A Study
of the General History, Causes, Effects, and Trends in Star Wars Toy Collecting
by Brian Semling
A
Senior Thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Arts Degree,
in History,
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 An Introduction to American Toy Collecting 3
Chapter
2 An Overview of the Star Wars
Films and Toys 9
Chapter
3 Star Wars as a Classic Myth 14
Chapter 4 Trends
in Star Wars Toy Collecting—The Toys and the Packaging 25
Chapter 5 Cultural,
Economic, Political, and Social Effects on Star Wars Toy Collecting 41
Chapter 6 Conclusion 48
Toys
from Egyptian and Greek tombs, as well as toys from the Middle Ages, have
survived to the present day. It is
generally accepted that toys, defined as “a child’s plaything”[1] in
Webster’s dictionary, have existed in some form for most civilizations. However, according to Louis Hertz in The
Toy Collector, toys made before the era of mass merchandising have not
proven to be very collectible. “There is
little interest in [collecting toys from] dates prior to the nineteenth
century.”[2] American toy collectors have almost
exclusively focused on toys that have been mass-produced since the 1830’s. It wasn’t until the late 1920’s and 1930’s
that toy collecting began to emerge as a mainstream hobby. Previous to this, the primary cause of toy
collecting was preservation. Toys from
the colonial era and “folk-art” toys were of the most historical interest and
tended to be collected or preserved as historical artifacts.
During
the 1930’s toy collecting mainly consisted of collecting model railroads and
banks. This collecting was most often by
adult men who grew up with railroading dreams and bankers who preferred to
collect mechanical toy banks dating to the 1860’s. During World War II many adults had to dig
out their own old toys for their kids due to a metal shortage. Hertz states,
“After the war many new collectors became active, inspired by the rediscovery
of their own old toys or by awareness of the ever-broadening circle of
toy-collecting interest…It was apparent after within a few years after the end
of the war that toy collecting had become a firmly established hobby.”[3]
Why do people collect toys? According to Hertz, “The prime reasons why
people collect anything is simply that the subject interests them and they feel
they can derive pleasure and relaxation in the course of pursuing a hobby involving
the objects in question.”[4] He goes on to state, “In its highest and most
rewarding form, collecting is not merely the accumulation of decorative use of
objects, but the enjoyment of the study of one’s possessions-learning as much
about them as possible.”[5] Hertz did his research and writing in the
late 1960’s and helps set the stage for more modern collectors. Judging from his writing the toys that he
considers collectible are at least several decades old. He looks at individual collectors in an ideal
light. He supposes that the individuals
will help contribute to the general knowledge in the field. In other words, collectors can be more than
simply collectors, but also researchers.
In this era, toy collecting appears to have been reserved more for very
serious collectors who would put great resources, like large chunks of time,
money, and zeal into their collecting habits.
Modern toy collecting can be easier going and less
intense. While many modern day
collectors are just as serious about their collections as their 1950’s
counterparts, many other collectors today simply collect assorted items
strictly for fun. Also, the general
public is more accepting of those who collect toys. Rather than being looked at as eccentric or
odd, collectors are seen as trendy. As James Opie states in A Collector’s
Guide to Twentieth Century Toys written in 1990, “The collecting of toys
has become fashionable, as opposed to eccentric, since the 1950’s. The squirrel instinct is strong in all of
us. Collecting is fun, whether the
impulse is intellectual discipline or forming well-researched, coherent and
complete assemblies, or just to be a magpie and acquire a selection of
interesting things.”[6] Opie believes that collecting starts while in
childhood and is based on fun. He also
points out that while most collectors do not start their collections as an
investment, the expectation that prices will rise does lead to collectors
putting money into their collections.
I do believe that both Hertz and Opie share the common
belief that toy collecting is based on fun, enjoyment, recreation, and an
escape from stress. However, Opie takes
a more carefree and nostalgic stance, where Hertz is more technical. Admittedly these are only two experts on toy
collecting, but the evidence suggests that toy collecting has grown
dramatically since the 1960’s. While
many collectors are serious about their collections, there is much more
published information available today.
Much technical information is already currently available. An individual will have to research long and
hard to contribute to the knowledge pool today.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s there were fewer collectors, fewer
publications, and fewer experts. So the
typical modern collector relies more and more on highly specialized trade
magazines and websites, whereas collectors of earlier eras often had to rely on
their own research and word of mouth.
These specialized trade magazines and websites have combined the efforts
of countless individuals into a plethora of knowledge regarding
collectibles. Now we will consider the
views of several scholars who are further removed from toy collecting.
In 1993 Jerry Herron describes in a sociology thesis “Homer Simpson’s Eyes and the Culture of Late
Nostalgia” Americans’ sense of nostalgia.
He shares with us the thinking of Frederic Jameson, “Americans find
themselves excluded from history and therefore feeling nostalgic about a
present that has become newly unavailable to them.”[7] He continues that in modern society many toys
are purchased that children (or adults) are already familiar with. In other words, one tends to purchase items
that relate to movies, television, comics, etc., that we can attach meaning to.
There is a nostalgic sense of the present that one tries to capture by
purchasing memorabilia. The memorabilia
allows the person to more directly be involved with the movie, story, or series
that has motivated the purchase.
Collecting is not just important to individuals; it is
also of high societal importance because it preserves our culture or our past
culture for the future. Chandra Mukerji
puts forward in the American Journal of
Sociology that, “Collecting goods may have the greatest consequences for
material culture.”[8]
He goes on to explain that items that are collected and preserved remain intact
for future generations to draw from. He
claims that these collectibles may have an impact on future designers and
thinkers. Often the people that
influence the styles, designs, and innovations in society are themselves influenced
by previous time periods. Collectibles
help preserve the essence of these earlier eras and contribute in contemporary
designs.
From Hertz to Opie to Herron to Mukerji we see many
different points of view on collecting.
The more experienced toy collectors claim that people collect primarily
for fun, relating their current lives to the days when they were carefree kids
and toys were the centerpiece of their attention and recreation. The sociologists put things into a cultural
larger perspective, trying to explain why we need to collect and how the
preservation of collectibles may affect the designs of future generations.
Perhaps Star
Wars toy collecting combines the different aspects of what we have
reviewed, or perhaps it includes new ideas and unique reasons for its success
and longevity. Why, in fact, do people
collect Star Wars toys? How has collecting changed since the Star Wars toys were first introduced in
1977? What sets Star Wars toy
collecting apart from other similar collectibles? We will look at these questions along with
other issues in this thesis.
Chapter 2
An Overview of the Star Wars Films and Toys
According
to Mary Henderson, curator of the “Star Wars, the Magic of Myth” exhibit at the
Smithsonian Institution, in 1977 the American public was in desperate need of
something to give it hope and inspiration.
It was a time shortly following the tragedy of the Viet Nam War. Just three years earlier President Nixon had
been forced to resign due to the Watergate scandal. Gas prices were at an all-time high and
inflation was approaching double digits.
Americans, she claims, yearned for hope and innocence.[9]
On May 25, 1977Star Wars: A
The story of the Luke Skywalker, Han
Solo, Princess, Leia and the rebellion against the evil empire led by Darth
Vader proved that the epic saga of good versus evil could thrive in movie
theaters. According to Stephen Sansweet,
one of the world’s leading authorities on Star
Wars and author of several Star Wars
toy collecting books and numerous articles, “Star Wars literally became front-page news across the country as
well as network-tv news fodder…Single-handedly, he (George Lucas) seemed to
have rescued the movies from the angst-driven trough they had been in for much
of the 1970s.”[11] Star
Wars continued at number one in theaters for much of the summer. By 1983 it had amassed record setting $524
million at box offices around the world.[12]
After Star Wars in 1977, the second chapter in the Star Wars saga The Empire
Strikes Back was released in 1980.
This proved to be the most successful sequel of all time, grossing $365
million worldwide.[13] This movie followed the classic pattern for
the middle segment of a trilogy. It ends
with unresolved conflict and the bad guys in charge. The third installment of the Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi was released on
The huge success of the three Star Wars movies at the box office was only part of the impact the
trilogy would have on American culture.
Due to the millions of enthusiastic fans the movies had created, Star Wars became a cultural phenomenon
that spawned a whole new world of merchandising. In the Star
Wars Official 20th Anniversary Commemorative Magazine Stephen
Sansweet states, “Star Wars
jump-started the slow-growing licensing business in the late 1970’s and was
responsible for the now taken-for-granted mega-marketing of major movies for
products ranging from novels and trading cards to toys and clothing. In fact, according to The Licensing Newsletter, prior to the release of Star Wars in 1977, globally consumers
spent less than $5 billion a year for licensed merchandise. By 1990 that figure had topped $66 billion.”[15] The movie created millions of new fans
that wanted nothing more than to get their hands on anything Star Wars related. The movie had created an enthusiasm in fans
in a way in which few movies do, and fans wanted to connect with the Star
Wars universe after they had seen the films. This huge interest sparked an unprecedented
level of mass merchandising in Star Wars toys and related collectibles.
In 1977
However, by 1985 Star
Wars was fading in popularity and many Star
Wars items had found themselves onto clearance shelves. The publics’ fascination with Star Wars was waning, as no new movies
were imminent. A few collectors bought
up toys at clearance prices, and then things were relatively quiet in the Star Wars universe for several
years. There were no plans for a new
trilogy of movies. Also, there were no
new books, television shows, comics, toys, or other news. Millions of fans were left with memories and
their dust-gathering toys and collectibles, but little hope of more Star Wars anytime soon.
Then Star Wars
began its resurgence in 1991 with the introduction of a new Star Wars trilogy novelization by
Timothy Zahn, which takes place five years after Return of the Jedi. In the
following years it became apparent that George Lucas had something up his
sleeve. He was in the beginning stages
of building up interest in Star Wars
as a precursor to a new trilogy to be released starting in 1999. In 1995
The newest Star
Wars film was Episode I: The Phantom
Menace. This led to the creation of
a whole new generation of fans and new lines of toys. The
Phantom Menace became the highest grossing movie of 1999. The initial release was highly anticipated,
and millions of fans waited hours in lines to purchase tickets. Along with the movies came many new toys and
collectibles which are still being produced.
Chapter 3
Star Wars as a Classic Myth
Star Wars made its fans feel
good. It filled viewers with a sense of
excitement and hope. The epic saga of
good versus evil has been a pillar of civilization for thousands of years. People want to believe that good is more
powerful than evil and that good will overcome evil in the end. Star Wars follows the pattern of myths
through the ages from Homer’s Odysseus to the legend of King Arthur, and
has itself become a modern myth. Bill
Moyers concludes for us in the Power
of Myth, “It wasn’t just the production value that made such
exciting film to watch, it was that it came along at a time when people needed
to see in recognizable images the clash of good and evil. They needed to be reminded of idealism, to see
a romance based on selflessness rather than selfishness.”[17]
Moyers argues that this epic struggle of good versus evil was just what the
public wanted at the time of its release in 1977. The American public had recently been through
the Viet Nam War, Watergate, and been held to the whim’s of OPEC; Star Wars
was a fun and refreshing film which made people feel good about themselves.
It was this exuberance for Star Wars
which led people to collect the toys.
The movies so enthused fans that they wanted to relive the magic of the
movies. Toy and related collectibles
helped kids and adults capture the fun of the films. Star Wars toys were tops on the lists
of millions of kids’ birthday and Christmas wish lists between 1977 and 1983,
and also over the last five years. The
toys and the movies were fun for kids and adults, and this was the foundation
of their success.
Joseph Campbell, one of the world’s leading
authorities on myths and author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, has
devoted much attention to the Star Wars story. He opens the preface to the beginning of the
book Star Wars: The Magic of Myth, “Throughout the inhabited world, in
all times and under every circumstance the myths of man have flourished; and
they have been the living inspiration of whatever else may have appeared out of
the activities of the human body and mind.”[18]
Classic
myths from around the world are based on pairs of opposites, such as good
versus evil, light versus dark, man versus nature, etc. They also tend to involve a “hero’s
journey.” The elements of good versus
evil and the “hero’s journey” are very prominent in the Star Wars
saga. There is a very clear division
between the proponents of good, the rebels, and the forces of evil, the
Imperials. The rebels are led by the
heroes Luke Skywalker, the naïve farmboy transformed into galaxy saver;
Princess Leia, the emboldened damsel in distress who is a heroine in her own
right; Han Solo, the swashbuckling adventurer who becomes a partner to the
hero; Ben Kenobi, the wise old sage who prepares the hero and introduces him to
his quest; R2-D2, the android-herald who delivers the information vital to the
destruction of the Death Star; and others who follow the classic mold of those
on the “good” side. Darth Vader, the
black clad fearless Dark Lord of the Sith; Emperor Palpatine, master of the
Dark Side of the Force and the leader of the Empire; and Nazi-like military
commanders lead the Empire and are the corrupt forces of evil.
The
most popular Star Wars characters among collectors are Luke Skywalker,
Han Solo, Princess Leia, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader. People tend to collect the main heroes and
the main villains, as well as more obscure characters that are “cool”, such as
bounty hunters, rare figures, etc. The
hero, Luke Skywalker, is the one of the most sought after characters, but his
renegade friend Han Solo is perceived as very cool and collectors seek his
items to a comparable degree. Also, many
collectors love to focus on villains in their collections. The values of villains and heroes seem to be
comparable and neither appears to have a major edge among collectors. The price of a specific collectible toy is
often more dependent on the number produced than whether or not the figure is a
major hero or villain. Figures that are
least popular tend to be minor heroes or villains, especially ones made with a
generic human quality [aliens and unusual characters tend to be more sought
after], that are produced in relatively large quantities.
In the first Star Wars movie, Star Wars: A
Luke Skywalker is the hero of Star Wars and
follows the archetype of the typical
“hero’s journey.” The “hero’s
journey” is “a certain typical hero sequence of actions that can be found in
most myths. First, the hero must
separate from the ordinary world of his or her life up to the point at which
the story begins; then, in the new world through which the journey takes place,
the hero must undergo a series of trials and must overcome many obstacles in
order to achieve an initiation into ways of being hitherto unknown; finally,
the hero returns to share what he or she has learned with others.” Luke Skywalker grows up with his adoptive parents
on a rural desert farm, similar to Perseus, son of Zeus in Greek myths, who
grew up in a fisherman’s hut until he was old enough for adventure. He soon has a “call to adventure” with the
arrival of C-3PO and R2-D2 who bring with them a plea from a damsel in
distress. Luke “refuses the call” when
Ben Kenobi first proposes that he accompany him to help the princess. Luke offers the standard list of excuses, but
fate intervenes and when Luke finds that his foster parents have been murdered
he decides to leave with Ben Kenobi.
When Luke leaves his home planet, he has completed the act of separation
from his previous life. Now he is ready
to begin his adventure. He continues
through numerous rites of passage through his hero initiation including the
rescue of the princess; the escape from the Death Star, which is equivalent to
the labyrinth in classic myths; escape from the trash compactor, which
parallels the belly of the beast; the death of Ben Kenobi where Luke loses his
mentor and is on his own; the destruction of the first Death Star which is not
unlike David defeating Goliath; the dark road of trials which Luke is forced to
endure with various bounty hunters on his trail and the Empire seeking him;
Luke’s first confrontation with Darth Vader, where he learns that Vader is his
father; and numerous other conflicts until the final battle leads to the
unmasking of Darth Vader and ultimate victory.
Each part of Luke’s journey has some resemblance to a classic myth with
importance and symbolism neatly woven into the fabric of the story.
While Star Wars utilizes countless elements of
the classic myth, it is a story of our era too.
Mary Henderson, author of Star
Wars: The Magic of Myth and curator of the Star Wars: The Magic
of Myth exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution, tells us that Star Wars
is “distinctly a myth of the late-twentieth century.”[19] Many parts of Star Wars were
influenced by recent history and its contemporaries in television and
movies. Westerns, the Space Age, the
emergence of science fiction, World War II, the crises of the 1970’s, the
conflict of humanity vs. the machine, and the feminine hero were all twentieth
century motifs that emerged during the Star Wars films. Examples of tie-ins to real life are: the
Death Star in Star Wars paralleled
the ultimate nuclear weapon in our world, the look of the Imperial forces was
influenced by the Nazis during World War II, the emphasis on outer space was a
product of the space race, and the galactic adventure with tremendous
technologies came in part from growing enthusiasm for science fiction. So while the film is filled with elements of
classical myths, it introduces them in a new way that is very representative of
the world in which we live. Whereas the
story of Odysseus fit the era of Hellen over 2500 years ago, Star Wars
was made for the era of the late-twentieth century. It reflects the time period and civilization
in which it was produced.
The power of Star Wars to capture the
imagination of its fans carried over into the toys and collectibles. The world had never seen a combination of
such success at the box office (over $1 billion in ticket sales) and the sales
of toys, collectibles, and related merchandise (over $2 billion in
merchandising). Star Wars has had
a unique and lasting connection with its fans, even months and years after fans
have visited the movie theater.
Certainly there are other modern myths that have a
clear good versus evil conflict, such as Batman or Superman. While both of these movie series have been
very successful at the box office and do have toys to collect, neither has
attained the interest level of Star Wars. For example, on ebay.com on
Another contemporary of Star Wars was Star
Trek. Star Trek also falls
far short of the level of popularity achieved by Star Wars. For example, on ebay on May 17, 2000 there
were 12, 252 Star Wars auctions compared to 1,823 Star Trek
auctions[22]. Star Trek has had many toys made over
the years, but the series from the 1970’s and 1980’s is limited to a couple of
dozen of different toys, whereas Star Wars had hundreds upon hundreds of
different toys produced. Also, Star
Wars was far more popular at the box office than Star Trek. Star Wars was widely popular with
young kids, adolescent kids, and adults.
Also,Star Trek’s audience was narrower, viewed primarily by
adults with a keen interest in science fiction.
Star Wars toys paved the way for many of the
successful toy lines of the early to mid-1980’s. In fact, the popularity of Star Wars
was perhaps the main reason for the revival of the G.I. Joe toy line. According to Gary Cross, author of Kids’
Stuff, “The impact of Star Wars is best seen in the transformation
of Hasbro’s G.I. Joe line. After years
of seeking an answer to antimilitarism, Hasbro discontinued Joe in 1978. But the success of
G.I.
Joe departed from its own history and copied this new model. In the 1960’s, G.I. Joe’s were modeled after
World War II soldiers. There was a full
compliment of American, Russian, Nazi, Australian, British, Japanese and other
soldiers and weaponry. The toy line was
at least loosely based on history. The
new G.I. Joe line followed the precedent set by the Star Wars line and
was molded to an average of 3 ¾”. The
new G.I. Joe line followed the example of good guys versus fictional bad
guys. In this manner, G.I. Joe separated
itself from real life political and moral questions. It became easy; G.I. Joe was the defender of
good versus the forces of evil.
G.I.
Joe was not the only toy line to model itself after Star Wars. According to Cross, “Mattel’s He-Man and
Masters of the Universe, appearing in 1982, closely paralleled the Star Wars
formula: the youthful, blond, and muscular He-Man and his team of good guys
fought the aged, bony, and evil Skeletor and his horde.”[24] He-Man was also positioned in a fantasy
universe where good was constantly struggling against the forces of evil. Another toy line, Hasbro’s Transformers,
copied this model too. Within the
Transformers’ world, the citizens of Cybertron were divided between the “good” Autobots
and the “evil” Decepticons.
All
three of the above mentioned toy lines was also concurrently a children’s’
television cartoon series. All followed
the fantasy world inspired by Star Wars and sprang up in the early
1980’s. Also, all three were very
successful toy lines continuing into the late 1980’s. Cross also mentions several other less known
toy lines that were affected by the Star Wars phenomenon. Star Wars toys had transformed the
entire world of action figures and related toys from the late 1970’s to the
mid-1980’s.
The reason Star Wars was so successful was because
George Lucas was able to recreate the classic myth in an exciting, fun, and
hopeful way at a time when audiences were hungry for such optimism.
Some
even began to purchase Star Wars items for the sake of collecting and
preserving them. These insightful few
were the ones who originally kept a few of the action figures and other toys in
their original packaging were to reap the rewards of their foresight in decades
to come.
This chapter has demonstrated one of the fundamental
explanations, the power of the classic myth, for the success of Star Wars
and Star Wars toy collecting.
This mythic quality combined with the nostalgia needs of adults provide
a strong reason for the longevity and popularity of Star Wars. We have also seen that while other films and
toy lines have dealt with outer space, like Star Trek, and good versus
evil conflicts that include heroes and myth-like qualities, like Superman
and Batman, Star Wars has proven to be capable of a larger and
more universal appeal.
Chapter 4
Trends in Star Wars Toy Collecting—The Toys and the Packaging
Star
Wars toy collecting has
remained strong since 1977 due not only to the myth and nostalgia of Star
Wars, but to a high degree the quality of the toys and packaging. The toys themselves were trend setting and
had a large impact on other contemporary toy lines. Also, the large number of intriguing
characters and play scenes that enabled collectors to recreate movie scenes and
dioramas were important to the success of the toy line.
Star Wars
toy collecting has followed various trends throughout the twenty-three years
that it has existed. One of the
prominent trends has been the emergence of the 3 ¾” action figure, along with
the ups and downs of the 12” action figure.
In the 1960’s and into the 1970’s the standard for toy lines was about
12”. For example, G.I. Joe’s produced by
Hasbro and among the most popular male toys of the era were scaled for a 12”
size.
Faced with the tough decision of either a 12” line
without accessories, or a smaller line with accessories,
How did the
The
3 3/4'” size appears to have been so successful because they were more
manageable and cheaper. It was easier to
display large groups of characters, and more affordable as well. Also, it was much easier to fit 3 ¾” figures
into vehicles and play scenes. As
opposed to 12” dolls, which did not have any vehicles and play sets made for
them due to the prohibitive size of such items, the 3 ¾” figures were simply
much easier to display and play with.
Not only were Star Wars figures to be based on 3 ¾”, but so were
many other toy lines to follow, including a popular new version of 3 ¾” GI
Joe’s and others, as discussed in the previous chapter.
Star
Wars toys can be
broken down into several categories.
First, we distinguish between vintage items (1977 to 1984), POTF2 items
(toys from the classic trilogy that have been made since 1995), and Episode I
items (these are toys from the new Star Wars film that was released in
May of 1999.) Within each category we
have loose and packaged items. Loose
items are out of the package, but are typically not very collectible if they
are missing parts. Packaged items are
worth considerably more that loose items due to their relative scarcity. There is also can be a huge range in the
prices from an item in a damaged package to an item in a flawless package. Especially with vintage items, condition can
be very important. Newer items, released
since 1995, are relatively easy to find in mint packages because they are newer
and because most collectors carefully protect their collections and leave their
toys in the original packaging.
Vintage
items are very difficult to find in mint packages because during the time
period of 1977 to 1984 most of the toys were purchased to be played with. Kids were not interested in the packaging,
and often time the packaged ended up discarded.
While it is difficult to find a vintage item still factory sealed in its
original package, it is exceedingly difficult to find a toy factory sealed in a
mint package. Because most toys were not
treated as valuable collectibles from the beginning, most packages have
suffered creases, tears, cracks, price stickers, edge wear, and other general
wear. A vintage toy still factory sealed
in a mint package is the most elusive and challenging toy to collect. Because it is so difficult, often times very
expensive, and because it captures the essence of the toy as it originally left
the factory over twenty years ago, these vintage packaged specimens are highly
regarded.
The
original packaging consisted of cardboard with Star Wars logos and
pictures on it with a clear plastic blister which contained the figure. 3 ¾” figures in the original packaging are
called carded figures. The different
packaging and condition of the packaging are what many collectors use as the
criteria for their collection.
The first series of 12 Star Wars
3 ¾” figures produced are referred to as Star Wars 12-back because they
picture 12 figures on the back of the card.
After the first 12, was a second release of 20 backs which included 8
new characters. The final character
released on a Star Wars card was the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Boba Fett was the 21st character
released. Many people collect one of
each character on its original card, similar to the practice of collecting
rookie cards in sports card collecting.
For example, a Star Wars collector may collector a set of 12
12-back’s, and then the final 9 Star Wars character on 20 or 21 back
cards. Then there are 29 more new
characters to collect in Empire Strikes Back packaging, 29 more new characters
in Return of the Jedi packaging, and 17 new characters in Power of the Force
packaging. The Power of the Force line
was released in 1984 and included primarily characters from the third movie,
Return of the Jedi. Though it did
include a few characters from the original Star Wars film. So it would be common for a collector to
collect all of the above 96 figures, plus a few packaging variations.
Completists
may carry their collecting to a higher level.
For example, the completist may collect all of the original 21 Star
Wars figures in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi packaging as
well. They may also collect all 29
Empire figures in Return of the Jedi packaging.
Also, 22 figures were re-released in Power of the Force packaging in
1984. Now a collector would appear to
have obtained all of the different characters in all of their different
packages. This will due for the vast
majority of collectors. However, there
are a brave few who carry their collecting still further. One can collect all of the first 12 figures
on 12-back cards, the first 20 figures on 20-back cards, the first 21 figures
on 21-back cards, the first 21 figures on the first release of Empire
packaging, the first 21 original plus 10 new Empire figures on 31-back Empire,
the first 41 figures produced on Empire cards, the first 45 figures on Empire,
the first 47 figures on Empire, the first 48 figures on Empire, etc. This method of collecting is known as collecting
each figure on every card backing produced.
When this has been completed you may think there could be no more. However, please bear in mind that we have
only been discussing American packaging.
There are countless thousand of various foreign carded figure
combinations. So ultimately, there is no
practical way to “complete” the collection if one is to take the word
literally.
Each
collector has to decide for himself what style of collecting he will
choose. This can be affected by many
factors, such as available funds, storage or display space, time, energy, and
interest. Some collectors collect
certain parts of the Star Wars universe.
For example, some people collect only Boba Fett (the films most popular
villain next to Darth Vader) or Darth Vader items. Other fans collect items that they can set up
in dioramas to recreate their favorite scenes from the movie. Many collectors collect just the specific
toys that they like or certain series that they like. Others are completists who try to collect at
least one of each different character or toy from each movie and each
series. When a collector is extremely
dedicated in obtaining one of each item produced, he finds himself with nearly
infinite possibilities when variations, different packaging, and foreign
releases are included. A very avid
collector could spend $10,000, $20,000, or even considerably more amassing his
collection. Collectors pride themselves
with extensive collections.
Star
Wars collectors
are not the only ones who like to amass large collections. Meredith Sirmans is a scholar who also
collects the artwork of black artists.
While art collecting is different from toy collecting, the heart of what
drives one to collect an item whether it be art or toys is still similar. Meredith sounds like a typical enthusiastic
collector when he proclaims, “More is never enough when you become a
collector…”[28]
He is referring to the basic desire to continue collecting even after one has
accumulated a large collection. Meredith
has acquired an extensive black artwork collection, but is certainly not quite
fully satisfied with what he has. He
reveals, “The search for the wonderful works in my collection has been an
extraordinary experience, and I hope one day to have the country’s finest collection
of works by black American artists.”[29] This statement shows us an inner desire to
take collecting to the level of a near competition. Collectors value status and friendly
competition, sometimes as much as they love the items that they are collecting.
Collectors today are mainly adults and actively seek
figures in their original packaging for several reasons. First, it is the original state that the
figures were produced in, and many collectors want the toys in the condition
that they originally were distributed.
They also display well in the packaging and can provide for excellent
decoration. Also, it is simply much more
difficult to obtain figures in their original packaging, especially in mint
original packaging.
Recently, over the last five years or so, there has
been a greater and greater push by collectors to collect mint packaging
only. More and more collectors are no
longer content simply to have a figure.
Many want each specimen to be in near flawless condition. Of course, there are very few figures in this
pristine condition, so the price for mint items has risen at a higher rate than
for other items. This trend towards
collecting mint items has been widespread from baseball cards to books. It seems that our modern culture has spawned
the advent of a new type of collecting that is more concerned with condition of
the item or the packaging than ever before.
I suspect that this is due to good economic times, which provide for
large amounts of new money to chase very limited items, combined with the
natural maturation and growing sophistication in collectibles markets. For example, at first a collector may have
wanted to collect one of every figure in the original packaging. After this is accomplished, the next logical
step for many collectors has been to go back and replace the lower condition
figures with higher condition figures.
Also, it is a challenge to collect mint figures even for collectors with
the financial resources to afford them.
If collecting is not challenging and interesting, it soon becomes
boring. Because there are only a very
limited number of these figures in mint original packaging, one may also be
partially motivated by attaining a certain level of status within collecting
communities.
The
first major shift from kids as consumers to adult collectors came with the 12”
doll line. In the mid-1980’s, several
years after the 12” Star Wars line was discontinued, many collectors
began collecting complete sets of these.
Individual dolls which originally retailed for $10 to $20 fetched $50 to
$100 and even up to several hundred dollars for the most limited doll produced
in the set, IG-88. According to Stephen
Sansweet, “At first [during the mid-1980’s], the 12” dolls took off in price, a
cross-over for Star Wars and doll
collectors. A few of the rarer ones were
up to $400 or so in mint boxes [mint boxes refers to packaging in like new
condition]. Then the vehicles became
popular. And posters. And finally the
action figures, which have been red-hot since about 1991.”[30] Sansweet explains when the different types of
Star Wars toys became popular with collectors. The 12” dolls took off in popularity
first. This is in part due to the fact
that the 12” dolls reached two different markets, both Star Wars fans
[mainly adolescent and adult men] and doll collectors [predominantly adult
women]. Also, because the 12” line was
discontinued in 1980, the 12” dolls became much tougher for collectors to
locate than most 3 ¾” figures, which were still available in stores in the
mid-1980’s. One can see by viewing the
page 244 of the attached Tomart’s book and page 92 of the Lee’s Guide that 12”
dolls prices did not change nearly as much in price as the 3 ¾” figures. For example, a 12” Leia listed in 1992 for
$75 and in 2000 had risen to $120. There
is even an example of a price drop. The
12” Jawa was listed as $75 in 1992 and only $70 in 2000.
During this
time period of the mid-1980’s, the value of the 3 ¾” figures in or out of the
original packaging was relatively cheap.
For example, figures out of the package were valued at less than a
dollar to $5 each, and figures in the package were valued at about $1 to $20
each for most figures. From the late
1980’s until the mid-1990’s the values of the 12” doll line changed little,
while the 3 ¾” line began to take off during the early 1990’s. By the mid-1990’s, many 3 ¾” were reaching
into the hundreds of dollars and the most sought after 3 ¾” figures began to
reach into the thousands of dollars [See attached Tomart’s Price Guide to Action
Figure Collectibles published in 1992 to Lee’s Action Figure News price guide
from March of 2000 to compare changes in prices.].[31] The general popularity of 3 ¾” action
figures, especially in the original packaging, has steadily increased. This in turn has steadily driven the prices
of almost all carded 3 ¾” figures upwards.
By the late 1990’s, the values of 12” dolls began to rise again
too. The average dolls in the line mint
in original boxes sell for several hundreds of dollars, while IG-88 can command
well over one thousand dollars.
In
1995
The
POTF2 figures, like the vintage figures, came in assorted styles of
packaging. For example, some figures are
produced on red cards (red is the color of the front of the card), green cards,
and green cards with freeze frame action slides. So again the type of packaging can be very
important. For example, Weequay, a
henchman of the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, on a green card currently sells for
under $10. In stark contrast, a Weequay
on a green card with freeze frame action slide sell for over $400. This is because the Weequay with slide is
extremely rare and difficult to find.
Episode I is still a relatively new
series and only contains about 40 different figures at the present time. Most of these range in value from $3 to $20
each.
By looking through various price guides, such as Tomart’s Action Figure Digest, Tomart’s
Worldwide Guide to Star Wars Collectibles, Lee’s Action Figure News and Toy Review, and other collectible
price guides, it becomes apparent that the items that are listed are nearly all
toys and part of the Kenner/Hasbro line.
Other than 3 ¾” figures, collectors often seek 12” dolls, vehicles, playsets,
and other accessories to accompany 3¾” figures.
Toys are by far the most heavily collected Star Wars items, but
some collectors do collect posters, trading cards, board games, and everything
else from store displays to furniture. This is not to say that non-toy items do
not have value, but the group of collectors interested in non-toy items is much
narrower.
Concerning values, other than a few of
the 12” dolls selling for several hundred and up to $400 in the mid-1980’s,
most Star Wars toys had little collectible value until the 1990’s. During the 1990’s the vintage Star Wars
toy market saw an amazing rise in value, especially in rare items and action
figures mint in mint packaging.
Originally 3¾” figures sold for $2 each in retail outlets in the late
1970’s and 1980’s. Today they will
command anywhere from $15 to as high as several thousand dollars each. Much of the increase in value in these
figures has come in the last 5 to 10 years.
For example, 1995 Toys and
Prices lists a Jawa with the plastic cape from 1977 in the original
package at $400. In the March 2000 issue
of Lee’s Action Figure News this item
is priced at $3,500.[32] The 1995 Toys and Prices was written
in 1994, so from 1994 to 2000 the Jawa with plastic cape had risen near
1000%. What sets this Jawa apart from
its more moderately priced counterpart, the Jawa with a cloth cape, is that
very limited numbers of Jawas with plastic capes were produced. Collectors will pay over $3000 more to obtain
a Jawa with plastic cape in a mint Star Wars package compared to a Jawa
with a cloth cape in a mint Star Wars package.
There was a dramatic general rise in the prices of Star
Wars items during the 1990’s, in particular the carded figures. Comparing various price guides throughout the
1990’s, one finds that it was common for 3 ¾” action figures in the packaging
to rise 100-1000%, and sometimes more.
For example, comparing the Droids Boba Fett price in 1992 to 2000. It was $35 to $75 in 1992 and had risen to
$1100 in 2000 [See attached Tomart’s Price Guide to Action Figure Collectibles
page 239 and Lee’s Action Figure News page 93].
Another example is the Star Wars Han Solo 12-back. In Tomart’s 1992 Price Guide this item listed
for $65 to $85, while in Lee’s March 2000 Guide it listed for $650 for a small
head or $720 for a large head [See attached Tomart’s Price Guide to Action
Figure Collectibles page 233 and Lee’s Action Figure News page 92]. This brings to light another interesting
point. The current Lee’s Guide lists
many more packing variations than the Tomart book from 1992. This is probably due to the fact that the
different packaging and smaller variations have become more important over the
years. There is no differentiation for
the Han small head or Han large head made in 1992. There are also only prices for each figure in
its first packaging. The Lee’s Guide
from March 2000 lists each figure in each packaging that it was produced. It also lists different picture variations
and pays attention to slight figure variations, like the Han Solo example. Whereas in the Tomart’s book there is only a
listing for Han Solo in a Star Wars 12-back package, the Lee’s Guide
lists both Han Solo large head and Han Solo small head in Star Wars
12-back packaging, 20/21 packaging, Empire packaging, Jedi packaging, and
Tri-Logo packaging. There is also a
distinction between the first picture on the Han Large head card and the Second
picture. The rising prices of packaged
figures and the attention to detail in the packaging gives more credence to the
argument that the package is as or more important than the toy to many
collectors. It also strengthens the
theory that among collectors of packaged toys, the type of package, its
variations, and its condition have become more and more important. Growing emphasis is being placed on all
facets of the packaging.
Other items like action figures out of the package,
vehicles, playsets, and 12” dolls showed an increase in price, but less
dramatic increases than in the 3 ¾” action figures. Typically these items have risen 25 to 100%
and more in value. For example, a 3 ¾”
Darth Vader out of the package was listed at $5 in 1992 and at $12 in 2000 [See
attached Tomart’s Price Guide to Action Figure Collectibles page 233 and Lee’s
Action Figure News page 92].
In this chapter, we have looked at the various reasons that the toys themselves have excelled. One reason is the quality of the toys along with easy set-up and display in dioramas. Another is the size of the line, which makes it interesting and intrinsically more challenging to collect than a smaller line. Also, there are more choices for collectors to personalize their collections. Another very important reason that Star Wars toy collecting has thrived is the packaging and the high val