Review of The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Figures
1977 - 1985

Introduction

While my main area of critique has always been collectibles, I've reviewed my share of games, movies and even books. Generally, those books are somehow related to the collecting process of different lines in different decades, or the artistic process of creating said collectibles. Sometimes it's just been fiction that I think people should not overlook.

Tonight, I'm checking out a new publication by an old friend - Mark Bellomo. Mark has several best selling toy books under his belt, and is considered a renowned expert on the collectibles of the 80's. He has a YouTube show called the Collectible Spectacle, where you can learn all about his obsession with our favorite toys.

Mark's latest book is called "The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures 1977 - 1985". That's a long title, but as any good nerd knows, if you're going to call it 'ultimate', you better get specific or the fanboys will nitpick you to death.

Every figure, every play set, every accessory, every variant gets coverage in this 270 page soft cover guide. It's quite an impressive feat, and one that took Mark a long time to complete.

The book starts with the figures, detailing both the 3 3/4" line and the 12" line. It's color coded and sorted by year and by line (Star Wars, ESB, etc.) and by wave. Each figure has information on the character background, the accessories that were included, the average retail price, current estimated values, and even figure and paint variations.

The included photos cover the figure and accessories, as well as those aforementioned variations. There are few questions you'll have that won't be answered within these pages.

The second section covers what Mark calls "Accessories", although that's a bit misleading. They are accessories to the main line of figures, and include the creatures, play sets and vehicles.

Again, you get extensive text and photos showing the various details of the sets and vehicles. The sheer amount of information is really quite impressive.

There's separate sections for the Power of the Force coins, the larger 12" figures, and the series based on the Star Wars: Droids and Ewoks cartoons.

The one area that doesn't get a lot of coverage is the packaging. There are a few shots of the various cards and boxes, but they aren't a regular feature with each piece.

Overall - ****
For the dedicated collector of vintage Star Wars, this book is an invaluable guide. For the completist, the detailed photos of the figure variations will help feed their compulsion, while the background information will fill in some of the holes in your knowledge.

I also really, really like the format. I've long considered producing a book on the World of Springfield line from Playmates (as well as the Muppets from Palisdades), and there are several design elements here that I would most definitely incorporate. Remember - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Where to Buy 
The book has a suggested retail of $28, but you can pick it up at Amazon right now for about $17.

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