12/32 back

SW ESB 12/32 Back


Release Date:
1980
Carded Availability:
  • Star Wars
  • The Empire Strikes Back
Force fact:

    Well I had to put this one somewhere so I decided on Star Wars given that is technically what the card is. This is a 12 Back in all ways except it was released in 1980 and with a sticker on the back of 32 ESB figures. My best guess is that this was left over inventory found in a Kenner warehouse and they being of the proper business “waste not want not” philosophy printed up another sticker, slapped it on the back and off they went. Given that these are rare figures in any vein the fact that the most “common” of these are the R2-D2, Chewbacca, Leia and Luke (and I do use the term common only in regards to the ESB 12/32 Back releases as none are common overall) I wonder if there was some leftover unsold Early Bird figures that got put to card late and then found. Anyway like any theory on such things we will probably never know. I remember a similar theory of mine given like circumstances I supposed the General Veers, R2-D2 Senscope and Luke Hoth were the more again “common” of the vacuformed Canadian ESB cards that they were left over inventory from the Sears Rebel Command Center as they were the same figures. Good theory until I was informed by a Canadian customer many years ago that they never got the Rebel Command Center in Canada. So as said, just a theory and words on a page.
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21 c back

SW 21 C Back

Release Date:

1980
    • The change on the 21 C is much like the 20 K back in that Kenner slapped a new Action Figure mail away sticker offer and it is the Secret Figure Offer again. It is generally believed that the Secret Figure offer that is on the earlier 20 Backs are just left over inventory that had the new sticker applied to it. This was very common practice with Kenner with that 12 D Back released during The Empire Strikes Back being the most striking example of “waste not, want not.”

    Force fact:

    There is also a 21 D Back that has, I know you can guess, the red rectangular sticker extending the offer until 12/31/1980.
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21 b back

SW 21 B Back


Release Date:
1979
Carded Availability:
  • Star Wars
Force fact:

    The change on the 21 B is much like the 20 A to 20 B, the Vehicles went from prototypes to production.
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21 a back

SW 21 A Back


Release Date:
1979
Carded Availability:
  • Star Wars
Force fact:

    Finally no more 20 Backs! This is the 21 A Back and some of its content is a bit puzzling. It now includes Boba Fett in the general release of figures and this is a late 1979 release. With that said Kenner still shows prototype Vehicles on the bottom of the page. Go figure.
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20 L back

SW 20 L Back


Release Date:
1980
Force fact:

    The 20 L Back is not a variation that has been readily acknowledged but given the endless sticker variations that is not a surprise. For variety sake I am adding it as the 20 L. This is the very early release, the 20 C, with a rectangular second extension offer. Speculatively my guess is that these stickers could have been added at the stores by Kenner merchandiser or reps and this one was an early release that was just a peg warmer for some reason. We will never know for certain on some details of these toys.
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20 k back

SW 20 K Back

Release Date:

1980
Carded Availability:

  • Star Wars
  • Force fact:
      The 20 K Back at least offers something new. A new Action Figure mail away sticker offer! This time it is the Secret Figure Offer that is pasted on the back of the card, no more Boba Fett!
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20 j back

SW 20 J Back

Release Date:

1980
Carded Availability:

  • Star Wars
Force fact:

    The 20 J Back is the same as before with the yellow sticker but just the new rectangular sticker extending the offer yet again until 12/31/1980.
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20 i back

SW 20 I Back


Release Date:
1980
Carded Availability:
  • Star Wars
Force fact:

    The 20 I Back is the back to the blacked out sticker (square corners) and the new rectangular sticker extending the offer yet again until 12/31/1980. No picture yet of this variation.
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20 h back

SW 20 H Back


Release Date:
1980
Carded Availability:
  • Star Wars
Force fact:

    The 20 H Back is the same as before with the yellow sticker and the circular red sticker extended offer with, get this, a new rectangular sticker extending the offer yet again until 12/31/1980. That Boba Fett offer will now be running for 2 full years!
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20 g back

SW 20 G Back

Release Date:

1979
Carded Availability:

  • Star Wars
    • The 20 G Back begins the utter nonsense of sticker madness. G has a squared corner sticker with the red circular extended offer. Also accepted as a G back for reasons I do not know is the same yellow sticker with squared corners.

    Force fact:

    Again should be a different issue but this is the conventional wisdom here.
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