As a child, my parents used to hide my brothers and my Christmas presents under their bed. It was common knowledge to me that I'd be getting Star Wars, but exactly what always remained a mystery. I guess that's what little brothers are for though! My slick younger sibbling took it upon himself to crawl into my parents room, locate the gifts, pull them into our room, and of course notifiy me of the great discovery. As tempting as it was, I didn't open the Darth Vader Carry Case, Snowspeeder, Cloud Car, or several figures that lay before me... but enjoyed them Christmas morning nonetheless.

Dan Bradley 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) Unproduced POTF Proof 2) Kenner Hoth diorama display header Holy Grail Collectible Kenner Blockade Runner Prototype Star Wars Web Sites: Revenge of the Jedi/POTF Feature Star Wars Collectors Archive Nostalgia Gallery

Richard Cox (kinggoji@mindspring.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) 12Back/POTF "Tusken Raider" proof 2) POTF Anakin Proof Card Holy Grail Collectible Anakin or Tusken Raider Prototype Star Wars Web Sites: Revenge of the Jedi/POTF Feature Carolina Star Wars Collectors Club

When I was a kid we lived near a lumber yard. Anyway, there were holes, about 2-3" diameter from, well, mice, which would appear in the lower end of our yard sometimes, trying to migrate from the lumber yard. Right after ROTJ came out I used to get a plank of wood and suspend it over one of these holes and play sarlaac. Fett would fall in and I would stick my little reckless hand in after him. Well, it rained very badly once and lil' Boba went in too far for me to get him out. I'm expecting someone in the distant future to excavate him and put him in a museum of natural history. I think he was a mail away rocket fett. :^) No, I didn't care about the mice. I was way too young...

Star Wars hit the theatres for the first time when I was in second grade (7 years old) and I remember discussing it with a couple of classmates quite fequently. My very first figure was Darth Vader which I bought at Crown Drug store near my house and I remember cherishing it and lovingly cutting out the photos on the cardback - which I still have. The figures were sparse in those days and I only had a handfull of the 12 available - at first, and I went through many bouts of losing weapons only to miraculously find them later on.

Chris Georgoulias (chris@toysrgus.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) Carded Droids Vlix 2) Kenner Dealer Catalog Supplements Holy Grail Collectible Original sculpting for the Boba Fett action figure Star Wars Web Sites: Star Wars Collectors Archive

Kevin LaNeave (laneave@cinesite.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) Don Post Life Size Boba Fett and R2D2 Replica Statues 2) SW Mylar Advance One Sheet Poster Holy Grail Collectible Natalie Portman

I remember searching like crazy to complete the initial 12 figure Kenner line back in '78. And that one elusive figure was? The Jawa. With the help of my dad, we searched all of the local Roses, Nichols, and BEST discount stores along with the Kroger supermarket. We would find all of the 11 others, but for some peculiar reason--no Jawa. Finally, with the help of a Roses clerk who came to know that I was a Star Wars toyaholic, she telephoned us when the "cloth caped" item finally arrived. Only years later did I learn of an earlier version of this figure. And it wasn't long before he became part of my collection as well.

I remember seeing ads about the Early Bird Kit when it was first advertised (I remember the ads which drove me to look for it in stores, but I haven't since tracked down those commercials). The day I saw the Early Bird kit in stores, I went ahead and bought it with money I saved up from my paper route. The figures arrived months later, and I noticed that my Luke *did not* have a two part saber like the ones in the pictures. At the time I was aware of the saber change, but didn't realize that some lucky people who got the Early Bird Kit actually got telescoping Lukes.

Gus Lopez (gus@toysrgus.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) POTF Store Display 2) Early Bird Store Display Holy Grail Collectible Boxed 'Droids' White Witch Vehicle Star Wars Web Sites: Star Wars Collectors Archive

Mike O'Reilley (OZONE72@comcast.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) Clark's red and silver X-wing shoes 2) Happy Birthday one-sheet Holy Grail Collectible Autograph "to mike" from the Grand Moff / Holiday Special Press kit Star Wars Web Sites: Star Wars Collectors Archive

I remember running up the escalator at Wiebolts department store, inside the Randhurst shopping mall, to get to the upper level toy floor. There I saw it, the 12 back header card and a box load of 12 back's!!! To this day, when I look at the 12-back's lined up on my wall, I still have that excited feeling of when I was at Wiebolts 20 some odd years ago. "You can only get 3", My mom told me. I went mad trying to decide which ones to get. As I paced up and down the aisle I noticed a spinner rack of Rolling Stones socks, with pairs of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards socks silk screened on the ankle. Don't ask me why, but I need to find those socks!!! I scrambled back to the 12 back display and picked out the 3. A luke, Leia and Vader. Those 3 started it all. When I got home I ripped them open and got a whiff of that plastic smell. Ah yes....the smell of a brand new Kenner figure...a smell unmatched to this day.

I remember running off to my friend's house with my Darth Vader case in my hand. The figures inside would rattle around, as their weapons all scattered loose of their compartment--I swear, that was the most functionally-retarded toy ever made. I would spend about 15 minutes placing each figure into its appropriately-stickered slot (accomodating the multiple Stormtroopers by doubling them up), and checking each one for the inscribed "x" which marked it as my own. Closing the case, however, was a challenge all its own, requiring skill, an unnatural quickness, and more than a small degree of luck. As the two hinged halves were raised and the sides came closer together, the figures would slide out from under their restraining bars and plummet to the conjoined part of the case below. I hated that Darth Vader carrying case..

Ron Salvatore (salfamily@aol.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) ESB 'Collect all 48' 3-sided Display Hangar 2) Complete Action Figure Hardcopy Holy Grail Collectible Original Action Figure/Packaging/Display Art Star Wars Web Sites: Star Wars Collectors Archive

Brennan Swain (bswain1@ix.netcom.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) Carded DT Luke 2) Unproduced POTF Luke (original) proof card Holy Grail Collectible Luke's lightsaber original movie prop

Greedo definitely took the most punishment of all the figures in my collection. His hand was mangled...by my teeth at that, one antenna was missing, and, best of all, he was my 'bat bait', not baseball bat, but flying bat. That's right, those ugly, flying, fanged mice. I think I used him because the bats only came out at dusk and he was neon green, but of course the bats couldn't even see him. At dusk, my friend Shawn and I would go out in my backyard and wait for a divebombing bat to fly over head. I'd then throw Greedo up in the air towards the bat, and watch the bat swoop towards him thinking he was some sort of bug (luckily, bats don't like Rhodians). We would do this until it was too dark to see anymore. The fun lasted all summer until one night one of the bats followed Greedo right down into Shawn's hair. Needless to say, that was the end of Greedo's tour of duty.

I don't remember it (although now I know), but my mom recalls being disappointed that they had no toys out yet for that Christmas. Sometime later, I can remember a trip to JC Penney, where she bought a few figures and the landspeeder. Over time, I eventually added to my collection but it took awhile to get all of the first 12. I can remember the jawa being the most difficult. I can remember searching countertop displays, spinning displays and hanging pegs for what seemed like forever. My friend's mom worked at the local JC Penney (or was it Sears?) and called us the day they came in. I don't recall ever consciously wondering why my Jawa had a cloth cape and the picture had a vinyl one. All I remember is being very happy with it.

John Wooten (wooten@toysrgus.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) Vintage Stormtrooper action figure hardcopy 2) Micro Collection Stormtrooper 4:1 hardcopies Holy Grail Collectible Film used (close up) Stormtrooper helmet Star Wars Web Sites: Ohio Star Wars Collectors Club Star Wars Collectors Archive TheForce.Net

John J. Alvarez (southside_201@yahoo.com) 2 Most Wanted Collectibles 1) Biker Scout Hardcopy 2) Unproduced Biker Scout Micro Collection Wax Sculpt Holy Grail Collectible Original sculpting for the Biker Scout action figure Star Wars Web Sites: Star Wars Collectors Archive

The first time I saw Star Wars I was 7 years old. It was right around my 7th birthday, which is conveniently right before Christmas. :^) Ah, that was a good year for Star Wars toys. Between my best friend Mike and I we had everything. Mike’s family was a little better off than my mother and I so he always had the more expensive pieces. I couldn’t wait for him to show up on Saturday afternoon with his AT-AT. He would open the side and out would spill all of his figures. We would play for hours. I still see Mike from time to time, though our love for Star Wars has gone in different directions. Mike still has love for the movies, and we have had many talks about the movies and the toys of our youth, but he doesn’t feel the same as he did then. I guess I’m what happens when you can’t let go of a good thing. ;^)

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