The modern line

Hi guys,

Be interested if you ever collected the modern line. If you did, why did you stop?

I amassed quite a large POTF2 collection about 10 years ago, green cards, red cards, THX, Freeze Frames etc plus most of the vehicles. I'm ashamed to admit that I also had quite a lot of TPM,AOTC and ROTS stuff (chasing down a holographic yoda in Toys R US.... the shame ). But at the end of the day non of this could compare to the vintage line, whilst the new toys looked great they just didn't have that same sentimental attachment to my childhood and in the end got rid of the lot

Since I reintroduced myself to Star Wars toys around 18 months to 2 years ago I have tried a bit of this and a bit of that from the various ranges. I've had a POTF electronic X-Xing, Saga collection Endor At-At, loads of Jedi and Sith characters from different collections, comic packs, mailers, baggies and a 32b back Bossk that I truly regret letting go.
I guess I've tried to sample a bit of everything in a short space of time and as detailed and lovely the modern figures are they just don't quite capture the imagination like the figures from my childhood.

The last 3 modern pieces have now left the building and I'm firmly back in 1984/5 again when I first had Star Wars in my life.

I collected the POTF2 and Episode I lines up until the release of the Power of the Jedi wave.
I got to a point where I thought they were just taking the piss. Releasing the same figures with minor variations.

At the time, I thought I would get the same nostalgia as I had from the vintage line. Instead they just gathered dust in the attic

I've got rid of the vast majority, thank God. Just 20 odd figures left and a few vehicles.

I had quite a fair bit of modern way back. Actually if it wasn't for modern I wouldn't have got back into Vintage! One day on my lunch break I went into the entertainer in the Brewery shopping center in Romford and to my surprise I saw a bunch of original POTF2 figures on the shelves. They were all old stock and on sale so I bought a bunch and that got me back into collecting

I did vintage for a year or two after that and never really touched modern but then I met a bloke on ebay through buying and selling that I used to chat to quite a bit on MSN (remember that?) who was more into modern than Vintage and he always tried to get me to pick up new stuff. I eventually caved and picked up some more POTF2, the flashback set (even had a few modern shipping cases for those) Jabba's throne room playset, kabe and muftak and a couple of mail aways..then I went after all the OT & prequel Jedi characters for some reason too.

One day while sorting through my **** I had a bit of a moment and thought "**** it I'll just open them all"..did it and I immediately thought all the figures and weapons were all pretty **** and found the whole modern collecting thing pretty pointless so I just binned them :lol:

I started on modern when the first wave of POTF2 came out. I remember nipping in to Woolworths on a regular basis to see what they had in. Took a while to get a Princess Leia - weren't they going for silly money at one stage? I also started buying various ships and playsets, and remember going mad for the cheap Japanese POTF2 imports at shows like Memorabilia and the Doncaster Toy fair. I then started on Toys R Us for the more elusive figures. The Ep 1 figures were released and I got into them too. I remember the excitement of the preview STAP and Mace Windu mail-away.

I'm not sure what the final straw was. I think it might've been when I got married and moved my stuff into our new home and realised how much modern stuff I had, so I stopped buying it. I got married in 2002 and certainly wasn't purchasing the AOTC figures. Not long after that I sold the playsets/vehicles as they took up too much room. Then about 5-6 years ago I got sick of the sight of the figures and started selling them off/giving them away. They just didn't do anything for me - they were just things to collect whereas vintage has some meaning to me.

What's the modern line Grant? Do you mean the new Vintage collection that look like vintage or anything modern (POTF2 onwards)? I collect Saga 06 and a few other figures from various modern lines but only the OT characters, not prequel. I must admit I'm not so bothered with them of late, main reason being the forum. It's made me more focused on vintage and when you only have so many funds and a loose set to complete etc you start asking yourself - why spend money on modern? Now I prefer to concentrate on a few vintage things rather than trying to collect everything.

I started collecting the modern line when it started in 95 and enjoyed the thrill of going back into stores to find the new releases. I was a student at the time and picking up 2/3 figs every month was a great (and cheap) way to get my SW fix. These were the days when the THX video releases were out at the same time. Buying those toys gave me a nostalgia boost for the vintage days.

When I stopped about 2004 I had about 6/700 carded figures - every figure released up till I stopped. It had become an OCD chore and an expensive folly. I had a room in my house filled with boxes - too much to store never mind display!

Probably more than 50% of those figures had to be bought from the secondary market - comic stores, Ebay etc. It got more and more difficult and when I saw Hasbro were ramping it up even more with spin off Clone Wars lines, Hall Of Fame reissues as well as the standard line - I cracked. It was the straw that broke the camels back. I sold the whole lot. I actually felt a relief - it was easier to have none than some.

I actually stopped just before the OTC line came out which eventually led on to the Vintage Collection - I'm glad I got out of it before that line came out as they looked pretty nice and I might have kept going if I had known they were around the corner!

It still pisses me off that a big chunk of the modern releases has to be found on Ebay or the like. Its been like this since the POTF2 days and even continues to the current Black Series. You're constantly paying over the odds for the stuff. :evil: - LeiaTHX leaflet, Collection 3 Freeze Frames, POTF2's with CommTalk, last wave of EP1 figs - these will bring back memories of stupidness for many of us. And the final slap in the face is that you can get most of these on Ebay for a fiver or less now. :roll:

I still have a bit of nostalgia for the initial waves of the POTF2 when it was fun and before it got too serious.

I started with Bend ems when they first came out and bought alot of the first POTF wave of figures. After doing so decided that the reason I collected was to remind me of my youth. Crappy bend ems and he-man built Lukes did not do that for me, plus they made my vintage collection look shite. I sat on them for years...had kids...and gave the modern to them.

I've got some of the original POTF2 green and red cards, the odd vehicle, SOTE singles and doubles. I tended to buy them at discount shops when I saw them, I don't ever really remember paying full price for them. Even at those prices I don't think I'd get my money back now so they're still in the loft (and have been for about 10 years probably). I bet I've got about 100 or so.

I collect both modern and vintage, but i don't have to have every figure, i just collect what i like, which is mostly OT, the new vintage line i have collected and the six inch black series as well as the smaller figures, also collected the 12 inch hasbro figures only the empire ones in that line mostly, as well as those hideous bendems
I love the vintage stuff, and love the modern to

I dabbled in some Episode 1 stuff and have some potf Mocs all brought in the 90's. Never finished any runs though. All in the loft now, decided to concentrate on vintage as I felt my collecting was going all over the shop.

I basically brought modern stuff because it was cheap so I could buy little and often, I guess also the fun of actually going to a high street shop and buying Star Wars toys was a factor.

The POTF2 wave got me back into collecting, and ended up with every figure moc right up to the EP2 range..

After that it become too much.. reissues of figures, exclusives that you could never get or have to pay a shed load for. They all got sold on.

Still buy the occasional figure that I like the look of.

I have dabbled in the modern stuff but I gave up years ago as the appeal just went under an avalanche of reissues, a vast line up and a falling quality and appeal in the films/franchise in general. It was also the fact that the stock appeared and disappeared in a short space of time which might it was always a rush to get what you wanted. It sucked the fun out of the hobby.

I can't imagine what it is like now with the facebook bragging driving things now.

I've still got around 50 loose POTF2 and Phantom Menace figures in a drawer somewhere, it was sort of fun picking them up but they kept churning them out and I got bored of it all. I did keep the sneak preview Mace Windu in his box, but then so did the rest of the planet.

And that first POTF2 wave were the ugliest figures ever made, Luke being the worst offender. I understand why Kenner went with the He-man look, but it didn't work - big time.

Over the years I have bought no more than say 10 modern figures. These would be various R2D2's & Stormtroopers.

Whenever I go to the superstore or a toy shop I always look at the Star Wars toys and if there is something which is nice and appeals to me I will buy it.

I would never consider collecting an entire line because in some cases basic figures can be around £10 each so to afford all these modern figures would be astronomical investment. If you consider a handful of modern figures the cost would be comparable to a reasonable vintage ROTJ MOC figure and I know which I would rather own.
The main reason I would not care to seriously collect them is because they just don't grab me.

I have opened all of the modern figures and have used them as desk mascots at work or put them in random places in the house such as in indoor plant pots etc. I have no attachment to them and consider them disposable.

I used to have a lot of POTF2 stuff until I decided to sell it and concentrate on vintage. Only modern items I have now are a Rancor (because it looks badass), a B'omarr Monk (no vintage version was made and some of the new talking Disney Store figures that were bought for me as a gift (Fett, Luke X-Wing and Stormtrooper).

I also have some Gentle Giant/ArtFX figures/statues that I still need to get rid of.

I got quite into the potf2 stuff when it first came out. I remember a couple of mates and I made a big order from the US when the sandtrooper and dewback were first released. I got quite a few figures, the Ronto etc... But it kind of faded when the special editions came out. The nail in the coffin was Episode 1. It was so disappointing, and there was a ton of merchandising none of which I liked the look of, so I eventually stopped.

A few years later I was going on a trip to America and I sold it all for a fraction of what it cost. Didn't feel bad, it was good to get rid of it.

Since getting back into the vintage stuff I have picked up a blue Tie Bomber and the bone white large wing Tie Fighter. The Tie Bomber is something I always wished they had made back in the day. The modern stuff is obviously more film accurate but it has way less charm than the originals, and so far all the packaging has sucked (except for the vintage style cards).

Never got into the modern items , it was the nostalgia that got me into collecting the vintage stuff , no emotional tie with modern , so no collecting.

The only thing I even thought about was the gentle giant figures , but never bought any

Although, having given it some thought and contrary to my previous post I think I would happily buy a reasonably priced Legacy Collection Falcon, it is the nuts.