Fake Lili Ledy vinyl cape Jawa MOC & genuine loose Lili Ledy Jawa: Lili Ledy was the Kenner licensee for action figures in Mexico from 1983-84.  When I received this carded Lili Ledy vinyl caped Jawa in a trade from Mexico in 1996, I thought I had discovered a previously undocumented foreign variation.  Although the vinyl used for this cape can in no way be confused with the vintage Kenner cape (the Ledy vinyl is much thicker and rougher), my conjecture at the time was that the vinyl was used in the Ledy line to save costs.  There are a number of variations of the Ledy figures from their Kenner counterparts, and even within the Lili Ledy line there are often variations in color schemes and materials used.  The figure came from a trusted source in Mexico, and there was no reason to believe the figure was faked because no extra value was attached to having a vinyl cape.  Also, to this day it still does not look like a resealed figure to me or any of the other collectors to whom I have showed it.

However, after running an article in Topps "Star Wars Galaxy Collector" magazine issue #8 that featured this item, I was contacted by several reliable collectors in Mexico who told me tthat the item was not real based on a large body of experiential evidence.  No other examples are known, and even the collector I received it from originally said he had come to doubt his source.  While it was disappointing to discover I didn't have the rarity I thought I did, at least I wasn't out much money.  I hope this entry will resolve the questions that have surrounded this figure since it was first publicized and help variant collectors rest easy knowing they have one less piece to find.

The image on the right, though, represents a legitimate variation in the Lily Ledy line.  The cloth cape on the Ledy Jawa has a smoother finish, but more importantly the hood is separate, removable piece.  Interestingly, the figure also came with a TIE Pilot gun.

Description: Todd Chamberlain
Photo: Todd Chamberlain
From the collection of Todd Chamberlain