Welcome!!
My name is Deron Price. I have been a Star Wars collector
since 1978. I was first introduced to the world of
Star Wars toys then and have been hooked ever since.
Thanks to the guys at yakface I would like to share
some ideas on collecting with you. These arent by
any means the end all be all of collecting how to's
and tips , but hopefully it will give you some good
ideas and directions to take your collection in. My
philosophy is simple: HAVE FUN !! And
remember to follow the principle; Collect to Collect.
In this area
you will find sections on :
-STORING:
Keep you collection safe on the wall or in the attic
-GRADING: How do I know what its worth
-DISPLAYING: Show off your collection with
a great display
-TRADING: A great way to meet other collectors
and increase your collection
So look around
, get some ideas, get your plan together and away
you go . You are off on your journey into Star Wars
collecting. If you have any questions , comments or
observations please feel free to e-mail me djprice@si-net.com
Like I said this isnt the gospel of collecting ,but
hopefully gives you some ideas.
**Special
thanks to Kathy Murrer at The
Earth [e-mail KathyMurrer@theearth.net
], Defender Cases [Defendercases.com]
and Protech [e-mailCasepros@aol.com].
STORAGE
Protective
storage of your collection can take many forms depending
on what you have, what you like and your finances.
In this section we will take a look at storing both
loose and carded figures and what you might expect
to spend.
LOOSE
FIGURES
PLASTIC
BAGS
There are
several different ways to store your loose figures.
To start with there are plastic bags. At the time
of the original figures Kenner issued some mail-away
and promotional figures in plastic bags. These Kenner
" bagged" figures are fairly common place today and
plastic bags are an economical way to store loose
figures. However the main drawback to plastic bags
is they only offer dust and dirt protection. If you
dont want them to get banged around you will need
to move to the next level. Plastic bags are also good
for storing all those extra weapons you have laying
around.
SOFT SHELL
PLASTIC CASES
Another way
to protect is the use of soft shell plastic cases.
These can come in a variety of sizes to enclose different
size figures. I had three sizes available to me to
try out and report on. The first size is usually used
for " die cast cars" but is ideal for those jawas,
ugnaughts, ewoks and small droids. The next size up
would be for your regular size figures ,Luke , Han,
etc.and will hold them with weapons. The largest size
holds Darth Vader, Chewie, and any other larger figure.
These soft shell cases are of the coffin variety with
a hinge at the bottom and a snap tight mechanism at
the top. They also include a peg hole at the top for
displaying on pegs*.
* ( See the
display section for a better understanding of pegs)
COLLECTOR
CASES
Lets not forget
collector cases! If you can make yourself open them
they are another way to store your figures. From the
original vinyl cases from Star Wars and The Empire
Strikes Back And C3PO to the Darth Vader , C3PO and
Falcon Cases of today the storage space may be minimal
but its fun.
CARDED
FIGURES
HARD SHELL
CASES
These are
the best way to store your carded figures. They offer
great protection from dings, dents, and nicks to the
card and bubble. The examples I had to use were from
Protech (909-468-0706) or e-mail them Casepros@aol.com.
ANother great place to pick up protective cases is
Defendercases.com.
These are really nice for a big wall display(for a
really good view go to Rebelsum.com
and check out Philip Wises office photo, now thats
a wall!). You get a good view of the entire card and
if you have it free standing the back of the card
as well. If you needed to store your carded figures
away for a time I would suggest these. You could pack
them neatly in a box without fear of major damage
to your collection. Be warned though if you have very
many figures it will get expensive, but youve got
how much invested in your collection already so a
few dollars is worth it to keep it safe.
PLASTIC
BAGS
Plastic Bags
are another option for carded figures. However the
only protection they offer is dust and minimal card
damage. If you only have a few figures and are looking
to keep the dust free this may be the way to go for
you.( as a side note the large size plastic bags are
also good for storing your SW comics).
SUNLIGHT
Sunlight is
something people dont often think about. If your collection
is in direct sunlight be prepared for FADING. The
colors on the card WILL fade the bubble may yellow
more quickly ant ultimately the figure will fade and
yellow. Indirect sunlight should not effect anything
in the long run. Really keep this in mind, remember
learn from others mistakes!
Remember storing
your collection can be a risky venture. Be careful
and take some extra time to do a good job. You dont
know the disappointment of going back to get it out
only to find the way you stored it ultimately ruined
some part of it. The bottom line do it right . The
first time!!
GRADING
Grading is
probably the single most subjective aspect of collecting.
A large part of how someone grades an item depends
on their collecting goal. If you collect to enjoy
you may grade at item more leniently than if you were
collecting to sell for profit at a later date. In
any case there are some basic guide lines to follow
to ensure you have the best looking collection you
want.
Lets start
with a list of grades that you would likely encounter.
Poor
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Near Mint
Mint
Now lets take
a look at what you would look for in each Grade.
POOR---
A poor condition item will have any combination of
the following wrong. Tears or rips in the card , proofs
of purchase cut out or missing and heavy edge wear.
Corners will be well rounded and soft. Also major
creases may exist across the card. The bubble may
be dented or partially torn away from the card and
or cut. At this point the toy in the bubble could
be worth more loose than in this package.
GOOD---
This is a step up from Poor but still is in bad shape.
The card may contain small tears and heavy edge wear.
Some creasing will still be evident and the corners
will still be soft. The bubble may also contain dents
dings or scratches.
VERY GOOD---
Moving up the grading ladder a Very Good item will
show marked improvement from good. A Very Good card
should show no tears but may have some creasing still
and edge wear will still be evident. The bubble may
still show some small dings but no major dents should
be present.
EXCELLENT---
As we move closer to mint condition grading becomes
more subtle. Excellent condition will find no tears
to the card and edge wear will be at a minimum. The
bubble will be completely in tact , however dings
or scratches may occur around the bottom of the bubble.
Only slight creasing caused by the gluing of the bubble
process should be evident.
NEAR MINT---
Near mint is what I would call the most common grade.
The only wear you should find on a near mint piece
would be normal wear during shipment. The card will
be clean with on tears, scratches or creasing. The
corners will be excellent showing no wear, and edge
wear will be almost non-existant . The bubble will
be completely in tact with no scratches. **
MINT---
The top of the line. The mint item will be clean ,
Void of any nicks or scratches. Edges will be clean
and crisp showing no signs of wear at all. The bubble
again will have no nick s or scratches and be well
centered. The only creasing that may exist is from
the gluing process. This can only be seen looking
at an angle under the light. This package is not likely
to come from retail stores because of the shelf abuse
incurred everyday.
(**)---I consider
Near Mint to be the most common grade for these reasons.
1) Wear and
tear during transport causes edge wear easily.
2) Figures get moved around in the store by employees
and customers again causing wear.
3) Even the most careful collector nicks and/or dings
a card now and again.
You may also
come across numerical grades for your figures these
might include;
POOR---C1orC2
GOOD---C3orC4
VERY GOOD---C5orC6
EXCELLENT---C7or C8
NEAR MINT---C8.1toC9.9
MINT---C10
Here are some
terms you might want to be familiar with when it comes
to collecting.
Bubble: What
the figure is encased in on the card.
Card: This the backing piece to your figure-it includes
the photo, brand logo, and any information about that
particular figure.
Collecting: Something you do to have fun
Descriptions: Each line of figures will probably have
its own set of descriptions: for example Star Wars
figures may be found on a red card, green card, freeze
frame card etc.
Grading: How you can determine the "value" of you
figure or toy : remember grading is subjective not
everyone sees eye to eye about grading. Be fair and
realistic when grading.
Proof of Purchase (POP): Usually the scan bar from
the back of the card, these may be missing at some
point due to a mail in offer.
DISPLAYING
YOUR COLLECTION
Displaying
your collection can be the most fun part of the whole
collecting experience. There are as many different
ways to display your collection as there are ideas
in your head. A lot of your decision of "how" to display
will be based on the amount of room you have. So lets
take a look at some different ideas depending on your
available space.
THE WHOLE
ROOM
Yeah this
is the most ideal amount of space. Having a whole
room devoted to Star Wars , or whatever you may collect,
would be the neatest thing on earth. It would also
make you the envy of all your collecting friends.
Pick a wall
that doesnt have any windows. This should be where
you can put "runs" of shelves, or perhaps a section
of peg board.* Shelving can be found at any number
of places. Your local lumber yard would be a good
place to start. They should have wall mounted shelving
in various lengths and widths. If you intend on displaying
every single item you have, go with a narrow width
shelf, it wont stick out from the wall so much. However
your space will get used up very quickly. Another
option is, use a deeper shelf and double up on duplicate
items. This will save on space so you dont have to
rearrange you display as soon as you aquire more.
Now on to
the other walls. A wall with windows is a good spot
for hanging posters, clocks, or plaques. Below use
some floor book shelves that only go up to the bottom
of the window or so. These can house all your books,
records( I still have my sound tracks from 77),statues,
or similar type items. These book shelves can be found
at your local Wal-Mart and K-Mart for a reasonable
price. Dont forget your vintage curtains for the windows
the Quilt grandma made for you back in 77. Finish
out the room with your hand made replica of the Emperors
throne room chair and you have a complete room.
A WALL
OK if you
are like me a room is out of the question, but a wall
is a reasonable possibility. Again the shelves will
be of use. This time only use part of the wall, and
definately go with a wider shelf to conserve space.
Double up on common figures or maybe figures that
arent your favorite and set your vehicles at an angle
so you get a partial view but dont have to hide anything.
Save some wall space for a poster or two, or a plaque.
Below these you could use a book shelf as before.
Or perhaps get a little more wall shelving to store
your books etc.. Remember this your collection use
your imagination to reflect how you enjoy collecting.
This is for you to enjoy and friends and fellow collectors
to admire.
LESS THAN
A WALL
You live in
an apartment or a small house. Perhaps even your room
with mom and dad. You have less than limited space
to work with. Now what do you do? Try something that
has worked for me in the past. Again at your local
Wal-Mart or K-Mart find some plastic or metal shelving.
This very inexpensive, doesnt take up much space,
and can still allow you to be creative in your display.
I would use the top shelf for figures the next shelf
for 12" figures and the bottom shelf or two for my
vehicles and play sets. You may have to compromise
on the amount of your collection you display. Pick
out your favorite items and the ones you are most
proud of. You may also have room above the shelves
to hang a poster or plaque.
*- Peg board
is what stores use to mount the hooks the figures
hang on. Check with your local stores ( Wal-Mart K-Mart
etc.) they may have extra you can have or purchase
cheaply. If not try your local lumber yard or hardware
store. These places should also be able to get the
peg hooks for you as well.
DISPLAY
PIECES
Now say you
have a bunch of loose figures you want to display.
What do you do? Well, you could try standing them
up but chances are you would spend more time picking
them up. If you have a " Vintage" collection you might
have the action stand from early 78. If you do that
would be ideal for displaying your original 12. (
A note: POTF2 figures wont fit on this : I triedL
) Also the action scene stand from Empire would be
a good thing.
OK, now youre
saying, but I dont have those, what do I do? Well
there are several manufacturers of stands for your
loose figures. TheEarth (www.theearth.net)
is a good source for stands. They have stands for
both vintage and POTF2 figures. These really work
great the stands for the POTF2 figures come individually
so as to accommodate the wide stances on some of the
newer figures. The vintage stands offer good stability
for your older straight legged figures. This way you
can put all your figures in action scenes thus enhancing
your display.
REMEMBER
Remember this
is your collection. Have fun, be creative, use your
imagination. Part of the fun of collecting is being
able to show it off. Try and check out some of the
Star Wars web sites, they often have pictures of other
peoples collections. Use these to get ideas of your
own. Visit a local toy shop, sometimes they have great
displays. The possibilities are as endless as your
imagination.
Make sure
you check out the storage section to learn more about
display stands for loose figures as well as protective
display boxes for carded figures. These are helpful
tools for protecting you investment as well as displaying
all of your hard work.
TRADING
Trading can
be and is one of more fun aspects of collecting you
can get involved in. Getting started may be a little
rough, but once you build up a network of trading
buddies you can have a great time.
Where do you
begin?
AT THE
STORE
One of the
best ways to start is at the local store(s) you frequent
to buy figures. You will normally see some regulars
in each day or week depending on how often you go.
Introduce yourself, tell them you are interested in
collecting. Ask if they ever do any trading or would
be interested in doing so. Be polite about it and
if they say no or no thanks, just say thanks and go
on. Not everyone is into trading, so dont get discouraged.
Once you find a person or two get their number and
give them yours. ( maybe make up some little "cards"
with your name and number on them)** At first it may
be difficult to find items to trade because if you
buy at the same places you may have the same things.
Make sure you make a need list to exchange with others
and get one from them as well.** As you shop around
always keep your eyes peeled for new contacts to add
to your trading base.
**--Kids
make sure its ok with mom and dad to give out your
name and number. Maybe even have them go with you
to help meet others.
ON THE
"NET"
Another way
to make trading contacts is on the internet. How do
you do that? One of the best ways to do that is through
one of the many Star Wars toy sites. If I may I started
with Rebelscum.com and yakface.com as well as The
Outerrim . Check out the chat rooms they are filled
with others in search of the same toys as you. Make
sure you introduce yourself be polite and try not
to be too eagar. Sit back and enjoy the chat, watch
whats happening and jump in when you have something
to add. Again have a list ready to share also have
a list of what you have available to trade. Make sure
you have your e-mail ready in case you get a trade
worked out. Share your ideas on how you would continue
to build your collection with others and ask for their
input too. It might surprise you the ideas you can
get from other peoples experiences.
COLLECTOR
CLUBS
If you live
in a large enough area you might try hooking up with
a collectors club. If you dont have one there are
some great tips on starting your own at TheForce.net.
You would start the same way you would when meeting
people in the store just also ask them if they would
be interested in joining a collectors club. If you
have any other tips on starting a club e-mail me and
let me know. Maybe in the future I can add a club
section.
FRIENDS
Dont forget
your friends. If you have any that collect be sure
to ask them to help you. You can each set up your
need lists and to help find new contacts. Share information
on the best places to find the newest and best stuff.
Remember if you cant trade with your friends chances
are you wont be able to trade with anyone else. And
most of all HAVE FUN!!!
THE NEXT
STEP
OK! Now that
you have a base of people established, there are a
few things to keep in mind when proposing and making
a trade.
---My first
rule of trading is to remember " collect to collect"
as you may have seen on various sites. Dont try to
gouge the other guy. If you spent $5.76 look for that
in trade. You may want to allow for rarer figure (i.e.
ReeYees, DST). Work this out ahead of time, dont expect
something for nothing. Be fair to others and they
will be fair in return.
---Be courteous!
If you are rude the word will get around. We are all
in this for fun, so HAVE FUN!!
---Dont set
your sites too high. You may not connect on the first
try. It may take several times to get an agreeable
trade worked out. Dont give up, it takes some work
but in the end you get what you want and they get
what they want.
---Once you
make the trade decide on any payment to be made. Will
you enclose any postage or will you each take care
of your own.
---Make sure
you exchange addresses complete with zip codes. If
you have them even e-mail addresses. Once you make
a trade you can keep in contact and possibly make
future trades.
---Did I mention
HAVE FUN!!!!
Trading is
a great way to increase your collection, pick up pieces
you cant find, and to meet new collectors. Once you
get a network going you will find that there are many
more collectors and fans out there than you could
have ever imagined. And remember the most important
rule..
HAVE
FUN!!!