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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

What are the most collectable/rarest figures/vehicles from Kenner/Hasbro 1995 to Present?

Discussion in 'Collecting' started by Lizardmonkey, Aug 15, 2011.

  1. Lizardmonkey

    Lizardmonkey Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    May 21, 2002
    Since the POTF line resurgence in 1995, which of Kenner/Hasbro's figures and vehicles have become the most sought after (prequels included)?
    To my mind I can think of 'Freeze Frame WeeQyuay' and 'Sio Bibble' but have noticed that their prices have gone down somewhat on Ebay.
     
  2. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    I know at one time the FAO Schwartz exclusive SAGA version of the Imperial Shuttle fetched good money in the box, as did the Queen's starship from "TPM", but I'm not sure how sought after they are at this point. One vehicle I know that is still highly prized is the Target exclusive OTC Slave I (Especially still in box) from back in '04.

    As far as figures go, it seems to be "What's hot now" that commands the most attention. POTF 2 variations that used to be highly prized don't seem to be worth any more than the standard versions these days, or at least they're not really in big demand.

    Right now I'd say the rarest and most sought after figure is the Wedge from the Vintage collection, which I've seen fetch well over $100 on eBay, though it seems to be cooling off the last few weeks.
     
  3. Darth-Stryphe

    Darth-Stryphe Former Mod and City Rep star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2001
    I'd also be curious to know what's hot from the second generation of SW figures.

    But collecting of the second generation is quite different than for vintage (real vintage) figures. I've arguably always collected the vintage line since '77, but I started collecting them as a collector in 1990. What I noticed different between now and then is back then figures that had been readily available in every Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Toys R' Us across the country only five or six years earlier were suddenly worth a noticeable amount and not easy to come by in the package. Today, figures that came out 15 years ago still sell for retail price at conventions, regardless of how 'mint' they are. The difference? Pop-culture collecting exploded shortly before the second generation figures came out in the early 1990s (primarily due to comic books and baseball cards, but it spilled into toy collecting some, too). By 1995, everyone new to grab the hot new toys while they were still in the store, knew not to open them and take care of the packaging. So everyone has these figures. Everyone bought then, so no one is buying now, which keeps the price low. Also Ebay and Amazon make it easy to get our hands on figures that might otherwise be impossible to find.

    While I'm not sure which second generation toys, specifically, are doing the best, from what I have observed (because of the aforementioned observations) that truly rare variants and convention exclusives seem to hold the best value, though are not always the most 'in demand'. The one thing I have noticed that has consistently held its value is the Scramble on Yavin battle pack. You won't find it for less than a $100 on Ebay. Also, while it's not a really expensive figure, I have noticed that R4-I9 (fan choice version) has held its value well. And as was said, I know Wedge is in demand and sells from $50 to $100.
     
  4. TGaines1

    TGaines1 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2007
    It seems that 90% of figs decrease in price over the years with little hope to get even retail back on your investment. I look at the current "vintage" line and find it hard to see someone even giving $10 for a fig five years from now. I wonder if 5 years from now, figs will be 12.99 - $15 retail!?! I used to be a completist but stopped with TCW as pricing is just too much for me. Now I'm a cherry picker. Looking back over the years we have POTF2, TPM, POTJ, Saga, Saga/Gold, TCW1, OTC, TCW/Animated, ROTS, SagaII, TAC, TCW2, TVC.

    Out of these lines, the hardest to score and therefore the highest in pricing are TCW1 & TCW/Animated. There were only a limited number of figs produced for these lines (about a dozen a piece plus variants)and thats where the money is. All other lines might give you a half dozen figs that hit the $15 mark but with these two, they're all $15-$25 range. AND although no vehicles were produced for the animated line, the ships of the original TCW line score big bucks. That Black Command Gunship is $150+, Anakins Jedi Starfight $75+, you get the idea.

    For all these lines, these toys were produced in the millions and millions so there's not too many rares that cause the higher pricing on the open market. Usually its just the novelty of something new and someone wanting it and wanting it now therefore causing a bump in prices right after their release. Overall, its the vehicles of these lines that score the big bucks, especially the Gunships.

    Most of the lines have had something unique to them along the lines of a "galactic hunt" chase fig(s) and those are also ones to hold on to (think of the silverfoil cards from Saga or the gold coin cards from TAC/ McQuarrie concept lines or First Day issue figs from TCW2).

    Overall its the ships that increase in value. All of them increase their value in time. Heck, Look at Queen's Starship from TPM!

    Happy Hunts!
     
  5. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I've got some of the original Clone Wars series figures - mostly clones. Didn't get the vehicles.
     
  6. Magellan_the_Cat

    Magellan_the_Cat Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 21, 2003
    Is Dash Rendar's Outrider vehicle still a hot item? That was one of the few SotE vehicles and seemed to be riding high for a few years...
     
  7. TGaines1

    TGaines1 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2007
    No, most GG busts & the ships are the general rule now. The hottest thing is recent memory is the Death Star Exclusive with its Reveng of the Jedi figs from Comic Con this past July. Those things are still going for $100-$150 more than what they sold for. Hoping to see it again at CVI but not holding my breath. I'll hunt this pack once the novelty has worn off.
     
  8. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    I know at one time the value of the "Unleashed" (Large scale) line shot way up. Figures that I had seen clogging the pegs at my local Toys'r'us only a few months before for $15 were wiped out and going on eBay for over $50 a piece. I haven't looked in a while but I don't know if the prices stayed the same, went up, moderated or fell like a rock.

    I think the reaction was in response to the line being cancelled oddly enough but it wasn't enough for Hasbro to resurect the line.
     
  9. JediMasterKendo

    JediMasterKendo Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jun 2, 2000
    There's that Star Destroyer vehicle which is Power of the Force 2/Collector Fleet electronic.

    I keep telling about it at rebelscum but people there keep playing dumb and they think it doesnt exist or whatever.

    Then why the hell do I keep finding it at amazon then
     
  10. jacktherack

    jacktherack Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 2008
    i don't buy star wars figures anymore unless they are on sale. i saw a bastila figure when they first came out a couple of times and thought nothing of it. i should of grabbed it when i had the chance but i thought that 10 bucks was too much. my oldest figure i still have in the package is a ultimate galactic hunt mquarie concept chewbacca that i nabbed at target in 07. it doesn't seem that long but to me i can't resist opening the figures. then a couple of months ago i saw the figure selling on clearance for less then the price i paid almost 5 years ago.
     
  11. whostheBossk

    whostheBossk Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 16, 2002
    I really have three figures that stand out. Took me months of looking (i looked at like 10-15 stores a week) to find:

    1) Blue Imperial Guard from ROTS '05- finally found him in Target one morning, was so happy!

    2) Commander Cody from ROTS '06- never found him until years later when i found tons of him in the Vintage collection. Did snag him loose on Ebay.

    3) Mandolarian Trooper from TCW '11 to present- found every figure from this line except him and the only one I seen was the one with the speeder for $16! It was like torture seeing the figure in the window laughing at me! Still don't have this figure. I did snag two Pre Visla's though. That counts for something I would say?
     
  12. Who's the Bossk

    Who's the Bossk Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2013
    I did end up buying that Mandolarian Trooper with speeder bike :)
     
  13. DARTHSHAME

    DARTHSHAME Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2003
    I am not as big into collecting as I used to be. However, I remember going on quite a hunt for the Darth Revan figure back in the day. I snagged to and kept them MOC. Now, I see it on Ebay for well over $50.
     
  14. Blur

    Blur Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 11, 1999
    Though a lot of figures may have been HTF when they originally hit retail, prices have gone down and via Ebay, etc. IMHO there aren't a huge # of mass-produced items that are difficult to get ahold of anymore.

    Going along with this, though I was a casual collector of the original Vintage line back in the day, I was a much more hardcore collector of the POTF2-on lines (1995-on). I specifically remember a lot of comic stores/collectible shops charging big bucks for some of the more HTF items like the 12" exclusives (12" Cantina Band Wal-mart exclusives, 12" Luke w/Wampa Target exclusive), and some of the 3 3/4 figures (POTF2 Princess Leia & Boba Fett, both from '95)., etc. Ironically, now in many cases you can find these online for what they sold @ retail (or maybe even less).

    That all being said, I personally had a tough time finding the 1998 Kenner figures when they originally hit retail (first EU wave, Lobot wave, etc.), and I was never able to find the red-cloaked Emperor's Royal Guard & the Battle-damaged Anakin/Darth Vader from the ROTS line back in '05.
     
  15. Blur

    Blur Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 11, 1999
    Yeah, you're probably referring to the "Super Star Destroyer" Collector Fleet vehicle. This was quite HTF; I only saw this once @ FAO Shwartz back in the late '90's.
     
  16. Frederick Johnathan-Durex

    Frederick Johnathan-Durex Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2013
    There was also a regular Star Destroyer and Blockade Runner in the Collector Fleet line. I had both but sold them when I gave up collecting back in 2006. AFAIK, the Super Star Destroyer was an FAO Schwarz exclusive.

    These pics are from my eBay listings, I honestly can't remember how much they sold for, I had literally listed hundreds of items at the time.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    whostheBossk likes this.
  17. TychoCorde

    TychoCorde Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2012
    Jacen & Jaina Solo from the Legacy Collection and pretty much that whole wave are rare figures, plus the Ulic Qel Droma/Exar Kun Comic Pack is rare, you can't really find it on Amazon or Ebay w/o a $100+ price tag
     
  18. whostheBossk

    whostheBossk Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 16, 2002
    That was a great snag. Same for me in '07 I snagged Revan and Malak and have them on my wall to this day!! I remember just walking into Wal Mart in the morning and they just put out some new figures, and walla!! We got lucky.
    I feel strongly that the Jacen & Jaina Solo will be a hot item once Episode VIII comes out so hold on to them!! That is why I am grabbing the Expanded Universe collection (which i never cared for) because I
    feel like they will include these in some way for Episode VII! Love that Imperial Sentenial!! (AKA Atha Prime from Kenner's original figures that were to roll out after ROTJ, but got cancelled)
    http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Atha_Prime
     
  19. TychoCorde

    TychoCorde Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2012
    I would never sell them, they are my two favorite pieces.
     
  20. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Assuming JJ & Co. re-use those characters and don't simply invent their own Solo children (Seeing as how they're likely going to have to scuttle most of the post-ROTJ EU anyway), I think you're %100 right about that :D.
     
    whostheBossk likes this.
  21. DARTHSHAME

    DARTHSHAME Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2003
    The next figures on my list are the Exar Qun and Ulic 2 pack. I am kicking myself for not being aware when they came out. However, I am willing to pay the price to add to my Jedi/Sith figure collection.