Afternoon all,
after the thread got a mention on episode 2 of the podcast (cheers guys!) I thought I would offer something of an update, over a month into collecting.
Some superb advice has been offered on this thread, and 2 things in particular stand out for me.
1) Everything comes round for sale again, take your time.
Having followed the sales thread here and of course Ebay, this has proven to be true for me. OK, AFA graded 12 backs don't appear very often but in terms of loose figures and even the rarer playsets, stuff pops up all of the time. Searching for completed Ebay listings is a useful way of acquainting yourself with the going rates and I always do this when coming across an item I am less familiar with.
One thing that is fascinating is the Yak Face hype train. I see more Yaks on Ebay than I do Lando Generals and Imperial Gunners. I'll put it out there- I am dreading buying a Yak Face, or a Blue Snag for that matter!
2) Pick a focus.
I began by purchasing loose (always complete if possible, saves money in the long run) figures that I liked. Favourites from the films, some less likely ones that translate nicely into an action figure. I even picked up a couple of vehicles, a B-Wing and an AT-ST from a carboot. However, I decided that this scatter-gun approach could not last nor be sustainable. It was suggested on the podcast that I could start with the last 17, and get them out of the way! This does make sense, and having missed a Barada on the forum I wouldn't say no to him or equivalent. But, I have just paid the final bill for my wedding in August (denied Imperial March as an entrance song at dinner by wife to be) and for now a last 17 focus is just not practical. I have therefore gone for a first 12 focus. So far I have Ben, Vader, Stormie, Jawa (no weapon) and DSC.
In the future, I would consider a Cantina aliens focus or perhaps a Bounty Hunter variants focus. I do like Walrusman, and it seems like there are a few variants available and I could even collect the modern versions too and display side by side (sacrilege).
So, that's roughly where I am right now. 24 Figures standing on display just above where I sit and type, bug truly caught.
A few newbie questions before I finish.
Why are Lili Ledy so expensive?
Same question for POCH and PBP figures. What's the deal here?
If I find Toy Toni, should I kill him or collect the bounty from the forum?
Finally, thanks again to all who have offered advice and to all whom I have dealt with so far on the forum.