While at work today, I was thinking over how many times Ive gone to extremes in collecting and some of the stuff, Id never even consider for other aspects of my life.

i.e.
- Getting up at 4 or 5 a.m. on Sunday to go Star Wars shopping at the Swapmeet or Comic Shows etc etc
- Pretty much giving up alcohol because it cuts into my Star Wars funds.
- Becoming a Super Sleuth when it comes to finding Star Wars stuff in my local area.
- Showing up at a meeting place to meet a seller an hours ahead of time in anticipation for my purchase.
- Traveling 4 or 5 hours to Oakland just to buy some Star Wars stuff off of Craigslist.

I was wondering what "extremes" some of you have gone to in your collecting efforts. Ok guys and gals "Extremes" within the eyes of the law at least, we dont need anyone incriminating themselves here on Yahoo World of Star Wars.

Jan 16, 2009 10:45 AM | Report Abuse reply

I spend a fair amount of time hunting for action figures in my retail outlets as well as the toy stores. The grocery store like Coles and Woolworths (in AU Woolworths is a food retailer) who have small toy sections in the hope of finding something I am chasing.

I do this on a either daily or second day basis,I scour ebay for stuff I am looking for and I guess otherwise spend a fair bit of time on the net looking for news on new releases.

It's been more than just a hobby since a bit before the start of december for me as a lot of new wave figures and vehicles came out and I discovered a local australian forum that collectors get together on and trade/sell also so my collection in mass proportion just recently.

Jan 16, 2009 1:16 PM | Report Abuse reply

Wow, Daily? Man thats alot of time at the stores...

- Ive heard of all out marathon sessions that some collectors do when going to the stores and will start out at like 6 or 7 a.m. at the 24 hour spots and not end the day until like 10 or Midnight when the places close.

- Then there is the extremes of possible VIOLENCE, Ive never experienced it or anything close, but Ive heard of some collectors getting into fights over items, not just getting ripped off but more like who got the toy before they did fights. Dayum!

Jan 16, 2009 3:12 PM | Report Abuse reply

ive had fights w/ managers (verbal) when the legacy coll. was on the shelf early. i go to 1 walmart next to my apt. every day and find a reason to go to 2 other walmarts and 3 targets every other day. on saturdays i leave the apt. at 7 am and dont get home til noon. then on sunday i go east and dont get home till 11 am. sometimes, when my wife works late or goes to her moms in the middle of the week, ill spend 3 or 4 hours driving and looking. then theres this site! i look at it at least twice a day. rebelscum at least once a day and ebay every other night. damn, ive never listed it all out like that. whats wrong with me?!

Jan 16, 2009 3:50 PM | Report Abuse reply

i almost forgot about toys r us, i go to 2 of those alot. they know me in there.

Jan 16, 2009 3:51 PM | Report Abuse reply

I have done a few things like get in line at Target when the ROTS figures came out. Had to get the exclusive Vader! Too bad he looks like crap.

Then there was the midnight thing for the Clone Wars launch. I got to my local Toys R Us an hour and a half befor they opend and to my surprise I was the first in line. I too make the "retail run" at least every other day. I try to hit my local Wal-Mart daily, because my biggest fear is "They put the stuff out last night and it will all be gone unless I go!" My job had put our delivery driver on a temporary lay off, so they have been sending me instead. I have two other Wal-Marts and two Targets as well as a Toys R Us I get to check at least twice a week now!

Jan 16, 2009 5:13 PM | Report Abuse reply

Most of the time I work az a Diesel Mechanic, but if its slow I'll go on a run in the 18 wheeler to varios walmarts all over N. Texas.

I almost always hit up the toy department at 3-4 wal-marts a day.

When I was driving full time I would hit up 6-7 walmarts a day 6 days a week. It really was essential to getting every ROTS figure.

When I drove cross country I knew where Toys R us were located next to an intersate. If they were open and I had cash I stopped.

I remember Finding my lego millenium falcon in Pheonix. They had a small parking lot with lots of landscaping. However I knew they had to recieve deliveries somehow. I parked by their receiving docks and went hunting.

Thankfully my wife haz a good "SW eye". She picks up a lot of stuff in obsquere places.

Jan 16, 2009 5:30 PM | Report Abuse reply

I am an everyday ebayer, Uk, Usa and Australia looking for the right bulk collection that will fit in with my collections. I am at least twice a week around at k-mart and target eyeing up waiting for the sales lol.. K-mart in Darwin to me without doubt was the best for a bargin!!

Jan 16, 2009 6:32 PM | Report Abuse reply

Has anyone like ever gone hungry because of their star wars spending? Like the Star Wars diet?

I have to admit maybe not going hungry but skimping on what Id normally eat for something less on the scale of what I consider normal, because of Star Wars spending.

Jan 16, 2009 9:20 PM | Report Abuse reply

Yeah Star Wars shopping in an 18 Wheeler is pretty extreme kinda like Mad Max on a Star Wars mission. Ha! Or I kinda get like flash backs of Smokey and the Bear, you know in keeping with the whole Star Wars/ 70s/80s theme. LOL!

Jan 16, 2009 9:21 PM | Report Abuse reply

i skip lunch to bu star wars all the time.

he is kinda mad max-like!

Jan 17, 2009 6:10 AM | Report Abuse reply

Ive never missed lunch or anything that bad but i do work most saturdays which justifies my spending to my other half.

Jan 17, 2009 7:24 AM | Report Abuse reply

Oh wow, yeah I used to take night classes that would get out around 10 PM then I'd stop by the 24hr walmart before going home. Sometimes I'd leave for work an hour earlier so I could stop the walmart. I usually start work at 6 AM...so yeah, there's a bit of extreme in that, extreme sleep deprivation. I used to go home after work, eat, do some errands, then nap until about 11 PM then go walmart because they usually had pallets out around then. I'd hang out and wait for them to unload the stuff. I remember last year when the force unleashed figs came out. I was there when they were unpacking the pallets. I scored one of each fig. It was close to 130AM. I got home and looked at them, took them out, set them up, played with them a bit, then passed out around 3AM and was messed up for work the next day (had to be up 2 hours later), but hey, I scored! Now it's pretty much weekend hunting. Wake up Saturday or Sunday morning, make my rounds, driving all over the county checking the walmarts, targets, and sometimes the toys r uses (but they usually suck).

Jan 17, 2009 6:38 PM | Report Abuse reply

Lately, yes Toys R Us SUCKS!!!!! My TRU is WAYYYYYYY overstocked on exclusive ships, yet they will not mark them down. I want all three of the ships they have right now, but I will not pay 40-50 dollars for them. They want 45.00 for the ARC fighter. That was only 30.00 when it was a general release! The B-Wing is still 45.00 and the red stripe TIE fighter is still 40.00

Jan 18, 2009 8:34 AM | Report Abuse reply

I've "adjusted" my grocery bill on many occasions to fit in a new SW item. Not gone hungry persay but you know getting hamburger meat instaed of a steak kinda thing.

Jan 18, 2009 11:02 AM | Report Abuse reply

Yeah Ive resorted to the "Star Wars Diet" many a time to squeeze a few more dollars out of my budget for that one Star Wars item that I couldnt live with out.

99Cents menu items instead of the regular fare.

Yeah Pallet Hunting anything after 10 PM for Star Wars is rather extreme even in my book, but hell there are worse things we could be doing after 10 PM at night.

Hell Ive heard on more then one occasion of a collector getting a part time job at TRU or Target just to get first dibs on the Star Wars stuff before it hits the shelf, Ive always thought that was Extreme, but I understand. Trust me I understand.

Jan 20, 2009 7:51 AM | Report Abuse reply

I have applied at TRU (when I was younger) just for that reason. Its like they freakin knew man. they hire some lacky while I am a wealth of walking hasbro knowledge.

Jan 20, 2009 5:58 PM | Report Abuse reply

Its an Imperial Conspiracy, there can be only one Darth at a time in the Empire. Ha!

Jan 20, 2009 6:04 PM | Report Abuse reply

I also hit the midnight madness sale.
Even cut corners on bills and grocery to score some Star Wars.
Don't do it so much now.

Jan 21, 2009 1:16 AM | Report Abuse reply

Man Ive heard that some of the Midnight Madness Sales like the one for EPI was nothing short of INSANE, at least here in California. A

nd some people got out right violent in the Parking Lot. GGGEEZZZZ now thats Extreme.

Ive never went to one, cause I already knew how collecting goes and that stuff that they were fighting for a few years ago, some sellers and collectors cant even give away now. Ha!

i.e. the Celebration III Darth Vaders, I heard that the line was like 8 hours + to get into the store there and then some didnt even end up getting one anyway. Thats just Extreme and INSANE.

Jan 21, 2009 12:37 PM | Report Abuse reply