Hey teen gang, sorry I haven't been around in awhile, but I've been busy lately working a LOT...it's THAT time of year.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand:

As most of my regular readers are well aware of by now, I am of course an avid collector of all things Star Wars.

Not too long ago, I came up with an idea.

A fellow collector I am friends with here on the boards was hunting for an item he couldn't find anywhere in his area, and had expressed his frustration that he could not find it.

I remembered seeing that exact item ( a Chewbacca Spin Pop to be exact) at my local Toys R Us just the other week, in plenty.

Now obviously we are NOT allowed to set up swaps or trades or sales here at SW.com, so out of respect for that I contacted him PERSONALLY and offered to get the Spin Pop for him and send it to him, strictly at COST.

He heartily agreed! I purchased the Spin Pop, wrapped it, shipped it, and sent him the total via email: The cost of the pop itself and the cost of shipping, nothing more.

He sent me the money, and all was well.

Shortly after this first transaction, He returned the favor, finding me an Unleashed Shocktrooper figure that was totally sold out in my area and impossible to find anywhere.

I had searched for MONTHS for it and was prepared to either pay far too much on eBay for it or do without, but he offered me the same deal: Cost of the toy plus shipping, not one dime more.

Again, purchases were made, packages shipped, and money exchanged.

And a new concept was born: "Geeks Helping Geeks"

From that first series of transactions we slowly expanded it.

We brought in a few other friends to the idea, and set up shop at My Space since we were not allowed by rule to discuss these transactions here at SW.com, and rightfully so.

From it's humble beginnings it has gone on to become an amazing help and benefit for our group...so many items found, so much money saved, and so many scalpers OUT one less sale.

So I started to think again: What if the idea were expanded further?

What if I could encourage other collectors out there to start their own "Geeks Helping Geeks" clubs out there, and help rescue their fellow collectors from the Evil eBay Scalpers by helping them find those items they are looking for and getting them, not for a PROFIT but for love of the hobby and the desire to help a friend and fellow collector?

How many times have you been looking for that one certain figure, or Titanium Vehicle, or Battle Pack, or Galactic Heroes set, and couldn't find it, only to hear about a fellow collector who saw TONS of them on the shelf in his hometown?

How many times have YOU seen an item on the shelf, say a Scorch figure, that you KNEW a fellow collector had been hunting ages for, or had paid three times more than it was worth on eBay to score it?

That is what "Geeks Helping Geeks" is all about.

So you're probably asking yourself at this point "Can I join your group?"

Well, yes and NO.

We have decided, for now, that the group works best when it's kept SMALL, with only members we all feel we know well enough to be totally trustworthy. After all, we are talking about exchanging money and toys basically on the Honor System.

So currently we are not looking to recruit new members to the group, or if we do it is by invitation ONLY.

BUT...the idea behind this blog is to plant the seed that perhaps you other collectors out there can start your OWN version of GHG.

I'm sure there are plenty of you out there; little circles of friends who all know each other from years on the boards, even if you've never met in person, who could band together and form your own little collecting support group.

Set up shop on My Space, or any of the other countless message board sites out there, where you can all gather together and discuss wants, needs, etc.

You can call it whatever you like, if you don't dig the name "Geeks Helping Geeks, " come up with your own name.

But to help you along, should you decide to try it, here are the list of RULES we came up with to make sure the club runs smoothly:

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GHG Rules

1: The first and most important rule: The No Obligation Clause," Or "NO."

What this rule essentially means is that no one member is OBLIGATED to buy an item for another simply because they were asked to.

Further, no grudges will be held nor personal attacks launched on any member who invokes the "No Obligation Clause."

This will help protect members who may be attending special events, such as Comic Cons or Star Wars Weekends, from being overwhelmed with requests to pick up "Exclusive" items that they may or may NOT be able to get a hold of, or at the very least unable to pick up EXTRAS of either due to quantity limits or just lack of funds available.

2nd rule: Only request items that you are absolutely ready and able to PAY for immediately and without hesitation. No member should be forced to wait for their money because you didn't plan ahead.

3rd rule: Keep your receipts, folks. If a deal falls through you don't want to be stuck. Also, finders who use credit cards for their transactions at a store can ask for a Gift Receipt. This would allow the receiver of the item a receipt to return it IF needed without sending along the finders credit card info on the receipt itself.

4th rule: Only ask for items you REALLY have a hard time finding. If it's a new item and perhaps your store just hasn't stocked or restocked yet, give it some time before you put it on the list. It would be silly to have to pay extra for shipping and then find it on the shelf next week.


5th rule: The buyer pays shipping costs. It's only fair. But the shipper should try their best to estimate the costs as close as possible. In a totally trustworthy scenario, the shipper could wait until after shipping the item to send the cost to the receiver so that they could have a totally accurate price.

6: Do not invite anyone into your group unless you know them already and / or you know they are well trusted. If any members of GHG groups are under 18, they MUST have permission from a parent or guardian before they engage in ANY transactions with anyone online. Strong caution is suggested in this regard for adults entering into possible transactions with minors as well. Safety FIRST.

While it is not necessary to Ask PERMISSION to invite a new member, it is a common courtesy to let the rest of your group know who it is that you have invited and why you feel they will make a good and trusted addition to the group. Remember, it's THEIR money they may be trusting them with too.

7: Whenever a transaction is made, make sure all personal information, such as email addresses, Paypal addresses, home addresses, last names, etc. are NEVER posted in a public forum, only through private email messages. Even if it is a PRIVATE group or website there is no sense in taking chances. Again safety FIRST.


8: Needless to say, but this MUST be addressed:

Failing to deliver an item after you've received payment for it without a good explanation or refunding of the money is cause for immediate dismissal from the GHG. Also, anyone caught jacking up the price of an item so as to make a PROFIT from a fellow member will be dismissed.

This is NOT eBay, we are NOT scalpers. We only ask for the cost of the item (including tax of course) and the cost of shipping, thats IT.

Remember, nobody likes a THIEF.

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So that's the idea in a nutshell folks.

Where this goes from here is up to YOU.

I've passed along the ball...take it and run with it.

Keep me posted how it works out for you should you go with it.