SW Tales From The JC Collecting Forum...Funny and Interesting Collecting stories

I Decided to start this topic because many of you have some Cool & Funny stories Involving Collecting & SW Toys. I Know I do
Stories about Helping fellow collectors Or Helping little kids, Even Introducing a Child to our GFFA
From Midnight Madness to Outwitting The Evil Scalpers
Discuss anything Positive, or Strange & Interesting Or Just Plain Funny You've Experienced as a result of being a Star Wars collector.
Don't be Shy Here's a couple of mine to start off

1st Story
Ist TRU Midnight Madness Toy Opening in May 1999

Back then I was not on the Web & didn't know about the 4 Battle Droid Variations, Although nobody else seemed to know about it that night either!
So once I was done getting everything I needed including all 4 Battle Droids Except for Darth Maul, There was only One case of 12in Darth Mauls!
Anyway this lady was trying to find one of the BD Variations, So I looked around a little & found the one she Needed Very rewarding experience, She was Very Appreciative

2nd Story
TRU Midnight Madness Opening April 2002

This was a Much Crazier More Out of Control Night! People would Run & Dive Everytime the Clerks brought out more boxes, Everyone was Searching Wildly for Dooku, Yoda & Luminara mostly
I had a Luminara I found earlier(Really like her, She was Great in Prequel novel to EP2) and I was waiting in this Somewhat quiet area where a few clerks would slowly open New boxes. I sat there & talked to this guy who wanted Luminara Sooo bad! And I wanted Yoda Sooo Bad!
So we talked & Waited & Waited & got Excited Everytime they opened a New Box, No Yoda, No Luminara
So I go to TRU Bathroom And notice a few boxes in that aisle that have Collection2! Meaning Yoda! So I know it's only a matter of time!
So I come out, Tell my Collecting Compatriot, And we wait & wait, Nothing!
So I tell him I'm going to go by my friend for a minute & I'll be right back. I'm not with my friend that long... I start waliking back And My New Friend(Luminara Fan) Signals Subtly to me to Hurry Up!! They just Opened a Yoda Case!!! So I Sneakily Run Over and Thanks to him I got a Yoda! I was Soooo Happy!
Unfortunately he never got a Luminara, So.... I gave him Mine Yup, I Gave him mine as a Gift of Appreciation, Felt Great!

What's Your Story or Stories ?

EDIT: As you can see from the 1st Post, Personal SW Stories are Cool too, Thanks PMTT

 

My story is more of a "realization" story.

I wasn't online back in '99, nor was I into collecting. I didn't have any friends who were into Star Wars at all, so I was basically all on my own with my fandom...Or so I thought.

One night, I'm watching the local news and they report that the toy stores are going to be open @ midnight to sell the Ep.I toys. Well, like I said, I wasn't into collecting, but had thought there must be at least a couple of figs that I would want, so off I go.

I get to the mall and am shocked to see a sizable line forming already...It had only been 30 minutes since the broadcast and there was over an hour to go before the toy store would be opening...Wow! Look at all these Star Wars fans! This is cool! So in I go and get Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan & Darth Maul + a commtech reader. I eventually gave all of these away to my ex's nephew, but the process of getting them made me "Take my first step into a much larger world."

Well, since then I've gone through the break-up of my marriage and a few other personal hells, but one of the things that has remained is that I am part of something bigger...A "community" of fans. I've been bitten full-on by the collecting bug now (hence my presence here ), and one of my very best friends is someone with whom my initial conversation topic was about Star Wars.

 

You See! That was Great PMTT
Very Cool story, A Lot of My Stories come from Midnight Madness
One of My Best Friends in the World is the Biggest Star Wars Collector! He finds SW Toys for me all the time He used to Own a Comic shop, Still gets me All my Comics

 

Once upon a time, a few years back, I hid a 12" Greedo behind the comforters at Target, and a month later, he was still there. The End

 

Well, I've got a lot of stories.

Midnight Madness: 1999 -

I get up there at about 8:30PM to get in line and I drive by TRU, seeing that there is already a sizeable line there, and that I wouldnt really shop there cause the buttnugget manager accused me of shoplifting when I had not done such a thing, just cause I had a big coat. So, I went off on them and got the manager fired, what can I say, she deserved it, she was very rude to me and treated me like a child, this was when I was 16 I think, and as far as looks, goin on 21. Hehe! I go to TRU now and have since! Anyway...I head on over to Wal-Mart and ask if they will be putting the toys out at midnight and I can already see that they are beginning to set up the toys at the front. NOTE: They were still working on this Wally World, soo...everything was a bit out of place, and since theres more room up front, they thought it better to just put the toys up front, good call! So there I am at 8:30 in line of Ep1 toys. They even set up those little barracade thingys with the rope thingy, yeah I dont know what its called, so thingy will have to suffice. Anyhoo, so 9:30 rolls around and still no one else, but I tell ya at about 10:30, people really started comin, and I was like LINE STARTS HERE!! So, by about 11:30, there was about 250 people in line, stretching way outside. And the cool thing was, man I gotta give WM props for this, they had it arranged so neat, they had so much stuff. So, there would be two at a time going for the toys out of line. Well, I was first!! WOOHOO! FIRST EVER TO BUY AN EP1 TOY OFFICIALLY!!!! AND NOT OUT OF THE BACK OF A TRUCK!! WOOHOO! I spent out $500 that one night in around 15min. Just grabbed everything I could, and Maul was the first of course! It was so awesome! Still one of the best nights of my life.


Tune in tomorrow for: Midnight Madness 2002 STYLE!!

 

Come on people! I know we all have Collecting stories.
Here's another one from me
At last Midnight Madness TRU Sale. Me & my friend were standing on line (1st on Line) With at least 90 other SW Fans and because the store is in Jersey city (About 30 seconds from Lincoln Tunnel) the cops came by to protect us. When they got there one of the Cops is like " What are you here for ? Star Trek toys ?" And I don't think he was kidding And of course we All Yell "Star Wars!!!!" So then the cops laugh and they park in the corner of the TRU lot with another Cop car. So after a little bit The Other cop car stops by our line on his way out and says "Star Wars huh, Cool, May the Force be with you" and left! He had a Smirk on like he was a Fan & had probably made Fun of the 1st cop
It was Funny

 

I statred Collecting once again early this year,before that I was mainly buying Jurassic Park figures.
Then I saw AOTC again,and was back into it,two day`s later I bought Peasnt Disguse Anakin,and Red Clone Tropper

 

On the night that the Saga line was introduced, I go with eager anticipation to Wally World...I get to the toy section and see the aisle roped off and the toys being stocked. I'm first in line, yes!!! It's still a bit early so I begin my wait...

Time passes...More figs, vehicles, etc. are stocked....

Time passes...Still the only one in line...

Time passes...Uh oh, gotta pee...Still the only one in line...

Almost there...almost there...

Only two Yoda's are put on the shelves...

Time passes...reaaaalllly gotta go now...Ok, I'm still the only one in line...Off I go to the restroom...

Sweet relief!!! My bladder is gladder!!! Wash hands, dry...off I go back to the toy aisle...

I am now the 3rd person in line!! As you can probably guess, the 2 people in line in front of me both
get the Yoda figs...

Yeah, I eventually got Yoda, no big deal...But I was pretty mad that I didn't go before I left the house on THAT trip.

 

i once was playing with my jarjar in my lil bros sandbox any i left him out on the ground . too bad that day my mom mowed the lawn

maybe it was for the best , after all , he is the most hated guy in SW .

 

That's too Bad PMTT, I almost didn't get Yoda 1st night, But it didn't matter cause I picked up an extra Yoda at KB the next morning At least you Did get him & You didn't pee your pants

MF!! That's Very Funny, I don't think I hate Jar Jar enough to Chop him into little pieces, But I know people who would I know you said it was an accident... Or so your Mom says

Wow Samwise! I spent A Lot on Midnight Madness, But not that Much!! I spent like $280 The 1st Midnight Madness, 2nd one I spent like $350.

More people need to bring a friend to Midnight Madness with a Video camera!
Just to see how each store around the Country is different, Whether people are going Crazy Everywhere when those Toy stores All Open at Midnight I wish I had, I witnessed So many Funny things

I Demand that you keep Collecting SW Drac!
He He, Just kidding. Buy the Toys you Like buddy

Thanks for the Replies guys

 

Yeah I was mainly collecting Jurassic Park.
Then I fell in love with SW again.

 

I know you said it was an accident... Or so your Mom says

LOL !

 

There is a video of my "Midnight Madness at Toys R Us" this year. Click the link below to see it. I am the female jedi who says, "I buy two of everything." If you look closely you can see me in other shots as well.

MJF's Midnight Madness Video

That was a really fun night. I got there at 10pm and set up a table in front of the store. I gave away free Star Wars keychains to everyone who signed up to join the San Diego Star Wars society. I got to go into TRU early with the 501st and put aside what I wanted to buy before the people in line got to come in. The reason TRU allowed us to do that is that those of us in costume were "working" the event. We helped act as security and helped open boxes and hand out the figures to the other customers. I spent around $248 that night.

 

In 2001, I made my yearly trip to Wisconsin Dells for waterparks, go-karting, and mini golfing. There are also a ton of antique stores there that I go to once in a while. This one store I went to was loaded with Star Wars toys.

I look in their glass case at the stuff they had and thought to myself that I really wanted a vintage Darth Vader MOC. So I see an ROTJ one for an eye boggling 19.99. I call the woman at the register to come over to open the case so I can have it. She does and holds her hand over the bubble and asks if I want it.

Yes I do.

We go up to the register and before I hand her 20 bucks, I notice a rather large cut in the bubble. The whole left side of it is cut. That's why she was holding her hand over it. I ask her what that is all about and she tells me that she doesn't know where the cut came from. So I refuse to buy it. The old moron tried ripping me off.

I left the store kind of depressed because I didn't get a MOC vintage Vader.

I return to the Dells a year later, go to the same store, and buy a vintage ROTJ Jedi Luke MOC. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the package and it only cost me 30 bucks. And the same woman was working at the store. So I guess it's all good now, although I still want a MOC vintage Vader.

 

gee MJF, THAT TRU in cali was CALM

i got my ribs cracked at MY midnight madness
smashed between a big guy and a cart
but hey, i fought with scalpers and won so it was worth it even if i did only spend 35 bucks

 

Finding a Clone Pilot figure had me going crazy for two months. Two days before Christmas, at a KB Toys, there were two on the racks, along with two Ephant mons - so I got one of each, for 3.99+ tax a piece.

A month ago, was in a TRU and there was one Bespin Vader left. I already had one (now loose, displayed with Bespin Luke), but contemplated a 2nd to keep MOC. A little kid came along and told his mom he wanted an AOTC Anakin figure. I gave the kid the Vader fig and said: "This is Anakin too". Poor kid looked confused, but his mom tried to explain it to him (don't think he knew the OT movies at all - LOL!)

Peace,
D_R

p.s. -- LGM, I got your artwork in mail Friday. Awesome!

 

Thanks for the replies MJF, Darthmak, Jenn, Droid Runner, Drac, Everybody
Jenn!! You cracked a rib!! Wow! You sure are a Tough one!! Nice Going beating the scalpers!
Droid Runner, That was a Great thing you did buddy, Really Cool Thanks again about the Artwork
Darthmak I hope you get your Vintage MOC Vader someday, Good Luck!
MJF, That's Cool your FF got to do Security! We could have used sme Calmness & Order in Jersey city! People were running around, Diving, Stumbling!
MF Thought you would like that

Here's a Weird thing, Lately my Naboo Royal Starship just fires 3 Shots Every now & again!! At least twice a day I hear a Triple Blaster sound effect with No prompting from me!
One day it did it and me & my friend weren't sure What ship or figure the Sound came from!
I thought it was the AT-AT or possibly Deluxe Jango. So I check the AT-AT & the buttons don't work, So I knew it wasn't that, But I did replace the AT-AT batteries Anyway that night we Never figured it out! But I've heard the sound so many times now, I know just where it's coming from!
Silly huh
Every now & again one of my Simpsons figures says something out of No Where!! It's Quite Odd!

 

^ Sure your place isn't haunted LGM? That would be scary. My daughter's remote control car will often take off on its own, and we figure it is due to radio interference... but it is still freaky everytime it happens.

 

He He, I don't think it's Haunted MJF!!
The Simpsons figures used to "Speak Up" on their own A Lot more often than they do now.
Perhaps the Ghost is now in the Royal Starship This is a New Phenomenon
It Does Startle me sometimes

 

yes! you should have seen the guy who hit me into the cart.. he mustve been like 5'9 and like 400 pounds.. he resembled the comic book store guy from simpsons, only bigger.. and probably smellier

 

That Big Ass Bastard!!
Don't worry Jenn, Karma will catch up with him At the Next Midnight Madness that guy is going to get his!!

 

hahahaha yeah next time im gonna not go where they go
see the big crowd was at this one part, and there was no one on the other side of the store
so after i got hurt i went over there cuz i kept getting rammed, and they were putting out figures on the other side of the store where no one else was
so i got the ones i wanted, and we went on our merry way

 

Good strategy I did something similar during Midnight Madness, Stayed in this one quiet area where they were slowly opening boxes That's how I scored Yoda that night, patience
Do these other SW "fans" actually learn anything from Star Wars ?

BTW!!! I have a Strange Update on the Royal Starship Spontaneous Blaster Fire!
Not only is it Still doing it, But I noticed it is doing it AT THE SAME TIME EVERY NIGHT!!!!
3 Blaster sounds Every night at Midnight! It's like Clockwork!
Very Weird!! Maybe you were right MJF!!
* LGM looks around his room warily*

 

Cool Video Mara_Jade_Fan!! I went to the 1999 midnight madness up here in Portland and it looked a lot like that (minus the 501st presence). I spent about $350 that night. I was told by TRU employees that they werent doing midnight madness for EpII. But they did, and I missed it. I was bummed...oh well I was broke then anyway.

 

@ LGM's ghosts!


But the same time everyday? And that time is always MIDNIGHT? [face_shocked]


Dude, time to get the spirit gurus out there.