The History of Kenner

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Kenner products was formed in Cincinnati Ohio in 1947. Their most significant claim to fame was of course the insanely successful and influential Star Wars line but if you look at their history they were behind a great deal of the toys we remember.
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[@iamcarpetpython]

Despite many downfalls, I still would have loved to have seen more series after '94 of Kenner's Aliens series.

[@ROMANEMPIRE69]

iamcarpetpython I attempted to complete that collection. Got every alien and predator except the marines. Also the kaybee exclusives. I held on to them for a while. Then attempted to sell them. After failed success I donated them to a toys for tots place.

[@shinyhaunter6019]

I felt like toybiz carried the tourch kinda with the marvel legends lines though after though ! Lol that series is got to be the longest running action figure lines ever maybe hahahah

[@illuminotme4261]

Kenner was a great company in its heyday . I remember the Millenium Falcon came with a mail in list of anything that may have been missing or defective on the toy. I checked every item on the list and to my surprise they sent me every single part of the Falcon except the main body. Everything !

[@manuelguardado6905]

Sad to see them go R.i.p kenner

[@DragonMasterSubo]

Kenner's batman the animated series toys were simply amazing. Grappling hooks (that worked!), cloth capes, wings, light up pieces, and one with a working parachute. The vehicles always did 2 or 3 things as well, and sometimes had smaller figure fitting vehicles inside of them. Very imaginative, and incredibly mechanical for kids' toys. I've never seen anything else like them.

[@ActionFigureResource]

I agree, the Jenner Batman Animated line was fantastic. I recently uploaded a video on series one of these figures and will be continuing this series on the full line including the vehicles and playsets over the coming months.

[@Harri927]

Kenner was part of my childhood for the 90s. Batman figures for life.

[@ActionFigureResource]

Harri927 yes, I means the Kenner toys.

[@shang6245]

Kenner: Greatest toy company of all time, plus I like the toy lines they produced.

[@spunkhead]

love it....all toys are historic and the 80s and 90s mean a lot to me..thank you

[@ActionFigureResource]

Loads more videos to come, keep watching!

[@darrenccwong]

Great rundown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@akiradevilmanfudo]

This is by far my most favorite toy company. I wasnt concious about it when i was a kid but they are responsible of 80% of my favorite toy lines and while they produce some garbage they also did some amazing pieces along the way. Is pretty sad that a company with such long history and talent got disolved soo fast

[@spunkhead]

star wars, super powers, silver hawks, ghost busters were my shit

[@Sanprano]

Defiantly subscribing really enjoy the information and trip down memory lane.

[@Arvelo197]

I just happened to come across your videos, I live in the U.S. and Fined your videos incredibly educational thank you for creating them, its clear you put alot of work and time into research, I would love to see a video on the history of Mattel here's hoping one day you can get to it, thanks agian keep up the great work.

[@richardgerischer7353]

Liked and subscribed. Well done! I would like to mention the new "ReAction figures" which are 100% based on 70's Kenner toy style. I am collecting those currently and can not get enough of them. Again, bravo!

[@vincentfranklin17]

I had a Steve Austin action figure, with a rocket module when I was ten! I had a Stretch Armstrong, and a Stretch Monster, too!

[@ActionFigureResource]

wooow, stretch Armstrong is worth loads now, as are some of the six million dollar man figures

[@soundwave8466]

Kenner: the greatest toy company of all time.

[@TheSolfilm]

And then Hasbro took the Star Wars licence and raised the prices for very kids !! Thank you !

[@acvieluf]

haha, says the guy trying to sound tough in a youtube comment. You are also on this video's page. Nice try though.

[@shang6245]

Soundwave 84 you are right.

[@zarachastellaris9016]

Soundwave 84 Amen, damn Hasbro for taking Littlest pet shop from them!

[@darthnhullificius6242]

Also HASBRO oh I'm sorry ASSBRO, took the license for Jurassic Park! And they were good tough, but in 2015, it was like about 65 million years ago, like the extinction of the dinosaurs, it was BAD! They had unnecessary screw holes and permanent Dino-Damage ® which you could not cover, good thing Mattel avenged Kenner again. Which have signs of no stopping.

[@DMX-PAT]

Can you also do Playmates & LJN... Really really enjoyed this!!!

[@ActionFigureResource]

Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the vdo. Yes, I intend to do all these companies plus Figma, Revoltech, Funko, Galoob, Trendmasters and more!

[@popup323]

Mask was rad.

[@badideabearcub2747]

A lot of detail for a smaller figure.

[@BryonLape]

A little echoing, but a good video none-the-less. Thanks for the upload. I do remember the Star Wars days of 1977.

[@ActionFigureResource]

Bryon Lape thanks, glad you enjoyed it

[@StrikerFX47]

I got to get my hands on some of those Kenner Starwars figures.

[@comicbookreviewer4856]

i have some old kenner star wars toys from 1997 and the shadows of the empire and even got a old 1982 star wars toy as well

[@JustJunkiman]

My great grandma used to work at kenner

[@ActionFigureResource]

Nate Brittain I bet she has some interesting stories

[@JustJunkiman]

ActionFigureResource I wouldn't have know she passed a few years back

[@ActionFigureResource]

Nate Brittain sorry to hear, I would loved to have worked there in the 70s

[@JustJunkiman]

ActionFigureResource thanks,me too

[@parkingclube]

your commentaries excite me about english! your sentence structure is brilliant! I love each video

[@mikeyfourbarrel8473]

Great video but I'm amazed at how little recognition Beast Wars received here. There were some innovative and amazing toys made for that line under the Kenner name.

[@BClocals]

The 80's and 90's toys were so mature for the time and it was so awesome being a young child walking into a toy shop like KB toy store and always finding something new. Crazy eight, swamp thing, batman, robo cop. Oh those were the days...

[@ActionFigureResource]

BClocals yes, the 80s and 90s were a great time for action figures and I would love to see them return

[@shinyhaunter6019]

GENUINELY GREAT VIDEO ! THANK YOU ! The video felt very efficient with the editing highlighting the ways the company came into itself and was handed the PARASOCIAL Relationship dynamics with the unfortunate realities of how toy companies "do the math" on the cost of tried and true licences and the incoherence of making what is the best toy that can be made of the subject matter and with current available technologies . I think , they think , we think , that they think.... we know!.. 🤦‍♂️ how we are buying monuments to the Gigantopithecus of NOstalgia in miniature ... The current system is in a loop of inefficiency when it doesn't have to be because the solution is to make new worlds and peoples , places and things... Like make the best figures you can make ..or toys that can be toys .. It is kinda sad how kids don't play with toys anymore really.. I think the internet is obviously compounding this exponentially like all things in the echo chambers online ... But kids still like toys .. They just need experiences or something they can interact with other children with in real time ! Video games are fine in moderation... This is complicated stuff and I am rambling so I don't wish to contextualize government monetary systems and exploits vs the people who exploit systems & how free will or biochemical sequences chain reactions to 1 to 1 actions. ... Lol I have no clue ... But I think that you should do a long form video or live maybe on the way starwars kinda was like Halley's comet and now we have unreasonable expectations and drug dealer like practices being used to profit off of people's who had emotional connections to family and fleeting youth ALLLLLLLLLLLLL wrapped up in the most psychologically weirdd way ... Idk guys and girls I feel like I'm going to just let it rest there for now but would love to flesh some of that out in the future. Take care of your selfs guys and remember to please be kind to one another!

[@ActionFigureResource]

Thanks for the comment. I really dislike what HASBRO are doing to the hobby, especially SW. I wish Kenner had stayed independent, but it is what it is.

[@jeremym9011]

Kenner's best toy line in my opinion was MEGA FORCE in 1989.

[@RetroActionUK]

@Tainted Saint no Kenner did make a miniature Micro Machines style military vehicle line in 1989 called Mega Force.

[@chonthicha84]

;) thanks, glad you like it

[@CoryTheRaven]

Personally, I think the Super Powers Collection might be the best set of (at least) super hero figures ever made. They were so great!

[@ActionFigureResource]

Yes this series was an excellent set, but my favorite line has to be the original Mego Worlds Greatest Superheroes line

[@spunkhead]

true...by the point kenner had kinda perfected it...by making the figs like the comics....

[@landryprichard6778]

And we have NAFTA to thank for Cincinnati's plant closing down...as well as many others. :(

[@Pegwarmers]

Great History Lesson!

[@Musicradio77Network]

Kenner also made the Strawberry Shortcake figures based off the greeting card line along with the Care Bears with their plush toys.

[@noway2009]

My only favorite Kenner toyline is the Super Powers Collection 1984-86

[@roughy762004]

Great vid

[@alvarezbros.towing4620]

Beast wars isn't forgotten

[@ActionFigureResource]

Will do @Clouse

[@TheBlackKnight1o1]

5:34 VR TROOPERS!

[@keithsamuels2533]

As a kid of the 70s i remember Palitoy being one of the most prominent names then, with action man and star wars toys also . Did they go bust or get bought out in the end?

[@RetroActionUK]

They closed in 1994.

[@cjclouse339]

Nice documentary

[@gabriellegamez8527]

man , we could have had kenner for Jurassic world , kenner in dominus Rex , AWESOME

[@shako4907]

Hey man you forgot jurassic park chaos effect.One of the many reasons hasbro closed kenner

[@ActionFigureResource]

:P Thanks CJ, there will be a lot more of this style videos to come

[@moniker2.0]

Very interesting!

[@FatherAxeKeeper]

who is that dude that looks like a human Gamorrean Guard??

[@williamthompson5504]

It's Friar Tuck from the Robin Hood line.

[@headhunterD]

What was the name of the toy line where the figures literally looked like they were riding on circuit boards?

[@adprod100]

The Best Company

[@blotto85]

Very nice video! The same can be said about comic books, lots of junk out there but old .10 .12 .15 cents cover MARVEL/DC still fetch good prices and can sometimes be acquired for cheap ;)

[@ActionFigureResource]

mysterious stranger thanks for the comment

[@blotto85]

Can I get your advice on something? If I were to make molds of 1978 Kenner X-Wing and TIE fighters, pour aluminum casts, spray paint and detail them, then sell them, do you think I'd get in trouble? It's not like Kenner's still around and the toy's are almost 40 years old.

[@ActionFigureResource]

mysterious stranger ok this is not legal advice, for that you need a lawyer, but in MY opinion I think you will find that when Hasbro bought the company they also bought the molds, which means they have the rights to those figures and the molds, therefore you would need Hasbro's permission to do this. Then of course you have the separate issue of the Marvel + DC rights and license's

[@otaking3582]

Kenner had the license for VR Troopers and not Bandai? That's surprising

[@johngurnhill8743]

I'm new to this market so I'm learning

[@ActionFigureResource]

Welcome, if you have any questions just fire away!

[@johngurnhill8743]

@@ActionFigureResource I'm trying to find a r2d2 kenner why is it rare to find

[@ActionFigureResource]

@@johngurnhill8743 ActionFigureResource 1 second ago It's not that they are so rare, but so much in demand being one of the main characters from the movies. A good, mint condition loose figure will cost you about $100-$150 whereas a MOC figure between $400-$1000.

[@johngurnhill8743]

@@ActionFigureResource thank you so much 😊 😊 😊

[@tumbtacks1200]

you forgot about the nerf that made 1994. to 1998

[@ActionFigureResource]

Demaison is here I chose not to include it because there wasn't enough time to include everything

[@FreddyKurganNimmo]

I wish you would've spent more than just a few seconds of passing reference on how the Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves line recycled molds from the Return Of The Jedi line...

[@ActionFigureResource]

I've done a much more in-depth analysis on the website.

[@jorgeacosta4531]

Best Kenner toy line: star wars and Batman the animated series

[@benvsash1016]

What, was beast wars really forgotten. I know I wasn't around in the 90's, but it doesn't seem to be forgotten to me? Maybe that's why I think it's not forgotten?

[@ActionFigureResource]

Ben vs Ash 101 Beast Wars was from the Hasbro Transformers line :)

[@benvsash1016]

Then why did the early commercials say from kenner? Well, until the transmetals.

[@ActionFigureResource]

Hasbro had purchased Kenner not too long before Beast Wars. Before the Kenner name was scrapped, one of the reasons Beast Wars was handled by the Kenner division was to bring in some fresh thought to help revive the Transformers franchise. At one point Hasbro were considering making Kenner the "Action Figure" arm of the company due to their successs and profile with licenses such as Star Wars. In a sense, the line was *always* made by Hasbro, since they did own Kenner at the time. It wasn't an attempt to distance themselves. And in a lot of ways, letting the Kenner group take the lead clearly paid off. Beast Wars literally saved Transformers. If it had failed, the line probably would have been retired for several years - if not forever.

[@jonnybaker4783]

l am 9 and I have Ole ove the star wars toys from1977 to1985

[@jacckus4354]

TROLL

[@Diabolik771]

Fischer Price Adventure People started the 3 3/4 trend.

[@counterfox6258]

why haven't you mentioned action man from the 90s since when it was starting out in the early 90s its was packaged with the kenner logo on the packaging but the figure had hasbro branded on theme and after 1994 the packaging changed to be branded by hasbro

[@ActionFigureResource]

counter fox because I plan to do a series of videos on GI Joe and Action Man, especially as I was a huge collector of Action Man. I remember running down to my local toy store every Saturday morning to see if they had any new accessory packs.

[@counterfox6258]

ok, i still collect them

[@ActionFigureResource]

counter fox unfortunately my mother gave all mine to my cousin's some years back ;(

[@garrettlauzon1656]

you forgot to mention the visionaries

[@cevest_blirobo7308]

Do you own the JurassicCollectables channel?

[@cevest_blirobo7308]

But I love that Star Wars figures still have the Kenner logo

[@ROMANEMPIRE69]

Yeah I used to hate it when a line of toys didn’t stick with original characters. They always had to make versions with crap outfits never seen in the cartoons with wacky features that often times broke over a short period of time. Also limiting certain characters for greed pigs to sell for a profit. 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪

[@kennerperez1513]

:O MY NAME!

[@ZsaZsaUmbra]

I was searching for Littlest Pet Shop. Good video nonetheless.

[@ActionFigureResource]

Thanks, glad you like it. No Littlest Pet Shop vdo yet, but may be in the future :)

[@ZsaZsaUmbra]

@@ActionFigureResource just the Kenner LPS cuz all the other lines are u g l y lol

[@dallionaire8947]

Kenner was the best

[@ActionFigureResource]

Agreed, the worst thing that ever happened was when Hasbro bought them out

[@danielnehme6918]

@@ActionFigureResource agreed!

[@badideabearcub2747]

Was the Gamorrean ward of the thumbnail clickbait?

[@ActionFigureResource]

No, he was a Kenner ESB release.

[@krunosusec6667]

For me kenner best toys are jurassic park ones.

[@ActionFigureResource]

I'm afraid I wioll have to disagree. I think one of their most underrated lines was Indiana Jones, the figures were excellent and they made some rally great playsets for this line.

[@video409]

Wait a minute they made a toy line out of steel?

[@ActionFigureResource]

BLINX yes, way back in the day

[@Vezurected]

Did Hasbro buy out Kenner?

[@ActionFigureResource]

Yes they did, in 1998/99

[@RetroActionUK]

@@ActionFigureResource acquired in 1991 then fully bought around 1998/1999.

[@speirsmovies353]

um so are Hasbro and kenner the same

[@ActionFigureResource]

yes, Hasbro acquired Kenner in the 1990's

Beast Wars was produced by Kenner?

[@mikeyfourbarrel8473]

Esteban Rodríguez the Kenner name remained on Beast Wars toys between 1995 and 1999.

Mike Honcho why?

[@mikeyfourbarrel8473]

Esteban Rodríguez is your question why Hasbro put their name on the products starting in 1999 and removed Kenner? I think it was due to the growing success and resurgence in interest in Transformers. They likely wanted to bring the Transformers brand back "home" to Hasbro proper. This is just a guess...but contrary to what this video would have you think, Beast Wars had a loyal and significant fan base that grew with each year.

[@ActionFigureResource]

Hasbro bought Kenner along with all their molds etc so why wouldn't they rebrand them?

No, my question is, why do the boxes say Kenner on them?

[@MNC122703]

Great video

[@danielferstendig]

you forgot superman and superman the animated series

[@ActionFigureResource]

daniel ferstendig yes, they made some great toys in their time!

[@danielferstendig]

you forgot gi joe extreme and vortech.

[@minecraftboy2883]

Why can't Hasbro get the memo that everybody hates them and want Kenner back

[@ActionFigureResource]

because these are the same people who believe girls don't buy #actionfigures

[@ActionFigureResource]

+Hapdog and Toy Biz before them, Hasbro are the Microsoft of the toy industry, any form of competition they buy up and break-up

[@kmoney50]

so, do they still make toys?

[@RetroActionUK]

No they were closed in 2000 after the overproduction of Star Wars Episode I and Jurassic Park Chaos Effect, by Hasbro.

[@kennerperez1513]

It’s pronounced ken-ER

[@AU79PLUS1]

"Transformers' forgotten step brother Beast Wars"? Uh, no. Beast Wars revitalized the Transformers brand after it had been all but abandoned at retail. The line produced over 100 figures. The show ran for 3 seasons, and likely would have run for more had it not proved so popular that Fox bough the rights to air a TF series and forced the creators to end the show earlier than they had planned. And Hasbro did NOT try to return to the tried and true car vs. plane set up of the original. Instead, they continued on the beast legacy with Beast Machines--albeit an inferior series. Additionally, Beast Wars spawned two Japanese only series, (Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo). To this day, Takara and Hasbro continue to create updates to classic BW characters, including in their premium Masterpiece line. IDW also uses BW characters in its numerous TF comic lines. So, please give the property its due respect.

[@ActionFigureResource]

I deal with the Beast Wars in a lot more detail in the Transformers and Hasbro videos as well as a dedicated webpage but this video deals solely with KENNER figures.

[@martinellis2664]

4:20 "Definitely aimed at children and not collectors." Um, yeah dude. They're TOYS!

[@the0to1smell86]

Wtf lol Chuck Norris..chuck Norris will never die he just killed Death..

[@sheepthehack]

WTF??? You didnt even go into WHY Kenner went under.. Thats what i wanted to know... How the fuck can a company be making hundreds of millions of dollars need to be bought out???? why were THEY not buying hasbro... how the fuck did they lose their grip on the toy world???

[@gabriellegamez8527]

instead HASBRO had to ruin everything for us Jurassic park fans , WHY!!!!!!

[@ActionFigureResource]

because that's what they're good at, I can't think of a single line thay haven't ruined

[@DragmaKerp]

If Kenner would still be active, the toys would be same as they are... The time has changed, we can't compare laws and economy from early 90s to today's

[@ActionFigureResource]

+DragmaKerp True you can't, and kets face it when you look at many of the old Kenner lines, they weren't particularly well made with poor sculting ( even for those times) and little articulation.

[@shako4907]

+DragmaKerp Actually no.Hasbro hates Jurassic park because of chaos effect sold like shit.So if Kenner was relevant still today they will be alot or atleast slightly better

[@Cerdo_asqueroso]

so much garbage created...