When Cute Becomes Dangerous: the Star Wars collector community is afflicted

[JediTricks]

Now in 2004 get set for the JediForce Again, Chewbacca is the most dangerous - one look and you'll have to have him! But they make even Darth Vader look cute, plus there's Luke X-wing and R2D2 and C-3PO for $6.99 each. When will it stop?

What are you, kidding?!? Chewie looks awful, big smiling doofus. Only Vader looks significant IMO. The light-up lightsabers are the line's best attribute, though I haven't seen the X-wing in action or seen the Luke Endor w/ speederbike set in person.

Star Wars Buddies? - Yeah, I have all the OT ones and I bought Maul on mega-clearance, he sucked. They were different at a time when we needed something a little more fun.

Galactic Heroes ships and figures? - Unlike the crappy SD line, this line in both forms rules, fun and cute and the original was a bargain.

Clone Wars Animated Figures? - Nope, I bought Asajj on clearance simply because of the character, but it found little love in my collection compared to the "real world" version. The rest of the line lacks articulation and is too expensive for me.

JediForce figures and vehicles? - So far, I haven't been even a little tempted by this line, except possibly by Vader, though I only saw him once. The sculpt on Luke is horrid, Chewie is smiling like a doof, and some of those accessories are embarassing. R2 & 3PO might be ok, but I don't feel any draw at all.

Fess up, suckers! I guess I'm one of you!

One of US?!? You are the worst one of all!

[Turbowars]

I bought the POTF2 buddies, I mean what SW fan could pass up a plush Wampa. That's still the best one.

I passed on the new buddies and the little force figures.

I did buy the Hero bounty hunters, but I stopped there.

Basic figures and busts are my bag these days.

[El Chuxter]

First, if you're talking about "cute," how did you leave out the Palm Talkers? I love those things. They're adorable! I'd get the ones that were only released in Japan if I could find them at a good price.

Star Wars Buddies: I've gotten a few here and there, only the ones that look really cool or that I've found on clearance: Jawa, Wicket, Padme, Qui-Gon, Watto, Maul, Jar Jar, and Chewie. I don't know how they made Yoda look so crappy.

Galactic Heroes ships and figures: Every last one of them, though I've passed on the vehicle re-issues. These things are truly, truly must-haves. I'd get anything they decide to release, even a Jira/Jocasta Nu two-pack.

Clone Wars Animated Figures: Dern tootin'! I'll get the next wave, and I hope there's more for Season 3, and that they pick up a few characters they missed (topless grinnin' Kit, Darth Sidious, and Obi-Wan in Clonetrooper armor at the top of the list).

JediForce figures and vehicles: I finally found Vader just this morning. I'm more ambivalent about this line and will probably collect it the same way that I do 12" figures or Buddies. I've easily passed on that stupid-looking Luke several times, but I'm glad I have the others.

[evenflow]

I collect the CLone Wars animated series and Galactic heroes. But the cutest and most dangerous of all star wars collecting are Kubricks. I am so hooked its not even funny.

[Darth Jax]

Playskool/Galatic Heroes figures and vehicles are great. i've gotten all of them that i can, even the stormtrooper 2 pack.

Buddies i've passed on, but can see their appeal.

Clone Wars animated figures haven't looked worthy of the increased price. for a figure with no articulation they should've been half the size and half the price and i might've picked them up.

JediForce look truly ridiculous and i shudder each and everytime i see them at retail. The speeder bike and x-wing don't even help to generate any interest from me in these figures.

[bobafrett]

So who here collects:

Star Wars Buddies?

Galactic Heroes ships and figures?

Clone Wars Animated Figures?

JediForce figures and vehicles?

Fess up, suckers! I guess I'm one of you!

Star Wars Buddies Got em all, back when they were first released, including TPM line, including Jar Jar

Galactic Heroes ships and figures Yes, I have all of these too. I still haven't opened them yet, including the Falcon with the Stormtrooper. Were they called "Galactic Heroes" when they were still made by PlaySkool? The new line doesn't have the Stormie with it Hans ship, otherwise I'd probably by that Falcon.

Clone Wars Animated FiguresYes, I'm a sucka!

JediForce figures and vehiclesStarted to collect these. So Far just have the eBay exclusive X-Wing that comes with Luke and R2, and bought the Chewbacca, and 3PO with R2 from Target.

Sucker, you bet I am! Making George Lucas richer by the minute!

[Droid]

Star Wars Buddies - Bought the Cantina Band Member to put on my bed. I only wanted one iconic character.

Galactic Heroes ships and figures? - I have bought the whole line of Playskool and Galactic Heroes. Keep 'em coming Hasbro!

Clone Wars Animated Figures? - Nope. Haven't watched the cartoon. Don't like the way the figures look.

JediForce figures and vehicles? - Think they are really deformed. Will pass on all of them.

[plasticfetish]

One of US?!? You are the worst one of all!

Hahahahahaha!

Sitting next to Tycho at the Hasbro panel thing at Comic-con, when they showed the pictures of Galactic Heroes, I think -- if I'm remembering correctly, Tycho actually gasped. OK, maybe he didn't gasp. (Was it a squeal? Hahaha!) He was excited anyway.

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From the lot of them, I've bought only ONE thing. I bought my son the Ewok Star Wars Buddy. (That's it.) There's a chance that I'd buy him other Star Wars Buddies, he's a sucker for plush toys, and I think the idea is funny enough.

Neither of us really care for the Galactic Heroes line. They're kind of cool, but he has tons of regular figures -- he's just too old for the GH line. (Maybe if they'd come out a few years ago, but now it's too late.) I really doubt these are made for kids anyway. They're adult collector "toy crack." Lord knows there's plenty of other impulse buy stuff (**cough, cough, Star Wars Miniatures, cough**) that I've gotten sucked into, so I don't need these.

The JediForce line has generated zero interest from my son, and honestly, I think they're lame. I don't understand why there is two different "little kid" lines going at once now. What are the age groups for all of their lines? Oh wait... it's all aimed at adult collectors isn't it?

The Clone Wars Animated Figures are decent, but I wouldn't lump them in with the rest of the "cute" stuff. They're guilty of being overpriced and boring to play with, but cool to display and luckily they end up on clearance after a while.

[Tycho]

Very funny.

Today I actually resisted:

I found:

- Jedi Force X-wing Fighter vehicle (gold stripe, no Luke or R2 figures included) at Wal-Mart for $19.99.

- Jedi Force Speederbike with Luke Endor / Death Star II figure for $14.99.

I had trouble seeing the appeal. The speederbike doesn't really "do" anything, but Luke comes with a laserblade buzzsaw tool that he can tree-trim with, plus his poncho and helmet. Still the set sort of doesn't completely flop. I think I liked the idea of getting the Death Star II Luke the most.

If the line gets other vehicles, especially Imperial ones, I might be prone to collect them - but not if they just repeat what Galactic Heroes / Playskool Adventures did (and by the way JediTricks, I lump those together as the same line, because Playskool now means Jedi Force).

In any case my choices are:

1) Return the 4 Jedi Force figures I bought from TRU (save $30 for other SW toys)

2) buy the X-wing and Speederbike sets (for what?)

i) Open the JediForce stuff if I'm going to bother with vehicles
ii) don't open the stuff - which makes it really silly to buy vehicles then (if you can't play with them)

3) Decide to just buy the Jedi Force figures - and yes they are mis-shapen, that's the appeal for some reason

[JediTricks]

Hee hee, squealed at the G.Heroes, I hope nobody giggled at him during the show.

he's just too old for the GH line. (Maybe if they'd come out a few years ago, but now it's too late.) I really doubt these are made for kids anyway. They're adult collector "toy crack."

PF, the G.Heroes line *did* come out a few years ago, when they were the cooler "Star Wars All in One Adventures" line which was most definitely made for kids which is why retailers unfortunately didn't order enough of and didn't know what to do with.

I don't understand why there is two different "little kid" lines going at once now.

As you pointed out, the G.Heroes line isn't marketed for little kids anymore, it's aimed squarely at adult collectors now rather than really aiming at both markets at once. The Jedi Force line, on the other hand, is done by a different division marketing it primarily to kids who like the Fisher Price Rescue Heroes and Spider-Man & Friends figures, articulated figures with big chunky accessories, and then is secondarily marketed to collectors.

Galactic Heroes / Playskool Adventures did (and by the way JediTricks, I lump those together as the same line, because Playskool now means Jedi Force).

Let's be clear on something, the "Star Wars All in One Adventures" line was managed by Playskool, the preschooler division of Hasbro, while the "Galactic Heroes" line is managed by Hasbro which is why it's marketed differently. Playskool now manages the Jedi Force line which is geared towards a different market than the All in One Adventures line was.


Tycho, nice finds on those 2 vehicles, first I've heard. Are you sure the poncho is removable from that Jedi Force Luke Jedi though? Personally, if I were in your shoes, I'd pick and chose the pieces I liked, open 'em, and return the rest.