Prototype of A Never-Produced Indiana Jones Figure May Be One of Only Two in Existence

Although it’s one of the most iconic and well-loved franchises in film history, Indiana Jones has a surprisingly complicated history with merchandise. Raiders of the Lost Ark received a deluge of tie-in merchandise ranging from comics to trading cards to an extensive Kenner action figure range. Yet when Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom came to theaters in 1984, its presence on store shelves was surprisingly minimal: a meager three-character action figure line from LJN Toys came and went from shelves that summer, underordered by retailers and ignored by fans. 

As any collector can tell you, this is always a recipe for a holy grail item. With the franchise retaining a dedicated fandom into the present, these Temple of Doom figures are among the most coveted Indiana Jones collectibles. This week, one eBay lot gives a dedicated Indiana Jones fan the chance to create an instant collection of the prototypes for three of the rarest Indiana Jones toys ever produced – and a fourth that wasn’t. The lot contains a prototype of the never-made Willie Scott action figure, only the second known to exist. 

Why LJN’s Indiana Jones Figures Became So Rare

Produced in 1981, Kenner’s extensive “Adventures of Indiana Jones” toyline featured elaborate, newly-sculpted figures, vehicles, and playsets based on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Overestimated by Kenner and by retailers, who both hoped for another Star Wars merchandising bonanza, the line was an expensive flop, with discounted remnants of the line hanging on pegs even as sequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom hit theaters in 1984. 

Kenner’s licensing agreement with Paramount covered not only Raiders of the Lost Ark, but any Indiana Jones sequels produced. Despite this, they opted not to create any tie-in line for Temple of Doom, forfeiting the license, which was instead scooped up by LJN Toys (responsible that same year for the ill-fated tie-in toyline for David Lynch’s Dune). Still trying to sell off leftover German Mechanics and Tohts from Kenner’s earlier line, retailers underordered LJN’s first (and only) wave of Temple of Doom figures. This helped seal the fate of the figures intended for the second wave, consisting of Willie and Short Round, which had already made as far as the prototype stage.

How Fans Discovered The Unproduced Figures

Like something Indy himself might uncover on an adventure, the cardbacks for the first wave contain a tantalizing clue about this collector’s holy grail. Willie and Short Round are both advertised along with the produced figures, leading to rampant speculation for decades as to whether either figure saw production. While no authentic, carded samples have ever been found, prototypes for Willie and Short Round emerged on eBay in 2021, each selling for thousands of dollars. Photographs exist of a prototype for a variant Indiana Jones packaged with a replica mine cart vehicle, but no sample of the “MIne Cart Indy” prototype has ever come to market. 

Willie last sold for $1,420 in a Hakes’ auction earlier this year, sold individually alongside two Short Rounds and the almost-as-rare complete with accessories prototypes for Mola Ram and the “Giant Thugee.” What makes the sample on eBay unique is that is being sold alongside prototypes for Mola Ram, the Giant Thugee, and Indiana Jones himself – the first time on records all four figures have been offered together at auction. While the $13k asking price is indisputably steep, a collector might never again have the chance to own all four of these figures at once. 

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Indiana Jones’ Only Original Short Round Figure Is Finally For Sale, 40 Years After LJN Canceled It