Vintage Catalogue/Serial Numbers Timeline- Please Add

Had a pm from OllyOrc about Action Force serial numbers and that they provide a timeline. Just looked at my Star Wars boxes and they seem to have the same thing.

Here's the AF details on BFTB.
http://www.bloodforthebaron.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15182#p184218

Is this common knowledge? Is there a definitive list somewhere? If there isn't one, let's do it! Just copy and paste the list with your additions (in order).

Here's some of my Palitoy numbers:

SW X-wing 33323
ESB PDT-8 33343
ESB MTV-7 33343
ESB MLC-3 33343
ESB Slave 1 33356
ESB Snowspeeder 33361
ESB Falcon 33364
ESB INT-4 33376
ESB CAP-2 33376
ESB Imperial Attack Base 33387
ESB Split Belly Taunton 33393
ESB Wampa 33394

All credit due to Hopper on BFTB who initially investigated the Palitoy Action Force blueprint L codes. (L = Line 10xx -> 15xx = 1982->1985). So for Star Wars creation timeline examples

Snowspeeder = L298
Twin Pod Cloud Car = L571
XWing = L958
AT AT = L1020 Initial version
Slave 1 = L1021
Dagobah action playset = L1022
AT AT = L1147 corrected version

as seen from the pictures in http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=200&start=30240#p424792

and http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12059

The Kenner die cast go up in order but the Palitoy seem a bit more random.

There must be a system to it

The numbers on the palitoy documentation is totally random, you'll find them all listed in my paperwork limelight....

http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t7480-walkie-s-read-the-bloody-instructions-limelight-v2#P

Wow that's a really comprehensive listing you made walkie, shame they didn't work out like the Palitoy Action Force blueprints. Will be interesting to see if the box codes that Cazza listed do.

walkie said:

The numbers on the palitoy documentation is totally random, you'll find them all listed in my paperwork limelight....

http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t7480-walkie-s-read-the-bloody-instructions-limelight-v2#P

Click to expand...

I'm not sure they are random looking at your list. Instead I'd draw the conclusion that they are numerically ascending based on date they were draughted. I'm not suggesting they are public/retail release date related (although the ESB are higher than SW numbers, so they are in that sense), but take them in a broader context of all paperwork that Palitoy is designing/draughting across all lines they are producing and its therefore more than possible they are actually in a very sensible order.

I base my idea on how we work in retail supply chain and in our buying and product development team. We assign SKU (stock keeping unit) numbers (we use a different format, but still numerical) at the earliest point in the process, long before a product even exists, often before we even sample it. This way we have a range structure and record potential margins, supplier details etc. There are dozens, maybe even hundreds created that are never used (they sit on the database, but never become a product), so leaving gaps and some lines are released for sale with huge timing inconsistency compared to the numbers around them; though this is unusual.

Further to timing issues numbers will often fall out of sequence (to a public eye), we are also developing around six different collections at the same time, setting up batches or odd SKU in each collection as the process evolves. So, It's plausible that Star Wars and Action Man and Action Force and a Palitoy board game (Coggle or the like) were all in development at the same time across the multiple teams at Palitoy and they could all logging SKU numbers for their products or paperwork as they go.

So to my eye, you have an order that doesn't look like an order without seeing all the ranges and never produced products in one wide view.

Has anyone ever seen a Palitoy Star Wars earlier version of an X-Wing Fighter print, with a code less than L958 ? Also looks like Palitoy Box codes have their own timeline compared to the blueprint L codes which is the same within Action Force.

Star Wars Line
Death Star Play Centre L50
Imperial Troop Transporter L241
Millennium Falcon (*) L295 & 519-03700
Snowspeeder = L298
Land Of The Jawas L392
Darth Vader Tie Fighter L517
Cantina Playset L533
Twin Pod Cloud Car = L571
Droid Factory Blueprints L608
X-Wing Fighter L958?(Box Code 33323) ** Update - see post below, as combined on sticker sheet**
Tie Fighter LXXX

The Empire Strikes Back Line
Rebel Armoured Snowspeeder L825 (Box Code 33361)
Star Destroyer Playset L897
Imperial Attack Base L899
Turret Probot Playset L901
X-Wing Fighter L958?
X-Wing Fighter L982
AT-AT (All Terrain - Armoured Transport) - Rev.1 (*) L1020
AT-AT (All Terrain - Armoured Transport) - Rev.2 (**) L1020
AT-AT (All Terrain - Armoured Transport) - Rev.3 (***) L1020
Slave 1 L1021 (Box Code 33356)
Dagobah Action Playset L1022
AT-AT (All Terrain - Armoured Transport) L1147
MLC-3 (Mobile Laser Cannon) N/A (Box Code 33343)
MTV-7 (Multi-Terrain Vehicle) N/A (Box Code 33343)
PDT-8 (Personnel Deployment Transport) N/A (Box Code 33343)
Falcon (Box Code 33364)
CAP-2 (Captivator) (Box Code 33376)
INT-4 (Interceptor) N/A (Box Code 33376)
Imperial Attack Base (Box Code 33387)
Tautaun N/A (Box Code 33393)
Wampa (Box Code 33394)

Return Of The Jedi Line
MLC-3 (Mobile Laser Cannon) N/A
MTV-7 (Multi-Terrain Vehicle) N/A
PDT-8 (Personnel Deployment Transport) N/A
INT-4 (Interceptor) N/A




X-Wing Fighter L958

Olly, great thread. The black box starry background X-Wing was indeed in the earliest wave of toys but the reason you don't have an L number is that Palitoy didn't pack it with an instruction sheet. They simply added some directions to the sticker sheet.

Perfect Thanks!