Anyone miss the Star Wars Power of the Force 2 and Saga 2 figures in stores?

[Sharp]

I have quite a bit of nostalgia for the POTF2 era. Having grown up with the vintage Kenner offerings, it was a real thrill to see Star Wars back on the shelves. These figures had been officially released for a few weeks before I found a lone R2-D2 on the pegs at a local Kay-Bee store. This was a fun time. Star Wars was back, the new movies were in production, and people were once again excited about this property. Many of the fan and collecting communities also started to form at this time; many that endure today.

The scalpers were sure out in full force in the Cleveland area. The same dealers that hawked baseball cards, comic books, and female short-pack action figures weren't about to let the Star Wars market go untouched. Not that I necessarily have a problem with scalpers. It's the collectors that pay their asking prices that keep them doing what they're doing. Still, it did require quite a bit of store-hopping which, in a way, was also fun.

I loved the POTF2 era but what I didn't necessarily care for what the explosion of "high-end" Star Wars collectibles. A lot of these were just tacky and seemed a bit cynical to me: plates, gold plated ship models, and other sorts of overpriced emphemera seemed to clutter the hobby right from the get-go.

[Obi_Han]

So true.

Back then you didn't have distribution issues or scalper competition that, today, forces you to go store-hopping all over the d@mn place or resort to ebay to acquire a complete wave. You walked in and found everything your little OCD heart desired. Zero frustration and always happy hunting back in '95/'96.

Scalpers may have been less prevalent but, let me tell you, it was not much easier back then around here to find new figures. Same thing as now- some waves would not sell through quickly and then that would leave less room for the next waves.

[jamesanshutz]

Back then in the mid late 1990s for the Power of the Force 2 and Shadows of the Empire you could find more than just one figure for each character. You could find a peg full of up to 10 Xizors, 8 ASPS, 10 Stormtoroopers, etc.

Nowadays its really slim pickins or by pure luck where you just find one of the good new figures like Bespin Han or a freakin Gamorrean that you still never see in stores

[Faker]

While I do think that most of the current updates look better than their predecessors, Star Wars collecting was more fun for me during the POTF2 days. It was more exciting when seeing a new figure was the first time that figure was released. No matter how much better modern figures look, I will always be fond of my long saber Schwarzenegger style Luke.

[BountyHunterBen]

Well I've always had a thing for the whole POTF2 line. I was born in '94 and the figures came out in '95 so I don't recall many of them, however a load of my early memories are Star Wars related. Including going into Toys R Us and other Toy Shops in the area and seeing figures. I remember (some what vividly) going to the cashier with my Mum with the Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt set from 1997 and then opening it in the car on the way home and recreating the bit where Solo walks over Jabba's tail... Good times being young, eh?

In fact, the only reason I brought the Vintage Sandtrooper was the fact it had a POTF2 image on the back and I felt an over whelming nostalgia for it.

Ben

[Obi_Wan_Kaboozie]

PotF2 had a ton of scalpers! People thought these Star Wars figures were going to be worth as much in the future as the vintage figures already were, and were hoarding them like crazy. That plays into their being relatively worthless now, since such a large percentage were kept carded.

It could take forever for new figures to show up in stores because the scalpers would go scooping them up and hawking them at inflated prices. I recall Emperor Palpatine, Bespin Luke, Grand Moff Tarkin, Slave Leia, and Removable Helmet Vader each causing a great stir on release, because they were especially anticipated and resultingly hard to find.

Granted, the supply did eventually catch up to the demand. Those figures are not at all hard to find now. And that's the main difference I see in the present. The way figures are shipping these days, I usually can't know if the first time I see a figure might be the only time I see it.

[wedgeswingman]

Oh yes, I miss it. I was a POTF II kid. Used to go to TRU every friday it seemed to look for guys with dad (he paid). He'd want somebody like the Emperor's guards and i'd want that blasted Death Star Gunner! Never did get him. That and a Tie fighter, finally got an Interceptor in the POTJ days but i was getting old by then. Never got the Falcon either. And i had the Action Figure Archive book too. Loved that thing, always wondered why the vintage seemed to have cooler playsets and vehicles, like the rebel transport or that huge Death Star playset. I look at the line now and it's so advanced compared to back then, i would have traded the best figures i had when i was a kid to get the cool guys we have today. I was soooo happy to get that first Wedge Antilles figure with the carrying case. I was like "I can't believe they actually made a figure of Wedge!" Now look, they give everbody a figure!

[ReddingRedFive]

I miss the prices paying twice as much today sure does make think twice about army building or getting a few of one figure just because it looks cool. It is much harder to be a collector these days.

[morrison2951]

My son was a toddler back in '95 and we had a blast searching for our POTF2 favorites and the hard to find figures- I've still kept the carded variations in my collection such as the brown vest Luke, half moon Fett, red holo cards, etc for nostalgia- it takes me back to the good times had with my young son!

[wedgeswingman]

My son was a toddler back in '95 and we had a blast searching for our POTF2 favorites and the hard to find figures- I've still kept the carded variations in my collection such as the brown vest Luke, half moon Fett, red holo cards, etc for nostalgia- it takes me back to the good times had with my young son!

Brown Vest Luke! Haha, my dad wouldn't let me open my Jedi Luke for a week because he wasn't sure which version was the rare one!