Have a Star Wars figure with a missing head, limb, chewed by the family pet or perhaps attacked by an enthusiastic young artist with pen or paint? These figures need not make their way directly to the trash compactor.
While it’s easy to appreciate the value of a complete vintage or modern figure, don’t be fooled by figures with damaged or missing parts. Whilst a different market, these figures still have value as parts aka fodder and customisers will eagerly snap them up. It’s a winning scenario for the seller, the customiser and the environment.
As with our cosplaying cousins, customisers use specialised modelling materials, however they will also repurpose household materials in an effort to save costs, attain a particular look or feel for their projects, which can again help reduce environmental waste.
Also, if you’re a Jawa or hoarder like me, you can even use your spares to help a friend out. I had some spare vintage 2-1B Medical Droid loose arms amongst my fodder boxes. One of my friends had a pristine, stiff limbed vintage 2-1B, but childhood adventures has cost his right arm. Using my spare arm and with some customising techniques, we were able to restore this figure back to its former glory, which now resides pride of place within his display.
When it comes to customising, I’ll happily work on modern figures, however vintage figures which have survived nearly 40 years, despite their production volumes, availability will only dwindle, so it would be a shame to write them off. If a vintage figure could be restored, then this would be the approach I would take, I would only customise a vintage figure if it was badly damaged.
So, when it comes to Star Wars action figures parts, don’t be like fly boys or Captain Phasma, don’t put them straight into the trash compactor, why not give them a second chance, you could make an action figure very happy.