Star Wars Vintage KENNER Commercial - Early Bird Certificate

[TheReviewSpace]

lol even back then, the star wars figs were tiny as shizzle

[flesheatingsnail]

what kid is in this video

[CrazedComposure]

Thumbs up if Cracked sent you here.

[pancakewafflebacon]

between February and JUNE 1st jeez that's half a year waiting for a christmas present

[Algahiem]

Hey kids! You like Star Wars action figures? Then you gonna love this! Buy this worthless overdecorated piece of cardboard and send of for your favourite figures! Although you may have to wait about four months to receive the toys through the mail. By that time, you may have lost interest and go back to your G.I. Joe figures. Also, given the unforseen limited stock/production problems, some of you may get screwed over when the offer closes, but imagine the fun you'll be having during that time!

[crazyduplicate]

Fun sold separately.

[teejaynumber13]

They do this shit all the time today, it's called a preorder.

[helmhead100]

Cracked...

[YoungGun66]

Where's my goddamn boba fett action figure!

[jeebusunit]

A 4-month window?!? It must have been torture for those poor children. "Here kid play with this piece of cardboard for a few months, now get outta here."

[HitlerOnTheRoof]

My first 2 figures were that Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca. I went to a place called Service Merchandise and they had this big full rack, but only those two.

I think I played with them for about 2 months before getting any more. I was sick with Mono and my dad bought me the landspeeder for me to put them in.

[bazfanv2]

One day all sales will be like this to avoid shop lifting. A certificate thats printed out at the cashiers desk, then given to you once payment is authorised. Then leave and wait 3 months for delivery. Buy your (insert here) for future use.

[unmisfitminor101]

that luke skywalker is rare

[LukeSkywalker7850]

These were times....

I´m getting the on ebay tonight.

[rogerdodgeraviation]

Oh....I had that display stand. I believe it had foot pegs for 12 figures.

[MASTERLUCERO]

Cool the sister plays to.....thats rare!

[phoenixdawn34]

as a collector..a MISB Early Bird mailer in nice shape (and afa graded) could run 2k

an opened one but with sealed bagged figs and pegs and a non dt luke 700-800 or 1200 for a dt luke sealed inside (double telescoping)

Nice piece of action figure history here

[gjc82071]

Just what every boy & girl wants for Xmas! An empty F!#%'ing box, & a 3 month wait. (we all know how patient children are). Kenner's infamous "Empty Box campaign". Had to wait until March to get the toys. Due to the companies vision & keen foresight into predicting Star Wars would be a "flop", they didn't make enough toys. IMO, Kenner should have got their license yanked & given to Mattel, Parker Bros, Milton Bradley, etc.

[hbk92701]

@gjc82071 License yanked? Those companies turned lucas away. At least kenner thought to make some toys, unlike those guys, they didnt want anything to do with Star Wars.

[gjc82071]

@hbk92701 Yes, you're right. They turned him away, "Initially". I am talking about AFTER. NO company on earth would turn away pre-paid orders involving toys for the biggest movie in history. Kenner, @ the time a fairly small company, (& was the only 1 interested). I mean after, if they couldn't keep up with production, they should have got their license (for Star Wars toys) revoked, & given to a bigger company that could fill the orders. It all worked out in the end though, I guess.

[kainniak1]

lawl feb firsth thru june first rofl still those toys look kooler then todays

[Beltzer0072]

These Figures are awesome, I have collected Luke, Darth Vader, Han, Leia, C3po, Chewbacca, and I even got Boba Fett in near mint. I am still after a good R2, Yoda and Obi Wan

[ElBombastico883]

How much would an early bird certificate MIB be worth now???

[jamdude13]

I remember this,How exciting to wake up Christmas morning to a picture of what you didn't get! LOL

[SparkyMK3]

Kenner Toys was the only company that George Lucas could afford to hire to produce toys and games for Star Wars at the time. But when Star Wars became the runaway success it was, Kenner, being only a small toy company mind you, was caught completely off guard and wasn't able to make enough toys to meet the Christmas deadline, so they came up with this clever "Early Bird Gift Certificate" scheme to buy them time to make enough toys to meet up with the demand. And the rest is history.

[JoanCollins2009]

Kenner mad a killing on both the six million dollar man and bionic woman and starwars figures i love the toys

[jjb1011jjb]

i have the early bird certificate package and the sears cantina adventure set the two cardboard stands kenner offered in 77/78

[Mortskcab]

My dad bought all the 77 star wars action figures.... he was 20 years old then he told me he only bought it because he thought it would be worth something someday, but my mom made him get rid of it..... JEEZ!

[philliesrock100]

where the figures cheaply made?

[Mortskcab]

no they were good figures... they only broke when kids would be too rough with them

[phoenixdawn34]

I have the vinyl cape jawa and double telescoping "early bird" luke. Not cheap but pretty rare! It was a good marketing ploy to children instead of waiting til they could put out the figures. Here's a display kids now wait for the figures lol

[QCIC56]

They basically ran out of figures during the '77 Christmas season, so they had to put these certificates out to get them in April or May.

It goes to show what a marketing explosion Star Wars was.

[SonOfSpork]

It would have seemed like an a eternity waiting for those figures to arrive. The were and still are amazing.

[jksonny]

I'll never be as excited about anything like I was about Star Wars figures.

[Statueboy]

Many thanks for posting this wonderful piece of Kenner history!

[chaosbringer666]

I wonder how much it money it was back then

[XboxlivenoFuTure4U]

i'm only 25 and din't get to experience the original Star Wars craze but was around for the mid 90's rebirth. Proud to say i have all of the first twelve mint and in display cases. never got ahold of the original early bird stand though only a remake.

[padawan23]

This was a special time to be a child. Im quite thankful that I was born in 1973 in order to experience this. I was even taken to the original star wars movie in 1977. I still remember going. These ads are about the next best thing to going back and reliving it. I really hope that my own daughter will have as happy a childhood as I had.

[arnyjk]

Yeah, I'm a little younger than you but am fortunate enough to have caught the tail end of the original Star Wars era- I was five when Return of the Jedi came out. I still remember playing with a lot of the Return of the Jedi and Empire Strikes Back toys in the early 80s (and some of the original Star Wars toys I inherited from my brothers).

[musicluvr1974]

@padawan23: No kidding--I was born a year later than you (obvious from my screenname, yes?) and I'm happy to say that my brother & I hold the distinction of having seen all 6 movies in the theaters when they were first out. Great memories... *happy sigh*

[WAIATA4U]

Shit! I remember my mom & I were waiting in line at MERVYN's (when they sold toys) just to purchase the Star Wars "package", itself, back in Spring 78'.

That Memorial Day weekend of 78' was awesome because those 4 action figures (Luke, Leia, Chewy, and 3PO) arrived in the mailbox after school on the Friday of Memorial Weekend...It was awesome for a 7 year old kid at the time.

[pizzafan1234]

lol yea good times good times :)

[joey75220]

@WAIATA4U That's a cool memory. I don't remember the early bird certificate when I was a kid....just remember about a year or two after the first movie came out, I started getting action figures. I lived in New Mexico and I remember Mervyn's!!!!

[JJAB91]

@WAIATA4U ...What are you 40? What are you doing on Youtube?

[singhisking853]

@JJAB91 I wasn't aware Youtube had an age limit?

[Beertrooper]

5 STARS!!! Awesome video!

Anybody who likes vintage Star Wars figures should check out "Vintage Star Wars Weekly" here on youtube. We discuss vintage Star Wars toys every week, and have a monthly vintage figure give-away contest!

We would love to have all you vintage Star Wars fans here on youtube come check us out!

-Darth Beer

[willerror]

Wow, I remember a guy in the 1st grade who had the Early Bird set, pretty big hit in the lunch room.

[Youngstown529]

Just what every child wanted for Christmas - a picture of toys they will get sometime in June.

[KDAWGx7777777]

Those were the good ole days I hate the future and i wanna go back.

[phoenixdawn34]

an unopened misb original early bird certificate I could going for at least 1000 bucks. Keep in mind its just the display and stuff not the early bird set which a sealed one goes for more. These toys aint cheap anymore lol

[Eddie62070]

@KDAWGx7777777 ...you are not alone

[singhisking853]

@KDAWGx7777777 Jokes, right?

[BlytheWorld1972]

@KDAWGx7777777

70s was the best doll

[JoeSmoeX]

The Early Bird set was the shit! Scored one of these bad boys and a Darth Vader bop bag. Good times...

[mandaloriannerd12]

buy it for 5 bucks then but check the prices now

[mmbmrock]

I love it.Really I do

[greendaysimpleplan18]

that box campaign was so funny! where did you get that video?

[05309193]

This clip was seen in the documentry, Star Wars: Empire Of Dreams

[greendaysimpleplan18]

oh yeah, i have that documentary, thanks

[VintageRob89]

It can go for over a thousand dollars

[snakes3425]

The box or the toys

[LarryRusso67]

my god - we sent away and paid for a box thats now worth -?????  lord knows!! love it!!