Vintage SW Micro Machine Question

[ascmclarencoupe]

Ok since most of you guys seem to be veteran collectors of the Micro Machines line, here is one for you.

Does anyone know of, or have a definitive list of, all of the Star Wars Micro Machines that were released prior to the current Titanium die-cast line being offered?
Both in plastic and die-cast.
Or even better yet a link to a database that would show pictures of them.

Thanks.

Edit: Ok now that I hit the button, I realized that the title of this thread is not really appropriate. Maybe it should be something like "Vintage SW Micro Machine Question".

[sicqnus]

Here is a comprehensive list of "vintage" (Huh... I'm getting old reading this) Galoob MM. Some missing items but it's almost complete.

http://www.sandcrawler.com/SWB/galoob.html

Hope this could help.

[ascmclarencoupe]

sicqnus,

Yes, that link was very helpful, thanks !!

Brent

[SWAFMAN]

Brent,

It looks from your posts over the last 5 months that you're a true MicroMachines enthusiast, and not just a scalper doing research to sell things (no offense intended - unless you ARE one, in which case: :razz: ), so a belated Welcome to this forum.

The forum's name was changed to MicroMachines/Titanium Series, but the origins of this forum go back well before Hasbro purchased Galoob. In fact, a few of the members here are refugees from the original GalooBB forums hosted by Galoob.

The focus here is primarily Star Wars vehicles, but there is also info on Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Alien(s), Starship Troopers, the Battle Squads military line, etc, from Galoob/hasbro MicroMachines, plus other miniature lines and larger scale die-cast lines.

So, if you are a vintage MM collector, even if you're only recently becoming interested in collecting, please feel free to post about what you have and what you like.

I see you're from Michigan, and you find some of your items at Meijer's. Back before the AF line was killed-off, I used to get some of my best finds at Meijer's stores in Michigan. Love those stores.

[ascmclarencoupe]

SWAFMAN,

Thanks, No offense taken, I can understand your concern.

Wow, where to begin. I’m a fan of all Sci-Fi but primarily Star Wars. I was 9 years old when Star Wars came out and my Mom took me to see it for the first time when it was re-released with the “Episode IV” in the title because I distinctly remember seeing that and thinking that I must have missed the first three movies or something. :confused:

Anyway, I had a few SW toys as a child and my favorite character is R2-D2. I still have a couple of my childhood toys including the large white TIE fighter, a Star Wars bed spread, a couple of action figures, and a die-cast X-wing, and white TIE. (the original MM’s ??)
Over the years, I never forgot SW and my love for the films but I was never into collecting much stuff until about 10 years ago when another co-worker who knew I was a Sci-Fi fan showed me a plastic Micro Machine of the Star Trek ship USS Defiant. I thought it was cool and he told me that there were Micro Machines of the SW ships out there too. But, I never really pursued the idea of collecting them and forgot about them.

Then my son was born, 5 years ago this week and, I introduced him to SW when he was 3 and it has since become his favorite thing so we now cruise the toy section together looking at the latest releases of SW toys and my wife and I and him went to Celebration III last year (my first convention). That was where I saw the display of the current Titanium line and decided that I wanted to start collecting them.
At first I told myself that I would only buy the ships that I really liked but with each release I haven’t been able to help myself so I have been buying every one including the re-paints. My wife has an issue with me buying so many of them but since they less than $5 each she has been very tolerant about it. Her main concern (and mine too) is how I am going to display them all. She was also relieved when I told her that it looks like the Ultra line has been discontinued because I have been buying them too.
So far my Titanium collection includes every retail release so far in the 3” line. Currently I only need the B-Wing & the TIE Interceptor to be caught up. In the Ultra line I am only missing the AT-AT. I have no plans on collecting the Titanium figures except maybe the R2-D2 one shown at the recent ComicCon show.
In the meantime I have also purchased two Code 3’s, the Millennium Falcon and the Darth TIE. My wife actually found the MF sitting in the clearance section at WalMart for $150.00, and I bought the TIE this week on Ebay for $104 shipped.

I am also chasing my childhood dream of having my own full-size R2-D2. That reality finally hit home when I joined the R2Builders Club a few years ago and I am currently collecting the parts necessary to build a radio controlled one. It has been an expensive endeavor and will take a long time to finish, but that’s OK, I have waited this long, what is a few more years.

So anyway the reason I wanted to know what was produced prior to the current Titanium line is so that I can look for some of the ships, if there were any, which are not being re-released in the current line to round out my collection.

I wasn't aware of AF line and I would really like to get some of those ships but I think it would be just too difficult to display a an AF collection. I may still get a couple of my favorites such as the TIE Defender.

Brent

[SWAFMAN]

Brent,
You are in the right place, for sure. It's really a bummer we didn't exchange these posts sooner, because I'm sure Jean/VT would have offered some great insights into trek and SW MM's. Once BC3 (Britcit3) gets re-settled into his new abode, I'm sure he can answer many of your micro questions. In the mean time, check out his collection at his website (http://freespace.virgin.net/james.hobson/index2.htm). There is also another regular here on the forum that shares your 1:1 scale R2-D2 replica interest. I won't mention any names, but his initials are Jeddah. :D

It sounds like the circumstances of your entry into the collecting world were pretty similar to mine and to Good Shot Jansen, our AWOL moderator. Fans since our youth, but re-sparked when we started sharing the SW world with our young kids. I think you'll also find that most of the adult collectors here are in a similar position, as far as straining the tolerance of their wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend, due to storage/display space and questionable spending priorities.

Collecting has been a great way to share time and common interest with my sons, and the older your kids get, the harder is gets to find common interests, so the times we spend together examining (or playing with, when they were younger) each new addition are beyond any monetary value. My sons were toddler and elementary school-aged when I discovered Action Fleet, and now one is a sophomore in high school, and the other is a junior in college. It's incredible how time flies.

I want that Code 3 VaderTIE, as well as the Slave 1 and AT-ST. Hoping they try a capital ship soon, too. I discovered today that the Space:1999 Eagles fit nicely on the display bases next to the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon, under the case. It feels sorta sacreligious to put another franchise's hardware under the case with the Star Wars ships, but I'm doing it for now. If anything gets me to take them out, it will probably be the gross mismatch in scale between the two ships. That sort of stuff bugs the crap out of me.

As far as displaying Action Fleet, I can say from experience that if you can't display them (the un-boxed ones) in an enclosed cabinet, then it's going to create a lot of friction with the Mrs. unless you're committed to keeping the ships and the shelves dusted regularly. Some of the ships - especially the TIEs, due to their dimpled arrays, really look nasty when they collect dust. But I'm sure it's the same with any shelf-displayed collectibles. That point aside, unless you're into displaying the ships in scenic arrangements, you can get a surprising number of them on a conventional, unenclosed three- or four-tier shelf. I think I had about fifty AFs on a very basic four-tier shelf, the kind with a tubular metal frame - like they sell for college students. Now would probably be a great weekend to find one on sale with all the back-to-school stuff. You could probably display 300 3" titaniums on the same shelf unit.

Welcome again, ascmclarencoupe (http://www.ascmclarencoupe.com/TheCar.htm).

_______


btw, I never had a mclaren, but I did have this Mk2 Capri (http://www.suomencaprit.com/Kuvia/Mk2/mk2-0002.l.jpg) about 16 years ago. It had a manual transmission, and I did some minor stuff to it to help it run better, mostly un-doing all the California emissions crap that had totally castrated it's British-German "oomph". It was one of the most fun cars I ever had.

[ascmclarencoupe]

SWAFMAN,
Thanks for the warm welcome.
BC3’s website has been very helpful to me and is definitely saved in my favorites.
I’m sure you are aware of it, but I will mention it just in case. The only way I was able to afford to buy the Code 3 Vader TIE is because of what they have been selling for only recently (about $100). Something about Code 3 blowing them out to their dealers for next to nothing so I figured now would be the time to get one before they are all gone.

About displaying my stuff, currently it’s all put away in plastic totes, so far I have even resisted the urge to open any of my Titaniums. A couple of years ago I bought three of the Riddell helmets (Boba Fett, Vader, & C3PO). My wife was kind enough to let me put them on display in the living room but after a while the dust factor was having it’s effects so I decided to put them away until they could be displayed dust free.

Right now I am in the middle of remodeling our basement that will include a home theatre and when that is finished I plan on getting one or two black framed glass curio type cabinets to house my collection in. Well, at least that is my plan anyway.

Last fall I sold my asc/McLaren Coupe. It was in very good shape but I planned on doing a full restoration on it. After crunching the numbers, I decided that I would be better off to sell it and buy a very low mileage all original one that needs nothing. I have found the exact car that I want but the owner wants over the top dollar for it. I’m kind of waiting him out because odds are that if he really wants to sell it, he will have to come down to a more realistic price.
I do have a soft spot for the European Capri’s like you had too, they are very cool cars.

Brent