Raiders of the Lost Toys - The Indiana Jones Action Figure & Toy Archive

Released by Kenner from 1981-1983 "Raiders of the Lost Ark Collection" represented what Kenner could do when they combined the design aspect that they had learned with the Star Wars line with the playability they had formulated from the Butch & Sundance The Early Days line. This combination would form what has remained the most collectible and beloved Indiana Jones toyline ever created.

This line started with the release of a Kenner board game called "Raiders of the Lost Ark Game" in the fall of 1981 and was followed very early in 1982 with the 12 Inch Indiana Jones Action Figure. Later the same year Kenner released the 3 3/4 Inch Action Figure toyline called "The Adventures of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark". The first wave of this line was consisted of four carded action figures: Indiana Jones, Marion Ravenwood, Toht and Cairo Swordsman along with two boxed playsets: Well of the Souls and The Map Room. The figures also included a mail-away offer for a fifth action figure, Belloq in Ceremonial Robes. The final year of release was 1983 with the second wave of toys with four new carded action figures: Indiana Jones in German Uniform, Belloq, Sallah, and German Mechanic as well as a carded Arabian Horse. The boxed playset Streets of Cairo and the boxed vehicle Desert Convoy Truck were also released as part of the second wave. Perhaps the most legendary piece of this line is the officially unreleased ninth carded action figure of Belloq in Ceremonial Robes. Today it remains one of the rarest carded action figures in existence.

The demise of line has been attributed to having suffered poor sales, possibly from poor distribution and marketing. It has been reported that there was an unbalanced ratio of figure amounts in the shipping cases causing Toht and Cairo Swordsman to ship in massive amounts, whereas the main characters (and therefore more desirable) such as Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood would be left hard to find. As a result, up until the early-1990s Toht and Cairo Swordsman figures could still be found on the shelves in a few toy stores. Excess stock from the first wave of toys led to smaller orders of the second wave. Public demand and awareness for the line probably began to reflect the availability of the line and as a result the line was cancelled/shortened in 1983. There are other reasons for why the line ended so early without the inclusion of some fairly obvious figure and playset choices. Kenner employees who worked on the line have revealed that there had been internal concerns about which toys would or would not be appropriate for the line. Given the nature of the film and some of the concepts explored within it, one does not have to think too hard in order to work out why some of the proposed items were not at all suitable for children, especially as toys. It also has been long-rumoured that the only reason for the conception/genesis of this line was due to the respect Kenner had for Lucasfilm, as the Star Wars line had brought them both much success and Kenner wanted to show appreciation. Whatever the reason is for the early demise of the line it is most likely a combination of various things and at this time, these reasons can only be speculated upon. In any case, it is the personal belief of the creator of this site and many others that "The Adventures of Indiana Jones" remains today as the masterpiece of Kenner's toy creation history.

Description By: Innis Mason