Who's Who - Introduce yourself!

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ScruffyLookingNH said:
Hi everybody,

Long time browser of this most excellent forum but first time poster.

I've collected Star Wars on four separate occasions in my life, the first being the best! I remember going to a market in Dover in around 1982 and being bought my first SW figure which was a Chewbacca on ESB card. I still remember the smell of the figure. Happy days! I also remember the day when the SW love stopped as a kid and I and my brother sold off our figures at a car boot sale in Buxton for 50p each in around 1986. I distinctly remember some guy coming along and picking up two of the same figure. My brother was more an Action Force kid so only had a out 20 figures. This was one of the few duplicates we had between us. He was clearly excited and my brother and I really couldn't figure out why; we both HATED the figure he bought! When I returned to collecting in the 90s I figured out why. He bought the two Yak Faces :)

I then started again in 1994 (pre internet days and such great finds still to be had). I started trading at marts and fairs when I realised I had so much spare stuff having bought every collection I could find in free ads papers and card boot sale. That helped me through University. I once again sold up (about 1997) and sold my single figure collection for £700 to a junk shop guy who had some seriously overpriced SW stuff. I had every variation (not counting COO and the like) but no blue Snag, so was pretty pleased with the price. It paid for a long road trip to the US.

I dabbled in collecting carded figures a couple of times since, but they ended up sitting in a box and the restriction on funds meant it never progressed past about 20 or 30 figures.

Now, I'm back. And I'm going to get serious!

I now wish to start a decent carded figure collection and intend to start with 12 bk figures. Palitoy would be nice but the prices probably make it a little prohibitive. That said, I'm looking longingly at the stuff at the Vectis sale on the 27th May and think I may just have to treat myself to one or two. May also not have to tell the wife.

I have a 3 yr old daughter who is already a fan. She has only been introduced to Vader, R2 (her favourite), C-3PO and Stormtroopers at the moment, but momentum is growing. As I like to think I'm a good parent I am not showing her any Ewoks.

Pretty uneasy about the amount of fakes that seem to be circulating and I'm also longing for the day when someone, anyone, can muster the evidence to take Toy Toni to court. I reckon that'll be the day a Wampa allows you to shave him for charity.

Look forward to reading more of the threads and can't wait to make my first purchase.

Cheers

Simon

oh sweet Jesus, this is not a new face .... but an old ugly one ;)
 
the giant at the back....

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David Tree said:
the giant at the back....

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Gah! Dave, you swore all evidence from those days were gone! :) Ah....the beer festival at the Cartwheel. Those were the days! I remember that one particularly well thanks to the small blonde :wink:

Simon
 
David Tree said:
I think that's either 2000 or 2001? Either way, I may look older, but you're still ugly :p

It was 1999. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Treeboy, and as I recall, I pulled that night whereas you nearly started a fight on the bus on the way home with some pissed Marines :lol:
 
Hello SWF.UK!

Pretty new to this forum but have been diving in and out quite a bit recently as I've re-acquired the Star Wars collecting bug.

About me: My name is Jules Burt and I started collecting Star wars items when you could still buy it in the shops. I'm 45 now and was 7 years old when I first saw A New Hope. I had pretty much all the figures and some juicy early Palitoy playsets up till ROTJ when I lost interest in the toys and got into home computing.
When I left home and started earning a living, I got really into Star Wars toys again. This was about 1987/1988. I was a regular car boot sale punter and would religiously search these each weekend for Star Wars, retro video games plus anything I could make a bit of money from. I would often find items that I could add to my original collection, plus doubles that I would sell on.
from my bedsit, I would sell comics, records, and SF merchandise to fellow collectors. Star Wars figures were just 75p each! I remember selling a Palitoy Cantina for about £15 and thinking this was high!
Around this time, I got a dream find. A newsagent chain, local to Plymouth, called Muldowneys, were shutting down. From their backroom, stacks and stacks of old toys and figures were pulled out and put onto sale. Everything was half it's original price, except the Star Wars action figures, these were just......wait for it....29p each. I kid you not, still carded and pretty much on mint or near mint cards. I remember getting quite a few last 17 figures on Tri-Logo cardsbacks, all had £1.59 stickers on. I got Yak, Han Carbonote, The Imperial Gunner, R2 Lightsabre. Lots of more standard figures. as well as the figures they had old Dr Who figures from the 1970's, UK Palitoy Mego's (rare fist-fighting versions) and stacks of Action Man stuff.
I'll go into that find another day and I have never forgotten it! Anyway, after a couple more years of trading from my bedsit and doing the old SF show and record fair, I met up with my future business partner, George Lessiter. Together, we formed a new business called Purple Haze and we opened our first retail shop, in Plymouth in May 1992.
Purple Haze was pretty much a success from day one. We always did well with Star Wars stuff and we continued to buy and sell it. I was able to continue to collect new items as they came along and I put my own loose set on display in the shop to inspire other collectors to complete their sets.
We put together a checklist poster and I also wrote and produced an detailed price guide to the vintage range. This was in 1993, maybe a UK first? I do still have a copy, Lol!
The guide was used as a template for inclusion in the 1995 edition of the UK Comic Book Price Guide. As a shop we had stacks of vintage Star Wars through our hands and we were privvy to many big deals. I remember being offered the cardbacks and bubbles that went in the end to ToyToni. Happy I couldn't afford them at the time!
it was interesting to see quite a few different people on the lookout for mint complete figures at shows after this lot surfaced. I remember spending months looking for a carded Imperial Dignitary and often finding carded example with a worn nose tip. Made me think they were re-cards.
I was involved in helping track down some Star Wars toys that were stolen from Jason Joiner's stall at a fair ( a Yak Face and a Kenner toothbrush as memory recalls). We did get them back in the end. The guy had stolen from other dealers as well.
I would do many of the shows and was able to get at least one of each figure carded, although I never did get a carded vinyl Jawa.
In about 2002, Purple Haze was forced to close for a major shopping development in Plymouth to go ahead. We went online which was fine, but George and I split the business up in about 2005. He continues to trade on eBay full-time. I went off and got another job, did some part-time acting (I had small parts and extra roles in Doctor Who, Marple, Alice in Wonderland, some BBC stuff, adverts etc) and also got married and started a family. My days of being a Star Wars dealer were over. The collection was all boxed up and has been stored in the loft for about ten years - until last month when I started getting it all out again!
Together with my son, who at eight is now very much into Star Wars, we have started going through the old collection and photographing what I come across. It's not especially in any great order, but i'm happy to see, that on the whole, most items are in great shape. A little aghast to see the yellowing on the Kenner bubbles, but I was expecting this. Happy to see the Tri-logo's still look great and my early Palitoy cards look amazing.
I have started sharing photos of my collection on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/vintagestarwarsaday
I'll be sure to shed some more light on any subject that comes up here or on the podcast (which I love btw) and am happy to go into detail on what I remember from those early days of collecting Star Wars in the UK.

For now, I'm after a couple of things and some advise.

The only piece I had as a kid that I've not still got or replaced is the Palitoy Death Star. I'm after a boxed one of these. Also, a boxed, preferably sealed Star Wars Han Solo Blaster, Palitoy version.
Loose figure-wise, I would like a mint condition Jawa to upgrade the one on my original vinyl cape Jawa that I had as a kid. Is there a particular one I need to look out for? To be clear, I have the cape, just need a mint, nude figure with perfect hands.

For trade or very generous offer, I have a pristine, unpunched, Takara 12 back C-3PO with the alternate sculpt head. It is the 12B card with Takara sticker.

Anyway, that's it for now. Let me know if you remember Purple Haze! I've loads of photos to share if interested!

Cheers,

Jules.
 
Awesome introduction Jules and I'm glad you like the podcast. Jason Joiner is on here as Ace. He's made some posts recently showing off some of his collection. I can never remember if it is small eyes or large eyes Jawa which belongs with the VCJ. Either one is easy to pick up.
 
Hi Welsh_chris and Jules welcome to the forum guys.

Jules that is an awesome collection you have 8)
 
Thanks guys!

My son has caught the collecting bug as well but thankfully, he's happy to get the new Star Wars Rebels figures. If you've not seen them, very reminiscent of the original vintage line, gotta say I really like them!
I can recommend picking up the new droid, Chopper, or C1-10P. It has taken me a bit of time to track this one down.
 
Welcome to the new 3; ScruffyLookingNF (Simon), Welsh Chris and Jules.
Great posts to boot. I hope you enjoy your time here, i had a quick peak a few years back and haven't looked back!
You've taken your first step into a larger world!
 
Welcome everyone. Welcome Jules. Someone mentioned your shop the other day. Within the last week anyway 8)
 
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