Inspired by Jason's 2-1B focus thread:

mr_palitoy wrote:

Was looking for a character focus that hadn't been done by anyone before on rebelscum, and 2-1b was was one of a few possibles that wasn't on the character focus thread at the time. Not a character that would have too much to collect and a lot of pieces that would be very hard and expensive to get. And not a character that had too little carded variations to get either. Somewhere nice in the middle. I was then a collectors fair where the German double stemmed 2-1b and another kenner one were available so I started the focus there and then.



cheers Jason

I have never really had a focus, I just buy what I like and can afford at the time. Many times though my preferences change, having a focus would be better as then you have a set standard.

I was a modern collector who was getting sick of buying the same figure on a different card back every year, driving around store to store, checking out at the counter with 8 star wars toys and asking for a gift receipt out of embarrassment, etc. I decided since I was now out of University I had a bit more money to play with I'd pick up a couple Vintage MOCs.

I thought there was just so much out there and I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not I'd limit myself to one character. I was going to go with a 12 back character to maximize the amount out there but it seemed like everyone already laid claim to those focuses and all the good stuff would be hard and very expensive to find. Since I'm short (5'7") I thought the Jawa would be neat but crapped my pants at the vinyl caped stuff out there.

I moved onto Boba Fett and quickly thought otherwise and decided to try another bounty hunter. 4LOM was short, like me and didn't seem to have anything to hard or expensive to buy. Boy was I wrong once I found out about the Offerless, PBP. Etc and all the pre production stuff. I did a bit of research and didn't find that there already was a 4LOM collector (Bear78/Andy). Otherwise I probably would've chosen someone else. Andy has been awesome about it and we chat all the time about hockey and 4LOM.

EDIT: Now that I have gobbled up so much the 4LOM purchases are few and far between. I pick up items here and there that look to be good deals and piqué my interest. I've recently started a Plo Koon Prototype run that I'll limelight once I get some more. I try and not to spend too much on that stuff though for fear a big 4LOM item pops up and I've spent my funds elsewhere.

If we just concentrate on the character focus collection I collect Luke Jedi items. Mainly just MOC:s with a few exceptions. I got back in collecting around 2005 to complete my loose collection and pick up ships/vehicles/playsets I didn't have. I had no intention of ever collecting MOC:s. However taht chnaged when I picked up my first MOC and then I was hooked. After collecting MOC:s for a few years my interest for having a focus collection had emerged. The reason for choosing Luke Jedi was that I think it's the coolest character with so many cool accessories. A cool cape, a nice blaster and the awesome lightsaber which could either be green or blue. I also like the cardback art for the character. My focus is no way near Shawn's or Craig T's but I hope to still add some pieces to it. I still miss a number of Kenner MOC variations and that is my main goal with the focus to get a complete run of Luke Jedi Kenner MOC:s.

How do I collect.... With the all encompassing depth of a black hole, as aggressively as I need to in order to maintain my collection as top tier above and beyond. I'm not going to lie and say that my collecting methods are anything less than "by any means necessary" when it comes to important items that are on my hitlist. I even it out with trying to help others when I can, and being fair and reasonable when I sell stuff.

EDIT to go along with the changed topic
Why do I collect, because it's fun and always interesting collecting bootlegs. Always something new being found, another variation to be found. I came to bootlegs(SHORT VERSION) because licensed stuff just seemed too easy to collect. Other than having to have the money, every licensed item CAN be had with relative ease. But if you've got the $$, there is not one licensed production item that is truly impossible to get. Bootlegs on the other hand, there are many that regardless of money, it takes cunning, effort, and the right timing to get. That keeps my interest.


Cheers
Joe

Sorry guys I was rushed earlier today and didn't realize the title didn't really make sense. I've edited a bit.

I guess what I basically wanted to know was: what is your collecting story - how you got into it, what you are currently after, where do you see yourself going (past present future) etc. Interesting perspectives so far!

Sorry about that.

I sort of got into this by accident.

My son found a bunch of my figures at my mom's house and played with them. Once I saw he liked them I bought some rough lots of Ebay for him and he had about 30 or 40 figures. Once he lost interest (the moderns are better to play with admittedly) I took them and threw them on a little shelf in my office and thought it might be cool to get a complete set. I even dared to dream I'd get a Blue Snaggletooth one day

Well after collecting for about a years and a half I found RS and bought my Blue Snaggletooth and Romba and had a complete set of figs!!! There were some MOC , some AFA loose, but mostly loose. I remember telling my wife I was going to spend $100 on a figure and thinking it was the most I'd spend ever. What a dope I was......

Anywho, after that I decided to try and go for a MOC complete set. As I bought an MOC, I'd sell his loose counterpart. I always committed to having only one of each figure with minor exception (i.e. bootleg, EB Kit) so slowly but surely my loose figs went and MOC's came in.

Then I saw foreign license figures. I really liked the whole idea. I think the foreign languages are great, and my "Small World" focus began!!!!

Like Kevin, my stuff is getting harder to track down. I still need stuff but most are really rare (12bk Clipper, POCH ESB, Meccano 12bk ) so bootlegs keep me busy while i sit and wait

I'm sure some people have heard/read this before, but for people who don't know me - I'll repeat it here:

When I started collecting Darth Vader pieces, there was no such thing as a "focus". At the time, it was unheard of for someone
to just collect ONE thing. It wasn't a choice for me, I just had no other interest in anything else. Vader was my favorite character
since day 1 when I first saw him in ANH in 1977, and something about the character has just always resonated with me.
When I started going to shows, there was almost a specific gravity towards those pieces, and a focus that just set my bells ringing,
while other characters, items did not. It's difficult to collect anything if you just don't want it. In a nutshell, that has pretty much defined
my entire collecting career, and how my collection has evolved over the years. I can say without hesitation my collection is 100% a
reflection of my tastes, and style, no one else's.

To add to what Joe said - over time, the types of items I go after has certainly has shifted as well. The majority of vintage production
pieces are simply not that rare. However, that small minority hides some real doozys ... I'm talking about less than 5 known examples.
So it's still certainly fun to try to track those down, but very challenging in lots of ways. A great example of this that I've been collecting
recently are the UK/British produced school items from HC Ford, etc. Some of those items are unbelievably difficult to track down, but
are also some of the coolest items I've come across. So that is just a no-brainer for me - awesome/cool vintage items, AND are challenging
to collect. That's a win-win for any collector.

I think the final point that I would really like to make, and something I've said for years - it really comes down to one simple thing, and only
you/each of us can answer this: What are you truly passionate about ? Don't follow the crowd, or the fads or trends. What makes YOU happy ?
What makes YOU sit up and slap down on that BIN on ebay without a second thought ? Only you can answer that. I've told people before, who
cares what it ends up being ? Say you are head over heels over Darth Vader and want to start a focus or a collection ? Guess what ... it's
probably one of the better choices out there really. Vader items in circulation are easily 30:1 over any other character (excluding C3PO/R2),
and the sheer volume of items out there is mind boggling. You would also have a serious amount of information to look at from existing collections,
and people who are more than willing to help you along the way. I've found most of the other guys are genuinely nice and helpful. Otherwise, if
someone treats you poorly, or blows you off, then just chalk it up to them being a jerk and move on. (better yet, let me know. It's a small Vader
community, and I don't handle assholes very well .. what goes around, comes around)

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that instead of starting a collection with the attitude of "damn, look at THAT .. I'll never be able to have that kind
of a collection" ... you should instead find it motivating, and reach out to those people. Talk to them ... even Joe and bootlegs Aside from eating
an occasional (tragically idiotic) newbie, he's one of the coolest, and most knowledgeable people there are. You couldn't ask for more really.
(I mean .. when it comes to Bootlegs, Joe is THE resource. I'll tell people openly he is my contact for any questions I have on them).

Just my opinion on the matter, but I hope people see where I'm coming from. If someone doesn't encourage you, or take the time to help you,
then write them off and find someone else who will happy fill that role for you. Not everyone has egos the size of Jupiter, and NO ONE knows
everything, regardless of how many people like to claim they do. I've had my Vader "focus" for 20+ years now, and I can't remember a week
that has gone by that I haven't learned something new, or found a "new" vintage item that I had no idea existed. So I still have a long way to
go obviously.

Bill

Awesome post Bill.

I guess my main concern back then when trying to chose a character focus and staying away from what someone had already started was I didn't want to be the new guy who came in stepping all over an established collectors toes. Years later I've come to see that most guys in this hobby are happy that someone shares their passion and welcome a friendly rival.

KevinA wrote:

Awesome post Bill.
I guess my main concern back then when trying to chose a character focus and staying away from what someone had already started was I didn't want to be the new guy who came in stepping all over an established collectors toes. Years later I've come to see that most guys in this hobby are happy that someone shares their passion and welcome a friendly rival.

Thanks Kevin !!
Absolutely - I think that the initial reaction people have to various collecting ideas/focus. But as you have seen, it's really not like that at all
and if anything most of the (same) people will either become friends, or actually really help you out along the way in your collection.
So instead of being some sort of Fort Knox/vault for what you are doing, a fellow focus collector can turn out to be one of your best
resources.
If anything, my personal take on helping people is pretty simple - I help you, you help me. I can assure you that simple collecting
philosophy has paid off in ways that I don't think I could ever thank all the people, enough time over the years, who have helped me
find key pieces. A recent example is a fellow member here - DarthTad (Tad) who helped me out with a piece I had spent the better
part of 10+ years looking for. (I mean *really* looking for .. like drooling, loosing hair over looking for). If it wasn't for his help,
I wouldn't have finally landed an example for my collection. So even to this day, that simple idea still works quite well.

Bill

I have always collected vintage SW on and off and for the sake of time I will begin with my most recent endeavor and joining TIG.

My resurgence in collecting was that of a perfect storm - I finished university, settled down with my fiance and began my professional career. Now I had the time and resources to begin collecting again.

About a year ago this summer, I was searching the collectibles section of Craigslist (Not for SW mind you) and came across a post that wasn't very descriptive nor did it include any pictures. On a hunch, I emailed the seller and asked for a picture, he sent the following:



My entire vintage collection from years pass had been sold off before going away to school. I didn't own one vintage piece this time last summer.

We negotiated a generous price on his childhood collection and I drove to pick up the set. Also included but not pictured was a Dewback and Landspeeder. That single transaction snowballed into what is now my focus. A complete Kenner loose run (one of each production figure '77-'85). I knew that with a little bit of time and money I could complete this task somewhat easily thanks to eBay, so... the kicker was, each figure had to be dug up and acquired locally. Nearly a year later I'm 5 figures shy of completing this goal (This includes several local swaps/upgrades of previously purchased figures because I'm a stickler for condition).

While searching for loose figures to complete my run, I sometimes encountered MOC's, MIB's etc. and couldn't say no to what I thought was a good buy, mint or just cool. Joining TIG and interacting with the members has cemented my interest in vintage SW collecting again!

Kudos to you bill, that was really well put and I totally agree with your way of thinking. Always treat others as you want to be treated, karma is a bitch.

Right now the thing that I can't stop hitting the BID button on is loose figures and beater MOC's. I really can't wait to get my newest beater I bought from Ebay. It's a RTOJ Bib Fortuna. Really Beat up and the best part is I paid $3 for him. I mean how could you turn down a $3 MOC.

As far as the loose figures go, I just love displaying the entire line, then having two other separate collections of all the figures made in China and Taiwan. I just started getting into the no COO figures and Mexican and Polish bootlegs.

And everyone here at TIG has been so helpful.

My collecting is mainly nostalgia driven. I've had to make concessions to due to space and the display I use but every "collection" purchase is made with that in mind. Which is why out of 15 MOC figures I won 15 are ANH based. For display reasons (and in the past budget reasons) not all are on SW cards. The carded figures I have/want are not due to any type of presige factor but because I remember seeing them in the store that way so having a grouping of carded figures reminds of that. Of the five ESB carded three I bought because they were childhood favorites I no longer had, although I was later able to recover one. My "grail "piece is the 12 back header because I remember seeing it Sears in the 70's and it's been burned into my skull ever since. I think everyone gets the idea!

I'm not sure I can necessarily describe how I collect, but it is certainly related to nostalgia and what gives me passion and excitement. This has lead me to a number of different foci, 2 of them being Vader items and Canadian carded figures.

The Vader interest is simply because of the coolness factor he has had since I was a kid. Being Canadian, I wanted the carded figures that were the versions I saw on the shelves and opened as a kid. And since Canadian items are available in less abundance that their US counterparts, it's a little more challenging to track them down and I can take my time hunting for them.

I certainly agree with Bill's statement about helping each other out. I've had a number of fellow collectors share items they found that I would be interested in, and it's a cool feeling when you can return the favour.

How do I collect the way I do? With money.

Why do I collect the way I do? I was bored.

Seriously, the why and how goes back to my first collection, which Im back into, comics. It was something to keep me occupied cause I get bored way to easy in the 80s and 90s. So I went with something I enjoyed as a kid. For SW, well, thats a long story. Short version, hear about it talked so much, you just had to buy some.

As I have stated many times, Jawas or bust for me. Though I have been close to saying "fuck it" and cashing in, I will miss them and they will miss me. Eleven years has passed since I made the best decision to focus on Jawas.. I truly love them. I do not miss my MOC's that much and LOVE the pre-production arena. From Vintage to Modern, the adventure continues..

Well, then it's story time I was blown away by Star Wars as a child. I loved the movies and of course the action figures. You could say that I was collecting already back in the 80's. We had a shopping mall 10 miles from my childhood home and it was Christmas every time we would go there. I remember going to those big bins packed with Star Wars MOC:s trying to find a figure I didn't have. I remeber being very careful with my figures and when I grew out of playing with them I packed them up and stored them away.

A number of years passed by and then I visited a Sci/Fi convention in Gothenburg back in 2004. I was mainly there to pick up Dave Prowse signature. While checking out all the vendors and stuff for sale I came across those beloved old figures. I always thought I had almost every figure released, but looking at the figures available I realized that there were a larger number of figures I didn't have. I thought to myself that it would be cool to buy the missing figures and complete my collection. However I never acted on it and it became 2005 and the release of Revenge of the Sith. I did however look up my figures at my parents house and they were still in great condition and all accessories were acounted for. All other items were also there for the exception of AT-AT, Tie Interceptor and Rancor. I have never found out what happened to those items.

Around the release of ROTS I walked into a TRU store to buy a birthday gift. In the store I noticed a Star Wars MOC. It was the Saga Han Solo Endor raid figure. I was surprised to see that they were still making Star Wars action figures. I didn't buy it at that time, but came back later and bought it. I thought it would be fun to buy a modern Star Wars action figure. I got onto the Internet and did some research and discovered the massive amount of modern figures released. So then I was hooked on collecting again. At the same time I discovered Tradera which is a Swedish trading site and there you could find modern stuff along with Vintage figures and vehicles. That led to the me looking at Ebay for Vintage stuff and that of course sealed my collecting faith.

I have collected Modern and Vintage since then, but my modern purchases have been really few the last 2-3 years. My main focus is Vintage MOC:s. I have nearly completed a full Kenner set. I also have finished my loose set, bought some more vehicles, playsets and ships. Seeing focus collections on RS I started a Luke Jedi focus a few years ago mainly trying to get all Kenner MOC:s Luke Jedi was released on.

At the moment my purchases are few. I just bought a house so my priority isn't Star Wars stuff at the moment. For the future I would like to get that full Kenner MOC set, continue on my Luke Jedi focus and buy some missing vehicles and playsets. I really haven't had a good display because of lack of space, but now that I own a house I will work on a better display. Hopefully I can get the display ready soon and upload some pics here on TIG.

I've collected Star Wars items since POTF2 hit stores in 1995. I was in high school, and this was my first real opportunity to collect. The only movie of theORiginal Trilogy I saw in the theater was Return of the Jedi, and later on I was able to see the first two through VHS, or TV. But when I was young, it's pretty much ALL we did. We lived and breathed Star Wars. We would make little swords for crappy wood, and then have an argument about which character we would be, and then beat the shit out of the wooden swords pretending they were lightsabers.

I think that's why I collect vintage now. It's my childhood all over again. As far as the Vader focus goes, I came to the conclusion pretty quickly that it's near impossible to collect everything, and it can easily become a chore more than an enjoyment. Tracking it down, keeping track, etc., can be overwhelming. So I spent some time thinking about what I really liked. And it was Vader. And I'll admit, a big inspiration for me was seeing some of the other amazing Vader collections. I can't tell you how many times I looked at pictures of Bill's collection, or Luis Villagomez's, and also JesseVader's, and DarthJaxx's, just to see how great they were, and how many amazing items were out there that I never knew about.

And collecting has been far more enjoyable since I've done that. I'll also admit that I don't just collect Vader, either. I collect all kinds of vintage items, MOC's, modern, statues and busts from Gentle Giant and Sideshow. But my Vader collection is my favorite. In fact I've recently decided to sell a large part of my collection to really just "trim the fat" so to speak, and focus only on items I really like, as opposed to completing sets.

And I will reaffirm what Bill and Jesse have said. The Vader collecting community is amazing. I can't tell you how many times Bill has helped me with items, questions, or really anything Vader related. Same with Jesse, Luis, and DarthJaxx. We all kind of know what each other has, what each other is looking for, and we all help each other. I was actually kind of surprised when I first encountered it. I wanted to keep things close to the vest for fear of an unscrupulous collector snatching something from me. And that does occur every now and then. Every hobby has creeps that undermine the community. But I have yet to find it with Vader collectors. We all kind of go out of our way to help another Vader collector out. Which, for me, adds to the enjoyment of collecting Vader.

Well that, and the fact the Vader is totally the badassiest character in the history of ever.

Like many of you, based on looking at the ages, I grew up on Star Wars. Blown away with all three of them and seeing A New Hope with my parents when I was only three years old is probably my earliest memory (that and my sister being born). My parents bought a few figures for me after the movie, but when the ESB came out, it was full-blown massive/huge/freaking fan! I had to be a Stormtrooper, had a few masks and wore them around the neighborhood when I was only five. Then it was all Vader when the ROTJ came out. Like many here, I was Vader for 2-3 Halloweens

But during V and VI, I collected like crazy and played with them pretty hard. I mean, we battled... it wasn't hobby, it was serious! Then when GI Joe came out, it was WWIII. I had bullet/laser holes in my GI Joe figures (made by a hot needle) and slashes from lightsabers.

I had pretty much every figure and most of the vehicles. I then got more into GI Joe and Transformers before putting them all away for girls and cars.

I lost a lot of my Transformers, GI Joe items... but the Star Wars things were always kept in different box. I lost a few things over the years moving off to college, then to grad school then to moving 2-3 times before getting back to my hometown after a divorce (lost the X-Wing, the white TIE fighter, parts of Slave 1, speederbike, etc).

Watched Ep. I, II and III by myself. Wife (now ex-wife) was not interested at all. Loved Jango Fett and bought the removable head Jango. Only figure I bought since the 80's. Had him on my computer monitor for years.

A little over two years ago my oldest daughter (now 11) caught part of one of the prequels on SPIKE and fell in love with Padme. My little girl (now 9), wanting to be like big sis, started to watch them also and fell in love with Leia. So out came the boxes and I gave my collection to them, we clean them up, set them up on the shelves in their play room and then we started to buy Padme and Leia figures. Funny thing was, they never wanted to open the boxes and kept them MOC on their shelves. They asked for Force FX sabers from Santa two years ago!

That got me back into my love for Star Wars like I had when I was a kid. Never dreamed my girls would be SW fans, but it's been so fun. While they collect modern figures of Padme & Leia... I am starting to slowly collect MOC & loose figures that are mint, from my childhood. I've also bought some of the modern (post 1995) figures as well... just love it all. From the Expanded Universe to the vintage lines, I love getting unpunched figures like Starkiller, Darth Maul, Darth Bane, etc.

Just been a blast, but being a former teacher/coach in Oklahoma (now working for my father as a orthodontic lab tech), I have to do this slowly (budget).

I think Ill join Tikalo Carbo story time here:

I got into collecting back in around 1996-97 partly because my mum is an antiques dealer but mainly because I loved the vintage toys.

I used to love going to a shop near me called the Toy Box in Shepperton where I would pick up loose figures, sometimes with weapons and sometimes without. I used to use my pocket money to buy loose figures with my brothers and whilst their interest dwindled over the years mine didnt. I finished the loose run by the time I was around 17/18 and I had also picked up a coupled of boxed bits which for me at the time were just incredible.

After coming back from Uni I started upgrading my loose figures so that they were mint and then started on collecting carded figures. I started putting together a run of debut offerless kenner MOCS and got up to around 70 characters before a few "sideline" purchases changed my outlook dramatically.

I picked up a Second series Droids Special Action Figure set and that really changed things for me. I then started to look out for special acion figure sets and when they came up I funded them by selling my carded run. Since then I have sold all my carded run to fund my new focus and I havent looked back.

I miss some of my old stuff from time to time but when I look at my new stuff I dont regret it. I couldnt afford both and I now feel like I have found a niche that I am truly passionate about.

For me, the line between playing with these toys as a child and collecting them as an older kid/young adult is rather fuzzy. I grew up with a healthy stash of ESB and ROTJ toys as I eagerly gobbled up anything Star Wars in the early 80's. I'm 36 so I was a bit young to get on board during the earliest years. After Kenner stopped producing SW toys, I continued to pick up stuff I didn't have at flea markets and garage sales. Somewhere along the line, I stopped playing with them but continued to set them up on my dresser, desk, etc. In that way, this stuff has always had an immediate presence in my life.

Fast forward to the early 90's and Sansweet publishes his Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectibles book. I bought this book and was immediately drawn to the page showing the grouping of all the vintage figures. My first true collecting goal was born there: to obtain one of each loose figure; mint and complete.

And here we are...

as a kid I had toys .. hot wheels and gi joe and he man ... wasnt allowed to have star wars but then was in 1984 ... then sold all my stuff to buy a nintendo ... and I had found baseball card collecting to be fun.... but never liked baseball ... soon I was given the VHS tapes of all 3 star wars movies and I found myself wanting my old star wars figures ... I soon started hunting for loose figures at flea markets and put ads in the local papers. along the way my figure collection grew into star wars collecting ... and then with some contacts I got some nice MOC items. I soon was going to aim for one of each figure MOC ... but then a couple items were damaged ... and Ebay was still pretty new ... con jobs were coming to be normal ... and I just didn't like to deal with it ... so I went for Loose. I then started to dabble in other toy lines. mostly Gi Joe and He Man. I also tried vitnage loose star wars variation collecting but really got tired of it fast ... seemed that I had a mix of good luck and a good eye and could nab almost any variation I wanted within a couple of trys with ebay lots. so I kept the rare and sold off the common loose items I had ... I still need to get a blue snaggletooth and yak face but have a hard time paying the going rate for them.

it was about 2005 ... I had a bout with depression, my grandma passed away from cancer. So I really started to question what it was in life that I really enjoyed ... I found some items I had as a way to try and keep up with the "jones" so to speak ... so I sold off most of my MOC figures keeping the key ones I loved. A chance lot on ebay got me started on some Mego Super Heroes ... I soon went deep into that hobby, loose and original were my goals ... down to needing just Invisible Girl since I don't count Isis or the teen titans .... a mix of over rated and high price and just stupid for them to make kid flash but no Flash??? so I don't count them LOL. I soon dabbled in the Raiders of the lost ark line. sold off most of my he man figures only going to focus on the first two years ... and price adam. Also got a great deal on a couple G1 transformers so I'm sort of dabbling in just that first year of autobots frm 1984 ... not going to pay the prices for megatron that he commands since as a robot he looks very lame. I found that as much as I love Star Wars items I love the pop culture and over all a general love of toys ... so I no longer am a star wars collector but more of a pop culture collector ... I've added animation cels to my hobby along with promo glasses, video game systems from the 80s ... just over all if I like it I add it ... I've gone as far as buying Barbie dolls that are of super heroes and even joan jett barbie LOL ... it's just fun.

Here's my collecting journey if anyone cares to read a long story.

I already see I need to have a read through it again and fix a few errors. It's fun to read how everyone got into the hobby.

[quote="shawn_k"]Here's my collecting journey if anyone cares to read a long story.

I already see I need to have a read through it again and fix a few errors. It's fun to read how everyone got into the hobby.[/quote

I really enjoyed reading this! It's inspired me to work on a definitive history of my collecting and possibly set up a website showcasing my collection. Very nice job!

-Bobby