To town, LEGO Santa Yoda is coming.

Halloween in The Cantina

I couldn't let October pass me by without a Happy Halloween post, and what better way to do that than with the Star Wars Creature Cantina!

The Cantina, released in 1978, was a simple, yet great, little playset. I remember begging my grandmother to get me this set when it showed up in stores that year, along with Snaggletooth - the short gray haired alien in the red "space suit," which hit stores at the same time.
Remember the store called AYR-WAY?
 That's where I found my Cantina!
The Cantina was a made with a simple plastic base which included levers that you could move to revolve your action figures, and some small bits in the floor where you could stand your figures and, when activated, would bump the figure's feet just enough to knock them over. This was to recreate the scene with Han and Greedo where Han shoots and blows 'ol Greedo to smithereens. :)
There is also a colorful, hand drawn, backdrop that fits in the back of the plastic base depicting aliens in the background of The Cantina, a small hinged doorway with plastic doors that swing open with the use of tiny rubber bands, and is activated by having one of your figures step on a little button in the door way. There is also a computer console (sticker) in the doorway which clearly states - "NO DROIDS." - which is cool!
I loved this thing when I was a kid, and still do!
 Though the movie had lots and lots of aliens, the Kenner action figure line only produced some of the more noteable, close-up, aliens from Star Wars which included the likes of the aforementioned Greedo, as well as Walrus Man, Hammerhead, and one that you DIDN'T see very well - Snaggletooth.

 Now, in the modern action figure line from Hasbro, we have MOST of the aliens seen in the Star Wars Cantina, including the incredible smuggler alien, Bom Vimdin (seen above), which I will cover quite a bit more in an upcoming post.
 Until then - HAPPY HALLOWEEN, stay safe, and watch out for those aliens from a galaxy far, far away!

"It's working! It's working!!"

I think I have finally resolved my technical issues that I had been having with Blogger! My last post has finally.... well... posted. It's my rant on trying to find figures from The modern/vintage (oxymoron) line of Star Wars Toys. Well, what was true a few months back seems to still be the case! Those figures are still hard to find!!

 Just wanted to give a shout out that if you live in Kentucky, and are a Star Wars fan or collector, you should stop by Faith Lutheran Church this Saturday as KSWCC (Kentucky Star Wars Collector's Club) is having it's annual Fall Festival. It's festival celebrating Star Wars Collecting, of course. A great time will be had by all! There will be games, food, fun, and lots of prizes to be given out!
 That's Faith Lutheran Church, 100 Tates Creek Road, in Lexington Kentucky, from 12PM-6PM.

Come on out and have some fun!!

Vintage Tales of Woe....

I have stated before that I am concentrating my modern Star Wars Action Figure collecting to only The Vintage Collection figures that are from the original trilogy. I have made this decision primarily due to the cost of these things - they are now around $10 a piece!

My focus where this is concerned is now on the figures, and I mean ALL of the figures, that appeared on screen in the original trilogy, the ones that thrilled, and inspired, when I was a kid, and continue to thrill, and inspire.

The dilemma: On the one hand this is the cheaper option, and on the other hand, I CAN'T FIND THE DANG THINGS!!

I have never had such a hard time finding Star Wars figures. From 1995, when the modern line began, up to now, the figures have been plentiful. You could find most every figure that you wanted without a problem.

Now, however, the figures aren't two per Hasbro shipping case like they used to be. Hasbro is now shipping ONE of each figure per case, and to make matters worse, most stores are only ordering one case at a time! This probably has to o with the fact that Hasbro has THREE Star Wars Figure lines running at the same time - Saga Legends, The Clone Wars Animated Figures, and my favorite - The Vintage Collection.

I think the folks who order Star Wars tous for the major chains are quite confused by all of this, and it's making things difficult for those of us who collect.

It has been many months since I have found anything new, but I will persevere!

When I find my new figures of choice I will shout out from the rafters. I will take new pictures, and hopfully rave about the new sweet stuff that I've found!

Until next time, stay safe, have fun.... and persevere!! :)

Technical issues are killing me!

Puffs Tissues Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Commercial (1980)

KAY-SWAP!! - Collectors coming together.

Being a member of a collector's club is fun, and rewarding. If you are a collector, no matter what it is that you collect, it is always fun to get together with people in your area who share the same interests.

As a Star Wars collector, and enthusiast, I have the fortune of living in a state (Kentucky) where there is such a club, of which I am a member - KSWCC (Kentucky Star Wars Collectors Club).

Founded in 2003, KSWCC now has three main state regions; Louisville (where the club was launched), Lexington, and Ashland. These three regions have active club members who meet up each month to share collecting stories, talk shop, trade, and help other collectors find pieces that they may be missing from their collections. Through the club we share the joy of collecting, which includes finding collectibles that we love without having to go through other sources like Ebay, or other outlets that like to inflate prices for what they consider to be "rare," or "hard to find" - a practice known as "scalping" which KSWCC does not condone.

This past Saturday KSWCC hosted a swap meet. It was open to the public and the first of it's kind. The event took place at Church of The Ascension in Frankfort Kentucky, a beautiful old church that opened in 1852 with a rich history.

The swap went really well, and all in attendance had a good time. It is now being considered for an annual tradition! I hope this happens!

It was great to see many familiar faces! Some folks I see on a regular basis, but there are those from other regions that I only see from time to time, like our annual fall festival, which I will cover later in the year. It's always great to reconnect with my fellow collectors, and also get a chance to meet new collectors who attended the sawp and I hope will consider joining our club. If you live in Kentucky, and are on the fence about joining, please do not hesitate! I have been a member of the club since the beginning and have been enjoying myself ever since!

We had a special guest at this years swap meet, illustrator Justin Stewart! This was my first time meeting Mr. Stewart and I found him to be a very friendly, easy going guy. I paged through his portfolio and found his work to be fresh and interesting. He obliged me in my request for an R2-D2 sketch card, which he finished in full color for only five bucks!! What a deal!!

As an R2 focus collector I try to get sketch pieces from any artist at a show. It's great to see everyone's individual take on my favorite little droid.

If you're a fan/collector of Star Wars, or anything for that matter, I urge you to find a group in your area where you can connect with others on a personal level and share in the fun of whatever interests you!

If you would like to join KSWCC, or would like more information, check us out at http://www.kswcc.com/

To see more about illustrator Justin Stewart, check out his site at http://www.justinstewart.net/

For more on Church of The Ascension http://www.ascensionfrankfort.org/Home.aspx

Until next time, and as always,

Stay positive, stay safe, and have fun!!