OPINION:  This Is Exactly What The Retro Collection Should Be

The engagement here has been really good as of late. Some have credited us with cultivating a good comment section, but I feel that credit goes to you guys. Bill Belichick often says that the best teams coach themselves. Similarly, I feel like this comment section has groomed the vibe that it has all on its own. I love that, and you all have been highly engaged. So, naturally I'm going to tempt fate with a Retro Collection article. Traditionally, there has been no greater cooler on the commentary than an article about the 5 POA line that enrages many a Vintage Collection collector. Welp, here goes. Once more unto the breach, dear friends.

I have a catchphrase that I often repeat for Retro:

I hate the Retro Collection except for all the times that I don't.

When I see stuff like this, my collector blood boils:


I simply can't wrap my head around new media Retro. Please note that this is just my personal opinion. I know some of you dig it. I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying it's wrong for me. And it's not just the brandy newest of media that irks me. It's any media that post-dates the vintage Kenner era. Even though I bought them, I don't love the Phantom Menace Retro. Conversely, these were two of my favorite Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary pick ups:


I seriously love my Retro Collection Mon Mothma and Yak Face as much as my Vintage Collection Taym Dren-garen and Velken Tezeri. I'm not joking. Again, I hate it, except for all the times that I don't.

I think (and talk) about how the two lines should operate as "universes", which means they should have consistently enforced rules. I've often said that the Vintage Collection is the universe where the Kenner collection never ended. It means the technology should keep advancing. Mistakes made during the vintage era should be corrected and not replicated. This applies to the figures as well as the cards. Episode IV and V Lukes get blue and not yellow sabers. The Death Star Droid should be glossy black (with 5D6-RA-7 as a parenthetical sub designation in the name pill). The photo on Paploo's card should be Paploo and not Romba. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Once you establish the rules of the universe, making decisions based on the corner cases becomes easy.

I finally figured out what bothers me about the Retro Collection. It lacks a definition of its universe, and thus the corresponding rules. Landing on 1980 as an aesthetic is somewhat arbitrary in my opinion. If Hasbro wanted me to absolutely love the Retro Collection as much as TVC, this would be the definition of the universe: where the Vintage Collection is the imagined reality where the Kenner collection never ended, Retro Collection should be a perpetual and unending 1986 of that imagined reality. It would have the following rules:

• Scoped only to media that existed as of 1986
• Should adhere to the 1986 aesthetic
• Should be comprised primarily of figures not made prior to 1986, and key carry forwards
• No faux distressing of the cards
• No annoying Retro Collection stickers

And most impotantly:

• Released entirely on Power of the Force Cards with coins

I would geek out so hard about such a line. Fortunately for me (and perhaps to the chagrin of Hasbro), an exquisite quality bootleg line of sorts exists for exactly what I'm describing. I had heard about Stan Solo a lot, but I didn't know much about the carded offerings. Then one evening while consuming a few adult beverages and perusing Ebay (a bad combination), I came across the Stan Solo Slave Leia on a POTF card. I hit the "buy it now" button as fast as my tipsy fingers could manage. Once in hand, I was hooked. I've since picked up the Removable Helmet Vader and Dagobah Training Luke. I desperately want the Han Stormtrooper on a POTF card, but man is that expensive (if you can find one).

I absolutely love these items as part of my Kenner collection. I especially love getting mint POTF cards which is virtually impossible for the real items, no matter your price point. Speaking of which, this is a bit of an expensive hobby as the Stan Solo POTF replicas come in at $63 each. But once they sell out, they go for much more on the secondary market. If you would like to join me in my sickness:

Stan Solo Creations USA
Stan Solo Creations (UK)
Stan Solo Etsy (US)

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