CinemaCast Darth Vader by Kenner

This is most likely the first high end Star Wars collectible. Production was limited to 10,000 by Kenner and in 1994 it was an impressive 16" tall plus another 8" for his lightsaber. This is a striking piece that I enjoyed having on display in my first house for many years. Although it is probably inspired by the duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi, it always reminds me of their battle in Empire Strikes Back. That was the one where Vader always had the upper hand, as he clearly has in this pose. According to sandtroopers.com, this is George Lucas' favorite statue, but I try not to believe everything I read on the internet :-)

These statues are very heavy (16 lbs in the box) and were quite expensive. I recall them being around $100 which is surprising considering I have two. The first one I bought through Advanced Comics and my local comic shop. The second one came to me at the Collector's Expo when one of the dealers I frequented pulled me aside and asked me if I'd take it off his hands. I bought it at a considerable discount -- why, I cannot say -- probably just because it was such a good deal!