Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica
1978 – 1979 (Mattel)

When Star Wars hit the theaters in the summer of 1977, every studio in Hollywood began scrambling to find the next big Sci-Fi hit to get their share of the pie. Universal Studios’ candidate was Battlestar Galactica, which was aired its two hour pilot on September 17, 1978, then later as a theatrical release in the U.S and Canada. The ensuing television series would run 24 episodes from 1978 to 1979, with brief spin-off series called Galactica 1980. Mattel was quick to jump on the Battlestar Galactica bandwagon with a line of action figures and toys released from 1978 to 1979. The toy line saw moderate success and has gained somewhat of a cult following over the years with many of these items remaining in high demand.

For more information about Mattel’s Battlestar Galactica line, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.

Battlestar Galactica (1978): Wave 1

The first line of Battlestar Galactica action figures by Mattel included six different characters, with Commander Adama, Cylon Centurion, Imperious Leader, Lt. Starbuck, Ovion, and two different versions of Daggit . These figures were the same 3.75″ as their Star Wars counterparts but with less articulation.

Commander Adama

Market Value:
Carded $90 – $140
Loose $30 – $45

Commander Adama
Accessories: Colonial Blaster, Cloth Cape
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: Commander Adama was portrayed by Lorne Greene on the series, and was the commanding officer of the Galactica. The figure featured the classic version of Adama in his command uniform and cape. The likeness of the figure was not very good, and the paint used for the facial features tended to fade over years. A small colonial blaster was also included.

Cylon Centurian

Market Value:
Carded $150 – $250
Loose $40 – $60

Cylon Centurian
Accessories: Cylon Laser Rifle
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Can be challenging to find
Notes: The Cylon Centurian figure was produced in a silver chrome color, with the classic version of the dreaded Cylons. They were foot soldiers and pilots for the Cylon Empire. Despite similarities to Star Wars’ Stormtroopers, the Cylons held their own as iconic characters. The figure included a Cylon laser rifle, and probably captured the best likeness from this wave.

Daggit (Brown)

Market Value:
Carded $100 – $150
Loose $30 – $45

Daggit (Tan)

Market Value:
Carded $100 – $150
Loose $30 – $45

Daggit
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Can be challenging to find
Notes: Daggits are canine like animals used as domestic pets. It is said that no Daggits survived the Cylon war, so robotic versions were created by scientists. In the series, Boxey loses his Daggit, Muffit, so a robotic version was built. Daggit was actually released in two different colors, brown and tan with both having about the same value.

Imperious Leader

Market Value:
Carded $50 – $75
Loose $15 – $25

Imperious Leader
Accessories: Cloth Cloak
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: Imperious Leader was the supreme authority of the Cylon Empire and was prominently featured in the original movie. What many people don’t realize though, is that Imperious Leader is indeed a Cylon, but one designed for politics and such. The figure included a red cloth cloak.

Lt. Starbuck

Market Value:
Carded $90 – $140
Loose $30 – $45

Lt. Starbuck
Accessories: Colonial Blaster, Cloth Cape
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: Lieutenant Starbuck was the fan favorite Colonial Viper pilot portrayed by Dirk Benedict on the series. The figure featured the classic version of Starbuck in his flight uniform and cape. The likeness of the figure was not very good, and the paint used for the facial features tended to fade over years. A small colonial blaster was also included.

Ovion

Market Value:
Carded $60 – $85
Loose $15 – $25

Ovion
Accessories: Yellow Lace Cloak
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: The Ovions were a race of insect like creatures that were conquered by the Cylon Empire and taken over. They had four arms and big bulging eyes. The likeness of the figure actually was pretty good for the size and scale, with a good paint job. It included a yellow lace cloak that was meant to look like the tattered clothing the Ovions wore.

Series One Card Back

Battlestar Galactica (1979): Wave 2

The second (and final) line of Battlestar Galactica action figures by Mattel included four more characters, with Baltar, Boray, Cylon Commander, and Lucifer. This late release wave remains much more difficult to find on the secondary market than the previous wave.

Baltar

Market Value:
Carded $400 – $550
Loose $70 – $95

Baltar
Accessories: Laser Blaster
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Baltar was a member of the ruling body of the Colonies. He was portrayed by John Colicos in the movie and series. Baltar eventually betrays the colonies and helps the Cylons during their bloody war. He is then sentenced to death, but is spared by the new Imperious Leader. The figure suffers from the same paint flaws as the other human characters from the line.

Boray

Market Value:
Carded $300 – $400
Loose $45 – $70

Boray
Accessories: Club
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Borays are boar-like creatures that come from the planet Sectar. The Borays prey upon the colonists of their planet, and raid their crops during full moons, rather than doing it themselves. They appeared in the episode “The Magnificent Warriors” and were never seen from again. Boray remains among the harder to find figures from the line.

Cylon Commander

Market Value:
Carded $600 – $850
Loose $50 – $80

Cylon Commander
Accessories: Cylon Laser Rifle
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Cylon Commander figure was essentially the same as the Centurian version, but was painted in a toned gold color. They acted as the military commanders for the Cylons and their empire. Despite similarities to Star Wars’ Stormtroopers, the Cylons held their own as iconic characters. The figure included a Cylon laser rifle.

Lucifer

Market Value:
Carded $400 – $550
Loose $55 – $80

Lucifer
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Lucifer is the assistant to Count Baltar, assigned by the Cylon Imperious Leader. The character was famously voiced by Jonathan Harris from the classic Lost in Space series. The figure measured measured 5″ tall with poseable arms, and no accessories. Lucifer remains among the hardest to find figures from the line.

Series Two Card Back

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): Exclusive Figures

Mattel did not release any new exclusive figures, but did release a series of three-packs that were sold by J.C Penny’s through their catalog service. Every figure was featured in the exclusive three-packs except for Boray from Series 2. This is probably due to a simple case of the math just not working out.

Adama, Starbuck, Daggit 3-Pack
J.C Penney Exclusive

Market Value:
Boxed $700 – $900
Loose $90 – $140

Ovion, Cylon, Imperious 3-Pack
J.C Penney Exclusive

Market Value:
Boxed $700 – $900
Loose $90 – $140

Cylon, Lucifer, Baltar 3-Pack
J.C Penney Exclusive

Market Value:
Boxed $1,000 – $1,500
Loose $160 – $260

Action Figure Three-Packs (J.C Penney Exclusive)
Accessories: All figures included their attached weapons from the carded series
Years Released: 1978, 1979
Scarcity Factor: These sets can be rare and difficult to find on the secondary market
Notes: These J.C Penney three-packs were exclusive the retailer catalog. Every figure from the line was featured in the exclusive three-packs except for Boray from Series 2. This is probably due to a simple case of the math just not working out. All three of these packs are incredibly tough to find still in packaging, but the Series two box with Baltar, Lucifer and Cylon Commander remains the hardest to find.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): Multipacks

In addition to the J.C Penny’s catalog exclusive three-packs, Mattel also released two other multipacks or gift sets containing different combinations of Wave one figures. A Four Figure Pack and a Six Figure Pack were both released to try and clear up warehouse space and sell more figures towards the end of the line’s run.

Four Figure Pack (Front)

Four Figure Pack (Back)

Market Value:
Boxed $400 – $600
Loose $100 – $150

Four Figure Pack (Ovion, Cylon Centurian, Imperious Leader, Daggit)
Accessories: All figures included their attached weapons from the carded series
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Hard to find on the secondary market
Notes: This Four Figure Pack was advertised as a gift pack sold during the holidays on 1978 to sell more figures and move inventory towards the end of the line’s run. The set contained four figures from Series One, Ovion, Cylon Centurian, Imperious Leader, and Daggit. The gift pack was not an exclusive to any retail outlet, but was still difficult to find at the time, meaning it’s REALLY difficult to find nowadays.

Six Figure Pack (Front)

Six Figure Pack (Back)

Market Value:
Boxed $1,250 – $1,750
Loose $150 – $250

Six Figure Pack (Ovion, Imperious Leader, Cylon Centurian, Daggit, Adama, Starbuck)
Accessories: All figures included their attached weapons from the carded series
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare and difficult to find on the secondary market
Notes: This Six Figure Pack was advertised as a gift pack sold during the holidays on 1978 to sell more figures and move inventory towards the end of the line’s run. The set contained four figures from Series One, Ovion, Imperious Leader, Cylon Centurian, Daggit, Commander Adama and Lt. Starbuck. The gift pack was not an exclusive to any retail outlet, but was still difficult to find at the time, meaning it’s REALLY difficult to find nowadays.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): Accessories

In addition to the action figures and vehicles, Mattel also released several accessories not for use with the figures themselves. Among those items were the Lasermatic Pistol, Radio Control Cylon Raider, Viper Launch Station, Handheld Space Alert Game and a plush Talking Daggit.

Daggit (Talking)

Market Value:
With Tags $175 – $250
Without $60 – $85

Daggit (Talking)
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on secondary market
Notes: The Daggit, Muffit, was among the coolest things introduced from Battlestar Galactica. The Talking Daggit Plush had a pull string on the front of his collar that triggered real sounds from the series, such as barking, whining and other playful noises. Plush Daggit measures 14″ long and 9″ tall.

Lasermatic Pistol

Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $45 – $65

Lasermatic Pistol
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Lasermatic Pistol from Mattel was made to look like the ones used by the Colonial Warriors. It featured three sounds and settings, including Semi-Automatic, Full Laser and Rapid Fire. There was also a Pulsating Laser Flash on the barrel that would light up when being shot.

Radio Control Cylon Raider

Market Value:
Boxed $225 – $325
Loose $75 – $100

Radio Control Cylon Raider
Accessories: Transmitter Control
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Cylon Raider was certainly distinguishable and unique, as well as being the coolest ship from the series. The radio control Raider featured a steering wheel on the transmitter that controlled movement, left, right or straight ahead. The range on the transmitter was about 30 feet indoors and 50 feet outdoors.

Space Alert (Hand Held Game)

Market Value:
Boxed $200 – $300
Loose $45 – $70

Space Alert (Hand Held Game)
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Space Alert was a hand-held game by Mattel released in 1979. In the game, you defend the Galactica against the computer controlled Cylon Raider attack. If the Cylons got through, the game was over and Taps played. The game featured some neat sound effects and was actually a lot of fun, maybe even addictive back in the day.

Viper Launch Station

Market Value:
Boxed $220 – $320
Loose $50 – $75

Viper Launch Station
Accessories: Vipers x 2, Cylon Raider Targets x 2
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Viper Launch Station was fairly simple, but very fun. It launched two fighters at the squeeze of a trigger. A fast squeeze launched both fighters together, while a slow squeeze did one at a time. The Vipers were made of a lightweight “Tuflite” rubber material. Two Cylon Raider knockdown targets were also included, as well as six rubber bands for the launching.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): Playsets

Mattel did not release any scaled playsets for their Battlestar Galactica action figure line.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): Vehicles

Mattel released five different ships for part of their Battlestar Galactica line. The ships were not scaled with the figures, but still had some pretty nifty features like firing missiles and movable parts. The firing missile feature was later changed to a locked missile without the spring loaded action due to a child fatality as a result of swallowing one the small red missiles.

Any discussion about Mattel’s Battlestar Galactica vehicle line would be incomplete without mention of the horrific events that unfolded in late 1978 that caused the missile design on the ships to be changed. On December 8, 1978 Mattel’s troubles with their Battlestar Galactica vehicles came to a head when the Consumer Products Safety Commission announced there had been three formal reports of children inhaling or swallowing the toy missiles. Although the toys passed safety regulations of the time, Mattel agreed to place warning stickers on their inventories.

Unfortunately, a short while later on December 25, 1978, 4 year old Robert Jeffrey Warren from Atlanta, GA was playing with a Cylon Raider ship when the missile accidentally discharged into his mouth and got stuck in his throat. Almost a week later, on December 31, 1978 little Robert died from injuries caused by the tiny red missile.

Shortly afterwards, on January 11, 1979, the Consumer Products Safety Commission announced that Mattel was instituting a missile recall program where parents could mail the missiles back to Mattel in exchange for a random Hot Wheels car. At that time, Mattel also redesigned the ships so that they would no longer fire the missiles. Basically the spring mechanism was removed and the missiles were locked into place. As a result of all of this, there are a few varied types of boxed versions out there, with firing and non-firing ships displaying different stickers.

Colonial Scarab

Market Value:
Boxed Firing $110 – $160
Loose Firing $40 – $65

Boxed Non-Firing $100 – $150
Loose Non-Firing $35 – $55

Colonial Scarab
Accessories: Colonial Pilot, Red Missiles x 3
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Both versions are Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Colonial Scarab was an original vehicle that had not been actually seen in the series. The Scarab maintained its Colonial color theme which was in line with the Colonial Viper. It comes with three main parts; command module, drive section and rocket launcher. There was a removable miniature Colonial Pilot, along with three red missiles for the Firing version. The non-firing version had the missiles locked in place.

Colonial Stellar Probe

Market Value:
Boxed Firing $110 – $160
Loose Firing $40 – $65

Boxed Non-Firing $100 – $150
Loose Non-Firing $35 – $55

Colonial Stellar Probe
Accessories: Colonial Pilot, Red Missiles x 3, Satellite
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Both versions are Moderately easy to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Colonial Stellar Probe was an original vehicle that had not been actually seen in the series. The Probe maintained its Colonial color theme which was in line with the Colonial Viper. It can be changed into three main parts; Missile, Satellite and Viper. There was a removable miniature Colonial Pilot, along with three red missiles for the Firing version. The non-firing version had the missiles locked in place.

Colonial Viper

Market Value:
Boxed Firing $250 – $400
Loose Firing $90 – $120

Boxed Non-Firing $150 – $250
Loose Non-Firing $50 – $75

Colonial Viper
Accessories: Colonial Pilot, Red Missiles x 2
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Both versions can be a bit tough to find, with the firing version being harder to find
Notes: There are certainly similarities from the Colonial Viper to Star Wars’ X-Wing Fighter, but the Viper definitely holds its own as a unique ship from Battlestar Galactica. The wings on the Viper could move up and down, along with having an opening cockpit hatch. The ship had a removable miniature Colonial Pilot, along with three red missiles for the Firing version. The non-firing version had the missiles locked in place.

Colonial Viper w/ Starbuck

Market Value:
Boxed Non-Firing $600 – $900
Loose Non-Firing $75 – $115

Colonial Viper W/ Starbuck
Accessories: Colonial Pilot, Red Missiles x 2, Lt. Starbuck Figure
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: This version with Starbuck is rare and does not come up very often
Notes: This unique Colonial Viper release came out towards to the end of Mattel’s Battlestar Galactica run and included a Starbuck figure to help sell it. Otherwise, the ship was the same as the standard release. The ship had a removable miniature Colonial Pilot, but this ship was only made available as the non-firing version, with the missiles locked in place.

Cylon Raider

Market Value:
Boxed Firing $250 – $400
Loose Firing $90 – $120

Boxed Non-Firing $150 – $250
Loose Non-Firing $50 – $75

Cylon Raider
Accessories: Cylon Pilot, Missiles x 2
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Both versions can be a bit tough to find, with the firing version being harder to find
Notes: The Cylon Raider was distinguishable by its unique shape and markings. It was certainly a unique design for the series. The ship had extendable wings that would expose the dual missile launchers for attack position. The Raider also had an an opening cockpit with a removable Cylon pilot, along with two red missiles for the firing version. The non-firing version had the missiles locked in place.

Cylon Raider w/ Cylon Centurian

Market Value:
Boxed Non-Firing $600 – $900
Loose Non-Firing $90 – $130

Cylon Raider w/ Cylon Centurian
Accessories: Cylon Pilot, Missiles x 2, Cylon Centurian Figure
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: This version with the Cylon is rare and does not come up very often
Notes: This unique Cylon Raider release came out towards to the end of Mattel’s Battlestar Galactica run and included a Cylon Centurian figure to help sell it. Otherwise, the ship was the same as the standard release. The ship had a removable miniature Cylon Pilot, but this ship was only made available as the non-firing version, with the missiles locked in place.

Colonial Landram

Market Value:
Boxed Non-Firing $2,500 – $5,000
Loose Non-Firing $700 – $1,000

Colonial Landram
Accessories: Colonial Pilot, Red Missiles x 2 are locked in place
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare, and will cost big bucks if you find one
Notes: The final and rarest vehicle to be released by Mattel for their Battlestar Galactica line was the Colonial Landram. The Landram was seen in a few episodes of the show and essentially acted as a surface shuttlecraft. This vehicle was among the final items released for the line, and as a result, only released in Canada due to limited interest in the line at the time. The two red missiles on top only came in a non-firing version, as this was after the child fatality. The Landram included one removable Colonial pilot, and had opening vehicle doors.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): 12 Inch Figures

In addition to the 3.75 inch figures, Mattel also released a small series of two different 12 inch figures as well. The two figures were a Cylon Centurian and a generic Colonial Warrior.

Colonial Warrior

Market Value:
Boxed $90 – $130
Loose $25 – $40

Colonial Warrior
Accessories: Cloth Coat, Laser Tube
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on secondary market
Notes: The Colonial Warrior figure was not modeled after any particular character from the series, but rather re-casted from a Captain Laser figure from Mattel’s Mat Mason line in 1968. The figure had a cloth coat, along with a large backpack molded onto his back. When you push the button on the backpack, the laser on his hand would shine yellow. The figure stood 11.5″ tall.

Cylon Centurian

Market Value:
Boxed $150 – $250
Loose $50 – $75

Cylon Centurian
Accessories: Removable Chest Armor, Laser Tube
Years Released: 1978
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find on secondary market
Notes: The 12.5″ Cylon Centurian figure had a removable chest armor piece, along with a backpack molded onto his back. When you push the button on the backpack, the laser on his hand would shine red. There was also a button on his chest that would activate his chest light and Cylon eyes. The eyes could move back and forth with a lever on the back of his head.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): Unproduced Items

Mattel had plans top release additional items for their Battlestar Galactica line, but interest in the show simply faded when the series was cancelled towards the end of 1979. There was an Electronic Galactica Command Ship with lights and sounds. The ship also had launching Vipers and opening compartments. An Electronic Cylon Voice Control Helmet was also advertised in Mattel’s sales catalog but never released to retail.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): 12 Inch Figures

Mattel’s line of Battlestar Galactica products included a mix of 3.75 inch action figures and iconic ships featured from the iconic series that aired from 1978-1980. A total of ten figures were released in all, with Cylon Centurian, Lt. Starbuck, Commander Adama, Ovion, Imperious Leader and Daggit from the first wave, and Cylon Commander, Boray, Baltar and Lucifer from the second wave. The ships released were the Colonial Viper, Colonial Scarab, Colonial Stellar Probe, Cylon Raider, and the ultra rare Colonial Landram. The ships were all offered with a firing version and non-firing version, except for the Landram which was a late response. Two 12 inch figures also saw a release, as well as several small non figure related accessories.

The packaging for Mattel’s line of Battlestar Galactica figures was definitely fun and eye catching. It was done in a classic blue sci-fi style, with the Galactica ship on the top left of the package. The classic Battlestar Galactica logo ran across the top of the cards, with the character’s name directly underneath the logo. The carded figures featured a large beautifully illustrated portrait of each character to the right of the card. The boxed vehicles were the same basic design as the cards, but with a beautifully illustrated portrait of the vehicle across the center of the box. Mattel’s Battlestar Galactica line was not among the most popular or well designed lines of that era, but it’s a line that is fondly remembered by collectors nowadays with a strong secondary market presence. .

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979): 12 Inch Figures

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