Star Wars nerd preparing to unload

lookout123 · 05-12-2005, 12:04 AM

OK, i was one of the original Star Wars nerds. I had all of the toys and pretty much anything to do with Star Wars when i was younger. then they got packed away in boxes and put in mom and dad's garage. then they sold their house and brought it all over to mine. then i sold my house and moved it all to the new one. then i sold that house and moved it all to the new new one. is there a point? yes. i'm tired of moving this shit. i'm tired of it sitting in my garage. i've been saying for awhile that i would throw it on Ebay and see what happens.

Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to jack around with taking photos of all the vintage toys -probably about 50 or so action figures, some space ships, etc. then there are all of the ones still in the original packaging that came out in the mid-90's. why the hell i bought them, i can't recall. I have a few original comic books, models, etc... i have no idea what it is worth, and i don't have the time to research it fully and then list it.

so my wife says to me - "why don't you just give it all to your son, so he can play with it." DUH! i honestly hadn't thought about it. he is 4, loves the original trilogy and has pretty much all of the new Star Wars action figures, etc that have come out recently. my first reaction was that i shouldn't because he would break them or lose them... but then i thought - so what? they are 30 freaking years old and they are TOYS dammit.

so - before i pull the crap out and let him have at it... is there anything i should rethink? i just glanced at Ebay really quick and it didn't look like there were any auctions producing enough $$ to make listing and selling worth the hassle. but... i'm looking for guidance here.

wolf · 05-12-2005, 01:12 AM

What you need, my boy, is a table at a science fiction convention.

Since your stuff is played with it has already lost a significant part of it's value, but even off the blister cards, you're looking at some big bucks.

If the whole table at a con thing is too much like work, try taking a small sampling to your local comic book emporium.

SteveDallas · 05-12-2005, 02:13 AM

I was quite relieved to see your message, lookout. From the subject I thought you had gotten into an advance screening of Episode III and wanted to give George a piece of your mind.

glatt · 05-12-2005, 08:11 AM

I stumbled upon an old original (1977) R2D2 action figure from my youth a while ago. It was in great shape, but used. With dollar signs in my eyes, I went to E-bay to check the value. It was selling for the same amount that new ones at Target sell for.

Give the toys to your kid. It's not worth your time on E-Bay. Sure, there may be the off chance that one of the things you have is super rare and worth money, but the odds are against it. There was tons of this merchandise produced back in the day.

mrnoodle · 05-12-2005, 09:42 AM

Let the kid have some fun. That's what made them so great in the first place -- you got to play Star Wars with them. My brother and I had quite a collection, too. Sometimes we'd have Star Wars vs. G.I. Joe battles with all our future-collectible stuff. Forget the money, treat your kid to the same fun you had when you were growing up. Adults collecting that stuff is stupid anyway, I enjoy watching my nephews bury them in the yard much more.

lookout123 · 05-12-2005, 10:48 AM

oh, yeah... i'm digging through the boxes last night after i posted and found abotu 2 1/2 years worth of GI JOE comic books in sequential order in an old manilla envelope.

i also found all of the old trading cards from the first three star wars movies and 2 almost complete collections of the trading cards from the mid-90's. they are kind of cool to look at and get nostalgiac, but beyond that...

i already went to the local comic book guys and they said no dice. they can buy everything that i have in blister packs from overseas vendors for a couple of bucks a piece, and they sell them for $7-10 in the store. All of the old, *ahem* vintage toys are played with so unless i have an especially rare one i don't see how they could be worth more monetarily, than they would be to my son as something to play with.

oh, yeah - part of my feeling is that i am paying $5 each for the new guys for my kid to play with so if i don't get at least that much for the ones i have, i might as well just let him have at it.

kerosene · 05-12-2005, 02:48 PM

If I were you, I would find some of those hardcore Star Wars geek forums and just post announcements about what you have. I am sure you will hook a few of them. Ask them to make offers. There are people out there with *entire rooms* dedicated just to star wars stuff.

lookout123 · 06-22-2005, 03:38 PM

UPDATE: i followed my heart and the urging of a few cellarites. when contemplating the time involved in ebaying for a few dollars on each item, i decided the little boy's smile and joy were worth infinitely more. over the past month or so i have been giving him the collection piece by piece - oh yeah, we bought some of the new stuff too.

at this point he has:

-X wing fighter
-millenium falcon
-2 snowspeeders
-a wing fighter
-Tie fighter
-Slave I
-2 jedi starfighters (from EPIII)
-ARC 170 gunship (EPIII)
-various other little vehicles and pieces

-most of the new Jedi
-most of the original 70's and 80's characters
-most of the mid - 90's releases
-20 stormtroopers
-5 tie fighter pilots

*****
still in storage, waiting for him to have an exceptionally good behavior day:
-Biker Scout and speeder bike
-about 30 more figures, some new in box, some not
-Darth Vader's Tie Fighter

*****
my wife is a neat freak. i am a Star Wars nerd. so when she said to me "we need to figure out a way to store all of his spaceships and little guys so they aren't scattered over the whole house" - she should have known better. She pictured rubbermaid tubs. she now knows that

8' -2x3
8' -1x3
8' x 4' of 1/4 in plywood
1 quart of flat gray paint
1 can black spraypaint
various little Tester paints

fit together nicely to make a 4 level rebel base. it stores the ships and the guys go into little storage tubs.

of course, now the boy wants the Death Star to hold the "bad guy" ships. i think i will have to be on especially good behavior before i will be allowed to grant his wish though.

i will post some pics to display my nerdness when i get a chance.

Happy Monkey · 06-22-2005, 04:13 PM

BigV · 06-22-2005, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

You found Darth Vader's HAND?! Sh*t! That's got to be worth something!

lookout123 · 06-22-2005, 07:33 PM

here are a couple of my son's most often played with toys. behold the awesome power of my nerdness.

Happy Monkey · 06-22-2005, 08:06 PM

Very very cool.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-22-2005, 10:20 PM

Quote:

i decided the little boy's smile and joy were worth infinitely more.

Oh sure, all he has to do is wait in line till dad gets tired, in order to play with them.

wolf · 06-22-2005, 11:31 PM

The Shelving Unit is just too damn perfect.

Just like a multi-deck landing bay.

Dad, you rock.

lookout123 · 06-22-2005, 11:35 PM

thanks. my carpentry skills suck, so i try to make up for it with paint. my grandfather was a carpenter and he would shake his head in shame for my little attempt, but the boy has already had hours of fun with it.

05-12-2005, 12:04 AM	#1
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	Star Wars nerd preparing to unload OK, i was one of the original Star Wars nerds. I had all of the toys and pretty much anything to do with Star Wars when i was younger. then they got packed away in boxes and put in mom and dad's garage. then they sold their house and brought it all over to mine. then i sold my house and moved it all to the new one. then i sold that house and moved it all to the new new one. is there a point? yes. i'm tired of moving this shit. i'm tired of it sitting in my garage. i've been saying for awhile that i would throw it on Ebay and see what happens. Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to jack around with taking photos of all the vintage toys -probably about 50 or so action figures, some space ships, etc. then there are all of the ones still in the original packaging that came out in the mid-90's. why the hell i bought them, i can't recall. I have a few original comic books, models, etc... i have no idea what it is worth, and i don't have the time to research it fully and then list it. so my wife says to me - "why don't you just give it all to your son, so he can play with it." DUH! i honestly hadn't thought about it. he is 4, loves the original trilogy and has pretty much all of the new Star Wars action figures, etc that have come out recently. my first reaction was that i shouldn't because he would break them or lose them... but then i thought - so what? they are 30 freaking years old and they are TOYS dammit. so - before i pull the crap out and let him have at it... is there anything i should rethink? i just glanced at Ebay really quick and it didn't look like there were any auctions producing enough $$ to make listing and selling worth the hassle. but... i'm looking for guidance here. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

05-12-2005, 01:12 AM	#2
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	What you need, my boy, is a table at a science fiction convention. Since your stuff is played with it has already lost a significant part of it's value, but even off the blister cards, you're looking at some big bucks. If the whole table at a con thing is too much like work, try taking a small sampling to your local comic book emporium. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

05-12-2005, 09:42 AM	#5
mrnoodle bent Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: under the weather Posts: 2,656	Let the kid have some fun. That's what made them so great in the first place -- you got to play Star Wars with them. My brother and I had quite a collection, too. Sometimes we'd have Star Wars vs. G.I. Joe battles with all our future-collectible stuff. Forget the money, treat your kid to the same fun you had when you were growing up. Adults collecting that stuff is stupid anyway, I enjoy watching my nephews bury them in the yard much more. __________________ Sìn a nall na cuaranan sin. -- Cha mhór is fheairrde thu iad, tha iad coltach ri cat air a dhathadh

05-12-2005, 10:48 AM	#6
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	oh, yeah... i'm digging through the boxes last night after i posted and found abotu 2 1/2 years worth of GI JOE comic books in sequential order in an old manilla envelope. i also found all of the old trading cards from the first three star wars movies and 2 almost complete collections of the trading cards from the mid-90's. they are kind of cool to look at and get nostalgiac, but beyond that... i already went to the local comic book guys and they said no dice. they can buy everything that i have in blister packs from overseas vendors for a couple of bucks a piece, and they sell them for $7-10 in the store. All of the old, ahem vintage toys are played with so unless i have an especially rare one i don't see how they could be worth more monetarily, than they would be to my son as something to play with. oh, yeah - part of my feeling is that i am paying $5 each for the new guys for my kid to play with so if i don't get at least that much for the ones i have, i might as well just let him have at it. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

06-22-2005, 03:38 PM	#8
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	UPDATE: i followed my heart and the urging of a few cellarites. when contemplating the time involved in ebaying for a few dollars on each item, i decided the little boy's smile and joy were worth infinitely more. over the past month or so i have been giving him the collection piece by piece - oh yeah, we bought some of the new stuff too. at this point he has: -X wing fighter -millenium falcon -2 snowspeeders -a wing fighter -Tie fighter -Slave I -2 jedi starfighters (from EPIII) -ARC 170 gunship (EPIII) -various other little vehicles and pieces -most of the new Jedi -most of the original 70's and 80's characters -most of the mid - 90's releases -20 stormtroopers -5 tie fighter pilots *** still in storage, waiting for him to have an exceptionally good behavior day: -Biker Scout and speeder bike -about 30 more figures, some new in box, some not -Darth Vader's Tie Fighter *** my wife is a neat freak. i am a Star Wars nerd. so when she said to me "we need to figure out a way to store all of his spaceships and little guys so they aren't scattered over the whole house" - she should have known better. She pictured rubbermaid tubs. she now knows that 8' -2x3 8' -1x3 8' x 4' of 1/4 in plywood 1 quart of flat gray paint 1 can black spraypaint various little Tester paints fit together nicely to make a 4 level rebel base. it stores the ships and the guys go into little storage tubs. of course, now the boy wants the Death Star to hold the "bad guy" ships. i think i will have to be on especially good behavior before i will be allowed to grant his wish though. i will post some pics to display my nerdness when i get a chance. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

05-12-2005, 02:13 AM	#3
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I was quite relieved to see your message, lookout. From the subject I thought you had gotten into an advance screening of Episode III and wanted to give George a piece of your mind.

05-12-2005, 08:11 AM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I stumbled upon an old original (1977) R2D2 action figure from my youth a while ago. It was in great shape, but used. With dollar signs in my eyes, I went to E-bay to check the value. It was selling for the same amount that new ones at Target sell for. Give the toys to your kid. It's not worth your time on E-Bay. Sure, there may be the off chance that one of the things you have is super rare and worth money, but the odds are against it. There was tons of this merchandise produced back in the day.

05-12-2005, 02:48 PM	#7
kerosene Touring the facilities Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The plains of Colorado Posts: 3,476	If I were you, I would find some of those hardcore Star Wars geek forums and just post announcements about what you have. I am sure you will hook a few of them. Ask them to make offers. There are people out there with entire rooms dedicated just to star wars stuff.

06-22-2005, 04:13 PM	#9
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	__________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

06-22-2005, 07:33 PM	#11
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	here are a couple of my son's most often played with toys. behold the awesome power of my nerdness. Attached Images __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

06-22-2005, 08:06 PM	#12
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Very very cool. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

06-22-2005, 11:31 PM	#14
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	The Shelving Unit is just too damn perfect. Just like a multi-deck landing bay. Dad, you rock. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-22-2005, 11:35 PM	#15
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	thanks. my carpentry skills suck, so i try to make up for it with paint. my grandfather was a carpenter and he would shake his head in shame for my little attempt, but the boy has already had hours of fun with it. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

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