Carboot

[Sabreman]

Today I frequented my local carboot, I go every week now the weather is getting better, I was doing my usual Vinage Star Wars hunt when I came across a bag full of vintage bits. I had a quick look through it, inside was around twenty weapons a couple of Luke Bespin lightsabers, a R2 D2 pop up lightsaber, a few cloaks plus several other bits from ships and playsets.
I asked the bloke how much he said they were from his childhood £30
I eventually got them for £20 which I was very chuffed with, I got home had a good look at them cleaned them then it dawned on me. This was to good to be true, so did some comparisons and my fears were confirmed.
I hadn't been critical enough in my initial looking at them, seventeen of the weapons and both Luke Bespin light Sabres are repo, I'm gutted.
I feel a bit of an idiot, I had no idea I would find repro weapons on a carboot

 

[Tarkin's nosehair]

Dont feel too bad mate, some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you. I would have paid the asking price and asked him if he had any more? Skipping like a 5 year old all the way home. At least you didn't skip............tell me you didn't skip?

 

[itfciain]

Get a good feel of the ones you have picked up and that should ensure that you never make that mistake again. We've all fallen for the childhood collection bollocks at some point so just use this as a learning curve

 

[Robstyley]

Whoops! ..saw you coming. There's no way he'd of let that go for 20 quid if they were real. Everyone knows what this stuffs worth these days :wink:

 

[steve obi wan]

For £20 , you can't really go wrong

 

[jared007]

For that price, definitely worth the gamble. Bad luck this time, better luck next time!

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

Whoops! ..saw you coming. There's no way he'd of let that go for 20 quid if they were real. Everyone knows what this stuffs worth these days :wink:

Ha ha! You'd think, wouldn't you. I was 20 mins late to a stall this morning. Picked up a Falcon complete (except arm and ball, just for a change!) and in good order for £35. 20 mins late because someone had walked off with the rest of his stuff: 56 figures, half of which had weapons, an AT-ST (incomplete) and Speeder Bike (incomplete) for less than £100. Bloody annoyed, but the Falcon was some small consolation. There's still folk who don't know the value. Oh, and he'd bought it from his cousin so there were two people who didn't know!

Still waiting for my first, full on VSW buy from a car boot, but getting closer: that's two Falcons in 3 months from the same car boot!

 

[skywalker]

Whoops! ..saw you coming. There's no way he'd of let that go for 20 quid if they were real. Everyone knows what this stuffs worth these days :wink:

Yeah this is it, in the old days you could pick up almost everything from car boots for 50p / £1 but now everybody has access to the internet and a quick search on an item you are not familiar with will give you a valuation even charity shops are vetting stuff these days... and ebay doesn't help that is of course the biggest virtual car boot ever..

Don't get me wrong every so often you will get a real bargain but these are few and far between..

 

[Darth Bobby]

It's a great feeling when you think you've got a bargain, usually followed by the "wait a minute, that seems too good to be true?!!". Don't worry about it, we've all done it. The initial rush of finding vintage usually blinds you to the obvious mistake you're making. The way I think about it is if they'd been vintage you'd be quids in so it was worth taking a gamble. Since starting collecting again I've lost count of how many people have lied to my face at conventions etc. At least it was only 20 quid and not a load on a MOC or something. Don't feel bad.

 

[Robstyley]

When I started collecting about 8 or 9 years ago I used to go round the boot sales and charity shops looking for Star Wars and anything else interesting. I found quite a lot of Vintage around that time but it was usually in pretty poor condition. I often bought it anyway. In the end I couldn't be bothered anymore, never found anything worth it. I did used to enjoy it though but these days I just don't have the time. One of my favourite items is a beater 12 inch R2 I got at a booty for £5 that sits on my desk.

 

[Jez]

Thats a shame. For a while you must have been buzzing.
What are you going to do with the repros?
If you plan on burning them add some photos here: http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21711
We need a burning repro thread!

 

[Sabreman]

I must admit I'm not feeling as bad as I did earlier, I suppose a repro weapon is better than no weapon, I'm just going to display them in one of my cabinets. The feeling of elation I got from coming across the bag was an amazing feeling. I really need to knuckle down and read up on things so I don't make the mistake again. It saddens me the repro stuff has found itself on a carboot, not sure I could blatantly lie to somebody about the athentisity of something.
I am just glad I got out of Vintage Action Man collecting when I did, the 40th stuff has ruined the community I once loved to be a part of.
My hunt will continue again next weekend on the carboot front, I am also going to the Doncaster Toy far next Sunday, I'm sure I will find something original to buy.

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

I suppose a repro weapon is better than no weapon.....

Nope. Glad you're feeling more philosophical about it, but a vacuum is much better than a repro weapon. Burn 'em!

I heard the 40th AM stuff has really ruined the market. It is from the same moulds used for the original stuff, then?

 

[Robstyley]

I suppose a repro weapon is better than no weapon

NO :!: Don't you mean - no weapon is better than a repro one? If you start letting repro weapons creep into your cabinet it's a sticky road to go down, I wouldn't bother. Put them in a bag in a box and forget about them, or destroy them as Jez said. I keep my repros in a bag to refer back to later. There are plenty of genuine accessories around for sale if you need them. If you enjoy the boot sales keep at it, it's definitely a buzz when you come accross some vintage or other retro toys.

 

[x-pack]

On the plus side, it is good to handle a few repros to know what they are like. Some are sneaky little buggers, very difficult to tell the difference :roll:

As for the carboot seller - what a cock :x

 

[Sabreman]

I suppose a repro weapon is better than no weapon.....

Nope. Glad you're feeling more philosophical about it, but a vacuum is much better than a repro weapon. Burn 'em!

I heard the 40th AM stuff has really ruined the market. It is from the same moulds used for the original stuff, then?

I have stuck them in a tub in my Star Wars bits and bobs, regarding the Action Man the dolls are the same but different if you know what I mean. The first lot of 40th uniform releases were very good they even had the proper tags in the uniforms, they then removed the tags in later releases as people were selling 40th as the real stuff.
It is not the uniforms tho that's the problem, it's the medals or the little medic pac or the tiny pencil on the scramble pilot, this stuff if vintage goes for good money. Now they are ten a penny, in the past some so called dealers were peddling them as vintage items.
Nothing the Vintage Star Wars collectors aren't battling against, the fakers have no conscience it seems as some so called dealers haven't.

 

[Jez]

Whats this 40th AM business? Yes, i'm sure i could do a google search but i'm probably not the only chap thinking 'what are they going on about?'

 

[SublevelStudios]

I heard the 40th AM stuff has really ruined the market. It is from the same moulds used for the original stuff, then?

I was having that exact conversation with an old acquaintance earlier today - totally screwed the vintage AM market - for good. Shame really as the quality isn't quite as good on some stuff.

It amazes me you can still pick stuff up at car boots these days - in any condition.

I'd love to start going to them again but with 2 kids under 7 it's a nightmare to get to early enough to get the good stuff.

I'm happy in my memories of doing them in the late 80's and early 90's when it wasn't a question of if you'd find anything, it was what. Happy days

 

[Dorsetmark]

Whats this 40th AM business? Yes, i'm sure i could do a google search but i'm probably not the only chap thinking 'what are they going on about?'

That's when Alan Hall make very close replicas of all the original Action Man sets and sold them as 40th anniversary

 

[Jez]

Thanks Mark