*****
REC.ARTS.SF.STARWARS.COLLECTING FAQ
*****
Last updated 4-1-96
*****
Coordinators:
Gus Lopez (lopez@cs.washington.edu)
Chris Nichols (anichols@bucknell.edu)
Authors:
Dave Halsted (def@leland.stanford.edu)
Gus Lopez (lopez@cs.washington.edu)
Chris Nichols (anichols@bucknell.edu)
Martin Thurn (thurn@cis.ohio-state.edu)
Contributors:
Wolfgang Schloegl (schloegl@faps.uni-erlangen.de)
*****
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions in regards to Star Wars
collecting, mostly having to do with Kenner toys. The list is always a work
in progress, if you have any suggestions or comments, please send them to
one of the above addresses.
*****
The FAQ is split into six sections:
I. General Information
1.A. What is POTF?
1.B. What is POTF2? POTF95?
2. Are there any good sources for SW collectibles files/photos on the net?
3. Is Kenner (or other merchandising outfits) online? What is their address?
4. Are there any Star Wars collecting Home Pages? FTP sites? Other sources?
5. What new merchandise is coming out soon?
II. Kenner Packaging and Grading.
6. Why are some of my figures blacked out on the back of my ROTJ card?
7. What does the C-1 to C-10 scale mean?
8. What does MOC mean?
9. What does MIB mean?
10. Is there a checklist for the Star Wars cards? Figures? Playsets? Books?
11. Why do a lot of POTF figures have "yellow" bubbles?
12. Is Yak Face pictured on the back of a POTF Yak Face card?
13. Did Yak Face come with a weapon?
14. What is the best way to store carded figures?
15. What does it mean when a card is punched?
16. What does 12, 20 ... Back mean?
III. Old Kenner Loose Figures
17. How many figures were made?
18. What does mint mean?
19. Did anyone else get one of those neat Rocket Firing Boba Fetts?
20. What are some rarer figure variations and how can one tell the
difference?
IV. Buying, Selling and Pricing.
21. Are my old toys worth anything?
22. What's a good price guide/publication for SW collectibles?
23. Why is there such a large range in values for POTF figures?
24. Do fan made figures go up in value over time?
25. How is an auction or sale usually conducted on the net?
26. Where are good places to buy/sell/trade, physical and virtual?
V. New Toys and Merchandise
27. What Star Wars action figures and playsets has Kenner released?
28. What is the Star Wars Classic 4-pack?
29. What is Star Wars Action Fleet?
VI. Non-Kenner Merchandise
30. Is it true that there is a C-3PO penis card? How much is it worth?
31. What about Foreign Star Wars figures?
VI. Other Information
32. What are the other rec.arts.sf.* newsgroups for?
33. Where can I find out about the new movies?
I. General Information
1.A. What is POTF?
POTF = Power of the Force. A series of toys issued by Kenner two years after
the release of ROTJ (1985). This is a highly collectible series of Star Wars
collectibles.
1.B. What is POTF95? POTF2?
Both are abreviations for the new Power of the Force line available in
1995. POTF95 stands for Power of the Force 1995, while POTF2 is simply
Power of the Force 2 (POTF1 begin the original line. See Section V.
for more info on POTF2.)
2. Are there any good sources for SW collectibles files/photos on the net?
The Star Wars Collectors Archive:
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/lopez/collectors.html
The Star Wars Action Figure Web:
http://www.xmission.com/~gastown/cfti/starwars.htm
Star Wars The Next Generation of Toys:
http://www.engr.iupui.edu/~mrardon/newsw.html
Star Wars New Action Figure Page:
http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~terrance/starwars/potf.html
The Canadian Star Wars Collectors Page:
http://infoweb.magi.com/~chewie/index.html
Chris Nichols' Star Wars Page:
http://www.bucknell.edu/~anichols/sandcrawler/
Mike Gaines' Star Wars Page:
http://cnj.digex.net/~starman/StarWars.html
Glenn McLain's Don Post Masks and Videos:
http://www.connecti.com/~gmclain/
Kenner Star Wars Museum:
http://www.pcix.net/webstory/StarWars.html
3. Is Kenner (or other merchandising outfits) online? What is their address?
No online access for Kenner is known at this time. To contact Kenner/Hasbro
by phone, dial 1-800-327-8264.
Galoob, maker of Micro-Machines now has a WWW page up. It can be found at:
http://www.galoob.com
4. Are there any Star Wars collecting Home Pages? FTP sites? Other sources?
See question #2.
The Star Wars Collectors Archive:
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/lopez/collectors.html
The Star Wars Bible
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~thurn/SWB/
5. What new merchandise is coming out soon?
For the latest info on new SW merchandise, read the
rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting newsgroup and read issues of the Star Wars
Insider, Star Wars Galaxy Magazine, the Star Wars Collector, and
Tomart's Action Figure Digest. Pictures of some soon to be released SW
products are also available on the SW Collectors Archive in the section,
"New Stuff".
Adam Pawlus has a regular email newsletter of new Star Wars products. You
can reach Adam by sending email to apawlus@primenet.com.
You should also regularly check Martin Thurn's Targeting Computer
on-line at http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~thurn/SWB/calendar.html,
which is updated whenever new information is received.
Kenner has released a variety of new figures and ships, see Section V.
*****
II. Kenner Packaging and Grading (Older figures)
6. Why are some of my figures blacked out on the back of my ROTJ card?
It is believed that this was done by Lucasfilm to keep the ewoks a surprise
from people who hadn't seen ROTJ yet in late Spring of 1983. This occurs
on the first version of 65-backs on US cards. The second and later versions
of the 65 backs show these ewoks.
On some European cards, Lumat and Paploo and blacked out, since these
figures were never released in continental Europe.
7. What does the C-1 to C-10 scale mean?
This scale is usually used to grade carded figures and boxed toys. It was
designed to be more specific and quantitative than a scale based on
individual terms. C-10 is absolutely mint, perfect, free of defects.
C-1 is totally beat up. What goes in between is highly subjective. No
matter what anyone tells you, there is no absolute meaning to this scale,
and each collector uses their own relative grading. It is best to continue
to buy from dealers you trust after you get a feel for their grading
scale from some of their samples.
When buying carded or packaged items, always ask for a description of all
defects in addition to this C-1 to C-10 scale grading. Some typical defects
in carded figures and boxed toys include (but are not limited to):
yellowed bubble
edge wear
creasing
bends
card is not flat
bubble is crushed
bubble has ding
bubble has dent (bigger than a ding)
tears on card
bubble separated from card over a small section
card colors are faded
celophane ripped
price tag still in place
sticker tear (from removing price tag)
card is punched
Carded figures sometimes sell for several times the price of the same figures
as a loose, mint, complete specimen. It is not uncommon to see a figure that
sells for $10 loose to go for $50 carded. The reason for this is that
CONDITION IS EVERYTHING in the value of carded figures and completeness
is the key factor in the value of loose figures.
The prices listed in price guides for carded figures are for C-10 samples.
The price drops dramatically (sometimes to about the same price as a loose
mint figure) if there are significant defects.
8. What does MOC mean?
MOC = mint on card. This means figure is in original unopened package. If
there is any way the figure could be removed or has been removed, then it's
*not* MOC. MOC says nothing about the condition of the card, which is the
most important factor in the value of carded figures.
9. What does MIB mean?
MIB = mint in box. A toy is MIB if the toy inside is mint (see definition
of mint). MIB says that the box is, well, a box. MIB says nothing about
box condition, an important aspect of value.
10. Is there a checklist for the Star Wars cards? Figures? Playsets? Books?
Comics? Etc...?
Some checklists are found on the SW Collectors Archive in the "Text Files"
section.
You might also look at Martin Thurn's on-line Collector's Bible at
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~thurn/SWB/ , although you have to access
the data by the company's name.
11. Why do a lot of POTF figures have "yellow" bubbles?
Cheaper plastics were used for bubbles on POTF, Droids, Ewoks, and some ESB
and ROTJ carded figures. The exact reason for the yellowing is still
unproven but it's believed it is due to heat, humidity, exposure to light,
or some combination of these.
12. Is Yak Face pictured on the back of a POTF Yak Face card?
No. He is pictured on the POTF Galaxy maps and the 1985 Kenner Toy Fair
catalog, however. Some believe Yak Face was originally intended as a
mail-in offer, and thus does not appear on the card backs for this reason.
13. Did Yak Face come with a weapon?
On POTF cards, he came with the same staff as Barada and Nikto. There are
reliable reports that he also came with a Luke Jedi gun. Most Yak Faces
came with no weapon since the bulk of them were originally on Tri-Logo cards.
14. What is the best way to store carded figures?
Your best bet to avoid yellowing and other damage is to store your carded
figures in comic bags with a comic backing board. When you buy boards and
bags from a comic shop, ask for "Silver Age" bags and "Current" boards.
This allows the bag to be slightly larger than the board so that the
average SW carded figure can fit inside. Some larger SW figures
(e.g. Amanaman) require a "Golden Age" size bag. Place the board behind
the card inside the bag and then seal the bag with tape along the bag
(taping the bag to itself). Comic boxes make convenient storage units for
carded SW figures stored in these comic bags. Sealing carded figures in
comic bags reduces damage due to light, temperature, humidity, etc.
15. What does it mean when a card is punched?
It means the piece of cardboard for the rack hole is missing from the card.
16. What does 12, 20 ... Back mean?
This refers to the release of figures as determined by the back of the card
that the figure came on. The first release of figures had only 12 figures
on the back (of US cards). On the back of the card are pictures of all 12
figures. After that, there was a release that had 20 figures on the back
and so on. The final card back showed 92 different figures, with
Yak Face missing.
*****
III. Loose figures (Older figures)
17. How many figures were made?
This depends how you count. There were 93 regular action figures, and 96 if
you count the Max Rebo Band. The number goes into the hundreds when you
start counting variations like blue Snaggletooth, vinyl cape Jawa,
telescoping Luke/Ben/Darth, blue saber Luke Jedi, etc. Chris Nichols has
a list of 120 different loose figures including ones found in playsets.
If interested send a message to (anichols@bucknell.edu). The list is by
no means complete, but it does cover many of the painting variations and
subtle differences.
An extensive list of action figure variations is available on the
SW Collectors Archive:
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/lopez/textf/all-figs.html
18. What does mint mean?
Mint means new, unused, and as if you bought it fresh from the store in an
undamaged state.
19. Did anyone else get one of those neat Rocket Firing Boba Fetts?
It has been confirmed by Kenner that *no one* received a rocket firing
Boba Fett from Kenner via the mail-in offer. The figure only exists in
prototype form and never made it past Kenner's legal department, and
hence never went into production. A detailed story about the rocket
firing Boba Fett can be found in Tomart's Action Figure Digest #20. There
are about three dozen prototypes of this figure known to exist and they
have sold for between $3500 and $7000 in the past year.
Several people have gone into the business of making replicas of the rocket
firing Boba Fett. The most expensive (but highest quality) ones are made
by the Earth (513 561 8697). These run from $150 on up. Chris Georgoulias
makes a high quality one for a fraction of the cost. Contact Chris via
email at stuntboy@ols.net.
It is extremely common to run into people who swear they received a rocket
firing Boba Fett from Kenner via mail-in. One net user has offered a free
Yak Face to each person making such a claim if they can just *prove* they
received said figure from Kenner. This Yak Face has continued to acquire
dust ever since this offer was first mentioned.
20. What are some rarer figure variations and how can one tell the
difference?
Blue Snaggletooth- This figure was released in the Sears Cantina Adventure
Set and is rarer than it's red counterpart. The difference is simple to
tell, one is much taller and blue while the other is small and red.
Vinyl Caped Jawa- The first Jawas released on 12-Back cards had plastic
or vinyl capes instead of cloth ones. The cape is not the same color as
a Ben Kenobi (much to some people's dismay) and also has a very faint
texture on one side where as the Kenobi cape has none. It is unknown how
many were actually made. Since these figures are worth a bit of money it
is common to find fakes (in fact more common than finding originals).
Always examine vinyl cape Jawas with skepticism. Another way to examine
for fraud is to inspect the armholes of the Jawa to see if it looks to be
the right size. The cape should not reach the Jawa's feet, but rather end
a few mm above.
Telescoping lightsabered figures- Some of the figures with the lightsabers
that extend out of the arms of the Luke, Ben and Darth figures were made
out of two pieces of plastic instead of one. In the telescoping version,
the thinner part of the saber is actually a second piece of plastic that
slides in and out of the thicker lightsaber piece. The Lukes are the
most common (still quite rare), then the Ben followed by Darth. The
sabers were most likely changed because the telescoping ones were expensive
and offered little to the figure other than a longer lightsaber. It is
common for people to believe they own a telescoping saber figure without
a complete understanding of the terminology.
When buying a telescoping figure, always ask if the saber has two separate
parts.
Rocket Firing Boba Fett- See Question #19
Luke Jedi Knight with blue lightsaber- A smaller number were released with
a blue lightsaber which was made from the same mold as the green one.
A more complete listing of variations can be found at:
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/lopez/textf/all-figs.html
*****
IV. Buying Selling, Pricing
21. Are my old toys worth anything?
Old Star Wars toys are usually worth something but often they're worth less
than most people think. There are price guides available to give you an
*idea* of market value. The value of a collectible is what someone is
willing to pay for it. If you have a collectible and the price guide says
it's worth $100 for a mint one (which you happen to have) then you might
be able to sell it for $100 to *the right buyer*. There is never a
guarantee you'll get that much. If you try to sell your collection as one
lot, expect to get much less than list price for everything. It could
take you months to sell your whole collection at list price. It's always
easier to sell SW toys, but such things as paper items and household goods
are almost impossible to sell. Also, many price guides are notoriously
overpriced or underpriced. The best way to assess value is to have a
good idea of the going market rate for the item(s) in question.
When most people ask this question, they are usually asking it with regard
to the action figures they had as kids. Loose Star Wars action figures
average around $5-8 if they are mint and complete with all accessories.
No matter how many flea market bozos you see with $20+ price tags on common
figures, it is *easy* to find most common Star Wars figures for under
$10 each. Only a few select figures (POTF figures, blue Snaggletooth,
some rare variations, and a couple of early figures) command prices over $10.
If a figure is missing its accessories or has any damage (e.g. paint wear),
then price drops dramatically.
Keep in mind that Kenner made over 250,000,000 Star Wars action figures.
To get an idea of that magnitude, that's about as many pennies as the US Mint
issues in a given year for the US population. They're not as rare as some
people think!
22. What's a good price guide/publication for SW collectibles?
The Tomart's guide for Star Wars Collectibles is the definitive price guide.
It is thorough and lists about every single known licensed Star Wars
collectible. Tomart's Action Figure Digest (bi-monthly magazine) updates
the values of items in this book. Get the Tomart's guide! It is the most
essential book in Star Wars collecting.
You should be able to order the Tomart's guide through your local
bookstore. Here are the publishing details:
title: Tomart's Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles
author: Stephen J. Sansweet and T. N. Tumbusch
publisher: Tomart Publications, Dayton OH, 1994
ISBN: 0-914293-23-0
Tomart's Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles is available by
mail from Tomart Publications, 3300 Encrete Lane, Dayton, OH 45439-1944.
The book is $26.95, plus $2.75 for P&H (shipping costs outside the U.S.
vary...call 513-294-2250 for exact cost).
Some collectors prefer using the monthly price guide for action figures
in Action Figure News and Toy Review.
Although, not a price guide, an excellent source for information on Star
Wars collecting is The Star Wars Collector. This is a bi-monthly fanzine
devoted exclusively to Star Wars collecting. Subscription information is
available on-line at
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~thurn/SWC/
Or, send email to Martin Thurn at thurn@cis.ohio-state.edu
23. Why is there such a large range in values for POTF figures?
POTF figures are extremely popular with collectors leading to some fairly
high prices for some. Some of these figures are much easier to find than
other POTF figures and hence the huge price variance. Also, the demand for
figures like Han Carbonite, Yak Face, and Luke Stormtrooper is much higher
than say ewoks like Romba and Warok.
24. Do fan made figures go up in value over time?
Usually not. It depends if the creator of the fan made figure does
"limited run" or is well known in the collecting community.
On the other hand, if you look at GI Joe and Barbie collecting where custom
figures have grown to tremendous markets, custom figures by well-known
designers can fetch some high prices. It remains to be seen if the same
will happen with Star Wars custom figures.
25. How is an auction or sale usually conducted on the net?
Well, the best way to do this is to observe several and watch how
they are conducted and then to post on your own. Several guidelines
usually serve to help things run smoothly like:
1. Make clear the currency that you wish to recieve payment
and the form in which you would like that money
(Money order, check or credit card [haven't seen any
of these yet])
2. Post accurate descriptions of the pieces you are selling.
This limits problems down the line with miscommunication
based on what was being sold.
3. If you have an idea of a price that you will not sell
below then post a minimum bid for the item in question.
4. Post or mail frequent updates so that bidders know where
things stand.
26. Where are good places to buy/sell/trade, physical and virtual?
rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting is a great place to find out about sales
and auctions on the net. Toy Shop magazine is the premier forum for
buying and selling Star Wars collectibles. It also lists toy shows in
different areas. The best possible prices for Star Wars toys are usually
found at local toy shows.
*Every* serious Star Wars collector has consulted Toy Shop at some time
or another. Before relying on any action figure magazine, local dealer,
or the net, to explain the action figure market to you, do get some copies
of Toy Shop. Each issue is filled with ads from dealers with *old* Star Wars
collectibles. You'll be surprised just how easy it is to find old SW toys.
They are everywhere! In fact, the vast majority of the question on rassc
can be answered by just reading Toy Shop regularly.
Toy shop is printed on tabloid style newsprint. Most major comic
shops carry it. You can also get Toy Shop from:
Toy Shop
700 E. State St.
Iola, WI 54990
They are rumored to send out free sample copies.
*****
V. New Toys and Merchandise
27. What Star Wars action figures and playsets has Kenner released in '95?
Kenner originally slated the 9 figures to be on the new line. The first
cases shipped with only seven: Luke, Han, Chewie, Vader, Stormtrooper,
R2, and Ben. These 7 were followed by Leia being added and then C3PO.
This brought the total up to the original 9. While the C3POs and Leias
have been hard to find, they are showing up more and more on the shelves.
The second release (and third release depending on your point of view) of
figures included: Lando, Boba Fett, Luke X-Wing, Han Hoth, Yoda, TIE Pilot,
and Luke Dagobah.
There is some variation with the cards these new POTF figures are coming on.
Ben Kenobi's original card contained multiple misspellings of the word
'and' as 'an.' The card has been corrected. The new card also contains a
full body photo of Kenobi on the back profile card, while the original
picture Guinness from the waist up. The new card has the identification #
on the back, center, bottom of: 5211791.01 while the original finished
with .00 There is a misspelled word on all of the cards in the box for
the SW Fan Club. 'Merchandise' is spelled 'mechandise'.
The Millennium Falcon (electronic), X-wing (electronic), Landspeeder, TIE
Fighter, and ATST have all been released as well. These ships are all from
the original molds but with higher detail than the others with regards to
painting and decals. The foils on the TIE Fighter have had the decals
replaced with textured plastic.
A Han Solo in Stormtrooper outfit has been available through a promotional
offer with Kelloggs Fruit Loops. 2 Proofs of Purchase from Fruit Loops
will get you a free figure (no weapon included). Like the original Luke
Stormtrooper, this comes with a removable helmet.
SW Classic 4-Pack: see question 28.
28. What is the Star Wars Classic 4-pack?
The Star Wars Classic 4-pack is a set of four figures released by Kenner
during the second week of December 1995. No publicity was given for this
set. It has only been spotted at Toys 'R Us but is not described on the
box as an exclusive. The set contains 4 figures: Luke, Darth, Han
(small head), and Chewbacca. These figures have been cast by making a
mold from the older figures and look very similar to Kenner's original line.
There are differences. The copyright date on the figures has been changed`
from 1977 to 1995. The peg holes in the feet are slightly smaller. The
figures are also cast from different plastic (similar to the POTF2 line)
and are slightly smaller than the originals. The lightsabers on the
figures are 1 pieced. The guns are made of different plastic but
difficult to distinguish from originals. The set sells for $19.95 at
TRU. It is unknown wether or not Kenner plans to continue with the
classic line of figures.
29. What is Star Wars Action Fleet?
Star Wars Action Fleet is a new line released by Galoob. The toys
contain a ship: X-wing, A-wing, TIE Fighter, ATAT, Snow Speeder, and
Shuttle Tyderium. The ships are about 4-6in long and come with a
stand. They come with smaller figures similar to the Micro-Machines
playsets but slightly larger and with some moving joints. (i.e. A-wing
comes with a pilot and a 3PO type droid. They retail at TRU for ~$9.99.
*****
VI. Non-Kenner Merchandise
30. Is it true that there is a C-3PO penis card? How much is it worth?
Yes. Some collectors are willing to pay up to US$20 for this curiosity,
even though it is as plentiful as any other Topps Series 4 card. This
card was created when a mischievous Lucasfilm employee "enhanced" the
artwork to give 3P0 a "chromie" before it was sent to Topps for printing.
31. What about Foreign Star Wars figures?
Several manufacturers packaged the same figures that Kenner Produced in
their own packaging with a different language. An examples of this is:
Meccano in France. Other manufacturers actually put out different
figures like the Japanese ones put out by Takara. For more
information on these sort of things, Tomarts Price Guide to
Worldwide Star Wars Collectables is the best source to see.
*****
VI. Other Information
32. What are the other rec.arts.sf.* newsgroups for?
rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting Topics relating to Star Wars collecting.
rec.arts.sf.starwars.games Star Wars games: RPG, computer, card, etc.
rec.arts.sf.starwars.info General information pertaining to Star Wars.
(Moderated)
rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc Miscellaneous topics pertaining to Star Wars.
33. Where can I find out about the new movies?
Read the FAQ for rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc
*****
Thank you for reading the FAQ, hopefully we have been able to answer some of
your initial questions. Once again, please direct any comments to:
anichols@bucknell.edu (Chris Nichols), or lopez@cs.washington.edu (Gus Lopez).
(
geocities.com/area51/zone/3722) (
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