Posted by Mark on May 1, 2005 at 02:10 AM CST
Since catching wind of this late Friday, there's been quite a buzz about where, when, and what could be on sale. We received two reports tonight from visitors to the Center, here's what they found...
"Just got back from the sale - the address of which is actually San Pablo Avenue in Oakland, but actually in Berkeley. If you have a reader who does a search for the Center for Creative Reuse and comes up with an address in Oakland, that's the place.
What was there? Well, mostly odds and ends from the Lucas Licensing warehouses, the majority of which was clothing - t-shirts, ties, caps, kids clothes, etc., and mostly from TPM and AOTC, though some t-shirts and ties were from the Original Trilogy release on video in the 1990's, the release before the Special Editions. A lot of the clothing is stamped "sample," or has "sample" written on them - some in conspicuous places, some not.
Lots of stationary items, computer accessories and cell phone fascias, some puzzles, a few TPM era action figures, and about 12-15 Rubies Lightsabers. If you sorted through the shelves and bins, there were a few foreign items, from France or the UK. There were some of the cup toppers from Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC TPM promos, and some containers from Cadbury Chocolates of R2-D2 and Bazooka Gum of Darth Vader. There were also a few Darth Vader masks made of thinner plastic than the Don Post Versions we are all familiar with, which for $7.50 a piece were a good deal and will come in handy for ROTS.
As usual, the good stuff went to those who were waiting for the doors to open - I talked to the store manager, and he told me that he had some Japanese Clone Trooper models from AOTC that got snapped up quickly at $15.00 a piece, but he had only put out a few and was holding a few more in the back, more than likely to go to E-Bay. I also saw an empty shelf space where the Lightsaber TV Remote Controls were being sold for $7.50. The store manager also told me that he was getting calls from New York and Idaho to buy out the whole stock that he had gotten from Lucasfilm.
For those fans who want something esoteric, The vinyl LP of the soundtrack of TPM is there, and for $3.00. I didn't know that this was ever issued.
That's about it - I guess the question that everyone wants the answer to is it worth checking out. I would say yes - as far as I know not everything donated has been put out for sale, so you may find something unique. Just bear in mind that the majority of what is there now is clothing, so if you want a reasonably cheap t-shirt or cap for yourself, or playsuits and pajamas for your Jedi younglings, plenty to choose from. But bear in mind that as the hours of this sale go on, the staff at the store are getting an idea of what the discriminating collector is looking for, and those items are probably gong to be held for auction on E-Bay. The great deals that you may be getting on that rare and expensive collectible because the staff member who priced it doesn't really know what it is and what it's really worth aren't going to last much longer.
Good luck, and good hunting to all!
Sincerely,
Robert Nidds"
And...
"I just went to the place today and there isn't a whole lot. Some items are from overseas like Episode 1 teaser posters from Czechoslovakia, Cadbury candy bar containers with Episode 1 toppers, and some PAL Star Wars video games. They also [had] some EP 1 shirts and posters. They had a few action figures (mostly Episode 1, a couple from the Disney Star Tours). They had a good assortment of Star Wars lunch boxes and other items (Stormtrooper mouse & mouse pad, other school supplies). They also had a few Star Wars costumes (the lower dollar ones). The pricing is quite interesting as you don't know how much they are until the cashier tells you at the register (it's usually 75-90% off retail). They only accept cash and are open Tuesday-Sunday from 11-6. I think they have been putting out the items the last few weeks. The best deal they had was the Koto Clone Trooper for a measly $15 (I missed out on them).
Constance Woo"
Not quite the treasure trove one might have imagined, but it sounds like there's some cool stuff at extremely reasonable prices. If you drop by, be sure to let us know what you pick up.
