Janky Fett: Thrift Store Star Wars Scores

Evening all,

While I also collect SW toys MOC as many other collectors do, I have a soft spot for collecting toys from thrift stores too that were pre-owned and may not be, shall we say, in showroom new condition. I have a few ships now in various stages of restoration, having been bought missing canopies, missiles, and such. For example, a few pieces I picked up and display in my office:



For those who also hit the thrift stores, what diamonds in the rough have you found?

Daniel

 

*RAISES HAND*

Yeah I've got hoards of ships in various states - most are battle worn and missing parts, hatches, wings, etc. I figure sometime whenever I get more shelves I'll do a big Watto's shop type of display where there are ships all over a Tatooine junk shop

Best finds - a vintage Kenner Millennium Falcon for $5 - had it's top hatch and ramp and all of the pieces on the sides. Overall condition not bad. Also got a Clone Wars AT-AE that needed some new legs and could use a couple of small parts but was mostly in tact, again only like $5. Best of all was a vintage 12" Kenner IG-88 that I almost passed on because he was so pristine looking I thought he was a Hasbro version. I got him for $3.50. (No accessories but figure is tight and beautiful w/ his paint.) He nicely replaced the beater version I had in my collection for years.

Several years ago I picked up a bag for $2.99 w/ sealed bagged Raiders of the Lost Ark figures - included Indiana Jones (I sold him - I already had a loose version from when I was a kid he paid for my shopping ventures - and kept the others) - Toht, and Marion Ravenwood (pristine, perfect w/ monkey!!!) And a bonus Cairo Swordsman w/o sword loose. I nearly hyperventilated when I found that bag, Marion was a holy grail of mine, I never thought I'd get even a crappy version of her at a decent price much less one that's brand new and has never been exposed to air.

I've picked up tons of figures over the years - some vintage, tons of newer ones. I've picked up vintage and new figure carriers, I got a couple of vintage Hoth Playsets (not complete.) I've gotten Mighty Muggs, games, Galactic Heroes stuff, 12" Hasbro figures of all sorts, toy weapons, stuffed critters, books, and tons of random stuff. I love getting stuff at thrift stores. Everything in the Star Wars universe is battle weary - picking up previously loved stuff I think gives the collection character. I debox almost everything so for me if the item is well loved, that's fine by me.

Now that Disney is in on the collecting wagon I really never know what I'll find. I recently found a Darth Vader battery powered desk fan

I still hunt - you never know what the hell will show up. Even vintage stuff is still out there.

 

I used to go thrifting at least once a week, but sorta fell out of it when my friend and thrift buddy moved a few years ago. Goodwill just built a beautiful new store in my area, and I hit it now and then, but I don't go out of my way anymore.

I've never had the kind of luck PadmeLeiaJaina has. At least not re: toys and collectibles. I've found my share of classic NES games, which I collect, but that's about it. The vast majority of the toys I see are more contemporary ('00+) and the bulk of them fast food premiums.

 

It depends on location and your populous. The time I found the gold C-3PO figure holder and Hoth sets, they also had tons of bags of figures (mostly the early Hasbro ones) - I always thought that maybe it was a dead soldier's collection that was given away - we have military bases around the Phoenix area.

I am fortunate there are TONS of thrift shops all over here. With lots of transient populations that come and go through here things are given away. Most of the time I only see new stuff. Vintage is very rare and not always great. Like I "scored" a vintage Patrol Dewback who's missing a leg But sometimes I do find other good stuff. I have a large mess of Pirates of the Caribbean toys - all found at thrift shops including a ship that was basically new in box.

The thrill is the hunt, most of the time you might get a tiny treasure that you didn't have before, sometimes you score big. You just never know.

I'm still holding out for my #1 Barbie for $3

 

I'd wager we have a pretty high thrift stores per capita rate in my area, and they're quite good re: clothes (I almost always find something when I go), housewares and books/movies. Toys is where they're lacking outside of board games (Trivial Pursuit mostly. It seems each store is required to carry a minimum of five at any given time) and bric-a-brac fast food premiums; mostly tie-ins to bad or long forgotten movies.

I sorta wonder if maybe I've always been beaten to the punch by people from local comic and vintage toy shops. We have a ton of the latter around here, and one could hardly blame them for scouring thrift stores and yard/garage sales for bargains to resell.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your Barbie if you return the favor for me on a POTF Luke in Stormtrooper disguise .

 

Just got back from my lunch break where I hit the local Savers Thrift. In one bag, for 3.99, I got:

Leia as Boushh (Taiwan 1983, sans helmet)
AT-AT Driver (1980 Hong Kong)
2-1B Medical Droid (1980 Hong Kong)
Greedo (1978 Hong Kong)
Admiral Akbar (1982 Hong Kong)

Not bad!

-Daniel

 

They also got a bunch of NOS Padme costumes on the cheap. Not my thing, but amazed to see a bunch of these new in the box for sale all these years later!