Vintage Yoda Action Figure

Here is an original Yoda figure from back in 1980. The figure was released to coincide the with The Empire Strikes Back. The figure has an orange snake, brown cane, a belt that looks like it has the little lamp that he took from Luke, and a cloth cloak. It's an amazing figure with a lot of detail and accessories.


Here is a story from my childhood:

I was playing SW with a friend and having a great time. On the patio of our home were these large planters with vine type plants. It was a great place to replicate the planet Dagobah. Some time later my mom asked  if my friend and I wanted to go to the store with her. We did, so we packed up our stuff and left. As we are at the store I remembered that I had left Yoda in the planter. Oh no!!!!! Yoda!!!!!!!!!!! My friend left his as well! How did we forget??? Any way, I was in a hurry to get back home.  When we got home I ran to the planter only to find Yoda...gone!!!!! Both Yoda figures were gone!!!!!! Naturally, I was really upset. The only thing I had to remind me that I had Yoda were the snake and staff accessories. I left those in the case while I played with Yoda because I wanted to be sure they did not get lost. LOL!!!! Now I didn't have a Yoda!!! Argh!!! I told my stepdad and mom. They felt bad for me. Or so I thought. For several days I moped. For several days I would look in the collector's case only to see the empty spot that had Yoda. It was hard to believe it was gone. Stolen!!!!!! I must have gotten on my stepdad's nerves because after a few days he approached me and handed to me a Yoda figure. My Yoda figure!!!! The only thing he said was, "That will teach you to play in my planter". He was such a dick! Anyway, I was so happy to have my Yoda back!!!! Yay!!!!

ps Yes, my friend got his back too.

Vintage The Empire Strikes Back Plastic Drinking Cup and Bowl Set

This cup and bowl set was produced by Deka which was a company in New Jersey. The set was released in 1980 and actually included more pieces than you see here. I could not find much more information about this product.

These have been used many times by me and it shows. The uneven edges on the cup reveal that my teeth have not been very kind. Ha! Kids can be so dumb with their collectibles! I remember reliving the excitement of The Empire Strikes back every time I sat down for a meal with the bowl and cup set. LOL!!! I remember the commercials say that for their products. Just find it very amusing. Anyway, I have no idea how I got the ESB cup and bowl set. Total bummer! Would be nice to know. This set has been in my collection since 1980.

Vintage Star Wars Collector's Action Stand

The Star Wars Collector's Action Stand was really a great way to display the action figures, especially since there were no playsets when the figures were first released. In fact, the toy was so successful that Kenner later re-packaged it for sale in retail stores. The stand is made of durable gray plastic and it has a clever design of interlocking gears which allow the owner to rotate each of the 3 groups of four by moving the levers on the front of the stand. The backdrop is a simple cardboard piece which complements the base well. The base and cardboard background fit together to make an attractive display. It also included a sticker sheet with the names of the action figures.



This display stand is something I purchased as an adult, but have wanted since 1977.  Way back in the day, my friend John Fannin got this stand and had all of the figures for it. I was sooooooooo jealous! Grrrr! It was so cool. I wanted it so bad, but of course it was not possible because I was poor. I decided to look on ebay for SW collectibles that I don't have. It had occured to me that I didn't have that really neat display stand that I wanted. So, I looked for it and found that it is going for a really high price if it is complete and mint. The sad thing is this stand was free. It was offered as mail order with proof of purchases. Now, it is so rare that it is tough to get one at a decent price. Ugh!!!! I wasn't going to break the bank to get it so I decided to find one that is not complete, which I did. I found just the stand  going for a decent price. The display background is a reproduction. sigh. It was cheap and looks nice. Oh well. Even though I have half of the collectible, it still looks fantastic on my shelf!!!!!!

Rocket Firing Boba Fett Action Figure

The Boba Fett figure with firing jet pack took over 30 years to get made.
Back in 1979 Kenner had an offer for a free new action figure from the upcoming movie The Empire Strikes Back. It was for Boba Fett which is a character in the sequel to Star Wars. I was so excited!!! Fett looked so cool!!!! My imagination went wild with this character. What is he like? What does he do in the movie? Where does he come from??? I was ready to order the new figure. What made it really cool is the rocket firing jet pack. Wow! No other Star Wars action figure did that!!! Cool!!!! Of course I had the necessary proof of purchases that was required to get the free figure. Back in the day, when toy companies offered something for free, then it was really free. We didn't have to pay for shipping like we do today. So lame!!!!! So, I mangled my action figure cardbacks for the proofs, shoved them in an envelope with an order form and sent it in the mail. I could not wait for my new figure to arrive. The 6 to 8 weeks felt like an eternity!!!!!!!! Finally the small, white, rectangular box arrived. I opened the box feverishly. I could not get the box open fast enough!!!!! I was imagining all of the adventures I would have with this new action figure. I removed the figure from the box and then the plastic baggie. Boba Fett was finally in my hands. Yay!!! But....wait! Why doesn't the rocket fire from the jet pack???? What's going on????? An insert in the box stated that for "safety reasons" the jet pack does not shoot a rocket. DAMN!!!!!! All because little kids could shoot their eye out! UGH!!! Stupid kids! Even though I was disappointed that the figure didn't have the shooting rocket, I was still very happy to have this really cool looking action figure from Empire. Before the movie is in theatres even.  So, through the years I saw many bootleg versions of the rocket firing Boba Fett. There were custom versions also. They looked terrible, and people sold the figure at a ridiculous fee as if it was official. Obviously, many fans demanded an official figure. Sooooooo,  for the anniversary of Empire, Hasbro made the rocket firing Boba Fett figure!!! I had to get it. I got it. Hooray for my childhood!!!

Vintage Large Size Luke Skywalker Action Figure

The Luke Skywalker Large Size Action Figure was in stores in 1978 and features a nicely-sculpted head and a pretty accurate outfit. 
The figure came with a grappling hook accessory, 

as well as a blue lightsaber. The latter accessory has boggled the collecting senses of more than a few hobbyists, due to the fact that the 3 3/4" version of Luke came with a yellow saber. 

These large figures sold in stores in the late 70's and early 80's but were not very successful. Considering the smaller figures had vehicles and playsets, these large figures only had, well, other figures to play with....oh and a young child's imagination!!!!

A story from my childhood:

This is my large size Luke Skywalker action figure.  Luke is the only large figure I ever had when I was a child, so most of the time it would be in its box doing nothing. My friends eventually got large figures as well so we decided to play together. I was really anal retentive about my Star Wars toys.  I would only play with the Luke figure indoor because the collector in me didn't want it to get all dirty and stuff. It was really restrictive play and my inner child wanted to take Luke to this really cool play area outside with dirt that could replicate the Tatooine desert. My inner collector  and my inner child were in heated battle!!!! The collector wanted to keep Luke pristine but my inner child wanted to go play in the dirt. It was an epic struggle!!!!! Eventually the inner child's tantrums were much stronger and defeated the collector. The child cheered in victory and rushed out to the faux Tatooine with Luke in hand. Many hours of enjoyment occurred in that play area. Luke got really dirty. The child was happy. The collector wept.

Star Wars Tenth Anniversary Signed and Numbered Poster

This wonderful poster  was sold at the Disneyland Star Trader in the late 80's. It is limited edition, signed by the artist and numbered. The poster cost around $50. I saw it and wanted it! I did not care how much it cost me. Through the years it stayed well protected in storage only to come out when I tried to get it professionally framed. When the framers would tell me that they would have to glue the poster to a mat and cut the poster so it would fit a certain size frame, I would refuse and put it back into storage. Eventually, I had decided to buy a frame large enough to fit the poster because I was setting up my Star Wars museum. I especially wanted this poster in the museum because it was my favorite. I put the poster in the back of my car, drove to the frame shop, opened the hatch to find............the poster had been wet and torn!!! I screamed!!!!!!! How did it get that way????? Well, I also left a cooler with water in the back. I was so focused and excited about finally getting this poster framed that I didn't even see the cooler. As I drove to the frame store, the water sloshed out and the cooler slid onto the poster causing a tear. Oh the pain!!!!!!!!                          
 Well, the poster is framed anyway and the tear is barely noticeable. But I will always see it no matter what. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. sigh.

Enjoying Star Wars Toys

Unfortunately, this is only pic I have of me enjoying my Star Wars toys when I was a kid. This picture was taken in the morning time with a friend who stayed for a sleep over. The friend, Marlo,  is the girl in the white nighty. She stayed with my sister, not me! Silly! I really liked Marlo, she was a lot of fun and she took an interest in Star Wars after getting to know me. She liked Star Wars so much that she got her parents to get her a collectors case and all the figures that would fit in it! Argh! That's 24 figures in one day!!! It took me years to get that much. I think Marlo even got some figures that I didn't have. Of course, I was so upset and jealous. I didn't let it show though, even when she excitedly "showed off" her new collection! *gritting teeth* Eventually I got over it as my collection grew and her's did not. Apparently Marlo was not that hard core about Star Wars. Ha Ha!
My sister Samantha (in red) is having a fantastic time playing with the Millennium Falcon. The pose and look of joy on her face would have been perfect in an ad for the toy.     

Star Wars Chess by Danbury Mint

This is my Star Wars chess set released by the Danbury Mint back in the 90's. Two chess pieces would arrive in the mail each month usually a pawn and a major piece. The chess board opened up and had storage space for the chess pieces.

For years, I had seen many different chess sets. There were plenty of Star Trek chess sets and they were very cool. For the longest time there weren't any really nice Star Wars chess. There were cheap chess sets but I couldn't deal with those because they were made of plastic and were all bendy. Ugh!  I made a promise to myself that when a Star Wars chess set that is not sold in Toys R Us becomes available, I would get it. Didn't matter how much it cost, I would get. Didn't matter how poor I was, I-would-get-it. So, sometime in the early 90's, I was  looking through a TV Guide and happen upon an ad for Star Wars chess!!!! Yay! Finally, I can  have a chess set that a Star Wars geek would be so proud to have in his collection. There was no hesitation! I completed the order form, put it in an envelope, stamped it, and dropped it in the mail box. I was so excited!!!!!! The waiting was the worst part! Finally, about a month later I received the first two chess pieces. They were magnificent! I dreamed of the day when I would have all of the pieces and could display them proudly. Yes, I received two chess pieces each month. Since there are 32 chess pieces that means it took almost three years to complete the set. It was a long, long wait. Oh! And each piece cost me $22.50!! So that comes to a total of.......well, I try not to think about that.  Isn't it pretty?? The crazy thing is I don't play chess!!! LOL!!!

Vintage Princess Leia Organa Action Figure

Princess Leia Organa was included in the Early Bird Set, but made its first carded appearance on the Star Wars 12 back card in 1978. The figure includes a cape and a laser pistol.

The Leia with the pistol is my original. For some reason I no longer have the cardback. Sadness! I got two other Leias later but they did not have a cape. Using a template from Toypolloi, I was able to make capes from a vinyl blow up ball. The capes are not exactly the same as can be seen but they still look good on display.

A story from my childhood:

I really loved to play with my Star Wars toys. With lots of playing comes lots of wear. Well, parts of Leia's hair had worn off. It was so annoying! I had a great idea one day to paint the hair with black oil based paint that my mother happen to have under the sink.  Just after my mother walks out the door to go to work, I take out the can of paint and set it on the kitchen table. Right after I pop the top off, my brother says he will go tell mother on me. Ugh! Such a pain! I proceed to paint, my brother leaves, and a few  minutes later my mother enters telling me to put the paint away. Lame!!! Of course she's really upset because she was on her way to work and had to walk back to the apartment to do some scolding. Anyway, she walks out the door again, but I was not deterred and finished painting Leia. Then it happened....I pull at a rag that was under the paint can, and before I even realized what I had done the can falls to the floor. In slow motion of course!!!!    Black oil based paint splatter all over the kitchen floor. Oil based paint is REALLY tough to clean up. Well, I get it cleaned but the news gets to mother and she  punishes me. Hey, at least Leia's hair looks fabulous!!!!!!!

Vintage Hammerhead Action Figure

The Hammerhead figure was packed with a Stormtrooper type blaster. It has a very simple outfit design. Though this figure was originally included in the Cantina Adventure Set, it made its first appearance on the Star Wars 20 back card.


Childhood memory:

Hammerhead is my first Star Wars toy ever. Yup! Of all the cool figures I could have gotten first, I got Hammerhead. Why did I get Hammerhead first??? Well, I had a really good friend, named John, who was also a Star Wars geek. He had all of the start up figures. I had none. sigh. We were really poor at the time and I couldn't just go to the store on a whim to buy toys. Later, my family situation was getting better and I was earning allowance.  I was excited!!! Finally I could buy Star Wars toys.  Off to the store I go!! A new set of figures were released in stores so I had a lot to choose from. As I perused through the bounty that was Star Wars action figures, I thought to myself, "Which one does John not have? Of course! Hammerhead!" So I snatched up the figure, bought it, took it home, and proudly showed it off to my friend. I had a figure that he did not. It felt good! Hey! What do you expect? I was only 11 years old.

About My Blog

I was thinking for a long while about starting a blog, but could not decide on what the subject would be. Then, I see a blog about Smash Hits magazinge. The blogger decided to archive issues of Smash Hits! Very cool! Then I thought, " I have a large collection of Star Wars toys. So why not do a blog about them and my memories about them."  Here is my blog where I archive my entire Star Wars collection. I have loved Star Wars since its first release in 1977. I have been collecting as many things related to Star Wars since then.