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Messages - Billy Boy

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16
The top ten 'hardest to find' Tri-logo cards in my opinion are currently*...

1.) General Madine
2.) Jawa
3.) CCP (Tri backed)
4.) ERG
5.) Hammerhead (Tri backed)
6.) Luke Hoth
7.) Princess Leia
8.) Luke Bespin
9.) Nien Nunb
10.) Boba Fett


The General Madine is darn tricky to find! =

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3170066628&category=50277

*= Some figures seem virtually impossible to find for ages and then I spot masses of them turning up on eBay and at UK toy fairs! (The Tri backed cards often get listed as standard RotJ cards too!) My current 'top ten' is adjusted to reflect what I have noticed in the marketplace recently!

FX-7 and 2-1B can be found quite easily! However bubble condition plays a major factor in the valuation of all Tri cards. Hence IF the bubbles were in very good condition then the $45 BIN is cheap!

Bill  :)

17
Vintage Kenner / Re: Playsets
« on: April 16, 2004, 06:38 AM »
Yeah! Ewok Villages are great!  8)

I have the European Bi-logo version from my childhood ...BUT I sadly sold off the three mint Tri-logo boxed versions I purchased for £4.99 each in the Woolworth Toy Sale of 1985! = FOOL!  ::)

I have two loose Ewok Villages side-by-side in a vintage diorama in my office! = Twenty Ewoks are fending off four AT-STs, ten Biker Scouts and forty Stormtoopers with their two tiny catapults and four gliders! The poor little guys are seriously out-numbered... without a single Rebel Commando in sight!

= I guess I'll never 'grow up'?  :D

Bill

18
Vintage Kenner / Re: Playsets
« on: April 15, 2004, 07:56 PM »
I love the Dagobah*, Turret & Probot and Imperial Attack Base playsets!

I always used the 'Imperial' Base as the Rebel trenches as a kid! The idea of an 'Attack Base' has never made any sense to me?  ::)

I also have very fond memories of playing with the Palitoy Death Star, Cantina, Land of the Jawas and Darth Vader's Star Destroyer!  8)

The other vintage playsets were never available in Europe!  :(

*IF anyone spots a Palitoy boxed Dagobah playset... please let me know!

Bill  :)

19
Vintage Kenner / Re: AT-AT Driver Variation
« on: April 13, 2004, 11:44 AM »
The 'Tri Variants' made by PBP in Spain always have the tell-tale 'moulding scar'! Whilst the European released figures made in Macau have the 'Taiwan' or 'Hong Kong' area 'smoothed over', as they were later adaptions of earlier figures! (French releases often state 'Macao' on the figures themselves too!)

The early 'Pal Variants' are sometimes just 'Hong Kong' variants sent only to Europe! ('Orange haired' Luke Bespin is one such variant!) The Tri Squid Head figure can either have 'Hong Kong' or a 'smoothed over' area. In fact most are 'Hong Kong' examples moulded in a lighter plastic with the distinctive 'green tinted cape' and 'white skirt'!

Thus... it is possible to confirm that about 90% of European variants have no 'Country Of Origin'/'Place Of Manufacture' on them!

Though many other variants lack COO/POM markings too!

Bill  :)

20
Vintage Kenner / Re: AT-AT Driver Variation
« on: April 6, 2004, 04:59 PM »
Most 'Red Insignia' AT-AT Driver figures are the regular HK versions! The 'Scarlet Red' variant is certainly slightly harder to find though!

However... the 'Tri Variant' itself is yet another seperate version, that was pretty much exclusive to Europe and was found on only a tiny percentage of the actual Tri-logo cards!

Most 'Tri Variants' were obviously manufactured in far smaller quantities than the HK or Taiwan equivalents! Many are actually far harder to find than some of the Lili Ledy and Glasslite variants too! The 'Tri Variant' versions of the Imperial Commander, 'Snowtrooper' (known as the 'YPS'), Hoth Leia, Rebel Commander and IG-88 are actually pretty 'common'!

Bill  :)

21
Vintage Kenner / Re: AT-AT Driver Variation
« on: April 6, 2004, 03:21 PM »
I'm always happy to pay $20 for a MINT loose Tri Variant AT-AT Driver!  ::)

http://community.webshots.com/photo/102559292/102555175aDkSPC
http://community.webshots.com/photo/104791034/105503294tQmPtO
http://community.webshots.com/photo/104791034/105503763wLXOQg
http://community.webshots.com/photo/83783151/83862759MMbyuw

I guess it all depends on what you are searching for at the time? = I've often bid a little higher due to an item's 'MINT' condition too!

Bill  ;)

22
Vintage Kenner / Re: German 12 Back Figure Bin
« on: April 6, 2004, 02:41 PM »
I personally think Lars got quite a 'fair price' for his German Display Bin!

I've seen a few here in collections in the UK!  8)

Bill

23
Vintage Kenner / Re: Imperial Commander variation???
« on: April 6, 2004, 02:38 PM »
I really like the Imperial Commander variants... despite selling off my two loose Lili Ledy examples... I still have a few variations!

I've even spotted the odd 'fat faced' Tri variant figure on US RotJ Kenner cards too! 8)

http://community.webshots.com/album/102559292joKEdq

Bill


24
Vintage Kenner / Re: A Banner Day.
« on: March 10, 2004, 07:08 PM »
'GREAT PICS' Thomas and Chris!  8)

I remember being excited when I received my Palitoy 'RC R2' in 1979!  ;)

http://community.webshots.com/photo/86413687/83204412dDxjQL

My childhood is full of Star Wars memories too!

http://community.webshots.com/photo/83195985/83196721LBBLPI

Three of those pictures are from my trip to London to watch the 'Triple Bill' on June 1st '83!  :D

http://community.webshots.com/photo/99974162/101114547FVgPgU

Childhood nostalgia has played such a major part in aiding my collecting decisions as an adult!

Bill  :)

25
Vintage Kenner / Re: Vectis Auctions...
« on: March 4, 2004, 06:14 PM »
Andrew Reed from Vectis contacted me today! This is how I responded! =

Hello Andrew!

I had originally emailed Vectis about this 'situation' over a month ago!


I've sadly observed quite a few 'suspect' items sold through Vectis over recent years!

Recently a few re-carded items with have 'sneaked through' like this SW Death Squad Commander with REPRO bubble! Potential bidders were warned in various forums about this one though! =
http://www.vectis.co.uk/auctiondet.php3?item_id=195721&retPage=280104

You can compare it to this authentic example Vectis auctioned too! =
http://www.vectis.co.uk/auctiondet.php3?item_id=195714&retPage=280104

Most shockingly of all is this OBVIOUSLY FAKE Rocket Firing Boba Fett you've sold THREE TIMES!!! =
http://www.vectis.co.uk/auctiondet.php3?id=193767
http://www.vectis.co.uk/auctiondet.php3?id=63157
http://www.vectis.co.uk/auctiondet.php3?id=1821

Genuine examples with COAs actually sell for thousands! This was auctioned by Vectis as an 'authentic' item, when it's quite clearly NOT!

Items like this are simply ridiculous! Fellow collectors were warned about this figure twice too! =
http://www.vectis.co.uk/auctiondet.php3?id=93204
http://www.vectis.co.uk/auctiondet.php3?id=65095

It's certainly not a prototype item! In fact funnily it's just exhibiting signs of plastic degradation!!!

As for 'accuracy'... most collectors are very wary of the grading scale you currently use and how you apply it to vintage carded Star Wars figures and boxed items! In fact it's this general lack of accuracy that puts off a lot of potential bidders!

What personal experience have you had in collecting vintage Star Wars items and toys in general? Items are often vaguely classified and described?

How the sale of FAKE items like the Rocket Fett figure have been able to slip the net is beyond me? This is honestly quite a serious problem!

Kind regards

Bill Rodgers


I'm hoping it might help them revaluate their current approach to vintage Star Wars auctions?   ::)

Bill

26
Vintage Kenner / Vectis Auctions...
« on: March 3, 2004, 06:36 AM »
I've happily purchased a few vintage Star Wars lots from the Vectis Auctions in the UK, as I previously I mentioned in this RS thread!

Vectis gained quite a bit of publicity from their Palitoy Auction last year!

Sadly concerns about Vectis seem to be rife concerning their sale of deceptively graded and obvious reproduction items? The matter was discussed in this recent RS thread!   :(  

I emailed Vectis directly pointing out my observations on the issue and then made this query on their own forums! I've now waited over a month and still haven't had a response?    ???    

Vectis is a major player in the UK! It is connected to the 'Barry Potter' Collectables Fairs and the well established Collectors Gazette paper! Sadly their knowledge on vintage Star Wars is either very limited indeed, OR they're fully aware of selling fakes and overgrading items?    >:(    

I obviously feel that this 'problem' will only get worse? =

Hence I ask anyone who shares my concerns to email Vectis with your personal opinions and respond to the thread that I have started!

+ WARNING! = They're expanding to 'across the pond'!!!  :o

IF we don't make our concerns 'public' we'll be having to deal with crap like this RF Boba Fett, for years to come!

Bill   ::)

27
Vintage Kenner / Re: My 'Top 20' Tri-logo loose variants =
« on: March 2, 2004, 06:58 AM »
Hi Thomas!

You're not 'embarrassing yourself' at all! = I honestly wouldn't expect collectors based in N.America to actually know all of these minor differences! = Most of these variants were pretty much 'unique' to Europe!

+ Most European collectors can't identify them either!  ::)

I have a few very basic pictures here! =
http://community.webshots.com/user/billyboyrodgers
http://community.webshots.com/user/billyboystoys

However... www.billyboytoys.com is coming soon! It's a site I'm creating dedicated to just European variants and vintage items from the UK!

It will have detailed descriptions/pictures for the Tri & Pal Variants!

Bill  :)

28
Vintage Kenner / Re: My 'Top 20' Tri-logo loose variants =
« on: March 1, 2004, 08:11 AM »
Yak Face is actually a standard 'Made in Hong Kong' figure that was also released in Canadian POTF packaging too!  8)

Funnily... Yak Face was only sold on those cards in Australia, along with the Anakin, Nikto, AT-AT Driver and Gamorrean Guard PotF releases!  ::)

The figure would have eventually been a 'mail away' item in the US too! =
http://community.webshots.com/photo/83222613/83513103FOBLQE

Thus it's simply NOT a European variant! + Contary to belief, it was also quite a 'common' Tri-logo carded figure to find in 1985!!!  ;)

The term 'Tri-logo' when regarding variants, should really be used for PBP figures made in Spain and other figure variants carded only in Europe! However it doesn't apply to the cards themselves! This 'terminology' was developed by US collectors when they first spotted the light blue Boba Fetts and dark tunic Rebel Soldiers! Some of the 'Tri Variants' are harder to find on Tri-logo cards than the regular HK versions of the figure!!!

Just try finding a dark tunic Rebel Soldier carded?  ???

Bill  :)

29
Vintage Kenner / Re: My 'Top 20' Tri-logo loose variants =
« on: February 15, 2004, 08:55 PM »
Hi Henrik!

I'm only 'disgruntled' about the 'YPS' term as it's misleading to collectors! :-\

= The variant is simply NOT unique to the German comic at all!!!  ::)

'WHY' there has been sooooo much inaccurate information spread on this figure I have no idea?  ???

Sadly a few individuals have actually profitted from the continued belief (amongst many collectors) that this 'Snowtrooper' figure was somehow different to the regular European release of the time! = It's NOT!  >:(

= Hence I see the term 'YPS' to basically be a form of misinformation!

This particular Tri Variant isn't any 'harder to find' than most of the other European variants either!  :(

That's why I personally object to the continued use of the term!

Bill  ;)

30
Vintage Kenner / My 'Top 20' Tri-logo loose variants =
« on: February 13, 2004, 09:20 PM »
My 'Top 20' Tri-logo loose variants =  ::)

1.Tri Boba Fett (Light blue + varying 'paint combos' + NO HK!)
2.Tri Luke X-Wing (White/pink face + fragile insignia + NO HK!)
3.Tri Rebel Soldier (Dark tunic + white/pink face + NO HK!)
4.Tri Luke Bespin (Some with 'dark boots' + NO HK!)
5.Tri Snowtrooper ('Sharper moulding' + round holed cape + NO HK!)
6.Tri Greedo (Dark torso + NO HK!)
7.Tri Hoth Leia (Round face + NO HK!)
8.Tri AT-AT Commander (White/pink face + NO HK!)
9.Tri Squid Head (Green cape/whiter skirt + some with NO HK!)
10.Tri Han Hoth (White/pink face + NO HK!)
11.Tri Imperial Commander (Round face + shorter + NO HK!)
12.Tri Dengar (White face + darker armour + NO HK!)
13.Tri AT-AT Driver (Fragile insignia + NO HK!)
14.Tri Rebel Commander (Darker boots + NO HK!)
15.Tri Cloud Car Pilot (Squat head + NO HK = Tri 'backed' card!)
16.Tri Bossk (Darker scales + NO HK!)
17.Tri Luke Jedi (Squat head + NO HK!)
18.Tri Walrus Man (White 'mouth' + darker hands + NO HK = NO Tri-logo card!)
19.Tri IG-88 (Dull silver finish + NO HK!)
20.Tri Tusken Raider (Pointed horns + indented mouth + NO HK!)

Bill  :)


I posted this on RS... BUT I thought it might be of interest to everyone else too?  ;)

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