The 'Perfect' Star Wars Age?

I noticed from another thread that there is a huge age range on here, and I myself am towards the younger end of the scale. I didn't see any of the films in the Cinema (wasn't even alive when SW and ESB came out) and that also obviously means I only caught the very end of the toy line, tri logo era. I only have very vague memories of playing with Star Wars toys, and none of buying them.

Equally I've read many accounts from people who were older and have vivid memories of buying Star Wars toys, but therefore were also growing out of toys by the time Jedi came out, so didn't have any of the later figures and didn't even know about the POTF line. I assume these are the Ewok haters :lol:

So it got me thinking, from a collectors point of view, what would have been the perfect age to be during this era? Here are some considerations I came up with:

- Obviously born and of 'toy playing age' in 1978 when they were first released
- Young enough to still enjoy toys by the end of the line (so under 10?)
- Old enough to have your own money?

Based on the above, I think the perfect year to be born would have been 1974 - 4 years old when the SW figures hit the shelves, and 10 when the final POTF figures were released. What do you think?

I was born in May 73 and for me I believe that was around the prefect time to be born a SW fan, with regards to playing with the toys.

I've pretty much always been into toys right through my life, even in my teenage years I was watching cartoons and buying Thundercats figures much to the amusement of my mates

I was also buying up the POTF line towards the end of the classic SW era in 85 and 86, although it was very old hat at school to still be into SW. I had to keep it very quiet

I was born towards the end of 72.

I had all the star wars 20, plus a lot of the vehicles and playsets

(Still miffed as to why I didn't have the Tie fighter, Cantina or Droid Factory!)


I was only just beginning to grow out of it towards the last 17 era (84/85) Had most of the other Jedi figures (except Han trenchcoat and B wing Pilot) but only 4 of the 17...that said I still bought them when I could find them, just didn't know how many there were, and can't remember actively looking for them. Had moved onto others things by 13.

Funnily enough, first 2 figures I bought when I started collecting again were Han Trenchcoat and B-wing Pilot, at my first ever carboot sale. Thought I had ever figure at that point (was in 92) Little did I know!!

I was born in July 73 and looking back I think that was pretty much the best time to be born for SW toys. By the time the 2nd wave of Jedi figures hit the shelves most kids I knew had moved on to Transformers or other toys. Compared to my friends I was a pretty hardcore SW toy fan and I'd given up before the POTF figures arrived.

Born in 71 and remember seeing all ROTJ figures in shops but didnt collect them by this time (Still love Ewoks)
as for POTF i honestly don't ever remember these being on sale

Yeah I would say 73 to 75 were the best years to be born.

I was born 80 and was lucky to get a Millennium Falcon when I was 3, which is probably why I only remember it being trashed. :lol:

I never saw POTF for sale either.

Born 1972 - SW was first film I ever saw in the cinema aged 5, was so hyped my mum took me back the following week to see it again
I was 8 for ESB and I reckon that was the perfect toy playing age as I was totally obsessed with my figures and vehicles
11 for ROTJ so still into it big time but by '85 I was more into Boobs than Boba so didn't buy a single POTF (or last 17) figure or any reduced to clear figure/vehicle during the run out phase

You could possible also consider this from the point of view of collecting now, not just as kid.

Is collecting easier in your 40s now than if you were in your 20's?

I was born in 1984, what the **** is Star Wars? :lol:

sith-smith said:

You could possible also consider this from the point of view of collecting now, not just as kid

Click to expand...

Well that's kind of what I was getting it - yes it must have been great to be 5 in 1978 when the first wave came out, but if that was at the expense of experiencing/enojying the Jedi/POTF figures, was it worth the trade-off? And what about the people in their late teens/early 20s who had the foresight to clear out the bargain bins in the late 80s?

i was born in 82, i never saw any of the films in the cinema, but i do remember going shoping with my parents around 86 and looking at racks of carded figures and buying about 9 jedi figures, i also have a photo of me christmas morning 1987 getting the jabba playset so shop sales were still going strong around then i guess.
my older brother had a couple star wars figures, chewy, han solo, yoda, luke, r2d2 and c3po which were donated to me.

its a good point though, people who had the first star wars figures im guessing wouldve gone for the empire ones but grown out of it once jedi had arrived.

Born 1968, collected the first 12, sold boxes and boxes of ROTJ's to kids in my teens.

I think I'd have rather born a bit later as I think the later ESB/ROTJ toys had more playability than some of the early one's.

Don't ever remember seeing POTF anywhere. Was into other things by then.

Was born in 78, we had three toy shops in the town centre, one had walls full of the figures would've probably been around 82-83 when I first got into them, I can clearly remember seeing Star Wars, esb and Jedi carded figures mixed together. I guess kids would want Luke on a Jedi card rather than Star Wars back then.
Don't ever remember seeing potf Mocs, was maybe growing into he man/transformers by then, the bargain bins which were so prevalent even until 89 were always tri logo.
It also meant I never saw troop transports, cantinas and non battle damaged fighters

Yes, i agree, altho i don't want to be ANY older than i am, to be at an age in 1977/8 when you could grasp what was going on would have been very exciting. To be say 7 or 8 when the first one came out and then 13 when Jedi came out would have been the ideal age i reckon.
I don't recall hearing anything about Star Wars till around the time the 3rd one came out which i saw at the cinema but was only about 5 and don't remember much about it. It was when i starting watching them on VHS when i stayed at a cousins that they had a big affect. That was probably about 84-85ish.

I feel lucky to have been born in 75 Star Wars wise. My earliest memories are from about 1979. I was a little kid slap bang in the middle of ESB and Jedi mania and I remember it well. If you think about it, if you were born between about 72 and 78 you were a kid under 10 while Star Wars toys were being sold and you will have been bought some and remember playing with them. It was so huge in the early 80's, I didn't know a single kid who didn't have SW toys

Born in April 1975 and SW through and through. ANH was my first ever cinema trip, and to this day my mother says it was the only thing could shut me up I was 2 1/2- 3 years old then but it has always been in my heart since.

Born in 76 so totally missed the first toys, BUT I was young enough to collect the rest right through to the end, not to mention other cool 80s toys, stickers, comics. Best time to have been a kid ever

1974 was the perfect year to be born. Saw all the films at the cinema, lived the dream man... lived the DREAM!!!!

Another 1973er here

Saw ESB and ROTJ at the cinema and played with the figs until 1984ish so had a lot of the Jedi figs, and a speeder bike but no memory of last 17. I didn't see SW at the cinema but I dont reckon I would have remembered going in any case

My 9 year old doesn't remember much before he was 5

I think you'd struggle to find many kids old enough to really remember SW at the cinema and still playing with toys in 1985, so 1974 is probably about right and the last 17 were mostly **** anyway :lol:

I arrived Dec 1973.

Only saw ESB & ROTJ at the cinema, not sure when I got to see ANH.

Certainly remember ESB & Jedi figures, and opening a case of last 17 trilogos in my local Gamleys store. Can't remember much about the ESB vehicles, only what was in the christmas Argos catalogs..prices were a bit out my families range.

ROTJ speeder bikes and mini rigs were all over the place is probs the biggest thing I do remember.