One of the biggest subcultures of the Star Wars franchise is the merchandise.
Lunch boxes, clothing, Pepsi cans, and, yes, more toys than a Toys’R’Us store makes this universe not just one to celebrate, but one to collect. Collectors scour the internet, Cons, and stores looking for an item that can be a crown jewel in their personal collection.
For collector and seller Seth Hastings, owner of Plastic Galaxy in Oklahoma City, his goal is simple: help collectors find exactly what they’re looking for.
Hastings opened Plastic Galaxy in October/November 2015, just prior to the release of the Force Awakens, the highly anticipated 7th episode of the Star Wars franchise. For this Star Wars lover, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
“We went with it and took a gamble, and so far it’s been great.”
“The inspiration [for opening Plastic Galaxy] was a lot of things,” Hastings explained. “It’s tougher to move [collector’s items] when there’s no movie coming out. With the release of episode 7, the timing felt right. We went with it and took a gamble, and so far it’s been great.”
Hastings has been collecting toys and other collector’s items from all different franchises on and off for the past 15-20 years, but he says that Star Wars is his main focus.
The inspiration, like with most collectors, comes from his childhood. He remembers seeing the re-release of The Empire Strikes Back in theaters, and the original release of Return of the Jedi. The movies left an impact, but the toys were what brought those movies to life. Hastings says that the toys were a big part of his childhood.
One of the best things about childhood nostalgia and toys is that it brings about a very positive, happy customer.
“People don’t come in the same way they would go into a store to shop for milk or pick up cleaning supplies,” Hastings noted. “It’s very positive. People come in with a good mood, and are nice and friendly.”
Whether people are just getting started with their collection or they’re a veteran of all the Star Wars memorabilia out there, Hastings is there to guide his customers to finding the best purchases for them and navigate the fluid world of toy collecting.
“It’s a commodity and things flow based on supply and demand. Some things are extremely short in supply, like exclusives. It fluctuates and we follow it closely.”
And that ties into Hasting’s biggest piece of advice for collectors: don’t seek the rarest, most exclusive items just for the sake of rarity and exclusiveness.
Instead, seek out something you like and something you will enjoy. For some people that may be the more common, modern figures. For others it will be vintage, boxed mailaway figures. The goal that Hastings has for his customers is to make sure they leave happy.
“Buy the pieces you love,” he advised.
Is there a collectors’ “Holy Grail”?
Even in the world of collectors there’s no one “holy grail” of Star Wars products because, according to Hastings, it depends on the kind of collector you are.
“I think, for vintage collectors, the most common ‘holy grail’ may be the prototype Rocket Firing Boba Fett,” Hastings explained.
“That was a toy that was supposed to be a mailaway that was never released because of the concerns that the missiles were choking hazards, but several prototypes exist, about 20-50, that exist. Other ‘grails’ might garner more money, but that’s the big one.”
What’s the Greatest Star Wars Deal?
Hastings tries to be upfront with what a product sells for, and isn’t going to price gouge someone that they’re selling. If a product is worth $100, he won’t try to buy it for $20.
That said, Hastings has found some deals in his time. When he buys products he’ll sometimes buy lots, or bundles, of products for a certain amount. Upon looking into the lot when it arrives he’ll sometimes find a rare piece he didn’t know was in there that could make up the difference of the purchase. He’s gone into five figures for purchases, and has sold individual items within the five figure range as well. Although, he says, sometimes the rarer, more expensive pieces can take a while to move.
“The high-end pieces are nice to have and people love to gawk and admire, but the goal is to sell it and that can be tough because [due to the price] you could be holding onto the piece longer than you’d like.”
Hastings loves what he does. Using Cox Business WiFi and Facebook Live’s streaming video capabilities, Hastings hosts a sales show to sell products and show the details and excitement behind some of his pieces.
Check out one of his recent Live Sales below.
Hastings travels all over looking for the best deals. If you have any interest in selling your collection or checking out what he has, be sure to get in touch with Plastic Galaxy, and May the Fourth be with you!
