Good Memories - A history of collecting: 1978 and beyond

[tagmac]

1984

With the new year came some new figures, and over the course of the year I slowly got my hands on them, although it took a little begging in some cases. Endor Leia was a tough one, but I managed to find one. The Ewoks weren't nearly as hard to find, and I manged to get all of them through several trips to Bradlees, TRU, and K-Mart. For Christmas that year, I also got Jabba, Jabba's Dungeon w/ Klaatu skiff/Nikto/8D8, as well as the Ewok Village and Speeder Bike. Unfortunately, as the summer and the new year came, my parents all but killed my hopes of completing the collection.

[tagmac]

1984-1985

It's funny how things happen, but one day we went into TRU, and I see these new SW figures with coins. I've had dreams where I found crazy figures that didn't really exist, or were simply hard to find, and here it felt like I was living one of those dreams. My mother rushed us out, so I could barely look at the backs of the new figs to see what was coming out, hoping Slave Leia was one of them (on a later trip, I finally had more than 5 seconds to look, and found out it wasn't). Having not see nany commercials for these made the scene even more surreal for me at the age of 8. Eventually, we went back and I was able to buy some figures, although only four at the time - Endor Luke, Warok, Endor Han, and A-Wing Pilot. Also lucked out completely and found the Skiff, a vehicle I treasured the most, considering that scene was my absolute favorite to watch (and act out) for years as a kid.

In those days, I would spend a week at my grandparents' over the summer, and my parents would give me money to spend. This time, however, my father said that I was not allowed to buy SW figs. Needless to say, my grandmother took me to TRU and there's Barada hanging on the pegs, and I had to settle for buying anything but what I really wanted. Making matters worse, when my parents picked me up that weekend, my brother rold me how they had spotted in KB the one I wanted most, Han in Carbonite! Of course, they didn't buy it, and when we wenbt back, it was gone, and I was upset. They did have R2 w/ lightsaber, but my parents wouldn't let us get it, saying "you already have R2 (although my brother did get it eventually).

This did have a happy ending though, as a return trip to the TRU by my grandmother's found Barada amazingly still there, and a trip to the TRU by me a month later found a lone Carbonite Han on the top peg, and my mother was nice enough to get it for me even though I didn't have enough money. I had found my "Holy Grail" of the vintage collection!

In the end, I completed the set with the mail away Anakin, Amanaman (my second "Grasil figure," just because it looked cool and was the one figure I had not seen at retail before) and General Lando, but not without seeing them in KB, and having to say "I know" when my father said "you know you can't buy any more SW," then a week later having my mother say "Star Wars?" before relenting for the last time.

To this day, it still bugs me that I never got Stormtrooper Luke, Romba, EV-9D9, Imperial Gunner, and Imperial Dignitary, at retail, having seen every one of them in those days (although I did drop $400 for a Stormie Luke and a Blue Snaggletooth at a comic shop about 6 years ago - I know, what was I thinking?!). Never was upset about Yak Face, since it wasn't available here, but with the prices the other four go for loose these days, I resigned myself long ago that I would never have the full set of Vintage figs, although I came oh so close. It was that feeling that led me to be a near completists since '95, but in recent years common sense has set in, and it doesn't bug me to be missing some of the newer figures, but it would still be nice to say "I have all of the vintage ones."

[vader121]

My collecting started when I was 4 or 5 I guess. My first figure was R2. Then sometime afterwards I got the Landspeeder, Chewie, and a few other figures but I don't remember who. Ithink it was from my grandparents for Valentines Day or something. Then I would get figures here and there for Xmas, birthdays, and at stores when I was "good." This was through to the ESB years. I remember the year I got the At At for Xmas. I thought it was the coolest toy ever and played with it for a long time. Got some of the mini rigs and the Wampa at that time too.

I do remember getting figures here and there at the store from my parents or grandparents. Once memory is getting the Twin Pod Cloud Car Pilot from Kmart from my Dad. I remember their toy dept was always kinda dirty and flea-market-like (kinda it is now) but did see the figure and my Dad was in a good mood I guess that day.

The real memories for me are around when ROTJ came out. My first memory of getting ROTJ figures though was for my 10th bday I think (I was born in '73). I got several figures like Rebel Commando, Biker Scout, and some others. Then again got some stuff for Xmas, etc.

By the time POTF came out I was 12 or 13 so toys weren't relaly the main thing anymore but I still did pick up one at KB (Barada). I remember about this time the stores were starting to clearance the ROTJ figures as the popularity was fading. I paid $4.99 at KB for Barada though as it was still pretty new. The ROTJ figures wre marked down to $1.29. I grabbed several Wequay's, Klaatu's, and maybe a few other figures. I do remember seeing other POTF figures there like Luke Stormie, Han Carbonite, and Amanaman. Heck, they may have had them all at that time. I was so into the Jabba thing that I wanted to build an army of Weeuay's and stuff. That's why I got the Barada figure. I remember also picking up the Jabba playset that day.

The next week TRU opened in my area and we went to check it out. Low and behold they had mountains of ROTJ figures for sale for $.99 each. If I would have known I could have bought another figure or two for what I paid at KB (doh!). By this time I had no money so all I could do was look. I do remember seeing the Skiff and Ewok Battle Wagon that day but don't recall seeing the POTF figures. From what I remember I only saw the POTF figures in a store once and that was at KB.

[Neuroleptic]

I remember what I THINK was christmas of 1983.

We woke up christmas morning and went into the livingroom like all kids do. since I was turning 4 in two days, I was now considered old enough to play with action figures. Needless to say, I asked for everything and anything star wars.

Rather than wrap my presents that year, my parents opened everything up and set it up as if it where the toys on the back of the box.

The only figure that was officaly mine was R2-D2 with the telescoping sensor thing, and my brother got C-3po with removable limbs, and our sister got Bespin Leia, though my parents took the accessories away from it since she was 3.

The rest where equaly shaired by the three of us.

We got the ewok village and what had to be every ewok out at the time, two stormtroopers, two scout troopers, two snow troopers, darth vader, luke, han, two speeder bikes, chewbacca, the ewok village, lando, wiccet (I list good ol' warick seperately from the other ewoks because I remember him so much), the emperor, one rebel soldier, and spirit aniken.

I have a memory of going out to look for a new R2 when my sister broke the legs off that one. I remember seeing what looked to me to be thousands of figures in return of the jedi packages in the store, but we couldn't find the one I was looking for at the time.

The last figures I got where christmas of 1985. I got the R2-D2 with lightsaber and my brother got C-3po with removable limbs (again since my sister lost his arms and legs)

Sadly, all those figures where thrown away when my mother remarried since the guy she married decided I was too old to play with toys. Keep in mind, I was 5 at the time. The happy memory for me was we didn't stay with him long.

I was able to hide R2 and most of my brothers 3PO from him, so I called it a win, though my sister eventualy found them both and broke them both after the jerk had left.

The last time I saw the original star wars figures in a store was 1988 a few weeks after my mom died since my grandparents took us out to get us some new things since we had almost nothing to our name. Unfortunately by that time all we could find was a row of the B-wing pilot (wich I'm told can STILL be found at some stores in the discount bin ) and an imperial officer.

Not to make it sound like I hold a grudge but for YEARS I brought my sister's destructive tendencies up nearly every time we got in an argument. So in 1997, my sister got ahold of the new large R2-D2 and gave it to me as an appology for all the R2's she broke. I hadn't brought it up for a few years at the time, so it never occored to me she still rememberd it, let alone felt giulty about it. So it became a bit of a running joke between the two of us after that.

Till I bought R2 with the lightsaber loose off Ebay for a recard project I was working on and sent my sister the invoice

Ok . . . so I may hold a slight grudge!

[Neuroleptic]

I also remember seeing a han solo with three different symbols for return of the jedi (I later learned that he was a trilogo figure). I didn't know they sold those in america. The same day I remember seeing Darth Vader and Chewbacca in some kind of two pack that for years I thought was something I was remembering that wasn't real. Turns out at one point they actualy did sell return of the jedi figures in two packs without weapons around the time Return of the Jedi figures where being taken off the shelves as a way to try to get rid of some of the overstock that was getting sent back to kenner.

[Neuroleptic]

In 2000 I was also able to get a trilogo R2-D2. He is in nearly perfect shape aside for a corner on his blister being dented to the point it can't be pushed out. It's a tiny dent. He isn't punched or anything. I have been thinking about sending him to AFA to get graded, but since I have a hatred of AFA I havn't done it. He is perfectly safe in his star case anyway. I got him for about 30 dollars on Ebay. I havn't seen him sell for anywear near that low in years, and none of the ones I'v seen are in as good of shape, so I'm happy with mine. Granted this last memmory is years after the figures where made, but it's a happy one since he is the only vintage figure I have paied for that is in his original package. The rest I have are all reproduced packages I have made over the last few years.

[Neuroleptic]

You know, this thread brings back a ton of memories now that I went through and re read some of the other posts. I forgot to mention one other figure I got that Xmass.

Leia in her little bounty hunter disguise. I didn't know that was what the figure was, and since we had been given them all out of the package, I never saw that the mask came off. So when I somehow accidentaly got the helmet off months later, I thought I had broken the head off of one of my precious star wars figures. I was a little disapointed, but then I noticed this little tan face looking up at me. I remember that I always used her as an imperial spy until I realized who she was. I didn't want my sister to have that one though since I kinda liked it, so I put the helmet back on and never told her!

I also remember that the figure I wanted most when I was a kid but never got was '6D5'. 6D5 was my name for R5-D4. Gotta remember, this was so long ago I couldn't read. I finaly got one last year.

[jjreason]

1978. I believe this was the year I first saw ANH and got my first toys - Luke was my first figure (and he's still in my collection - the only SW toy from my childhood still intact and in my possession). My brother quickly got Darth Vader after that, our third figure was Chewbacca - I can still see them all standing on my dresser, Chewie's arm raised firing his blaster into the air of my room!

Skip ahead to that Christmas - I got Han & Leia in my stocking, a Landspeeder and an X-Wing under the tree. I was giddy. My Dad then blew my mind but good, telling me I'd forgotten a present - behind his lounger was the (then HUMONGOUS) Millenium Falcon - still in the box and not even wrapped. I nearly carped my drawers - to this day my biggest Christmas surprise ever.

1979. I remember vaguely getting Obi Wan one lunch time, he was simply laid on my bed. Very cool. On my birthday cake were Greedo and R2-D2, up to their ankles in brown icing. I remember the first time I saw figures from the 2nd wave, my brother got Hammerhead and I got Luke X-Wing Pilot. We had just gotten haircuts, as those were the only times we went to that particular shopping mall.

1980. I have little to no recollection of getting ESB toys other than a very few. The Twin Pod Cloud Car being one, and my brother's AT-AT and my Hoth Snow Base with the cardboard AT-AT being a couple of others. I do remember being teased for falling asleep muttering "Lando Calrissian" over and over again however....

1983. The rest of my vintage memories are more of hanging out with my friend Tim during the very initial releases of the ROTJ line - we found them at both a local drug store and a small toy store at a mall his mom worked at. The Rebel Commando was my first ROTJ figure.

I remember being REALLY pumped up on Star Wars toys by the TV ads. We would watch cartoon after cartoon on Saturday mornings yearning for these damned commercials to come on - Superfriends, schmuperfriends, someone tell me how to get my free Bossk figure for the 300th time!!!

Like Big-B, my interest switched to GIJoe right around the time the 2nd wave of ROTJ figures came out. I only ever got AT-ST driver, The Emperor (through the mail, of course), Wicket, Teebo and Han in Endor Gear from that batch - and that was the end back then.

[bigbarada]

1983. The rest of my vintage memories are more of hanging out with my friend Tim during the very initial releases of the ROTJ line - we found them at both a local drug store and a small toy store at a mall his mom worked at. The Rebel Commando was my first ROTJ figure.

I remember those days. Star Wars was so popular that ANY store you walked into would potentially have action figures for sale. It didn't matter if it was a womens' clothing store, a drug store, a grocery store or a gas station. It seemed like Star Wars figures (plus GI Joe and Transformers) were everywhere. Good times.

[vader121]

Now you did it! Readin these posts has conjured up all kinds of memories. I will only share a few

Millenium Falcon (ANH) - I don't remember the year although it was probably '78 or '79 but I wanted this so bad. Like in the worst way. I remember asking Santa for it. Well, low and behold on Xmas morning there it was. However I don't remember openning it which is odd to me. You'd think I would.

Twin Pod Cloud Car & Snowspeeder (ESB) - When I was 7 I was hit by a car when crossing a very busy street. Why? I don't know as I don't remember it. Anyway, when I was in the hospital my parents gave these to me I guess to cheer me up. I was given my last rites so maybe they wanted to before I kicked the bucket but they won't admit that. I think they gave me some figures too but am not 100% sure.

Ewok Village (ROTJ) - I remember getting this in '83 from my grandparents. I remember liking it but wasn't too enthused as it looked like something a girl would play with.
Tie Interceptor (ROTJ) - on the one year when I didn't get hardly any sleep on Xmas eve I remember getting this the next morning. I think it was one of the last toys I got and it was in '84 or '85. By then GiJoe was becoming the toy to get for me. I liked it though and still have it to this day in my collection.

Most of the figures etc. I got I don't remember how or when though. The above is pretty much it except for what I said in my previous post.

Now if we ever wanted to change gears and start talking about GiJoe memories I could offer a big ole list.