The TIG Exam RoomPlease welcome the next TIG victim who has bravely agreed to take the probe ... The Alpha Wolf of the Coo pack has bent over to give us a good look in his crack 
TEST SUBJECT # 35 
Screen Name: wbobafett
Real Name: Wolff
Location: Germany
Special Powers: - Spotting Coos from the front and being too slow on bargains and FS threads
Greetings Wolff , thank you for your cooperation , let the probing begin .... #1 What is your favorite SW memory ? (film or toy line)I would say the first time I saw ANH with my dad. I had to wait for it because I was too young to see it in time. I already had a lot of toys and couldn’t wait to see the movies. I am born in 1979, so I actually never made it to the cinemas. Knewing it was out there, having the toys but never was allowed to watch it made it very special as I finally happened.
#2 Which SW character would you dress up as if you were attending a convention ?Leia Princess! Hahaha….no I am just kidding. Stormtrooper would be my choice I guess. Pretty boring huh? I just love to see as many of them possible walking around at conventions.
**FX-7 Edit** :Seeing lot's of Stormtrooper's togeather at one time is cool ...
but a Slave Leia army might be better 
#3 Please tell us about your focus on coo variation research and why you chose to concentrate in this area of collecting :Well I was a variant hunter from the beginning I guess. I found a Vinyl Cape Jawa on a flea market in Germany as I was a boy…not sure anymore…about 13 years old I guess. I always knew it is a special figure and had to keep begging my dad to buy it for me. I think the guy wanted about 10-15 DM (about 8 USD that time) for it….waaay to much to pay for a used toy. My father and I used to buy SW figures for 1 USD each or so. But I wanted it so bad. Glad I could convince my father
I also had a Trilogo Fett in my childhood collection. These are btw the only figures left from my childhood collection I guess. Not sure on some of the regular figures but normally they had heavy playwear…. especially the Rebels got beat up every time I played!
I have to say that both my parents are collectors as well. I grew up on flea markets and antique shows etc. So collecting was something which was an every day thing to me, as well as seeing differences and watching for labels, markings, country stamps, etc. Seeing that there can be different capes or different colors on figures made me keep looking for more. I bought the “SU Star Heroes Collector” in 1998 and I finally had an overview of the things that were actually produced at that time. I only had one MOC as a kid and lost the cardback sadly (Klaatu). All other toys I had were used toys from other kids. And there was more: In that collectors guide there was a very small picture of a red eyed Brazil R2. I loved it from first sight and needed to have this. In 1999 I discovered ebay and from then on I was always looking for variants. Research was quite harder at that time. And the purchases were risky. Western Union payments to Brazil or Argentina could get “lost” from time to time. Therefore some stuff was damn cheap (carded TopToys for 40 USD each, Glasslite ships boxed for 50 USD each etc). In 2008 I finally joined RS…and was educated…the hard way…LOL. Meeting other variant collectors really brought my collection forward. There was always a next step… and it ended up in Coo-collecting. It was more fun in the first place but then evolved into a serious research project.
I btw gave up Coo-collecting since a few years. I have heavily reduced my collection. I guess I still have about 800-900 figures but I surely sold about 350 figures in the last years of my personal collection and I plan do reduce further. That btw is much harder and tougher then gathering the stuff
. The aim will be to keep only main variants and families, but as said…to draw the line can be tricky sometimes. And there is always one more thing: I need it for a further guide…so I need to keep it for now…I have hundreds of figures just sitting here because I probably will need them for future guides….same with the weapons….but that’s another story.
So to answer the original question: I just love to see different styles/variants/paint jobs on a figure next to each other. If someone remembers the very old pictures of Kim Zoll (I guess it was him) with production figures and bootlegs…a dream!!
I cannot tell you why but having an R2-D2 “pop-up saber” next to the Glasslite “red eye” and next to the Uzay with white saber and that upper cool sticker…this is IMO a dream Trio. (I need to do that picture urgently btw..LOL). I never got into Droids or Ewoks line. They are simply not Star Wars to me….I cannot help…so no Droids pop-up here….ever!
There were many collections out there which inspired me and which I studied for hours again and again: Mike_Skywalker, Uli, Kenneth, Sergio…etc. Of course Rog’s Coo pictures were the initially start to collect Coos. How can we thank Rog for that? I don’t know….he was the first…he is the king.
**FX-7 Edit** :http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t6409-coo-guide-30
http://swspaceclub.com/wbobafett/introduction-coos/
#4 If you had to choose 3 things from your collection as your favorites , what would they be and why ?10 things plus would be easier, because I have many figures I “love most”. And as I love variants it is also sometimes “the group” that makes it perfect. 5 single figures that aren’t so special to me regarding them single, but as a group they could transform to an upper grail set!
I will try anyway:
#1 : Uzay R2 with saber. I just love that piece and the way I could purchase it
. Cannot talk that in public but it is a hell of a friendship gesture!!! Thank you my friend!
#2 : TopToys Luke Jedi. Complete with all original accessories this thing is pure killer if you ask me. I bought it in parts and every story is a bit special IMO. The figure with saber was acquired very cheap directly from a very nice guy in Argentina. The blaster actually was originally from a faked Pablo MOC Prototype if I remember correctly. The MOC was opened (because fake) and the original cape and blaster made there way from JayMassive (the former site owner) to ChrisP. Chris sold them to me after the disaster with the DBRS…you cannot describe this in words IMO. Thank you Chris!
And now it is getting very hard for me. Another bootleg?? Polish black Chewbacca with original crossbow or Polish black Snowtrooper with original rifle? Hungarian Fett or complete Vader?...ah snap…how could I forget:
#3 : PBP Luke Farmboy, because it is simply the most rare licensed piece! What makes him also special is that he makes the PBP-gang complete. The purchase was a pure thriller. The thing was pulled from ebay and I had to react…as well as many, many, many others. It was an auction in the dark…I got 3 emails a day that my offer was overbid now and if I want to go higher. If I remember correctly the seller got scared after three days…he didn’t knew what was going on and asked me: What the heck is this and why are so many people interested for crazy amounts? I explained him the origin and rarity of the figure and therefore got it! He put the biddings to an end and sold it to me although he had higher offers!
So of course rarity makes pieces special, but some pieces I just love for the way the ended up here, or because of the famous “seller-names” written on them. But sometimes it’s both: a good story and an upper rare piece…plus a perfect variant/bootleg!!
**FX-7 Edit** :http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t5557-my-loose-bootlegs-uzay-hungarian-polish-etc
http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t2173-my-new-collection-room-new-04-30-13
http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t4350-anh-loose-figures-variants-bootlegs_wip
http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t5536-my-loose-variants-updated-meccano-top-toys
http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t3845-complete-pbpand-poch-exclusive-collection
http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t1236-wbobafett-s-ledy-collectionupdated01-20-2011
#5 What song would you perform at a Karaoke ?The Cantina-Song….because it’s an instrumental.
**FX-7 Edit** :Wolff and the Modal Nodes are here to entertain ...
a special Thank You to Jersey Jay (psybertech) for providing that photo to the FX-7 exam team 
#6 What’s the weirdest/most fun SW item in your collection ?Should be the German Carnival bootlegs. These look so weird and fun at the same time. They totally do not match my collecting criteria and are totally wrong here. Wrong size, not articulated….totally out of place. BUT…I love them and they will stay here (sorry John and Joe)
I urgently need to do some new pictures of them for Joe’s bootleg site, but here are some old ones for now:
#7 There is a rumor going around that you do custom vehicles and figures that should have been released by Kenner but never was 
Would you share some pics of some of your custom work with us ?I do build a Khetanna (Jabba’s Sailbarge), that is correct. When it will be finished no one knows.
I also used to build custom figures and have built some dioramas for displaying my collection. I get into building stuff from time to time when I need a break from collecting! It is a good way sometimes to get some distance but on the other hand still stay sticked to the hobby.
I started with this very crudely built shelf:
Then followed by building some custom figures. Here are some of the cooler ones:
I think the dioramas are well known?? Here is the renewed “Death Star Hangar”
…and some of the smaller dios:
…and of course the work-in-progress Khetanna:
I have some more work in progress stuff…but I simply do not know where to take the time to get along with those. IMO it is pointless to force myself to go on…it should be fun after all?? But oh boy I cannot wait to go on with the Khetanna….I must resist since month to completely prime it…but it looks sooo much cooler primed….I know it!!
Just for this interview….sneak…never shown pictures
:
Just parts…I know…but maybe the „wings“ are cool??
**FX-7 Edit** :http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t3650-my-death-star-hangar-new-building-process
http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t5832-khetanna-jabba-s-sailbarge-custom-update-01aug2013
#8 What advice would you give to a collector just starting out in the hobby ? Do not safe money on original weapons! Searching and buying loose weapons to complete your figures is a pain in the butt….you will loose money…you will get cheated and frustrated….and the only one earning money is the shipping-companies! Do not safe money on weapons…seriously…just don’t do it!!
The second advice would be: Leave your time. Just too many collectors want too much at once...fail or get bored quickly...and sell on. Just sad to see this happen again and again and again!! The experience shows: Collect slow and your collection will grow slow but therefore stays together and with you far longer!!
#9 Other than Star Wars , do you collect any other toy lines ?I have still some He-Man and crazy amounts of Lego and Playmobil somewhere in storage at my parent’s house, but these are leftovers from my childhood.
I used to collect “Überraschungs-Eier” (Kinder Surprize/Ferrero), but can you call those toys?? You won’t believe it, but even in that kind of collecting area you can spend 1k on a figure
.
I indeed spent a whole lot of time collecting those. I was on flea markets every Saturday going through all toy boxes to find special and rare figures. It was these times I also found Barada, Amanaman and other great SW figures I didn’t even know these do exist. Ferrero collecting was great in the beginning. The first cataloges were copied paper handouts that were given from collector to collector. It then got pretty ugly and just incredible ridiculous. I saw loads of people weighing the “Kinder Eggs” in grocery stores to determine what’s in it and to find the new released rarities…making all people mad that actually wanted to weight their vegetables. In addition the old stuff got faked pretty soon. Accessories were partially rare as hell….but the fakers didn’t stop with those: In the end whole figures were faked, painted and completed with faked accessories. That really drove me away from collecting Ferrero figures. I still have a set of the real old ones from the 70s and early 80s. Nice stuff and for sure not faked. I could make some serious cash I guess selling those, but honestly I love that tiny collection….just two small boxes full of rarities
#10 Do you have any other hobbies, and what are they ?Star wars collecting with the forums and the guides, pictures etc is very time consuming, so there is not much left. I do cook a bit…
**FX-7 Edit** :
and I am a total film-fan. So a true couch potatoe!!...hehehe….
I especially love South Korean films…and hate the American remakes…sorry guys, but WHY?? I have to say we in Germany are at least lucky that these actually get dubbed in our language and not only subbed…that is a huge plus of course. Chan-Wook Park (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance or I saw the devil) is of course one of my favourite directors, but I also like the classics from Kubrick, Lynch or Noé…and the many others I forgot. Of course I am also addicted to series like South Park, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire or Misfits (sad it’s over)…..let’s be honest…besides C.S.I., Doctor-Series and Desperate Housewives I guess I am watching everything
**FX-7 Edit** :
My newest hobby is of course my daughter! We have already lots of fun together…and I will surely teach her how to hunt whatever she wants to collect in her life (fingers crossed for sth. cool)!
**FX-7 Edit** :a lovely addition to your collection she is 
This concludes your probe - Excellent answers Wolff
Thank you for your participation 
Please collect a complimentary Brew as you exit ...
a great tasting beer to ease the pain in your rear
Now get the hell out of my exam room and send the next victim , er ... Patient in 
Subject: Re: FX-7 member probe: 10 Points of Articulation… 10 Questions… We will probe you!! 
Sun Feb 09, 2014 4:42 am
Glad I just mainly collect the vintage ads and some modern sets! 
