OK. Be forewarned that what you are about to read may upset you. You may gnash your teeth and wail. If you're wound really tight, over-use caffine or just don't have much of a life, stop reading now and go do something fun.

I've been a Star Wars collector since 1978 when I got my first 2 figures for my birthday. They were Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca. My parents had taken them out of the package and used them as cake toppers. The coolest cake toppers ever. Those of us of a certain age can remember the Star Wars drought. It started around 1983 or 84 and lasted until about 1992. That was when the Thrawn trilogy first came into being along with the Dark Empire comics. I wouldn't say I lost interest in Star Wars during the drought. It just kind of moved to the back of my mind. During the drought I became a teenager. I found other things, such as girls & music, more interesting. Granted, Star Wars still had a place in my heart. I'd take the movies out & watch them from time to time. I'd read most of the paperbacks I could find. Then one day in 92, I was walking thru the mall. I walked past Waldenbooks. There I saw the hardcover version of Heir to the Empire. I was nearly past the store when I realized what I'd just seen. I stopped and looked at it. It put fuel on the dormant Star Wars fire. I didn't get the book til it came out in paperback, but the flame was there. I was back in for the long haul. When new toys and other SW merchandise started coming out, I bought just about everything I could find. If it said Star Wars, I had to have it. The problem with that is, I was working at a restaurant at the time. The inglorious kitchen job. If you've never worked in a restaurant, rent the movie Waiting. That's almost exactly what it was like. I'm sure I can get people to back me up. Anyway, the money sucked. I had to start limiting what all I bought. Since then I've pretty much limited myself to mostly figures and books. There are other odds & ends I pick up, like the Bust Ups, but the figures are now my main interest.

Here's what I'm sure will cause some hate mail: I HATE listening to collectors complain. Not the "I can't find this figure" or "That wave still hasn't shown up around here" stuff. That's normal. What I hate are the collectors who are like I once was (buying anything and everything) and have the audacity to whine about it. Still confused? Read on, gentle reader. What I'm talking about are the people who think they are required to buy everything Star Wars. If you have the means and the space for it, then God bless ya. Go for it. If money weren't an object I'd probably be right there too. Here's an example: I've seen comments similar to this posted on various boards whenever a new wave of figures comes out: "They're just repackaging these figures so we have to buy them all over again. George Lucas is just trying to make a buck." The key word in that statement is have. You have to pay taxes. You do NOT have to buy anything you don't feel like buying. No one from Lucasfilm is holding a gun to your head saying "Buy our product!" or "If you don't buy this, you will die". Collect what you like because you like it. The old "they're just trying to make a buck" line really gets under my skin too. To be perfectly honest, if I had a cash cow, guaranteed money maker like Star Wars in my back pocket, I'd use it to my advantage too. I defy you to show me a person who wouldn't. It doesn't happen. I'm sure Lucas isn't going to allow the Star Wars name to slapped on anything, but he and his people know what sells. For anything with the Star Wars name on it, there is someone out there who will buy it. In regards to repackaging figures, I'm somewhat on the fence. On one hand, I'd rather see new sculpts and new figures but at the same time, I like being able to get stuff I missed out on previously. As a rule, I usually don't buy a repack or variant of a figure I already have unless there's been a major change such as the paint scheme or sculpt. An excellent example of this is the Clone Commander color change. When they were first released, they had red marking on the armor. A little further down the road, Hasbro switched to green. I picked up one of each. I liked how they looked. If I werre a kid playing with them, they could conceivably be two different characters. Another example is the current Ultimate Galactic Hunt chase figures with the foil on the cards, silver figure base & pewter painted holograms. I currently have 4 of these: Vader, Han Solo, Commander Cody and the AT-AT Driver. AS cool as they are, they aren't a priority for me. If I find them, I'll buy them, but I'm not going out of my way to get them. I'd rather get figures I don't yet have. (to be continued... I'm really tired. )