Author Topic: The Beginning of POTF2  (Read 18197 times)

Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #15 on: June 2, 2005, 08:16 PM »
When the POTF2 figures came out, I stumbled across them in the store and thought it was pretty neat to see SW figures on the pegs after about a decade, but didn't collect them.

The first POTF2 figures I got were two Theater Edition Lukes when I went to see ROTJ SE in the theater opening day.

I didn't really get into collecting them until 1999 when TPM came out, and then I was mainly collecting Episode 1 figures,, but eventually went after the POTF2 stuff as well....especially when the quality improved.
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #16 on: June 7, 2005, 03:20 PM »
I was looking back at some pics online of the earlier POTF2 figures at the photo retrospective here at JD.  According to some information I have read, there were 12 figures released in 1995.  Is that at all accurate?  Like I said, I remember seeing these again, but wasn't really collecting at the time so I'm not all up on the details.  I was just curious if there was only 12 figures for the whole year (or how many were released in following years).  When I started actually buying the figures (around 98 or so), there were obviously a lot more on the pegs for the most part, but I don't know much about the initial waves/releases.  Although I always like more figures/vehicles, etc., it sure would have been easier to keep up than it is now ;).
« Last Edit: June 6, 2007, 04:39 PM by Brian »

Offline Brian

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2006, 04:05 PM »
Just thought I'd bring this topic back up, in case anyone else had stories to share.  Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences.  Like I mentioned earlier, I really wasn't collecting anything at that time, and I missed out on the beginning years of the POTF2 line...jumping in on the later waves and the commtech figures.  I really wish I would have known about it from the beginning, or at least been more aware of it, because it sounded like a great time to be a collector.  Sure, the figures look outdated now, but at the time they were pretty spiffy.  Plus, having 10-20 figures a year with a few vehicles would have been a lot easier to keep up and enjoy the hobby.  I really like the figures and collectibles we get nowadays, but I kind of miss the simpler times that many of your stories have brought up.  I still like collecting, and checking the stores for figures, but there are many times where I feel like I have to pick figures up the second I see them (usually at odd times during the day) or I'll never see them again.  Was there as much trouble with that in 1995?  Was there a scalper problem where you missed out on figures like that?  Anyways, thanks again for sharing everyone, sounds like it was a great time.

Offline Gatillo

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2006, 04:30 PM »
I remember that figures were easier to come by in 95 and 96, perhaps even 97 but it got harder and harder until 99 hit and it was crazy.  Of course after the TPM craze everything POTF2 was cheap and everywhere.  I saw items in 2000 that I had not seen in the shelves for years.

I think a lot of people started collecting after TPM and the scalping incidence therefore also increase.  I remember always seeing figures on the pegs regardless of day and time.  Now you have to go in at 0800 on an odd day to find half a case and if you are lucky most of the case.
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #19 on: March 1, 2006, 12:41 AM »
I remember that figures were easier to come by in 95 and 96, perhaps even 97 but it got harder and harder until 99 hit and it was crazy.  Of course after the TPM craze everything POTF2 was cheap and everywhere.  I saw items in 2000 that I had not seen in the shelves for years.

I think a lot of people started collecting after TPM and the scalping incidence therefore also increase.  I remember always seeing figures on the pegs regardless of day and time.  Now you have to go in at 0800 on an odd day to find half a case and if you are lucky most of the case.

I have distinct memories of having to be timely to find things like the Ugnaughts though.  Some stuff was tough and you just had to be there at the right time.  But a distinct difference between now and then is the space alotted to the figures outside of a movie year. 

I remember multiple retailers carrying the figures in 95-98 without any movie to back them up.  And the space devoted to them was incredible.  TRU had more peg/shelf space dedicated then than they ever had with the release of any of the PT movies.  That's just a bit weird.  Vehicles, playsets, all manner of things.  Nowadays we're hard pressed to have Walmart put out two cases every couple of months.  And yet they fly off the shelves.   ::)
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Offline Dan

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #20 on: March 1, 2006, 09:03 AM »
I was 25, and just starting to pick up vintage stuff that I used to have. A 2-1B or Luke Hoth would set you back 10-15 bucks loose. All of a sudden, these new figures started showing up (and cheap). I dumped all my vintage stuff except things that I had since I was 9, and focused on the new figures. I had a great time running around collecting them, opening them, and getting a set for my brother in law (he was 11 at the time). The stores certainly supported the line more then, but it was the only star wars game in town, so that make more sense. I look back, and think it is actually harder for me to find figures now than it was back then. So much for a decade of distribution resulting in progress...

I may not currently like the looks of buff Han and luke, and the inflated darth, but I do remember the hunt fondly. And getting a Luke Stormtrooper for 4.00 was incredible. Not to mention getting that Han stormtrooper in the mail, just like the old days.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #21 on: March 2, 2006, 02:48 AM »
I saw them for the first time at Hills...  *sigh*  Oh good times.  I am amazed at moments how far this line's come in quality, and yet somehow I'm equally (or moreso) amazed at how Hasbro DOESN'T improve quality in certain ways across the board.  They simply refuse to. 

Still, they're kind of like vinty's in that they hold a special place with me...  Ugly as they may be, they were all there was at the time and nobody knew if these were going to continue like they have.

I remember my customizing was turned around completely at the time though.  That was one of the big things that came with the new line for me since I knew they weren't overall appealing, but I also knew they had potential.  :)
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Offline Mitsukara

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #22 on: May 2, 2006, 07:14 PM »
I was pretty young at the time, but I really liked the Star Wars movies (all three of them). I'd probably heard about my older brother's figures he once had, but sadly all those vintage figures were sold in a box long ago, for most likely far too little money.

I had no idea new Star Wars figures existed until I got two for christmas :) Ahh, Buff Luke and R2-D2. I really loved those figures and was totally amazed with them, and saved up all my allowance to buy more afterwards. My first two purchases were Han Solo and Darth Vader, and I was in love with them <3 And so I kept buying and asking for them and wound up with quite a few...

And then I kinda lost interest around 2000, missing the commtech figures and only getting a handful of episode I figures. When episode II came out I looked for some episode II figures, but only wound up with 4- none of them even an Anakin because the only Anakins I saw sucked, of course ;) I guess Episode III kind of got me re-interested, urging me to improve my mostly-POTF2 collection.

Offline Ackbar

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #23 on: May 4, 2006, 03:01 PM »
I started seeing them on clearance for $3 and $4 at K-Mart and other stores like that, around 1997 and 1998, to make room on the shelves for the release of all the EPI merchandise.  Needless to say I snapped those clearance figures up in bunches, and then filled in the gaps in my collection through EBay.  It was definitely fun running around to all the local department stores, trying to complete my collection.

I have to say that getting in around 1997-1998 had 1 main drawback, I missed out on the majority of the Orange Card figures, which I think started around 1995, and were mostly gone by 1997-1998 in my area (I live in Southern NJ)

Offline nitro

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #24 on: July 4, 2006, 02:30 PM »
I just involved in collecting POTF2 figures early in the line. I was never into toy collecting  and I had just graduated high school earlier in the year. Well, one day in between day and night classes back in college, one of my college friends asked if I wanted to stop by a few stores at the mall.  With this being my first semester in school and a very long time between classes, I figured what the hell "let's go!!"

Well I got dragged into store after store, K-Mart, Caldor, Ames, K-B Toys, etc while my friend was looking for certain figs. The line he collected was...you guessed it, the POTF2 line. I thought it was pointless at first although it was nice seeing figures from a movie I had dearly loved since I was a kid. After a few hours of checking out toy departments and toy stores (we went to a few Toys R Us's in the area), he must've bought a hundred dollars worth of stuff. As far as myself, I didn't wind up buying anything although I was impressed with this incarnation of Kenner's recharged toy line. My college bud hooked me up with my first figure free of charge that night. He had an extra Red Card Darth Vader that he gave me to get my collection going when we got back to the college. That Darth Vader figure right there ,at that moment, fueled my toy collecting habit.

After that toy run, I winded up going every Wednesday night looking for Star Wars figures w/ him until we both graduated a few years later. When he moved to Arizona after college to take a job offer, I still collected SW stuff until Episode 1 came out. I still have all of my Star Wars stuff put away in my folks attic for the time being. I haven't gotten back into collecting Star Wars until Medicom released their own line of Star Wars Kubricks....I've been hooked ever since...

Offline Brian

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #25 on: August 15, 2006, 04:19 PM »
Its been great reading everyone's replies about their memories from the beginning of the POTF2 line.  I really wish I had been as active in collecting at that time as I am now, I bet it was a fun time.  Sure, many/most of the figures look crappy by today's standards (or maybe even then in some instances), but it would have been so neat seeing OT Star Wars product in the stores again.  When you were collecting then, did you know what was coming out next?  I know the internet was around, but maybe not quite as big, so was it similar with finding new stuff as the vintage days when you just happened across it or used the cardback as a checklist - or did you have an idea in advance of what was on the way?

Edit: Oh, one other quick question, some of you have mentioned first hearing of the "new line" via Wizard or another magazine.  Does anyone know if there is a scan of this online somewhere?  No big deal, just wanted to see it if it was available.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2006, 04:21 PM by Brian »

Offline Morgbug

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #26 on: August 30, 2006, 04:19 PM »
I don't have a copy Brian, but I did just post some comments from Wizard #55 in another thread.  So if you're looking for early reports on the line it would be around issue 50 or so, plus or minus about five issues either way.  I probably had a copy at one point and read it, but don't really recall.

First checklists I ever found were on CSW.com or RS.com.  I think I first found those sites around 1996 or so, maybe as early as 1995 but I don't really recall any longer.  How long have (had) they been around?  And finding those checklists was disturbing.  I didn't know there was a removable helmet Vader until I saw it on the checklist as it was never released in Canada (a trend that was to sadly repeat it self continuously through the years >:().
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #27 on: August 31, 2006, 09:52 AM »
Thanks for the info Brent (here and in the other thread).  Its fun to read about everyone's experiences from back in those days.  Its funny with the talk of checklists and cardbacks, because I bet most of us couldn't imagine not knowing what was out (or coming out soon) well in advance the way we do now.  Like I was saying in another thread, I enjoy hearing everyone's stories from the early POTF2 days.  I bet it was a fun time to collect.  Star Wars figures for the first time in 10 years, limited releases so there wasn't so much to keep up with, just a simpler time overall.  I'm wondering, did most of you who started from the beginning go all out and get everything released (sometimes 2 or more of each) right away - or was it more of a trickle in of collecting.  It seems like it always starts with a few, and then snowballs.  I know that's how it was when I started, I picked up a couple POTF2 figures (later waves), and then went back and picked up the "main characters" loose I believe from Brians Toys, then it just kept accumulating from there to where I am now.

Offline Morgbug

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #28 on: September 1, 2006, 01:38 PM »
For me it was as much a joke as anything to get figures.  Honestly, I didn't even know that there actually were figures out in the stores at the time.  I did remember the vintage figures and I guess I just sort of thought there must be something hanging around Star Wars-ish.  So I toddled off to the store and much to my surprise there indeed were orange cards on the pegs. 

As mentioned previously I only bought Vader and Obi and an R2 for my office partner, as Leia was hard to find at the time so she had to settle for R2.  I believe she still has the R2 and I know my advisor still has the Obi in his office. 

I'm not sure when I decided to, but at some point I opted to pick up the remainder of the first 12.  I know I was reading Wizard at that point, so I probably new a bit of what was coming out as I'd just stopped collecting comics around the same time.  But as the green cards started coming out I started trying to find one of each figure that was out there.  I think I used cardbacks primarily for information and just checking pegs. 

It's funny thinking back to those times.  When the original movies were re-released into theaters I didn't even know that Episode I was going to be coming out - duh ::)  I was just happy seeing them in theaters again as they brought back so many memories for me: Star Wars 1977 I was 13 and at the transition from child to teenager.  Empire in 1980 I was in high school and it was one of the first movies I went to as a date with a girl ;)  A real, live girl!  1983 and Jedi was another date and I daresay the girl might have enjoyed the movie more than I did.  Damn ewoks. >:(
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Offline Brian

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Re: The Beginning of POTF2
« Reply #29 on: September 7, 2006, 10:30 AM »
Thanks for sharing Brent.  Its always great hearing these stories.  I so regret not being an active collector back then, because it seems like it would have been a fun time - buff figures or not.  I saw over on the RS forums at one time that they had some pics of the displays set up in stores in the POTF2 days.  Lots of Star Wars in the aisles, that's good to see.  It doesn't seem like there was nearly the trouble with finding stuff then either, as there is today.  Sure, there were certain figures here and there, but now it seems like anything new is tough to find - at least for a certain period of time.  Just seeing all new Star Wars figures, vehicles, and beasts out on the pegs/shelves was probably a pretty neat experience.