Hi guys,

I’m introducing a regular (hopefully!) segment where a vintage collector will be given 10 short questions to answer using only a sentence or two. The same questions will be given to the next collector appearing on the blog.

First up is Mete Akin, known as ‘Turkdlit’ on the forums, a popular and very knowledgeable collector. One thing that I love about Mete is that he always speaks his mind and while this means he may sometimes be on the receiving end of some harsh words from the mods, at least you always know where you stand with him.

Mete is 33 years old, lives in Pittsburgh, U.S. and when he’s not collecting SW vintage he moonlights as an Anesthesiologist.

Check out more about Mete and his focus at his great website –  www.uzaystarwars.com. 

Here are a couple of pics of some of his choice pieces, not bad at all…

Well let’s get to the questions. Take it away Mete!

1. How long have you been collecting?

I’m a bit of a noob! I’ve been collecting for about four years now. I got into it after finding my childhood Uzay figures at my parents house. The ensuing thread on RS was pretty epic – http://forum.rebelscum.com/t1059045/

2. What do you collect?

Ever since I completed my loose Uzay set, I’ve focused on carded Uzay figures. I also collect other interesting bootlegs, and recently started with pre-production figures (particularly droid figures from the original line)

3. What’s your grail?

For me a true grail should be a one of a kind item – for me this would be any pre-production Uzay figure or proof. One prototype Uzay snowtrooper on prototype mock-up card is believed to exist, but its whereabouts are unknown.

4. What collectors inspire you?

The sheer breadth and scope of Lisa Stevens’ collection is inspiring. Combine that type of collection with Wolff (wbobafett) display skills, and I think you have the ultimate collection.

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

When I first started collecting, I was in Istanbul and had an ad answered by someone who said he had some carded Uzays. When I met with him, he ended up being a 15 year old kid, with a few repro carded Uzay figures. I spent 30 minutes trying to explain to him that they weren’t real….I still don’t think he understood they were worthless.

6. What is your favourite Star Wars film?

Empire…hands down!

7. What would you change about the collecting community?

There is a lot of cynicism and paranoia in the vintage community. I understand there is a long history of scams (Toy Tony, Pablo, Blue Harvest, and the recent one involving Deb). But a pervasive negative attitude may turn off a lot of new collectors in my opinion.

8. Forums or Facebook groups?

Forums, all the way. There is such a wealth of searchable information from knowledgeable collectors on the main forums, I could never have grown my collection to what it is without the forums. Plus, there is so much bickering and silly questions on Facebook, I don’t have the patience to sift through it all.

9. What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

I’m an anesthesiologist, and 2-1B always struck me as the anesthesia droid.

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

I am an avid lover of music and have been an electronic music DJ and producer in my spare time for over 10 years.

Hi Guys,

Just a quick post to let you all know about a brand new Facebook for Australian SW vintage collectors – Australian Star Wars Collectors. Vintage only (18+). The group was started by well-known Western Australian (please don’t hold that against him) collector Josh Akerman. Vintage only (18+) and includes James Kenneison, Nick Johnston and myself (Bobbybobs) as admins. So if you’re an Aussie join up and talk shop with other like minded collectors.

Non-Aussies are welcome as well but you’ll have to put up with terrible Aussie humour. No-one can ever tell when we are joking and to be honest I don’t think we even know when we are joking. Good  luck!

Hope to some of you there!

Christian

Hi guys, here’s a quick post about something that has been on my mind for a while.

One thing I’ve noticed in my collecting adventures, and I know others have too, is that my purchases often seem to come in waves. I’m constantly on eBay (my least favourite buying source) forums and groups hunting down figures. My focus is pretty tight so it makes finding relevant items more difficult for me than for collectors who just collect EVERYTHING STAR WARS. For weeks I have been monitoring my usual sources but I didn’t find anything remotely interesting or financially enticing. Then BAMMMMMMMM, I picked up a Luke Hoth ESB MOC, Luke X-Wing Trilogo and ESB MOCs (I had been hunting down the trilogo for six months), Luke Jedi ROTJ MOC, Luke Bespin ESB MOC, a whole bunch of loose figures and weapons and loads of acrylic from Christian in the UK. Not only did this all happen within a few days but they were all fantastic deals, granted the condition wasn’t exactly Toy Tony’s lofty (and artificial) AFA 90 standards…I haven’t actually received any of the figures yet so the excitement is really building. I think I’ll pee in my pants when they arrive. Here are the pics of some of the figs I’m soon to receive.

I know these bursts in buying activity also occur for other collectors. My question, and the point of this article, is why? Are there special time periods wherein sellers advertise their items? Or is it mainly in my own mind – that something is going on within me that makes me prepared to buy at a certain time? Or is it just completely random? I really have no idea. Just something to think about.

Does anyone have similar experiences? Any theories about why this happens?

Christian

Hi guys. Well this is it. My first post. Starting this blog is a huge risk to my ego – who the hell knows if this is going to be an utter failure or a raging success. One thing that is certain is that it won’t be a financial success! Let’s be honest, most star wars bloggers aren’t in it for the money, it’s all about our love and passion for this great hobby of ours. Even though I’m often teased about my collection, I am a proud collector and it brings me amazing joy, not just because of the toys themselves but due to the whole collecting process – researching the toys, hunting my targets, pulling the trigger and then finally displaying my purchase in my star wars figure cabinet. Last but definitely not least of these joys is that of making friends with other like-minded collectors.

I haven’t been collecting for much more than a year now but it really feels like it has been years. I’m barely finding time for anything else (other than work and my wife of course) in between trawling ebay, posting on blogs and facebook groups and reading other blogs. I have always felt a strong affinity with the figures and I still mourn the loss of my childhood collection that was stolen from outside my classroom in primary school. I got back into it immediately after my wife took me to a vintage star wars exhibition in Paris early last year. I was reading a lot of SW comics at the time so it wasn’t such a leap to start collecting. It was actually my wife’s idea – which I remind her of every time she complains about my SW spending!

While my blog is pretty much empty at this point, over the next couple of weeks I plan to post a few interviews with collectors and write some updates on happenings in the community. I will most likely limelight my Luke Skywalker focus sometime over the next month.

So welcome to the blog. I hope you enjoy the upcoming content.

Bobbybobs