Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi - POTF2 [R/G] - Exclusives

Added: February 2nd 2016
Category: Power Of The Force "2" [Red/Green], The
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi
Collection: The Power Of The Force "2" [Freeze Frame/The Kenner Collection]
Number: N/A (Frito-Lay Exclusive)
Source: The Empire Strikes Back
Availability: March 1997
License: Hasbro

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To get your Spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi figure, send two original UPC symbols from specially marked bags of Regular LAY'S or LAY'S brand Pizza Flavored Potato Chips and a check or money order for $1.99 payable to LAY'S/Obi-Wan Kenobi Offer (includes shipping and handling) along with your name and complete mailing address – including ZIP code to: LAY'S/Obi-Wan Kenobi Offer, P.O. Box 1205, Young America, MN 55594-1205. Please allow 90 days for delivery. Offer good until June 1, 1997 or while supplies last. Lightsaber not included. Actual figure is see-through.

1997’s The Power Of The Force “2” Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi is the very first translucent Star Wars action figure.... ever. The way he came about is as interesting as how you could get him. How in the world does a food company like Frito-Lay get a Star Wars exclusive like this? What makes things even more weird is that the offer was on a brand new flavor of Lays’ potato chips: pizza flavored potato chips (yuck). Hey, it was a popular flavor in the 90s. After Kenner ran the successful Han Solo [Disguised As a Stormtrooper] offer, they kept the momentum running with promotions like this. Despite the admittedly boring aspect of a “spirit” action figure, collectors and fans were nonetheless excited to mail-away for this exclusive figure because it was a fun thing to do and it was Star Wars after all.

Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi comes with three points of articulation, but when he arrived in mailboxes, most of us were petrified to move any of them too far because we were afraid of breaking it. In fact, most samples were nearly impossible to articulate without hot water treatments.... it truly felt like the movable parts would break off because they would bend without articulating.... if you catch our meaning. The figure itself it just alright. We wouldn’t rave incessantly about it, but we suppose it meets a need in Star Wars collections. We’re not fully impressed with the approach to recreate a spirit. We understand the need for a base translucent blue sculpt, but had Kenner painted colorful details to give the sculpt some definition and description, it may have gone over a whole lot better than it actually did.

Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi comes without any weapons, but he doesn’t really need any. He came packaged in a plain white mailer box. Some fans received, along with the white mailer box (packaged inside of larger outer corrugated cardboard packaging), one of five bonus coupons for other neat and cool exclusive products. The coupons included one for $5.00 off vehicles, a $5.00 Kenner Cash coupon, or $2.50 off any vehicle. But two others became highly sought after by collectors including a new B’omarr Monk action figure (later widely made available as an internet exclusive) and the beautiful Chalmun’s Cantina pop-up diorama (which also was later made available to all collectors). Those in the UK received a Special Edition of this figure in a much nicer packaged box, and the figure was renamed “The Ghost Of Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Collector Notes

Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi

Status: Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi is an all-new figure.

Articulation Count: 3 points (3 areas of articulation)

Articulation Details: swivel head (1), swivel left shoulder (1), swivel right shoulder (1)

Accessory Count: None

Accessory Details: None

Date Stamp: 1997

Assortment Number: 69736

UPC: N/A

Retail: $1.99 USD

Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on Click here to check the market value on eBay! listings.

The Power Of The Force "2" [Freeze Frame/The Kenner Collection]

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