Monday 31 December 2007

The Circle Is Now Complete

I started collecting the Star Wars Unleashed a few years ago, after getting a whole bunch of them (sort of like a 'starter pack') from my bud Chindiana.

I managed to find and collect every single piece in the series right up to the latest releases, but one piece have always eluded me - the Darth Vader Unmasked.

Its not that nobody sells it. Yes its quite a rare piece but once in a while one pops up on eBay.

Problem is the price. For some reason its very much sought after and auctions often end at prices above US$70. Sometimes bidding go as high as US$120-150. And then ther's the shipping cost of US$15 to 20 to factor in. I don't mind paying a bit more but haveing to pay 3 to 4 times the RRP (Recommended Retail Price) is just ridiculous.

So for the last couple of years I've been diligently trawling eBay and every forum I'm active in, trying to find one for a reasonable price. No luck. People are either not interested in selling theirs, or want an arm and a leg for it.

In early December 2007 I found one on eBay from a seller in Australia. The starting price was reasonable (A$34.95), but experience taught me that things can escalate rapidly with multiple bidders entering high bids when the auction is about to end.

So I waited until a few hours before the auction was supposed to end before entering my bid. I think I entered a maximum bid of A$60, which is more then I want to pay but I know anything lower would be a waste of time.

As the end of the auction draw closer and closer, I watch with increasing tension and amazement when nobody else entered any bid. Can I be the only one to bid on this well sought after item? Surely I can't be that lucky this time!

Alas it was true, I was the only bidder, and I got the figure for the starting price of A$34.95.

Including shipping the total came to A$55.50, which works out to be around double the RRP when it was available in Malaysia. Pricey, but acceptable, for this illusive piece to complete my Unleashed collection.

The MIMB figure arrived today (Dec 31st 2007), just in time for me to put one more task behind me and start 2008 renewed.


(image courtesy of www.rebelscum.com)

Friday 31 August 2007

Recycled Toys

Here's a look at what toys Kenner Products, and later Hasbro, recycled for Uncle George.

Here's a link to the starwars.com article:
Recycled Toys


And here are some of the recycled toys:

Sunday 4 March 2007

Maul Is In The House!!!!!!!!!

After years of searching, several wild goose chase, a couple of near misses, and a few disappointments, I FINALLY snagged myself a life-size Darth Maul statue!!! Not only did I snag one, I snagged TWO! It was a 2-in-1 package because the previous owner just want them out of his house and offered both for a really good price.

Both of them have some damage to the left arm elbow, but one is more severe then the other. However its nothing that can't be fixed.

Here's the one which has less damage, all fixed up and displayed.