The (Action Figure) Saga Continues -- `Star Wars' Toys Are Collected For Love And Money

You'd better get your hands on the "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" Gian Speeder and Theed Palace for $24.95. It's a bargain compared to what it'll be worth by May, when the new "Star Wars" movie opens. .

Already, some "Episode 1" prequel toys have been released and discontinued, ratcheting up their value.

You'd think that with all the hoopla around these toys, Hasbro (formerly Kenner, and which owns the bulk of the "Star Wars" action figure licenses) would be whipping up a frothy marketing frenzy. Instead, they're taking the we'd-tell-you-but-then-we'd-have-to-kill-you approach.

"All I can tell you, since we're not showing what the toys are until the movie, is that it's a really broad line - there's going to be something for everyone," says Holly Ingram, spokeswoman for Hasbro.

Hasbro's "Sneak Preview" toys (stamped on their packaging) are slightly different from the versions that will be available after the movie is released and are already worth far more than what they retailed for.

For example, the Mace Windu sneak-preview action figure (Samuel L. Jackson's character) sold for about $30 earlier, but because that version is discontinued, it's now worth $125.

Ingram adds that the action figures will cost about $6.99, and that there will be larger pieces (vehicles, etc.) that could cost as much as $75.

"We know there's a lot of fan anticipation for the film and we think that'll translate very well for us," she adds.

No kidding. According to the "New York Times 1998 Almanac," as of 1996, "Star Wars" was still the most popular '70s video rental, beating out "The Godfather" and "Saturday Night Fever." In '80s video rentals, "Return of the Jedi" comes in second to "E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial," and "The Empire Strikes Back" is fourth in line.

Pike Place Market's Golden Age Collectables is a hub for local "Star Wars" enthusiasts. Look to your right on your way into Golden Age and you're likely to see one of two things: 1) a mob of people surrounding a display case or 2) the display case itself, chock-full of "Star Wars" action figures.

On the lower tier of the case lie the action figures in their original boxes (packaging is key in the world of "Star Wars" toy collectors), like the "Slave Leia" Princess Leia figure (with shackles!), priced at $20.

Then you'll look on the top tier and see a bunch of figures, out of their packages, costing anywhere from half of the cost of the Leia figure to 10 times its cost.

There are a few "Star Wars" aficionados among Golden Age employees. There's Michael Astorga, for one - his business card reads "Star Wars & Comic Book Manager."

Astorga says the most popular toys are the Yoda and Boba Fett action figures, and if you're not the sort to know better, you might ask why this is the case.

"Probably because Yoda was wise and Boba Fett was mysterious," Astorga patiently explains. Duh. Like, why else?

But most popular doesn't necessarily mean most expensive. The new models of both figures run from $12.95 to $14.95. An original Yoda (minus packaging and accessories) goes for $30 and an old, er, classic, Boba Fett (again, without packaging and accessories) costs about $60. However, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to putting a price on these toys.

A quick online search yields an "Empire Strikes Back" Yoda figure, packaged, with a brown snake for an accessory, priced at a modest $500. And Boba Fett prototypes (unpainted, mind you) fetch anywhere between $1,500 to $5,000 at toy shows.

"The most expensive action figures would be the ones with the fewest put out," says Astorga, which explains the extortionate prototype prices. He adds that the 300-or-so new "Episode 1" toys coming out won't devalue your collection.

"It won't devalue them, definitely. The prices will hold steady and people will just be checking out the new toys," he says, adding that he's looking forward to the "Episode 1" toys because, "The quality will be better, because nowadays, more attention is paid to action figures, and the detailing will be stronger."

Astorga explains the enduring appeal of the "Star Wars" series by saying that, "It reminds them of their youth, and the fantasies that didn't come along every day."

Astorga himself started collecting the action figures as a 9-year-old, although he never thought his hobby would translate into a career.

It's interplanetary travel that reeled in Andi Langley, Astorga's coworker at Golden Age.

"I totally teared up when I saw the trailer for the new movie," she says, calmly. And like any other true fan, she knows her stuff. While pointing out the more popular action figures, she mentions something called the B'Omarr Monk.

A who? A what?

"B'Omarr Monk," Langley repeats, thoughtfully spelling it out.

"A totally peripheral character. . .it had, like, two seconds of screen time in `Return of the Jedi,' " says Langley, who added that this spider-like figure was available for only a short while through catalogs and the Internet and was retailing for $30. Don't waste your time tracking one down - it's no longer available. This, of course, means that it's worth a pretty penny.

So, here's the thing you have to figure out before you shell out big bucks: Are you in it for love or money?

If your answer is "love," then buy the newer toys at standard (read: affordable) prices off the shelf, rip them out of their packages, ravage their accessories. If you're buying the toys as some sort of investment, then buy them, keep 'em in their boxes and line 'em up in a display case somewhere.

Langley herself has 1,000 action figures and says she plays with them all the time. She's in it for love.

----------- Buying tips -----------

-- When looking for used figures in shops and toy fairs, go in with packaging information in hand, and be sure to check registration numbers (numbers ending with "-00," for example, indicate a first-run item).

-- If a figure isn't packaged, check on the bottom of its feet or the back of its legs for the "LFL" (Lucas Films Limited) stamp with a date.

-- If you want to buy vintage figures, the "Star Wars" Insider Web site (http://www.starwarsinsider.com/) is a decent reference resource.

Source: Andi Langley of Golden Age Collectables.