When I buy carded figures on eBay I always ask for them to be enclosed in Star Cases.  They keep the figure snug, and prevent card and blister damage.  I've had a run of bad luck lately, and damaged cards by people using the wrong Star Cases.  I'll always ship in the appropriate case, but it occurs to me that some people may not know there are several different flavors.

So here's a quick primer on Star Cases.

First let's start of with the "classic" Star Case.

This is the case which is most often seen.  It's great for vintage figures, and any "standard" card figures such as Episode I, OTC, and TAC.

It basically comes in two flavors, one with a deeper base for figures with larger blisters.

Next we have the Episode III Star Case.  This is a slightly pyramid shaped case which accomidates the unique design and easily damaged "poins" on the middle of the side of the card.

This is the one most people don't ship Ep. III figures in.  Shipping Ep. III figures in ANY OTHER STYLE CASE can often result in damage to the figure.

Finally we come to the Saga '06 style case.  This is a "bellowed" style case designed especially for the Saga '06 cards.  It does technically fit Ep. III figures as well, but I have seen shipping damage result from their use, as the fit is not as snug, and the card can slide around a bit.

Lastly we come to the Lucasfilm cases.  These are really only a good subsititue for the "classic" Star Case.  The one's that are branded for Episode III are far too loose and will still damage the figure.  They do ship VOTC (Vintage Style) figures in these cases, but the cases are heat sealed so the only way to open them is to break the seal.  I don't recommend re-using these cases.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

As you've probably noticed by now, Midwest Jedi focuses on AFA graded Star Wars figures.  By far, the most popular subset of these figures are the ones that carry the "U" notation.  U stands for uncirculated.  The figures are taken right out of a sealed case by AFA and graded.

This is really a treat for me, as well as most of my customers.  I have many who only want Uncirculated figures.  It's great, the figure is in as good a shape as it can be, it's never been handled, there are no unsightly price tags, and it's just plain fun to say you have something which has never been touched by human hands.

For me it's always a bit of a treasure hunt as well.  With the latest stuff I get right from distribution there are no suprises.  I know exactally which figures are in the case and how many there are in each case.  However the older figures are a different matter altogether.  As I write this I have older case I am submitting.  One is an Episode I case (which the demand for is through the roof), the other is a Episode III case. In many cases, I am unable to find any reliable hints by googling (so it's a bit like Christmas when they come back from grading).  In this case though, I do know the Episode I, but not the Episode III.  So I'll share (When I get the EP III case back I'll post the results here).

For the record the case numbers are:

84085 095 Y (Episode I)

85173092J (Episode III)

According to http://forums.sirstevesguide.com/showthread.php?p=32782 Sir Steve's Guide it should contain

Wave 12 February 2000
Collection 1
3 x Qui-Gon Jinn (Jedi Master) (.0000)
3 x Destroyer Droid (Battle Damage) (.0000)
1 x Jar Jar Binks (Naboo Swamp) (.0000)
3 x Darth Maul (Sith Lord) (.0000)
2 x Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) (.0000)
2 x Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Knight) (.0000)
2 x Darth Maul (Tatooine) w/o New sticker (.0100) White COMMTech

Hi folks!

So this is just a quick commentary on a new trend I am seeing.  By far, the most interest in AFA graded figures I have been selling is the Episode I items.  I'm not exactally sure how to peg this trend.  Maybe it's the younger collectors, that remember seeing Episode I as theirr first Star Wars movie, who are now getting old enough to start becoming serious collectors.  Or maybe it's just that they are getting harder to find, or that they were some pretty neat toys.

My personal favorite has to be the Darth Maul Jedi Duel figure.
The whole dual bladed lightsaber is just to darn cool, and finally getting that in figure form for the first time is pretty special.