Welcome to another installment of Collectors’ Bounty. This week we welcome Mark Jackson, a pretty serious collector of vintage Star Wars toys and action figures. Mark has become a good buddy of mine over the last few years. I met him on Twitter through our shared passion for Star Wars and collecting. Mark has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Vintage Star Wars collecting and comes in very handy when I need to know what booklet or instructions came with a particular vehicle, or if I need information on a variant figure. More often than not Mark will have the answer. You can follow Mark on Twitter @markyj71 aka Chocolate Chip Wookiee
As you will see, Mark has put together quite the collection and is well on the way to completing his mint on card vintage Star Wars figures.
Let’s get to know Mark a little better:
When did you first see Star Wars and which is your favorite film?
When it first came out in the Cinema, it changed my life forever. My favorite film is The Empire Strikes Back. Everything about it is still magical to this day, from Hoth & the AT-ATs to Dagobah & Yoda, to a climax & ending in a city in the clouds that shook cinema.
Who is your favorite character?
Luke Skywalker
How long have you been collecting?
As a child from the start, but it was my son back in 2005 when he was aged six, he got my vehicles/playsets & figures down from my parent’s roof space. From then I started upgrading & soon got hooked all over again.
Which was your first Star Wars figure?
My first figures were Princess Leia & Ben Kenobi, the only two figures left on the display. I couldn’t believe they finally had hit the shops after seeing them in comics.
Which is your favorite Star Wars figure?
Luke Skywalker Bespin Fatigues.
What is your favorite piece in your collection?
My Star Wars figure display cabinet that I had custom built.
What is your rarest/most valuable item?
I’d have to say my Palitoy Land of the Jawas playset that still has its rare sealed Jawa baggie figure. I owned this set as a child & I was delighted to finally track this one down a few years back in great condition.
Do you have a focus?
Yes, I recently started a Speeder Bike/Biker Scout focus. It’s very modest at the moment but I’ll be hoping to add more in the future. Such cool vehicles and figures.
What is the grail item that you are still on the lookout for?
Well, I picked up my ‘Grail’ item recently. A Boba Fett mailer from 1979. I had been after one for a very long time.
Any other information you can share about you and your collection?
I hope to complete my standard MOC (mint on card) run in which I currently have seven to go & then decide on whether to move onto the POTF line. There’s a few vehicles/playsets still to go too & I am always looking to add to my Speeder Bike focus.
With Vintage Star Wars you are never finished, there is always something else to collect. In the near future, I would love to have a collection room to display everything properly.
I have an eleven-year-old daughter who absolutely lives and breathes Star Wars every day. She has been attending conventions & events with me since she was little & has a nice collection of her own. I know that one day my collection will be looked after & cherished by my little Padawan.
Thank you, Mark, what a fantastic collection!