Collecting With Kids

 So you grew up with the old Kenner Star Wars Toys, managed to keep them in decent shape and started back up collecting until you got married, and had kids so collecting Star Wars toys went on the back burner. Until that is you showed the kids the Star Wars movies, and they love it. They love it even more when you tell them you had a big collection and still have it. So you show them the action figures and they want in. Well, they want yours. In that case use your best judgment if they prove to be careful let them go play! If they aren't careful hesitation is okay. But a good idea is getting them started on collecting. With that being said, the Vintage Collection and Black Series are pricy. The Retro toys are good (so far priced below VC MSRP), but aren't made for kids. So where to begin? It's easy in most cases. And there are affordable ways to get your kids collection up and running:

1. Mission Fleet. Frankly, this is a great kids line. Vehicles are cheap, figures come with accessories that make playing with them fun, and the 2.5 inch scale isn't bad. The figures have 5 POA and are not as articulated as the Fortnite figures being made in the same scale but interacting with those toys isn't a bad way to grow the line. I've sung the praises of this line, and for the perfect blend of figures and vehicles this is the line to start with.

2. POTF2 action figures. Yes these are old figures and if you were born in the late 1980's or early 1990's these were your childhood Star Wars toys. Now the good news is acquiring the figures won't break your bank, as most go around $5-$15. You have rare exceptions like Mara Jade, Grand Admiral Thrawn and the entire EU wave being a pretty penny but the main characters from all 3 films (Luke, Leia, Lando Chewie, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Vader, R2, 3PO, Stormtroopers, Rebel Troopers) are easy to find. Some vehicles can be pricy but they are easier to find now than they ever have been. Most of the time prices can go up to $100, like the POTF2 Millennium Falcon, which often goes well north of that figure. But sticking with the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, Luke's Landspeeder and maybe an A-Wing or Darth Vader's TIE are possible to be found at an affordable price. Just search for lowest price first, look around. You'll find these! But if your kids like the Prequels/Clone Wars era, except for The Phantom Menace they are outta luck.

3. Modern 5 POA figures. Collectors hated 5 POA figures. But a 5-7 year old kid probably never had the chance to hate them, even though they didn't quite hit the high sales numbers Hasbro had hoped for. If your kids saw the sequels and liked them, then you have good news, finding the characters they like are easy. Like some POTF2 figures their prices are reasonable for the most part. Characters like those from Rebels, the Jedi Temple Guard and single card Palpatine run at high double or low triple digit prices. Also with 2 packs, 5 packs and special boxed sets these can give kids a broader base of toys to play with as it covers all 3 trilogies and all modern animated series (Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance). With the vehicles it's a mixed bag. The speeders and smaller vehicles you can find for a good price. But for fighters and ships like the Millennium Falcon you're paying anywhere from $80-$200. Rarely you can find them for less, or you can get lucky and find a collector who's willing to sell stuff so he or she can store their VC HasLab Razor Crest, Jabba's Sail Barge and Boba Fett's Throne Room Playset.

So those are my recommendations. And if you have a girl and she wants Star Wars toys, get them for her! Star Wars has inspired imaginations for years, the more kids who have inspired imaginations will provide the next generations with great stories that inspire the imaginations of future readers or viewers of their projects.