Are your Collecting Habits going to change with the new Saga Line?

[Brian]

I think the word intimidating is a good one Brian. The sheer volume of lines, and product for each one, is overwhelming. Back in 1995 when the line was reintroduced, keeping up was no problem. I tried to do one carded, one loose, and another carded for my younger brother in law. Then the ships started coming out, and the micromachines, and I enjoyed it, but slowly had to start cutting back. I consider myself fortunate to own a home, but there is only so much space that can be allotted, and so much money that can be allocated.

This is a good point.  I wasn't on board with collecting the POTF2 line when it first came out, but I kind of wish I had been.  I bet it was a fun time overall to be collecting, with Star Wars returning to stores and new incarnations (however buff they were at the time) of all the characters.  Looking back at various archives online, it seems like releases were a little slower paced and spread out as well.  As I've said before, I think we all like to see lots of new product, but I personally could probably use a little bit of a slow down as far as how many figures/stuff we're getting each year.  Granted, it is my/our decision on how much we buy, and what lines we collect, but sometimes it is tough to turn your back on things when there is such great product.  I know I'm having a time now deciding what to do with nice lines like bust-ups, mini busts, replicas, Sideshow, etc.  Lots of neat stuff, but only so much money to go around.

[Jim]

The amount of stuff surfacing is frustrating.  Hopefully alot of these figs will be remixed into later waves.   This could be Hasbros way of saying:  We have just come off a successful movie that is still fresh with everyone, lets saturate the market before it dies and everyone forgets about this line.  I still will be limiting myself even though I made out with a new job with alot more disposable income.  I still plan on collecting the following:

2 of each fig
2 of each exclusive
1 of each Galactic Heroe
OT Ships
FX Sabers

I plan to start army building again but not from all 6 films.  Only OT, Clones and droids.

My one problem is that I have collected one carded for each fig on the different cardbacks and feel two things.  1) I want a complete set when this is finally over. 2)  I am out of room for carded.  I must have over 700  I could sell off duplicates that are on different cards but dont want to break up some of my favorite sets like the Freeze Frames, POTJ, OTC, etc.  Does anyone else feel this way regarding their carded sets? 

[Dan]

I used to try to keep up with all the carded variations, and gave up with TPM. At that time I let my Freeze frame set go, along with everything up to that point. Some guy in Japan bought it (and now I chase Japanese kubricks). I don't regret it, and only once in a great while do I think about how nice it would be to have the ff weequay or sandtrooper back.
I have my exceptions, and that OTC cardback got me keeping a set on the card. I was relieved that the line was limited (42 figures if you count luke dagobah x 2, holo emperor, holo leia, and wedge) and felt I could keep these pretty much forever. If they did a prequel trilogy set of roughly the same size and quality, I would do that as well.
As much as I like the card art for the new saga line, it is simply too much (quantity/time/money/space) to consider doing the same.

[Dan]

I decided to reply to my own post, as I have gone back and forth a couple of times on this since that post.

The carkoon wave bit. That's just my opinion, but it left me thinking this line was skippable as a complete set. Plus the sheer quantity of product on tap was daunting.

Then Hoth came along, and Geonosis. I really started going the other direction, and began picking up the ho-hum carkoon wave because I wanted a full set carded.

Now I have been wasting a ridiculous amount of time, money, and gas chasing UGH and Coruscant. I realize coruscant will be shipping for a while more, but I think the forums reflect the general opinion that demand is exceeding supply and retail projections.

I hate that.

These are toys, they shouldn't cause ulcers to find basic sets.

So, I swing back to saying "screw this" and have bagged up Carkoon and portions of Geonosis for return. If I can't find a set, I sure don't want the duds of the bunch taking up my space and money, 12 of which will have been purchased in the last year. The time I can't get back.

Just a rant, talk amongst yourselves....

[Clone Commander]

So far I've been turning to my local flea markets for my figures.
Stores have absolutely nothing.

[Hemish]

I was part of the 2 of every figure club, 1 to open 1 carded.
The carded nonsense stopped after the blue card gold stripe thing started , that just annoyed me, so from then it was openers only, then with ROTS i told myself no more prequel stuff, so I didnt pick up any cept for astromechs , i love those little buggers, So for the saga collection OT only and only if they arent repacks or paints of previous figures , unless they are a decent army builder then yes.
You would think that doing this would save you money, well that was the plan till a friend introduced me to Gentle Giant mini busts, the rest as they say is history,.........
Amimated Maquettes
Arc Trooper - 2070
Luminara/Bariss - 2469
Assaj ventress - 1502
Yoda - 5991
Grevious - 648

Busts
Gam Guard - 2193 & 2211
Yoda esb - 9063
Lando - 3524
Han - 7033
Luke - 163
BikerScout - 2756 & 391
Sandtrooper white - 12025
Sandtrooper orange - 12028
Vader rots - 11701
Stormtrooper - 7486
Leia Boussh - 2942
C3PO - 2623
IG88 - 4120
Tarkin - 4160
Greedo - 1379

So its coming along nicely
I'd really like to get a bust in the under 100 mark but living in Australia has its dissadvantages , collecting stuff like this is one.

[Mitsukara]

I think I'm a somewhat casual collector- I take any opportunity I get to root through all the figures when i'm at a store that carries one, and tend to see a few I kind of want but don't buy yet because I don't care quite enough to spend the money on it rather than something else (I still don't have an AT-AT driver...), but then I'll buy the ones that I care about most (Carbonite Han, Boussh Leia, still looking for a Boba Fett, etc.) and there's a few I find out about and outright need, and search for ravenously (VTSC Han gets this treatment currently for example).

I tend to do almost as much buying of things I missed in stores off the internet though. I'm still catching up on some POTF2 figures, and while there aren't a ton I want, I only own two POTJ figures! From nearly every set of figures there's some I want and don't have yet *coughcoughMaraJadecough*, and I missed many lines altogether such as the VOTC. So much like how I tend to buy video games, I'm a bit behind rather than "up on the latest."

The Saga Collection hasn't changed this position at all really- if anything it's got me more interested than the ROTS line simply because the line covers all six movies, and tends to put 50% of it's focus on main characters that I'm a lot more likely to want to buy (Nemoidian Warriors and yes, even Clones can be super-articulated and wonderful, but I'm less likely to buy them than a cool but less poseable Han Solo- of course, the ideal for me is super-articulation and good sculpt on a charachter I like, such as VTSC Han )

The line's definately not perfect, but they haven't really lost me with it. I'd love to see more in the way of articulation, higher prices suck, etc, but there have been quite a few figures in the line so far I'd call "good" and the potential is there for them to make a lot more stuff that interests me.

[Darth_Anton]

I plan to ONLY get OT Imperials in Saga 2. C'mon SA Scout Trooper!

Found this old post.

I was hoping I'd be scaling down my carded collection with the UGH, but since I was able to get most quickly, that didn't happen...

[Morgbug]

So far I've been turning to my local flea markets for my figures.
Stores have absolutely nothing.

No, that's not a fair statement. 

Many Americans have yet to finish out the Coruscant or Geonosis waves.  Canada where you are has had very high numbers of both Carkoon and Hoth waves, so to say nothing is not remotely fair.  That you, like me and every other collector, are impatient does not mean there is nothing to be found.  Darryl's flea market is fine and he's a great guy, but I will no way pay $20+ for a figure because I won't wait for it for a month or two or can't make any connections in the US. 

Hasbro Canada will churn out the other stuff in time.  I've seen no indication that we won't see Geonosis or Coruscant yet.  We just haven't seen them to this point, which in the history of modern Star Wars action figures is nothing at all new.  The Carkoon wave arriving in Canada prior to the US was the unusual occurrence and I'm simply amazed that Canadians (snowtroopers.ca) honestly expected we'd keep up with the US market.  We never have before, so an ususual occurrence is just that, unusual. 

Patience.

[Mitsukara]

Our Wal Mart just got in the Coruscant wave (and their first restock of earlier figures and UGHs). But at least they got them in...

I sure hope I don't miss the VTSC though. Need Han! And Scout trooper... and Luke... but Han also. And Luke. VTSC.... brains... mmm...

[Ryan]

Our Wal Mart just got in the Coruscant wave (and their first restock of earlier figures and UGHs). But at least they got them in...

I sure hope I don't miss the VTSC though. Need Han! And Scout trooper... and Luke... but Han also. And Luke. VTSC.... brains... mmm...

Well if you missed it then everyone else missed them too.

I don't think they were supposed to hit until may or April anyways, so give it sometime.

[TheBlackDog65]

This line has surprised me. I have bought more than I thought I would. I would like to capture a couple more Cody's though, but he is near impossible to find here in Utah. Seems every collector and scalper who I haven't seen in 3 months is out in force. Hopefully in April he begins to arrive in plenty and that takes more preasure off of him as I hope the VSTC will also.  I will eventually pick up my 2 other Cody's, the Catinia Aliens (2 each, 3 of the Ithorian) for collecting and customizing. I was hopeful that some of these out of the woods people would disappear but I think the Sandtrooper will stop that. Alas, though, I am backing off after the VSTC and that Tat. wave. The hunt has worn me down and I am way tired of hunting.  My days are almost done.

[Dan]

I know that UGH has made me weary of toy hunting. I was making a ridiculous number of trips and coming up empty everywhere I turned. I don't begrudge those who have found it, I am frustrated with Hasbro and the retailers for doing such a poor job of making these available. And now I sit on an outstanding order with an etailer and hope they get their full allotment that they pre-sold.

The lack of product and increased attention from "speculators" has soured me on what has otherwise been a well rounded line (excluding carkoon in my opinion). I am holding my obsessive hunting in check until the battle packs start arriving. I will try to get everything else in the mail. Hasbro + Brick and Mortar = B.S. for 2006. And you get to pay more for it all to boot.