Star Wars: Droids - What's the appeal?

nohandluke

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Feb 7, 2014
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Hey all,

I'd really like to get a consensus here. Like you, I'm a devoted vintage Star Wars collector, but recently I've seen a massive spike in the value of Star Wars: Droids figures. I don't collect them myself, nor have I had any interest. They used to be just a fringe subset that could be had for modest prices, but now suddenly they're rocketing upward, surpassing characters like Yak Face and Blue Snagg', heading into R2-D2 Pop-Up and Luke Stormie territory.

What do you think is the appeal of these for collectors? The cartoon series was pretty vanilla and the character designs were mundane.

Michael
 

sith-smith

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It could just be as a result of the general increase in Star Wars toy appeal and the resulting price hike!

Plus a lot of collectors have possibly got everything they want from the other lines and so have moved into new areas.

I did the same many years ago when I had everything I wanted at that time and decided to get the POTF, droids and ewoks lines.
 

benny100

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A lot of the figures aren't hugely expensive still, it just seems there's a massive premium on Tig and Sise Fromm, R2 pop up and c-3po.
Don't know wether or not there were a lot fewer of them released, I personally love r2 and c-3po though!
 

Ian_C

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While the cartoon has its following, most of us are not fans. However, as mentioned, once you finish off the movie figures, where to go? That's why I bought the Droids and Ewoks. It helps that Fett and A-Wing Pilot were re-released in that line, 3PO and R2 are just repaints, and Droids is the only way to get a vintage A-Wing.

The figures have a certain charm to them. The droids and Fromms are just not easy to get at all. I still have my complete loose sets, but unfortunately had to sell off my complete Ewoks and near complete Droids carded earlier this year due to finances. Only needed R2, 3PO, and Fett, and I would have had that complete as well. Oh, and I guess Vlix. ;)

I think the scarcity has made them skyrocket, as completists are fighting over the few available.

Ian
 

theforceuk

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Probably a lot of investers as well, they see them as Star Wars and the 80's and that's enough to invest silly money.
 

Grant_C

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I have zero interest in those ewok/droids line.

I think all of star wars has gone insane. Even stationary.
 

elcroz

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I have considered collecting Droids (& Ewoks) in the past to be a 'completist' (it's vintage, it's Star Wars and its 3/34 size - so why not!) but there is no real pull for me to do it.

Once people have collected their loose or MOC run and are satisfied with their collection the only other things left to do is start a character focus, hunt down variants or choose to collect Droids and/or Ewok toys.

I don't own any Droids figures. I would happily accept the R2 & 3PO figures as a gift but would never actively pursue them.

I don't have any real attachment to the TV show. I remember watching it as a little kid waiting for a Han Solo, Chewie or Luke cameo but it never came so I was left deflated every time (admittedly I didn't realise at the time that the events of the show took place prior to Ep.IV).

As for collecting one could never really own the entire collection of Droids due to the rarity and price of the Vlix action figure so to me to have all the figures apart from one makes me not want to even bother anyway, the gap where Vlix would be would do my head in.

Keep up the good work Retroblasting!
 

walkie

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I have lots of fond memories watching the cartoons on my 'evil edna' style tv with my younger brother back in the late 80's.

Granted at the time I never saw the toys in the shops so as an adult collector I jumped at the chance to add them to my loose collection.

Then to my surprise in my later 'variant' collection days I discovered a Brazilian range made by Glasslite, thankfully I acquired all these before the Disney effect!!

So what's not to love?? I only wish they release the second wave of figures to the public, damn you Kenner!!
 

Robstyley

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I've got no interest in the Droids or Ewoks lines. I don't like the packaging, I don't like the figures and I have no memory of them from childhood. Thing is for me, there is more than enough stuff I'd like to have in my collection from the first three lines (SW,ESB,ROTJ). I don't even really like POTF, but I do want to collect them loose. I get if people have got everything else and want something else to collect or want to have every single vintage figure, but even if I was in that position or had endless funds I still wouldn't collect them cos I just think they're a bit shite.
 

jedisearcher

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walkie said:
I only wish they release the second wave of figures to the public, damn you Kenner!!

That's a great point, the UDEs are phenomenal. I think CIB sold a handful about 12 months ago, afew thousand £ each. They looked amazing and went pretty fast all things considered.
 

SublevelStudios

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walkie said:
I have lots of fond memories watching the cartoons on my 'evil edna' style tv with my younger brother back in the late 80's.

I remember rushing home from high school, may have been in the 1st year, to watch Droids, I loved it. I hold it in the same esteem as I do with Ulysses 31 and Dungeons & Dragons. Pure nostalgia.

I've been tempted by some of the Droids figures but the prices really put me off.
 

ScruffyLookingNH

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Dungeons & Dragons was the best! Eric needed such a kicking.

I was never even aware of Droids as a kid. It holds zero appeal and no nostalgia for me. That said, I would pick up an A-Wing Pilot and a Boba Fett MOC and absolutely must have an A-Wing. The rest of the cartoon like figures leave me cold.
 

stratpack

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SublevelStudios said:
I hold it in the same esteem as I do with Ulysses 31 and Dungeons & Dragons. Pure nostalgia.

Ulysses 31 had the best theme tune of ANY cartoon! If you can't remember it, listen to this (after the monologue):-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ4c1X5ene8

As far as Droids goes, I watched it at the time but I remember being disappointed by it as there were none of the big characters other than both droids. Jord Dusat? Jann Tosh?? Who? yawn, <*click*> turned it over to Danger Mouse.

Never saw the figs and wasn't aware there was a Droids range till the early 90's. When I first completed my mint loose run about 10 years ago I wanted to continue to pick up the Ewoks and Droids but I never got round to it. Purely to complete the entire Kenner run as per that fan club exclusive poster that was released years back it included both ranges as official figures in the Kenner line so got me thinking.

I'm probably too late now as the prices are ludicrous. I might pick up a nice MOC one day just to have an example in my collection but i'm in no hurry at the moment, not till the EP7 madness cools.
 

x-wingMark

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I have no memories of the droids or ewoks line. I only really collect the vintage stuff that I remember as a kid playing with so these don't really appeal at all to me.
 

x-pack

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1986 wasn't it? I have a vague memory of the droids tv series being in existence around the time. I've tried to watch a few on youtube but they are pretty terrible IMO. Figures are ok. I get why people collect them. As a kid in the mid 80s Star Wars was dying and I knew it .....and then it took off again :)
 

Jez

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They do nothing for me. The Ewoks look ridiculous. If anything i'd go for the A-Wing Pilot but not when i can get a POTF one for half the price of a Droids one.
These aren't the droids i'm looking for
 

JimboUK1979

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What channel was this on tv? I don't remember getting it on Granada or ever seeing it.

I'd only really want a loose or loose graded R2 from the line and that's just because I love the figure.
 

stratpack

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JimboUK1979 said:
What channel was this on tv? I don't remember getting it on Granada or ever seeing it.

I'd only really want a loose or loose graded R2 from the line and that's just because I love the figure.

It was on BBC back in the day.
 

poncho

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I liked ewoks and the droids cartoons. The figures have no appeal to me though. Out of the 2 lines droids is the better for sure. As figure sculpts I like the kez izban and tigg fromm but thats it.

Not for me.
 
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