For months I've been thinking of getting into the world of vintage collecting, and that time is just about here.  It just feels like its time for a change of focus.  I figured if I'm not incredibly excited about what's to come for the modern line in 2006, why spend my money on it.  Of course, there will be a few things I'll have to grab, but my days as a modern completist are dead.

As I've been surfing eBay and lurking in the various vintage sale ads, I've noticed a different feeling to vintage purchases.  There isn't a time crunch involved, so it's actually quite a bit more relaxing.  Trying to keep up with the many modern releases the last few months has been quite intense.  But with vintage, there's really nothing to keep up with - I can surf at my leisure to see what's out there.

Like I said, I certainly won't be able to completely walk away from the modern line.  But I was wondering if there are any others out there thinking of making a change in focus.

"Congratulations!  You've just won a million dollars!  What are you going to do with it?"

"Buy expensive Star Wars collectibles, of course!"

OK, so it's just a dream.  But what would you buy if money really was no object?  Which of those high end SW goodies have you been dreaming about but can't justify paying the high price?

Here's my list:

Master Replicas Jango Fett Blasters
Master Relicas Stormtrooper Blaster
Gentle Giant OT Darth Vader Mini-Bust
Lego Star Destroyer
Sideshow Collectibles 1:1 Darth Maul Bust
ICONS X-Wing Fighter

I was crazy enough to preorder the Sideshow Collectibles Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous statues a few months ago, but I still feel guilty for doing it.  I've never come anywhere near spending $300 to $450 on a single item. 

The current discussion of the "collectibility" of the upcoming mini hologram figures in the ROTS series got me thinking about other freebies of the past.

Does anyone consider these as an individual collectible (apart from the figures they came with)?  Was it a big deal to get a complete set, whether Freeze Frames or Commtechs?

I'm pretty flexible when it comes to listening to music, but my favourite is definitely hard rock.  I seem to be getting tired of my current faves and am interested in what you guys like. 

Simply put - what are some lesser known bands that you recommend trying out?

I just finished uploading the new JD LEGO Checklists.

We've got them in both alphabetical and numerical order, so hopefully these will help out you LEGO collectors.  As always, our Checklists are available either on the left side of the front page or by clicking here.

Please feel free to post any discrepancies you may notice. 

Hey dudes, I need some help.  I'm trying to create an Ewok vs Stormtrooper scene, Kubrick style.  Does anyone have any of these left over from previous cases?  Ideally, I'd like to buy at least a couple at a time to save on shipping, but please give me a shout if you can help at all.

Many thanks.

... And I need to figure out a unique way to celebrate this.

I've been warning my wife since the day I turned 29 that I would likely be doing something pretty stupid when I turned 30.  And I'd hate to let her down. 

For the first 6 months I bugged her that I was going to buy my dream car, a 1970 Olds 442 Convertible, but I'm having second thoughts.  (Of course, the money involved to get my hands on a car like that is playing a small role  ).

So, any ideas?