What got you back into collecting?

[Crumm]

Digging my old childhood figures out of my dad's loft about a year and a half ago.

In the mid 90's I had individually bagged and stored them all. I had actually forgotten they were there!

I kept the mint ones myself to kick-start collecting, and gave around 40 mid-range condition to beater figures to my son who is now 6 and loves them!

 

[Clawrence]

Whilst at uni in leeds (LMU), there was a vintage star wars collector fare in the reception around 1997, once I clapped eyes on the some of the old figures & ships and there values I was hooked...soon as I got back home i raided the loft....few found a few loose beaters a rebel Transporter, and a bashed up Falcon... i was'nt the best kid for looking after my toys. A few Charity shops, Carboot sales and collector fairs later, I had got myself a few nice figures. Around 2000 I brought Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive and really started to get hooked, putting the right accessories together and then finding there were a bunch of figures i did'nt know existed, I decided i wanted to collect a complete mint set of figures including blue snag with a plan to display them once complete. For me my main focus is Loose, as it's more reaslitic budget hovever I do have a few MOC's which are cherised.

 

[Cazza]

Some brilliant stories, fellas 8)

Super Star Wars on the SNES was the main catalyst in 1993. I then read the original Timothy Zahn trilogy and was totally hooked again.Thankfully I'd kept most of my childhood figures/ships, which were still in my bedroom cupboard at my parents'. Bought my first MOCs (2X ROTJ Palitoy Logray) and a loose Slave 1 from a comic shop in Cheltenham. Then started to go to local toy fairs and Cheshunt/Watford Empire Days etc. Concept to Screen Collectible and Tomart's Price Guide were massive books for me at this stage. Unfortunately, modern stuff diverted my attention in the mid/late nineties and there was so much stuff to collect it became impossible, so I gave up collecting altogether by the time AOTC came out. I also really got into cars, so all my spare cash ended up going there. Everything went in my parents' loft for several years.

Moved house in 2014 and had a small office room. Suddenly remembered all of my vintage was still stashed at Mum and Dad's and the Mrs was happy for me to retrieve it all and display it. It was brilliant getting it all back- I'd forgotten some of the things I had, so going through it all was awesome. I then found this place and really kicked on in my collecting again 8)

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

I think it was rogue one that got me collecting again, picking up the black series 6'' figures before discovering this forum. So far i'm sticking to modern 6'' and vintage as and when I find them.

Had some nice little purchases from Swf members so far, and i'm sure there will be many more

Rogue One, such a good film. If I hadn't ventured back into collecting before then, that would of definitely re-ignited the flame.

This is my third time collecting, once as a kid and twice as an adult, my 2nd time collecting as an adult was reignited by Rogue One, Awesome Film best since Return of the Jedi!

 

[Mini99]

A few year's later when I'd left Uni, I worked at Habitat and I collected Tazos, I was blessed though that literally no one else wanted them and everyone had crisps for lunch, I was getting dozens a day.. living the dream!

Man that's cheating. I literally had to eat hundreds of packets as all my uni mates were collecting back then and there was no eBay to pick up your missing tazos. Just swapsies.

I had always liked Doritos so had loads of the "rarer" Tazos so always took a stack of them to toy fairs like Cheshunt where many traders used to swap.
The good thing for me was that you got two "normal" Tazos for one Dorito one.
Sold my three complete binders back in 2010, must go and buy one off eBay! :lol:

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

A few year's later when I'd left Uni, I worked at Habitat and I collected Tazos, I was blessed though that literally no one else wanted them and everyone had crisps for lunch, I was getting dozens a day.. living the dream!

Man that's cheating. I literally had to eat hundreds of packets as all my uni mates were collecting back then and there was no eBay to pick up your missing tazos. Just swapsies.

I had always liked Doritos so had loads of the "rarer" Tazos so always took a stack of them to toy fairs like Cheshunt where many traders used to swap.
The good thing for me was that you got two "normal" Tazos for one Dorito one.
Sold my three complete binders back in 2010, must go and buy one off eBay! :lol:

It amazes me that you can buy a complete one for £10 when I think how much money and bags of crisps I poured into completing one in the 90s :lol:

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

Great back stories on this page boys. Really interesting reading about the different ways back into the hobby

 

[quins]

Mine was having my son.( Hopefully he loves Star Wars as much as I do)
Had loads as a kid and when I thought I had grown out of them gave everything away to a mates younger brother( cant even blame my old dears for that! )
Then bought a lot of modern for a nephew but then the little man came along.
Again been buying and hoarding him modern which took me to this forum and the world of vintage.
Brought back all good memories so am back in.

 

[Pomse2001]

I started to collect in 2001. I loved to read about characters from the first 3 movies and I loved to read about star wars role playing games on the internet. Then something came up on the internet with pictures of vintage star wars toy collections when I was searching for characters from the first 3 movies and star wars role playing games. I was sold, I told my little brother if he would sell me my old star wars toy from my childhood that I gave him 5 years before, then I would be very happy. I bought them from him, he was 11 at that time so to old to play with it :lol: and since 2001 I have been collecting star wars.

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

I started to collect in 2001. I loved to read about characters from the first 3 movies and I loved to read about star wars role playing games on the internet. Then something came up on the internet with pictures of vintage star wars toy collections when I was searching for characters from the first 3 movies and star wars role playing games. I was sold, I told my little brother if he would sell me my old star wars toy from my childhood that I gave him 5 years before, then I would be very happy. I bought them from him, he was 11 at that time so to old to play with it :lol: and since 2001 I have been collecting star wars.

And you haven't really got much in that time have you Lars? :lol:

 

[Mini99]

I blame the Vintage Rebellion podcast.
I collected SW toys in the late 80s to the very early 90s; these were of course the pre internet days so my collection came from toy/si-fi fairs and Collectors Gazette.
I fell out of love of collecting SW toys for various reasons, I then packed everything up and put it all in the loft. After approaching Astons auction house, I decided to sell it all and off it went to auction and was all sold.
I moved on to collecting Troika Pottery and Swis Watches (And you all think Star Wars is expensive!) as I have always collected something all my life.
Then one evening in 2016 I was bored and put "Vintage Star Wars toys" into Google ( I still don't know why to this day and up popped the SWCA and TVR.
I listen to a few episodes of the TVR and could instantly see that the hobby had become a social experience as well as a collecting one, which was so different from what it was in the 90s, back then it was very insular.
Of course TVB podcast then lead me here.
I plucked up the courage to bring the subject up with my wife, promising to only collect the last 17, :lol: as I had never owned many of those last time,she openly wept! :lol:
Since then I have made many very good likeminded friends, and am enjoying this new modern way of collecting.
Thanks.

 

[Pomse2001]

I started to collect in 2001. I loved to read about characters from the first 3 movies and I loved to read about star wars role playing games on the internet. Then something came up on the internet with pictures of vintage star wars toy collections when I was searching for characters from the first 3 movies and star wars role playing games. I was sold, I told my little brother if he would sell me my old star wars toy from my childhood that I gave him 5 years before, then I would be very happy. I bought them from him, he was 11 at that time so to old to play with it :lol: and since 2001 I have been collecting star wars.

And you haven't really got much in that time have you Lars? :lol:

Well my girlfriend say I have too much :lol: But I can still think of a lot that I want :lol: but I must admit I have a lot, I learned that when I had to pack it all down in moving boxes when I had constructors this summer :shock: :lol: I must admit I was a little bit surprised that it took so many days to pack it all :lol:

 

[tobedesu]

A few years ago a friend of mine was considering selling his childhood collection off.
He, naturally, started off by posting here in the valuation thread, which how I became a member later.

Anyway, long story, short...
I ended up buying his Hoth Base and complete Bossk from him.
I got my figures and vehicles out of the loft and it was a massive nostalgia trip.
I remebered how my little dog at the time would snatch figures with fluffy capes, ERG and Squid Head being his favourites, and run off with them.

I have my figures from when I was a kid, so wasnt sure how to collect more.

I wanted to keep my chilhood figures seperate, so they are all boxed away.
I decided to buy cheap variants of figures I already have, then started buying some MOC.
More recently that developed into buying cards and bubbles and figure to reseal for my own collection.

As for my friend, he got the bug big time and is collecting ROTJ MOC's as well as variants.
We both attended the Birmingham NEC and Echo a few times each.
Great times.

 

[Mini99]

Man that's cheating. I literally had to eat hundreds of packets as all my uni mates were collecting back then and there was no eBay to pick up your missing tazos. Just swapsies.

I had always liked Doritos so had loads of the "rarer" Tazos so always took a stack of them to toy fairs like Cheshunt where many traders used to swap.
The good thing for me was that you got two "normal" Tazos for one Dorito one.
Sold my three complete binders back in 2010, must go and buy one off eBay! :lol:

It amazes me that you can buy a complete one for £10 when I think how much money and bags of crisps I poured into completing one in the 90s :lol:

£10.
I just got this beauty all complete with all the pages complete and un touched for the pricey sum of £4.00 + £1.95 shipping.
So pleased that I finally bought one again.
Thanks guys!

 

[Snaketibe]

I had always liked Doritos so had loads of the "rarer" Tazos so always took a stack of them to toy fairs like Cheshunt where many traders used to swap.
The good thing for me was that you got two "normal" Tazos for one Dorito one.
Sold my three complete binders back in 2010, must go and buy one off eBay! :lol:

It amazes me that you can buy a complete one for £10 when I think how much money and bags of crisps I poured into completing one in the 90s :lol:

£10.
I just got this beauty all complete with all the pages complete and un touched for the pricey sum of £4.00 + £1.95 shipping.
So pleased that I finally bought one again.
Thanks guys!

Congratulations Nick, it looks mint!

 

[Mini99]

It amazes me that you can buy a complete one for £10 when I think how much money and bags of crisps I poured into completing one in the 90s :lol:

£10.
I just got this beauty all complete with all the pages complete and un touched for the pricey sum of £4.00 + £1.95 shipping.
So pleased that I finally bought one again.
Thanks guys!

Congratulations Nick, it looks mint!

Thanks, You know what, I had such a buzz receiving this!
This was a real nostalgic trip!
I could almost taste the Doritos.

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

Awesome Nick. As I say it's amazing you can pick them up for that price given the hours and money that went into collecting them.

 

[subzero]

I remember as a young teen a couple of times sitting in my bedroom with a giant plastic 'punch bowl' thing completely filled up with crisps because I spent all my week's wages ( £6 lol ) from my paper round on finding Tazo's, the crisps all got eaten too. :lol: