Star Wars: Prototypes and Production

The campaign was sinking quickly. Hampered by lackluster stretch goal offerings, a frustrated fanbase, and a campaign that surprisingly had lost hundreds of backers along the way, the Black Series Rancor was in danger of becoming the first Star Wars HasLab failure. Would an action figure “Hail Mary,” in the form of Malakili the Rancor Keeper, reverse the backer bleed and help the Rancor cross the...

The 2021 Star Wars HasLab campaign began in the worst possible way - An accidental slip, revealing the product months in advance. Since 2018, Hasbro had produced two wildly successful Star Wars HasLab projects for the Vintage Collection figure line. Would the first Black Series release follow in the footsteps of the Sail Barge and Razor Crest, or would it be the Star Wars galaxy’s first HasLab fai...

It’s been two weeks since the ExCeL London convention hall closed its doors after another successful Star Wars convention that drew tens of thousands of fans from across the globe. But what was Star Wars Celebration London really like? How was it unique from previous events? What were some of the positive aspects, and what improvements could be made for future Celebrations? For collectors, what we...

Twenty years ago, in September of 2003, a group of collectors met in the Washington DC area for the first meetup of a burgeoning club. And over the past two decades, the Washington DC Metro Area Star Wars Collecting Club (DCSWCC) has thrived, hosting myriad events, connecting Star Wars fans and collectors, and raising money for multiple children’s charities. Ahead of the club’s 20th anniversary ce...

Coming to you live, from Star Wars Celebration London! On April 7th, the Exhibition Centre London opened its doors to Star Wars fans from around the world, for the latest multi-day Star Wars convention. Join host David Quinn for an extensive tour of Celebration London, through the live reports of the Star Wars collectors and friends who attended the unforgettable weekend! Featuring Bill Cable, Mik...

With the announcement of three new films, Lucasfilm is forging a new era of Star Wars storytelling. Spanning 25,000 years, the films will focus on: The Dawn of the Jedi. The Heir to the Empire. The New Jedi Order. Join host David Quinn for a deeper dive into these projects, as he shares all of the information surrounding these shocking and exciting reveals. Will James Mangold deliver on the Jedi o...

“Xenia was INSANE…changed my perspective on the toy market.” That text message from a fellow collector was the impetus for this episode. 
How did a show with 500 vendors, 700 tables of vintage and modern toys and with record attendance numbers of 10,000 visitors change a collector’s perspective on our hobby? What made another longtime collector boldly claim: "The best toy show I've ever attended....

What was this year’s Columbus Toy Show really like? In the second part of the Columbus Toy Show recap, another group of wonderful Star Wars collectors and toy dealers share their thoughts on last week's Ohio show. Join host David Quinn for part two of a series of conversations with those who attended the event. They discuss the collecting trends they gleaned from the weekend, as well as share insi...

For Star Wars collectors, the Columbus Toy Show is one of the best toy shows in the country. Offering more than 440 tables of vintage and modern memorabilia, the show has earned a reputation for amazing finds and being worth the trip. And collectors travel from many different states, and sometimes from other countries, to take part in the Columbus weekend! But after a year that saw both peak price...

The toy show season has officially begun! The ZOLOCON toy and comic expo, held in a former NASA centrifuge, is a unique way to kick off another year of hunting for Star Wars toys and collectibles with friends. But what will the first toy show of the year really be like? Join me, host David Quinn, for a weekend in Warminster, Pennsylvania at ZOLOCON. We’ll explore the show together during Friday’s...

Frustrated by the crowded collectors’ market? Still trying to get a grasp on what you own? Are you prepared to make the big purchase that’s coming your way? These are some of the questions we face as collectors of action figures, prototypes and a galaxy of Star Wars memorabilia. Navigating the world of Star Wars collecting can be a challenge. But learning from our experiences and trading tips with...

Will the Morphy Auction be an accurate indicator of the Star Wars market for the coming months? What if season three of The Mandalorian is a letdown? How will the sales struggles at Hasbro affect toy collectors? And will 2023 be the year a larger audience embraces vintage and modern prototypes? Join me, host David Quinn, for an exploration through some of the topics meaningful to Star Wars fans an...

By now, you’ve seen the prices. You’ve seen the photos. But what was February’s Morphy Star Wars toy auction really like? Over the past three months, you may have seen photos of the “Morphy Find” - 450 carded Kenner Star Wars action figures, stored away for more than three decades. These items and many more were sold at a breakneck pace at Pennsylvania’s Morphy Auctions on February 01, 2023. And w...

What was February’s Morphy Star Wars toy auction really like? Over the past three months, you may have seen photos of the “Morphy Find” - 450 carded Kenner Star Wars action figures, stored away for more than three decades. These items and many more were sold at a breakneck pace at Pennsylvania's Morphy Auctions on February 01, 2023. And what better way to explore the event than with those who were...

As we enter a new and exciting year in the world of Star Wars and collecting, let’s first revisit the stories and moments from the past year. Join me, host David Quinn, for part two of a look back at 2022, through the conversations, highlights, auctions, releases, meetups, toy shows, conventions, and collection tours that made the year memorable for Star Wars fans! Travel back with me through the...

Welcome to SEASON 5 of the podcast! As we enter a new and exciting year in the world of Star Wars and collecting, let’s first revisit the stories and moments from the past year. Join me, host David Quinn, for part one of a look back at 2022, through the conversations, highlights, auctions, releases, meetups, toy shows, conventions, and collection tours that made the year memorable for Star Wars fa...

It’s beginning to look a lot like SITHMAS! To kick off the holiday season, more than 60 members from four Star Wars collectors clubs traveled to the Lancaster area for Pennsylvania collector Mike De Stefano’s Sithmas event. From touring Mike’s three Star Wars collection rooms, to swapping gifts in the White Bantha Gift Exchange, to memorable meals with friends, Sithmas was the perfect way to end t...

Did you know that Kenner DESTROYED 500,000 Early Bird Certificates? As iconic as the Certificate is to Star Wars collectors today, it was a controversial offering in the fall of 1977, and many viewed it as a scam. Throughout the past year, and for the previous two decades, collector Ron Salvatore has covered fascinating topics like this in his informative and his invaluable articles for The Star W...

In 1977, while Star Wars mania swept the nation, one iconic life-sized accessory was missing from toy shelves: the lightsaber. And as Kenner toiled away at crafting a Lucasfilm-approved version of the novel blade, some entrepreneurial creators eschewed copyright laws and produced their own unlicensed lightsabers to sell to the public. Throughout the past year, and for the previous two decades, col...

Did a hobbyist create the very first Star Wars figures, many months before Kenner’s iconic toys appeared at retail? Was one of the rarest licensed Kenner Star Wars items a partnership with…Cincinnati students? And what is the legacy of a unique collector who introduced a new way to collect action figures? These are some of the topics writer and collector Ron Salvatore addressed this year and in hi...

For Star Wars fans, some of the most iconic photos in the galaxy were printed as posters. Whether they were theatrical posters advertising an upcoming film at your local metroplex, commercial ones adorning your bedroom walls, or promotional prints you received at events like Star Wars Celebration, these images have come to represent the excitement of the film trilogies and the latest small-screen...

Like you, I have questions about the recent warehouse find! Eight 21-Back Boba Fetts in ONE lot. A shocking number of clear bubble Return of the Jedi and Power of the Force figures. Possible double-telescoping lightsaber versions of Luke, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan, on sealed cardbacks. And 450 carded Star Wars figures, soon to be offered in batches to the highest bidders. Before they hit the auction...

How did Kenner find the correct color for its iconic 3.75” Yoda figure? And do you know the full story of the unproduced Talking Yoda? During her 50-year career as a toy designer, Cathy Veness worked at Kenner and at some of the biggest companies, helping to shape some of the most memorable toy lines, like the beloved Star Wars action figures and plush creations. Join host David Quinn for part two...

Cathy Veness is a Kenner and Star Wars toy legend. She worked on the 3.75” and 12” action figure lines, on characters like Yoda, Leia, and Han Solo. And George Lucas paid her the highest compliment a toy designer could receive for her work on the Ewoks plush line. A master of soft goods design, she helped create some of the most iconic pieces that Star Wars fans loved as children and collect today...

Ten years ago, the Star Wars universe changed forever. On October 30, 2012, George Lucas, the master storyteller who spoke the Jedi and lightsabers into existence, sold his company to Bob Iger and Disney for $4 billion. And since then, Star Wars has expanded wildly. The sequel trilogy concluded the onscreen Skywalker Saga. The world of Batuu emerged at the Disney theme parks. And beloved character...