New Star Wars Collector

[Master Kenobi]

I was think of starting my collection now since this line seems to be new. I always wanted to collect Star Wars Action Figures but there were so many lines it scared me away. I haven't seen all of the movies yet maybe that's why was scared away also. What do you guys think is this a good starting point?

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

Welcome to the boards!

Well, I'd say a good starting point would be watching all of the films.

Figure-wise, I think that the Saga Collection starting around next month would be a great way to start if you just want one or two of each character. For now, though, go to Target or Wal-Mart and check out their Revenge of the Sith selection, and get any that you like there. But Saga will have many characters from all six films, including main and minor characters, and new and old figures. So if I were a new collector, now would be a great time to start.

[Turbowars]

I think the SAGA 2 line would be a awesome place to start. The OTC line from last year would also be a killer series to get too. Depending what kind of collector to you turn out to be (MOMC collector, loose or both)you will see that there's some have to haves from years ago.

But one thing you really need to do 1st is army build Neimoidian Warriors. So with that said shot down to your local Target store and buy as many as you can. You would be helping a great cause.

[timmae]

hello master kenobi! now is always a good time to start. i strongly suggest you snag the last of the rots line. good luck and have fun with it! my first trick or treater was a 5 year old tactical ops trooper (i wanted to show him my Kmart set-i figured he wanted to go next door and get more candy though). it really made my day!

[mastermatt24]

Welcome to the boards!

Yes! Welcome!

Figure-wise, I think that the Saga Collection starting around next month would be a great way to start if you just want one or two of each character.

Yes this is a great place to start.. BUT! I will warn you now- BE CAREFUL- of what you buy- if you become a completist you're gonna be in this for a long time and let me tell you these things take a lot of time, $$$$$, space, and more $$$$. My advice would be to buy ONLY what you like... and screw the rest of the stuff you dont like!
(thats what Im doing from now on)

[trandoshan666]

But one thing you really need to do 1st is army build Neimoidian Warriors. So with that said shot down to your local Target store and buy as many as you can. You would be helping a great cause.

I'll second that , and note that I really wish somebody would army build the various Palpatine figures . Seriously though, welcome to the boards and welcome to collecting. It's a great hobby, and if you're like many of us, in time you will call it "master."

[JetsAndHeels]

Welcome to the boards, Master Kenobi. Always good to welcome another collector into the fold.
Personally I would say to keep it simple, buy only what you want. All of us seasoned veterans here know how Hasbro loves rehashes. You are going to see alot of the same figures put into different packages and on different cards. So just watch out, and make sure not to drop alot of cash on the same figure over and over (like I have done alot).
Find some friends or people you know who enjoy collecting also. It can be easier if you have someone to help you find new things at different stores in your area-you may just find someone on this message board.
Most of all, just have fun!! This is first and foremost a hobby, so enjoy it everyday and remember its all about the love of collecting.
For a starting point, get some ROTS stuff. Since thats the last film, it would be a good place for you to begin. Then like everyone else has said, move on to the new Saga line and other things coming up in the near future. Pay attention to this website and read up on new figures. Once you know what you want, going after it can be a bit easier.

[Slicker]

Welcome aboard Kenobi!!

The first thing to do is watch the movies several times then just buy the figures of the characters you liked the most. That's the easiest way to go. I must like every damn character since I have 'em all.

[Lazer Brain]

Ye hA! welcome. the most helpful thing i have found i my collecting years is ....find a buddy/ or club even. i have gotten the most help from my own local collectors. we have newbies join us all the time, even if its there first figure we try to help.
good luck.
later

[sith_killer_99]

Welcome welcome welcome!

This is a great hobby and you have found one of the best SW collecting communities on the net IMO.

There are a lot of things to consider before you start collecting.

1. "Disposable income" Or how much do you plan on spending on this collection. I recommend setting up a monthly budget and stick with it. As time goes on you may be able to adjust according to how much you want to spend.

2. How do you want to collect? This is perhaps the most important aspect of collecting. Some people collect loose and some people are strict mint on mint card collectors. Some people only collect Original Trilogy characters and some people have to have 1 of every figure. Some people get into errors and variations and some people collect foreign carded figures. One of the things I love about this hobby is that every collection is unique to it's owner and seems to have a sort of personality of it's own.

3. Space! How much space you have for your collection will eventually become an issue as it has for just about every collector.

If this all seems like a lot to take in I apologize, I certainly do not want to scare you off. Buy it really helps to think about these things before you start collecting.

There are lots of places to consider when "starting" a Star Wars collection. I recommend starting with "what's out now". Though in this case I would say you may want to wait until the new Saga 2 line hits later this month or early next month.

More things to consider when thinking about where to start...

Deals on older figures. You are currently about 10 years behind the curve in terms of the "modern line". That is to say the SW line was started back up in 1995 with the Power of the Force line, also known as POTF2. The original Power of the Force line was part of the vintage line. When Hasbro (Kenner) re-started the SW line they simply took up with the old name.

Anyway, there are some great deals to be had on older figures, this works to your advantage. Some places like Ebay will have sellers getting rid of "complete sets" for reasonable prices. This means that you might be able to get all the figures from one line for one price (often below initial retail cost).

Smaller collections! There have been a couple of smaller lines within the Star Wars lines. Some of these include:

Shadows of the Empire - 5 basic carded figures and 2 multi packs

Expanded Universe - 9 basic carded figures

Flashback - 11 basic carded figures

Clone Wars - 10 basic carded figures and 11 deluxe/multi packs

Clone Wars Animated - 14 basic carded figures

etc.

However you want to expand your collection in the future I would recommend starting with the Saga 2 line for a couple of reasons. First you get to start from the begining. With the ROTS line you may be hard pressed to find certain figures at retail. If you wait to collect the ROTS line you may be able to find a complete set later and buy 'em all at once.

Anyway, I hope this wasn't too indepth and that it was helpful to you.

Good luck and MTFBWY.