SHOW 148: THOSE OLD FOSSILS: EPISODE 26: THE BOUNTY HUNTER CAPTURE LOG PART 3: DENGAR
This episode of Generation Skywalker's vintage collecting show 'Those Old Fossils' focuses on Dengar from the Empire Strikes Back bounty hunters, covering his figure variants, card backs, mail-away offers, and collectible value. The hosts discuss upcoming Echo Base convention details and share mixed opinions about the character's appeal compared to other bounty hunters.
Summary
Episode 148 of Generation Skywalker continues the bounty hunter capture pod series with a deep dive into Dengar, the third bounty hunter covered after IG-88 and Bossk. The episode begins with extensive discussion of the upcoming Echo Base convention on October 11th in Redditch, including details about the Friday night dinner event with Star Wars actors and the main Saturday collecting fair.
The hosts express divided opinions about Dengar as a character and figure. Jez describes him dismissively as 'a slightly chunky guy covered in toilet roll' and expresses preference for other bounty hunters. Pete and Dan are more positive, with Pete noting fond memories of receiving the mail-away figure. They discuss the character's evolution from Empire Strikes Back through Clone Wars to Rise of Skywalker, with particular criticism of the Rothgar character design.
Extensive coverage is given to Dengar's release history, starting with his 1980 debut in the Sears Cloud City playset before general retail release in 1981. The episode features detailed segments on variants from expert Mark Andrews, covering factory differences between Smile, UniToy, and Kada productions, with special focus on rare Spanish PBP variants including the coveted pink-face version.
Pricing analysis shows loose figures selling for under £10 in the UK, while carded versions range from £100-150 depending on condition and card back. Rare variants like the Sears shrink-wrapped exclusive can command thousands of dollars. The episode covers Palitoy releases, Canadian exclusives, multi-packs, and various international variants.
Beyond the toys section discusses appearances in comics, the Scanlight lampshade, stickers, and other merchandise. The episode concludes with acknowledgments to guest experts and preview of the next episode covering Zuckuss and 4-LOM.
Key Insights
- Jez describes childhood impression of Dengar as 'a slightly chunky guy covered in toilet roll' and considers him one of the worst bounty hunters alongside Zuckuss
- Ron Salvatore states that Dengar is quite possibly the least interesting of the bounty hunter figures and he's never heard someone cite Dengar as their favorite figure
- Mark Andrews explains that Spanish PBP Dengar variants with pure pink faces are extremely rare, probably in double digits known, and command four-digit prices
- Pete reveals that Sears shrink-wrapped Dengar exclusives have sold for over $5,000, with one selling for $5,500 in July as a 75 AFA graded example
- Dave explains that the Palitoy bounty hunter capture log promotion was inspired by Action Man's star system and became as iconic as the Palitoy logo itself
- Ron notes that Dengar debuted in the Cloud City playset despite having nothing to do with Cloud City, highlighting Kenner's packaging choices
- Jez discovers through research that Dengar 79-back cards only exist in Australia, with just four examples found since 2007 according to Star Wars Tracker
- Mark Andrews confirms three distinct factory variants exist for Dengar (Smile, UniToy, Kada) with UniToy featuring a notably different 'custard-faced' paint application
- Pete explains that contested Palitoy 41-back Dengar may exist as only one example that the current owner refuses to share photos of, driving collectors mad
- Ron reveals that Dengar's card back photo shows him blurred because he wasn't the primary subject - Darth Vader and Bossk were more prominent in the original photo
- Pete notes that loose Dengar figures can be found for under £10 in the UK, likely due to the large number of mail-away figures that were distributed
- Dave describes the specific Palitoy Parker Bradgate baggie for Dengar mail-aways, noting Bradgate was a wholesale arm of Palitoy that typically made budget toys
Topics
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