The white-hair version of the NY I ♥ Yoda minifig was available as a gift with the purchase of the 9493 X-Wing Starfighter set at the Toys R Us store in Times Square in conjunction with the unveiling of the largest LEGO model ever created in Times Square, the X-wing Starfighter. Only 1,000 of these minifigures were released.
As the price of this minifigure rises, so does the number of fakes on the market. Some unscrupulous people are now selling fake versions of this figure that come in nearly identical sealed plastic bags with a nearly identical printed card to make it nearly indistinguishable from the original. Careful examination of the printing will catch some fakes, but current fakes are much closer to the original. In my view, to provide some indication that the Yoda was bought at the NY Time Square Toys R Us, you should look for figures that come with a Toys R Us receipt (with the correct date, store, and price) or the printed cardstock box sleeve (below) that was placed around the 9493 X-Wing Starfighter box as part of the promotion.
