How did you get into Star Wars?

[StarWarsFan]

For me was an accident really. Was round my older cousins house one New Years Eve I was about 8 or 9 at the time and we got on to the discussion of Science fiction films. He asked if I had ever seen the Star Wars films. i told him no think the closest I had come to seeing Star Wars was seeing the adverts for the POTF2 figures knew of Darth Vader (referred to him as Dark Vader at the time). He said you must go and see them cause I think you will love them. I asked him if he had them on video and he said no but I have The Empire Strikes Back for the Snes if you would like to have a go. I said yes please didn't get very far but enjoyed it very much. Then the release of the Special Edition in Cinema jumped at the chance to see them and went from there. Please share your story. Thanks

 

[theforceuk]

Christmas 83', I was given the Millenium Falcon, Snowspeeder, AT-ST and a bunch of figures. That was it hooked for life at the age of 3. I also remember my Mum taking me down to this small shopping arcade all the time and their was an AT-AT set up in one of the windows just like on the front of the AT-AT box with Luke X-Wing hanging down and cotton wall for snow. That memory has stuck with me ever since.

 

[spoons]

I think a lot of us on here are just of the age where we grew up with it - I already had SW figs before I saw Empire when it came out in 1980 when I was 7.

Being 4 in 1977 I don't really remember a time before Star Wars

 

[Grant]

Kids at school had the figures. I wanted some. The rest is history

 

[tundra9]

My neighbour had lots of toys, used to borrow from him all the time.
Saw a new hope on tv at my grandmas house, but not sure if the film or the toys hooked me first.
Best Christmas ever was when I got the falcon, must've been in 84/85...

 

[elcroz]

So the story goes: My Nan's friends son had Star Wars toys. I would be about 4 years old. So I'm told I was mesmerised by his Millennium Falcon so much so my Nan bought me one for my my fifth birthday in 1984 I received a Falcon, R2, Vader, Hoth Rebel Soldier (who at the time I thought was Han Solo), Stormtrooper and Chewie.
I can't remember when I saw ANH? Was it before or after the toys? but I still have that very Betamax tape of the TV recording!
As I grew up Ghostbusters, MASK and other fads came and went. I still have an extremely soft spot for MOTU but Star Wars is still my passion and I can't see that ever changing.

 

[Palifan]

Watching the film in early 78 at the Odeon Bristol with my father, a day that changed my life forever!

Ian

 

[Cazza]

I remember a kid bringing in his 12-bk cardbacks when we were in reception. Thought they looked amazing. Also lot of kids had the Topps Cards and started to bring actual figures in. You just couldn't escape from the buzz of it all!

 

[StarWarsFan]

Nice stories thanks for sharing keep them coming.

 

[sith-smith]

I can't remember if it was the film first or the toys

I can remember seeing the kid up the road with a few star wars figures and that I really liked them, so clearly didn't have any at that point, so that might have been first introduction.

Not sure if I'd have heard of the film as I was only 5 at the time. Though I can remember watching something on tv about it before I saw it.

 

[x-pack]

Must have seen ANH on VHS around 1980 or whenever I was old enough to appreciate anything other than Rainbow or Bagpuss. Dad took me out to the toy shop around then and let me choose one or two figures and that was it. Hooked!

 

[_Lee_]

Mum picked ANH as my first ever movie, and she said it shut me up straight away. I was only 3 so this was a big surprise seeing it on the big screen i suppose. I loved it from the word go. Do i remember it? No, but Mum does And she also remembers going to the CO-OP after and buying me a Stormtrooper figure i actually remember seeing ESB and ROTJ when they were released and have vivid memories-getting the free ESB stickers picking up the free ROTJ promo card

Those days cannot and will never be surpassed in my eyes

 

[StarWarsFan]

good times

 

[Dr_Ball_MD]

It was when Star Wars was first show on TV, think it was about 1981. We all played it at school the next day and then I got my first figure, Zuckuss and it all spiraled from there.

 

[Ian_C]

I'm actually really stunned there isn't more of the "I saw it in 1977" posts. That was me, seeing it around 5-6 years old in the theater and being blown away. Then the figures came out, and the 12" vinyl The Story of Star Wars (no VCR's in 1978 ), and that was it. Hooked for life.

I really thought by my post, this would be repeated by almost everyone.

Ian

 

[x-pack]

I'm actually really stunned there isn't more of the "I saw it in 1977" posts. That was me, seeing it around 5-6 years old in the theater and being blown away. Then the figures came out, and the 12" vinyl The Story of Star Wars (no VCR's in 1978 ), and that was it. Hooked for life.

I really thought by my post, this would be repeated by almost everyone.

Ian

The majority of guys i've met from the forum seem to be around the 40ish bracket which makes them too young to have seen ANH at the cinema. I know there are plenty of forum members who did see the movie on release, which means they would have had to be born in the late 60's/early 70's. But I would hazard a guess that they are in a minority within the Star Wars collecting world. I think in the main the age range for vintage collectors is probably quite specific.

 

[_Lee_]

I thank my old lady for taking me aged 3 Funny thing is that i took Sonny to see TPM 3d as his first Star Wars movie when he was just 3 1/2 Star Wars pulls the kids into another universe.

 

[Ian_C]

I'm actually really stunned there isn't more of the "I saw it in 1977" posts. That was me, seeing it around 5-6 years old in the theater and being blown away. Then the figures came out, and the 12" vinyl The Story of Star Wars (no VCR's in 1978 ), and that was it. Hooked for life.

I really thought by my post, this would be repeated by almost everyone.

Ian

The majority of guys i've met from the forum seem to be around the 40ish bracket which makes them too young to have seen ANH at the cinema. I know there are plenty of forum members who did see the movie on release, which means they would have had to be born in the late 60's/early 70's. But I would hazard a guess that they are in a minority within the Star Wars collecting world. I think in the main the age range for vintage collectors is probably quite specific.

Fair enough. Most of the vintage collectors I have known were born in the 1969-1973 range (I'm 1971 myself). Because of this, I have always assumed most of us were around the same age. So I guess that makes me the "old one" now.... :?

Ian

 

[Palifan]

I'm actually really stunned there isn't more of the "I saw it in 1977" posts. That was me, seeing it around 5-6 years old in the theater and being blown away. Then the figures came out, and the 12" vinyl The Story of Star Wars (no VCR's in 1978 ), and that was it. Hooked for life.

I really thought by my post, this would be repeated by almost everyone.

Ian

The majority of guys i've met from the forum seem to be around the 40ish bracket which makes them too young to have seen ANH at the cinema. I know there are plenty of forum members who did see the movie on release, which means they would have had to be born in the late 60's/early 70's. But I would hazard a guess that they are in a minority within the Star Wars collecting world. I think in the main the age range for vintage collectors is probably quite specific.

Fair enough. Most of the vintage collectors I have known were born in the 1969-1973 range (I'm 1971 myself). Because of this, I have always assumed most of us were around the same age. So I guess that makes me the "old one" now.... :?

Ian

Not quite on your own Ian as we share the same birth year and my story is the same as yours for seeing it in the cinema in 78 (it was release in December 77 in the UK and didn't get to my home town of Bristol until around February 78).

I remember queuing forever and only just getting in with my Dad but it was so worth the wait. No idea how I'd heard about it prior to that although I did get 2000AD comic from prog one onwards back then and I read recently that they mentioned Star Wars was coming to the UK in one of their issues so it may have come from there. 78 and onwards (well for several years after anyway), it was all about Star Wars for me and I still remember clearly seeing the figures for the first time that an older boy from my neighbourhood was playing with…..it blew my mind and was the being of the collector in me!

Ian (we even share the same first name :lol: ).

 

[Ian_C]

The majority of guys i've met from the forum seem to be around the 40ish bracket which makes them too young to have seen ANH at the cinema. I know there are plenty of forum members who did see the movie on release, which means they would have had to be born in the late 60's/early 70's. But I would hazard a guess that they are in a minority within the Star Wars collecting world. I think in the main the age range for vintage collectors is probably quite specific.

Fair enough. Most of the vintage collectors I have known were born in the 1969-1973 range (I'm 1971 myself). Because of this, I have always assumed most of us were around the same age. So I guess that makes me the "old one" now.... :?

Ian

Not quite on your own Ian as we share the same birth year and my story is the same as yours for seeing it in the cinema in 78 (it was release in December 77 in the UK and didn't get to my home town of Bristol until around February 78).

I remember queuing forever and only just getting in with my Dad but it was so worth the wait. No idea how I'd heard about it prior to that although I did get 2000AD comic from prog one onwards back then and I read recently that they mentioned Star Wars was coming to the UK in one of their issues so it may have come from there. 78 and onwards (well for several years after anyway), it was all about Star Wars for me and I still remember clearly seeing the figures for the first time that an older boy from my neighbourhood was playing with…..it blew my mind and was the being of the collector in me!

Ian (we even share the same first name :lol: ).

Yes, the toys were when it really took off for me, so while I saw the film in '77, the fandom didn't get obsessive until 1978.

So, two Ian's born in 1971 on this board. Nice. Such a wonderful name. The name of legends. Fleming. McKellan. McDiarmid. Holm. Astbury (who actually grew up down the street from me here in Canada before moving back to Scotland and forming The Cult). Does Scott Ian count? Then you, Palifan. And somewhere....I guess.....me, ruining it for the rest of you.

Ian