid contest, I think there maybe two Palitoy VC Jawas on display by the two kids on the right so would be nice to find the original source.

 

[Joe]

I think there maybe two Palitoy VC Jawas on display by the two kids on the right so would be nice to find the original source.

That's a great picture but I must ask, how on earth can you think you can see two VCJ's in that picture? :lol: About the only thing that is identifiable in that is Mark Hamill :lol: