TIE Pilot Costume - The End Is In Sight

Living in a box: I have the Helmet (need painting), Flight Suit, Boots, Gauntlet Gloves, Commpad (need painting), Belt, Buckle (not pictured), Ribbed Hose, and the Chest Box (not pictured).

I've accumulated 90% of the parts for my TIE Fighter Pilot costume for sometime now, and the only piece that still eludes me remains the Torso & Back armour. I missed out on getting a set a few times over the years due partly to procrastination, prices I was not willing to pay, and various other circumstances not under my control.

last week, I decided to make a concerted effort to get this costume done once and for all, so I again contacted a fellow Malaysian who now resides in the USA, who is an ardent Star Wars fan, and an authority on TIE Fighter Pilot costume. I've been in contact with him before, but due to both our hectic schedules, we failed to come to an agreement on a timely manner, and the deal fell through.

This time he responded promptly, and have what I needed at hand, at a price I can live with. So looks like a set of Torso & Back armour complete with shoulder straps will be heading my way soon.

My Journey To The Dark Side Continues...

Yesterday, I took one more step closer towards the Dark Side when I received a package containing several items crucial for my journey.

The package contain:

An accurized ROTJ Vader buckle (converted from a Russrep ANH/ESB buckle)

A set of ROTJ accurate metal belt boxes made by Bobba Frett.

I'll need to cut up the slots and holes for the knobs. lights and other greeblies.

And the jewel in the crown, so to speak, a GINO ROTJ chestbox. I have been pining for a GINO chestbox for as long as I can remember, but never could get myself to make the plunge due to the price. I got this one from a fellow costumer for a very good price, together with the above buckle and belt boxes. He even threw in a leather strap system for free.

Now I'm only missing the bodysuit, the boots, shin guards & gloves.

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)

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:

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.

Atelier Marie at CosCom

Amanda showed off her newly completed Atelier Marie costume during last weekend's Sci-Fi Convention and joined CosCom.

I was busy looking after the shop so I only managed to take her pic; apart from this other rather creepy (and extremely quiet) dude who came into the shop:

HotRedGinger In Da House!

Today the MySciFiFan Outpost had an unexpected visit from HotRedGinger (aka Amanda) an avid Cosplayer who scratch build all her costume and props.

This is her completed Female Assasin costume.

She made the weapon out of mounting board in 4 hours! For someone like me who spend months, or even years making one single prop, this is just amazing; eventhough her weapon's made of mounting board.

Here's Amanda (on the left) with her home made Katana:


Hopefully we'll see more Cosplayers at the Outpost in the future.

My E-11 Parts

Apart from the Droid Caller, I also received some of the parts for making an E-11 Stormtrooper Blaster.


(From left to right: Vintage M19 Tank Scope; Vintage Eagle Hengster Counter; Replica Scope Rail; Vintage Folding Stock)

The M19 Tank scope is in amazingly good condition, considering its age, with only minor wear marks in some places. It comes complete with the original mounting plate, which is rare nowadays.



The Eagle Hengstler Counter is also in very good cosmetic condition, with expected oxidization on the metal sleeve plus some discolouration on the plastic cover and clear lens, and some scratches here and there.



The scope rail is made by a friend of mine on the RPF, and is one of the better ones I've seen out there. A curve has been incorporated on one end to conform perfectly to the barrel of the blaster.



And the scope rail fits the M19 scope perfectly.



The item that really blew me away is the vintage folding stock. Having played with blasters with fan made stock on them (some static, some foldable), this real, vintage folding stock just feel so much more real and natural. It also has quite a bit of heft to it.

My 'Real' Han Solo ANH Droid Caller

After years of searching, many wild goose chase, getting an alternative Linholf flash (at a great price by the way I must add), and being sent the wrong model by the seller who sold me this one, my screen accurate, as-close-to-the-real-thing-as-you'll-get Han Solo ANH Droid Caller (Kobold disposable flash) finally arrived!!!

(Click on image to enlarge)

Strange thing is, I've also just been offered to buy an identicle, screen accurate Kobold flashgun by another collector, after he decided not to sell it the last time. I do not yet know which version does this collector own.

And to make things even more interesting, another collector I help buy an item for quite sometime ago decided to trade his P arks Droid Caller for the item I bought for him. Now it seems I'll end up with not one, but three Droid Callers!

Here's what the one used in the movie look like, for comparison purposes:

Related info can be viewed below on Parts of Star Wars website:
http://www.partsofsw.com/handcanh.htm


UPDATE:

As of now I have seven(7) Droid Callers.

From left to right:
4 X real Kobold (three black one silver), 1 x real Linholf,
1 X suspected Linhold (painted black), and 1 X Parks

Backrest right-of-way?

I was on a flight back home yesterday...I got strapped in, settled down, read the papers, and then the plane took off.

Since it was an evening flight it started getting dark soon after the plane took off, so I decided to take a nap. I lowered the backrest of my chair, and got comfortable. Suddenly I was tapped on the shoulder and the lady behind me said "Sempit lah!"(its cramp), and wanted me to straighten my backrest. I was reluctant of course because I want to get comfortable, since I'm a rather large guy too. However in order not to cause a scene I obliged by straightening my backrest somewhat, but not all the way. I was rather uncomfortable throughout the entire 2.5 hours of flight.

This started me thinking: Who has the right of way here? Do I have the right to lower my backrest, since that's what the chair is designed to do, or does she have the right to tell me NOT to lower my backrest? We all know that airplane sits are uncomfortable, but we have to make do with what's available, unless you wanna pay for business class or first class seats.

If you pay for economy do you have the right to complain when the person in front of you lower their backrest?

What do you think?