Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Own a Piece of Original 'Star Wars' History - Two incredible Kenner Action Figure Prototypes Up for Sale: the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett

ROSEVILLE, Calif., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rachfal Enterprises announced the sale of two different examples of a widely coveted and iconic 1979 Kenner "Star Wars" action figure prototype: the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett – part of a special mail-a-way promotion that was scrapped at the time due to child safety concerns. Measuring just 3 ¾" each, the rarest of the two up for sale is a unique hand-painted example featuring the L-slot latching configuration with impeccable provenance going straight back to the ex-Kenner employee who painted it. The second is a well-preserved J-slot specimen that represents what the final toy would have looked like, had it been released. Both figures have been professionally encased and graded by the Action Figure Authority (AFA) for preservation and authenticity.

"By now, most people know the Rocket Firing Boba Fett action figure was never released," said collectible dealer Brian Rachfal. "So, when someone calls claiming to have had one as a child, you either think they had a Kenner connection – as Kenner employees were known to take samples home – or it is a false memory. Think the Mandela Effect, or as I like to call it, Rocket Fett Syndrome. Most people think they hit pay dirt at some garage sale when they find a similar toy, and it winds up being only a replica."

"Only once in my 30-year career was this not the case. Frankly, that J-slot Rocket Fett – the one we're currently offering - was a headscratcher, having originated in either California or Oklahoma – far from Kenner's home in Cincinnati, Ohio. But that Boba Fett prototype proved genuine in the end. After careful scrutiny, there is no doubt. That was an amazing moment."

For Sale: 1979 Kenner Rocket Firing Boba Fett 3 ¾" Prototype "Hand Painted" Action Figure featuring the L-slot latching configuration, AFA 70 Serial #11193391 – $400,000.00

This singular Rocket Fett entered the hobby community about two decades ago, and was once part of the Justin Kern's collection – an assemblage of nine different Rocket Fetts known to the "Star Wars" community as the "Nine Holy Grails in a Row," and later in a 2013 homage image "Rocket Fett Phases." This figure also features notably in John Kellerman's hobby resource "Star Wars Vintage Action Figures" and can be found online in the Star Wars Collectors Archive "SWCA."

The figure itself appears to be a typical blue-grey First Shot featuring the L-slot latching configuration and as expected, lacks all copyright and country of origin stamps to the back of the legs. It is paired with a red 4-sided missile which displays the expected ejector-pin marks along with other traits associated with genuine examples.

Provenance extends back to a known ex-Kenner employee, who worked at Kenner during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is believed up to 5 or 6 similar L-slots were hand painted, of which four examples have been recovered: two featuring the standard production paint scheme; two featuring an alternate paint scheme. Unlike the production paint scheme examples, both alternate examples were uniquely painted. So this Rocket Firing Boba Fett "is" one-of-a-kind!

For Sale: 1979 Kenner Rocket Firing Boba Fett, 3 ¾" Prototype Action Figure Featuring the J-slot Latching Configuration with Short Stem Variant, AFA 85 Serial #12685679 – $365,000.00

This figure has been painstakingly compared to a known genuine example sourced back in 1995 and has been verified authentic down to the uniqueness of the slot. The figure is light grey, similar to the static, non-firing mail-a-way examples, and shows the expected purplish age-spot speckling under magnification. The orange is more yellowish than that used on the mail-a-way figures, and the grove forming the J-slot is precisely indicative of the short stem variant, which differs significantly from the Long stem type.

"The tooling inside the groove is also what you'd expect from a genuine Kenner example," said Rachfal. "The red plunger has the appropriate break lines on the lever and dimpled indentation on top of the drum. Feet are unmarked, furthering the assertion that this figure was acquired outside the Kenner sphere, as most of those figures were marked at the testing lab."

Besides one other example, this is the only other known short-stem J-slot with unmarked feet. Roughly five long-stem variants are known with similar clean feet, mostly associated with bagged examples, explaining their pristine condition.

View the collectibles and read more details about their provenance by visiting www.rachfalenterprises.com  

Media Contact:

Brian Rachfal
1-916-780-1908
[email protected]

SOURCE Rachfal Enterprises