My bible for many years, and still a good friend...

tobeshadow

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Hi all, my first proper post since joining (apologies if I posted in the wrong section!) so thought I'd keep this one light while I work out how to get some good collection pics up for you all.
I'm sure these have cropped up many times in posts, this is just my personal account of them. The orginal Archive has become like a bible for my collection, and while more modern online resources are now vastly superior, this has always been a firm favourite.

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Given modern research and knowledge of the vintage line, it's maybe not the most accurate for variants and accessories these days but it was the first book that showed me the complete line and gave me the scope to dream big about collecting. Only last year, I was watching Stephen Sansweet tour Rancho Obi Wan on Youtube and twigged he was the man behind my beloved book. It's now beaten, dog eared and held together with sellotape but it's without doubt one of my favourite Star Wars possessions.

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Later, in 2005, I got this price guide at a Toy Fair. It's more of a humorous tome these days (£2800 for a rocket firing Boba Fett sounds almost sane by 2018 prices!), but has some nice updates on variants and spotting repro.

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As mentioned, the original Archive has always been my bible, and the Price Guide perhaps more a bible interpreted by The Iron Bank Of Braavos! This last entry (again authored by Sansweet) serves more as the Playboy Christmas Special of Star Wars books, 350 pages with over 2500 figures from vintage to present. Not as detailed as the original and it only covers figures, but it's the perfect lazy day book when you want to inspire yourself for a new project or just daydream a while.

All in all a great set of reads and a brilliant counterpart to any collection. I'd love to know if anyone has other books like this?

Good hunting all!
 

Ruby2511

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Mar 11, 2018
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Thanks for sharing :D i had something similar to the second book. Think i lost it in my divorce settlement :lol: :lol:
 

tobeshadow

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Sep 19, 2018
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Thanks Russ, and for your welcome to the forum. If anyone's interested, there are a few hardback copies of the first book on ebay for around £6-£7 which is a great price for an even better book. I highly recommend getting one if you don't already own it!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Star-War...m=301979228668&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Star-War...946603&hash=item58e86bcb87:g:2~sAAOSw301aZ5EG

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Star-War...946603&hash=item260375e36f:g:paUAAOSw1DtbolwZ
 

Snaketibe

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Yes, welcome to the Forum, and thanks for the post. It was a similar story for me with another Sansweet book ('Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectible') that kickstarted me collecting in the early 90's, so I understand exactly where you're coming from :)

Jeremy
 

Ruby2511

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Mar 11, 2018
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Found this today in a charity shop for 50p :lol:
Was well pleased as i used to have a copy a few years ago and it got lost :D

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Snaketibe

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Ruby2511 said:
Found this today in a charity shop for 50p :lol:
Was well pleased as i used to have a copy a few years ago and it got lost :D

20181005_140631.jpg
Great pick up! Congratulations :)
 

tobeshadow

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Sep 19, 2018
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Great find! I remember this book! Heaven only knows where my copy fetched up. I remember some of the back stories in this were really cool, before the dark times... :)
 

pizzathehutt

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This was the first one I ever saw on the subject, was at an antique fair for £25 around 1997/98 I think which I couldn't afford, a couple of weeks later I picked a used one up for £8 at another antique fair. It was this book that I first found out about the last 17! I already had acquired lando general, Anakin, r2d2 pop up, romba and paploo by guess work but never knew about the others although I had thrown an amanaman back thinking it wasn't Star Wars doh! And also had seen a yak face at Toy Toni's old place down the Edgware Road amongst other figures thinking 'who is that guy?'
Great memories and a great book!
 

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tobeshadow

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That's a lovely book! I remember one of my school friends having Amanaman and I absolutely hated it, also not realising it was Vintage SW. Then I got my first collecting book and was really annoyed to see it actually was a vintage figure, even more so as I then had to beg my friend to sell me his, which he did for what seemed like an extortionate markup at the time (An SNES controller, a Kenner Queen Alien figure and about £10 in change!)!! :)
 

Darth Bobby

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Sansweets Action figure archive is my favourite collecting book. I love the way it's set out, the pictures are so clear and a good size. It was my Bridge back into collecting, I got given the book and it made me fish out my collection from the loft. I still read it sometimes when I'm eating my breakfast. Sansweet is the Don.
 

Darth Bobby

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On your recommendation I just received this off eBay. What a great little book. Does anyone know were the prices accurate at the time it came out?
 

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tobeshadow

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I'm not really a boxed collector, so not sure how good the prices for carded were in hindsight, but the loose prices were about right for 2005, if still a little steep! You definitely can't get Shuttles for £190 loose complete anymore, let alone a Skiff for £310! I'd love to know what the original RRP was for later vehicles like the Shuttle and Skiff?
 
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