Still trying to catch that elusive bird? We’re giving away Gooney Bird PVC lapel pins to two lucky visitors. Absolutely free, including shipping!
All you need to do is comment on this story below and answer the question: What Kenner toy you are currently on the hunt for?
Winners will be chosen at random, and entry is open until midnight June 17th EST. Good luck!
As I am sure we are all a bit guilty of doing, we all hop on eBay and search for “Kenner.” This auction came across my feed and I had to share it!
What other ways have you seen Kenner crop up where you never thought you would?
Here is neat sales flyer for Kenner Lightnin’ TTP Turbo Tower of Power car & cycle retail store displays. Kenner made several different types of these large 3-dimensional store displays that featured actual toys arranged inside of a large clear plastic viewing window.
Back when toy buying was done in person at shows like Toy Fair, flyers like this would entice retail toy buyers to order the store displays from Kenner. Many times, like in this case, buyers would have the opportunity to buy the display along with retail packaged toys.
The flyer measures 8 5/8″ wide x 11″ tall and has © GENERAL MILLS FUN GROUP INC., 1976, by its Div. KENNER PRODUCTS, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 in the lower left hand corner.
Mix in a hint of an Olympic Superstar, add a dash of Hollywood, and sprinkle in a little controversy and you get one HOT Starting Lineup figure. Can you guess to which Starting Lineup Figure I am referring?
Bruce Jenner, of course!
Nineteen years ago Kenner released their Olympic Timeless Legends line. As the name implies, the line included numerous iconic Olympians. However, this line did not have much market success. Retail stores and online distributors alike were left with sealed cases of unsold figures and were ultimately forced to severely discount the product in order to recap some of their money.
Many years later Bruce Jenner’s name has resurfaced in the media but not for the reasons one would think. The long anticipated ABC interview which aired on Friday, April 24th, 2015, did not highlight Bruce’s athletic achievements but rather his struggle with his gender identity. To watch this interview please see the link below:
You may be asking yourself how Bruce Jenner’s gender crisis and interview relate to the hobby business. This is a valid question and the answer lies at the end of of the interview when Bruce is presented with his 1996 Legends figure. This innocent gesture has caused an incredible spike in demand for this figure. Less than twenty-four hours later, a figure that could be purchased for ten dollars on eBay is now selling upwards of two hundred dollars. Although this price has come down slightly in the days since the interview the figure is earning one hundred dollars.
The Bruce Jenner Starting Lineup was packed two per case in each of the two 1996 Timeless Legends assortments and was not hard to find by any means. If you are lucky enough to have this figure it may be time to sell!
Another Star Wars Celebration has come and gone, and we are just now recovering from the four days of complete awesomeness! We had an amazing time catching up with old friends and enjoyed making many new ones. Here are a few of the Kenner related highlights from the trip to Anaheim, California.
I really hope everyone that wanted a Gooney Bird pin was able to get one. The Gooney Bird was very busy sight seeing and making the rounds on the exhibit hall floor.
Our Kenner Fun Map was a big hit at the Star Wars Collectors Archive party:
Here is poster designer Josh Blake and a couple of ex-Kenner employees discussing the poster:
Gentle Giant life-size Kenner R2-D2 in the R2 Builders room. Really hope Gentle Giant makes this available to collectors!
Life-size Kenner Boba Fett, Darth Vader, and Stormtrooper at the Gentle Giant booth:
Jumbo Kenner Droids C-3PO Celebration exclusive, and Droids R2-D2 at the Gentle Giant booth:
Kenner related goodies created by fans might have been some of the best items we received in trade for our Gooney Bird pins! Loved the creativity that other fans had when making these give-a-ways.
Pins:
Guitar picks:
Patches:
Missed out on all of the fun? Don’t worry, stay tuned for details on how you can receive a free KennerCollector.com Gooney Bird pin of your very own!
Don’t forget! Dan and I will be out in sunny Anaheim, California for Star Wars Celebration and will have these awesome goodies for you!
The Kenner Fun Map will be exclusively available to everyone attending the Archive Party on Thursday night. The PVC Gooney Bird pins we will have with us throughout the convention for trading. Both have limited numbers and we will try to stock away pins to have some every day.
We look forward to meeting up with old friends and making new connections. Keep a look out for us and remember, It’s Kenner! It’s Fun!
“He’s worth a lot to me.”
Artist John Tyler Christopher has added this variant of Star Wars comic #4 to his website for preorder. It follows the theme of his past vintage Kenner Star Wars variant action figure covers. This one brings one of our favorite bounty hunters to life!
It will ship 4-22-15, and is available in limited quantity and is on a first come first serve basis on his site. Head on over there to add him to your collection now!
KennerCollector.com is excited to announce our second giveaway that will be available at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim April 16-19, 2015. This 3D lapel pin depicting Kenner’s famous Gooney Bird, will be available for trading with fellow collectors throughout Celebration Anaheim. The flexible PVC pin measures 1.75″ wide x 1.70″ high, and has a metal clutch back fastener.
Attendees of the Star Wars Collectors Archive Party II will not only be able to pick up our exclusive Kenner Fun Map poster, but they will also be among the first to add our Gooney Bird pin to their collection. If you happen to miss us at the Archive Party, don’t worry! There will be plenty of pins available for trading each day!
Just look for Joe Ilagan (left) or Dan Flarida (right) during Celebration Anaheim to add the pin to your Kenner collection:
Not going to be at Celebration Anaheim? Never fear, we have you covered! There will be a limited number of Gooney Bird pins available after the show for Kenner fans not attending the event. Be sure and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for a chance to add the pin to your collection!
This Kenner Super Powers Hawkman comic brings back some fond memories of my childhood. The mini 2 3/4″ wide x 4 1/4″ tall comic was included to add additional value to the carded Hawkman action figures. The comic first appeared in the 1984 Series 1 release. Super Power Toys posted the comic on their Facebook page and it really had me remembering how much fun it was to get a new Super Powers figure, and then sit down and enjoy the comic book that came with it. Just thought I would share it with everybody here. You can read the full scanned in comic thanks to Action Figure Insider.
KennerCollector.com is excited to announce our exclusive Kenner Fun Map, a poster showcasing the company’s many historic Cincinnati locations and toy lines. The poster measures 18″ wide x 24″ tall, and will be limited to only 350 pieces. The Fun Map poster will be available free as an exclusive to attendees of the Star Wars Collectors Archive Party II on April 16, 2015 at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim.
I first approached fellow collector Josh Blake in May of 2014 about an idea for a t-shirt I wanted to create as a give-away for Celebration Anaheim. He loved the idea of working together on something, and soon convinced me a poster was the way to go. Over the next several months, Josh and I poured our hearts into this poster as a thank you to Kenner, the toy company that has provided us with so many years of enjoyment, both as kids and adults. Josh was the artist and designer on the poster, and I was the creative consultant and technical advisor.
The poster features many iconic Kenner Cincinnati locations including Kenner Street, 912 Sycamore Street, 2940 Highland Avenue, 1014 Vine Street, and the Oakley complex. There are also a few hidden surprises in there that seasoned collectors will want to search for!
Here is one example of the many original sketches Josh did to get the detail just right. This is of the Oakley complex, home of the famous Kenner Museum and Morgue:
Even though Josh had several Celebration Anaheim projects on his plate, he was able to knock it out of the park with this poster and come in way ahead of schedule! After the poster was completed, Josh was still willing to take time to reflect on and answer a few questions about the project:
Dan – Tell me a little about your history as an artist and graphic designer.
Josh – My parents said I began sketching at the age of 3 and I had always expected to pursue art as a career. My mother had success as a commercial artist in the 1970’s, having designed the main character for the advertising campaign that would eventually become the Long John Silvers Pirate. Although I had intention of attending art college, my circumstances led me to a liberal art institution where I studied other disciplines. Art design eventually made it’s way back into my life when I took a job in the printing industry in 2008. Life has a funny way of working things out and I now use both my college education and experience in commercial printing for running my graphic design business.
How long have you been a collector? What Kenner toy lines do you collect?
I can’t remember a time that I did not collect. Star Wars was definitely the first of many things I collected, but I moved around from one line to another throughout the 80’s and 90’s. The two most prominent lines I have found most appealing is the 1982 Star Wars Micro Collection and the first series Real Ghostbusters line.
What has been your favorite part of working on the Kenner Cincinnati locations fun map?
My favorite part of the project was coming up with the gags for each of the characters and how they would interact with one another. The decision for going with a “Fun Map” style, typically found at theme parks and vacation resorts, is that it opened up complete artistic freedom to render pretty much anything we imagined. The idea was for it to appear wonderfully cluttered with Kenner toys!
Examples of a Kings Island Fun Map from Josh’s collection:
How many hours do you think you have in the poster all together?
I lost track, but I would guess somewhere between 1200-1500. That’s a conservative guess though.
How excited are you about the fact that the poster will be exclusive to the Star Wars Collectors Archive’s Celebration Anaheim Party?
I truly am thrilled that the project has evolved to this point. A project of this scale requires a lot of eyes and ears, and I was fortunate to have excellent support throughout every phase of the job.
Pretty cool to think of something you designed could be hanging on fellow collector’s walls.
I almost feel that it’s a bit presumptuous to think that someone would want to hang my art on their wall, but the thought is completely flattering. I just hope that collectors will enjoy this print as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Josh was also kind enough to add a few words about working together on the project.
About working with Dan. Dan’s role as a technical adviser was crucial in the concept phases to help me gain a visual of what this should, and would look like. After a bit of convincing that a poster was the best choice of canvas, we developed each area together taking every single detail into account. Like myself, Dan is a perfectionist and his attention to detail kept me on my toes and served as the perfect soundboard for great ideas. Working with Dan was a true collaboration and I know he enjoyed this project as much as I have!
Thanks again for all the hard work Josh!
One especially cool detail on the poster is the Kenner Products style shipping label at the bottom. Josh drew inspiration from an actual Kenner shipping label used to ship Star Wars Micro figures to one very lucky individual back in 1985.
Did I happen to mention there are a lot of different Kenner toy lines featured throughout the poster? Favorites like Star Wars, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Easy-Bake Oven, and Alien just to name a few. How many can you find?
I hope everyone enjoys the poster as much as we have enjoyed making it! See you at the Celebration Anaheim Archive Party!
If you are interested in working with Josh Blake on a project of your own, contact him here on Facebook!
