Page 46 - VE Magazine - Issue 26

Emantiques
VER SINCE George Méliès’ La Voyage de la Lune launched a space rocket into the eye of the Man in the Moon in 1902, cinema audi- ences have been wowed by visions of man (and woman) venturing into
the great black and beyond. Though, as far as space sci-fi cinema goes, it’s pretty fair to say that there is everything before 2001: A Space Odyssey, then there is everything afterward.
Star Wars was afterward. Almost ten years afterward – and only made possible by the real- ity and a seriousness that 2001 brought to outer space. But it was Star Wars that brought the fan- tasy. The sheer overabundance of creativity on display in the outer reaches of the galaxy helped create the classic and beloved space franchise that it is today, bringing so many imaginative charac- ters and civilizations to life.
Heading towards its 40th birthday, the original Star Wars is an all-round family favourite film that has enthralled generations of kids who can then go on to share it with their own, or even their grand- kids! No matter what age you are, everyone’s got their own fond memory of watching Star Wars for the very first time.
A long time ago in a toy shop, far, far away. The Star Wars collecting mania began...
Rebel, Rebel!
The franchise has had its ups and downs but, taken as a whole, these movies have got every- thing you need: action, romance, humour and spaceships. So no prizes for guessing how I spent my Christmas Eve this year – especially since the new film promised a bunch of the old characters!
As a child of the 70s, Star Wars opened up a whole new world for my brother and me. He, lucky lad, owned the Millennium Falcon, which he sometimes let me play with, along with a handful of action figures. Of course vintage Star Wars action figures, posters, games and cards, which once adorned the bedrooms of children in the 1970s and 80s, and might now be found in the odd loft, can be quite valuable.
But even more so – as I’m sure you’ve heard – if they were unwanted gifts for their first recipients and never played with! Looking at the prices some of the larger or rarer Vintage pieces are going for today, I know my brother wishes now that he’d kept his spaceship in its box, but that’s hindsight for you!
We know you big kids out there must be won- dering, as we were – what you would have to pay now for a complete set of 12 Palitoy 33⁄4” figures if you wanted to buy them today? So we asked Vec- tis – the largest toy auctioneer in the world – and they showed us the records from their October sale. It seems you should start thinking in the re- gion of a whopping £3,500!ve www.vectis.co.uk
BY KARYN SPARKS
IMPERIAL SHUTTLE VEHICLE
Palitoy/General Mills Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Imperial Shuttle Vehicle, plus box with some inner packaging. Estimate: £100-120. Sold for £504.
46 / February-March 2016 / ve www.vintagexplorer.co.uk
£504