.... that you'll run across something amazing?

I swear, I think I'm about to stop trying to come across something special and just sleep in from now on. So far, I'm 0-for-10,000. I always end up finding nothing of real value and buying an old lamp or something that I turn around and give away.

Anyone have any good garage sale stories? Comics? SW toys?


EDIT: Moved this thread to the OT section, it fits better there.

Cheers, Dr D

Ryan, I always live in hope of the ultimate garage sale!
When I lived in the UK I used to go every week to car boot sales and visit charity shops. Sometimes I was lucky with SW picking up a bunch of mint complete fgures once for less than £20, and a shiny loose Palitoy landspeeder for 99p!! Also picked up lots of comic annuals and records which I collect. But most times I had a good eye for other vintage collectables like Disney, games console stuff and books etc, these I would buy cheap and then list on eBay - the sales of these would then help fund future SW purchases

In France there are quite a few flea markets but I haven't been lucky enough to find anything great yet except for some 70s Britains Deetail soldiers figures and a couple of records

But for me a lot of the enjoyment is the hunt and seeing so many weird and wonderful items that people sell

I found the Escape from the Deathstar board game for $15 at a local op shop. Came home to have a look on ebay to see what they are going for and the cheapest I can get one in Oz including postage is $50. I'm going back tomorrow to pick it up. Hopefully no-one beats me to it.

Score

If it's the Toltoys version get up early and go when they first open

I haven't given up. But in the last several years I can't even find a child chewed He-Man figure at a yardsale anymore.

I can usually find some vintage stuff around here all the time. But I havent went yard saling for the past 7-8 years. Flea Markets are also a good choice to find things. I scored a Luke Hoth baggie for $5 and a few other nice choice items cheap.

I think living in the freaking South... even more south here in Tish, Oklahoma... not many vintage items still in bags or un-opened :\

My hope is to find just a big loose collection w/weapons along with vehicles, maybe the original boxes etc., someday.

Ive found MOC, boxed, loose, etc. around here and Im from the South. I cant get any souther unless I move to Florida.

I always ask , but the last thing I hit was a loose Jawa blaster in a box of older legos , 10 cents !

Ran across a box of ships last year , but just about everything that could be missing was so I didn't get any of it .

Flea markets I have done better at , but not much recently . Generally over priced and beat up loose stuff but I did pick up a Gamorrean on a ok 65 back for $10 last year .


I don't think I have had any big scores in years now

Eric Taylor wrote:

I always ask , but the last thing I hit was a loose Jawa blaster in a box of older legos , 10 cents !

Ran across a box of ships last year , but just about everything that could be missing was so I didn't get any of it .

Flea markets I have done better at , but not much recently . Generally over priced and beat up loose stuff but I did pick up a Gamorrean on a ok 65 back for $10 last year .


I don't think I have had any big scores in years now

I have found some items at flea markets/antique shops but as you mentioned... overpriced.

Can only assume that since it's Star Wars they think it's worth more than it actually is. One was an early 2000's ligh saber (plastic, probably from Wal-Mart) and they were asking $100. Same place had an Anakin pod-racing cookie jar top or plastic bust (not sure what it was realy) and they were asking $50. :?:

I did get some vintage figures several months ago at a antique store in Madill, Oklahoma. They were asking $10 a piece for them (Leia, Luke, Stormtrooper, Obi-Wan, etc). I had to explain that they weren't worth that much, loose and without any weapons/capes/etc. I got her down to $3 each, gave $15 for 5. Went back later to get a few more and she wouldn't move off $10 this time around, thinking a C3PO that had a rusty screw in it's back was, without question to her, worth more than $10.

aussiejames wrote:

If it's the Toltoys version get up early and go when they first open

So went and picked it up today $15 a little rough on the edges (box) the board is in A1 condition and yes it is Toltoys.

Will add pics later when I get home.

I've picked up a few things this year. First round of garage sales I found about 20 loose figs nothing fantastic and about a week ago I picked up a medium sized clothes basket of parts and pieses of stuff with a few weapons and a die cast Slave-1 an a snowspeeder in good shape.

Garage saling can be a pain in the ass at times. Im not a fan of unpriced items. From time to time you find thoose people who do think because its SW its GOLD. Your looking at an item not priced while the owner of its watching your excitement then will try to charge you accordingly.

I love the hunt but not much of a fan of getting up and running around town so early.

Here it is,

Whenever I sell at car boots I always take some Star Wars stuff, mostly modern with usually the odd bit of vintage and they always sell out within seconds of me arriving at the spot! Always sell for a very good price too

Yeah I haven't had any real luck at flea markets. I agree with the rest of you, the people at flea markets always think they have GOLD.

I did find a older guy looking to just sell his collection about two months ago.

I paid a good penny for the items but the reason was because the box's were perfect and some of the items even had parts of the cardboard inserts. Overall I was happy and so was he.

I am still waiting for the DT luke or random person selling figures for $1.

I really haven't found much in several years now , garage sale wise my biggest hit was about 12-13 years ago I got a call from a friend who said the woman next door was selling star wars figures for $5 , so I figured it would mostly be POTF2 stuff but headed over anyway . Turned out it was all vintage stuff , her prices were "$5 on any of the small figures , $10 on the large" So I picked up a 21 back power droid , 21 back R5 , Meccano Jawa , ESB Leia .... and a couple others I can't remember right now , also got 12" IG-88 complete , 12" Leia in box . I picked up a bunch of other loose figures too Han carbonite , Luke poncho , Barada .... oh and a rocket fett , and a bunch of other stuff too , all told I spent $160 out of the $161 I had on me .





for some reason she wanted $25 on the Yak and Blue snag , she knew those were harder to find so I had to pass , they weren't in great shape and the Snag had repainted boots , I knew this for sure because I spent the rest of the day cleaning little bits of silver paint off some of the loose figures . The thing that still bugs me is she had a stack of POTF coins and when I asked she said " those are $10 " and I didn't know much about them at the time , so wasn't sure if she meant for the stack or each . I couldn't tell you for sure what was there but I swear there was a falcon coin so could have been more cat 3-5's .... I may have left a $10 skiff coin sitting on a table and not even known .

I took the IG-88 to a comic shop in town later that day and sold it .... for $160 ! so actually all that stuff was free haha



I used to find alot of things at flea markets , but it's been slim pickings for several years . Just the occasional pee-pee yellow stormtrooper with a hand chewed off , that was buried in a sandbox and the person wants $15 for it .

still not my best over all find , but I will save that for another time , any way here are some finds I have pics of

flea market last year $10 65 back gammy



$3



this was actually bought by my friend at the time , after I talked him into it , he wasn't going to buy it ( because he's a cheap cunt ) but I told him it was a tough piece and and I knew if I bought it and he found out what it was , I would have never heard the end of it and in his mind would owe him forever ..... stupid me . and he turned out to be an asshole so we don't even talk anymore

$50 ( sealed )




and this 48 back Chewy I traded a hot wheels treasure hunt for , that I had paid a dollar for at target , and is probably worth about $2 now ( the hot wheels car that is )

we have a big one where I am every sunday sometime I get lucky I also collect military dinky toys I have found a few for real cheap I have also found sw items I recently just picked up a vintage falcon it is not in great shape but it still has pieces I can sell or trade like the radar dish no jedi ball though I just needed the motor for mine I got it for $5.00 so it was a good score.