Greedo; the figure of the month

This is going to be a new segment called the figure of the month. So December's figure of the month is Greedo; one of my favorite figures. The vintage Greedo is a uniquely sculpted green. I have provided a picture of the one from my collection from 1978. Greedo from the movie is one of the best creatures in the cantina because he is one of the best bounty hunters. Newer Greedo's have been released but my still personal fave is the vintage line Greedo. Here are some pics.

Star Wars Christmas Idea's

I know this isn't vintage star wars but these are some cool things on starwars.com and some great idea's for the holiday gift giving scene.
First off we have the taun taun sleeping bag for 99.00 so your little one can be a Luke this Christmas.

Second is the space slug oven mitt for the chef in your house. "Come to the Dark Side, we Have Cookies."

Third is the Jawa garden gnome, an exclusive to starwars.com for 34.00 for the gardener in your family.

Fourth is the Yoda Ears Retro Cap for 24.00 so you can have the coolest hat in town.

Last is the 54.00 Darth Vader Toaster Oven that prints a picture of Darth Vader on your toast.

Merry Christmas.

May the Holiday's be with you!

A Star Wars Christmas

As 2010's Christmas approches, I can't wait to see what vintage star wars goodies lie under the tree. In popular demand this year is the newer Target At At. With a speeder bike and At At driver, there are so many features that it will never get old. You can get your self or others this Christmas an At At for around $100. Whats really neat though is commemerating Empire Strikes Back 30th anniversity is a limited edition Toys Are Us At At with a vintage box that looks like the one from the original At At back in 1980 when the ESB first came out. Other top holiday star wars goodies is the Sounds of Star Wars book. For around $40 to $60 you can get a book a whole bunch of sounds from Star Wars. From Luke getting his lightsaber to the original Wookie roar this book is a must on my list. It also includes how each sound was made. Hopefully this holiday season give you or someone you know a Star Wars Christmas whether it be vintage or new. Happy Holidays!

Gentle Giant Vintage Figures

Gentle Giant has just released these cool statues available for pre-order! They have enlarged a series of the best vintage figure over 4 times their size using a special scanning process. These figures are available for pre-order at brianstoys.com and from Gentle Giant's website for about $75 to $100. Although they are pricey I think they are pretty cool and will be readily available in April of 2011. Check out this video of how they desined them!http://www.starwars.com/video/view/001064.html

Starwars.com

If you are a star wars fan you have probably checked out this website before. But if you havn't, they have alot of cool things to do on there. Here are some of the things to do on there:

1. Check out some of the cool videos; they have everything from old commerciels to star wars weekends
2. Check out the store with everything from Taun Taun sleeping bags to space slug oven mitts.
3. See the latest information on everything from clone wars to fan gatherings and the latest events.
4. See the star wars vault to find out collecting information.
5. Play star wars games and download backgrounds and more.
6. Theres a whole bunch more to do so CHECK IT OUT!

Wampa

The wampa is one of my favorite monsters from the star wars series! Shown in Empire Strikes Back, the Wampa was the furry white beast that took a injured Luke to his ice cave for a snack for himself. Luke used the force though to grab is lightsaber and slay the mighty beasts' legs and arms off so he could escape. The vintage Wampa figure was produced in 1982 (although its foot says 1981) for the price of $8.99. This figure came with no accessories and was originally just called the Wampa but its name was later changed to Hoth Wampa. To see more information, please check out the amazingly helpful rebelscum.com vintage figure archive. http://www.rebelscum.com/vintWampa.asp

Yak Face

Another of my favorite figures is the canadian released yak face. A rare figure indeed the yak faces weapon was actually a skiff guard weapon. The packaging was in canadian form in the tri logo series and in Europe it was on the power of the force card. The figure was never sold in the US. There are no variations except for a product error in weapons. Yak faces are a pretty rare figure but you can find quite a good amount on ebay so look carefully.

Once again, please check out rebelscum.com for a full data base in archiving collectables.

Star Wars stores in the Seattle Area

If you are ever in Lynnwood, Washington you need to come check out this store. Although it is small, they carry alot of star wars stuff and most of it is extremely cheap. We are talking $100 Amanamans in original packaging! They also carry alot of micromachines like the playsets for $5 each!! Some other good stores in the Seattle area is a store called Bobakhan. This weekend they had a big halloween party where some actual stormtroopers from episode 3 came in costume to patrol the store. They also have alot of star wars, espesially newer ones for very cheap. They have most of there star wars stuff not displayed so ask and they have just about anything for sale including $2 vintage figures. Also Amazing Heroes Toys in Kirkland has a ton of newer star wars including some old. Although it is quite expensive the store is well organized. So if you happen to be visiting in Washington or live in Washington you need to check out these stores. Here are some links to see the actual store websites:
http://amazingheroes.mybisi.com/
http://www.bobakhan.com/

http://www.manta.com/c/mtr4k75/one-stop-toy-shop

The Cantina Adventure Set

Sold in 1978 as a Sears exclusive item, the Cantina Adventure Set is more rare then the original Kenner Cantina Playset because the Sears featured the extremely rare Blue Snaggletooth; a figure not available anywhere else. The set also included Hammerhead, Walrusman, and Greedo. Here are some pictures from the extremely helpful Rebelscum.com and a link below for more information.http://www.rebelscum.com/vintCantinaAdventure.asp

Vintage Star Wars original video's

Links to some cool star wars videos from the original vintage line!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VAxZTe5hNQ for the AT-ST walker
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yuC0r79Cjk for the ewok and Endor collection
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKSfXJ7A4j0 for the landspeeder
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daUIdczixfU&p=DFC8C0A3F775BD91for the Max Rebo band

Boba Fett

This figure is quite unique because it was released in 1979, before the actual Empire Strikes Back came out. A major variation is that it was originally designed to have a jet pack with launchable rocket but after Battle Star Galactaca product choking hazards, this feature was removed. Although only prototypes exist, you can find informational written memorabilia of the product feature's removal and now the figure has a solid jet pack. So watch out for fakes and reproductions. Also this product has a color variation and sculpting variation between the tri-logo series and the regular "one logo" series. This figure can be worth a ton at full AFA grade and in package so keep your eyes peeled.
For more info, please check out http://www.rebelscum.com/VINtBobafett.asp.

An original Boba Fett

Star Wars Micro Machines



Vintage Bespin Playset



The Star Wars Micro Machine collection was released with the explosion of vintage figures back in the late 70's and early 80's but sadly, these toys weren't a very big hit so they were took off store shelves in about a year. Then, well George Lucas took a massive break from Star Wars movies in the late 80's and early 90's, a new line was released by Galoob called the micro machines action fleet. Featuring action playsets and space ships like the Millenium Falcon, this line was a slightly better hit. Here are some pictures of the greatly detailed newer playsets compared to the older ones.

Newer Galoob Hoth playset

Star Wars Year by Year; A Visual Chronicle

This book is the best star wars fact book I have ever seen. If you need a good reference and time line of the movie, this book is a must. Packed with hundreds of pages, coded by year, you'll find every Star Wars event and more that happened by month, up to 2010. Although this book costs $50, it is a good buy and you will be happy. I do have a complaint though that they are lacking in the vintage figure toy line information. So don't count on this book as a vintage star wars toy reference. Check out my star wars book section of this blog for better vintage star wars guides.

Amanaman

This is one of my favorite vintage characters because the Amanaman only appears in Return of the Jedi for like 2 seconds. I almost bought an Amanaman at an antique store once because it only cost half of the value it really was and it was carded too. I guess I still have to find the will to spend money of star wars figures. Anyway though, the Amanaman is worth about $300 carded and was released in the Power of The Force series of vintage figures in 1985. This figure doesn't have any major variations. So if you see a very cheap Amanaman, you should buy it. It is worth it.

Why Star Wars is so cool

I am sorry this entry is not about vintage star wars but I love the movie too! It's funny when some people become so fasinated in vintage star wars figures that they forget the movie. Well I realized that I was starting to become one of those people so I decided that every Sunday I will watch all the star wars movies in order. I think my favorite newer movie is definitly the third one (Revenge of the Sith) but i am a fan for the old ones even more. A New Hope is probably my favorite old star wars movie because they introduce so many characters. The real reason Star Wars got popular so quick is because it was so ahead of it's time. Back in the 70's, they didn't have green screens and fancy video equipment so they had to improvise. And that is where star wars succeeded. So why don't rent all your favorite star wars movies this weekend and have a star wars marathon of movie watching? Just don't forget about vintage star wars collecting.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi is another of my favorite figures. One of the big variations is once again, the double telescoping lightsaber. This figure with the double lightsaber can be worth up to $35,000  for an AFA 85 rated figure. This is one of the rarest star wars memorabilia in the star wars galaxy! Actually these only exist in the mere single digits. This figure is in the star wars 12 back collection so any condition is worth money.

A Ben Kenobi without a double telescoping light saber.










Please check out this awsome website called http://www.rebelscum.com/VINtben.asp for more information.

Vinyl Cape Jawa

 Another major variation in the star wars line is the jawa. The jawa was issued in 1978 as one of the first 12 figures (12 back). The jawa first came out with a vinyl cape and is pretty rare today. There have been so many reproductions and fakes that it is hard to find any genuine figures today. The Jawa's cape was quickly traded though for the cloth cape that is the most popular. Personaly the Jawa is one of my favorite star wars characters and figures but I have yet to find the elusive vinyl caped jawa. Happy hunting!!

A perfect example of a vinyl cape Jawa.

An example of the more popular cloth caped Jawa.



Don't forget to check out this great website for more information and where I got my data from: http://www.rebelscum.com/VINtJawa.asp

The original Luke Skywalker

The original Luke Skywalker was released in 1978, although it was produced in 1977. This figure was available to send away for in the early bird packages. The Luke did have a major variation diffrence. First off, the light saber was produced standard (could be pulled out once) and also double-telescoping (could be pulled out twice). The double telescoping is worth alot more money then the standard more common Luke and is highly sought out for by collecters. It was mainly produced in the early bird special package and it is rare seen in 12 backs (the first 12 star wars figures produced). The Luke also can be found with blond and brown hair. 2 variations of redish hair have been found also. Check out http://www.rebelscum.com/VINtLuke.asp for more detailed information.

A Luke with light brown hair.

Annoying Antique Places

One thing to warn you about if you try to look for star wars stuff at antique stores. They act like they have no idea what you are talking about. Many times when I go, the people act discusted if I even ask if they have vintage star wars collectables. They usually say things like "what is that?". Don't be discouraged though. You must look around the store because sometimes you just might find what your looking for. Once in an old antique store I found the vintage boxed droid playset sitting amung a pile of games. Ha! Well being priced at like $30 I came back and bought it. Sometimes it pays to look I guess!

Condition of a figure

A star wars product or action figure can be worth alot of money. But it can be worth more money the nicer quality it is. Proffesionaly graded figures are given the symbol AFA and a number. The higher the number the higher the figures value. An AFA 85 Darth Vader is going to be worth more then an AFA 60 for example. There is also the condition rating which can be done by anybody. It is almost impossible for a figure to be a C- 10 and C-9's are rare. The condition means how much visual ware and tear the figure is in. Also if the joints are loose or the bubble on the packaging is torn the condition will drop quickly. It is important to look up you condition of your star wars product to determine the value. Most of my figures are a C-7 and occaisionaly a C-8 which is average. If you want the top of the line quality then you should order by description and picture not by price.

Stephen Sansweet

Did you know that the largest private collecter of star wars toys and memorabilia is Stephen Sansweet. He keeps his giant collection in Marin County, California on the premises of the George Lucas Ranch. Sadly it is not open to the public, but if you need to know somthing about star wars then this guy is the man to talk to. He has written a large amount of books you should check out including the Star Wars 1,000 Collectables Memorabilia and Stories From a Galaxy far, far Away. This book explains and shows pictures of his giant collection and stories about merchandise and props from the movie trilogy. You should at least look him up and see the pictures of the chicken coop turned private museum online and you will understand just how many star wars items there are to collect.

Helpful books

When I first got into star wars collecting I bought alot of books that would help me price my figures and decide how much money I should spend on them. There are plenty of books to choose from but they can be hard to find. You can find them at your local library or bookstore but many you will have to order. It is good to compare different books to see if the information is accurate. Here is a list you might want to check out.
-Star Wars Vintage Action Figures by John Kellerman
-Warman's Star Wars field guide by Stuart W. Wells the third
-Star Wars 1,000 collectibles Memorabilia and stories from a galaxy far, far away by Stephan J. Sansweet with Anne Neumann
-Star Wars from concept to screen to collectable by Stephan J. Sansweet

Where to buy star wars

One of many questions first time star wars collecters might have is where can I buy star wars toys and memorabilia. Well if your collecting vintage star wars you should check at antique stores, comic stores, auctions, toy shows, and on ebay and craigslist. If your collecting newer star wars items then I suggest going to tasrget, kmart, toys r us, and any other toy stores to find Hasbros newest line of star wars action figures. Do not confuse them with vintage star wars just because the packaging looks the same though.
Here are some links for online sites you can order from:
http://www.brianstoys.com/store/default.aspx
for cheap star wars:http://www.stormtroopergalaxy.com/shop/vintage-star-wars/vintage-star-wars-figures
for a large selection:http://www.theearthtoymall.com/vinstarwarac.html
for one of the best star wars stores around:http://www.toystable.com/

What is a snaggletooth?

Funny question I know, but one of the biggest star wars action figure differences in the line and from the movie start here. Kenner produced a red snaggletooth back in 1977 that was sold in production lines but soon after, Palitoy, another company, produced a cantina set featuring a blue snaggletooth. This one was much taller with big feet. Realizing that this wasn't what George Lucas attended his charecter to look like, the product was soon taken off the shelf. So now if you happen to find a blue snaggletooth it can be worth up to $300!! But one more thing. Many people on popular sites like ebay post blue snaggletooths in original 1 figure packaging. These are totaly fake because the blue snaggletooths only appeared in the Palitoy cantina play set so therefor it is believed no 1 figure packaginghttpwere ever produced. Here I have posted a link of were some scammers buy their fake snaggletooth packaging and some more background information.http://www.starwarsfigurerecarded.com/?p=106

The Basics

Collecting star wars action figures and toys is more about buying them and displaying them like you would any other collectable. Instead it's about preserving either your child hood or your new childhood. I think it is really cool that these old toys and new toys can be saved for future generations.
History: The first thing to note wheather collecting vintage or new star wars collectables is that the value only increases with the availability of the item. Sadly many new star wars toys from like target and k-mart will be the same price ten years from now or the price will mabye even drop. The trick that occured after the 70's and 80's Star Wars toys hit the market was people didn't know they would soon one day become very valueble. Did you know that the first company's to create star wars toys and action figures were kenner and palitoy and with so many variations of products these items are some of the most sought after Star wars merchandise. Kenner didn't launch there line till after the first Christmas after Star Wars hit the big screen soavid buyers had to wait. But they did give a cardboard box called the "early bird package" that was sold in stores in which figures were sent away for along with other premium items. So what is the most valueble star wars item you ask? Well many people including me say that the double telescoping lightsaber Ben Kenobi in original 12 back package is the rarest raising prices as much of 30,000 dollars for highly graded AFA(action figure graded) packaged ones. So weather you already collect star wars or are hoping too please enjoy my blog. May the force be with you.