Ridley Scott awed and shocked audiences as he introduced them to the perfect predator in the science fiction horror film ALIEN. While he did not know it as he crafted the film, his work sparked a franchise that has remained strong for decades.
Likewise, one company took a gamble to create one of the most infamous toy lines of all time. Kenner sparked controversy with parent groups as they created a few toys to support the release of ALIEN. While these toys were designed to catch the interests of children, the film was far from child-friendly. With parents both outraged and children too afraid of the alien menace, Kenner promptly discontinued the line.
Despite the failure of the first ALIEN toy line, the franchise later returned to toy shelves in the 1990s. With a new bold take, the franchise was warmly welcomed by both children and adult fans. In the years that followed, multiple toy companies have contributed and built a vast catalog of merchandise that depicted both the Xenomorphs, as the alien creatures are known, and the humans who fought against them.
As fans who grew up with the franchise now seek out these action figures and other collectibles, these ALIEN products have become immensely valuable. Still, some products sell for much more than others. Join us as we examine the ten most expensive ALIEN action figure toys that have sold on online auction sites in the last five years.
Presenting the top ten action figure toys from the ALIEN franchise
While we will be examining the toys that have sold for the highest prices in the last five years, there are a few pieces that will not be listed. ALIEN collectibles come in all shapes and forms. There are multiple static statues, comics, and other collectibles. Still, we will not be examining the prices of statues or other non-action figure collectibles. We will instead be focusing solely on the action figures that have gone up for auction.
Also, we will only be mentioning the highest sold price of each individual toy. If we did not make this distinction, all entries would be filled with the same toy selling at different prices. We are also excluding auctions for entire collections or sets.
10. Hot Toys ALIEN 1/6 Scale Ellen Ripley (2016)
Since 2000, Hot Toys has become known as one of the most notable manufacturers of high-end collector’s grade action figures. With a focus on masterpiece-scale action figures, their toys have the scale to show amazing details that closely resemble the characters they are depicting. Their toys also often wear clothing accessories with a similar level of detailing.
Throughout the years, they have produced several action figures that depicted the memorable characters from the ALIEN franchise. One of these figures was a special Ellen Ripley from the original 1979 film. She wore the iconic jumpsuit from her days working as a warrant officer on the Weyland-Yutani M-Class star freighter. She came with an array of accessories, including a flamethrower, a cat carrier, and Jones.
Even though this is a recent action figure, Hot Toys action figures often sell for high prices. This action figure was released at a $229.99 price point, which rose as supplies depleted. Thus, on January 10, 2023, one of these action figures sold for $799.95 on eBay.
9. Kenner ALIEN Movie Viewer AFA 85 (1979)
When Kenner released their collection of toys for the 1979 film, there were three different choices. One of these choices was a simple toy for them to create: a movie viewer.
Movie viewers first began to pop up in toy aisles in 1975, giving a cheap way for children to reexperience scenes from their favorite films. These toys were often shaped like cameras, giving the feeling that they were on-set shooting the film. By turning the wheel on the side of the device, they were able to watch the scenes stored on the insertable cartridge come to life.
The ALIEN movie viewer was no different. The cartridge featured multiple short clips of the film, especially those featuring the menacing beast. Notably, this toy would be the final movie viewer that Kenner would ever create. Not only did their ALIEN toys receive significant backlash, but the rise of VHS killed off demand for these products.
Thanks to the legacy of this collectible, one of these movie viewers with an AFA 85 rating sold on eBay for $799.99 on June 03, 2016. Notably, many have sold on the site without an AFA grade. These normally sell for about $275-300.
8. Medicom Be@rbrick ALIEN Soldier (2017)
One of the strangest fad collectibles from recent years has been the Be@rbrick toys from Medicom. These simple figures combine the aesthetics of LEGO-styled minifigures with the classic design of a teddy bear. Its creator, Tatsushiko Akashi, introduced this toy at the 2001 World Character Convention in Tokyo as a simple gift for attendees. Discovering the high demand for more, Medicom began creating hundreds of designs for these bear-themed figures, using various pop-culture characters as examples.
As with most collectible toy lines, Be@rbrick features multiple exclusive limited edition figures and variants. Some of these exclusives are slight variants of similar figures from prior years. Likewise, there are always people who will overspend on these variants out of fear of never seeing them again.
In 2017, Medicom rereleased some of the ALIEN Be@rbrick figures to celebrate the release of ALIEN: Covenant. One of these was an ALIEN soldier with a green-tinted dome. As it had been out of production when one went up for auction at eBay in April 2021, it wound up selling for $900.00 on April 06. While this figure is rare, other versions have recently sold for $240 at most.
7. Hot Toys ALIENS 1/6 Scale Private William Hudson (2007)
Hot Toys created multiple action figures that depicted the characters from the ALIEN franchise. Most of these characters originated from the fan-favorite 2nd film, James Cameron’s ALIENS. Unlike the first film, the sequel focused on the action over the horror of the alien menace. Likewise, instead of focusing on the plight of the unprepared crew of a freighter, ALIENS brought in a crew of “prepared” Colonial Marines. While their available tools and firepower ramped up the action, they still struggled to survive against the vast number of Xenomorphs.
While Hudson was not the leader of these marines, he was one of the most memorable characters. Played by Bill Paxton, Private Hudson had an array of memorable moments and lines. Specifically, he is remembered for saying, “Game over, man! Game over! What the fuck are we gonna do now?!” In the end, Hudson met his end as the aliens dragged him away to be never seen again.
When one of these figures popped up on eBay, it sold for $900.00 on February 08, 2013. Despite this high price, more recent copies have sold for only $650-760.
6. HG Toys ALIEN Blaster Giant Target Set (1979)
HG Toys made several licensed products for movies in the 1970s and 1980s. The company’s products mostly consisted of puzzles, play sets, and role-playing merchandise. Out of their small selection of playsets, there were two for the 1979 ALIEN film.
This set featured a 31” tall and 15” wide target that looked like the star creature of the film, the Big Chap. With the included ping-pong firing blaster, players could take out the various targets on the beast. There even was a bell that sounded when the stomach was hit.
As one of the earliest ALIEN merchandise, this piece has become a valuable part of many collections. Thus, it sold on eBay for $911.66 on November 20, 2013.
5. HG Toys ALIEN Chase Target Set (1979)
HG Toys made two different ALIEN target sets that came out to stores before the movie hit theaters. Aside from the Giant Target Set, they also created a Chase Target Set. This set featured a 12” target, which displayed an image of the star Big Chap alien. Along with this target were two small Alien hand and pod targets. By using the blaster weapon, players could shoot safety suction darts at these targets.
This was another one of the earliest pieces of merchandise for the ALIEN franchise. So, it managed to sell on an online auction site for $975.33 on June 30, 2021.
4. Hot Toys ALIENS 1/6 Scale Power Loader with Ellen Ripley (2008)
One of the most elaborate figures made by Hot Toys was the massive Power Loader Set, which came with an action figure of Ellen Ripley. This piece of machinery was crucial for the climax fight against the Alien Queen in James Cameron’s 1986 ALIENS.
Throughout the film, Ellen Ripley attempts to ward the marines away from the threat of the Xenomorph hoard. As they discovered the fate of the colony on LV-426, they found a single survivor, a little girl named Newt. Ripley grew close to the girl as they fought to survive against the Xenomorphs and became distraught as the girl was dragged away to their nest. After rescuing Newt, Ripley enraged the queen, the largest and most fearsome of the hoard.
This queen chased Ripley and snuck away on the transport ship that brought the survivors back to their spaceship. While the queen ambushed the group, Ripley managed to sneak away to suit up in the Power Loader. With this industrial machinery, Ripley managed to fight off the Queen and force her into the airlock.
This impressive figure sold on eBay for $995.00 on January 27, 2020.
3. Loyal Subjects Limited Edition Brown Clear Top Target Exclusive (2019)
Since the 2000s, several companies have taken advantage of the collect-them-all mentality. Fad products from the ’90s taught them that people would regularly buy products in the hopes of getting rare and unique collectibles. As the years passed, companies like Loyal Subjects rose to continue this trend.
Loyal Subjects has created a large array of miniature figurines and toys for collectors to hunt down. Their array of licensed products covers most of the popular movies and television series from the last few decades. Eventually, they landed on the ALIEN franchise and set forth to create multiple colorful toys that collectors would love.
The ALIEN Loyal Subjects were released at Targets across the nation. Collectors could locate two types of characters: colonial marines and xenomorphs. Even though most of the Xenomorphs shared the same mold, their color scheme made them stand apart. Moreover, some color schemes were harder to locate than others, like the Limited Edition Brown Clear Top Xenomorph. With many figures hidden from view, collectors had to gamble and hope that they got one of the rare pieces.
Due to the rarity of the Brown Clear Top Xenomorph, it became one of the most valuable figures from this toy line. Thus, an open box of one of these toys sold for $999.95 on October 08, 2018, when it popped up on eBay.
2. Kenner ALIEN Board Game AFA 90 (1979)
Kenner’s original 1979 toy line had three major components. One of these toys was a unique board game that asked players to escape the alien terror. Each player took the role of a group of three astronauts who needed to reach safety via the escape pod, Narcissus. To accomplish this goal, the Astronauts moved clockwise around the board until they reached the square that allowed them into the center of the board.
There was also an Alien figure that each player could use to eliminate their opponent’s astronauts. Astronauts were removed from play when either they landed on the same square as the creature or the Alien ended its turn in their space. However, there were safe spaces that protected astronauts. Moreover, astronauts could not be eliminated by an Alien of their color. While having multiple astronauts in space would keep them safe from an Alien, if a single piece was left alone with the beast, it was eliminated. No matter what a player did, the Alien piece could never be eliminated. The Alien piece also had a unique way to move around the map: air shafts.
This game was meant for two to four players, with each player having a home base in one of the four corners. These corners all featured images of scenes from the movie. The game came with the gameboard, a white die, a red die, 16 playing tokens, and an instruction sheet. The white die was used to move the astronauts, while the red die was used to move the Alien piece.
One of these games with an AFA 90 grade sold on eBay for $1,000.00 on May 25, 2017.
1. Kenner 18” ALIEN AFA U90 (1979)
Few toys have the infamy of the 18” ALIEN toy that Kenner made for the 1979 film. Aside from being one of the largest action figures for the franchise, it is remembered for the controversy that surrounded it. At the time, toys for R-rated movies were unheard of. Whether or not Kenner knew that the movie would be not suitable for most children is not known. However, they heavily marketed the toy for children.
When the toy came out, many of these action figures became Christmas gifts or otherwise bought for children. However, as the public became aware of the nature of this beast, sales dropped. Moreover, parents were outraged that Kenner would advertise this frightening killer with sexual undertones to their children.
While Kenner pulled this toy from production, it still became a beloved part of many childhoods. Its popularity eventually led to rereleases from Super 7 in the 2010s. Meanwhile, the original action figure soared in price.
Despite the size of the Kenner 1979 ALIEN, it was not made with the most sturdy construction. Everything from its dome to its tail was subject to potential failure. Many of these figures no longer have the dome at all. The rarity of locating one of these figures in great condition also contributed to its immense value.
One of these toys made an appearance on an online auction site with an AFA 90 grade. Its box was graded at 85, the window at 90, and the figure at 90. Thanks to its mint condition, it sold for $5,711.20 on March 15, 2018.
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About the Author
Author: Chris Ingledue
Contact: email
Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab Pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab,” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!