Star Wars Collectible Corner
Vinyl Cape Jawa:
In search of the Holy Grail of Star Wars toys
Kenner's original Jawa action figure, released in 1978, was originally issued with a vinyl cape. The toymaker soon replaced vinyl with a richer-appearing cloth cape, making the vinyl cape Jawa a much-sought after toy among Star Wars collectors. Even a loose (unpackaged) Vinyl Cape Jawa can fetch several hundred dollars in an eBay auction. Beware: the scarcity of Vinyl Cape Jawas has inspired a galaxy of counterfeiters, and numerous fakes are available on the market today.
If as a collector you come across a loose Vinyl Cape Jawa, here are some things to keep in mind as you attempt to determine if it's real or fake:
First, examine the cape. It should match the color of the Jawa. If it does not, someone might have used an original Obi-Wan Kenobi cape, which is more reddish in hue, to create a fake Vinyl Cape Jawa.
Second, compare the cape with an original Obi-Wan Kenobi cape. Today's forgeries are much stiffer and thicker than the capes that Kenner created for the Vinyl Cape Jawa.
Third, check our the arm openings in the cape. The orginal cape for the Vinyl Cape Jawa were a tightly fitted addition to the figure. Forgeries tend to give more room around the arm holes to prevent tearing. This is another dead give-away that someone's trying to dupe you into buying a forged Vinyl Cape Jawa.
Carded Jawas are much harder to authenticate because to open the package would compromise the value of the action figure, fake or not. However, there are still ways in which you can determine if the Vinyl Cape Jawa in question is the real deal.
The truth, of course, is in the bubble that holds the Vinyl Cape Jawa on the card. Kennery only used one bubble for the Vinyl Cape Jawa, so this helps us somewhat. The correct bubble is thin and flat. If the front of the bubble is slanted in any way, you know you have spotted a forgery.
Because the Vinyl Cape Jawa is the holy grail of original Star Wars action figures, finding a real one among a cast of forgeries takes some work. But if you successfully find an authentic Vinyl Cape Jawa, your collection will have gained a very rare and valuable addition. |
