Star Wars: Prototypes and Production

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...

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...