Skip to main content

Star Wars Power of the Force Wave 1 Collection

 


I've always loved Star Wars. It was something that just always seemed to be a part of my life. I have mentioned before how I was able to benefit greatly from having older cousins who grew out of their need for toys and passed them down to my brother and I. With Star Wars, it was no different. We were given a good 30ish vintage figures as well as a well used Millenium Falcon that was missing quite a few pieces and we loved them. 

Just like we did with Masters of the Universe and other toy lines, whenever my brother and I had a chance to visit a garage sale or an antique shop, we looked for more Star Wars stuff to add to our collections. It was the late 80's and early 90's so there weren't really any other options.

Eventually, the Justoys Bend-Ems came out. We bought many of these but preferred the figures that were closer to the 3 3/4 scale. That Leia, 3PO, Yoda and R2-D2 filled some nice holes in my collection. The included Topps cards were very cool too.




Not long after, Galoob began releasing their Star Wars Micro Machines line. We gobbled this up as well but the 3.75 line was still the main toys for us when we wanted to play Star Wars. Then one summer, my Mom surprised me with a mail away figure that I had no idea was a thing: a brand new Han Solo as a Stormtrooper from Kenner. The day this thing arrived changed my life forever as it signaled to me that there were NEW Star Wars toys out there to buy and I didn't even have to scour antique shops to find them! And buy them we did. From 1995-1999, the Power of the Force Star Wars line was pretty much all I bought, besides the new G.I. Joes that popped up and a summer collecting the Lost World line. 

As the line began to focus more on the newly arrived Prequels and the figure sculpts began to "improve", I began to shift towards other things. Eventually, I passed my entire collection on to my younger brothers and was able to enjoy watching them experience Star Wars. Now, that we are all adults, our Star Wars toys are safely tucked away in my parent's basement awaiting the day that my niece and nephews discover them.

Recently, I became aware of how inexpensive the Power of the Force line was on the secondary market. I didn't just dip my toes in, I dove head first. I now have the entire first wave of figures and then some. I didn't stop there either as I also now have many vehicles I never owned like the X-Wing and the A-Wing. In fact, I've even begun building my own playsets out of cardboard like I used to when I was a kid! This has been a pretty fun ride this summer. In a way, I feel like I have reconnected with a part of me that I've missed for a long time. So let's see where this goes!



















As soon as I opened Leia, her shoulder crumbled! I was able to super glue some parts back into place for the pictures but I will be purchasing another one. Why not? They're cheap!




















And of course, the one that started it all.






















 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Toy Biz Marvel Superheroes The Thing

Christmas time this year saw some great additions to my Toy Biz Marvel Superheroes collection. This time in the form of the Thing. The Human Torch was one of the first MSH's I owned as a kid. Six years ago, I was able to add Mr. Fantastic. This past year, I added the Invisible Woman but now the collection is complete! Ol' Blue Eyes If you can't smash the Yancy Street gang, might as well clobber their sign. The family is finally together! You don't want to be on the other side of this fight. Size comparison of my current heavy hitters.
Post a Comment
Read more

Custom Kenner Super Powers/Toy Biz DC Superheroes Nuclear Man (Superman IV)

I'm an unashamed fan of Superman IV. It probably goes back to the fact that it used to air on TBS all the time when I was kid. It might also be because I'm a fan of bad movies in general (Masters of the Universe, Flash Gordon, Super Mario Bros. and Mortal Kombat, I'm looking at you). With all that in mind, I've always wanted a Nuclear Man action figure. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't want the guy who slammed Supes feet first into the moon?! As a collector of the Toy Biz DC Superheroes line, I noticed that it is decidedly empty on the Superman side when it comes to baddies. Earlier this year, I was able to pick up a custom Cyborg Superman. Well, now I am happy to say that thanks to  37 Customs  I have added Nuclear Man to my Legion of Doom! "Do you know what this means, Uncle Lex? We're parents!" - Lenny Luthor Between the Kryptonite and Nuclear man, Lex is secure in his position atop the Legion of Doom. Twice the dange...
Post a Comment
Read more

Toy Biz Sentinel

Any X-Men fan will agree on how cool the Sentinels are. They would rank in the top 10 of any X-Men villain list, easily. And if you poll X-Men the Animated Series fans, they will tell you how great the first season was with the premiere episode, Night of the Sentinels and the season finale, The Final Decision. The entire show was sold to us on the danger of these machine menaces. For whatever reason, I was never able to ahold of one of the Sentinel figures as a kid. We were just bombarded with so much coolness growing up that it was hard to get everything out there. Luckily, my adulthood has been filled with second chances. I picked up my first Sentinel this fall from Ebay. It was in wonderful condition and I can't wait to pick up a few more. Just really cool toys. Retractable capture claw snatches Mutants and reels them in. Hitting the head reveals mutants being held captive inside the Sentinel. Poor Morph. The left fist can be launched to smas...
Post a Comment
Read more

Toy Biz Marvel Superheroes Spider-man Attack Tower

My Christmas Toy Biz Marvel Superheroes haul continued with the Spider-Man Attack Tower, thanks to my brothers. I was able to get the Marvel Superheroes Training Center back in 2019 and it was something I never thought I would ever own. The same goes with this set. These were things I used to salivate over on the back of my action figure cards while growing up. Especially with the short life span this line had. Obviously, the whole set is a gimmick-filled toy made to destroy your Spider-Man's joints but it is still pretty cool. I look forward to using it as a display piece in the future. Preparing to launch over the hurdle. The height is adjustable in case your Spider-Man doesn't break and craves more thrills. Spidey's got a spot to practice his web shooting. You can also practice his web slinging as he goes after the Doom training dummies.  These stickers are amazing quality. Seriously, check out the definition h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Imperial Beasts Lot

When the vintage Masters of the Universe line came out, it was an out of the park, smash hit. Other companies wanted in on that MOTU cash so they produced similar toys for children to add to their collections. One of these companies was Imperial and two of their lines were Dragons, Knights, and Daggers and Robots, Lasers, and Galaxies. The box art alone were enough to tell children that He-Man would approve of these toys. Image from  http://mastersofthe80s.tumblr.com/post/147954847359 Image from  https://2warpstoneptune.com/2014/08/20/robots-lasers-galaxies-mammoth-marauder-imperial-1984/ As a kid I had a Mammoth Marauder and I loved it. Over the years, I was left with only the seat. Trying to find it online had proved torturous as fans had discovered their value and I refused to pay $100 for a rubber elephant.  Fate turned a new page for me this week, however, as one Ebayer decided to liquidate his massive collection of Imperial beasts. I decided to g...
Post a Comment
Read more