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The Holy Grails of Action Figures
The Penitent Man will… By
Robert T. Trate
January 13, 2012
The Blue Snaggletooth is the Holy Grail of Star Wars figures.
© Lucasfilm/Robert Trate
They are out there… some where. The unobtainable action figure that we hold in such high regard they become “holy” to us. One figure that makes the whole collection complete. A Holy Grail, if you will. Now, there are several Holy Grail Action Figures out there in the world. The list below is for figures that were available to public in one way or the other. Obviously, a rocket firing Boba Fett would normally be on this list. However, outside of a few prototypes and one that was given to the original Boba Fett, Jeremy Bulloch, no one was ever given the chance to buy one. This list is for figures that were made available to the public. They are Mania’s Holy Grails of Action Figures.
Blue Snaggletooth – Star Wars
No it’s not Yak Face, it’s the Blue Snaggletooth. One summer, at a toy show, I saw 30 Yak Faces in a case for sale. That alone blew him away as a hard to find figure. The Blue Snaggletooth is harder to find. Originally, he was available through the Sears Christmas catalog (1978-1979) in the Cantina Adventure Set. However, the Blue Snaggletooth was not available in every box, thus making him even rarer. He was also a mail away exclusive with Sears and came with a Greedo figure as well. This two pack (in mint condition) alone would be worth finding for any toy collector.
The Alien – Alien
There have been many since, but the original Alien figure from the 1979 film still reigns supreme. What makes this figure awesome is that the inner jaw has a trigger in the head which activates it. Kenner completely captured H.R. Giger’s design. It should also be noted that it was unheard of to have a rated R movie have any toy circa 1979. Hopefully with Prometheus coming out this summer, the figure will get a retro re-release.
Godzilla – Shogun Warriors
The 2-foot-tall Godzilla is on my permanent must have list. Godzilla’s coolness factor hits several points but the biggest was his fist firing hand. There are very few toys that are quintessential for collectors and Godzilla is one of them. Godzilla is not too tough to find. It’s finding one completely in tact that makes him a Holy Grail for collectors.
Belloq – Raiders of the Lost of Ark
The Raiders of the Lost Ark toy line by Kenner could not compare to its Star Wars brother. However, most -if not all- of these figures are highly sought after despite how small the line was. The granddaddy of the set is mail away Belloq. Here, Belloq is dressed in his ceremonial robes. Mail away figures are always rare and a complete mint condition one is even tougher to find.
The Sprit of Grayskull - MOTUC
At the San Diego Comic Con in 2008 there was an exclusive that buried them all. The Spirit of Grayskull had only 2 figures ever made. In actuality, he was just a King Grayskull created in clear blue plastic. One of these was raffled off to a lucky fan. The other went to a charity auction. This could make him one of the rarest figures ever released to public.
Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander – GI JOE
This Cobra Commander was the last mail-in figure produced with a straight arm (circa 1982). Yes, he was the last one produced before the swivel arm battle grip. Later in that very same year, he would be packaged with a Sears exclusive Cobra Missile Command Headquarters. What makes him so identifiable, besides the straight arm, is his different Cobra symbol. It is referred to as the Mickey Mouse head. To have a complete mint condition hat trick on this figure you also need his dark grey gun.
Robert Trate writes three weekly columns for Mania: the DVD Shopping Bag, the Toy Maniac, and The Geek Life. Follow Robert on Twitter for his for Geek ramblings, Cosplay photos and film criticisms.
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I have a Blue Snaggletooth, and I have the Godzilla as well, but the lever on the back of his head broke off.