This is Kenner's 12" Han Solo from 1979. Just look at this scoundrel! I'm not sure if this guy was rare back in 1979 but I only saw him for sale ONE time. We were on vacation visiting friends in Minnesota in 1979 and were at the Target store in Coon Rapids. They had this guy for sale along with a few other figures I had never seen in my hometown. That was the first and only time I saw this Han Solo on a toy shelf until years and years later at a comic book convention... and the price on him, at that point, was many times over what his price was on the Target shelf in Coon Rapids. I couldn't afford to add him to my collection, at that point.
There was a time before ebay and other online auction sites when vintage toys seemed much more rare than they actually were. To find something like this 12" Han Solo, you had to stumble across one in a store that sold vintage items or find one in one of the national toy classifieds (these were like monthly newspapers that would come in the mail). So, it was REALLY hard to find something like this "back in the day."
In 1992, my wife and I traveled to Orlando, Florida for our honeymoon. It was a blast! We enjoyed all the theme parks and did a little shopping, as well. We found a small comic book, toy, and collectible store that had quite a few neat things. Among the treasures, was this 12" Han you see in the photos. Being the gem that she is, my wife offered to make the Han Solo my wedding present as we hadn't exchanged gifts, at that point. Since 1992 was pre-ebay days, he was quite a bit more expensive than a loose, complete 12" Han can be had for these days. However, it was quite a find to actually encounter a complete figure. There was one problem, however. Han's white shirt had a chocolate-looking stain about the size of a quarter (Man, I hope it was chocolate). Being anxious to see if the stain would come out, I bought a small box of detergent and worked the stain out in the hotel room sink. The stain came out completely and I hung the small shirt up to dry on a clothesline that could be pulled across the front of the shower.
To this day, one of my wife's most vivid memories of our honeymoon was the day her complete Geek-of-a-husband washed his dolly clothes in the hotel sink and hung them up to dry. I guess it was a kind of eye-opening event for her that I will never live down.
Kenner did a nice job with this figure. The likeness to Harrison Ford is there but not overstated. Han's clothes are a bit simple compared to a more contemporary version of this figure would be but they do the job and convey the look of the character quite well. An interesting side note: Kenner reused this body and head sculpt for their Indiana Jones 12" figure. However, if you look closely, Han's eyes are painted brown while Indy's were painted blue.
Like Kenner's 12" Luke Skywalker, Han's articulation is somewhat limited: cut neck, cut shoulders, and cut joints at the hip that allow the legs to move forward and backward. If I'm not mistaken, he also has limited "clicky" articulation at the knees...like a Barbie.
A complete Han Solo includes his two black boots, black pants, white shirt, black vinyl vest, plastic belt with holster, Han's pistol blaster, and a medal like the one he received at the end of Star Wars ( I won't call it A New Hope... I won't).
"Never tell me the odds!"
This is Kenner's 12" Han Solo from 1979. Just look at this scoundrel! I'm not sure if this guy was rare back in 1979 but I only saw him for sale ONE time. We were on vacation visiting friends in Minnesota in 1979 and were at the Target store in Coon Rapids. They had this guy for sale along with a few other figures I had never seen in my hometown. That was the first and only time I saw this Han Solo on a toy shelf until years and years later at a comic book convention... and the price on him, at that point, was many times over what his price was on the Target shelf in Coon Rapids. I couldn't afford to add him to my collection, at that point.
There was a time before ebay and other online auction sites when vintage toys seemed much more rare than they actually were. To find something like this 12" Han Solo, you had to stumble across one in a store that sold vintage items or find one in one of the national toy classifieds (these were like monthly newspapers that would come in the mail). So, it was REALLY hard to find something like this "back in the day."
In 1992, my wife and I traveled to Orlando, Florida for our honeymoon. It was a blast! We enjoyed all the theme parks and did a little shopping, as well. We found a small comic book, toy, and collectible store that had quite a few neat things. Among the treasures, was this 12" Han you see in the photos. Being the gem that she is, my wife offered to make the Han Solo my wedding present as we hadn't exchanged gifts, at that point. Since 1992 was pre-ebay days, he was quite a bit more expensive than a loose, complete 12" Han can be had for these days. However, it was quite a find to actually encounter a complete figure. There was one problem, however. Han's white shirt had a chocolate-looking stain about the size of a quarter (Man, I hope it was chocolate). Being anxious to see if the stain would come out, I bought a small box of detergent and worked the stain out in the hotel room sink. The stain came out completely and I hung the small shirt up to dry on a clothesline that could be pulled across the front of the shower.
To this day, one of my wife's most vivid memories of our honeymoon was the day her complete Geek-of-a-husband washed his dolly clothes in the hotel sink and hung them up to dry. I guess it was a kind of eye-opening event for her that I will never live down.
Kenner did a nice job with this figure. The likeness to Harrison Ford is there but not overstated. Han's clothes are a bit simple compared to a more contemporary version of this figure would be but they do the job and convey the look of the character quite well. An interesting side note: Kenner reused this body and head sculpt for their Indiana Jones 12" figure. However, if you look closely, Han's eyes are painted brown while Indy's were painted blue.
Like Kenner's 12" Luke Skywalker, Han's articulation is somewhat limited: cut neck, cut shoulders, and cut joints at the hip that allow the legs to move forward and backward. If I'm not mistaken, he also has limited "clicky" articulation at the knees...like a Barbie.
A complete Han Solo includes his two black boots, black pants, white shirt, black vinyl vest, plastic belt with holster, Han's pistol blaster, and a medal like the one he received at the end of Star Wars ( I won't call it A New Hope... I won't).
"Never tell me the odds!"
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