Gus writes:  Over the past couple of years, I've been seeking out rare, and in some cases, previously unknown, Star Wars food packaging from the vintage years. It is hard to believe that after so many years we are still discovering new food items from the early years of Star Wars, but some of these promotions were so limited and very few were saved, that this area is ripe for new discoveries. In some cases, I've consulted food collectors and experts in other countries to get information and confirm instances of early food packaging. In other cases, we were able to reasonably conjecture th ..read more

Steve writes:  Our own Chris Georgoulias recently unveiled details on the appropriately themed and very vintage Collecting Track giveaways for Star Wars Celebration Japan. To keep up with all the latest, be sure to join the Collecting Track Facebook Group and follow along on Instagram. Chris writes: The Collecting Track is proud to present its exclusive giveaways for Celebration Japan 2025 - Acrylic Stand Figures! The retro-vintage designs are inspired by the uniquely Japanese Popy World Hero boxed action figures from 1980. Featuring hand-drawn character artwork by Topps sketch card arti ..read more

Gus writes:  For the completist collector, there is nothing more nerve-wracking than a regional promotion. It’s hard enough to track down international items, but finding variations within a country are a whole other level of madness.  For May the 4th in 2024, the Dairy Farmers of America brands did a nationwide milk promotion in the U.S. The most prominent item offered was “Blue Milk” under the TruMoo brand which was sold across most of the country, like the blue milk seen in the original Star Wars in 1977. But the promotion went far beyond one national brand with Star ..read more

David writes:  As we trudge through the winter months, the proverbial light that awaits us at the end of a long, cold, snowy tunnel is the start of another toy show season. Do you remember the first time you visited a toy show? I attended my first Star Wars-themed toy show in the summer of 1992 or 1993. It was held on a Sunday in Long Island, New York, in the basement of a synagogue. In a small, dimly lit and musty room, among vendors stocked with tables of Star Wars collectibles, I faced the stunning realization that somehow I had missed the release of Kenner’s Power of the Force fig ..read more

Ron writes:  Intro  Many years ago I compiled a list of all the Kenner-issued Star Wars store displays I was aware of. These days it's considerably out of date. But upon its release it surely qualified as the only such list ever published. And I still sometimes get comments on it, largely to the effect of, "When are you going to update that?"  Well, honestly, probably never, though I assume that, at some point in time, I'll get around to overhauling the corresponding Archive database entries. Really, many of them are overdue for an update, and I have no excuse for leaving them ..read more

Gus writes:  As the 2024-2025 Holiday Season comes to a close, we'd like to share images of the Lucas Company holiday cards from 1977 to present. Although this is not a complete set, it's really close. These cards were sent by employees of Lucasfilm, Lucas Arts, Lucas Digital, ILM, Lucas Learning, Lucas Licensing, JAK, Skywalker Ranch and other companies to friends and colleagues. They are unbelievably hard to track down, but collectors have made it their mission to hunt these down over the years. Not all of them are Star Wars themed, but many are. If you have any of the few Lucas company ..read more

David writes:  It takes two elements to form a tradition: resonance and consistent repetition. Striking a chord, and then returning regularly to play those familiar, desirable notes with everyone involved. The result equates to a song with history. One that establishes itself on the calendar, over a period of time. As it materializes and develops into something recognizable, we anticipate its arrival. We plan for it. We take part in it. We embrace it as a part of our lives. The clock then resets, and we begin the countdown for its return.   And for Star Wars fans and collectors ..read more

Ron writes:  This article was written for It Came From the Loft, the fanzine of our friends at the Vintage Rebellion podcast. Check out their publications for more great content focused on vintage Star Wars collecting. Part I: Corrupted Transmission Above you see an ad for Kenner action figures and related toys. It ran on behalf of the retailer Mervyn's. Year: 1981. If you're wondering why it depicts a character who has a suppository for a head, fear not: you surely aren't the first. Thousands of kids likely saw the ad and wondered something similar. I mean, it's not like Kenner s ..read more

Gus writes:  As a kid whose life was profoundly changed by Star Wars in theaters in 1977, the anticipation for the Star Wars Holiday Special on television the following year was high. It's hard to imagine there was a time when there was very little Star Wars content available to us, but no one anticipated the unprecedented success and impact of Star Wars, and we were starved for that content in the early years. We got some of that fix through the Marvel Comics series, but the three year wait for the next movie seemed like an eternity. So the announcement of a live action television progr ..read more

David writes:  I attended my first Star Wars meetup in July of 2017. It was held in the Hudson Valley region of New York State, at the home of longtime collector and Archive editor/writer Ron Salvatore. The summer gathering was given the nickname “RonCon 2,” as it was the second official meetup Ron hosted for the Empire State Star Wars Collectors Club. The Empire State Club was formed five years earlier, and became a way for collectors in the New York and northeast region to connect through in-person events and activities. I was aware that collectors hosted and frequented these types ..read more