http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/2005/05/11/1034233.html
Vintage 'Star Wars' in high demand By MIKE ENGEL - Calgary Sun It's the kind of bounty fiendish Boba Fett would appreciate. Mint-condition 1970s Star Wars stormtrooper? $125. One of the original Jawas that was released in 1977 with a plastic cape? $280 US. Carded, the figure will fetch close to $3,500 US. While everyone's preoccupied with the army of new merchandise accompanying the May 19 release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - memorabilia from the original trilogy has been long gone, but not forgotten. Sparked by the initial 1978 line of Star Wars toys - a set of 12 figurines from the first blockbuster, Star Wars: A New Hope - the legendary movie franchise has littered the universe with a wealth of collector's games, costumes, books and action figures. Sean Priddle - customer service representative of Chinook & Hobby West-South and an avid Star Wars merchandise collector with more than 10,000 items - says, although people are currently focusing on the most current merchandise, the vintage memorabilia is still a hit among collectible hunters. "There's always the avid collector that's searching for old and often very expensive memorabilia." And expensive it is, especially if the figurine is carded, or backed with the original packaging. Collectors can expect to pay even more if the packaging has never been opened. Along with the aforementioned plastic-cloaked Jawa - it was later rereleased with a fabric cape - more rare and heavily-sought after items can be found from a 1983 line of figures that didn't sell very well. "There was a tail end of the line called the Power of the Force which sold figures along with collector coins," Priddle says. "Because they were the tail end of the line for the year and people weren't really buying them, production went way down. The last 10 figures of that series are almost worth more than everything else out there." Also gaining in price are the 12-inch action figures. Here in Calgary, a mint-conditioned Boba Fett complete with all of it's original features will cost around $400 Cdn. A 12-inch storm trooper will cost a collector about $125 Cdn. And if you think the memorabilia is limited to toys, there's demand for mugs, jewelry, calendars, puzzles, costumes, helmets, books, comics and games. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/rkgkPB/UOnJAA/Zx0JAA/LRMolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
