Palitoy Cardbacks
Chihuahua
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PALITOY SW CARDBACKS
– SW 12a
– SW 12b
– SW 12c
– SW 20
PALITOY ESB CARDBACKS
– ESB 30a
– ESB 30b
– ESB 41a
– ESB 41b
– ESB 41c
– ESB 45a
– ESB 45b
PALITOY ROTJ CARDBACKS
– ROTJ 45c
– ROTJ 65a
– ROTJ 65b
– ROTJ 65c
– ROTJ 65d
PALITOY TRILOGO CARDBACKS
– ROTJ/TL 70a
– TL 70b
– TL 70c
– TL 70d
KENNER/PALITOY STICKER MATRIX
– ESB KPS45a
– ESB KPS47a
– ESB KPS48b
– ESB KPS48c
– ROTJ KPS48d
– ROTJ KPS48e
– ROTJ KPS48f
Palitoy Cardback Matrix
Introducing Mr Palitoy's Cardback Guide
This guide intends to categorise all of the different packaging types used by the Palitoy company in the UK for Star Wars action figures from the original set of 12-back’s released in 1978 through to the 79 Tri-Logo cardbacks released in 1985. The early cards were manufactured in Asia by the Palitoy (Far East) Ltd company in Hong Kong at the Kader Industries factory and shipped back assembled to the UK factory in Coalville, Leicestershire. The Kader Industries factory also produced Kenner cards and the same bubbles and figures can be seen on both Palitoy and Kenner cards for the earlier cards. Later on, cards were also manufactured in the UK in the Coalville factory as well as in Asia. Later cards were also manufactured in other Hong Kong factories as well as Kader Industries, and also factories in Taiwan and China. The Coalville factory also manufactured General Mills cards with German text for the German market and Clipper cards with Dutch text for the Dutch market and some of these cards were used in the UK when there were card shortages by covering up the foreign text on the back of the card with a sticker with the English text on it. Palitoy cards from Coalville were also sent to Spain for packaging with PBP figures.
The matrix shown on this page lists every known Palitoy cardback variation and figure type known to exist. Major figure variations are also shown on the matrix. Some of the notable figure variations like large head Han Solo on 12-back and the infamous vinyl caped Jawa-12 back are also discussed on the variations links down the left hand side of this page.
The cardback variations are listed in the chronological order in which they are believed to have been released, though this is less certain for ROTJ onwards. Each variation is denoted by a number indicating the number of figures listed on the back of the card followed by a letter starting with A, B, C… etc. Where new sub variations have been noted an additional sub variation letter is added where:-
B = black background which is used to distinguish between the two ESB 45-back Bounty Hunter Offer variations
D = Deutschland/German & N = Netherlands/Dutch for foreign cards with a Palitoy sticker on the back of the card to replace missing 45B & 45C cards for certain figures
G = HG, N = HN, T = HT which are letters that follow (ROTJ/1) and (ROTJ/2) on the bottom right hand corner of the back of ROTJ cards
C = Made in China, W = Made in Taiwan, X = Made in Mexico for ROTJ and Tri-Logo cards with a different country of origin on the front of the card
I = Fabrique a Taiwan, M = Fabrique a Macao, E = Fabrique en Espagne & H = Made in Hong Kong for Tri-Logo cards with a different country of origin on the front via a black or white sticker covering over the original country of origin
K = PBP Tri -Logo card with a Tri-Logo back with updated addresses
It has been done this way to avoid relettering variation types which are already being used by AFA and other guides. Each card variation along with it’s sub variations are described in detail with illustrative pictures in the links down the left hand side. There are 48 different variations and sub variations to date.
The figures are listed in the chronological order of groups they were released in. The figure names used on the cards changed slightly over time for some of the figures. The most notable of these changes is Death Squad Commander which changed name to Star Destroyer Commander when it came out on an ESB card. The names used on the matrix are those used on the debut card for the figure in question with the following exception. Bespin Security Guard which has (White) and (Black) after it because the there were two figures with the same name. I have also omitted some French translations for figures that debuted on a Tri-Logo card. These are Rancor Keeper with (Gardien du Rancor Monster), Lumat with Ewok Warrior (Figurine Guerriere Ewok), Paploo that strangely just has (Action Figure) after it, Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) with pop-up Lightsabre which has avec Sabre Laser added, Han Solo (in Carbonite Chamber) with Han Solo (Emmure), Luke Skywalker (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) with Tenue de Soldat Imperial and Imperial Dignitary with Dignitaire Imperial added. There are 96 figures listed in total. Also included are 10 of the major figure variations plus Wicket picture card variations of Lumat and Paploo to give a total of 108.
Each entry on the matrix can be 1 of 4 possible values:-
” ” – an empty space denotes a cardback/figure variation which is known to have never existed
“-” – a dash indicates a cardback/figure variation which may or may not exist, there is no known example
“?” – indicates a cardback/figure variation which has been reported as existing but not verified
“X” – indicates a cardback/figure variation which has a known example
I take evidence of a known example to be a sample cardback, picture of the front of the card if the front is unique or a picture holding a card up to a mirror showing both the front and back of the card if only the back is different. Pictures do not need to be published on the internet, they can be verified via private email or PM.
Click on this link to download the matrix as an Excel spreadsheet:- palitoymatrix.xlsx
The cardback guide on this website is now available as a printed guide from Echo Base. It is the first printed Palitoy reference book! This was produced in collaboration with Wayne Totty and Mark Thornicroft. The guide is over 50 pages long and available on the Echo Base Facebook group for delivery posted to the UK for £12, Europe for £15.50 and Rest of the World for £20. See the following weblink for availability:- https://www.facebook.com/groups/679883255411947/permalink/4171126062954298/
Many thanks to the following people who have provided background and information for this guide:-
John Ford – for his original work on the Palitoy cardback guide on which most of this website is based
Stephane Faucourt – for his invaluable Meccano to Trilogo figure matricies
David Tree – for information on some of the rarer cardback types/figures and background on the Palitoy company
Billy Rogers – for information on some of the rarer cardback types/figures
Gary Smith – for information on cardback/figures from his huge collection of Palitoy MOC action figures
