Thursday, August 28, 2025

"Not Yet Available In Stores!" - Kenner Mail-Order Magic from a Galaxy Far, Far Away (Part II)

 

Jerry writes: 

Although Bernie Loomis was promoted to Vice-President of the General Mills Toy Group in 1978, his successor, Joe Mendelsohn, took the reigns as president at Kenner and maintained the successful Star Wars marketing strategies established under Loomis’ leadership, including continued emphasis on mail-order. This included an expansion of their proof-of-purchase mail-away promotions, which were advertised on action figure packaging, as well as through television advertisements, and were strategically timed to either promote an upcoming movie release or to maintain the momentum of the line between films.

These promotions also provided Kenner with an effective way to flush out older discounted stock as customers searched for more proof-of-purchase seals to send in for the newest mail-away offer. Following the success of the Star Wars Collector’s Action Stand campaign, Kenner developed perhaps the most infamous mail-away promotion in the history of the toy industry. 

In late 1978, rumors of the forthcoming Star Wars sequel had reached a fever pitch and Kenner was prepared to stoke this anticipation with its newest mail-away promotion to receive the very first action figure from the rumored film, the “Rocket-Firing” Boba Fett. Building off the momentum of the character’s appearance in an animated segment of the Star Wars Holiday Special, now fans had confirmation that the colorful, yet mysterious bounty hunter would also be featured in the highly anticipated sequel. 

The figure was supposed to feature a unique “Rocket-Firing Back Pack,” which was heavily highlighted in promotional advertising and depicted the manipulation and movement of the play feature. Thousands feverishly clipped proof-of-purchase seals in hopes of being the first kid on the block to get one of these incredible toys. Children waited by their mailbox for what must have seemed like an eternity, but unfortunately when the figure finally arrived in 1979, it was not quite what they had expected.

During the earliest stages of development for the Boba Fett action figure, designers at Kenner had serious concerns about the safety of its rocket-firing feature, which resulted in numerous tweaks to designer Jim Swearingen’s original “kit-bashed” prototype. First there were matters regarding the pointed missile design, which was easily remedied by giving it a more rounded tip.

The next issue was with the firing mechanism itself, referred to as the “L-slot” design, which caused considerable worry that the rocket could be unintentionally fired if the mechanism was accidentally bumped during play. This led to an updated “J-slot” design, which incorporated a small tab to secure the firing mechanism and prevent an accidental misfire. Unfortunately, this updated design presented additional concerns, because the added tab could be easily broken off, creating a “splinter” of plastic, which might also present additional eye or choking hazards.

In late 1978, after months of testing and revisions on the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett figure, news reports began to surface regarding multiple children who choked on missiles fired from Mattel’s Battlestar Galactica vehicles that incorporated a similarly designed rocket-firing feature.

Following the tragic death of one of these children that December, Kenner ultimately decided to pull the rocket-firing feature entirely, just weeks before unveiling the updated Boba Fett figure design at the 1979 New York Toy Fair. Kenner tried to break the news gently to the public with a television commercial for the Boba Fett promotion without any mention of the now jettisoned idea, but when the first mail-away figures began arriving in mailboxes later that year, to say that children were disappointed was an understatement.

These young fans felt downright betrayed to find that after months of imagining the adventures they would have with the mysterious bounty hunter, the rocket-firing feature depicted in the detailed advertisement was not included in the final design. The apology note from Kenner which was packaged with the figure in a plain white mailer box did little to soothe children’s ungratified frustration.

Kenner apology letter


When examining this phenomenon through the lens of the psychological marketing theory of “endowment effect,” it is understandable why so many children were so disillusioned by the experience. Per Peck & Shu’s research, “For nonowners, or buyers, perceived ownership can be increased with either mere touch or with imagery encouraging touch.”

Kids likely spent countless hours gazing longingly at the enhanced imagery on their action figure packaging and mini-catalogs, which depicted a finger actively engaging the rocket-firing mechanism, as well as the resulting movement of the rocket launching from the figure’s backpack. The intimate relationship that children formed with this imagery not only increased the sensation of ownership, but it might also explain why there have been so many unsubstantiated reports of adults who proclaim that they did in fact receive the infamous rocket-firing version of the toy as children, although none were ever actually shipped.

“Prepare to jump to Hyperspace”

Even with the initial disappointment of the Boba Fett figure promotion, in early 1980 children scrambled to clip even more proof-of-purchase seals from packages of Star Wars toys to take advantage of Kenner’s newest mail-away promotion and to “Be among the FIRST to have this SECRET ACTION FIGURE from STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK,” which was “Not available in any store at this time.”

"Secret" Bossk mail-away offer

Just prior to the release of the film, Kenner launched an even larger product line of Star Wars toys, which included ten all-new action figure designs, including the now revealed “secret” Bossk Bounty Hunter figure from the mail-away promotion.

An additional figure that was truly kept secret from fans until after the movie was released was Yoda the Jedi Master, which was introduced later in the summer of 1980 and was heavily promoted via a massive television ad campaign.

To maintain this momentum from the new blockbuster sequel, Kenner planned their newest two-page Star Wars spectacular for the fall 1980 Sears Wish Book, which included the caption, “Fantasize a journey to a Galaxy Far Away . . . THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.” This spread featured yet another cardboard playset designed primarily to promote newly unveiled “Sears Christmas Season Exclusive” figures that would not be available in stores until the following spring. Economically priced at $9.69, the “Cloud City Playset” incorporated a unique two-tier design which featured a sinister Carbon Freezing Chamber motif from the film and included the all-new figures Ugnaught, Dengar, Han Solo in Bespin outfit and “Lando’s Aide,” who was later named Lobot on the packaging for the playset. In addition to the Cloud City Playset, Sears also offered five different exclusive figure multipacks in the 1980 Wish Book, along with several other new The Empire Strikes Back releases. 

1980 Sears Wish Book

Just as the second wave of nine new The Empire Strikes Back figures were hitting retail in the spring of 1981, Kenner unveiled their newest mail-away offer for the Star Wars Action Figure Survival Kit. The kit of twelve action figure accessories included blaster rifles and pistols, backpacks, gas masks and a grappling hook, which children would receive by mail when they sent in five proof-of purchase seals from their Star Wars toys. Many of the accessories were featured in scenes from the hit movie and could also be used in conjunction with new vehicles such as the epic AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport). The promotion was a hit with children, because now they had an opportunity to rearm the figures in their collections, since most of the tiny accessories that were packaged with them were easily lost.

As the holiday season rolled around the following fall, the Kenner team had yet another major Star War campaign planned for the 1981 Wish Book, but they knew that without a new film on the horizon, they had to bring their A-game to keep momentum high for the toy line. They also knew that another cardboard playset just wouldn’t do it. By this point, Kenner had a reputation for repurposing or rebranding their toy designs whenever the opportunity arose, and this would be their solution for the new Wish Book promotion. They would present Sears with not one, but two Star Wars “Sears Christmas Season Exclusives” based on previously released toy designs.

1981 Sears Wish Book

When the Sears Wish Book began arriving in mailboxes in the fall of 1981, children were greeted with another glorious two-page spread of Star Wars toys fittingly presented in a snowy winter motif along with the caption, “Star Wars Action Toys let you relive those amazing adventures in faraway galaxies.” The highlight of this holiday extravaganza featured the new Sears exclusive “Rebel Command Center,” which was bargain priced at $11.99. 

Like Kenner’s “Hoth Ice Planet Adventure Set” released at retail the previous year, this playset included the plastic base from their previously released “Land of the Jawas” playset, now molded in white with a newly designed cardboard backdrop featuring an illustrated image of the entrance to Echo Base. Following Kenner’s now familiar Wish Book formula, this set provided an economical way to highlight three new action figure exclusives that would not be widely available at retail until the following spring in 1982: the AT-AT Commander, Luke Skywalker in Hoth Battle Gear and R2-D2 with Sensorscope.

Star Wars Land of the Jawas and The Empire Strikes Back releases

The 1981 Sears Wish Book also featured an exclusive Star Wars vehicle, the “Imperial Cruiser,” which was a retread of Kenner’s 1979 hit, the “Imperial Troop Transporter.” This new design was cast in lighter gray plastic and featured updated sticker graphics. But to keep costs down, Kenner removed the electronic talking device from this second release, which was modestly priced at $11.99. Although this was an unfortunate loss, it did provide an expanded storage area inside the vehicle so that children could pack an entire squadron of troops inside. The Imperial Cruiser would continue to be featured in future editions of the Wish Book through 1984 as a true “Sears exclusive,” since it was never sold outside of the company’s catalogs or retail stores.

Star Wars Imperial Troop Transporter and The Empire Strikes Back Imperial Cruiser

Sears Canada found its own clever way to market and sell the seven newest Sears exclusive The Empire Strikes Back action figures for the 1980 and 1981 Canadian Wish Books. Apparently, Sears Canada received their shipments of exclusive figures packaged in baggies direct from the factories in Asia, which were then repackaged on crudely printed generic card backs, using a unique “vacuform,” shrink-wrap process to attach the figures to the cards. The 1980 Canadian Wish Book featured the Sears exclusive “Han Solo (Cloud City Outfit),” “Lobot (Lando’s Aid),” Ugnaught and Dengar packaged on these vacuform cards, which were then sold as part of five different exclusively packaged 7-figure bundles.

This unique packaging was repeated for exclusive 4-packs sold in the 1981 Canadian Wish Book, which included either the new “General Veers” (known in the domestic Kenner line as AT-AT Commander), “Luke Skywalker (Hoth Outfit),” “R2-D2 (with Periscope)” or the previously released “Han Solo (Cloud City Outfit)” as part of the bundle. That same year, Sears Canada also offered their own unique version of the exclusive Cloud City Playset which, unlike the U.S. release, featured bilingual packaging and included the original Han Solo, along with the more appropriate Lando Calrissian, Ugnaught and Boba Fett action figures

Sears Canada exclusive "vacuform" figures and multipack

With a new Star Wars film still over a year away, Kenner knew that it would require a significant effort to maintain sales momentum for the line throughout that period. The company rose to this challenge by releasing a total of nine new figures which were distributed in two separate waves over the course of 1982. In addition, there were three separate mail-away offers planned to run in conjunction with these releases, which Kenner hoped would not only keep sales brisk, but would also help clear out old stock in anticipation of updated packaging for the 1983 film launch.

The first of these promotions was for the “Star Wars Display Arena,” which was a more elaborate and customizable action figure display based on Kenner’s original Collector's Action Stand. This new design included four L-shaped interlocking display stands, along with four cardboard backdrops featuring various film scenes, which could be configured in a variety of ways. Customers could order this impressive set by sending in ten proof-of-purchase seals from Kenner Star Wars toys, along with $2.00 for shipping & handling.

To help electrify sales, Kenner kicked off a second promotion shortly after the Display Arena offer for the new 4-LOM action figure. This figure was based on the last of the six bounty hunters seen on the bridge of the Imperial Executor in The Empire Strikes Back, and it would also be the very last figure of the sequel’s line in 1982. Apparently, the character had yet to receive an official name from Lucasfilm when the figure was rushed into production, so the task fell to Kenner’s Product Manager, Tom Clark, who says the name “4-LOM” is an acronym for the phrase, “For Love Or Money.” The 4-LOM promotion was also featured in a television ad campaign to boost participation in the offer.

As the 1982 Holiday Season quickly approached, Kenner had several plans in place to capitalize on it and to prepare for the next year’s anticipated film release. The team kicked off the last of their 1982 mail-away promotions with a sneak preview figure based on “Admiral Ackbar” from the upcoming film, Revenge of the Jedi. In addition, Kenner also continued their now annual tradition of a two-page spectacular for the 1982 Sears Wish Book, which was being advertised as the “50th Edition” of the famous Holiday favorite. However, this time they had not prepared a “Christmas Season Exclusive” playset like in years past but instead promoted a Sears Exclusive “Offer.”

The 1982 Wish Book’s Star Wars exhibition saw a return to the previous year’s Hoth snow theme and highlighted the Imperial Attack Base, a playset that had been released more than two years earlier. It seems that Sears attempted to aggressively move an overstock of the item, which was labeled “A Sears Exclusive 50th Edition Value.” And although it was advertised at $11.99, customers could purchase the item for the low budget price of $5.99, “when you buy a second item.”

In addition, Sears advertised Kenner’s “mystery” figure mail-away promotion within the catalog, which is assumed to have been the Admiral Ackbar offer. Within the description provided for the seven catalog exclusive Star Wars action figure multipacks it states, “Don’t miss this free gift figure offer from Kenner. For every six figures you buy (two 3-packs or one 8-pack), Kenner will send you a free ‘mystery’ action figure from the 3rd Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Jedi. See p. 544 for mailing address.” Sears also supplemented the usual two-page spread of Star Wars toys with an additional half-page promotion for Kenner’s short-lived “Star Wars Micro Collection” line, which included the Sears Christmas exclusive Millennium Falcon vehicle as well.

1982 Sears Wish Book

“Star Wars Is Forever”

In late 1982, George Lucas decided to rename the final installment of his Star Wars trilogy Return of the Jedi as Lucasfilm cranked up its enormous marketing machine to promote what was sure to be another blockbuster film. Kenner had prepared to take full advantage of the occasion but was completely caught off guard with the last-minute title change and forced to scramble to produce updated packaging for the toys in time for the film’s release on May 25, 1983.

Prior to the movie launch, Kenner hastily managed to incorporate an additional mail-away promotion for the new Nien Nunb action figure, “a Rebel Ally featured in the next chapter of the Star Wars saga,” free with five proof-of-purchase seals from Star Wars Action Figures. Due to the belated title change, promotional flyers which were packaged with the mail-away figure can be found with both the original Revenge as well as the updated Return of the Jedi title. That spring Kenner released the largest assortment of Star Wars toys in the line’s history with a whopping seventeen new action figures along with a fleet of new vehicles and playsets, accompanied by a massive television ad campaign and sweepstakes giveaway to promote it.

Following the release of Return of the Jedi, Star Wars fandom was at an all-time high and although Kenner had already shattered previous sales records for the line, the 1983 holiday season was still to come. As with previous years, Kenner offered an early preview of their next wave of figures via yet another mail-away offer for the newest episode’s principal villain, “The Emperor,” but what they had planned for the 1983 Sears Wish Book could be considered the pinnacle of their working relationship with the mail-order giant. No longer relegated to the toy section at the back of the catalog, Kenner’s Jedi line, along with their other multi-million-dollar franchises, Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears, would have a starring role with their own separate multi-page extravaganzas near the front of Sears’ epic publication.

The 1983 Sears Wish Book featured an enormous six-page celebration of all things Return of the Jedi including bedroom sets, furniture, toiletries, pajamas, model kits, games and stuffed Ewoks, but of course the main attraction was Kenner’s expansive line of new toys. In addition to the new vehicles and action figure multipacks, the most eye-catching element was certainly the new Jabba the Hutt playset as well as the Sears Exclusive Jabba the Hutt Dungeon, which featured three Sears holiday exclusive figures from the upcoming Spring 1984 wave, “Klaatu #2, Nikto, and 8D8.”

This exclusive playset was simply a reengineered version of Kenner’s previously released Droid Factory, with both the base and crane cast in a new gray color scheme and including updated stickers. Although not pictured in the catalog image, the set also included a unique branding iron accessory that fits onto the end of the crane boom, which was used to “torture” droids.

1983 Sears Wish Book

1983 was a banner year for the Star Wars brand and although the trilogy of films was complete, Kenner had high hopes to keep that vitality for 1984 by introducing an extensive second wave of 12 additional Return of the Jedi action figures, as well as new and exciting creatures, vehicles and playsets.

However, changes in laws within the Federal Communications Commission now allowed other toy companies to capitalize on Bernie Loomis’ initial vision of using animated television shows to market competing toy lines, which were already gaining significant momentum in the marketplace.

Mattel’s Masters of the Universe and Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero created exciting and dynamic toy designs backed by what were in essence massive, animated advertisements to keep their lines fresh and relevant, all while steadily taking an increasingly larger slice of the 1980s toy market. In response to this growing competition, Kenner began making plans for not one, but three all-new action figure lines, which they hoped to introduce and support with two proposed Star Wars animated series that Lucasfilm had slated for release in 1985.

Unfortunately, Kenner’s market research showed that Star Wars toy sales were already in decline, so the company doubled down on specific strategies that had served them so well over the previous seven years.

In early 1984, Kenner introduced “The Young Jedi Knight” direct mail program, which was designed to target a new generation of “4- to 6-year old boys” that Lucasfilm hoped would provide critical support for the forthcoming animated television shows and toy lines. The white mailer box that was sent out for the promotion included one free action figure (Logray or Chewbacca), a poster, and a letter from Luke Skywalker which featured four different action figure stickers (R2-D2, C-3PO, Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker) that the child could choose from to stick onto an enclosed redemption certificate and send in to receive an additional free action figure by mail. Kenner planned to mail out 1,500,000 of these promotional packages, and although the exact number received is unknown, it is believed that very few of the action figure redemptions were returned prior to the end of the promotion.

"The Young Jedi Knight" Direct Mail Program

Later that year it was announced that Lucasfilm had filmed another two-hour television special entitled The Ewok Adventure, which ABC was scheduled to broadcast as part of its holiday programming on November 25, 1984. In anticipation of this release, Kenner introduced two additional Return of the Jedi action figures that fall, Ewoks Paploo and Lumat, along with a unique mail-away promotional offer which implemented a point-of-purchase “shelf talker” to advertise a free “Star Wars Is Forever” poster. This two-sided poster featured a dynamic collage of character photos from Return of the Jedi on one side, and on the other was a beautiful “Three Worlds” montage by Kenner photographer Kim D.M. Simmons, featuring all 79 Star Wars action figures presented in three unique environments. Customers could receive the poster by tearing off an order form from the shelf talker and sending it in along with two proof-of-purchase seals from Star Wars toys.

"Star Wars Is Forever" poster offer point of purchase display

In conjunction with these promotions, Kenner prepared yet another mail-away offer for the new Anakin Skywalker action figure, which was based on the character in spirit form from the final scenes of the original theatrical release. In addition, Kenner also primed their signature Star Wars holiday spectacle for the 1984 Sears Wish Book, which featured the all-new Rancor Monster, Sy Snootles and the Rebo Band as well as the massive new Imperial Shuttle vehicle. Sears also included both of Kenner’s current mail-away offers within the description of their six exclusive Return of the Jedi action figure multipacks, which stated, “KENNER BONUS OFFER! Buy 2 figures and get a free poster. Buy 5 figures and get one figure free. See p. 498.”   

Of course, this edition also included the now customary Sears Christmas Exclusive Star Wars playset designed to preview three more brand new figures from the upcoming, yet-untitled Power of the Force line. The playset was a simple retread of 1983’s Jabba the Hutt Dungeon, which was remolded in updated tan and brown plastic and included “9D9, Barbado, and Amanaman” (EV-9D9, Barada, and Amanaman) action figures. Interestingly, although these figures were planned as part of the upcoming newly branded 1985 line, the playset was produced in Return of the Jedi branded packaging.

1984 Sears Wish Book

Turning the page

Kenner went into 1985 with incredible optimism and big plans for their all-new Power of the Force line, which was supposed to be an extension of the original movie lines with figure and vehicle designs from all three films. In addition, Kenner hoped to find the same success that their competitors were having with the addition of toy lines based on the upcoming Droids and Ewoks animated shows. To add value to all three of the new figure lines, Kenner packaged character specific aluminum coins with the figures and incorporated a mail-away offer in which customers could redeem proof-of-purchase seals for additional coins to complete a massive 62-coin set.

Power of the Force Collectors Coin promotion

Unfortunately for Kenner neither of the Star Wars animated shows generated an audience and none of the new toy lines performed as expected, as sales waned rapidly over the course of the year. The 1985 holiday season was equally glum as Kenner prepared a new mail-away offer for the “Power of the Force Coin Collector’s Album,” which was to include an exclusive gold-colored 63rd “Jedi Knight” coin, but unfortunately was never released due to poor sales. Even more telling, the once monumental two-page+ Star Wars holiday extravaganza which was normally found in the iconic Sears Wish Book had been wistfully reduced to a mere half-page of heavily discounted closeout items. In hopes of breathing new life into the line, Kenner even made a pitch to Lucasfilm with plans for a 1986 extension of the Power of the Force line entitled, “The Epic Continues,” which included original action figure and vehicle designs by toy industry icons Tim Effler and Mark Boudreaux. Sadly, Lucasfilm realized the era of Star Wars was ending and ultimately decided to “rest the brand,” cancelling any plans for future toy releases.

To say that Kenner’s Star Wars toy line was successful is a tremendous understatement. In many ways, the monumental line was almost as important as the films themselves, because Kenner used the momentum of the toy line to keep Star Wars in the forefront of the public’s consciousness at a time before VCRs became common household staples, allowing viewers to return to the Star Wars galaxy whenever they chose to press play.

Instead, the key components of maintaining momentum during that era were Kenner’s clever use of mail-order promotions, as well as effective catalog and television advertising. This not only encouraged children to use their imaginations to create limitless adventures that built on their love of Star Wars, but the steady release of the toys, both at retail and via mail-order promotions, helped to keep that magic alive during the three-year wait between each film.

Bernie Loomis died in 2006, but he left an indelible mark on the toy industry that is still revered today. His innovative predecessor, Richard Sears, would have certainly admired Loomis’ ingenious use of advertising and mail-order schemes during his storied career in American business, as well as the iconic status he acquired in the process. These strategies along with the symbiotic relationship that Loomis established with the flagship mail-order giant during the earliest days of the Star Wars toy line generated enormous success and revenue for both Kenner and Sears.

Loomis had a keen understanding of the magic of mail-order based on his own personal experiences. He used that understanding to not only make Star Wars one of the most successful toy lines in history, but to make children feel like they were a part of that “galaxy far, far away,” even though they might not have always had the means to “collect them all.” In fact, the excitement and anticipation of receiving toys in the mail still fuels many adult collectors today who were fortunate enough to have lived and played during one of the most thrilling periods in toy history.

Bernard Loomis 1923 - 2006

*****

For more information on Kenner's relationship with Sears, click the link below:

https://www.prototypearchives.com/podcast/episode/9150a8e2/176-rogue-fun-panel-1-star-wars-and-the-golden-age-of-the-sears-wish-book-with-jerry-hancock.


*****

Bibliography

Duffy, Mike. “‘Force’ Was With Kenner’s Star Wars Certificate Caper." Cincinnati Enquirer , 12 Mar. 1978.

Georgoulias, Chris. “The History of Kenner’s Rocket Firing Boba Fett.” Edited by Mark Rusciano, YouTube, 10 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS4kVTkKz5A.

Hancock, Jerry R. “Dixie Progress: Sears, Roebuck & Co. and How It Became an Icon in Southern Culture.” Georgia State University, 2008. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/items/dd01118c-5ccd-4eaa-8090-f81a6bd967ba.

Hutchinson, Richard. “Vintage Vault: Sears Playsets a Work of Art." Fantha Tracks | Daily Star Wars News.” Fantha Tracks, 23 Feb. 2019, www.fanthatracks.com/news/collecting/sears-playsets-a-work-of-art/.

“Kenner Collector Focus: Interview with Bernard ‘Bernie’ Loomis – President of Kenner.” KennerCollector.Com, 4 Mar. 2011, www.kennercollector.com/2011/03/interview-with-bernard-bernie-loomis-president-of-kenner/.

Liebig, Jason. “The Wishbook Web Collection.” Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine, 18 Oct. 2021, archive.org/details/wishbookweb.

“A Lifetime of Making Toys, Games, and Play: An Interview with Jacob R. Miles III.” American Journal of Play, vol. 13, no. 2, 2021. Museumofplay.Orghttps://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2022/01/13-2-Article-5-Lifetime-Making.pdf.

Myatt, D. Martin. “An Interview with Bernard Loomis.” Rebelscum.Com: Special Featurewww.rebelscum.com/loomis.asp. Accessed March 2025.

Peck, Joann, and Suzanne B Shu. “The Effect of Mere Touch on Perceived Ownership.” Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 36, no. 3, 24 Mar. 2009. Abstract https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/36/3/434/2900262?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=true.

Quinn, David. “176. ROGUE FUN PANEL #1: Star Wars And The Golden Age Of The Sears Wish Book, With Jerry Hancock!” Star Wars: Prototypes & Production Podcast, 22 May 2024, https://www.prototypearchives.com/podcast/episode/9150a8e2/176-rogue-fun-panel-1-star-wars-and-the-golden-age-of-the-sears-wish-book-with-jerry-hancock.

Stillman, Brian. Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys. Gravitas Ventures, 2014. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3648510/.

Monday, August 11, 2025

"Not Yet Available In Stores!" - Kenner Mail-Order Magic from a Galaxy Far, Far Away (Part I)


Jerry writes:

Kenner Products President Bernard Loomis and eponymous mail-order magnate Richard Sears were cut from the same cloth and each experienced enormous success during very distinct periods in American commercial history.

Both were larger-than-life business titans and visionaries, and each figured out how to harness the influence of media to sensationalize the products they sold. The pair also shared an understanding of the incredible power of mail-order. Loomis and Sears saw this method as much more than a simple mechanism to deliver products to customers; to them, mail-order was downright magical.

Like Sears before him, Loomis learned the magic of mail-order through a mix of experience and “gut instinct.” However, according to marketing researchers Joanne Peck and Suzanne Shu, the allure of mail-order is also rooted in several psychological elements.

Peck and Shu state:

Research finds that merely touching an object results in an increase in perceived ownership of that object. For nonowners, or buyers, perceived ownership can be increased with either mere touch or with imagery encouraging touch.”

Based on this theory, advertising that incorporates vivid interactive imagery of an item encourages potential customers to imagine touching or interacting with that item, eliciting the sensation of perceived value and ownership. This concept, known as “endowment effect,” is believed to be a primary factor to the success of mail-order catalogs and printed advertising. The anticipation of potentially receiving the advertised item was especially effective on children, who rarely, if ever, receive mail.

*****

Richard Sears was the undisputed king of mail-order. He was born in Stewartville, Minnesota on December 7, 1863, and was a product of the “Golden Age of Railroads.” His first job was serving as a telegraph operator for the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway. Instilled with a strong work ethic, he quickly climbed the company ladder and was promoted to the position of station agent at the North Redwood Falls train station. But the trajectory of his life changed forever during this time, when he purchased an unclaimed shipment of pocket watches from a Chicago manufacturer.

The advent of the railroad made pocket watches a necessity for most Americans, especially those in the rapidly expanding industry, and Sears made quick work of selling the watches to eager customers throughout the area, making a profit of over $5,000 dollars in the process. Sears was fascinated with the burgeoning mail-order industry that the railroad had facilitated, and he used his profits to start the R.W. Sears Watch Company. Writing bombastic advertising copy came naturally to him, and he placed ads in newspapers, almanacs and farm publications to promote not only his watches, but also the benefits of mail-order commerce.

In 1887, Sears moved his operations to the national railroad hub of Chicago and hired a watchmaker named Alvah Roebuck to help repair the watches he sold. The two men formed Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1891 and published their first watch catalog two years later. 

Following the example of contemporaries like Montgomery Ward, the Sears & Roebuck catalog grew to over 500 pages by the turn of the century and sold practically everything that industrial America could produce. Rural customers were quick to dub the publication “Wish Books,” as many could only afford the dreams that were elicited from within its pages. For those with the means to purchase the wares touted in the catalog, each item that was magically delivered to their doorsteps was an ingenious memento of the industrial age.

During these early years, Sears sharpened his Barnumesque style of advertising to sell the magic of the modern world to his customers using enhanced imagery, along with an elaborately detailed description presented in common vernacular that even the most ill-educated farmer could understand. Sears’ style of advertising was so effective that he would regularly overextend himself and sell huge quantities of an item without having enough stock on hand to fill the orders he received. As a result, he was constantly seeking out manufacturers who could produce the item as quickly and inexpensively as possible, so that he could fulfill the mountain of orders.

Sears’ signature blend of salesmanship, hucksterism, and sensational advertising copy canonized him in the eyes of his clientele and created the company’s fiercely loyal and trusting customer base. Many customers, especially children, saw Sears as an almost enigmatic figure akin to Santa Claus. In fact, when Sears died in 1914, his successors understood the significance of his now legend well enough to keep the news of his passing from the public. The tactic was a success, and many customers continued to address their orders directly to “Mr. Sears” for most of the first half of the 20th century.

*****

Sears, Roebuck & Co. continued to nurture and grow the customer base that Richard Sears had worked so hard to develop, by committing itself to rigid quality-control standards, as well as by streamlining the process of filling orders promptly through a growing network of distribution plants throughout the country. When the nation’s economy roared in the 1920s, Sears expanded into retail stores to maintain its relevance in a rapidly evolving commercial landscape. When the economy collapsed in the 1930s, the company reached out to its struggling patrons via philanthropic endeavors designed to help them recover financially and prosper. It was in the depths of the Great Depression that the company happened upon perhaps its most captivating idea yet.

In 1933, Sears published the first “Christmas Book” as a 78-page supplement to its main catalog. At a time when most Americans were forced to tighten their economic belts to the breaking point, Sears answered the call with a cornucopia of plenty, advertising dolls, toy cars, Mickey Mouse watches, and Lionel toy train sets. Although few could have afforded the luxuries in that first volume of holiday wishes, it gave the children of the nation hope for better days ahead. By the time the United States victoriously exited World War II, the Sears Christmas Book had become a perennial favorite for families who could now afford to indulge in some of the holiday wonders that spilled from its pages.

In 1968, Sears officially renamed their Christmas Book the “Wish Book,” and in the years that followed, it became a magical conduit through which a new generation of children believed they could channel their holiday wishes directly to the man at the North Pole. It was this adoration that grabbed the attention of a small Cincinnati toy company, which would soon make the iconic publication a powerful component of its marketing arsenal.   

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Director George Lucas and Kenner President Bernie Loomis


The Man with the Golden Gut

Less than a decade after the death of Richard Sears, Bernard Loomis was born in New York City on July 4, 1923. Bernie, as he was known, grew up poor in the hardscrabble borough of the Bronx and was a product of the “Golden Age of Advertising.”

Although he would become an icon in the toy business as an adult, he had few, if any, toys as a child. Instead, Loomis played stickball with the neighborhood kids and collected baseball cards, as well as autographs of the era’s baseball stars. He also spent a considerable amount of time poring over the pages of mail-order catalogs and dreaming of something better. In fact, Loomis famously told a story at a Lionel sales meeting in which he elaborated, “The toy memory of my youth foretold some imaginative creative capabilities. Lionel trains were beyond my economic reach, but I had a full color Lionel catalog which gave me ownership of every item in it.” Like Richard Sears, Loomis understood the stuff of imagination, as well as the power of mail-order, and he used this “magic” to reinvent the toy industry.

Loomis enrolled at the New York University School of Commerce, but like many young men of his generation, he was called upon for military service in World War II. He served in the Philippines with the Air Corps Combat Communications Team, returning to NYU following his service to his country. Upon graduation, Loomis landed a job in the toy industry as a manufacturer’s representative. He teamed up with Norm Samilson and they formed a small firm named Samilson-Loomis. It was through this partnership that Bernie began to establish strong working relationships with retailers such as Korvette’s, Toys ‘R Us, and of course the “World’s Largest Retailer,” Sears.

In 1960, Bernie Loomis made the fateful decision to join the “Wheels & Wings” division of Mattel Toys in Hawthorne, California, while pursuing a PhD in Marketing from UCLA. He used his newly obtained insight, along with gut-instinct and began experimenting with the idea of using television shows as a marketing vehicle to sell toys. In 1969, Mattel and ABC launched the animated series, Hot Wheels, which ran until 1971, when the Federal Communications Commission pulled the plug, calling it a “30-minute commercial,” which was Mattel’s intent.

Loomis was soon dubbed “The Man Who Invented Saturday Morning,” and in 1970, he became president of Kenner Toys, which was then a subsidiary of General Mills. When Loomis mentioned his new position to a buyer he worked with at Sears, the buyer stated: “We never buy a new Kenner toy in its first year.” Loomis accepted the challenge and soon Sears became one of Kenner’s biggest retail partners.

At Kenner, Loomis finally got the opportunity to realize his dream of using TV as a marketing vehicle for toys in 1974, when the tiny toy company acquired the license to produce a line based on ABC’s hit series The Six Million Dollar Man. Bernie and his team at Kenner used this “toyetic” brand to establish a blueprint for how to successfully leverage entertainment franchises to market a hit toy line and reinvented the industry in the process. In 1976, lightning struck twice when ABC produced a spin-off show titled The Bionic Woman, which presented Kenner with the unique opportunity to rebrand some of their Six Million Dollar Man toys into a successful fashion doll line for girls. The success of these entertainment-based lines primed Kenner to become a major player in the toy industry, but even Loomis couldn’t have imagined the success that the Cincinnati toymaker would soon find.

In 1976, Twentieth Century Fox licensing executive Marc Pevers was desperate to find someone to produce toys for the studios’ forthcoming science-fiction film, Star Wars. Loomis had read about the film in The Hollywood Reporter and Kenner designers Jim Swearingen and Dave Okada were confident that it had the enormous potential to deliver a robust line of space toys. Following a string of rejections from preeminent toy companies including Mego and Mattel, Pevers approached Kenner in January 1977. Loomis had his reservations about producing toys based on a film, because even if it was a hit, it would most likely drop out of the public consciousness before the figures reached store shelves.

Reflecting on the decision, Loomis said:

We didn't need it though, we had the leading boys' toy in the world, The Six Million Dollar Man and we had a deal on a new TV series, The Man From Atlantis, which was being called a sure-fire hit but I liked the name Star Wars, I liked the robots, and I said ‘The picture will come and go, and the following year we'll take a shot at space with Star Wars’ . . . Marc Pevers, [the person] in charge of licensing for Fox, came to see me in Cincinnati, and I expressed the terms on which we would license Star Wars, and ultimately with no one else interested, he came back and agreed to the terms we offered. The royalty rate was 5% and would go to 6% if Star Wars became a TV series.”

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Kenner Catalog 1977

“A New Hope” for the Toy Industry

Kenner signed an incredibly generous deal to produce Star Wars toys in April of 1977, one month before the movie premiered. The film proved to be a cultural juggernaut and the marketing and design teams at Kenner went into hyperdrive to get as many products onto store shelves as quickly as possible. The company adopted a two-phase plan to meet the rabid demand for film merchandise. First, Kenner released picture-based products such as puzzles and board games, along with “Dip Dots” Painting Sets and “Playnts” poster sets in an attempt to subdue a starving fan base.

Phase two of the plan, considered the most ambitious, included a modest line of twelve 3.75” inch-scaled articulated action figures, three vehicles and a playset. The multi-million-dollar problem was that the timing of the contract couldn’t have been worse, making it impossible for Kenner to get the line designed, produced, and shipped to stores by Christmas of 1977. Much like Richard Sears almost a century earlier, Loomis had overextended himself and did not have the stock to meet this critical holiday demand. As Kenner executives struggled to find a solution, Design Manager Ed Schifman hesitantly proposed they “sell the right to buy the product when it becomes available.” This spark of an idea got Loomis’ attention, and the wheels began to turn. He later stated that it was one of “the loneliest decisions” of his life and famously gambled on the magic of mail-order to solve the problem.

Prior to the 1977 holiday season, executives at Kenner developed one of the most farfetched marketing ideas in the history of the toy industry, the “Star Wars Early Bird Certificate Package” campaign. Richard Sears himself would have been impressed by this now infamous marketing scheme, which was essentially an IOU tucked inside an empty cardboard envelope decorated with Star Wars characters and imagery. To sell this concept, Kenner invested in a 30-second television advertisement placed into heavy rotation during children’s programming on all the major television networks. The commercials followed a model that Kenner advertising became known for during the 1970s and 80s, which featured children demonstrating play-patterns for the “toyetic” items being marketed, as well as easily recreated environments to stimulate children’s imaginations. 

Instead of receiving the toys that fans had hoped for, the Early Bird envelope simply included a small product brochure, or “mini-catalog” advertising Kenner’s initial wave of Star Wars merchandise, a cardboard display stand depicting artist renderings of the first twelve figures, a small sheet of Star Wars stickers, and most importantly, a special mail-order redemption certificate that customers could fill out and send in to receive the first four figures by mail the following Spring.


Kenner Catalog 1977 "Early Bird" ad / "Early Bird" television ad

Although Kenner’s strategy was not embraced by everyone, those who did purchase the set and promptly returned their Early Bird redemption certificates were certainly thrilled to find a set of the very first Star Wars action figures ever produced, waiting in their mailboxes within the first few weeks of 1978. For children, this inaugural wave of Star Wars toys must have truly seemed like they had been sent directly from “a galaxy far, far away.”

According to an article published in The Cincinnati Enquirer entitled, “’Force’ Was With Kenner’s Star Wars Certificate Caper,” seven-year-old Johnny Bonner of Royal Oak, Michigan was one of the lucky children to have received the Early Bird certificate for Christmas of 1977. Although he might not have felt so lucky at first, his mother stated, “He understood that the certificate was the only scrap of ‘Star Wars’ treasure available at Christmas.” But she concluded that her son’s “toy gratification was worth it ... he waited, and waited, and waited...and when they finally arrived, he was so thrilled he nearly jumped out of his skin.”   

Customers received a plain, white mailer box with a plastic tray that held the first four action figures (Luke, Leia, R2-D2 & Chewbacca), along with a small bag of white plastic foot pegs used to display the figures on the cardboard stand previously received with the offer, as well as a newly updated Mini-catalog brochure containing detailed photos of the entire wave of Kenner’s forthcoming Star Wars action figures, vehicles and playsets. There was also an additional “premium offer” flyer, in which customers could send in $2.00 and two Kenner proof-of-purchase seals to receive the “Star Wars Collector’s Action Stand” by mail. This promotion, which would also be featured on some of the earliest “12-back” figure packages the following year, included a photograph of the display stand along with the figures that Kenner had planned. The ad stated, “This colorful, highly durable plastic stand has places for displaying your four figures, plus 8 other Star Wars figures soon to be available in stores,” to encourage children to collect all the figures that would later be available at retail.

Kenner produced and sold almost 500,000 Early Bird certificates in hopes that this marketing gambit would allow them to recuperate at least some of the profit that they would have otherwise lost entirely, due to the lack of product for the 1977 holiday season. Not only was the plan modestly successful, but it also cleverly established the first in a series of perpetual mail-away offers that rewarded children for collecting the line by redeeming their proof-of-purchase seals to receive additional new figures and accessories by mail, which were “Not yet available in stores!”

Loomis and his marketing team assembled a collection of effective strategies while preparing the Early Bird promotion and this insight would continue to shape the Star Wars line in many fundamental ways. The company continued to incorporate additional mail-away promotions, “mini-catalog” inserts and television advertising, as well as mail-order catalog exclusives for the holiday season, which effectively promoted new upcoming releases scheduled for the following spring.

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Star Wars Early Bird set

COLLECT THEM ALL!!!

Kenner’s Star Wars action figure line exploded into retail in the spring of 1978 and fans scoured stores nationwide in search of the new toys, in many cases pulling them straight from the shipping cartons before they even reached the store shelves. From the beginning, a key marketing element that Kenner incorporated as an integral part of the figures’ packaging was the inclusion of full-color images of all the toys available in the newest or upcoming waves. These images were depicted on the figure card backs, as well as on retail point-of-purchase displays, consistently encouraging customers to “COLLECT THEM ALL!”

By year’s end, Kenner had sold over 40 million units, generating more than $100 million dollars in revenue and company executives knew that they had a surefire hit on their hands with the franchise. In addition, CBS had recently negotiated with Lucasfilm to produce a two-hour Star Wars television special, scheduled to air on November 17, 1978, just in time for the holidays. Lucasfilm hoped that this special might keep Star Wars relevant and in the public’s consciousness until they could produce a film sequel, and Kenner was quick to jump at the opportunity to be a part of it.

Television was familiar territory for Bernie Loomis and Kenner, and they knew that the aptly named Star Wars Holiday Special would be an incredible opportunity to make up for some of the shortcomings of the previous holiday season. Kenner eventually signed on as a corporate sponsor for the epic CBS Special and invested in a multi-million-dollar ad campaign to accompany it, giving the company exclusive access to the characters and storylines that would be included. Perhaps the biggest component of the plan according to Kenner marketing executives was “unquestionably, the most extraordinary, most exciting commercial ever produced for a line of toys. Featuring R2-D2 and C-3PO telling parents and children alike about the entire line of Kenner Star Wars toys,” which was scheduled to air throughout the event.

In preparation for the occasion, Kenner designers were already hard at work on a second wave of figures and vehicles, as well as on several playsets. Early in the development of this expansion, they even designed figure prototypes of Chewbacca and his family, who were set to star in the upcoming television program. Unfortunately for fans, these were never released. However, one segment of the show would attempt to recreate one of the most popular scenes from the blockbuster film, the Mos Eisley Cantina, and Kenner placed a heavy emphasis on these colorful characters as part of their forthcoming wave of merchandise.


Kenner Catalog 1978

As part of the Star Wars Holiday Special marketing blitz, Kenner also approached the “World’s Largest Retailer,” Sears, with plans for a massive Star Wars toy section to be included in the 1978 edition of their now legendary Christmas Wish Book. Sears incorporated full-color images of many of Kenner’s retail offerings for the current year, in addition to early sneak-peeks of the newest figure designs, which were not yet available in stores, but could be purchased in mail-order exclusive “multipacks.” These catalog images, like most of Kenner’s early packaging and television ads, regularly depicted children actively playing with the advertised items, capitalizing on what we now know as “endowment effect.”

The highlight of the two-page spread was the Sears “Holiday Exclusive Cantina Adventure Set,” which sold for the bargain price of $8.77. This simple cardboard “playset” featured graphics from the streets of the Mos Eisley Spaceport and had a similar structural design to the display stand portion of Kenner’s Early Bird promotional set. The company developed this playset primarily as an inexpensive vehicle to market four colorful creatures from the upcoming second wave of figures that would not be available in stores until the following spring of 1979. 

Due to the lack of reference material available when designers created these characters, as well as the rush to produce them, Kenner took some artistic liberty in designing the now legendary “Blue Snaggletooth” action figure, along with his colorful cronies Greedo, Hammerhead and Walrus Man. The exclusive blue Snaggletooth figure design was later corrected to a shorter red version for its retail release, based on a similarly costumed character from the cantina scene of the Star War Holiday Special. The 1979 Sears Wish Book saw a return of this highly successful playset along with the farewell appearance of its exclusive blue Snaggletooth figure, however Kenner quietly transitioned to the updated red variant for the final Cantina Adventure Sets that were produced.


Sears Wish Book 1978

Action figure “multipacks” provided Kenner with yet another effective tool for mail-order merchandising and they introduced a total of six different multipacks for the 1978 Sears Wish Book. This approach allowed for larger bulk quantity sales through Sears, as well as for other catalog retailers, because the figures were individually wrapped in inexpensive cellophane baggies and then packaged in plain cardboard mailer boxes. This packaging format was cheaper and more applicable for mail-order sales because it was less bulky, and shipping labels could be placed directly on the mailer boxes. These multipacks also served as a practical format for selling early “exclusives,” because the figures could be packaged quicker and more efficiently and then shipped directly to retailers from the factories in Asia. Most importantly, these cost-cutting measures allowed mail-order retailers to pass that savings on to their customers.

Kenner continued to nurture the relationship they had established with Sears in the 1970s, incorporating full-color, multi-page advertising blitzes that allowed first access to the newest exclusive figures, vehicles and playsets for future editions of the highly successful Holiday Wish Books, as well as Sears’ Spring toy catalogs. These seasonal publications also provided Kenner with an effective platform to promote additional waves of figures to maintain the momentum of the toy line between summer movie launch years. This powerful partnership would remain a principal component of Kenner’s successive Star Wars marketing campaigns until the toy line was discontinued in 1985.


Click HERE for Part II

 

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For more information on Kenner's relationship with Sears, click the link below:

https://www.prototypearchives.com/podcast/episode/9150a8e2/176-rogue-fun-panel-1-star-wars-and-the-golden-age-of-the-sears-wish-book-with-jerry-hancock.


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Bibliography

Duffy, Mike. “‘Force’ Was With Kenner’s Star Wars Certificate Caper." Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 1978.

Georgoulias, Chris. “The History of Kenner’s Rocket Firing Boba Fett.” Edited by Mark Rusciano, YouTube, 10 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS4kVTkKz5A.

Hancock, Jerry R. “Dixie Progress: Sears, Roebuck & Co. and How It Became an Icon in Southern Culture.” Georgia State University, 2008. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/items/dd01118c-5ccd-4eaa-8090-f81a6bd967ba.

Hutchinson, Richard. “Vintage Vault: Sears Playsets a Work of Art." Fantha Tracks | Daily Star Wars News.” Fantha Tracks, 23 Feb. 2019, www.fanthatracks.com/news/collecting/sears-playsets-a-work-of-art/.

“Kenner Collector Focus: Interview with Bernard ‘Bernie’ Loomis – President of Kenner.” KennerCollector.Com, 4 Mar. 2011, www.kennercollector.com/2011/03/interview-with-bernard-bernie-loomis-president-of-kenner/.

Liebig, Jason. “The Wishbook Web Collection.” Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine, 18 Oct. 2021, archive.org/details/wishbookweb.

“A Lifetime of Making Toys, Games, and Play: An Interview with Jacob R. Miles III.” American Journal of Play, vol. 13, no. 2, 2021. Museumofplay.Org, https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2022/01/13-2-Article-5-Lifetime-Making.pdf.

Myatt, D. Martin. “An Interview with Bernard Loomis.” Rebelscum.Com: Special Feature, www.rebelscum.com/loomis.asp. Accessed March 2025.

Peck, Joann, and Suzanne B Shu. “The Effect of Mere Touch on Perceived Ownership.” Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 36, no. 3, 24 Mar. 2009. Abstract https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/36/3/434/2900262?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=true.

Quinn, David. “176. ROGUE FUN PANEL #1: Star Wars And The Golden Age Of The Sears Wish Book, With Jerry Hancock!” Star Wars: Prototypes & Production Podcast, 22 May 2024, https://www.prototypearchives.com/podcast/episode/9150a8e2/176-rogue-fun-panel-1-star-wars-and-the-golden-age-of-the-sears-wish-book-with-jerry-hancock.

Stillman, Brian. Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys. Gravitas Ventures, 2014. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3648510/.