Star Wars: Prototypes and Production

It’s the end of another epic toy show season. The last visit to ToyCon NJ, one of New Jersey’s largest and most beloved toy shows, highlighted some important trends within the world of Star Wars and collecting. But have these trends continued, or are new ones emerging? And where is the hobby headed in the new year? Join host David Quinn for the final toy trip of 2023, as he heads back to Parsippan...

Are you ready to become a collecting Jedi Master? Throughout the years, our experiences as Star Wars collectors have blessed us with Yoda-sized bits of wisdom. And our connections to one another within the Star Wars community help us to learn together, and to guide one another to become more patient, more informed and more passionate about collecting. Join host David Quinn as he shares some quick...

How does a Star Wars meetup become a holiday tradition? Every year, Pennsylvanian collector Mike De Stefano hosts Sithmas, a weekend event that celebrates Star Wars and the holidays. The weekend kicks off with a Friday night meal, followed by Saturday’s main event. The day is packed with festivities - from a White Wampa gift exchange to a special dinner together, to tours of Mike’s three incredibl...

Do you want to explore one of the greatest Star Wars collections ever assembled? Over more than three decades, longtime collector and writer Ron Salvatore has uncovered new information about the vintage toys and memorabilia from a galaxy far, far away. And along the way, he acquired a monumental collection of some of the rarest and most important pieces in Star Wars history. Join host David Quinn...

Over the years, the Cincinnati Toy Show weekend has become a staple for Star Wars fans and Kenner collectors. The weekend has consistently offered a wide variety of memorable activities. Attendees dine together, tour collections at friends’ homes, and buy and sell rare and desirable figures and prototypes at room sales and the Sunday toy show. But what was the weekend like for someone who has been...

This summer, Tad Moore decided to part with his massive Star Wars collection after 30 years. In the previous episode, Tad gave Star Wars fans insight into why he decided to walk away from the hobby he loved. Now, it is time to sell everything. But before the first items from Tad’s collection hit Hake’s Auctions later this month, he shares the fascinating stories behind his treasured memorabilia. J...

After 30 years of collecting, why would someone walk away from the hobby they loved? The answer may surprise you. On August 11, longtime collector Tad Moore announced he had decided to stop collecting comics and Star Wars memorabilia. He had consigned his collection to Hake’s Auctions, an auction house that would integrate his 500+ carded vintage Star Wars figures, as well as legendary prototypes...

Halloween is supposed to be scary. Hosting a Star Wars meetup shouldn’t be. For the milestone 150th episode, join host David Quinn for a conversation with collector FJ DeRobertis about hosting his first Empire State Star Wars Collectors Club meetup at his New Jersey home last weekend. How was the experience for FJ and for Star Wars collectors? What was the valuable advice he received ahead of the...

How does a toy show attract 10,000 attendees in a single day? The Great Ohio Toy Show in Xenia, Ohio has quickly become one of the hottest toy shows in the country. And for Star Wars fans and collectors, the Xenia show features hundreds of vendor tables, filled with some of the most desirable Kenner and Hasbro collectibles. This past weekend, two longtime Star Wars collectors visited Xenia, attend...

There’s nothing better than discussing Star Wars with friends. And there’s no better crew to review the season one finale than the Ahsokaholics! Join host David Quinn as he sits down with fellow Ahsoka fans and collectors Clifton Boggs, FJ DeRobertis, Christopher James Leddy, Fonz Napolitano and Will Russ, for another Ahsoka-themed roundtable. Learn which characters and story points resonated with...

AHSOKA certainly left us with a lot to discuss. On October 3rd, the 15th anniversary of the premiere of The Clone Wars series and the 9th anniversary of the first episode of Star Wars: Rebels, Dave Filoni wrapped up the first season of the live-action AHSOKA series. What was that episode, and that moment, really like? Join host David Quinn for a look at some of the immediate reactions to the final...

For one night, Star Wars returned to theaters. On Tuesday, September 12th, Lucasfilm aired the momentous fifth episode of the Ahsoka series at select theaters across the country and around the world. And Star Wars fan and Ahsoka collector Christopher James Leddy was one of the fortunate few to score a ticket to an unforgettable evening at the movies. Join host David Quinn for an in-depth conversat...

Era-defining moments. They are the seismic events that run across the history of Star Wars and collecting. And they’re responsible for the years-long spans that spark the fandom, that keep Star Wars in the spotlight, and that cause collectors to chase the rare and desirable figures and relics from the films, series and stories from a galaxy far, far away. Join host David Quinn for a walk through t...

A Star Wars Collector’s Paradise. That was an apt description for The Toys for the Ages Expo weekend in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Toys for the Ages is the brainchild of collector Andy Cook, and the annual show specializes in vintage toys, especially the Kenner Star Wars action figure line. But it also featured a trove of modern Hasbro Star Wars items, including rare and pristine selections from The...

The Clone Wars premiered 15 years ago this week. After the film’s release on August 15, 2008, a television series soon followed. Together, they introduced the world to Ahsoka Tano and showcased the further adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi of the prequel era. And over the past 15 years, The Clone Wars has become a generation-defining Star Wars series and has served as the...

I couldn’t believe it. After a string of toy shows with very little worthwhile Star Wars memorabilia, I had stumbled upon one of my best finds in years. And it happened at the Toys for the Ages Expo in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Toys for the Ages Expo is one of the premier vintage toy shows on the east coast. The brainchild of Andy Cook, the show focuses on the beloved lines from the 1970s, 80s a...

What would be your ideal collector trip? For Kevin Mann and Alexander Coltart, it consisted of a 3000-mile trek together across the country in search of vintage toys and collectibles. In the span of a week, Kevin and Alex visited numerous regional toy stores, toured collectors’ incredible collections, met up with friends along the way, and saw some of the most iconic movie cars in existence. The t...

Hasbro could not afford to deliver a third HasLab failure. For this year’s Star Wars project, the toy company premiered the Vintage Collection Ghost in July, kicking off a six-week campaign for fans to back the beloved Rebels ship and to bring home the members of the Spectre squadron. But did Hasbro learn from its mistakes? Would the company prove to its fanbase that it understood what Star Wars c...

Ahead of the anticipated HasLab launch, what do you know about the Ghost? The ship was the home to the best Star Wars ensemble since the original trilogy team of 1977. With its memorable Spectre squad, the Ghost became a key instrument in defeating the Empire. The ship hosted some of the most notable and iconic passengers - from the original trilogy’s Princess Leia and Lando Calrissian, to the Clo...

The 40th Anniversary celebration continues. In 1983, Return of the Jedi was more than a satisfying conclusion to a beloved trilogy. It became a collection of memories, of the film and its ubiquitous memorabilia. Of the moments spent with friends and family in theaters and beyond. Of Pepperidge Farm Jedi cookies, first and final figure purchases, and the hours spent exploring the activity books and...

Did a former crew member really lend Princess Leia’s screen-used ceremonial dress to a friend for a costume party? Will it cross the million-dollar mark at the Propstore auction? Which amazing props from the era of the original trilogy will be offered to the highest bidders? And which hand-drawn gems are available for the first time in years, from one of the pioneer collectors of Star Wars origina...

Halfway through the year, what is the toy show experience like for Star Wars fans and toy enthusiasts? The only way to really know is to visit one! For nearly a decade, ToyCon NJ has been one of the premiere toy and collectibles show in the tri-state area. And for Star Wars collectors, it has served as a treasure trove of vintage and modern memorabilia since 2014. Are attendees still flocking to v...

For many Star Wars fans, bringing home a piece of the galaxy was life-changing. 40 years ago, Return of the Jedi premiered in theaters across the globe. It was a satisfying conclusion to George Lucas’ trilogy, one that has resonated with fans for generations. It also kicked off a merchandising campaign filled with all-new characters and onscreen moments. These souvenirs from the film had a profoun...

The film. The toys. The Return of the Jedi. George Lucas’ 1983 finale to his Star Wars film saga premiered 40 years ago this week. And Return of the Jedi still resonates with fans and collectors, decades later. Join host David Quinn for part one of a series that highlights what made Return of the Jedi so special for children and adults all over the world. Hear incredible, funny, touching and memor...

You may have attended conventions or toy shows…but have you ever hiked with your fellow Star Wars fans and collectors? On a Sunday at the end of May, a group of collectors traveled to the Hudson Valley area in upstate New York, to hike the Mt. Beacon trail. Join host David Quinn for a trip back to Fishkill, New York, for a day with members from the Empire State Star Wars Collectors Club. Explore t...