Collector Interview #8: Stephane Faucourt- The Man with the French Touch

Posted on February 9, 2016 by bobbybobs

Hello everybody! Welcome to our eighth full-length collector interview, this time with my good friend French super collector Stephane Faucourt! I must admit that I’m cheating a little this time, as I actually first ran this interview on our new forum Tantive XI a couple of months ago. However our moderator team there were happy for me to re-post here for those who have not yet joined our new forum.

Here’s the original interview on Tantive:

http://www.tantivexi.com/t831-interview-with-stephane-faucourt-the-man-with-the-french-touch

I’m really excited to have Stephane on. I won’t give too much of his collecting profile away before the interview starts but it should be no surprise that he is one of the globe’s leading collectors of French Star Wars collectibles. He released his book ‘La French Touch: History of French Star Wars Merchandising 1977-1986’ in June 2013, which was a follow-up to his previous book – ‘Meccano to Trilogo’ in 2006. These have now been superseded by a 2016 edition – ‘La French Touch – The definitive guide to French Star Wars collectibles 1977-1987.

I have a copy of ‘La French Touch’ 2013 edition (photo below) and Stephane was even kind enough to sign it for me!

If you are interested in buying any of Stephane’s recent books, please follow these links:

French Touch 2016: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1517405017

Official GDE book: http://www.amazon.fr/Guerre-Etoiles-Sw-Vu-France/dp/2364803721/

I’ve gotten to know Stephane quite well in the past year or so and was stoked to meet him and his beautiful family in person at Celebration Anaheim. You’ll be pleased to know that Stephane is as nice in person as he seems online. Not only that, but he loves chatting about vintage Star Wars!

Well sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy our premier interview!

1. CC: Hi Stephane and welcome to the forum! As I said in the intro, the mod team and I are over the moon that you agreed to be interviewed. We’re only a brand new forum so we are blessed that such a well-known collector like yourself has agreed to come on and support us so early on. I hope the experience is not too harrowing! So let’s get the most important question out of the way first. Are you a supporter of Europe’s worst football (soccer for you Americans!) team Paris St. Germain (PSG)?

STEPHANE: Hi everyone, fellow collectors, and thank you as well Christian for proposing me to be your first victim; you set the expectations very high in your intro and I sincerely hope that I was kind enough with everyone I met at those events  I guess there’s a few topics which could be sensitive, and football teams might be one of them… but sorry, no I’m not supporter of any football team.

2. CC: Well as long as you don’t support PSG I’m fine with that  So before we explore your vintage collecting experiences and views, I’m sure our forum members would love to know a bit about Stephane Faucourt – the man behind the collector. So can you tell us, where did you grow up and where are you currently based?

STEPHANE: Well, I’m from the early 1970s, I was born and grew up in the Parisian suburbs, and I am still based in Paris where I now work as well.

3. CC: So what do you do for work these days?

STEPHANE: I’m an IT project manager for a major French company.

4. CC: Do you enjoy your work? Would you prefer to be working on something related to Star Wars full time or do you enjoy treating it mainly as a hobby?

STEPHANE: I guess we all have ups & downs, but yes I find my job interesting and challenging – working in a big company actually gives me great opportunities to work on various projects, find new positions, even in other areas. I would also be very excited to work on Star Wars or Sci-Fi related businesses but this is really far from my working experience and I think there are only few people who could actually make a worthy living out of it. So in the end, it’s very fun to do it as a hobby.

5. CC: Do you collect anything other than Star Wars?

STEPHANE: Not that I can think of. When I was a child, my main toys were Playmobile, Lego, and Big Jim until Star Wars toys came out; you know those Meccanos… From that point on, Star Wars was the main toy line I played with, but I admit I was a spoiled child and I also had some great times playing with the diecast Shogun Warriors, Ulysses 31, Captain Herlock and Captain Future just to name a few. Yes, I had possibly hundreds of toys. I used some of these toys as trade bait when I started to collect Star Wars vintage stuff.

6. CC: I was lucky enough to meet your beautiful wife and son at Celebration Anaheim. So are they Star Wars fans as well or did you force them into going to Anaheim?

STEPHANE: Well, thanks, your wife is very nice too, and she even speaks French, which was also cool for my wife.

My wife is not really into the toys, but she’s interested in some particular pieces like our Illusive Concepts life-size Yoda which she likes to disguise on multiple occasions, she can also be interested in funny stuff like displays, posters and food premiums. Sometimes I even have to restrain her or we would get into modern collecting. My son loves all the Star Wars movies like any kid I know, he has some toys but I always let him make his own decisions about the toys he wants and I try not to influence his choices because of my own collection.

Here’s a couple of photos of us hanging out with the Faucourt clan. Kevin Lentz is in there too.

And I love these photos of Stephane’s Yodas!

As we love going to the States and we had not been to California for quite a while, I said to my wife this was a good opportunity for a vacation as well, so I didn’t have to force them  We took a nice trip after C7 going to places we like, and we added a little Star Wars with ROW, Lucas Film, and Seattle… They were very pleased with the things we saw. We ended the trip with a SARLAAC collectors club gathering in Seattle, which was an awesome experience.

Stephane hanging with the SARLAAC crew

7. CC: So can you tell us, what was your first ‘Star Wars’ memory of any kind?

STEPHANE: It was before even having the toys, Star Wars had been released in theaters, and I don’t think I saw it from the start, but some friends and family had seen it already, they were talking about the things which made the movie incredible at that time and they also explained to me about the characters and their role in the story; it was the best stuff I had ever heard.

8. CC: Was there something about the story that particularly affected a young Stephane?

STEPHANE: Not particularly – but something funny, when you consider that I am an early fan of the movies, is that I first heard about the Star Wars plot from some family members. I don’t recall if it was me as a child, or them, but the plot which I had been told about was a bit different than the actual one 😉

9. CC: When did you first start collecting vintage Star Wars?

STEPHANE: I started with all the toys from my childhood, I was very careful with my stuff and all my figures were still mint, most of the vehicles were still in their boxes and I had kept some of the cardbacks. I had pretty much everything that was released in France from 1978 to 1983. It was already sort of a collection because everything had been stored very cautiously.

I almost started collecting in the very early 1990s because of the stuff you could find in garage sales and even clearance stuff in supermarkets, but I passed, had “better things to do” at that time if you see what I mean. But that’s how I learned about all the stuff that was released after I quit.

I spent two years working in NYC around 1995 and I noticed the vintage/comics frenzy that was going on. That was the trigger somehow, I assumed there was a secondary market for those toys and that this was the opportunity to catch the cool stuff I had missed. Some will probably laugh at this, but the very first stores I ran into were Forbidden Planet, and Loves Saves the Day, both in Manhattan. The first figure I bought as a collector was a nice loose Hoth Stormtrooper for $26!

CC: Great story! My first purchase as an adult collector was also a Hoth Stormtrooper (carded). Unfortunately it turned out to be a Toy Toni!!!!

10. CC: You’ve told me some really cool stories about your early days of collecting. Do you have any examples of your best ‘finds’ back in the day?

STEPHANE: Well, I began refocusing my collection on Trilogos in the late 1990s/early 2000s. At that time, they were easy to find in Paris collectible stores and of course on eBay. Very few people would buy stuff from foreign sellers, so each time I found Trilogos, they were French Trilogos of course I would generally meet the sellers in person at cafes near subway stations and I would always ask if there was more, which of course there was frequently 

I’ve done so many deals in various areas of Paris, that even nowadays, when we’re out for a walk, there’s always a place we come across where a deal was made 😉 I was also the first French collector to run my own website in France, so that gave me a few nice buying opportunities.

Now, let me tell you about two very nice finds I made back in the day.

The first one was in 2002. I was contacted by a collector who had square Meccano cards for trade. He was trying to finish his loose collection and I just had to trade several loose figures, a Rebo Band set and a few loose vehicles for… 12 Meccano ESB carded figures in opened but great condition!

In 2008, I was at a toy fair selling my books. A guy came up to me, he had a lot of 70 Trilogos figures which he had bought originally at a clearance sale in 1987. He had been trying to sell them for months but didn’t find any buyers interested (can you believe that???). I told him I would buy the lot; he had set the prices at half the market quote. I bought everything; dead mint Trilogos including Luke, Vader, Fett, etc… I kept all the variants I didn’t already have, and I upgraded almost 30 figures in my collection and I sold the rest at cost price (can’t believe I did that). That’s why you can see some major improvements on the conditions between “Meccano to Trilogo” and “La French Touch” on those cards.

I did incredible things to get some of my stuff, like contacting buyers from auctions I missed, rearrange the deal between seller and buyer to finally get the item 😉 I also drove hundreds of kilometers the very same day to be the first in the line ; “always ready” 😉

It takes some time to “do your homework” to find stuff and finds are generally just one or two items. But sometimes it’s not bad at all; this year alone, I found five Meccano ESB MOCSs from four different sources; beyond any of my expectations for a single year.

CC: Thanks for sharing those stories Stephane. Simply incredible! You really make a great point about the payoffs to be gained from doing your own research. I’m not hugely into ‘flipping’ but I think the guys who have enough knowledge to buy big figure lots and then re-sell them individually deserve every cent they get. You need to do your homework as you say to know where to find great stuff and whether or not to roll the dice on a big deal.

11. CC: So what is your collecting focus these days?

STEPHANE: The collection is mainly vintage production stuff like Meccano and Trilogo action figure toys (MIB/MOC) and related material (ads, catalogs, posters…), and some other French items such as posters, food premiums… I also like some very specific modern stuff like Celebration giveaways, some particular food premiums and related material (posters, napkins…). I keep in mind not to extend the size of the collection with modern items, so additions are very occasional. On the vintage side, I’m only seeking a few items and keeping a lookout for Trilogo packaging variants.

Some of Stephane’s awe inspiring collection. Cop that!

12. CC: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…. Oops sorry, just fainted there for a few seconds. What a collection! So what gaps are left for you to fill?

STEPHANE: The good thing is that I have pretty much everything I want by now: Meccano, Bilogo and Trilogo vehicles/playsets mint in their boxes, most still unassembled. A nearly complete set of Meccano carded figures from GDE (12/20-backs) to ESB – only a few to go, some ROTJs, and a complete set of Trilogos, including packaging variants of those released in France – some figures I have up to four versions of because of packaging variants for the same character.

13. CC: Wow Stephane that is truly impressive. But are you finding it difficult to collect now that prices on foreign collectibles have increased so much recently or do you find ways around it?

STEPHANE: I’d say it depends if you are referring to public sales or private deals. But I think that collecting needs also patience, networking, and other skills you need in everyday life. With patience it’s still possible to make good purchases even on public/online sales; which allows you to save money for the big piece which you know you can’t find around and that you’ll have to pay a premium for. But like any other collector, I can still manage to make local finds and buy at affordable prices. Those opportunities only show up once in a while, but they still exist.

14. CC: I love your buying philosophy Stephane. So Meccano carded prices seem to have really soared in the past couple of years. Do you think they will stabilise anytime soon?

STEPHANE: Meccano collecting is a tricky market, that’s a niche area of the hobby with only a few players and even if prices have really soared, they can also fluctuate because there’s less competition once the key players all have a same piece and most other collectors are not willing to top prices on Meccanos as they are often damaged.

On the other hand, AFA collecting has created a demand for mint items, which makes it even more difficult with Meccanos. So there’s a new market for high-range stuff and occasional buyers (not Meccano collectors) because it’s rare and cool. As this looks to be the hype these days, it looks like nice Meccano stuff has the potential to keep increasing. Until when, who knows? I might be wrong but collectors of vintage toys, even newcomers, are generally our age; I’m not sure 20 years from now these will have the same appeal to collectors…

15. CC: So what is the hardest to find carded Meccano at the moment?

STEPHANE: Wow, I’m not sure there’s an answer to that question  As Meccano items are difficult to find, you never know what’s going to show up next. Until last year we presumed a ROTJ 45-back Leia existed but never found any cardback, and suddenly three dead-mint examples surfaced among 50 other cards… 10 years ago, Meccano 12-backs were a myth, and they’re always surfacing in near complete sets every two or three years… same for square cards… when you think you’ll never see a piece again, luckily another shows up… Even the rarest one, Luke X-Wing, has now a three or four carded count.

Of course, iconic characters will always gather much more interest, they are tough to find, but not always the hardest. I guess square carded Darth Vader and Boba Fett will always be the most sought after, they are the most iconic on French square cards.

16. CC: Is there much of a collecting scene in France?

STEPHANE: France has a strong fan base, but not really a collecting scene in my opinion. There are a lot of collectors though including some longtime collectors with great collections of any kind (vintage or modern toys, GG or sideshow kind of stuff…). Some of them are active on various forums or Facebook, but nothing comparable to the collecting scene in the U.S. or U.K.

17. CC: Is there a Parisian collecting club?

STEPHANE: There’s no Parisian Collecting Club, but there are a few collectors living in or around Paris and we gather from time to time, going to some SW related events, or simply getting some drinks and dinner.

18. CC: It was great seeing you at Celebration Anaheim. Did you get the chance to meet many collectors there?

STEPHANE: Of course! I discovered international events with FACTs in Belgium, then Celebration Europe 2007. I recommend attending such events to anyone who can make it. It’s a way to meet pals, and even some you have known for a very long time by mail, FB or whatever but you actually never met, and make new friends in the hobby!

The best thing is to hang out in the hotel lobbies or local bars, talk about our hobby and the things we like, continue to hang out at various events, without forgetting to mention all the swag we had all made for others to collect and trade.

I had a truly fantastic time at all those events, nothing can beat that! So many good memories (and pictures).

A random selection of some of Stephane’s favourite convention moments. You might recognise some budding vintage collectors in there

SONY DSC

19. CC: What did you think of the convention in general?

STEPHANE: The convention was great, so many things to see and so many booths of all kinds; with licensees showcasing their upcoming products, vintage toy dealers, fan clubs from various places…The collectors’ gathering (Archive Party, Room Sales…) and collecting panels were also top notch. I also liked the autograph section and the conference hall starring key people/actors of the saga. On the drawbacks side I thought it was way too crowded at some point, and we had to wait too long in line for the main activities. Even the convention store was a three hour experience!

20. CC: Did you make any vintage purchases?

STEPHANE: I was prepared to, but didn’t find anything special apart from two Meccano 12-backs which I already had, but I was surprised to see such Meccano items at a U.S. convention.

21. CC: I was really disappointed to miss your presentation at the Collecting Track. I heard it was killer. Can you give us a quick summary of what it was about?

STEPHANE: The presentation was featured in the collector’s social room. It was a review of the various product categories marketed in France between 1977 and 1987, following the French Touch book outline. In addition to the toys of course, there was a quick press review, miscellaneous toys, French Ewoks stuff, professional’s material, catalogs & ads, consumer goods, and movie related stuff.

Stephane strutting his stuff on the presenting stage.

As you may recall, I also offered a “French Touch” pin, and a flyer for the upcoming book – I’ve had great feedback on the pin and it’s even worn here in France among collectors and some of my own colleagues.

CC: Well I do recall! The pin is absolutely beautiful and was definitely one of my favourite C7 pins. A lot of work and money must have gone into them.

Here’s a taste of the giveaway goodies

22. CC: Now to your wonderful book ‘‘La French Touch.’ What’s it all about?

STEPHANE: La French Touch is a multi-purpose book if I could say so; a book to look at, but also to read. I tried to make it of interest to any Star Wars fan, whether you’re a collector, interested in general merchandise, or the history of the franchise and its marketing strategies.

It covers products marketed in France during the original era, from 1977 to 1987. Firstly, it reviews the entire range of products from the various categories like toys, games, magazines, posters, food premiums, books, records, video etc… with individual photography.

It also reviews the way those products were promoted and advertised through many public and professional material. The first chapter covers the response the original movies received in France with a wide press/magazine review.

It is important to note that this book is the result of a collaboration of many collectors who provided the items from their collection in order to make it the most complete possible.

In the end, that’s 270 color pages, the equivalent of 70+ pages of text to be read (not just short notes) and 1500+ color pictures / document scans.

The book was originally released in 2013 shortly before Celebration Europe 2, and I announced a new 2016 Definitive Edition at Celebration 7.
This Definitive edition is now available on Amazon with an awesome new cover from my friend Yann Leroux which gives a glimpse of the content.

Stephane signing one of his books during the C7 room sales.

Here are some sample scans from various editions of French Touch. What a cracker.

CC: Rather than extoll the virtues of your book here, I’ll paste in a past review I did over at VSWC Blog:

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/book-review-la-french-touch-history-of-french-star-wars-merchandising-1977-1986/

STEPHANE: Sure

23. CC: I know it has been hugely popular and I’m a big fan myself but are you happy with how it was received by the collecting community?

STEPHANE: You bet I am  Meccano to Trilogo was widely acclaimed back in 2006 because it introduced the French and European toys to many collectors. But I had to make something different for the next book. With “La French Touch” I wanted to reach a broader audience, cover the various products categories retailed in France to give a better understanding of the French market and its associated history.

“La French Touch” has been a great success, same as “Meccano to Trilogo.” I think it has opened a new field of collecting for many collectors, on the toys of course because it’s much more detailed than “M2T,” but also on all the other French stuff you can collect. The new social networks have opened new ways of collecting and all sorts of focuses, so knowing what’s out there is the key.

24. CC: Looking back now, is there anything that you would change about the book?

STEPHANE: Well, yes; and it’s already done as we speak.

As with any other publication, such a book sets a common base for collectors to share the stuff they have referenced, and naturally it allows identifying new items.

The 2013 edition was already very complete, covering possibly 95% of the stuff released in France, but with time, we identified some additional interesting pieces in almost every product category. I wanted to make this definitive edition to go as far as we could, and improve a few things, so hopefully we are now covering 98% of the French product base.

We also had to rework the cover. I was very pleased with the original grey cover which perfectly matched the serious aspect of the book. But I realized that many collectors didn’t catch the book also covered the toys, in a much better and complete way than “M2T”. So we designed this new cover showing merchandise to clearly set the tone.

25. CC: Any plans for a follow-up?

STEPHANE: Not really a follow up, but I do have some plans though  We’ll keep that for a future discussion, I would prefer avoiding too many expectations and will deliver once the work is done.

But I am also particularly proud to be part of the Official French book “La Guerre des Etoiles – la saga vue de France” (literally “The Star Wars saga seen from France”). It’s an OFFICIAL book for a general audience which will be released late October in France. We achieved two major things doing it – it is the first time a book is released in France without being a translation of a previously available U.S. book, and also the first time in 20 years that Lucasfilm allows usage of the original French Star Wars pyramidal shaped logo on an official product.

CC: Wow well done! What a great achievement!

Here a shot of the book itself

26. CC: Well Stephane, it has been a pleasure as always. You sincerely are one of the brightest lights of this hobby and a true gentleman. Everyone who has dealt with you will confirm that’s not just lip service on my part. So before we tune out, do you have any advice to all of the budding collectors out there?

STEPHANE: Thanks Christian. Well, I’d say “be cool,” keep the fun of collecting while doing it for your own enjoyment, and don’t hesitate to socialize with other collectors. It is also important to show interest in the collectibles and their history, and not just add stuff on the shelves; there are plenty of online resources and great books to help

CC: Well they are definitely words to collect by. Thanks again and see you soon. Hopefully even in Paris one day soon!

STEPHANE: Sure. I’m always more than happy to meet foreign collectors/fans visiting Paris, I’m always up for a drink or even sightseeing if I can make it

Collector Interview #7: Javier Ruilopez – Who’s down with PBP?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by bobbybobs

Hello everyone and welcome to the seventh issue of our full-length collector interviews. This is a HUGE interview, both in length and its quality. Not only do we cover a load of questions but the collector under the VSWC spotlight is one of the superstars of our hobby; that’s right, Javier Ruilopez is coming at us straight out of Spain. Javi is an overflowing fountain of knowledge and wisdom in regards to Spanish vintage collecting, particularly PBP/Poch; that regularly misunderstood Spanish line of SW collectibles. He is actually very close to releasing a book on the subject and from what I hear this is going to be an absolute corker of a collecting resource.

Here’s the cool dude himself…

When it comes to variant collecting, PBP/Poch figures are incredibly hard to identify and even harder to find. I’m always in awe at the knowledge and willpower of collectors who focus on these figures. The amount of mis/disinformation out there about this line borders on the ridiculous, but lucky for us Javi is here to clear up some of these misunderstandings.

Javi may not be as well known to people who focus on collecting Kenner and who are mainly U.S focussed but I can tell you now that he is an absolute giant of the hobby. Not only is Javi a legend of Spanish collecting but he is also a legend of a bloke (as we say in Australia) and is a gentleman to boot. I love watching him debate with other PBP/Poch collectors and it’s obvious to all how passionate he is about our hobby. I know Javi’s book has been draining on him so we appreciate his effort to appear in this segment.

In a VSWC blog first, I’m actually welcoming a co-interviewer this time around; my friend and variant collecting aficionado Kenneth Baekmark. Kenneth is straight out of Copenhagen and has been active on the collecting scene for years. He actually sold me my first ever PBP figure (a pale faced Luke Hoth) and we have been friends ever since, even meeting up a couple of times. I once hung out with Kenneth and our collecting friend Marco Jay and watched and listened to them going through Marco’s huge PBP/Poch collection of figures. I’m no variant dummy but I felt pretty stupid that day…..I actually kept the identity of my guest co-host a secret from Javi until after he answered all of the questions. Was a bit of fun for all of us. Well welcome to Kenneth and thanks for your help with this interview.

Kenneth looking pumped and ready to drill for PBP knowledge.

Well enough superlatives from me, let’s kick this interview off!

1. Welcome Javi! Thanks for joining us today on the blog. Now I know you might be surprised that I said “us,” as it’s usually just yours truly doing these interviews but today I thought I’d enlist a very special guest to help me take you through the questions. All the way from Denmark, it’s none other than Kenneth Baekmark himself! I’m going to ask the first few questions but then I’ll let Kenneth take over so you dudes can get into the real nitty gritty details of variant collecting, particularly from the perspective of an experienced Spanish collector like yourself.

First off, I always like to get the most important question sorted. I’ve been to Spain several times – Barcelona, Madrid, Ibiza, and Tenerife. I absolutely love it there. I’ve travelled the world quite a bit, so I feel that my assessment on the following issue is informed and evidence based. Do you agree with me that Spanish women are the sexiest in the world?

Javi: LOL! Indeed! The girls around here are pretty, however I would have no problem spending some time with any other foreign woman! LOL!

VSWC: Well that’s good to hear Javi. There may be some single foreign women out there reading this interview who can’t help but find themselves attracted to variant collectors. It’s a very sexy area of the hobby!

2. Okay, now that the important part of the interview is over and I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself with my sexism, I’m sure everyone would like to know a bit about Mr Ruilopez. First off, in what part of Spain are you based ?

Javi: I live in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo), 100km from from Madrid. I live in the centre of Spain.

VSWC: Is this where you grew up?

Javi: Yep, I was born and raised here in Talavera.

VSWC: So being from the Madrid area, does that make you a fan of the film director Pedro Almodovar?

Javi: To be honest i do not consider myself a fan of Almodovar but I have seen and enjoyed most of his films, (mainly the early filmography), he is very good at filming the underground/misfit part of Spanish society. Also he is well respected as a director here in Spain.

VSWC: Are all the people from your region as wacky as Almodovar’s characters?

Javi: You would be surprised how close some people here are to Almodovar´s characters! LOL!

3. Now I know you are involved in the art world, but what exactly do you do for a living?

Javi: I have been a professional art restorer/curator since the last 15 years. I am specializing in paintings and materials.

VSWC: Wow no wonder you are so knowledgeable when it comes to variants! I think another well-known variant collector, Wolff, is also an art restorer. Definitely makes sense.

4. So other than the obvious Star Wars and artistic interests, what other passions do you have?

Javi: I love my little boys and girls; my cats (I share my home with seven of them LOL!), besides that I am quite interested in history, mystery radio programs, photography, music and movies.

VSWC: Wow that’s a hell of a lot of cute cats. You definitely like collecting!

5. I have to be honest I don‎’t know a lot about the history of Star Wars in Spain. Did you guys get the films around the same time as in the United States?

Javi: As far as I know – but I could be wrong of course – Star wars “A new Hope” hit the cinemas on 7^th November 1977, so around six months later than the United States…

VSWC: When did you yourself get the chance to see one of the original trilogy at the cinema? Were you an addict straight away?

Javi: When SW (ANH) was played for the first time in Spain I was only one year old, for ESB, I was still too young I think. The first SW film I watched was ROTJ. My aunt brought my brother and I to a cinema in Madrid, I fell in love from the moment I watched that film.

VSWC: As a kid, what was your favourite part of the movie?

Javi: As a kid the Endor Battle, no doubt!! But as an adult, i love Jabba´s Palace scene!

VSWC: Were the films dubbed in Spanish or did you get to hear the original actor’s voices?

Javi: The films were dubbed in Spanish; I only heard the original voices once the DVD editions were available.

6. So do you remember getting your first Star Wars figure?

Javi: I remember perfectly the first figure I had. It was a Saturday, my grandfather brought my brother and I to the toy shop, where I chose the AT-AT driver, my brother the Tie Fighter pilot. It’s a good memory about my grandfather who passed away in 1994, I miss him deeply.

VSWC: I’m sorry to hear that. But it’s cool that he was such an important part of your Star Wars story. So do you still have any of your childhood figures?

Javi: I still have some of my childhood collection; around 20 figures or so.

7. What Star Wars product lines did they have in the stores in Spain back then?

Javi: Here, we had: brain teasers, puzzles, kites, model kits and of course the action figures. BTW we also had trading cards and little plastic ones – Dunkin type- figures.

8. Did you stop collecting at some point or did you continue right through until the present day?

Javi: As a child, I stopped buying figures around 1987-88 or so, I was 11 years old back then. I loved playing basketball and skating, after that, music and girls took over all my interest. During the following years I used to buy modern SW stuff, but nothing major. In 1997 during the first year of my studies in Madrid, I bought my first figure as an adult collector, it was a loose Bib Fortuna. After that I used to spend my very limited spare money to buy vintage stuff here and there. I was 21 year old.

9. Now I know you are a variant collector, a well-known one at that, and that you also collect bootlegs. But what exactly do you focus on?

Javi: I do collect loose figures; mainly figure variants from all over the world: Kenner, Glasslite, Toptoys, Meccano, Popys, Takara, Lili Ledy and of course my beloved PBP figures. Besides the licensed lines I also collect Uzay figures, which are currently the only ones I am looking for, as most of the other lines I completed a long time ago.

VSWC: Javi was kind enough to share with us his basic PBP set.This is the first time he has shown a full set of pictures of his complete set of PBP figures, exclusively for our readers! These photos sincerely blow me away.

Early PBP Production (so called Poch variants)

Late PBP Production (so called PBP variants)

Javi’s old display of variants back in 2006-2007

Javi’s old display of basic Kenner figures

Mexican Lily Ledy complete set with variants

Complete set of Top Toys, Glasslite and Takara

French trilogo/Meccano variants

Complete set of Popy figures

Uzays

10. Javi I’m still reeling from those photos! Wow just wow. A loose collector’s dream. So is vintage collecting popular in Spain these days?

Javi: It seems so!

11. Do you get to meet many collectors face to face?

Javi: Yes sure! And it was great! During the making of the book I met Sergio Sierra, Luis F.Antelo, Jota, Agustin Diaz, Angel Martinez, Javier Tamayo, Sergio Garcia, Dario Diaz, Enric Rovira; to name just a few……I also recently met Marco Jay in Madrid, we had a great weekend together!

Some photos of Javi and his collecting friends. From left to right: Javi, Dario Diaz, Luis F.Antelo, Enric Rovira, Jota, Sergio Sierra and Javier Tamayo. Some very big names in the world of Spanish collecting.

Photo from Marco’s recent trip to Madrid. From left to right: Javi, Sergio Sierra and Marco Jay (aka DrDengar). Collecting aside, they are three A-class guys in my books!

12. Will you be at Celebration London?

Javi: I definitely will be there. I am really looking forward to meeting good and old friends next summer.

13. Ok let’s chat about something that a lot of us are excited about – your upcoming book! First up, what is the title and what will it be about?

Javi: The book will be called: Star Wars Made in Spain: The Comprehensive guide to PBP/Poch.

14. Kenneth gave me a few of your flyers to hand out at Celebration Anaheim and I was really impressed with the artwork and photography. Do you do all this yourself?

Javi: Thanks for your kind words about the flyer design, that one was indeed my own design. I am really worried about taking really good pics for the book, I have done 99,99% of the pics which will be included, and I like to work very closely with the person in charge of the design, sometimes though I am way too picky with the design. I am a perfectionist in all of my jobs, not only with the book but also in real life.

15. So why exactly did you decide to write it?

Javi: Well, tough question, I decided to list my findings in a book for many reasons, It’s a long history, but I think it is important to let people know about it.

In 2007 after having spent more than seven years collecting and learning about loose figures all over the world, I focused on the PBP loose stuff and quickly realized that misinformation everywhere. I started buying lots from non collectors whom were selling their childhood collections. At that time there was not mixed stuff (or almost not mixed) in collections and the figures I was buying were worth almost nothing, so I was sure I was buying real examples sold in Spain back in the 80s.

In 2010 I spoke publicly about the melt marks which were associated with certain figures found in Spain which had – what seemed- different paint schemes. You can still find the original post at TIG here:

http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t891p120-the-tig-pbp-poch-character-discussion-thread

VSWC: Wow that really was a big breakthrough. I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t realise it was you who had first raised it on the forums…

Javi: At that point only a few early produced PBP (so called Poch now) figures were known to exist: RC black boots, Black neck Lando, Han Hoth with dark chocolate pants…

After that new “discovery”, some long-time loose collectors started to do their own research. I spent the following tow and a half to three years buying lots, but now with more competition jejejej.

Since 2013 many people – mostly non collectors – realized that the so called Poch figures could be sold for good amounts of money on the collecting market. From that point researching PBP/Poch figures became a nightmare and a mess. Loads of scammers popped up in Spain trying to take advantage of the “new” and not so well known figures, they were selling regular beaten-up Kenner figures as Poch, mixing stuff, faking childhood collections so they could sell them in the classifieds sections of local newspapers and on eBay and so on…

By the end of 2012 or early 2013, I stopped researching for the reasons given above. At that time I already had documented 99% of the currently known Early PBP production (so called Poch variants).

I felt a bit guilty about the situation I had started back in 2010, so in an effort to try to stop people scamming other collectors, I decided to put all of my findings into a book so everybody could tell a “Poch” figure from a Kenner one.

As time progressed, the book became a personal challenge for me, I had information and examples of nearly 275 possible Early PBP variants, of course, not all exclusive PBP produced (now I know so 😉 …

I started writing my first thoughts and findings back in 2013, but it was not until last Xmas that I started to work on the book full time…

Now the book will be a tribute to the whole PBP production and its workers.

I only hope this study can be an useful tool for future collectors, that is my my goal.

16. How close are you to finishing?

Javi: I was expecting to have it ready this Xmas, but it is impossible for many reasons…I don’t want to set a deadline for the publication, because I am really tired and very disappointed at not been able to have it ready this December. My next target is to have it ready for CE3 in London, I will do my best for that, but if I can’t, I cant… I hope you all can understand.

17. Of course we understand Javi! It’s a massive job you have taken on so it must be exhausting. Has writing the book been more difficult than you imagined?

Javi: It’s indeed more difficult than I ever expected, just because you have to work with many people whom do not see the project as you do, and its really difficult to find the correct people to get involved…

18. Have you learnt much yourself during your research?

Javi: Indeed, I have learnt a lot about the loose production itself but also about MOCs, ships, mailers, adverts, production process, etc

19. Have you had much help from other collectors?

Javi: Absolutely!! I have had the help of the greatest Spanish and non-Spanish collectors over the past years!! You know who you are and I want to say thanks to each one of you. THANKS lads!

20. Any idea how much the book will cost?

Javi: I would love to keep the cost of the regular edition under the range of the 100 USD…

21. I’m sure you will address this in your book, but the whole PBP/POCH angle of collecting can be very murky at times and a lot of misinformation is out there. Can you please tell us, just for the record,is there a difference between the PBP line and the POCH line?

Javi: In fact there is no difference, there weren’t two companies Poch and PBP. Since the first minute in Spanish production, Poch was part of the PBP brand. If you look at the back of the so called Poch 31 cardback, you will see that the PBP logo was included. I also was able to confirm it in words of a PBP ex-employee. Novedades Poch never did any SW figures on their own, It was always under the PBP production.

22. I collect some loose variants as well but I only have three POCH figures (one from you!). I can tell you that to a non-expert these are incredibly difficult to identify. Can you give us a few brief handy tips about how to identify a loose POCH figure?

Javi: Answering that question would take a whole book LOL! Joke aside; Sometimes it is really difficult just because some of them are really close to their Kenner counterparts.

As with variant collecting of other SW lines – such as Lili ledy, Glasslite ,TopToys etc- you ALWAYS have to look for paint differences to tell them from the regular Kenner production.

PBP production has its own paint scheme – sometimes associated with RANDOM factory flaws such as melt marks, bubbles in paint, poor sonic wielding etc – BUT really pale-cream faces/hands and the use of black paint instead of the regular brown paint, are always a good sign in PBP collecting 😉

If I were a new collector of Early PBP production (so called Poch), I would go for the well known Poch figures with very different paint schemes: black neck Lando, white pants RS Hoth, chocolate pants Han Hoth, green limbs Bossk etc…

VSWC: Great tips Javi! Okay well thanks for answering all of my questions. I’m going to take a break now and let your good friend and fellow variant collecting extraordinaire Kenneth ask you some questions. I think I’ll learn something!

Javi: Thanks to you Christian for giving me the opportunity to be part of your great blog, its was an honour for me. I really enjoy every collector interview you do and I hope other collectors enjoy this interview as much as I have enjoyed it 😉 Thanks!

23. Hi Javi, It’s a great honour for me to be able to ask you a few questions here (thanks very much Christian). The two of us have known each other for many years, and we both share a passion for the hobby and variant collecting in particular. First off, can you tell me what the letters PBP mean? Are they short for something?

Javi: Yes, PBP is an acronym of Poch-Borrás-Palouzié, the surnames of the three owners of the three companies which formed PBP.

24. Is it correct, that Spain was the only country in Europe which actually produced their own line(s) of SW figures; unlike Palitoy, Meccano etc, who had their factories located in Asia?

Javi: According to collectors’ knowledge that’s true. I also received confirmation from an PBP ex-employee…

25.Where was the PBP factory in Spain physically located?

Javi: It was located in Hostalric, Girona.

26. When did the first vintage SW figures (and vintage SW toys in general) hit the Spanish toy stores?

Javi: According to Spanish collectors’ memories, the first action figures and vehicles hit the market in early 1981. I was able to confirm it, thanks to the confidential order sheets known to exist. There are SW references in the individual catalogues of Juguetes Borrás and Novedades Poch, since 1978.

27. Which type of PBP cardback was the first to carry the PBP logo, and did this type of cardback contain Spanish produced or Kenner imported figures?

Javi: Since the very beginning, the first Spanish cardback type was the 31Back- you could already see the PBP logo side by side with the Poch quality seal.

As far as I could confirm, these first cards contained imported Kenner loose figures.

31 back – these photos are the final versions that will also be used in Javi’s book.

28. Do you agree with me, that the Poch (early PBP) line of figures from the elusive Poch 37/41 backs (like the famous toxic green limbs Bossk) and later cards are maybe the most complicated Kenner foreign licensed line of figures to collect; for a variety of reasons such as these figures sharing coos with their Kenner counterparts, Kenner parts being used in the production etc?

Javi: Yes I agree.The problem with some characters is that the paint used by PBP was really close to the paint scheme used by Kenner and sometimes only by having side by side both figures (PBP and Kenner counterpart) can you tell the differences.

29. What cardbacks were produced for the early PBP (Poch) and later PBP figures, and did they all contain unique Spanish produced figures with paint and/or COO differences when compared to Kenner figures?

Javi: I don’t like making too many divisions within the PBP production process because we do not have enough MOC examples – and we will probably never have enough – so any classification could be inaccurate to say the very least. Anyway I can see that in this case it is necessary to be understood by people. I personally call Early PBP production the PBP cards which carry the Poch quality seal, because in general terms those cards also include a type of production figure (plastic and paint wise) which will be changed at a later point in the so called – by me – late PBP production.There are exceptions to the general rule of course, such as PBP production being really heterogeneous.

In relation to early PBP production (so called Poch), we had the 31 backs, 37 backs A and 37 backs B.

The late PBP production process started with 37 Backs C, in which the Poch seal was eliminated. Then came 45 backs and 65 backs.

About the figures on those cards, as said before, the PBP production was very heterogeneous, the production was not a straight line from the beginning to the end.They used a lot of kind figures (1º Imported finished figures, 2º imported parts painted or unpainted to be assembled in Spain and 3º figures 100% produced in Spain). They used any kind of the above type of figures on almost any card. I mean; we can find imported figures on 31 Backs, assembled imported parts on 37 backs but also 100% produced figures on 37 backs and finally we can even find so called Poch figures on the very late Trilogo cardbacks!

37 Back B, with the so called PBP Yoda. Javi tells us this figure was packed on Lili Ledy blisters at a later point. This piece is from the collection of Agustin Diaz

37 Back B – this photo is the final version that will also be used in Javi’s book.

30. I’m sure, that for many, for instance U.S. based collectors, European (including PBP) Star Wars is pretty much down to figures like light blue no coo scarred PBP Boba Fetts and dark brown no COO PBP Rebel Soldiers. Do you agree with me, that Spain (PBP) produced a lot of other highly interesting figures, which are both very distinct from their Kenner counterparts paint wise as well as being widely unknown to many collectors?

Javi: Indeed, there are a lot of interesting PBP figures besides the well known ones. For example you have the Green limbs Bossk, Black neck Lando, Black Pouch Chewie etc etc

One of the most wanted PBP variants; Bossk with Pistaccio arms and feets. Piece from the collection of Agustin Diaz. I’m impressed that Javi managed to use the colour ‘pistaccio’ to describe the colour of a figure. He really is an artist…

31. What is your favourite PBP figure and why?

Javi: To me it is the PBP Luke Hoth, I always loved this figure! The different paint scheme and the detailed limbs and body look so cool to me.The original sculpt is one of the best from the whole SW production.

And here he is. Wow wow wow!

32. To me it seems that many of the particularly early PBP (Poch figures) are very poorly welded and in addition often have melt marks (especially on the back). Can you reveal, how these figures were assembled at the PBP factory and what quality control was used before the figures were put on the cards and sent to the distributors and then out to the stores?

Javi: As far as the PBP ex-employee told me, the figures were assembled like any other figure, with the torso split in two parts with a sonic wielding machine. According to him quality control was really tough; however, in some examples we can see some imperfections, which at that time would have been perfectly acceptable in production terms, I guess…

33. Did PBP run any mail offers or other campaigns similar to Kenner during the early 80s?

Javi: Yeah sure! It’s well known that PBP offered the “1 FIGURA GRATIS” (“ONE FREE FIGURE”) promotion on its cards. Nien Numb among others characters was promoted by PBP on their cards.

34. Last question: Will we ever know, with 100% certainty, what exactly happened at the PBP factory during the vintage era? Like what figures were on which cardbacks, why PBP imported Kenner stuff, what the connection to the other Kenner licensed factories was, how the production process of the PBP figures was and so on?

Javi: Many – if not all – of those questions will have their answer in a certain upcoming book, just be sure you don’t miss it !!! Jejejejej

Kenneth: Thanks so much Javi for giving me the chance to ask you a few questions and the best of luck with your book. Like many other collectors I cannot wait to obtain a sample!

Javi: Thanks for your kind words Kenneth. it was my pleasure to answer your well-chosen questions.. THANKS my friend!

VSWC: Another huge thanks from me too Javi. Thank you so much for coming onto the blog and sharing a bit about yourself and your collecting endeavours. Good luck with the upcoming book. Can’t wait to read it!

Javi: Thank you very much to you Christian, it was my pleasure. I hope this helps a bit with the general understanding of the PBP production. All the best to you and your great blog page, really you are doing an amazing service promoting vintage collecting and its collectors community. Thanks for your time and efforts and please keep on doing such a great job my friend! PEACE TO ALL.

VSWC: Thanks Javi. I’m blushing 🙂

Collector Snapshot #17 – Amy Sjoberg

Posted on November 11, 2015 by bobbybobs

Welcome all to the seventeenth episode of our collector snapshot, where a vintage collector answers 10 short questions. The same questions will be given to every collector appearing in this segment.

This is a very special episode as our guest is one of the most active contributors to our hobby. I’m stoked that someone of Amy’s collecting caliber agreed to come onto the blog and I’m sure you’ll all enjoy reading through her responses as much as I did.

Amy is a 34 year old human resource professional from Seattle, Washington. I met Amy only briefly in the Collectors’ Social Room at Celebration Anaheim, where she was kind enough not to crack up laughing at the terrible pin I gave her advertising my blog (trust me, I’m not being modest).

Here she is on a SARLACC ((the Seattle Area Lucasfilm Artifacts Collector Club) film location trip to Death Valley.

Amy actually presented at C7 and you can check the video of the panel here; where she and Jarrod Clark discussed Ewok collectibles. Thanks to Tommy Garvey from theswca for continuing to post these great videos of the C7 collecting panels.

Ewok Collectibles Panel – Celebration Anaheim

She also also had an entry in the Vader Case Project at C7; a fantastic event which raised loads for charity. Read more about the project here:

theswca – celebration Anaheim Vader Case Project

Amy’s entry: ‘Sunset on Endor’.’ Stunning…

Amy is extremely active on the collecting scene. She’s a member of SARLACC, R2 Builders, Ewok Builders and even has time to blog at http://blog.theswca.com and www.SARLACC.org. I’ve actually recently shared one of Amy’s great blog articles on our Facebook page, here it is again if you missed it:

theswca – Creepy Star Wars Collectibles

Would you believe she’s involved in even more SW vintage endeavours? Check out the Star Wars Collecting Cosmos Collecting Cosmos – Facebook podcast and Amy’s Etsy shop ‘Nerdventions’ – Nerdventions – Etsy.

1. How long have you been collecting?

I was introduced to Star Wars at a young age with Return of the Jedi being the first film I remember seeing (and still my favorite Star Wars movie). Ironically, it was my brother, Karl, who was the Star Wars collector in our house in the 80s.

Amy and her brother, Easter 1984. Yep that’s a stuffed Ewok!

It was at Celebration 3 where I bought my first vintage item, a loose Jabba with throne. I also met collectors in my area, this eventually led me to joining SARLACC. It was an eye opening experience to meet other collectors. I have learned so much from them and had amazing adventures along the way. I had the opportunity to host panels on collecting and can typically be found volunteering at the collecting panels at Celebration. As with my friendships, my collection has been growing year by year.

VSWC: Amy tells me that seeing friends is always the highlight of her convention experience, especially the Archive Party (the party hosted by podcasters Stephen Danley and Skye Paine – check out our previous interview with Steve and Skye – VSWC Interview – Steve and Skye.)

Here she is with some of her collector friends at C7 – (left to right) are Jim Gibbons, Steve Sansweet, Michal Stewart, Aaron Leonard, Amy, Tom Stewart, and Earl Bergquist

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2. What do you collect?

It has always been a ‘collect what you like motto’ for me. Lets just say it is still a work in progress and ever evolving but can be mainly narrowed down to the following categories: vintage and modern 12″ figures from Kenner, Hasbro, and Sideshow toys. I’ve always had an affinity for the 12″ scale and am close to completing my Kenner 12″ collection. Sideshow has made some great figures over the past 10 years and I have almost every Star Wars rebel/hero figure they made. I also have paired these with Gentle Giant busts and statues for many characters including Obi Wan, Leia, Han, Luke etc.

Return of the Jedi, Ewoks, and the huts they live in vintage and new. I have every ewok action figure sold by Kenner and Hasbro. My affinity for my favorite playset of all time, the Ewok Village, is plain to see. My collection is called ‘The Ewok Village’ so I have a reputation to maintain. 😉 I own three Kenner villages, two loose and one boxed. Then there’s the preschool ewok line, catapult, hang glider, and battle wagon which are all boxed. I have an Ewok plush infestation and that slimy gangster Jabba and his denizens are everywhere. I also collect ROTJ Lego sets (including the Ewok Village of course!)

Prequel and Clone Wars Obi Wan collectibles. I have a collection of art cards collected over five years at various conventions by some of my favorite artists. My other favorite piece in this category is the mythos Obi wan statue by Sideshow.

I got to meet Ewan himself a few years ago. To be honest, I’m amazed I didn’t keel over. After all this the person who graced the Obi Wan calendar in my high school locker.

Event collectibles and hand made Star Wars items, plush, and ceramics. I have plush from art shows including a handmade Wampa. Collectibles from past celebrations, items made by SARLACC and gathered from our many film location trips. There’s a shelf for bootleg and licensed ceramics including the infamous Taun-Taun Teapot and C3PO tape dispenser by Sigma. I like to use the bookshelf edges to hold all my lanyards. My favorite Celebration collectible is the buttons people make. There is so much generosity and creativity there. They remind me every day of all the great collectors out there from all over the world.

3. What’s your grail?

I’ve never really had just one grail item. Grail items are like the future…. ‘always in motion’ and ever growing as I discover more things. Most recently I was looking for a 1986 Ewoks Ice Capades light up button, a 1983 set of ROTJ valentines, and a 1984 Ewoks calendar. Both I’m happy to say I got all of these in the past month.

And here they are….

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5SgiCo_5ZZEbsYpQYrouJFH0KsHSBRrSMreKFdXx0Ig

Note: These pictures are from the sales listings themselves.

I also do all of this without using Ebay so I defiantly play the long game on a lot of pieces. And I rely on my network of collector friends who alert me to new stuff posted out there. Thankfully with SARLACC, many of the items that I would love to have are in other collections locally that I get to visit at least once a year. So I get to see them even if I don’t have them.

4. What collectors inspire you?

There are so many people who have inspired me in this hobby. Gus Lopez for sharing his collection, his knowledge, and creating SARLACC. Jarrod Clark, fellow ewok collector who always keeps a look out for stuff I need. Mike Ritter, Tom Stewart, Lauren Bock and Bill McBride; all some of the nicest guys in the hobby. Pete Vilmur for his generosity and our in depth discussions on things like bootleg ceramics. Steve Sansweet for opening up his collection for everyone to see. Duncan Jenkins for his incredible encyclopedia like knowledge of collecting. Shane Turgeon for giving me the idea to focus on collecting memories and friendships over collectibles. There are so many more that I want to list, everyone I’ve met in this hobby has inspired me in some way.

5. What is your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

Those times in the past when checking out at Toy’s ‘R’ Us and the clerk asks if I want a gift receipt for my (non existent) son’s Star Wars toy. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen anymore. I think now they just assume the adults are getting Star Wars stuff for themselves.

6. What is your favorite Star Wars film?

My favorite film is Return of the Jedi. I know it may not be the best, but it is a sentimental favorite for me.

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

Star Wars collectors online can be negative at times. Sure we won’t all agree on what our favorite episode of Star Wars is, or what to collect. We should be welcoming, it is a large hobby and there is room here for everyone. Collections also come in all sizes and focuses. Thankfully, collectors I have met in this hobby are inclusive, supporting, friendly and willing to lend a hand by helping others get something they need in a collection. Those are the best people in the hobby, the ones that aren’t in it for the competition, or the money. Instead they share their knowledge, collections, and sometimes even collectibles. I guess you could sum that up as good collecting karma.

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

I still use both but I do like Facebook for the format. It is easier to meet folks within your collecting focus and view all the posts at a glance.

9. What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

Probably young Aunt Beru played by Bonnie Piesse. There aren’t many blonde women in Star Wars.

10. Is there one thing that collectors may not know about you?

Collecting is in my genes. My father has it, my brother had it… 😉 My first collection was Disney stamps (now that the Mouse owns Star Wars, I guess I’ve come full circle). It wasn’t until I got to college that I looked back and thought, Star Wars has always been there. Other hobbies have come and gone, but as the slogan goes, ‘Star Wars is Forever.’

VSWC: Well thank you Amy for coming onto the VSWC Blog! I absolutely love your passion for the hobby and it’s one of the main reasons I invited you on. It has been great hearing some of your collecting philosophy and your general views on our fantastic hobby. Hopefully your inclusive attitude can positively influence some of the more negative aspects of the collecting community. Thanks again!

Collector Snapshot #16 – Cesar Alejandro V. Jacquez

Posted on October 2, 2015 by bobbybobs

I’m thrilled as usual to present the sixteenth episode of our collector snapshot, where a vintage collector answers 10 short questions. The same questions will be given to every collector appearing in this segment.

This round’s victim is 37 year old Mexican collector Cesar Alejandro V. Jacquez, known on Rebelscum as “Chewvazquez.” He was born in Juarez City, the famous Mexican border city near El Paso, Texas but now resides within the Texas-Mexican border in a small town called Zapata in Texas and in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Cesar tells me that he has lived in 17 different places for the past 12 years due to school, work and “just because.” He always finds it difficult to respond when people ask where he is actually from!

Not only is Cesar an accomplished collector but he is also successful in his personal, academic and professional life. He has a PhD in Philosophy, a major in universal literature and is currently working as an interpreter in classified operations offshore.

VSWC: Cesar on Force Friday

VSWC: He does love Star Wars but back in the days Cesar was also a huge MOTU fan!

To the questions!

1. How long have you been collecting?

I’ve been seriously collecting for the last 16 years. It all started in in a stop I made in a department store during one of my trips through The States in some town up in the mountains of Colorado. I was on my way to the snacks section and suddenly ran into a full shelf covered with POTF2 (leftover figures I believe) and thought it could be cool to have a Vader figure standing next to my T.V. in the living room or sitting somewhere around my bedroom. I did some collecting before then while living in Tampico, Mexico, gathering snack promotional figurines and ships dispensed in chip bags and cookie boxes. I also used to ask for any Star Wars store header about to be thrown away once the publicity was over. I still have a few of these at home looking just as if they had been been freshly removed from the top of the shelves.

2. What do you collect?

I´ve come down a bit with the collecting habit, yet I keep my eyes out for any foreign Fetts or rarities (if the price is right), pre-production items or vintage SW store displays. I am just a few foreign Fetts away from completing a vintage carded and boxed Boba Fett collection as such; including vehicles, diecast and 13s. Until recently, I was kind of obsessed with the idea of getting them all at some point or at least to get one or two more but everything changed a few days ago when I walked into a cafe with some friends and there was this sign hanging on one of the walls that reads: “Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have.” I took that as a sign LOL.

I also collect key characters and have incomplete runs of 12, 21 backs, a few Tri-Logos, Harberts and Meccanos. The Jawa is another character with that very tiny special touch that I love having.

I like Star Wars LEGOs A LOT! But mostly any set related to the original trilogy. I like Hot Toys and Sideshows figures also, Movie Props. I have several Fett errors, variants, convention exclusives and mock ups all the way from POTF2 to the Black Series line. Besides Star Wars, I also collect autographed items by Sci Fi celebrities starting with figures and any type of memorabilia. Marvel Legends, MOTU, Transformers, Alien, Star Trek, posters, watches, movie related items, etc. I will remain conservative with the interview so I am presenting only some of my favorites vintage Fetts here.

VSWC: Here’s some of Cesar’s mind-blowing collection. Did someone say Boba?

Boba Fett 21 Back- A, B and C (not in precise order)

Boba Fett Palitoy 41-C, Speeder Bike Collection, Tri-Logo / Palitoy, and Droids unpainted right leg error.

Canadian Run – Boba Fett ROTJ 77 back, transition (only two known to exist), 41 back B and 21 Back.

Revenge Boba Fett Proof Card

Cesar proudly displaying this absolute beauty. Nice t-shirt!!!!

Pre-production photography taken on set. This photo was distributed to toy and book companies as a reference for merchandise production. Cesar tells me that he assumes Fett was not famous enough at the time so the guys at Lucas Films chose to highlight the jet-pack (as shown in the text written on the back of the photo). There is a Lucas Films stamp on the bottom right/back. The two black lines on the front of the photo were commonly used as watermarks today for copyright purposes.

3. What’s your grail?

Well, I know some “diehard collectors” will hate me for saying this but I found the new Sphero BB8 to be the coolest Star Wars toy ever made throughout the entire Star Wars toy history (kidding you not I am!) I hope EVII does not make me hate it at the end LOL.

VSWC: Cesar declaring his love for BB8

VSWC: The whole family can’t get enough of BB8!

4. What collectors inspire you?

My Dad (R.I.P.) He used to collect military antiques, diecast vehicles and vinyl records from time to time. I was constantly curious as a kid wondering what kind of motivation was behind his passion for buying things that he was just going to put away in displays without ever touching them or playing with them but well, happily enough that question has been FULLY answered now. I had the opportunity to meet with Stéphane Faucourt last year in Paris. It was a fun experience. We spent an entire day talking Star Wars, eating, talking Star Wars, drinking, talking Star Wars, eating again, talking Star Wars and so on… Most of the things he owns are jaw dropping items starting with that full set of square card Meccanos. His Tri-logo rarities are also very impressive and last but not least, his French Fetts. I hold a lot of respect for him as a person and I´m grateful to see all his contributions to the collecting community here and there.

Check out our earlier review of Stephane’s awesome book:

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/book-review-la-french-touch-history-of-french-star-wars-merchandising-1977-1986/

VSWC: Cesar and Stephane hanging out in Paris

I also hold admiration for guys who I have not personally met yet like Ron Salvatore, his contributions to the hobby are priceless too and he seems to be a very humble and down to earth guy. I like Bill McBride´s endless Vader collection (VSWC: check our feature interview with Bill here – http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/collector-interview-2-bill-mcbride-dark-lord-of-the-sith/), I wish someday my Boba Fett collection looks like his Vader vault (quit dreaming I know). I have met a lot of great collectors and fans along the way in conventions here in Mexico and in the States. Here in Mexico, Luis Villagomez is another guy I haven´t met but for what I´ve seen his attitude towards the collecting community is always cool and reserved, I respect that besides his collection is always a treat to watch. Diehard fans like Armando Barrera in Mexico City and Rodolfo Rodriguez from Monterrey who I recently met are two other guys I like a lot within the Star wars community in this country.

5. What is your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

Hmmmm difficult to answer this question. Nothing pops out of my head as an embarrassing moment to this point but sure we all have some. in the end, no-one knows everything and there is so much yet to be discovered in the hobby.

6. What is your favorite Star Wars film?

Probably A New Hope; I love EV and VI of course (I´m not going any further) but even when the scripts for the sequels were already in place, it was the success of ANH which allowed the other two films to be what they are now. There was not much variety in ANH as there is in its sequels but yet again, it was the success of ANH that allowed: cool gangsters, bounty hunters, a city in the clouds, giant walking dogs and flying motorcycles to make the films even more fun for an audience already attracted to the films thanks to ANH. Besides all the sweet and cutting edge special effects, the magic of the music in the film is something worth mentioning and to at least give half of the credit for its success.

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

Well, although the interactions in the groups (VSWC: Facebook groups) seem to go along just fine, there are a few things I believe that need to be changed and I would like to start with intolerance. Some people find collecting as a competition instead of a fun habit we all love sharing. There is no collection better than any other; everyone loves to death what they own because of their passion for the saga. I also think we need to grow stronger as a community, especially now that the easy access to new technologies has increased the order things are being faked. The number of people with no scruples attempting to rip off the not so experienced collectors has dramatically increased in the past few years. This is something we need to shield against as a group.

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

I like both but I must admit I go onto FB more frequently now.

9. What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

Well… I must say Dengar If I may step off from the films and after reading “Tales of the Bounty Hunters” by Bantam Books. His story was really cool and mirroring to me in the books.

10. Is there one thing that collectors may not know about you?

I like poetry, painting, independent films, art, traveling, Jazz and playing the sax. I am against animal cruelty of any kind. It is funny to see how some people who do not share our love for Star Wars tag us as geeks or nerds thinking we have no other passions or habits in life besides this.

VSWC: Thank you so much for sharing your passions with us Cesar! I can’t agree more with so many of your thoughts on the hobby. Although remind to never introduce you to my wife. You’re handsome, friendly, you have a doctorate in Philosophy and you play the saxophone. Not to mention your great Fett focus! How the bloody hell can I compete with that!!!!!!

Collector Snapshot #15 – Gary Haygood

Posted on September 11, 2015 by bobbybobs

Welcome to the fifteenth episode of our collector snapshot, where a vintage collector answers 10 short questions. The same questions will be given to every collector appearing in this segment.

Up this episode is 45 year old collector Gary Haygood (aka “mrUTman” on Rebelscum), who works in the information technology field in Surprise, Arizona. Anyone who has crossed paths with Gary on the forums or on Facebook knows him to be one of the warmest and friendliest collectors out there. He is also extremely community conscious and is very knowledgeable about the vintage collectibles we all love so much. I hung out quite a bit with Gary and his lovely wife Tara at Celebration Anaheim and know them to be as friendly in real life as they are in the cyber-world.

Gary and Tara are also involved in charity work for breast cancer research and they run online events which they call “Buns 4 Boobs.” For 20 dollars (which they donate to charity) they will restore the hair (into beautiful buns) of vintage 12 inch Princess Leias. Great idea for a noble cause! I was lucky enough to snag one of their “Buns 4 Boob” pins at C7.

VSWC: The artwork for these great pins.

VSWC: Some examples of their restored Leia buns.

If you are on Facebook, why not check out the great group that Gary helps admin – Batteries Not Included – Star Wars Collectors Group Inc. It’s an easygoing group set up to discuss both vintage and modern Star Wars collectibles and the community they have built there is a credit to the admins and their members.

Gary also runs a great Facebook page – Vintage Star Wars Collectors Recommended Groups. This page provides a list of SW collecting groups that “support collecting with passion and respect.” Great job Gary!

Now to the questions!

1. How long have you been collecting?

As long as I can remember I’ve been collecting various Star Wars Items. However I have been “seriously” collecting for about 11 years or so, when I found the community on rebelscum.com

2. What do you collect?

My first love is Star Wars toys and art, I focus on Princess Leia items, I also collect other toys from pop culture I grew up on (i.e. Megos, Monsters, and Evel…)

VSWC: Gary and some of his great collection. Great t-shirt! I hope Gary didn’t blow his knee out crouching down like that. We’re not so young anymore us vintage SW collectors…

VSWC: And the pride of Gary’s collection – a Gentle Giant life size Leia monument.

3. Whats your Grail?

The necklace worn by Princess Leia in the ceremony scene of “A New Hope.”

4. What collectors inspire you?

Folks that share knowledge and help others out for me this is the way we sustain the hobby. Mike Scards22 is someone I look to as a mentor and really helped me with learning the ropes and meeting everyone back in the forum days. I also credit my education to reading post by folks like John Alvarez, Joseph Yglesias and Bill McBride as well as many others over the years.

VSWC: See our full-length interviews with Joe and Bill here:

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/collector-interview-6-joe-yglesias-bootleg-overlord/

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/collector-interview-2-bill-mcbride-dark-lord-of-the-sith/

5. What’s your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

Realizing how much I enjoy being friends with ‘Tiefighterboy’ (Todd Osborn) 🙂

6. What’s your favourite Star Wars film?

Return of The Jedi, I love the redemption of Vader and it always has been my favourite part of the films.

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

I think we all could be a little easier on the newbies to the community, and the newbies should be more receptive to the knowledge they can receive from listening to the old timers.

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

Forums will always be great but I think Facebook has opened a whole new world to collectors and mixed together several great forum communities.

9. What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

Who else Princess Leia 😉

VSWC: The resemblance is uncanny!

10. Is there one thing collectors may not know about you?

I was in personal security in my younger years and was a bouncer and bodyguard before I settled down as an IT Guy 🙂

VSWC: Thanks so much for joining us Gary! It has been great getting to know a bit more about you and your collecting habits. See you on the forums and Facebook!

Collector Snapshot #14 – Darren Mcaleese

Posted on August 21, 2015 by bobbybobs

Welcome to the fourteenth issue of our regular segment, where a vintage collector is given 10 short questions to answer. The same questions will also be given to the next collector appearing on the blog.

I’m pumped to present Rebelscum old timer and Facebook newbie Darren Mcaleese to the blog. Darren is a musician from Belfast and has been collecting for a hell of a long time. Anyone who has been on Rebelscum knows him to be not only one of the most entertaining individuals in the hobby but also to be an extremely informed and helpful collector. Forums like Rebelscum aren’t as busy as they used to be but it’s true believers like Darren who continue to give them their heart and soul.

While I chose to interview Darren based on what I knew of him as a contributor to Rebelscum, you will see clearly by the photos below that he also has one hell of a vintage collection!

To the questions!

1. How long have you been collecting?

I’ve been collecting again for the last 15 years……but in truth I never really stopped….Dormant….??…Sure….but as a first generation child of the OT did any of us really quit??..When we all got too old to play with our toys, grew up, started families and began careers, I’m pretty sure vintage SW was the last thing we all thought about.

A chance meeting with a childhood SW friend after 10 years changed all that. My Star Wars brother-in-arms – Andy, got me “in” to the hobby again by selling me a modern loose collection in 2000……and online around the time of the demise of the old newsgroups. He also egged me on when I bought my first MOC 12-back (Han Solo) Andy was one of the real pioneers. Like Gus (Lopez) and (Steve) Sansweet, he was collecting during the SW dark ages (buying Bend-ems and Model kits). He also predicted the rise of SW lego (who knew??).

2. What do you collect?

Oh dear…..

Dear oh dear…!! (deep breath).

I currently have nearly all my runs intact. 12-backs, 20-backs, ESB on ESB, full ROTJ run of all characters (79) with CLEAR bubbles (well 95%) and my beloved TRILOGO run. I’ve also dabbled in foreign (Takara, Harbert,Top Toys) and have every vehicle, playset, mini-rig etc either graded or MISB….80% of my MOC are graded too. I also have a loose collection with all the big variants….oh and a stack of TRI miscards!!!…..the odd proof…..

I have every production item released since POTF2 in the 3.75 inch scale….and all the new 6 inch scaled items.

Oh and lots of SW LEGO…..lots…..

VSWC: Okay brace your badselves for some photos…..

3. Whats your Grail?

It’s a difficult question…..because I have most of the things I “need”.

White caped Bib (Bib Fortuna) on Walrus Man MOC??
Bald headed Emperor??
Toltoys VCJ (Vinyl Caped Jawa) on ESB???

All these items, whilst incredibly cool, don’t have the “nostalgia” element I think I need to “quest” for that “Grail Piece”…..to me they are really rare big ticket “bragging rights” pieces out of reach to most collectors.

I recently landed a piece I’ve been “sort of” semi-seriously pursuing for five years. The special offer DV tie Fighter Hanger….that’s a great piece (or it will be when it arrives….I’m looking at you Bobby Sharp!!!!).

4. What collectors inspire you?

There’s a few…..Tim Eckholdt’s 2D run is just ridonkulous. My buddy Andy Davies has some great graded stuff…seriously top end stuff!!!…….Dave Tree….for giving so much to the hobby….and all those U.S. guys that were dumpster diving back in the day….for having the insight and slight clairvoyance to save the historical significance of our beloved toyline for future generations.

5. What’s your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

I was trying to come up with a witty anecdote to this….but as somebody kinda self-assured and usually unflappable….I was about to draw a blank….However…..at Celebration (Anaheim) I was sitting next to Tom (igrewupstarwars) Berges. I had no idea who the guy was (in person/real life) and blissfully made polite small talk throughout dinner (even though I knew all about his website etc.) It wasn’t until weeks later I put the puzzle together with a total D’OH!!! moment. IDIOT!!!

VSWC: Here’s photographic proof of the magic moment where Darren completely disrespected poor Tom, who looks just a little bit peeved…Poor Tom. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Lentz)

Oh and I almost deafened poor Chris G (Georgoulias) and Ron S (Salvatore) in the lobby bar at C7 (I really underestimated my volume!!….I can be quite loud sometimes….as my wife is ALWAYS telling me…..) sorry boys!!

VSWC: Darren hanging out with a deafened Chris and Mattias Rendhal at C7. How excited does he look to have picked up a copy of Mattias’ ‘A New Proof’!

6. What’s your favourite Star Wars film?

Sorry to be a cliche….ESB….the cliffhanger ending….the baddies being badass. Bounty hunters???….so much WIN.

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

The good guys are generally awesome. I’ve met some great people thanks to SW. From all walks of life, from all over the world.

But the crooks….I hate those guys. Having been “rooked” on both sides of the Atlantic by douchebag inc. Decadetoys Shaun and his UK equivalent rat bag Richard “twatface” Torres I feel qualified in my battled scarred veteran status (having been conned by both).

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

I’ve been on Facebook five mins. RS (Rebelscum) since 2002.

But I genuinely feel connected now that I’m doing FB as well.

And it’s a bit more personal on FB (methinks).

Both have their virtues….but forums such as RS are a civil, info based platform. FB more about quick thrills and staying in touch.

9. What Star Wars character do I most resemble?

Just asked the wife….she replied “Chewbacca……cos you are so hairy”.

…..Im gonna have to take that…..lol

10. Is there one thing collectors may not know about you?

Lol. Most know already. But for the uninitiated…..

I’m kinda a local celebrity/singer in Northern Ireland. I’ve been singing professionally for 25 years……

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kywut6kLGFw

Don’t laugh…it’s my job!!!

VSWC: Wow very cool Darren! Great song! I did google you before the interview and I found two people with your name on linkedin.com. One of them was a ‘Steel Erector’ in the UK, which I thought sounded a little bit naughty (we already know of one male gigolo on Rebelscum) and the other was a musician from Belfast. Well whether you are a pornstar or a musician they are both pretty cool jobs and are further examples of how eclectic our collecting community is and how untrue the stereotype is about nerdy vintage Star Wars collectors (well not completely untrue….). Jokes aside I have seen your music clips on RS before and was impressed. Thanks for coming onto the blog and thanks for continuing to entertain us with your unique take on the hobby!

Collector Snapshot #13 – Jake Stevens

Posted on July 1, 2015 by bobbybobs

I’m happy to present the thirteenth issue of our regular segment, where a vintage collector is given 10 short questions to answer. The same questions will also be given to the next collector appearing on the blog.

Next up is my friend Jake Stevens, a 38 years young Middle School History Teacher from Seattle, with former lives working for Disney Cruise Lines as an Entertainer and as an Analyst for Merrill Lynch. Or so he tells me…

I’ve been ‘online’ friends with Jake for over a year now so it was an absolute pleasure for my wife and I to finally meet him in person at the Archive Party at Celebration Anaheim last April. He definitely is as cool in person as he is online.

VSWC: Here’s Jake looking soulful. Or utterly bored. You guys choose….

VSWC: And this is us hanging out at C7. I swear Jake sent me this unsolicited when I asked for photos for this interview! I’m not trying to barge in on his moment!

Jake is a very busy man when it comes to the hobby we love. Not only does he collect both vintage and modern Star Wars but he is also heavily involved in the community networking side. I’m sure a lot of you have heard of the fantastic podcast, which he co-hosts alongside Tom Berges, Jason Luttrull, Chris Bortz and Ryan Beise. The Galaxy of Toys Podcast discusses Star Wars toys past, present and future. I’ve listened to a few episodes (the ones focussed on vintage) and sincerely the show is hilarious and the guys really know there stuff. I’m surprised this podcast doesn’t received more exposure in the vintage community. Get out there and start downloading it! Jake also hosts a show all about Star Wars comics called “Star Wars Spinner Rack”. I’m sure it’s just as awesome.

VSWC: Here’s Jake with Steve Sansweet and his co-hosts of the Galaxy of Toys Podcast at a 35mm screening of Return of the Jedi in 2013. From left to right – Tom Berges (igrewupstarwars.com), Steve Sansweet (Rancho Obi-Wan), Jason Luttrull (Galaxy of Toys Podcast), Jake, Chris Bortz (JediBusiness.com) and Ryan Beise (Star Wars: Collecting Cosmos Podcast).

If you thought the podcasts kept Jake busy, well he also is the founder of the website – From4-LOMtoZuckuss.com. This site is devoted exclusively to Star Wars action figures both vintage and modern. It is designed to be a place where collectors can find action figure resources, reviews, information, checklists, calendars, news, speculation, event coverage, photography, and more. Jake tells me that the site was borne of his passion for the hobby and wanting to do more with it a few years back when the action figure lines were really scaled back. It’s a one-man show yet he says he is lucky from time to time to have guest bloggers, reviewers, designers, interviewers and photo-novelist contribute. I myself am incredibly grateful that Jake’s site was one of the first to mention yours truly (in the collector resource section). Thanks again Jake!

To the questions!

1. How long have you been collecting?

I’m a lifelong collector. As a kid I was pretty spoiled even though we weren’t rich in any shape of the word but I still amassed a good 70% of my vintage collection as a kid. Like many, as Star Wars faded from the spotlight I became distracted with GI Joe, Transformers and other iconic 80s lines and didn’t dive fully back in until the early 90s. But since then it’s been steady.

2. What do you collect?

Like the majority of the readers of this fine blog, I collect vintage Star Wars action figures and toys. Now as someone who identifies as being a toy collector, I tend to focus on just collecting one of every loose figure and item from the actual toy line and do not dip into prototypes, first shots, hard copies or proofs. Now where I stand apart from many collectors here is that I also collect every modern Hasbro Star Wars action figure and accessory. I know it’s insane but I love collecting Star Wars action figures both vintage and modern and I think 10-year-old Jakey would be happy I was still in the game today

.VSWC: A vintage corner of Jake’s current collection.

.VSWC: A couple of photos from 1984 when Jake entered his collection in the local fair. This guy has some serious form as a vintage collector! Both photos provided by IGrewUpStarWars.com

3. What’s your grail?

I have the great luxury of living in Seattle and being involved in the collecting community here which has some of the most amazing vintage collectors in the world. A by-product of this is that just about every prototype, concept design, rocket-firing, canceled second wave, Glasslite exclusive, etc. can be seen monthly at various get-togethers. This allows me to live vicariously through my fellow collectors and thus fulfilling that Holy Grail hole.

4. What collectors inspire you?

Again living in Seattle provides all kinds of inspiration. My friends Gus Lopez, Vic Weirtz & Lisa Stevens do the most incredible things with the actual cases, wall mounts and displays they use to highlight their pieces. Others, like my friends and co-hosts, Tom Berges and Jason Luttrull have vintage collections that are very clean and accented by other vintage Star Wars lines and collectibles.

5. What is your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

A few years back, I was fascinated while listening to this collector’s story of an amazing find they had at an obscure collectible shop and attempted to ask him to tell his story for my site. I was sure collectors would love to hear about this Darth Vader themed discovery. I even wondered if this guy named Bill knows how cool this story really is. And then another fellow collector pointed out that this Bill goes by the surname of McBride and is the same Bill who is the proud owner of Sithtoys.com – The Darth Vader Toy Museum. Thankfully he’s such a top-notch guy he didn’t (nor would he ever to anyone) call me out on my ignorance.

VSWC: Check out Bill McBrides interview with us here:

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/collector-interview-2-bill-mcbride-dark-lord-of-the-sith/

6. What is your favourite Star Wars film?

The Empire Strikes Back! Which is probably why Bespin Luke is my all time favorite figure.

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

There can be a lot of negativity toward those who are either new to the hobby or do not share the same collecting focus. As someone who has a deep passion for this hobby it’s always difficult to see, hear or read comments that polarize, scrutinize and criticize collectors who like us all, just desire to collect movie toys and memorabilia. It may be the educator in me but I prefer to educate and inform those in the hobby over sullying it with antagonism. To this end, in addition to starting an action figure website, I and others from my collecting group have begun hosting panels at local comic cons about action figure collecting and the hobby in general.

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

Ten years ago, I spent loads of time in the forums of Rebelscum, StarWars.com and SirStevesGuide but today with two little kids, an involved teaching career, a website to run and a supportive wife I like to spend time with, I have found social media to be more conducive to my current pace of life.

9. What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

I would like to say I’m a cross between the wisdom of Old Ben and the wit and good looks of Han Solo but in reality I’m probably a beardless General Madine taking care of business in the cut scene.

General Madine presenting at the Emerald City Comicon

Jake giving it all he’s got in ROTJ

10. Is there one thing that collectors may not know about you?

Despite having somewhere in the vicinity of 3,500 Star Wars action figures and another couple thousand or so from other lines, I do not nor ever have used eBay. I enjoy playing the long game, networking with collectors, going on toy runs, perusing antique and collectible shops and inheriting other’s collections over time.

VSWC: Well thanks for joining us Jake and as always it was as absolute pleasure! Thank you for that big shot of positivity and a reminder of why we all love this hobby.

Collector Snapshot #12 – Jay Williams

Posted on May 18, 2015 by bobbybobs

I’m happy to present the twelfth issue of our regular segment, where a vintage collector is given 10 short questions to answer. The same questions will also be given to the next collector appearing on the blog.

Next up is my friend Jay Williams (Psybertech on most Star Wars forums), a 42 year old (he tells me he feels 52! Don’t we all!) from northern New Jersey, U.S. I met Jay (and his weird Scandinavian roommate) at Celebration Anaheim last month and I’m happy to report that he’s as easygoing and friendly as his online persona. I regret not hanging out more. Well there is always London 2016 🙂

Jay works on the technical side for an imaging and medical company and his job is to create web applications to connect different systems together for their field engineers and customers. He tells me that he doesn’t really have a fancy title other than simply being a jack of all trades and that he considers himself fortunate to do what he likes for a living.

This link might give away Jay’s answer to question two, but check out more about him and his focus at his great website:

http://leia.bespin.info/.

I love this page and it’s easy to see both Jay’s love for Bespin Leia and his IT skills shine through. Well done Jay!

To the questions!

1. How long have you been collecting?

I recently got into collecting as an adult in Dec. 2012 after my father dug up a decent set of 20 or so figures from the first 12 & next nine and some ESBs from my childhood in my grandparent’s basement. They were all near mint, like new, and I wanted to complete the first 12 immediately. Before I knew it I was out to complete the next nine and then ESB, ROTJ and POTF. My goals have been evolving and a constant moving target ever since. I never thought I’d be a collector and it all came at me completely out of the blue!

2. What do you collect?

At the moment it is hard to say really. Last year I completed the full Kenner run, but the biggest thing for me is a focus I have on Leia Bespin. I took to her at first for the very obvious variations of crew and turtle necks but quickly spiraled down the path of mould pairs, factories involved, licensees, packaging, and well, everything and anything I could research. All of that research has helped me get a better handle on the hobby as a whole. I now see variants of everything, everywhere!!!!

I also am digging my latest run called the “Gross MOC Run” which is the first 12 figures each on 1 of the various 12 major US card back releases (12, 20, 21, 31, 32, 41, 45, 47, 48, 65, 77 & 79). It is cool thing and has so many possible combinations that will help this run evolve over time.

VSWC: Ok here’s some eye candy, first up is Jay’s main display. She’s a beauty.

VSWC: Next batter up is a photo of Jay’s loose run.

VSWC: Jay calls this his “Duo Display”

VSWC: And here’s the “Gross Run” he was talking about

3. What’s your grail?

I’ve got three grails so far and on the hunt for more. I own three Leia Bespin proofs; a 31B, 45A Hand-Cut and a Revenge. Plus a very cool and unique SW-A Leia Bespin baggie. That’s right… an ESB figure in a SW baggie!

Beyond those, I am looking out for any true pre-production Leia Bespin pieces like a first shot or carded mock-up. They are all up there for my top wanted grails. But any cool pre-production piece, Leia Bespin or otherwise, will be awesome to add. 🙂

VSWC: Jay’s grails: (31B Proof, 45A Hand Cut Proof, Revenge 48 Proof & a SW-A Baggie (1 of 2 known)

VSWC: One of Jay’s favorite pieces to finish off the photo gallery – Takara Transforming X-Wing

4. What collectors inspire you?

A lot actually, but there are two that started me down my research path/rabbit hole. Alex (General Khan) and Wolff (wbobafett). When I first saw two massively different Leia Bespins in my hands, I was trying to find information on her and stumbled across Alex’s Luke Bespin Limelight and Research topic on The Imperial Gunnery forums and my jaw dropped. What the hell was all this???? He documented not just hair and paint, but COO stamps, company origins, blaster and lightsaber variants, what accessory could be confirmed with a specific Luke, cardbacks, MOCS, baggies and man, that was more than my brain could handle at that time!!!

My OCD finally met its match and puked!

Next, I quickly found Wolff’s site and my jaw proceeded to punch a hole through my floor! This was widely spread through the figures and I had to know (and OWN) more!

My collecting had just found a direction!

Thanks Alex and Wolff!!! Who knows if I would have stuck with collecting if I wasn’t inspired like I was.

Same goes to every other variant collector who helps the hobby with discussion and documentation! (Kenneth, Lee, Marco, Patrick and so many more!)

Thank you all!

VSWC: Check our full length interview with Alex here:

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/collector-interview-1-alexander-magraw-the-beard-behind-that-luke-bespin-limelight/

And with Wollf here:

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/collector-interview-4-wolff-aka-wbobafett/

5. What is your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

All of my early posts. 🙁 I had the same questions you see on every forum out there. YUK.

Is this a real DT? Is this rare? Why is the COO like this? I think I discovered something!! Jeesh… so many posts that make me cringe when I was very green. Shit, I still make some boneheaded comments. :/

6. What is your favourite Star Wars film?

The Empire Strikes Back!!! Bad guys winning, Boba Fett, incest and the Skywalker’s plot thickening… man, such a great movie!

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

That is a tough one. I guess two things come to mind….

I’d encourage folks on Facebook that aren’t on forums to sign up and start posting on forums more. Forums are like an encyclopedia of sorts and so much more manageable for searching long term.

I’d also love if there was some Artificial Intelligence involved in posts to automatically get rid of dickheads.

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

See #7…. but………. Forums, forums, forums. Forums for anything serious. That said, I just really started getting involved with Facebook and while it can be fun, it is total chaos and unsearchable mostly. It has it’s place to help expose the masses to some things, but I would love for the serious FB’ers to join up on the forums and get involved. There is just so much blatantly wrong information floating around. Get your feet wet on FB and if you’re serious, we’ll see ya on the forums at some point I hope. No offense to full time FB’ers! I get it. People like FB. I like it too for some things for sure. But at the end of the day, meat and potatoes are what forums are. The hobby would benefit greatly if more people could contribute to the hobby in this manner.

9. What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

In ROTJ at the Emperor’s arrival, the Stormtrooper in the 4th row, 6th to the right. 😛

10. Is there one thing that collectors may not know about you?

Let’s see… I love drinking beer! Wait!… people know this already. I love hockey and the NY Rangers. Wait, people know this too. I like RC cars and crawlers. Damn, I’ve said that before. I’m a PC techie…. damn, I’ve mentioned that before. Damn, I guess I share too much. 😛 Wait, I have a soft spot for Yoda… crap… said that before too! hahaha

OK… one thing I guess, I am a HUGE Forza Motorsport fan! I love running laps over and over and over and over and…….. Name a car and a track and a lap time and I will destroy you!

VSWC: Well thanks Jay for joining us on the VSWC blog. As always it has been an absolute pleasure!

Collector Interview #6: Joe Yglesias – Bootleg Overlord

Posted on April 13, 2015 by bobbybobs

I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Mr Bootleg himself onto the blog. Yes that’s right, the one and only Joe Yglesias is joining us to share his thoughts on SW vintage collecting and also to give us a peek into his world. Massive thanks to him for sharing his time with us.

Joe is an absolutely legend of the Star Wars vintage collecting world and is arguably the most knowledgeable bootleg collector in the world. So you can understand how happy I am to have him on. Not only that, but he is a great guy. Everyone knows about my no ars*hole policy with the blog (yours truly being the one exception of course!). When I first joined Rebelscum, I kept hearing about this scary guy ‘Joseph Y’ who would smack down arrogant and ignorant collectors or wannabe scammers. Although I joke about Joe being a tough guy, he is actually very approachable and is always on hand to lend advice to other collectors or to help educate others to some of the dangers to our hobby (i.e. repros, scammers and u-grades). He is as vocal as they come and this interview is a testament to that.

Joe also tells me that he’s currently drafting a book about bootlegs, and that while it’s had some set backs it will be ready to hit the press by Celebration 8. A kickstarter will also be launched soon to help pay for the graphic design/photo editing and publication. Good luck and can’t wait to see the book!

Now to the interview!

1. Joe I have to ask you straight off the bat – are you really as scary in person as you seem in your photos?

Joe: I’m a fairly soft spoken, and easy to get along with person, if you’ve heard any of the earlier Chivecasts where I had a monthly bootleg segment (still not sure why they stopped having me do that, it was fun), my speaking voice certainly doesn’t match what you’d expect me to sound like. As for me being scary in photos?I can’t help having been born with this ruggedly handsome face(lol), and while I might have some fun messing with trolls online, that buy into me seeming “mean or scary” I’m just another collector, I can be the most helpful person in the hobby in the areas that I’ve knowledge in, or the biggest jerk, all depending on how one approaches me. But overall I’m a pretty mellow person. I can get a bit aggressive when a piece I want comes up for sale, but that’s just the hyper competitiveness of the bootleg segment of the hobby kicking in.

VSWC: I did hear your segment on the CHIVE Cast (see our past interview with the hosts Skye and Steve here – http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/collector-interview-3-steve-danley-and-skye-paine-from-the-chive-cast/) a few times and I really enjoyed it. I have crossed paths with you quite a lot in the Star Wars collecting groups and can confirm that you are a very helpful collector and an easy-going guy, unless someone messes with you of course!

2. Before we get in to the collecting side of this interview, I’m sure our audience would love to know a bit about you. Where did you grow up?

Joe: I was born and raised in Cranston and Providence, Rhode Island. I currently live in Cranston RI.

VSWC: What was it like living there?

Joe: The neighborhood I grew up in was a working class neighborhood, I had my share of friends that were also into playing with Star Wars toys, reading comic books, riding BMX bikes, and a few years later playing video games like Atari 2600, and just the general things kids do. Because none of the kids on my street had “rich” parents, and no one had “everything” we’d usually merge our toys for bigger battles. Overall I’d say I enjoyed my childhood, still am on many levels.

VSWC: Sounds like a cool bunch of neighbourhood kids to hang out with. The kids in my street used to steal my toys lol!

3. When I interview collectors, I usually have to do quite a bit of background research to collate some info on the interviewee. We’re Facebook friends though and to be honest your non-Star Wars passions in life really shine through. Am I correct in saying that you are a huge comic book fan and collector, involved in the tattoo and body piercing industry and play in a band?

Joe: Comic books were part of my life since before Star Wars ever existed. I’ve been reading them since I was four or five years old. There was a news stand in the supermarket that my parents shopped at when I was a child. I have great memories, of my parents giving me .50 or .75 cents and me going thru every comic on the racks to decide what I wanted, and being able to get two or three comics just about every time we went there. As an adult collector, I’ve ebbed and flowed in my comic collecting over the years. Stopping for long times, then building right back up. I sold off my original collection at age 18 to buy a car, then bought a few collections from others after that and started to vend at comic shows while in college, and that’s actually when the adult Star Wars collecting began for me. I bought a loose collection of SW figs and vehicles along with a comic collection, and kept them….the rest is history. I also collect many other toys I either had or wanted but never got as a child. Such as Mego Super Hero figures, Six Million Dollar Man, Shogun Warriors, Evel Kneivel etc. But over the years Star Wars has won out every time. My other hobbies include collecting vintage BMX bikes, rare punk rock records, playing in my band and DJing. As for my involvement in the body piercing industry, I’ve been a professional piercer for over 23 years, owned my own shop(s) for the past 16 years. I pride myself on both the quality of jewelry that I sell and install, and the level of cleanliness used in my facility. I worked with my local department of health to write the regulations that RI uses for the licensing of piercing facilities and piercing technicians,and still operate at a standard higher than what they finally passed into law. My involvement in music stems from being an awkward teenager, and finding Punk Rock (with a little help from my brothers Ramones and Iggy Pop records), long before it could be just looked up on the internet or found in the local mall. Going to my first Punk rock show in 1985 changed my life. I found where I belonged and while I certainly enjoy many other forms of music, and have DJed many genres of music over the years (everything from Rockabilly, to 80s New Wave, to Gothrock, to Neo Folk and everything possible in between), Punk and Oi! music have always been what makes the most sense to me. My band ‘The Usual Suspects’, is just an extension of that. I try to write songs that I’d want to hear as a fan.

VSWC: Joe just before hitting the stage to belt out a tune.

VSWC: Wow you are a busy man but sounds like you are having a lot of fun. Funnily enough I’ve actually heard one of your band’s tracks – ‘Brick thru a window’. Skye and Steve used to play it on their podcast. Very cool song! Hope you don’t me sharing this link to you guys playing it live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc5x_j6VMNM

4. What would you be up to on a typical Saturday night?

Joe: Usually I’d be working on a typical Saturday, from noon til 10pm. After which more often than not I’d be tired and just go home, watch some TV, eat dinner and go to bed. But of course if there were a band playing that I wanted to see, I’d go do that after work (which doesn’t just apply to Sat night). On the Saturdays that my band is playing somewhere I typically have my other piercer cover the shop for me, and go have fun for the day. Sorry that this answer wasn’t “alcohol fueled benders” as many would likely presume. Don’t get me wrong….those happen too, once in a rare while, but that’s not a “typical” saturday night for me…lol

VSWC: Joe are you sure these benders don’t happen often?

5. So how old were you when you first saw Star Wars?

Joe: I was seven years old when Star Wars hit the theaters. Thanks to my father being a big SW fan himself, I got to see it quite a few times in the theater. He also spoiled me as much as the family budget would allow when it came to the toys.

6. What’s your first memory of seeing a Star Wars figure?

Joe: I got the EB (Early Bird) envelope, and a “Force Beam” or similar bootleg light saber as part of my Xmas present in 1977. While still waiting for the EB kit to arrive, Child World (a now defunct toy store chain) got figures in. Seeing the wall of them is my first memory of physically seeing SW figures as a child. I believe my father bought me a Ben and Vader that day.

At one point a childhood friend got a wind up R2D2, I believe his family went to Niagra Falls on vacation and crossed into Canada, which knowing now what I know about the piece, makes sense, but anyway, my father saw this toy, and literally drove to every toy store, small and large that he could, trying to find a wind up R2. I’m not sure if he wanted it more for himself or me at some point. But that sticks out as a very vivid memory of my dad’s enjoyment of Star Wars. He kept at it looking everywhere for about a month then gave up once he realized it wasn’t going to be found. As an adult collector, when the chance to buy a carded Canadian wind up R2 came up, I jumped at it. I still have it, despite having sold most of my non US stuff, it would be the last piece that I’d part with if I ever sold up and got rid of everything, as it serves as a reminder of how much he was a part of why I got to enjoy the Star Wars toy line as much as I did as a child.

VSWC: Great story Joe! What a cool dad. So do you still have any of your childhood figures?

Joe: No, sadly, all of my childhood figures went the way of being played with and lost. But had I been more careful with them, I likely wouldn’t have enjoyed them as much,and gotten as heavily back into collecting them as an adult, and we wouldn’t be having this interview.

7. How long ago did you start collecting Star Wars figures in earnest and what did you first collect?

Joe: I started collecting around 25 years ago, it started as most do, with nostalgia for the toys of my youth. I started with some loose figures that I picked up in a collection with some comics, then bought more loose figures to try and complete the loose “set” and then as time, and both my knowledge and income went up, I switched to carded, and boxed items. At the time non US items were selling for a fraction of what their US counterparts were fetching, so I often bought non US carded figures, partially because at the time they were cheaper, but also because the logos were cool looking in contrast to the US Kenner equivalent.

VSWC: Now I know you’ve sold off a lot of your licenced figures but do you still have much of your carded collection left?

Joe: The only bits of my carded collection that I have left is my 12A set, my 20 and 21bks, my Takara 8″ figures, and my as mentioned above, carded Canadian wind up R2.

8. Before we get to your love of bootlegs, do you mind giving our readers a brief rundown of what exactly defines a Star Wars collectible as a ‘bootleg’?

Joe: A bootleg is any mass produced (as in made in a factory) unlicensed item that directly is made to look like the character from whichever licensed toy line that it’s ripping off. Examples being, Uzay figures, Model Trem figures.

VSWC: An example of an Uzay, followed by a Model Trem. A tiny sample from Joe’s enormous bootleg collection of these lines.

VSWC: Oh and the rest of Joe’s Model Trems. Might as well…

A knock off, is also a factory/company made item that’s made to closely resemble an item from a licensed toy line. Enough so that it reminds you of the character, but far enough away so as to avoid direct copyright infringement. Good examples being Arco Spacewar figures, or Tomland Star Raiders.

VSWC: Here’s a couple of Arco Spacewar toys from Joe’s collection to give you a taste of what some of these knock-offs look like.

9. So what’s the earliest known bootleg and at what point did bootlegs become ‘modern’ bootlegs?

Joe: Earliest known knock off items would be pieces like the Force Beam, and the dozens of other light saber toys that littered the shelves before Kenner product became available, I also believe that these little statues called Star Warts, were on the shelves before Kenner SW toys. Some of the Timmee toys space figures w. a SW like header card were out there and the Arco SpaceWar figures were VERY close in timing to the Kenner toys hitting the shelves. Earliest direct bootlegs would include some of the rarer Mexican pieces. The “Heritage” metal figure sets, and from what has been said, the Dutch/German bootlegs were available before Kenner items in Germany. As far as the cut off for what’s considered a vintage bootleg, that’s such a grey area, as the movies didn’t get “legally” shown in some countries until the mid to late 80s, so while Kenner stopped in 85, other countries bootleg lines ran well into the early 90s, with the vintage Mex/SA (semi-articulated) line was still being sold in Mexico in marketplaces to be used as toys, with different variants even after POTF2 came out, some even packaged w. POTF2 headers/backers. Modern bootlegs started the second that POF2 came out, heck likely even before, I’ve got some non vintage based pieces that may have been made in the years between vintage and POF2 era. Once again, as said before that early to late 90s line of what to classify where is very grey. That said, bootlegs made in the modern era, in many cases mirror their licensed counterparts very closely. The lines that stand out are few and far between. Still fun to collect, but with the current world, licensed items were likely in abundance in most of the places where these items were also available.

VSWC: Wow I feel ten times smarter after reading that rundown. I guess that’s why you are considered the go-to-man for bootlegs. I was always curious why some of the vintage bootlegs lines were producing bootlegs so late in the game but I guess that answers it.

And here are some of Joe’s modern bootlegs.

10. Now I know one of your bugbears relates to some collectors insisting that bootlegs and reproductions are essentially the same thing. What is the actual difference?

Joe: Legally and in general terms, to someone outside of the hobby, or someone without much knowledge of the world during the vintage era, they could be considered the same, as both are unauthorized and both do/did breach copyright laws….. BUT….. intent and hobby accepted definitions make them FAR different. Vintage era bootlegs were made to be played with as toys by children that were in countries where the licensed items were either unable to be legally imported, such as, Hungary, Poland and Russia, which thanks to trade embargos, had no legal imported SW items, and the few items that were illegally imported, were inflated beyond belief. Or third world countries, where even if the licensed item were available they were beyond many peoples means to buy as toys for their children to play with, so bootlegs flourished as the worldwide influence of SW had everyone everywhere, wanting something from that galaxy far, far away… Repros are made for the collector market, made to fool people, and in many cases defraud them into believing that they are original weapons or carded figures, etc, and since collecting is a first world luxury, regardless of where you live, if you have the disposable income to collect vintage SW, you can save that disposable money, and buy the real thing. Even the stuff that’s marked as repro somewhere on it, unless the markings are huge, the marking can be obscured and sold as original to an unknowing buyer. Bluntly stated: In general repros are made for people too cheap to buy the real thing. IF the repro weapon makers started making their weapons in colors that Kenner never made them in, that would be a great solution for those that want to give beater vintage figs to their kids, and still have weapons for them to play with.

VSWC: Well said Joe. So do you think the recent coordinated action undertaken by various Facebook Star Wars vintage groups (see here – http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/the-day-facebook-groups-united-under-the-same-banner/) will have any affect on the presence of repros in our hobby?

Joe: I think that it will hopefully educate people on the potential pitfalls of repro items, and make them think twice about what they want to collect. I will also put a nice dividing line up between people that collect vintage, and people that just want something that looks vintage.

11. I’ve been looking forward to this next question since you first agreed to come onto the blog. How the hell did you get into bootlegs?

Joe: It all started at a toy show in Auburn Mass. in 94/95, I was set up next to a collector named Paul Levesque (not the WWE wrestler) but Paul was an early contributor to the Archive, was active on the Usenet groups, and had his own site, which is long defunct called POF2.com which had comical situations w. figures, an idea stolen by Toy Fare magazine, and expanded on by Robot Chicken…. IMO…… Anyway, Paul had these odd looking figures, that piqued my interest. At that show I ended up buying my first four bootleg figures, a carded Hungarian Leia and Wicket, and two Polish unarticulated figures, Luke and Barada. The dealer across from us had two carded Uzay figures and one Polish first generation carded figure. They also caught my interest, but I didn’t have the $ to spare that show. The same venue the following month, from the same dealer, a known East Coast seller at the time, by the name of Art Liew, I purchased my first Uzay figure, a carded Imperial Gunner that day, and then at the next month’s show, I bought my carded Blue Stars and first generation Fett from him. From that point on, I was buying bootlegs as a part of my collecting, not my main focus as I was all over the place. I finished many goals in my time collecting licensed items. I finished a first 79 set all on premier cardback, a full set of POTF(85), a full set of Ledy 12″ dolls boxed, a full set of Trilogo carded, and a huge variety of non US licensed items, including at one point, a full set of Palitoy and Takara 12bks, and the majority of each 12bk set from around the world including Clipper, Harbert, and GDE/Canadian 12bks.

While I was collecting all of these other licensed items, I was always buying bootlegs here and there, and my interest would ebb and flow, for a few months, I’d concentrate on my Trilogos, then I’d switch over and work on my non US 12bks, or another facet of my SW collection.

VSWC: A past limelight of Joe’s production pieces at the time. Yep, he knows a bit more about vintage than simply bootlegs.

VSWC: Wow what a collection! Most collectors can only dream about obtaining these full sets. So at what point did it become your collecting focus?

Joe: Bootlegs were slowly taking over my collecting time and money from the late 90s on, they became my main focus in the early 2000’s but as said, I also was still collecting licensed non US items and even modern prototypes.

While I was certainly more into my bootlegs than any other part of my collection, and was known as the bootleg guy already, I didn’t shift my focus entirely towards them until after May 22, 2006 when my piercing shop burned to the ground, my insurance screwed me and the restaurant that started the fires insurance money all went to the state (who also sued them), and the owners claimed bankruptcy, so I got nothing to make up for over $100k in jewelry and equipment,and about 30k a month in lost revenue. . I sold off a huge chunk of my comic collection as well as most of my record collection to get the new space ready to work in, and thanks to the fine folks at Industrial Strength body Jewelry, who sent me a care package of basics to get me up and running. It’s a shame that “crowd funding sites” didn’t exist then, I could have likely rebuilt w.o having to sell my stuff, but…anyway, I’ve kept going. Unfortunately my income level has never gotten back to where it previously was, so I had to make decisions on what mattered most and what I could part with as time went on, and when rare bootlegs came up, what I could sell to pay for them. The bootlegs have always won. I’ve since sold off most of my licensed collection,including most of my prototypes, and have only kept 77-79 items with the SW logo(first 21 carded, 12″ doll set, and vehicles/playsets etc), as those were the most important to me when it comes to licensed items, as they had the most nostalgia attached to them. There are less than a dozen licensed items that I currently really want, all, other than 2 store displays, are easily available, but bootlegs are more important to me, so any expendable income gets socked away for the eventuality of a grail bootleg piece coming onto the marketplace.

VSWC: Terrible story and I’m really sorry about what happened to your store. But it’s kind of poetic in a sense though that your SW collection help fund your new enterprise. Must have been heartbreaking to sell them though. Can you give us some examples of the prototypes you had to sell off?

Joe: For prototypes, I’ve sold off a nice vintage Klaatu Skiff hardcopy, unproduced Leia Arctic doll, some vintage signed sample pieces my (formerly my) unproduced Salacious Crumb plush proto (that one hurt the most to part with), and literally, dozens of modern HCs, over 100 first shots, the unproduced Power Sparks hard copy and test shot vehicles, I at one point had an entire room of prototypes….all gone.

13. So any idea how many pieces you currently have in your collection?

Joe: If we’re counting both vintage and modern bootleg toys, as well as unlicensed non toy items, easily over 10,000 pieces of unlicensed SW merchandise

VSWC: Here’s a large selection of photos of Joe’s collection that have not already been shown in the interview. Yes, wow! I have to add that these photos are not updated, his collection is even more awesome these days.

14. What’s your favourite line of bootlegs?

Joe: Overall Uzay, they’re simply the best made line of bootlegs out there. The card art is what got me addicted to bootlegs. While other lines may be harder to finish, the Uzay line is everything that’s fun about collecting bootlegs.

VSWC: Joe’s insane Uzay collection.

VSWC: The cardback art on the Uzays is fantastic! My favourite is the Imperial Gunner manning the calculator!

Here’s Joe’s example.

15. What key bootlegs are you still chasing down?

Joe: Well, there’s a loose black plastic first generation Polish Leia that I was screwed out of, and another example has yet to surface, that’d be a nice one to get. Of course any and all second and third generation Polish articulated figures on card, so I can eventually complete those sets too. Other than that, the last couple of Mex/SA figures I’d need to have one of each character made, a couple of Uzay variants, both carded and loose. The last five Imai Star Command minis that I need to finish my set, the last two Arii Space Convoy R2s that I need, and a few other Japanese bootlegs that hopefully with time and patience will end up in my collection. Those as well as a few things I’m not going to mention, as it’d only get those that want to shut down the bootleg tractor beam to hunt for them harder.

16. Do you think you’ll ever change your collecting focus?

Joe: Not unless I get out of the Star Wars hobby all together. The hunt for the bootlegs is still fun and exciting most of the time, and all of the other parts of the hobby that I have interest in are sewn up IMO. I could never get to the level I’d want to be at collecting other SW stuff that interests me at this stage in the game, the kingpins of those segments of the hobby are firmly entrenched, and I’d much rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven.

17. What would you say is the bootleg line most difficult to find?

Joe: Polish articulated on card, any generation. It took me nearly 17 years to put together a full set of carded Polish first generation articulated figures. That’s 20 figures…. I got to 11 of them, and it was like it’d hit a brick wall, I had been offering three and four times any previous known sale for them, none came up. Then all at once, between an auction for three that was at Morphys Auction house in PA, and my friend, James Gallo coming across some in a collection he bought, all of the ones I needed to finish my set were available. I scurried to sell off as much stuff as possible as fast as possible (which meant selling off items I normally would have kept) including my entire R2-D2 prototype collection (to Mike Ritter of course) and my loose Vlix, to Yehuda. Not to mention two of my best friends in the hobby, Mike Vogt, and Daren Wilde, letting me borrow some money, to make sure that there was no way on the face of the earth that I’d be leaving PA without my first generation set being complete. Still can’t thank them enough.

VSWC: Here’s Joe’s completed Polish first generation set, flanked by some second and third generation carded, including an ultra rare black Polish HothTrooper

VSWC: Another cool story. Nice to see collectors helping each other out. Does this happen much in the bootleg world?

Joe: There are lots of times when real friends help one another out in the bootleg community, I’m at the point where I know who my real friends are, they’ve helped me many times, and I’ve tried to help them when I can. I also know who’s out to roadblock me every chance they get. Due to the rarity of many of the items, there’s also a certain level of hyper-competitiveness in the bootleg community as well.

18. Do you have many pre-production bootleg items?

Joe: Yes, I have the steel injection molds that were used to make the Uzay figures. I have all but four of them. At one point I owned them all, but hit some financial hurdles last year, and regrettably sold off some of them to trusted friends, that I know would never use them to make repros. I would eventually like to figure out a way to buy them back from those friends, to make my set complete again, time will tell. Other pre production items that I own include steel injection molds for two Polish figures (Leia and Hoth Stormtrooper), and two mock up cards, one with three HC figures in the packaging, for the Arco Spacewar line, the steel mold for the head of a 12″ Mexican Vader figure, a full set of Polish 2nd gen figures, on sprues, unassembled and unpainted, as well as an Uzay AT-AT Driver un assembled and unpainted. I also have the proofs and color separations for the Space Warriors puzzles from Colorforms, the figures in the puzzles are not SW in any way, but the font for the logo is unmistakably Star Wars.

VSWC: Check out the moulds for the Uzays.

VSWC: Here’s an example of Joe’s Colorforms proofs.

19. Considering how poorly some of these bootlegs are made, what’s to stop someone sourcing an old bootleg mould and then punching out their own? Could you tell the difference? Has it been attempted before?

Joe: There have been people that made fake lines of bootlegs, including a scumbag named Mario, aka FX master. He made these fake “Dutch” bootlegs, they still pop up on Ebay from time to time. They’re recast and repainted Kenner figures. Also another scammer named Pablo Artesi created an all white rubber set of bootlegs, as well as the PPL line which is attributed to him (he also made fake Top Toys protos and carded pieces, which were a licensed line). His worst fraud were a bunch of fake Model Trem figures, which in pictures can typically pass muster, but in person there are several tell tale signs that they are fakes.

Currently there is a batch of figures coming out of Mexico that are recasts of a very early bootleg line and need to be avoided, as they’re just being made to fool the collector market. There’s an articulated Greedo and Chewie in this line, and they have been seen in colors that almost match the vintage versions, as well as clear plastics. The tell tale signs of them being fake is obvious when next to an example of the real thing, as well as some other factors, which I don’t want to give to the fakers, so that they can make their product look closer. Also from the same sellers are fake static (solid figure, unarticulated) Gam. Guards and Jawas, in a variety of plastics.

VSWC: Gee that’s unfortunate. Actually I remember now that I read about Artesi on Rebelscum. Didn’t he allegedly die and then come back to life or something like that?

Joe: Yep like all “good” scammers, he faked his own death, only to come back a few months later using his wife’s Ebay account and selling more fake items.

20. I’m a big bootleg fan myself and I know a few collectors who are into them but I’ve heard several people comment that they are not as popular as they used to be. Is there any truth to this?

Joe: I think that all parts of the hobby ebb and flow when it comes to popularity. Proof cards will be hot for six mo’s then cool off, then it’ll go to POTF coins for a few months. Currently 12bks and non US licensed items are the hot spot. That’ll change and maybe displays will be next? One factor in the cooling off of the bootleg segment of the hobby is lack of presence on forums. I’ve stopped posting for the most part on the two forums that I’m a member of (not intentionally, just been spending too much time on FB), and the third and largest forum, thanks to their owner and I having a disagreement to put it nicely, I can’t openly post on that forum, which I think definitely hinders the exposure that bootlegs get.

VSWC: I can tell you now that you are definitely missed on that forum! As I touched upon earlier, when I first joined up a couple of years ago I saw members openly lamenting you not being around anymore to keep troublemakers and scammers in line!

21. Who would you say are the other major bootleg collectors?

Joe: I’d say that the closest to me in quantity and quality would be Daren Wilde, after him, Shuichi from Japan has a massive bootleg collection, Michael Vogt, Steven Weimer, Martijn Emmelot, Mete Akin,Trevor Wencl, Jason Edge, Wolff, Dylan Leong, Seth Delpha, Patsy Pedicini, Cristian Guana, Horacio, Jakub, and I’m sure I’m forgetting quite a few others that I haven’t talked to in a while as well as some up and coming collectors that I haven’t seen the spectrum of what they have well enough to tell. As well as some focus collectors that have massive amounts of bootlegs of just one character…..

VSWC: I’ve heard stories about collectors travelling to Eastern Europe back in the early days of bootleg collecting and bringing a massive amount of bootlegs back to North America. Were any of the above guys involved in those expeditions?

Joe: None of the current bootleg collectors were involved in those expeditions. The two main people behind those trips were Lenny Lee (Lee’s AFN magazine) and Lev (owner of Toy Tokyo). Neither of them have anything left from their adventures, I got most of Lenny’s Uzays when he brokered them thru Tom Derby in the late 90s, and he just recently sold his last piece, a carded Polish first generation Fett, that I’d been working on getting for a while, to a friend of mine (Mike Vogt) that I passed the deal on to once my set was finished, as it was one of his grail pieces.

22. Do collectors from a particular continent dominate bootleg collecting or are they spread around the globe?

Joe: Definitely spread around the globe, just in my list above, we have collectors from the US, Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, Mexico, Poland and The Netherlands. There are a few bootleg collectors in Australia, they have just as diverse of an audience location wise, as licensed items IMO.

23. In what ways are you involved in the social networking side of bootleg collectors?

Joe: I run the bootleg and knock off collectors page on Facebook, I answer easily a dozen questions a week sent to me via PM and email about bootlegs, I also run a bootleg SW toy site (still being built but is live) www.theouterrealmsw.com. I need to make myself more visible again on TIG and SWFUK as they’re both great forums.

24. Do you often get the chance to meet other collectors face to face?

Joe: Not as often as I’d like. I have many friends in the hobby worldwide. I’ve traveled a lot to hang out with my collecting friends, bootleg and non bootleg collectors. Just this past weekend, Yehuda K, a great friend, and collector in NY had a get together at his house, I drove part way, and met up with Micro Rob AKA Rob Amantea, and rode with him for the 2nd half of the drive. It was a great time, hanging out with friends from the NY and CT area, seeing how his display room looks, coveting some items that he has, getting display ideas for when I revamp “Mos Yglesias, the most wretched hive of product piracy” in a few months.

25. I wouldn’t be carrying out due diligence if I didn’t ask you about the Action Figure Authority (AFA). I know you’ve had a lot to say about them in the past. What are your general ideas about their place in our hobby?

Joe: My personal opinion of them is that I will never use them until they banish the U grade and add effective bubble protection to their cases. SW collecting is the only hobby that encourages people to remove an item from it’s original packaging, only to be repackaged in acrylic, creating an artificial collectable. Beyond that as mentioned before, I feel that they need to step things up on their bubble protection, for carded figures, as SW items age, the bubbles become more brittle, and we’re seeing more and more shipping damage with these bubbles not being secure or buffered.

26. Do they have much of a role in relation to the grading and authentication of bootlegs?

Joe: Authentication is done by CIB, and when they have had bootleg related questions in the past, they’ve called me and I’ve gladly helped Tom out. As for grading bootlegs, personally I see no use for it.

27. Do you think they should be liable for the Toy Toni’s they incorrectly authenticated? (read here for more info on the Toy Toni scandal – http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/toy-toni-scandal-featured-on-bbc1-in-the-uk/)

Joe: While I don’t believe that they should be fully responsible, as they were fooled too, IMO they do have some level of culpability, after all they refer to themselves as an “authority”

28. Did you personally get stung by the Toy Toni fiasco?

Joe: I had sold three figures that were TT (Toy Toni) pieces, years before, and when all the news came out, I found the emails of all three buyers on those pieces and offered to buy them back, and only one of the three replied, and said that he was fine with the piece as it was. I got stuck with a TT Fett, which I sold with full disclosure, to someone I trust not to move it off w.o also disclosing. And recently, I was buying a collection to flip, and this guy hadn’t collected since the early 2000s had 2 TTs in his stuff. One I sold with full disclosure, the other I still have.

29. I’ll finish off with a few random questions. Firstly, if you could change one thing about this hobby what would it be?

Joe: Fewer bootleg collectors……..LOL Seriously….. collectors educating themselves on what to look for in real vs not real on items, and not just relying on third party grading to tell them that they have a nice item.

30. What do you think will happen to the hobby once the current crop of collectors, the generation who actually collected the figures as kids, pass on? Will the hobby keep going or will it die out with us?

Joe: I think the hobby will continue, while the nay-sayers compare it to the Vintage GI Joe (12″) market as how there are tons of formerly rare pieces out there and selling for a fraction of what they did at their peak, I see Star Wars collecting maturing more along the lines of the comic book market. There may be lulls as it solidifies but overall I see a strong future for vintage SW items, as long as they don’t all break thru the bubbles in shipping….

31. Will you be at Celebration Anaheim?

Joe: Yes I will be, I’ll be doing a panel with Ron Salvatore, and John Alvarez on Worldwide SW collectable oddities (my segment will be mostly bootlegs).

VSWC: Now that is a presentation I will not be missing! Do you think you’ll set up a sales booth as well?

Joe: No, I won’t be set up at a booth, I will however be bringing stuff to sell during the room sales that happen after convention hours.

32. You’re pretty active on both the forums and Facebook. Do you have a preference?

Joe: Currently Facebook, as when I don’t want to hear the same questions asked a million times, I can just hide in the specialized groups for international collecting and my bootleg group. If I feel like engaging a wider audience, I can go to the main vintage group. But that said, I really need to get back to being on the forums more.

33. Final question! So looking back on all the years you’ve collected and all the collectibles that have come and gone from your hands, do you think you can answer this timeless question – why the hell do you collect Star Wars vintage figures?

Joe: It’s cheaper than drugs and whores. Serious answer: partially nostalgia (the licensed stuff) and partially due to the history and cheese factor of the bootleg toys, seeing just how far SW affected the world and how far the bootleggers would go to both make their money and give the children of these countries something SW to enjoy…. And lastly because the hunt for some of these pieces that I’m still missing keeps me awake at night. It’s truly an addiction on some levels.

VSWC: Well that’s the wrap. Thank you Joe for coming onto the blog and sharing your collecting adventures with us. I doubt there is a more colourful collector than you and I had a great time conducting this interview! Thanks for letting me pick your brain. See you in Anaheim!

Collector Snapshot #11 – Moises Rodriguez Curiel

Posted on April 10, 2015 by bobbybobs

Welcome to the eleventh installment of our regular segment, where a vintage collector is given 10 short questions to answer. The same questions will be given to the next collector appearing on the blog.

Today’s participant is Moises Rodriguez Curiel, who is 38 years old and lives in Mexico City, where he works at a government agency dedicated to anti-corruption. Moises is also the founder of the largest Star Wars Facebook group for Spanish speakers – Star Wars Collecionistas / Collectors. I often share my blog articles in this group and I have to thank everyone there for their positive feedback and for putting up with my spam! They all seem like a great bunch of guys and I hope they don’t have the same dramas we have in the English-speaking groups! Well done to Moises and to the other admins for their great work there.

I’m lucky to have gotten to know Moises over the past six months or so and I’m impressed by his dedication to the hobby and to the collectors who make our hobby what it is. Not only that, but he has an outstanding collection! So thanks Moises for coming on and see you in Anaheim!

VSWC: And I’ll share an extra photo of Moises, for no other reason except that his wife is hot!

To the interview!

1. How long have you been collecting?

Ten years now.

I’ve never really stopped buying items from the saga since I’ve made my own money, but until ten years ago, those were casual purchases, not as a collector.

2. What do you collect?

Vintage toys carded or boxed. I also like Kotobukiya ArtFX 1/10 statues… a lot.

VSWC: Some of Moises’ great collection.

3. What’s your grail?

In my collection? It’s a Lili Ledy Chief Chirpa carded with the back printed backwards, I mean heads down. It’s a printing error that some Mexican collectors remember, but there are no other examples at all. As far as I know, this Chirpa is the only one. I´ve heard there is one card around like that, but solely the card.

Not in my collection? I don’t know… it would be some LL carded from ESB, maybe or if I had the toys from my own childhood. Sadly I lost them between moving house. I recently found a figure truly of mine since I was a kid, and it’s a treasure to me.

4. What collectors inspire you?

Many, especially the Mexican fellows, like Adolfo Martinez, Luis Galvez, Jose del Toro and others. To me, being a collector means that you have clear goals, you work to reach them, you are disciplined to search for them, you have to be financially organized, and so on. And to me, that speaks well of a person.

5. What is your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

When I lost an auction because I was waiting for the last moment to make the “winning offer”, and I did it, but my eBay account wasn’t opened so I lost the crucial seconds entering my user and password, and … you can guess. It was so foolish!

The item was a figure I’d been looking for a long time, still blaming myself hehe.

6. What is your favourite Star Wars film?

Besides ESB? hard to tell, I guess ROTJ and I also like Ep. III a lot.

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

Two things:

First, I see that for some guys, collecting is like a race against the others, and there is a lot of money involved. Maybe if we all search and go for the things that moves our real emotions, and not for the popular grails and rarities, maybe the Force would be more balanced.

Second, and I hope I don’t open a Pandora’s box or fall from the grace of others: I would change the total intolerance to repro items. Please keep reading! To me the problem is not the repro items themselves but HOW they are traded. Repro items sold as legit things is a detestable fraud. Repro items sold as “repro items” is a way to have items that you love but you can’t afford or that no longer exist. It’s like the art reproductions you can see in the Museums stores. So maybe the movement against Repro could change to a movement against fraud. Maybe I will start it in Mexico…

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

Since I’m founder and admin of a Facebook group, I would vote Facebook. But you learn a lot in forums. Maybe Facebook groups are better to make contacts and share information… actually that’s what Facebook is for, isn´t it? And forums are more organized by themes, like more specialized.

In the end both options are great. Speaking of which, you all are welcome to join Star Wars Coleccionistas / Collectors, the biggest SW collectors community in Spanish in the world.

9. What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

Maybe Anakin because of the struggle inside hehe.

Now seriously, I don’t know, I guess my wife could say better.

10. Is there one thing that collectors may not know about you?

Many. But related to collecting, I’m a fan of other things, like DC superheroes, GI Joe, MOTU, and watching sports (49ers fan, for example).

Thank you and MTFBWY!!

VINTAGE STAR WARS COLLECTORS

A blog by a collector about collectors

Category Archives: Collector interviews

Collector Interview #8: Stephane Faucourt- The Man with the French Touch

Collector Interview #7: Javier Ruilopez – Who’s down with PBP?

Collector Snapshot #17 – Amy Sjoberg

Collector Snapshot #16 – Cesar Alejandro V. Jacquez

Collector Snapshot #15 – Gary Haygood

Collector Snapshot #14 – Darren Mcaleese

Collector Snapshot #13 – Jake Stevens

Collector Snapshot #12 – Jay Williams

Collector Interview #6: Joe Yglesias – Bootleg Overlord

Collector Snapshot #11 – Moises Rodriguez Curiel

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