Luke Skywalker, Ugnaught, Lobot & More!

[Bravestarr]

Love the kenner line in 1980 Empire Strikes Back was my life

[LonnieFisher]

I was "too old" for toys at this point in time.

[huedell]

I was "too old" for toys at this point in time.

I hear ya... that time came for most of us (QUESTION: Has there ever been a Museum thread to seek out those that never stopped toy collecting, lacking that gap inbetween "child lusting after toys" and "adult lusting after nostalgia"?)

As a hardcore Star Wars fan and hardcore toy fan, sometimes I feel blessed to have fallen in that 4 years old to 8 years old age range when Star Wars (1977) was released.

Sure, I was kinda bowing out of the toyline by 1982, but I was still relatively youthfully blissful enough to enjoy ROTJ as a true child... but then puberty hit full-force in 1984... and ya never really get that "magical innocence" back... and us nerds seem to have always been searching for it... since, sometimes as early as 17, 18 years old!

I've always assumed that to have had the full SW:OT play out through those most memorable years made the Star Wars trilogy VHS release in the early 90's and the subsequent Zahn book trilogy releases in the mid-90s (despite not being a huge fan of those books) that much sweeter in regard to that "nostalgia buzz".

[dbutler69]

I had the Death Star but not the Cantina.

Now I have both, and I'm in heaven.

These days, Kenner Star Wars is one of my favorite things to collect. And while I lioke the full collection as a whole (1978-1985) I will always treasure 1982 and backwards to 1978 above all other Kenner SW toys.

Heck, after Death Star and Creature Cantina? Number 3 playset nostalgia is for that piece of cardboard Bespin City playset exclusive via Sears.

Man, I'm jealous! I've kept all of my action figures, but my father threw away all of the space ships and play sets. I had just about everything except for the Millennium Falcon and the X-Wing and TIE Fighter. I've more recently gotten the Cantina Set, Landspeeder, Snowspeeder, and a Dewback, but my wife won't let me get any more. :-(

[huedell]

Man, I'm jealous! I've kept all of my action figures, but my father threw away all of the space ships and play sets.

I'm jealous you still have any of any of your childhood SW toys. That's really awesome.... unfortunately, my parents threw away ALL my SW toys! But I've been slowly collecting them back (plus more) over the past 20 or so years

I had just about everything except for the Millennium Falcon and the X-Wing and TIE Fighter.

I had and cherished those as a kid as some of my favorites, and have reacquired them over the years. I am especially proud of how low-priced I nabbed an eBay lot with a decent shape Falcon and DV Tie Fighter.

I've more recently gotten the Cantina Set, Landspeeder, Snowspeeder, and a Dewback,

Love that early era-Kenner SW product!

...but my wife won't let me get any more. :-(

My sympathies. I suppose there's a silver-lining to growing old alone and childless :-)

Seriously though, May The force Be With Ya!

[Hedji]

I'm happy to have completed my loose collection a few years ago, because now it would be cost prohibitive. The only figures I missed as a kid were Yak Face and Luke Stormtrooper. Just never saw them in my area. But I still have all of my childhood figures. I upgraded a lot of them though.

Finally got a Cantina this year! An absolutely essential playset for this scale figure. It's fun to fill it with Non-Star Wars figures like Monsters or Superheroes.

[Klosterheim]

I just can't get enough Star Wars!

Maybe another reason 1978-1982 was so popular was because those years focused on space toys and outer space level technology and themes, and 1983 was more planet and moon themed.

I think RetroBlasters pointed out once that many of The Return of the Jedi action figures did not come with blasters. They had primitive weapons or futuristic ceremonial staves. I liked the Jedi line, though.

[msenger76]

This was the last wave i cared about either, because GI JOE RAH came out and i forgot all about star wars (especially ROTJ figures)

[Hedji]

GI Joe RAH really made a splash when they hit the scene, didn't they? A diehard Star Wars kid myself, I couldn't help but note how better articulated the Joe's were, the quality of the vehichles, accessories, helmets, and how the boxed vehicles came with figures, which Star Wars didn't back then. I think we all went ape for them, but I stuck with Star Wars to the bitter end. Glad that I did. A few years ago, I sold off my Joe's, and I sometimes do miss them, but not enough to re-purchase.

[Klosterheim]

GI Joe RAH really made a splash when they hit the scene, didn't they? A diehard Star Wars kid myself, I couldn't help but note how better articulated the Joe's were, the quality of the vehichles, accessories, helmets, and how the boxed vehicles came with figures, which Star Wars didn't back then. I think we all went ape for them, but I stuck with Star Wars to the bitter end. Glad that I did. A few years ago, I sold off my Joe's, and I sometimes do miss them, but not enough to re-purchase.

Snake-Eyes was the gateway figure between Star Wars and the 3.75 G.I. Joe.

The action figure fit in well with Star Wars, then it became hard not to collect the other G.I. Joe toys, especially ones like the H.I.S.S. and it's driver. Remco The Bad Guys weren't too bad either, during the 1981-1982 time period.