Welcome to my Darth Vader collection - The Sithsonian.
I have broken the collection into each country and what I have been able to find so far. I have been amazed at just how many different countries released Darth Vader on differing versions of the card-back, and some of the non-US versions are extremely rare. Some are only rumoured to exist and haven't even emerged yet! The hunt continues...
This page has been developed mostly as a library for my own collection, but I hope it helps others discover new Darth Vader figures - especially from the Vintage line. I hope you enjoy The Sithsonian as much as I have enjoyed collecting them all.
Australia
SW 12bk Toltoys with empirical measurements on the card back
SW 12bk Toltoys with metric measurements on the card back
SW 12bk-C Kenner (Taiwan) card with Australian metric sticker
SW 20bk-A Toltoys card
ESB 41bk Kenner card with Australian Pink 4LOM Offer
ESB 45bk Toltoys card Display Offer with Australian address printed on back
ESB 47bk-A Kenner card with 'Offer not available in Australia' sticker across the 4-LOM Offer
ROTJ 65bk Toltoys card with Australian Address
ROTJ 79bk Kenner card with Australian Coin Offer
The 12 Back Darth Vader was only made in Taiwan (some other characters came from Taiwan and HK) and there were at least two versions with empirical and metric measurements of the figures. Australia went to the metric system of measurement in 1966, so it is unusual for any measurements to be in inches. The inch versions were probably the very first release by Toltoys (using the kenner card-back as a template). There was also a white metric sticker shown above that came on both Toltoys and Kenner 12 back cards. Other differences on the Metric card are thinner text, the gold 'Republic of China' sticker as well as Australia mispelt as 'AUSTRLIA'. Oh, and the classic misspelling of Toltoys spelt 'TOLTOTYS' on both cards.
SW 12bk Toltoys Diecast Tie Fighter
SW Boba Fett 12 Inch - Vader never came with the blue Toltoys logo
SW 12 Inch
ESB 12 Inch
SW Darth Vader Tie Fighter Model - same as the US version, but distributed through Toltoys
Darth Vader Shampoo bottle
SW Toltoys Death Star playset
Showbag from the Myer Star Wars Exhibition 1982
Showbag from the Brisbane Exhibition 1983
Croner Toys 1983 Darth Vader Costume
The 12 inch Darth Vader boxes were unique to Australia as there is no reference to the figure's size. On the US Kenner boxes (SW and ESB) the size of the figure is stated as 15 inches. Because Australia used the metric system of measurement, the size was simply omitted - not blacked out - reprinted without any reference to size at all. These were actually released in Australia and New Zealand and apparently made it to store shelves, and you can just make out the remnants of a price sticker on the ESB box.
New Zealand
SW 12bk Toltoys with Farmers Price tag (Farmers was a NZ Dept Store)
SW 21bk-A Toltoys New Zealand Large card with distinct large square bubble and matte back
ESB 32bk-B Toltoys New Zealand Luke Bespin large card (Darth Vader was not released on this card) square bubble and matte back
ESB 48bk-A Toltoys New Zealand with no POP and New Zealand Toltoys information where the barcode should be
These were actually locally made by Toltoys in New Zealand to compensate for the lack of product available, hence the difference in size, quality and bubble. All parts were made in New Zealand (reportedly Christchurch).
Argentina, Brazil and Columbia
Argentina - ROTJ 12bk Top Toys card
Argentina - Bootleg Hombre Espacial Piloto Navex, although now considered to be more of a bootleg of a bootleg
Argentina - Bootleg Hombre Espacial Dictador Robot
Brazil - POTF 9bk Glasslite card
Brazil - Model Trem vintage Bootleg with Blue Plastic Tube Sabre painted red
Brazil - Model Trem vintage Bootleg Single Pour (non-moveable neck) with Red Plastic Tube Sabre
Columbia - YUPI Lucasfilm licensed figures found in snack food products
Canada
SW 12bk-A Kenner-Canada
SW 12bk-D Kenner-Canada GDE-Logo
SW 20bk Kenner-Canada
ESB 21bk Kenner-Canada
ESB 32bk Kenner-Canada
ESB 41bk Kenner-Canada
ESB Sears Shrinkwrap Kenner-Canada Luke Hoth - Darth Vader didn't come on this card
ESB/ROTJ Transition 41bk (the very clever and cheap way of making an overstock ESB card ready for the new movie)
ROTJ 65bk Luke Jedi (Green Sabre) - another cardback Darth Vader didn't come on
ROTJ 77bk Kenner-Canada
ESB Dagobah 4-Pack - still hunting the outer packaging for this multipack
SW Villians 3-Pack
SW 20bk Kenner-Canada Diecast Darth Vader Tie Fighter
SW 12 inch - note the reference to 38 centimeters rather than 15 inches, and English on the Front and French on the Back.
Darth Vader belt set - notorious for its terrible quality, and George Lucas ordering its prodcution and sale ceased.
ESB Darth Vader 32bk carry case
ROTJ Collector Series Darth Vader's Tie Fighter with the infamous mis-spelling of 'Guerre' in the Star Burst as 'Querre'
Europe
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk-B with Rounded and tapered small scalloped bubble
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk-B with miscard bubble
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk-BC Luke Skywalker (Brown hair) with alternate Gunner photo (Made in China) - Vader did not come on this cardback
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk-D Anakin - Another cardback Darth Vader did not come on (POTF figures only)
Bootleg - Hungary Stump hand Vader
Bootleg - Hungary Claw Hand Vader
Bootleg - Turkey UZAY
Bootleg - Poland Unarticulated, including rare Silver figure
Bootleg - Poland Articulated (1st and later Generations), including Grey and rare Silver figures
Bootleg - Poland 1st Generation Articulated with cardback
Bootleg - Poland Overstock cardbacks
Bootleg - Russia Oriet POTF2 era
Bootleg - Uruguay Guerrero Espacial
France
SW 12bk Meccano
SW 20bk Meccano - iconic square card
ROTJ 65bk Meccano - really tough to find and also missing red paint on the chest
ROTJ 65bk Meccano Luke Jedi miscard on Yan Solo cardback
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk with long 'Meccano' bubble
SW 12 inch
SW Darth Vader Tie Fighter
Germany
ESB 45bk German Parker Mills
ROTJ-era Darth Vader postcard given out at promotions and signed by 'Darth Vader'
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk - distinctive long thin punch with a triangle shape in the middle
POTF Parker Die Kraft Der Macht Three-Pack
POTF Parker Die Kraft Der Macht Two-Pack with (Meccano) Mini-Rig
Italy
SW 12bk Harbert
ESB 41bk Kenner IG88 with Harbert Sticker on the back. I didn't think I would find a Vader with this sticker, but...
ESB 41bk with Harbert Sticker on the back - just the cardback, but a significant find as not many of the first 12 have shown up
ROTJ UHU Stic with Logray
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk with 'Edilio Parodi' Import sticker on the back of a German Tri-logo card
ROTJ Tri-Logo 4-Pack with Tri-logo cards - one from each movie plus Darth Vader. This set also has the wrong weapon for Leia
Ireland
Ireland didn't have its own line, but these 3-Packs were distributed by a local store, Dunnes. They are not an official product and are notoriously fragile.
Japan
SW 12bk-B Kenner card with Takara 'No ST' sticker and 'ST' sticker
SW 12bk-C Takara card with Takara ST Sticker and white background and Japanese COO Vader. Note the lack of COO on the reverse.
SW 4-bk Takara 8 Inch figure
SW Boxed 6 inch figure
ESB POPY box with SW-A baggie
ROTJ Kenner 65bk-A with Tsukuda Sticker
ROTJ Kenner 65bk-B Luke Jedi (Blue Saber) with Tsukuda Sticker
SW 12bk Takara Diecast Darth Vader Tie Fighter - No Darth Vader Tie Fighter on this card
Japanese Darth Vader Candy premiums - Morinaga (boxes)
Japanese Darth Vader Candy premiums - Meiji (Black) and Gachapon (Gum Ball machine - the rest)
Singapore
Kaka snack food premium
Spain
ESB 37/41bk POCH card with the horizontal reverse. These are called 37/41 Backs because they have 41 figures listed, but only 37 figures shown.
ESB 37/41bk POCH Snowtrooper with the Yellow Logo - Vader only came with the Blue logo
ESB 37/41bk POCH Transition card with Gratis offer sticker
ESB 45/47bk with printed '1 Figura Gratis' offer (mis-card with yellow lightsabre)
ESB 45/47bk Hammerhead - I love how the Poch card uses the bubble upside down so that his head faces forward
ROTJ 45bk Palitoy with '1 Figura Gratis' offer sticker
ROTJ 65bk Palitoy with Clipper black sticker and '1 Figura Gratis' offer
ROTJ 65 Back PBP
ROTJ 65 Back '1 Figura Gratis' Offer
ROTJ Tri-Logo 70bk with PBP Bubble
ESB Darth Vader Tie Fighter
ROTJ Bi-Logo Darth Vader Tie Fighter - this was a Spain only release.
Netherlands
SW 12bk Clipper
SW 12bk Kenner with Clipper Gratis sticker
SW 12bk Kenner with Clipper Gratuite Gratis sticker
ESB 41bk Kenner with Black 'Gratis Premies' Wrap-around yellow sticker
ESB 41bk Kenner with Red 'Gratis Premies' Wrap-around yellow sticker
ESB 41bk Kenner Canada with Red 'Gratis Premies' Wrap-around yellow sticker
ESB 45bk Clipper
ESB 45 Bk German Parker Mills cardback with Black Offer - rare German ESB with Black wrap sticker
ROTJ 48bk-D with Clipper 'White' wrap Offer
ROTJ 45bk Palitoy with 'Black' wrap Offer and Twin-stem Bubble
ROTJ 65bk Kenner with Clipper 'Black' wrap Offer and offer booklet - rare double offer
ROTJ 77bk Kenner with Clipper 'Black' wrap Offer - rare with Alternate Pointing Photo
ROTJ TriLogo 70bk with Clipper offer booklet and 'Star' sticker
ROTJ Trilogo 70bk-D Luke Stormtrooper with Clipper offer booklet and WITHOUT the 'New Figure' sticker - another card Vader was not on
SW 12bk Clipper Diecast Tie Fighter
ROTJ era mailaway offer for Darth Vader (two different baggie types) with magazine promotion advertisment
There is also a variant of the Black wrap offer with the picture of Admiral Ackbar having an extra line and the text being further away from the figure depiction. The first one below is on the Palitoy ROTJ 45bk and German ESB 45bk, and the second is on the Kenner 77bk.
Mexico
ESB 10bk Lili Ledy El Imperio Contraataca
ROTJ 12bk Lili Ledy Retorno
ROTJ 14bk Lili Ledy Regreso
ROTJ 30bk Lili Ledy Regreso
ROTJ 50bk Lili Ledy Regreso Emperor (Vader did was not issued after the 30bk)
SW 12inch Lili Ledy - very different to the Kenner version
ROTJ Lili Ledy Darth Vader's Tie Fighter Regreso Box (there is also a Retorno version)
ROTJ Lili Ledy Darth Vaders Carry Case
ROTJ Lili Ledy Store Display
Mexico had some of the best bootlegs that ranged from genuine Vintage (80s) to more modern POTF2. Vader tended to remain the same Semi-Articulated mold, although there are some really interesting variations.
Bootleg Semi-Articulated shrinkwrapped
Bootleg 6 inch scale Semi-Articulated with Thundercats sword
Bootleg Vintage style figure on ROTJ card/bubble (mid-90s)
Bootleg Vintage Semi-Articulated with retractable sabre (late-80s)
Bootleg Vintage Style Smaller Semi-articulated (late-80s)
Bootleg Vintage Style Unarticulated Yellow (late 80s)
Bootleg Vintage Style Semi-Articulated with retractable sabre (late-80s/early-90s)
Bootleg Vintage Style Unarticulated (late-80s/early 90s)
Bootleg Vintage Style small Unarticulated
Bootleg Vintage style Semi-Articulated figures: Vader and Chewbacca-Vader (which actually used a Planet of the Apes head)
Peru
Peru is a country that had very little of the original product due to the Socialist government during the original SW-era. During the ESB-era, the country opened up and a company called Basa imported Kenner cards and stuck a Company sticker in the top left corner. The cards on the top row were all bought directly from Peru, but have now been deemed to be fake. ROTJ cards with the Basa sticker applied are unlikely with the sticker stopped soon after ESB. I leave them here as a warning for others and as a general idea of how they looked. Basa also made their own 12 inch line with Vader and Chewbacca. Again, these are very rare to find complete and boxed.
ESB 41bk Kenner Darth Vader with faked Basa sticker
ROTJ 77bk Kenner Darth Vader Kenner with faked Basa sticker
ESB 12 inch Darth Vader
Candy premium toys and about the same size as the Columbian Yupis. The top three are a spoon for a chocolate dip, and the bottom are another premium toy often attached to ice-creams.
United Kingdom
SW 12bk Palitoy card
SW 20bk Palitoy Luke Skywalker X-Wing - a cardback Darth Vader was not released on
ESB 30bk Palitoy Luke Skywalker in Bespin Fatigues - Darth Vader is rumoured to be on this cardback
ESB 41bk Palitoy
ESB 41bk Palitoy with a blue sticker over the "(with figures)" in Star Destroyer playset illustration
ESB 45bk-A Palitoy Bounty Hunter Offer
ESB 45bk-B rare single stem bubble
ESB 45bk-B twin stem bubble
ESB 48bk-C Kenner card with Palitoy Address Sticker
ROTJ 48bk-D with Palitoy Address Sticker
ROTJ 45bk Palitoy card
ROTJ 65bk-C Emperor's Royal Guard - Vader did not come on this card, and this was the forerunner to the Tri-Logo cardback
ROTJ 65bk-D Palitoy card with long bubble
ROTJ 65bk-D Palitoy card with short bubble and offer not blacked out
SW 12bk Palitoy Diecast Darth Vader's Tie Fighter
SW 12inch Denys Fisher
ROTJ/POTF Woolworths 8-Pack - These were sold in a bag by the grocery store 'Woolworths' and had 8 figures for 99 pence. There were rumoured to be some POTF figures found in these as well.
USA - the biggest section
The famous Double Telescoping Darth Vader (Loose displayed on a 12bk-B)
Kenner Villains 3-Pack
Kenner Villains 3-Pack Prototype Box with round punch and handcut top window edge (also used different tape)
SW 12bk-A Kenner HK SKU Footer
SW 12bk-A Kenner Taiwan
SW 12bk-D Kenner
SW 20bk-A Kenner - very hard to get offerless card with white price area like the 12 back
SW 20bk-C Kenner Boba Fett Offer - no sticker
SW 20bk-D Kenner Boba Fett Offer - black sticker over the picture on the back
SW 20bk-H Kenner Boba Fett Offer - with two extension stickers
SW 21bk-A Kenner - tough piece with the white price area like the 12 back
SW 21bk-B Kenner
SW 21bk-C Kenner - Secret Action Figure Offer
ESB 21bk-G Kenner - Secret Figure Offer
ESB 21bk-H Kenner - Secret Figure Offer with extension sticker
ESB 31bk-B Kenner
ESB 41bk-A Kenner - with two sabres
ESB 41bk-D Kenner
ESB 45bk-A Kenner - Display Offer with rare Coin Offer sticker on an ESB Card
ESB 47bk-A Kenner
ESB 48bk-A Kenner - hard to find with no offer
ESB 48bk-B Kenner - 'Revenge Offer' stickers on front and back
ESB 48bk-C Kenner - printed Revenge Offer
Revenge of the Jedi 48bk Kenner Proof
ROTJ 48bk-D Kenner - Nien Numb Offer with hard to find ESB bubble and 2-line title on the card reverse
ROTJ 65bk-A Kenner
ROTJ 65bk-B Kenner Alternate picture Made in Mexico
ROTJ 65bk-C Kenner - Emperor Offer
ROTJ 77bk-A Kenner - Black Sticker covering the stock number
ROTJ 77bk-B Kenner - Anakin and Free Coin Offers
ROTJ 79bk-A Kenner (Aussie Price sticker)
POTF 92bk-A with Free Coin Offer
POTF 92bk-A Luke Endor
Kay-Bee Twin Packs. As Star Wars started to lose sales, the store Kay-Bee bought a huge stockpile of carded figures. They were pulled off individual cards and bundled together in these 2-Packs. With many of the weapons taped to the inside of bubbles, very few weapons made it into these packs unless they were already on the figures (such as capes and sabres). They have extremely fragile bubbles and were mounted on thin cardstock. As a result, most have significant damage.
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Princess Liea
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Hammerhead
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with IG88
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Pruneface
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Admiral Ackbar
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Ree Yees
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Gam Guard
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Endor Rebel Commando
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Bib Fortuna
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Logray
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Wicket
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Biker Scout
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with Squidhead
ROTJ Kay-Bee Twin Pack - Darth Vader with ERG
SW Kenner Darth Vader's Tie-Fighter (Small Wings) on Tie Fighter 12bk
SW Kenner Darth Vader's Tie-Fighter (Small Wings) 20bkk
SW Kenner Darth Vader's Tie-Fighter 21bkk
SW Kenner Darth Vader's Tie-Fighter Mail-in
ESB Darth Vader's Tie Figher 31bk (Proof Card)
ESB Darth Vader's Tie Fighter 31bk Internal Packaging Sample (Unproduced)
ESB Tie Bomber
SW White pre-production box
SW Darth Vader's Tie Fighter Special Offer
SW Tie Fighter Special Offer
SW 12 Inch Kenner
ESB Carry Case Mailer Version
ESB Carry Case - 32 Back with special offer of Boba Fett, Bossk and IG88 in the very rare ESB-b baggies
ESB Carry Case - 41 Back with special offer of Luke Bespin, Darth Vader and Yoda
ESB Carry Case - 47 Back with Rebate Offer
ROTJ Carry Case - 65 Back
ESB and ROTJ Darth Vader Lightsabres
Droids Darth Vader Lightsabre
Bootleg Darth vader Lightsabre
Mis-Carded Figures
ROTJ 65bk Palitoy Chewbacca Card with Darth Vader figure
ROTJ 65bk Palitoy with Vader upside down
ROTJ 77bk-A Kenner with unpainted chest
ROTJ 77bk-B Kenner with an upside down backing card. Even the Anakin Offer sticker was placed on the card upside down
ROTJ Tri-logo 70bk Darth Vader Card with Squidhead figure
ROTJ Tri-logo 70bk Darth Vader Card with Tie-Fighter figure
POTF 92-A Kenner with Imperial Gunner coin
Baggie Packs
SW 3-Pack - Vader, 2x Stormtroopers
ESB 3-Pack - Vader, 2x Stormtroopers (Rare ESB version of this set)
SW 4-Pack - Vader, Tusken Raider, 2 x Stormtroopers
ESB 6-Pack (Yellow Box)
ESB 6-Pack (Red Box)
ESB 4-Pack - Vader, Fett, IG88 and Snowtrooper
ESB Star Destroyer Line Art 4-Pack - Vader, Fett, IG88, Bossk
ESB 3-Pack - Bossk, Zuckuss and Dengar (No vader, but a nice complement to the previous 4-Pack)
ESB 4-Pack - Vader, Stormtrooper, IG88 and Chewbacca
ESB 4-Pack - Vader, Hoth Stormtrooper, IG88 and Chewbacca - corrected version with 'Stormtrooper' sticker over 'Trooper' text
ROTJ 3-Pack - Vader and 2x Snowtroopers
ROTJ 4-Pack - Vader, Princess Liea, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker
ROTJ 4-Pack - Vader, Luke Farmboy, Han Solo and Leia Organa
ROTJ 4-Pack - Vader, Fett, Luke Xwing and Yoda
ROTJ 3-Pack - Vader, ERG and Emperor
ROTJ 3-Pack - rare Montgomery Wards special - Vader, ERG and Biker Scout
Young Jedi Mailer with addressed letter (sealed) and open envelope. Most of these were samples with the address of John A Sample, but a few like this actually were posted out. The set came with a free baggie (Logray, Chewbacca or Lando) and the option to buy a second figure as featured in a sticker sheet - C3PO, Darth Vader, R2D2 or Luke Jedi. The second figure was either posted out as a baggie or carded with the POP blacked out - with both examples shown here.
Individual Baggies:
The Baggie story so far:
SW-a,
SW-b
SW-d large font
SW-d small font
SW-f (incorrectly labelled as SW-d)
ESB-a !st Issue
ESB-a 2nd Issue light blue text
ESB-a 2nd issue dark blue
ESB-c
ESB-d
ESB-e
ESB-f
ESB-h
ROTJ-a
ROTJ-f
ROTJ-j
Palitoy-k thin baggie
Palitoy-i
Palitoy-k
Palitoy-m
Euro 500 Box shipper with box - this is now thought to be an early Clipper mail-away
Euro-b (Clipper)
Euro-e
Euro-g
Palitoy-b (Yet to be confirmed)
Euro-c (Clipper 'Made in Macau' baggie and Mailer box)
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