From May 1981: DENGAR mailaway offer from Palitoy's STAR WARS range.
Making Boba Fett initially a send-away exclusive (the previous year), ahead of a proper release, almost certainly added to the not-entirely-explicable enthusiasm for the character amongst Star Wars fandom (he's actually pretty useless in the films... and the prequels do nothing much to enhance his reputation). I certainly remember trying to find the figure on the racks in both Hamleys and Debenhams. I think I finally found him in Debenhams dump bin in their Chelmsford store.
Making his fellow bounty hunger Dengar (little more than an extra in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) a similar premium product in 1981 failed to work any sort of similar magic. No one could get excited about this one.
The figures were dispatched in small white mailing boxes (rather than carded like the retail versions) and are now (surprise surprise) much coveted by collectors if still in their original box.
This advert appeared across the MARVEL UK range.
I knew someone who waited all summer for this to arrive. Eventually he became convinced that his postman had nicked it. When the figure finally showed up in its little white box, enclosed was a note of apology for the delay.
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