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Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979 – 1980
Mego launched their Buck Rogers in the 25th Century toy line in 1979, based on the movie and television show from the same year. The line included a primary 3.75 inch series, along with a 12 Inch series as well. The 3.75″ series featured nine figures, five vehicles and the Star Fighter Command Center. The 12″ series included all of the 3.75″ characters, minus Ardella and Wilma Deering. This was a popular line for Mego, and sold well before coming to an end in 1980.
For more information about Mego’s Buck Rogers in the 25th Century line, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.
Buck Rogers (1979-1980): 3.75 Inch Basic Figures
Mego released nine figures in total for their 3.75 Inch series of action figures for the Buck Rogers line from 1979-1980.
Ardella
Market Value:
Carded $50 – $70
Loose $10 – $20
Ardella
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find
Notes: Princess Ardala was portrayed by Pamela Hensley in the Buck Rogers movie and television show. Mego dropped the ball on this one, as they misspelled her name on the packaging. The character’s actual name is Ardala but Mego changed it to Ardella for whatever reason.
Buck Rogers
Market Value:
Carded $125 – $175
Loose $35 – $50
Buck Rogers
Accessories: Laser Pistol
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: The Star of the show was famously portrayed by Gil Gerard in the movie and television show. Great articulation on this figure, but the likeness leaves to be desired. Buck comes with his trusty laser pistol and fits perfectly into the cockpit of the Star Fighter.
Dr. Huer
Market Value:
Carded $50 – $70
Loose $15 – $25
Dr. Huer
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can be found but getting tougher
Notes: Dr. Huer was portrayed by Tim O’Connor in the Buck Rogers movie and and acted as the human leader. The likeness on the figure was not terrible, but unfortunately it suffered from the paint fading that most Mego 3.75 Inch figures suffered during this time.
Draco
Market Value:
Carded $40 – $60
Loose $10 – $20
Draco
Accessories: Cape
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find
Notes: Draco was portrayed by Joseph Wiseman in the Buck Rogers movie and was the Draconian Emperor. The likeness on the figure was not terrible, but does suffer from paint fading that most Mego 3.75 Inch figures also had. Fun Fact: Draco was only seen in the movie and never appeared in the television show.
Draconian Guard
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Draconian Guard
Accessories: Laser Pistol
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can be found but getting tougher
Notes: The Draconian Guard was the generic soldier of the Draconian Empire. He comes with a laser pistol and his helmet is non-removable. The figure unfortunately suffers from the paint fading that most Mego 3.75 Inch figures suffered during this time.
Killer Kane
Market Value:
Carded $40 – $60
Loose $10 – $20
Killer Kane
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find
Notes: Kane was portrayed by Henry Silva in the Buck Rogers movie and was Draco’s right hand man. The likeness on the figure was not terrible, but does suffer from paint fading that most Mego 3.75 Inch figures also had. Fun Fact: The actor playing Kane from the movie changed for his television show appearance for some reason.
Tiger Man
Market Value:
Carded $60 – $80
Loose $15 – $25
Tiger Man
Accessories: Laser Pistol
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Can be found but getting tougher
Notes: Tiger Man was portrayed by Duke Butler in the Buck Rogers movie and was a Draconian bodyguard. This was a cool figure to own and the likeness was pretty decent. Tiger Man also pops up in a couple of television episodes as well with Ardella.
Twiki
Market Value:
Carded $185 – $235
Loose $45 – $65
Twiki
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: Twiki was the robot sidekick character in the Buck Rogers movie and television show, portrayed by Felix Silla. Twiki’s voice however, was done by Looney Tunes legend, Mel Blanc. This was a must have figure for Buck Rogers fans back in the day and still coveted by collectors nowadays.
Wilma Deering
Market Value:
Carded $185 – $235
Loose $50 – $70
Wilma Deering
Accessories: Laser Pistol
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: Wilma Deering was portrayed by Erin Gray in the Buck Rogers movie and television show. The likeness on the figure isn’t the best, but honestly, how do you even make an action figure as beautiful as Erin Gray in real life! This is the rarest of the Buck Rogers figures, due to limited production and scarce availability.
Buck Rogers (1979-1980): 3.75 Inch Playsets
Mego released only one playset for their 3.75 Inch Buck Rogers 3.75 Inch action figure series with the Star Fighter Command Center playset. A Draconian Fortress playset (that was identical to the Star Trek Mission to Gamma VI playset) was proposed, but never made it to production.
Star Fighter Command Center
Market Value:
Boxed $500 – $750
Loose $100 – $150
Star Fighter Command Center
Accessories: Two Floor Plastic Command Center Playset, Radar Screens, Control Console, Crew Chairs, Railing, Cardboard Landing Pad
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare and doesn’t come up for sale very often on the secondary market
Notes: This Star Fighter Command Center Playset was the only playset released for the 3.75 Inch line, and it was made up of vacuum-formed plastic. This made the set very flimsy and subject to tearing. All computer consoles and chairs were made of the same flimsy plastic material, so you can understand that a complete boxed version of this particular set is very hard to find on the secondary market, and will command top dollar due to very limited production numbers.
Buck Rogers (1979-1980): 3.75 Inch Vehicles / Accessories
Mego released five vehicles for the Buck Rogers 3.75 Inch line. A series of additional vehicles were proposed, which would be re-brands of various Micronauts vehicles, but the Star Searcher was the only one that made it to market.
Draconian Marauder
Market Value:
Boxed $300 – $400
Loose $100 – $150
Draconian Marauder
Accessories: Retractable Front & Rear Landing Gear, Cockpit, Decals
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Draconian Marauder is a very cool looking ship, and it gave the Star Fighter an enemy ship to fight with, kind of like the Tie Fighter to the X-Wings from Star Wars. It featured a laser action sound that was activated by a small button. It also had retractable landing gear on the front and back of the ship with a wicked looking cockpit and decals.
Land Rover
Market Value:
Boxed $450 – $600
Loose $125 – $175
Land Rover
Accessories: Cockpit, Moving Treads, Laser Cannon, Sound Feature, Decals
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Unlike the Laserscope Fighter, The Land Rover actually did appear in the movie and had a cameo in one of the television episodes as well. Not to mention, this is the only land vehicle, which was sorely needed by the Buck Rogers toy line. The Land Rover had a sound feature that would allow you to hear the laser cannon shoot, as well rolling treads to go on the ground.
Laserscope Fighter
Market Value:
Boxed $200 – $300
Loose $75 – $115
Laserscope Fighter
Accessories: Ship, View Screen, Cockpit, Wing Handles, Sound Feature, Decals
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Ah yes, the Laserscope Fighter. This was a valiant attempt by Mego to create something different for fans, which is evident by the fact this never appeared in the movie or television series. The concept was that a figure would lay in the cockpit and line up a shot on an enemy ship with the special “Laserscope”. This one is the most common of the Buck Rogers ships but it’s still not easy to find.
Star Fighter
Market Value:
Boxed $400 – $550
Loose $120 – $170
Star Fighter
Accessories: Retractable Landing Gear, Cockpit, Front Cones, Rear Cone Rockets, Rear Stabilizers, Decals
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The coolest and most desired vehicle or item from the Buck Rogers toy line has to be the Star Fighter ship. This was the main fighting craft for Buck and Wilma to zoom around and instantly became a fan favorite. It should be noted that the front and rear grey cones tend to become missing on loose versions, and boxed versions are now highly desired by collectors.
Star Searcher
Market Value:
Boxed $600 – $750
Loose $150 – $200
Star Searcher
Accessories: Two Intergalactic Attack Vehicles with Ski Pod Landing Gear, One Intergalactic Attack Vehicle with Removable Canopy, 3 x Attack Space Crafts, Twin Firing Large Size Soft Tip Missiles, Transporter, Rotating Grapplers
Years Released: 1980
Scarcity Factor: This item is rare and doesn’t come up for sale very often on the secondary market
Notes: The Star Searcher is a curious addition to the Buck Rogers toy line. Apparently, Mego had planed a series of additional proposed vehicles that were going to be re-brands of various Micronauts vehicles, but the Star Searcher was the only one that made it to market. This was basically a re-packaged Star Defender vehicle set with the traditional Micronauts multiple vehicles in one format. As far as collecting purposes go, this is a very difficult piece to track down, especially in the box, and can command top dollar on the secondary market.
Buck Rogers (1979-1980): 12 Inch Basic Figures
In addition to the nine 3.75 Inch figures, Mego also released seven different figures in their 12 Inch format for the Buck Rogers line from 1979-1980. Sadly, we did not get a 12 Inch version of Wilma Deering or Princess Ardala.
Buck Rogers
Market Value:
Boxed $85 – $125
Loose $40 – $55
Buck Rogers
Accessories: Cloth Shirt, Pants, Arm Band, Boots, Belt, Laser Blaster
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find
Notes: The Star of the show was famously portrayed by Gil Gerard in the movie and television show. Like the other 12 inch figures, the head sculpt on Buck was pretty amazing looking. One down side though is that Buck usually suffers from gray face due to the chemicals used on the figure.
Dr. Huer
Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $150
Loose $50 – $65
Dr. Huer
Accessories: Cloth Tunic, Pants, Arm Band, Sash, Boots
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: Dr. Huer was portrayed by Tim O’Connor in the Buck Rogers movie and and acted as the human leader. Like the other 12 inch figures, the likeness on Dr. Huer was pretty amazing looking. Mego really knocked it out of the park with this line.
Draco
Market Value:
Boxed $75 – $115
Loose $20 – $30
Draco
Accessories: Cloth Jumpsuit, Robe, Sash, Shoes, Crown
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find
Notes: Draco was portrayed by Joseph Wiseman in the Buck Rogers movie and was the Draconian Emperor. The sculpt is beautiful, but it was a lot of work for a character who was never actually seen again in the popular television series.
Draconian Guard
Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $150
Loose $50 – $65
Draconian Guard
Accessories: Cloth Tunic, Pants, Vest, Blaster, Boots
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: Not really based on any specific character, the Draconian Guard was the generic soldier of the Draconian Empire. Like the other 12 inch figures, the sculpt was pretty amazing looking. The Draconian Guard 12″ figure can be a little tough to find on the secondary market.
Killer Kane
Market Value:
Boxed $75 – $115
Loose $20 – $30
Killer Kane
Accessories: Cloth Shirt, Pants, Belt, Boots
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Moderately easy to find
Notes: Kane was portrayed by Henry Silva in the Buck Rogers movie and was Draco’s right hand man. Like the other 12 inch figures, the likeness on Killer Kane was pretty amazing looking. Mego really knocked it out of the park with this line.
Tiger Man
Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $300
Loose $75 – $100
Tiger Man
Accessories: Vest, Pants, Boots, Arm Bands, Sword
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: Tiger Man was portrayed by Duke Butler in the Buck Rogers movie and was a Draconian bodyguard. Like the other 12 inch figures, the likeness on Tiger Man was pretty amazing looking. Tiger Man is the toughest to find of the 12″ Buck Rogers figures.
Walking Twiki
Market Value:
Boxed $225 – $275
Loose $75 – $100
Walking Twiki
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1979, 1980
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Twiki was the robot sidekick character in the Buck Rogers movie and television show, portrayed by Felix Silla. Twiki’s voice however, was done by Bugs Bunny legend, Mel Blanc. The 12″ version of him had a unique feature that allowed him to walk when he was wound up. As he walked along, his head would also move back and forth. This was a really neat figure to have back in the day and another great addition to the Buck Rogers line. Nowadays, this is a very difficult figure to find in box, and is coveted by collectors.
Buck Rogers (1979-1980): 12 Inch Playsets
Mego did not release any playsets for their 12 Inch Buck Rogers action figure series.
Buck Rogers (1979-1980): 12 Inch Vehicles / Accessories
Mego did not release any vehicles or accessories for their 12 Inch Buck Rogers action figure series.
By 1979, Star Wars had taken the toy industry by storm and all the other toy companies across the globe were just trying to catch up by finding the next big thing. Mego toys had famously passed up the opportunity to make toys based on the Star Wars movie, so they were desperate to find their own powerhouse science fiction franchise. After already snatching up licensing deals with Logan’s Run, Space 1999, Disney’s The Black Hole and Star Trek the Motion Picture, Mego now signed a license to produce toys based on the new Buck Rogers in the 25th Century movie and television show, which was released in 1979. Of course, Buck Rogers had been around since 1928, but this was a new take on the classic hero. The Buck Rogers movie was released in March of 1979 and turned out to be fairly successful with a lot of buzz around it. Enough so that a television series followed later that year in September of 1979. This also translated over to the merchandising items for the movie as well, with children all over the country wanting anything with Buck Rogers on it. The legend goes that Mego took the license on as a favor to a marketing executive who had done business with Mego in the past. This line sold very well and I’m sure that whatever the reason was, Mego was very happy they ended up with the Buck Rogers toy license.
The Buck Rogers toy line actually featured two different action figure lines with a classic 12 Inch series, along with a new 3.75 Inch series as well. The 3.75 Inch series was the main line and featured nine figures in total. One strange thing about the action figure line was that all the figures were based on the Buck Rogers movie and not the very successful television series. This meant that characters such as Ardala, Kane, and Tiger Man were only recurring characters in the show, and Draco never even appeared again after the movie. The 3.75 inch line included all of the main characters from the movie, Draco, Kane, Tiger Man, Ardella, Draconian Guard, Dr. Huer, Twiki, Wilma Deering and of course the man himself, Buck Rogers. Also released for the 3.75 Inch line was the Star Fighter Command Center and five different vehicles, the Star Fighter, Draconian Marauder, Land Rover, Laserscope Fighter and the elusive Star Searcher. For the 12 Inch line, Mego produced seven characters, including all of the 3.75 inch characters, minus the females, Ardella and Wilma Deering, which was a real shame. Mego’s head sculpts for the 12 inch figures are actually quite nice with a lot of attention to details and likeness, but the 3.75 Inch line suffered the typical paint jobs that other Mego lines endured at the time with a lot of paint fading. The 3.75 inch figures are fairly easy to find on the secondary market but the ships are becoming harder and harder to find in their original box.
The packaging for the 12 Inch and 3.75 Inch lines of Buck Rogers were very similar, and they definitely fit the theme of the line with a great action portrait of Buck and Wilma with all the other character portraits around it. The 3.75 inch was the basic blister pack carded Mego design with the figure inside of a bubble on the right side of the package and the previously described Buck Rogers artwork on the left. The classic Buck Rogers in the 25th Century show logo was across the top of the blister pack. The name of the each character is actually on the bottom left side of the card in small white letters. The 12 inch versions featured the same artwork and portraits on the left, with the figure to the right side of the box. The logo was once again across the top of the packaging. There was a large sized window also on the right side over the figure, where you could see inside. The Buck Rogers action figure packaging was actually very attractive and definitely attention grabbing on the toy shelves.
3.75 Inch Card Back
Mego Catalog Promo
Mego Buck Rogers Ad
12 Inch Package Back
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