The last 17 - I just cant do it .........just cant

[Merrion]

Hi All,

I spent my childhood watching the original trilogy of star wars films and at the mercy of my parents was
presented with various star wars figures, vehicles and space ships which I loved and played with constantly.

As a kid I naturally didnt realise that one day these toys would become a collectors item. So I lost all the original guns / orignal boxes / cards etc. I did however hold onto them and they were stored in the attic as they formed a large and happy part of my childhood memories.

It is only in the last 6 months that I considered collecting the original vintage star wars action figures and playsets etc. I have convinced the wife its because its an investment and not because I just want to get the figures etc that I never got as a child

So I enter this whole new world of AFA & UKG and terms like MOC , Mint condition ...C9 ratings etc and wondered what was all this about. I start to discover naturally what figures are rare and the kind of prices they can command etc. Then I come accross this figure called YAK face. I take a double look. YAK face? who the hell is YAK face. I dont remeber him and surely ths is a mistake , he looks nothing like any of the star wars characters. In fact he reminded me of the creature locked away in a cave in the film called Beowulf.

Then I see the price commanded for this figure and the confusion intensifies. I learn for the first time that there was a series of figures released called the last 17 or POTF. Was I abducted by aliens during this time? I then start to see other POTF figures going for sale and my initial impressions of these figures is similar to my impression of YAK face. I simply could not bring myself to like them, I just couldnt. To me and I hope I dont offend others that like them , they look C*@p. This is a subjective view of course. I get they are rare , I get they command a high price but I just cannot bring myself to like them or ever want to collect them., ever :x

Maybe Im just suffering from grumpy old man syndrom but I'd like to ask other posters what they think? Am I alone in this view, please tell me someone else shares this view, least I become the most hated poster on the forum

 

[poncho]

in 1985 kenner released a final wave of figures 15 not 17 too try and cash in on what was a twindling action figure line and they did acked imagination . and some of the figures are rubbish i agree (imp dignitary! boring...anakin boring especially, why would a kid want too play with a ghost anakin is beyond me :roll:

i never realised yak face existed or anaman ev9d9 imp digintary until i started collecting in the late 90's! i how ever love all the kenner starwars figure line for there simplicity and for the want that when i was kid i wanted every single one and now 30 years later i have i wish they made more, ev9d9 han solo carbonite and imp gunner yak face are amongst my favourite figs i own. ive not much love for ewoks they shouldnt of made any more for the final wave of figures.

unfortunately the last 15 figs do command a high price! you are looking at a few hundred quid at least to complete a mint loose set

 

[Merrion]

in 1985 kenner released a final wave of figures 15 not 17 too try and cash in on what was a twindling action figure line and they did acked imagination . and some of the figures are rubbish i agree (imp dignitary! boring...anakin boring especially, why would a kid want too play with a ghost anakin is beyond me :roll:

i never realised yak face existed or anaman ev9d9 imp digintary until i started collecting in the late 90's! i how ever love all the kenner starwars figure line for there simplicity and for the want that when i was kid i wanted every single one and now 30 years later i have i wish they made more, ev9d9 han solo carbonite and imp gunner yak face are amongst my favourite figs i own. ive not much love for ewoks they shouldnt of made any more for the final wave of figures.

unfortunately the last 15 figs do command a high price! you are looking at a few hundred quid at least to complete a mint loose set

Hi, yeah I hear you on the ewoks also. I forgot about them and thats becuase I have managed to take them out of my consciousness :x I remeber even as a kid when I watched return of the Jedi thinking ah no, what are these furry little muppet show like characters doing here? They were so out of kilt with the rest of the characters we were introduced to. I suppose it was a warning that worse was to come....... Jar Jar anyone lol ....dont get me started... I must refraim :twisted:

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

I agree with what you are saying. but figures such as Luke Stormtrooper and Luke Battle Poncho are fantastic figures and have a lot of playability 8)

 

[mr_palitoy]

I still have't collected the last 17. Have a couple of the easier ones that came with cardbacks.Can't say I'm too fussed about them either.



Jason

 

[tiefighterboy]

It all depends on your age if you remember these figures. I was a teenager when POTF figures came out and had moved to girls and beer. I remember these being in the clearance bin at Kaybee toys at the time and laughed at the fact they were grasping at keeping the star wars line going. At that time kids were getting into He-man and transformers. I now wish I would have bought the bin full. I think some of them are cool and some of them are useless. The same applies to the droids and ewoks line. Yak face is better looking than Vlix....and he commands a huge chunk funds....and I would never have him in my collection..unless I could get him for a tenner.

 

[RKW1138]

POTF saw the introduction of buff looking Star wars figures which POTF2 took to the extreme. Figures such as Barada, imperial gunner and carbonite Han look at odds stood next to regular figures. But not all the figures had been pumping weights to compete with He-Man, the Poncho Luke is arguably the best Jedi Luke figure. The A-Wing pilot, Yak face, Amanaman and even the imperial dignitary are great sculpted figures that fit in perfectly with the rest of the Star Wars range.

 

[chazb73]

Good post

I tend to agree with you....to a certain extent. I had also moved on by the time the last 17 were released but bought quite a few of them for 50p in 1986 when the line had run its course. (they are long gone though )

I love Luke stormtrooper - but a few of them are indeed crap - anakin, and just what the hell us kids were going to do with an imperial dignitary (or pope) is beyond me :?

 

[pizzathehutt]

i can remember going to a car boot sale in hemel hempstead in about 1992 and an old couple had on a box "all star wars figures £2 each"

i never knew about the last 17 back then but i did recognise and buy anakin, paploo, romba and lando general, but me being an idiot picked up amanaman and laughing to my dad saying "urggh this isnt a star wars figure2 and throwing him back in the box, whoops!!!

i can also remember years later about 1995 walking past alfies antiques window on a sunday afternoon when it was closed and seeing a whole line up of vintage star wars figures and only one was in a clear plastic tube which was yak face and me thinking "who the hell is that guy???"

 

[Stormtrooper37]

The last 17 or 15 have some of the best figures and some of the very worse

Luke Stormtrooper, EV9D9 and Imperial Gunner are a few of my personal favourites, however Anakin, Awing pilot, Imp Dig are ****.

I personally prefer most of the earlier figures, don't like a lot of Jabbas henchmen etc.

 

[sith-smith]

I had 3 of the 15 as a kid but had no idea of the remaining 12. Sadly I had the crapiest 3 (Anakin, Dignitary and A wing pilot)

Wasn't until late 92 and into 93 that I began to hit carboot sales (thanks to my then girlfriend who had bought 6 imperial figures at a car boot sale which made we want to go)

I found Yak, and a complete Luke Stormtrooper, plus I also got a Lando general without the cloak and an amanaman without the staff. All for 50p each.

I also saw a Luke Poncho that looked odd...I realised later it was meant to have a poncho... an Ev9D9 with only one arm and a Barada which I threw back into the box not believing it was a Star Wars character, only to be told by someone who picked it up and bought it that it was!!

So by 94 I knew there were 10 but still had no idea of the other 15. Wasn't until i got the Sansweet book later that year that I discovered just how many there were (Plus the Blue Snag and DT sabers not to mention all the other ships and playsets I didn't know existed!!)

Car Boot sales were drying up with Star Wars by that point and what there was were ridiculously priced for someone with no job so I didn't get any more until 99 and finished the run in 2000.

Once I knew they existed that was enough for me to want the full set though I was initially reluctant to had over large sums of money for them, especially as most I had got for 50p.

I totally agree that not all were great. But I don't mind the ewoks, like the Jabba aliens and think the Imperial Gunner is awesome.

 

[x-pack]

I was still into toys back in 1985 and don't remember these figures at all. Weird. I remember Star Wars figures being bargain bins for a quid each but they were along the lines of Reeyees and Weequay. Had i seen a Luke Stormy i would have been all over it

 

[itfciain]

I remember Luke Stormie as he was one of the coolest figures out there (still is) but not many of the others.

I understand what the OP is saying but the beauty of this hobby is that as well as bringing back memories, you are also buying collectibles. Prices for the Last 17 (esp complete) have been steady for a good few years now and I can't see any reason for them to go down, so at worse you could consider them an investment

 

[Merrion]

Yeah I hear you on the Luke Stormy. If I had to choose one from the POTF line it would be this one.

Its just the head ( minus helmet) looks rather cartoonish for me compared to the sculpt of the original lukes.

 

[edd_jedi]

I'm not a fan of most of the POTF figures either to be honest, or a lot of the Jedi figures. I prefer the simple sculpts of the SW and ESB figures. But I know a lot of people think the opposite. There's no right or wrong so don't worry about it, just collect what you like

 

[edd_jedi]

Also as far as I know, the only 'last 17' figure I had as a kid was the pop-up R2-D2. I also don't remember any of the others despite buying figures well in to the late 80s, mostly tri logos.

 

[Merrion]

I remember Luke Stormie as he was one of the coolest figures out there (still is) but not many of the others.

I understand what the OP is saying but the beauty of this hobby is that as well as bringing back memories, you are also buying collectibles. Prices for the Last 17 (esp complete) have been steady for a good few years now and I can't see any reason for them to go down, so at worse you could consider them an investment

I hear you on the investmnet front but even at that Id rather buy an equivalent priced original triology figure be it a MOC or baggie etc than for the price of one of the POTF. Different strokes for different folks and thats what makes the world an interesting place. I was just curious was I the only one that had a natural disliking to this line of figures.

Glad to see my thoughts didnt go down like a lead balloon and become shunned from the board as a wreteched hive of scum and villainy

 

[itfciain]

Glad to see my thoughts didnt go down like a lead balloon and become shunned from the board as a wreteched hive of scum and villainy

Haha - that will never happen ...... unless you decide to invest in UGrades

 

[Stormtrooper37]

Also as far as I know, the only 'last 17' figure I had as a kid was the pop-up R2-D2. I also don't remember any of the others despite buying figures well in to the late 80s, mostly tri logos.

The only 'last 17' figure I had as a kid was General Lando - only because I liked the cape, bought him on a Trilogo and he was the last figure I ever bought as a child in the 80's. Remember seeing all the last 17 on the pegs including Yak Face, whom I didn't like at all.

 

[Merrion]

Glad to see my thoughts didnt go down like a lead balloon and become shunned from the board as a wreteched hive of scum and villainy

Haha - that will never happen ...... unless you decide to invest in UGrades

UGrade? never heard of it, isnt that some form of universal grading they give for cinema goers for all ages or something 8)