ACTION MAN
Star Cards by Year
Period: Painted Head
Dates: 1966 until 1969
L51, L100, L110, L17, L30
Action Man Star Card Scheme:
The following Palitoy Action Man Star Cards were a brand loyalty scheme invented by Palitoy for the Action Man line in 1966. Printed Stars (with a capital 'A' in the middle) were given away with boxed figures and key items as an incentive to buy more Action Man goods. Most Palitoy Action Man packaging carried one or more Star 'tokens', either printed on the boxes, or included as a slip of paper - the number printed on packs depended generally on the relative value of the purchase. Therefore the big ticket items had many stars, the low price items as few as one.
The removal of these Stars defaced many vintage boxes (from a collector's viewpoint) and therefore intact boxes carry a premium as a result.
Different 'gifts' were redeemable at different times. The first Star Cards only had the one main 'prize' at 21 Stars of a new undressed Action Man as part of the 'mailway' scheme. From 1968, the famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police 'Mounty' uniform was added at 16 Stars along with a 'Brutus' Guard Dog at 10 Stars. More gifts were added at different levels as the range expanded to it's conclusion in 1983.
Star Cards are of interest as they can add vital clues to dating boxed figures, sometimes more so than the box itself. Also interesting is to see how inflation effected the postage costs during the rampant inflation of the 1970s. The commonist Star Card is L513 which ran for a number of years from c.1973 - 1977
Notes:
It stands to rights that as basic figure boxes carried no Stars on the outside (unlike most other boxes and trays), Star Cards with two 'starter stars' are likely to have originated in these star-less boxes. It's a theory that makes perfect sense and is bourne out by vintage discoveries. Care must be taken to distinguish vintage from the 2006 '40th Anniversary' range's direct copies which all too often have no wording printed on them to differentiate from vintage.
CREDITS: I must thank Scott (forum user name of Flockhead) for doing most of the research work on this subject of Star Cards.
1966
Action Man Star Card - L51 - (1966) front
Two free stars and has Cascelloid address. There is no image of the toy printed on it.
Action Man Star Card - L51 - (1966) back
Two free stars and has Cascelloid address. This one has only an action man offered for 21 stars and a 2/-postal order.
1967
Action Man Star Card - L100 - (1967) front
Cascelloid address changed to Bakelite Xylonite. Includes 2 free stars.
Action Man Star Card - L100 - (1967) back
Cascelloid address changed to Bakelite Xylonite. Includes 2 free stars.
Action Man Star Card - L110 - (1967)
Cascelloid address changed to Bakelite Xylonite. Does not include 2 free stars 
Action Man Star Card - L110 - (1967)
Cascelloid address changed to Bakelite Xylonite. Does not include 2 free stars.
1968
Action Man Star Card - L17 - (1968)
Marked L17 and has BXL address with 2 free stars. Now with step targets of Mountie and Dog offered.
includes 2 free stars.
Unmarked version of this - as L17 only without 2 starter stars.
Action Man Star Card - L17 - (1968)
Marked L17 and has BXL address with 2 free stars.
Includes 2 free stars.
ALSO: Unmarked version of this - as L17 only without 2 starter stars.
1969
Action Man Star Card - L30 - (1969)
Marked with Palitoy incorporated address.
Action Man Star Card - L30 - (1969) back
Marked with Palitoy incorporated address.
Period: Flock Haired
Dates: 1970 until 1977
L57, L84, L257 L347, L513, L514, L574
1970
Action Man Star Card - no number - (1970)
Marked Palitoy Limited.
Action Man Star Card - no number - (1970)
Marked Palitoy Limited.
1971
Action Man Star Card L57 version 1 (1971) decimal currency - also note word FREE!
Action Man Star Card L57 version 1 (1971) decimal currency - also note word FREE
Action Man Star Card L57 version 2 - 'FREE' omitted from front (1971)
Action Man Star Card L57 version 2 - 'FREE' substituted with GIFTS (1971).
1972
Action Man Star Card - New Sentry Box
Assumed 1972 mainly because of inclusion in next star card, and first use of postcode in address:
Action Man Star Card - New Sentry Box (c1972)
Assumed 1972 mainly because of inclusion in next star card, and first use of postcode in address:
1972
Action Man Star Card - L84 - Tie Offer (c1972)
Assumed 1972 mainly because of inclusion in next star card, and first use of postcode in address:
Action Man Star Card - Tie Offer (c1972)
Assumed 1972 mainly because of inclusion in next star card, and first use of postcode in address:
1973
Action Man Star Card - L259 - (1973) front
With 2 stars.
Action Man Star Card - L259 - (1973) back
With 2 stars.
1973
Action Man Star Card - L347 - (1973) front
Version with no stars.
Action Man Star Card - L347 - (1973) back
Version with no stars.
1974 - 1977
Action Man Star Card - L513 - (c1974-77) front
With 2 Stars. Pricing consistent with Equipment Manuals of 1974 - 1977.
Note: There is a version of this Star Card where the price of a figure goes up to 20p, 15p for Mountie etc.)
Still marked L513. This exists as a 2006 reprint.
Action Man Star Card - L513 (c1974-77) back
With 2 Stars. Pricing consistent with Equipment Manuals of 1974 - 1977.
Note: There is a version of this Star Card where the price of a figure goes up to 20p, 15p for Mountie etc.)
Still marked L513. This exists as a 2006 reprint.
Action Man Star Card - L514 - (c1974-77) front
Without Stars. Pricing consistent with Equipment Manuals of 1974 - 1977.
Note: There is a version of this Star Card where the price of a figure goes up to 20p, 15p for Mountie etc.)
Still marked L514
Action Man Star Card - L514 (c1974-77) back
Without Stars. Pricing consistent with Equipment Manuals of 1974 - 1977.
Note: There is a version of this Star Card where the price of a figure goes up to 20p, 15p for Mountie etc.)
Still marked L514
Period: Eagle Eyes
Dates: 1977 until 1983/84
L160, L774, L920, L921, L1337
1977
Action Man Star Card - Star Scme News - L574 -(c1977)
1978
Action Man Star Card - L160 - (1978) front
New design. Tool kit (no longer on separate card) added along with belt, adventure stories and name plate.
Two Stars.
Action Man Star Card - L160 - (1978) back
New design. Tool kit (no longer on separate card) added along with belt, adventure stories and name plate.
1979 - 1980
Action Man Star Card - L744 - (1979) front
Outfit and mystery accessories added to offer but belt, adventure stories and Mountie outfit dropped.
No Stars.
Action Man Star Card - L744 - (1979) back
Outfit and mystery accessories added to offer but belt, adventure stories and Mountie outfit dropped.
1981 - 1982
Action Man Star Card - L920 - (c1981) front
Bigger list of gifts including a special operations tent and turbocopter.
2 Stars.
Action Man Star Card - L920 - (c1981) back
Bigger list of gifts including a special operations tent and turbocopter.
2 Stars.
Action Man Star Card - L921 - (c1981) front
Bigger list of gifts including a special operations tent and turbocopter.
No Stars.
Action Man Star Card - L921 - (c1981) back
Bigger list of gifts including a special operations tent and turbocopter.
No Stars.
1983 - 84
Action Man Star Card - L1337 - (c1983) front
New chevron style branding in line with boxes and lucky draw number
No Stars.
Action Man Star Card - L1337 - (c1983) back
New chevron style branding in line with boxes and lucky draw
2 Stars.
