The Chronicles of a Star Wars Collector

Star Wars Celebration 4 Purchases - Vol. 1

2007-05-27T03:37:00.001-05:00

I know I have not posted on here for a few months, but C4 is here and the collection has naturally expanded. I will post my C4 acquisitions on here in a series of post. I am linited here in the hotel on taking quality pics. I did my best.

This is one awesome piece. The Art of Ralph McQuarrie. This 11 pound book chronicles the career of the amazing artist Ralph McQuarrie. He has had a large impact on the concept development of Star Wars. This is one of the top items that I am bringing home.

Along with celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars, many things are being done to celebrate the art of Ralph McQuarrie. Hasbro is chiming in by making 12 McQuarrie Concept action figures. Three have been offered at C4. C-3PO and R2-D2 come in a 2-pack, and Luke from one of McQuarrie's most famous concepts.

All I want for Christmas is everything in the catalog.........

2007-01-28T00:15:00.000-06:00

If you were to look through the Star Wars toy section of the JC Penny Christmas catalog of 1979, this is what you would see.

Star Wars Marathon............

2007-01-13T06:54:00.000-06:00

Today is the day I watch all 6 Star Wars movies.

I am keeping a thread going about my marathon over at the Rebel Scum forums. Check it out!

6:52 AM - Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menance
9:13 AM - Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones
11:50 AM - Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
2:30 PM - Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope
4:43 PM - Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
7:07 PM - Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi

It is finished!

Updated pics of my collection.......

2007-01-12T21:23:00.000-06:00

These are updated pictures of my collection. It does not show everything, but it give you a good idea. Click on picture to enlarge.

My George Lucas Stormtrooper Double whammy........

2007-01-09T23:46:00.000-06:00

I have had a mishap with the United States Postal Service. Instead of retelling the story, you can click here and read about it on my post on the Rebelscum Forums.

You Rebel Scum...........

2006-12-23T15:16:00.000-06:00

I have been a regular to visit the Star Wars collecting/fansite RebelScum.com. If you want to keep up on what is going on with Star Wars, RS is one of the site you need to visit. Lately, I have been a regular on the RS forums. I have never been a forum type person. If you want to go beyond eBay in buying Star Wars items, you must look at the RS Forums. The part that has drawn me, is the avenue to buy and sell items to other "Scummers." You can find people on the forum that do not use eBay at all for collecting. They use the connections made available from places like Rebel Scum to deal with other collectors. This is a neat idea. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to discover this avenue.

I have bought and sold items already. Pictured, is my first RS Forum purchase. This is my first carded Chewbacca. I have 3 of his variations loose. All of the items that I have sold have gone to overseas buyers. This has lead me to believe the RS Forums are utilized by the overseas crowd quite a bit.

From a selling stand point, their are no eBay fees. I do not like to nickel and dime my buyer by making them pay extra for all of MY fees. I do not like to pay fees, so it is a plus to cut fees in half if the buys pays with Paypal, of cut them completely if they pay with a check or money order.

I have caught on to some of the discussion boards. I like to frequent the post about vintage collecting. People that know me personally think I know a butt load about SW. I do know a lot, but their is a whole lot that I do not know. I am learning from the guys at the Rebel Scum Forums.

Vintage acquisitions........

2006-12-20T10:36:00.000-06:00

I acquired my C-3PO 12 Back a few weeks ago. That is 2 of 12. Ben Kenobi is my other 12 Back. I also acquired my first Droids and Ewoks MOC figures. I find this short lived line very interesting. They also make a good collecting goal for budget collectors. Twelve Droids figures were produced on American Kenner cards and 6 Ewoks figures on American Kenner cards. Most of the figures can be found at reasonable prices with the prize figure of the collection being the Droids Boba Fett. He can run you quite a bit. Every collection needs a center piece. I acquired the four pictured figures for around $100 total. The Droids figues run a little bit higher than the Ewoks. Other than Boba Fett you can expect to spend a little more on C-3PO, R2-D2, A-Wing Pilot, Sise Fromm, and Tig Fromm. Here is a complete list of Droids and Ewoks Figures on American Kenner Cards:

Droids
- A-Wing Pilot
- Boba Fett
- C-3PO
- Jann Tosh
- Jord Dusat
- Kea Moll
- Kez-Iban
- R2-D2
- Sise Fromm
- Thall Joben
- Tig Fromm
- Uncle Gundy

Ewoks
- Dulok Scout
- Dulok Shaman
- King Gorneesh
- Logray
- Urgah Lady Gorneesh
- Wicket

Source: Star Wars Super Collector's Wishbook by Geoffrey T. Carlton (www.collectorbooks.com)

Entertainment Earth is my friend.......

2006-12-20T09:51:00.000-06:00

I came home to the freshly delivered wave 8 of this years Saga Collection. This could be the best wave for the year. I almost want two of each to have one to open. I have done so with 6 of the 9 figures from the wave. I have nicknamed waves 8 and 9 "Send in the Clones." Wave 8 may contain the the best (Kit Fisto) and the worst (Battle Driods) figures of the year. Conclusions will be made later.

$6 Emperor...................

2006-12-14T23:22:00.000-06:00

I have been keeping an eye on eBay over the past few months. I am probably doing to much buying, but I am doing a lot of looking. I am trying to keep an eye on trends and to know a really good deal when I see one. The other night I jumped on to look something up. I ran across this. He is my "Six Dollar Emperor." I snatched him for just over $6. He is on a 2ROTJ-77A card. Ya, he is roughed up. I could not pass up a vintage figure on the card for $6. I think I am going to make the "Six Dollar Emperor" my collecting mascot or something.

Double Post Tuesday............

2006-09-12T11:29:00.000-05:00

Enjoy two post today. One is about items fresh off the Wal-Mart shelf and the other goes back to 1984.

JC Penny Catalog Set...............

2006-09-12T11:06:00.000-05:00

Let us get back to the vintage era.

Even though this item is not the most rare or value item in my collection, it is unique. I did not even know that people collected sets offered in catalogs until I read John Kellerman's Star Wars Vintage Action Figures. In the book, Kellerman list out all the different catalogs that offered Star Wars figures and in what combinations they came.

I have the Penny's catalog #655-6161 four pack of the original versions of Leia, Luke, Han, and Vader. This set was offered in the 1984 Christmas catalog for JC Penny's. All the figures in these sets came in baggies. The box that I have is in decent shape, not great. All four figures are in great shape still sealed in their original baggies. I came across this on eBay and the seller was open for offers. I had the best offer. These catalog sets in my opinion, are unique and rare items that collectors can come by for an affordable price. I do not see the demand for these being high. Please tell me if I am wrong. I know that I could break this set up and sell each figure individually for more than I paid for the set. That would be dumb, of course. These catalog sets must stay together. You cannot find very many of them.

Original Trilogy DVD..........

2006-09-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

George Lucas has given in to the pressure of Star Wars fans. Ever since the creation of the DVD, fans have screamed for the original trilogy in original version on DVD. Today we have it. Lucasfilm refused the idea for a long time. I think they pulled out the calculator and realized the numbers were to good to pass up. You can go to your local electronics isle and pick up the Star Wars original trilogy on DVD as they were seen in the theatres. Yes, my friends. You can see the version that Han shot first, the Sarlacc pit does not look like an over grown egg plant, and Hayden Christensen does not appear in the glowing blue.

We are in the age of exclusives. If you go to Best Buy you can get a special tin to hold your movies. I am sure Target has some exclusive. Wal-Mart has a copy of the comic version packaged with each individual movie. I like comics. That means I made a trip to Wal-Mart this morning. Their are early reports at Rebel Scum that the version with the comic is varying in price. I got mine for $16.99 each. That is a great price for two versions of the movie (yes, the original version and special edition are both included) and a trade paperback comic of the movie. Normally a trade paperback comic would run at least $10.
Wal-Mart had three figure sets to go along with the DVD's. For Star Wars figures these are a deal. $9.96 for each figure pack. The A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back figure packs come with three figures and the Return of the Jedi pack come with four. Per figure this is a great deal. The current Wal-Mart price for an individual packaged figure is $6.63. All of these figures are repacks. That is ok with me if they are going to be this cheap. These figure packs are limited in quantity and only can be found at Wal-Mart. If you want them, get them now.

Having an Unleashed time......

2006-09-06T07:35:00.000-05:00

My wife loves Target. Target is just another store to me. It is a store where Star Wars toys are more expensive. Wal-Mart is not a whole lot cheaper that Target these days. They used to be over a dollar difference for a basic 3 3/4 inch figure. Current prices: Wal-mart $6.63 and Target $6.99. Last year during the Revenge of the Sith line you paid $5.88 at Wally World. Moving on. My wife was at Target the other day and she went my "The Section" for me. She picked up the Target Exclusive Unleashed re-packs of Boba Fett and General Grevious. The Boba Fett is one of the few re-packs that I was excited about. The original Fett Unleashed has brought some premium prices on eBay. I am able to acquire a Fett Unleashed to open for my loose display for retail price. Yes!! Patience and persistence in collecting.

A job that has enhanced my collecting.........

2006-08-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

I work part-time for an inflatable game company. I have actually worked for Extreme Inflatables for about 4 1/2 years. Sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time. I travel when I am working for Extreme. This last weekend I was in Hereford, Texas. How does this relate to collecting? The selection of toys varies between different Wal-Mart's, Target's, etc. When I have the extra time I stop at different stores along the trip. I preach patience and persistence when it comes to finding the new releases. It has paid off for me again. This past weekend I found several items that I have been looking for. As I mentioned in my previous post I was looking for the Episode 3 Chewbacca and Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguise Unleashed figures. I found a whole display of them. Instead of going straight to the Star Wars section then leaving, I wandered around the toy section a little bit. They had the Unleashed figures on the top shelf of a random endcap. On my journey I also found the Greatest Battles Shock Trooper times three. Even though it is not Star Wars, I found the three new Die Cast Battlestar Galactica ships: the Viper Mark 7, Raptor, and Colonial One.

This may shock you.........Updated

2006-08-16T09:12:00.000-05:00

Patience has again paid off. Actually, it saved me money. Their are 3 new regular sized Unleashed figures out. I do not collect or care for the 2" Unleashed Battle Packs that they put out now. I am talking about the 7" pieces of art. The new Unleashed figures were reported out weeks ago, maybe even months. It seemed no matter were I went, they had not been stocked. I even emailed Hasbro about it. I just got a stupid reply. Hasbro is not good at answering questions. It is too bad they own the action figure license until something like 2014. If collectors had their say, we would fire Hasbro. Moving on. I walked into a Wal-Mart in Tulsa the other day and low and behold, two Unleashed Shocktroopers were laying their on the shelf. I quickly swiped them up. They did not seem to even have a designated space in the shelving. They were just laying their waiting for me to take them home. I almost sold out and bought one of these on eBay the other day. With shipping it would have only been a few dollars more than retail. It was a good deal, for eBay. Patience. This has renewed my hope that I can still find the other two Unleashed figures, Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguise and Chewbacca Episode 3 version. Keep on the look out.

Update:

Here is a pic of the two I need that is currently available in stores. Click on pic to see a larger view. Just some FYI. I get two of each Unleashed figure. One to open, one not to open.

Adventures in collecting...........

2006-08-15T11:46:00.000-05:00

Never before this year, have I collected the current line of 3 3/4 inch figures with such completeness. Through all of the waves of figures for Episode 1, 2, and 3 I just picked up whatever whenever I could. Many of my Episode 1 and 2 figures came from KB Toys when they had them marked down half price. I bought several Episode 3 figures equaling maybe half of what they came out with. I set a goal to get every basic figure in this years Saga Collection. Just the basic figures, not all the exclusive and Ultimate Galactic Hunt (UGH!!!) figures. I did manage to get one UGH! figure off the self and bought the online exclusive Shadow Stormtrooper. On principle I did not go after the Heros and Villians set, because they were just repacks from the Episode 3 line. Yes, I understand that many of the Saga figures are repacks, but ALL the H&V are repacks. What's a repack? They re-use the mold from a previous line, to give you the same figures in the new line with different packaging. Their are some figures from the Greatest Battle set that I do want to pick up because they are cool and you can not have enough of them (Shocktrooper, 501st Clone Trooper, etc.). My goal was to pick up all 52 basic Saga Collection figures at RETAIL price. No after market eBay crap for figures that I should find in the stores right now. The name of the game is patience and persistence. I have managed to find the first 38 figures at retail. No Wal-Mart is the same. I would just keep checking out the selection when I happened to go by a Wal-Mart and had the time to look. Commander Cody has been a very popular and hard to find figure. I have four. I would just find one here and there. Only one Saga figure eluded me. Republic Commando Scorch. I ordered a box of the wave he came in from Entertainment Earth. Even after shipping each figure from EE is only about .50 cent more per figure than Wal-Mart. It is cheaper than Target. I bought a wave that included two of Scorch. I want to encourage you collectors out there to be patient with the new figures. Do not let your lust for the new figures make you head to eBay prematurely. I have 14 more figures to go in the Saga Basic Collection. I will get them the same as I did with the first 38. Happy hunting!

If you are missing some Saga Collection figures, let me know. I have some doubles that I would be willing to part with. And no, I will not scalp you.

What is a 12 back?.......

2006-01-13T04:30:00.000-06:00

What is a 12 back? Is it different than a 21 back? Collectors come up with terminology to define differences of various packaging. The term "back" is put on the different variants of cardbacks. When the first carded figures hit the stores back in good ole 1978, you had twelve figures available. These twelve figures are pictured on the back of the cardbacks. Later on in '78, eight more figures became available for purchase on a cardback. With the addition of these, twenty figures were pictured on the back. Later on Boba Fett was produced making a 21 back.

Going even further, some cardbacks with the same number had slight differences. For an example, you can find 3 versions of 12 backs. These are designated with a letter, such as "12 back c." The front side of the cardbacks have a designation: "SW" for Star Wars, "ESB" for Empire Strikes Back. "ROTJ" for Return of the Jedi, and "POTF" for Power of the Force. A number is used to define the differences between the front variants.

For detailed information on this subject, pick up a copy of John Kellerman's Star Wars Vintage Action Figures. Kellerman has detailed the different front back card combinations. He has an ongoing record of the known combinations in existence. The record has grown since the publication of the book. The Kellerman Matrix can be found at Rebel Scum for the updated list. If you are into vintage action figures, Kellerman's book is a must.

I Have Arrived To Planet 12 Back..........

2005-09-13T04:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I have attained a new level of Star Wars collecting. Many people around me see me as a serious collector. I am now a legitimate serious collector. I have acquired my first 12 Back figure. It is none other than Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi on a 12 Back C version. I am seriously considering sending this figure off to have it professionally graded. It is not in perfect condition, but in very good condition. I will talk about grading in a later post. Some of you may not know what a 12 Back figure is or means. My next post will be about the different card back variations. Stay tuned to The Star Wars Collector.

Double Telescoping Sabers............

2005-09-07T05:06:00.000-05:00

The subject of Double Telescoping Sabers (DS) brings into view some of the rarest items in Star Wars collecting. The light sabers that were developed in the vintage Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Ben Kenobi telescoped out of the arms of the figures. The original idea had the sabers telescope out, then a smaller piece telescoped out even further. Hence the name Double Telescoping Saber. Very early in production Kenner axed this idea and moved to the single scoping saber. This was a production cost cutter. Kenner's decision to save some money created the most valuable figures out there. The Early Bird set was offered through mail in certificates sold in 1977. The original line of figures were not going to be ready in time for Christmas 1977. When one would send in this certificate, early in 1978 Kenner sent out a 4 pack of figures. Included in this package was Luke Skywalker. Therefore, you will find more Luke DT sabers in circulation. This production changed happened so early that literally only a handful of Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi DT figures were put on cards. Their is only 3 carded Darth Vader's known in existence. I believe their are 2 Ben Kenobi's. Only a handful of loose ones are around. It is hard to put a value on these figures since their are so few and the collectors that have them have held onto them. I have seen one source put a value of nearly $10,000. I do not think that has been market tested. If it has, I would like to know. The loose Vader and Kenobi could run you $2000-3000. Since more Luke's were produced he will only set you back between $100-200, depending on condition. Happy hunting. If you ever find one of these collecting diamonds, you truly have a collecting treasure.

References: Star Wars Vintage Action Figures by John Kellerman and www.toysrgus.com

My recent additions.......

2005-08-25T05:08:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I found 4 Original Trilogy Collection figures at my local Family Dollar. Family Dollar?!?! I was shocked, but very pleased. I was even more pleased to see that they were only $5 each. Yes my friends, I got a bargain. It gets even better. They are in great shape. I had to include a picture for you. The four figures are 2 Darth Vaders, Princess Leia, and R2-D2.

I will try to make a post every time I add to my collection. I just won some great vintage loose figures on Ebay. I will show them when I get them. My next post will be about the Telescoping Saber Darth Vader, Ben Kenobi, and Luke Skywalker. I mentioned these in my last post. I will go more in detail this time.

Budget Vintage Collecting..........

2005-08-23T04:42:00.000-05:00

All collectors with any serious aspirations to build their collection drools over the idea of having a set of 12back figures. For those who may not know, a 12back carded figure is the first carded figures released. I say carded because their was 4 figures offered in an early bird special that came in the mail, packaged in baggies. That discussion is for later. The back of a 12back figure has the first 12 figures that were released pictured. This fact makes 12back figures very valuable. I do not have and many of you do not have $5000 or so to drop on a set of 12backs. Their still is a way to collect vintage action figures with a limited budget. Collect them loose. Us poor people have to come back down to reality and settle with the fact we cannot spend the high dollars on figures. This does not exclude us from collecting very cool pieces of Star Wars history. During the Vintage Era (1977-1985) their were 92 figures released. 93 if you include the Canadian released "Yak Face." With all the different variations their are 107 figures. An example of a variation is the Jawa with a vinyl cape and one with a cloth cape. Same figure, different cape. I did say we were budget collecting so let us reduce the number to 105. Why? The Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi telescoping saber (TS) variations are out of the roof. These are very rare figures. Just get the regular saber on these two. I am keeping the Luke Skywalker TS on the list because their are more in circulation. Out of the 105 figures, many of them you can get in the neighborhood of $10. I am talking about figures in good condition with their weapons. Many of the figures will cost you in the $10-20 range. Other will run you higher. Their are three figures that I consider to be the prize pieces of a collection like this: Luke Skywalker TS, Jawa vinyl cape, and the blue Snaggletooth. These figures will run you over $100 each. Depending on the condition the Jawa could run you between $200-300. You do have to beware of fake vinyl capes on the Jawas. If you include the Yak Face in your vintage loose collection, he will be a prize piece also. With a little time and patience you can have a loose collection that you can be proud of. Many people will even think you have a large collection of Star Wars toys. One thing that is for sure, you will have a complete collection of a great part of Star Wars collecting history. Go budget collecting.

If you are looking for a list of the vintage loose figures, please let me know. If I have enough interest I will post it for you. The best source that I have found on this subject is a book called Star Wars Vintage Action Figures by John Kellerman. This book has pictures of all the figures with their correct weapons and variations.

If you have any questions and/or want to know more details about something I talked about let me know. If I missed something or am wrong about something let me know. I hope this has been helpful. Please do not forget to have fun in your collecting and do not let it become an obsession. Thank you.

What I collect.........

2005-08-22T03:53:00.000-05:00

Every collector should have a focus when collecting. I do have a little bit of a variety of things. I also have a lot of other things. I do understand that my collection will pale in comparison to many other's. Most people that I am around think I have one of the largest. Of course this is not true. The focus that I have chosen are as follows:

Vintage loose: These are the Kenner 3' 3/4" action figures put out from 1977 to 1985. My goal is to collect all of these figures complete with all the variations in the best condition possible. Of course I want to collect these figures still in the package. I just cannot afford carded figures. It is unbelievable how many different variations of carded figures are out there along with how much they sell for.

Baggies: Figures that have been packaged in a plastic bag. These figures have been offered in various ways. They come in playsets and special mail-in offers. I will not go into detail because it will be the subject of a future post.

Unleashed: These modern figures have turned our favorite Star Wars characters into pieces of art. The first one that I bought was the Darth Maul. Since then I have picked away at these beautiful figures. My goal is to collect two of every variation. One to display out of package and one to display in package.

I do collect 3' 3/4" figures. They do not represent a major focus in my collecting goals. I also have a long way to go in collecting them. Number 500 was just released. I only have around 100.

Let the discussion begin. I want this to be an educational experience for all of us (one thing that is for sure, I am far from knowing it all, my name is not Sansweet).