Loose Collections - What do you collect?

[Bramistuta25]

Hi guys,

I am trying to fathom out what the most original collection of figures would be?

I would like to have a MINT loose collection and was wondering what others collect?

Do you go for certain various C.O.O's, different variants, different paintwork, different moulds, quality, quantity?

After reading the guide to C.O.O's on TIG (thanks AJ) I am assuming that the first release of the figures were Hong Kong, is this right?

Also, where do you stop?

I realise there's no hard and fast rule, but I would like to have just one of each of the figures which was the first release of them, eg. Which colour hair Ben was first? Which Han was first? etc...

Will be an interesting read as I would think lots of different people have lots of different views. Please correct anything above if it is wrong?!

Bram

 

[aussiejames]

Some 12 backs were made in Taiwan ( I think )

Work from a list or there is no end point.
You highlighted 'MINT' so personally don't worry about what could or may have come first there is no correct answer.
So quality over quantity. IF you are only going for one of each figure COO, mould or paint variation makes no difference.
You know I'll say go for variants to

 

[Bramistuta25]

Thanks AJ, yes Dr Dengar thought the same on TIG.

I think for me personally it is all about MINT examples, but having said that I would like them to be first releases. I already have a growing collection of different paint examples and COO's but I don;t want to have a MINT loose collection of 500 figures including examples ofdifferences. :lol:

I am fast realising that there is never gonna be a hard and fast ruling on this. I'm just a PURIST really and wanted the (what is considered) first ones of all of them.

I am also very interested on others views on the subject as it may give me more of an idea of what I would like to do.

Cheers buddy.

Bram

P.S I also don;t want to sell off some of the figures that may be considered more valuable for nothing! :wink:

 

[Joe]

It might just be me, but I think working out which COO's were the earliest (or which hair colour etc) is an impossible task. People have been collecting VSW for decades now and nobody knows for certain, too hard to properly investigate because you would need to not only open cards to see COO's you would have to open multiple examples of each to confirm there aren't different COO's on the same cards etc.

There are very few figures you can officially say are the earliest, a DT Luke or a VCJ are easy ones as we know they had limited runs and were early figures but you will soon run into problems with this if you want only the earliest variation (if you are crazy enough to go down that path! ) you will have to decide if Blue Snaggletooth is the only Snaggletooth you want as officially he came before the red one..lol

IMO (and it's only an opinion) your best bet is just to do a basic loose set as mint as you want it and you decide which figure (if you only want one of each figure) is the one you like the best for your own set, this would mean looking at a figure like Luke Jedi and deciding whether or not you want a molded face, snap cape, blue or green saber etc - whichever you find the most interesting instead of buying 3-4 of the same figure because all variants are of interest.

Anyways Bram, good luck!

 

[Grant_C]

Mmm.....

A full loose set plus what I consider to be variations:

Different colour hair Luke original, Luke bespin, Kenobi white hair, Luke Jedi blue saber, ugnaught purple smock, Leia bespin turtle neck, yoda orange snake, EB SET, blue snaggletooth, VC Jawa, Han Solo small head, lando no smile.

Then some vehicle additions: R2 droid factory, trash monster, probot, crumb.

Might expand this a bit. It's a bit of an old skool list.

For my focus I'll get multiple examples of everything- COO, foreign etc...

Hope that helps Bram

 

[Bramistuta25]

It kind of does... If your saying thats what you consider to be a FULL collection then after that you will collect variations of EACH and EVERY figure.

I think this is all going to be very personal in the end.

Funny you should mention the purple smock as I had just been asked if it was a variant and I found some info saying that its just the clouring changing over time from blue to purple, I've seen a pic showing one that is half and half, but no-one is ever gonna know for sure! :wink:

I'm gonna wait on a few other people views and make my decision then, but yours does help as I may just deicde which variant I like best and put that in, I just wondered which variants are known to be first?! Ben grey or white, Han large or small head, Yoda brown or orange snake... etc...

Bram

 

[CRAZYHAZY]

great question Bram.

personally i only collect loose, i like you only want mint loose figures and after much delibaration i decided that i only want a mint run of the first 21 and also a few of my favourie figures inbetween ie luke stormy yak face yoda etc.

with that 21 run i want the obvious variation ie small head/big head han, white/grey haired ben luke blonde dark dt and so on.

So my focus is the first 21 , the odd favourite figure and if i pick up a real bargain really.
i have a small wall cabinet with my figures now displayed and i think it looks really cool. i need at least 6 upgrades and a few variants but in no hurry.
not interested in vehicle or playsets with the exception of a palitoy death star as this was my fav toy as a kid.

 

[Frunkstar]

As others have said Bram, this hole you are digging can be as deep or as shallow as YOU wish to make it m8, I used to be quite big in to variants when I just collected loose many moons ago & got quite in to all the basic variations like the pin/fat head han the grey/white hair ben etc, but got a bit carries away & started on coo scarred figures/coo variations minor colour & moulding variation & eventually came to the conclusion that is may well drive me mad if I continued down that path, so I kept with the main variations & also opted to try to make as many of my collection just hong kong Coo's, though I still have a little love for the variations & have the 3 figures with the Macau coo & also have a run of raised bar coo figures, I also decided I really do like a few of the figure head & shoulders above the rest, so have a side focus collecting multiples of them 2, though I think that is mostly my clinging to the madness rather than a focused goal, I just collect those as I get a kick out of adding them to my loose collecting, problem with that is I am in need of more display cabinets yet again, have to keep buying more stands & am running out of display space to hand the cases rapidly again again again :?

As with all aspects of this hobby - collect what floats your boat & the gut tells you feels right.

I did start with the droids figures & even considered (very briefly may I add) collecting the Ewoks run but I have fallen out of love with the droids figures after getting a few together, think its as I never had them as a kid & have never watched the show.

 

[JuniorChubb]

Well Bram, while you are asking.....

I am collecting a full set of complete good condition loose figures. The trouble is SWFUK is great at side tracking people with ideas for collecting I would not have normally pursued.

I have a couple of Baggies (Franks influence), I now have a focus (thanks to SWFUK in general as I never knew what a focus was before hand) and I even have a MOC that is waiting to be opened on Christmas day, never would have considered a MOC before joining SWFUK. I have started on the variants path too but only for my focus and my sons focus (AT AT Commander).

I have decided to temporarily ditch the sidelines and focus on finishing my loose run. I need most of the last 17 (or 15 :wink: ) and a Jawa, a well as upgrading a few of the ones I have.

 

[Richard_H]

My focus is to complete the full set of loose figures, vehicles,playsets etc and major variations in vgc. I will not collect baggies, carded, sealed (although I may get something sealed to protect it)

What's the probability that some vgc loose figures, vehicles, playsets etc start appearing in the for sale section soon :lol:

No more until after xmas!

 

[Pomse2001]

Nice to see so many loose collectors :wink:

I am collecting every Coo and no Coo variants, different paintwork, different moulds, different weapons & accessories that I can find

 

[mumbo]

Hi Bram

I too am going for a fully completed original (no repro) loose set to begin with and am not at present worried about coo or variations whilst collecting this set.

But i do have a focus and thats Luke Jedi and i will get as many variations of him as possoble, whether that be moc, loose graded, baggie or just loose (i'm even going as far as acquiring non vintage luke jedi's of all different shapes, sizes and varieties, truly hooked )

The options seem endless and perhaps its best to keep it simple to begin with but if there is a particular character you like most and a moc, graded, baggie comes up for them and you have the funds to
buy it then treat yourself and put a jewel in your crown

I wish you luck in your quest for clarity

Cheers, Mumbo

 

[JuniorChubb]

Hi Bram
But i do have a focus and thats Luke Jedi and i will get as many variations of him as possoble, whether that be moc, loose graded, baggie or just loose (i'm even going as far as acquiring non vintage luke jedi's of all different shapes, sizes and varieties, truly hooked )

Even that modern one I got you for Christmas, I know its in there somewhere :lol: :lol:

 

[mumbo]

Even that modern one I got you for Christmas, I know its in there somewhere :lol: :lol:[/quote]


And if its not (which i know it isnt) then its in your collection and i want him now

 

[flycasual]

I don't want a large collection, so I'm hunting some of the harder to find variants. They don't have to be mint, but it would be nice.