Jonathan writes: The Basics Star Wars was released in Japan on June 24, 1978, more than a year after it premiered in the United States. A massive promotion involving Coca-Cola brand beverages (Coca-Cola, Fanta, and Sprite) coincided with the film’s highly anticipated Japanese release. This advertisement, from the pages of Weekly Shōnen Magazine, dated July 2, 1978 announced the campaign. During the campaign, which ran until the end of August, glass bottles of Coca-Cola brand beverages were topped with collectible metal bottle caps, also known as crown caps or crowns.  The ..read more

Steve pays a Spring Break visit to Skye in snowy Rochester and they get stuck in a Prius at the bottom of an icy hill - the perfect situation to record an episode! We have an on-the-fly MarketWatch from a recent Hake's auction and discuss the current fervor for custom Droids carded figures made by Bill Cable. Loading the player... WATCH ON YOUTUBE DIRECT LINK DOWNLOAD Hake's March 2024 Auction Results ..read more

Who killed the funk? Has collecting Vintage Star Wars gotten worse? If so, why? (Next episode: why it HASN'T) Loading the player... WATCH ON YOUTUBE DIRECT LINK DOWNLOAD ..read more

  Gather round the fire to hear a harrowing tale of authentic rarities, clear fakes, questionable fakes, false identities and "tricycle sales." Plus a charity auction! Loading the player... WATCH ON YOUTUBE DIRECT LINK DOWNLOAD Show Note Links: BASA Vader Charity Auction - Deal or No Deal World Bicycle Relief Charity CC investigates: Is Ed Dtoke MJ actually Luis Gonzales? - CreatureCantina.com CC investigates: An Ed Dtoke MJ follow-up - CreatureCantina.com BASA Items - SWCA Database ..read more

Ron writes:  For many constituents of Generation X, memories of Kenner Star Wars toys are interwoven with memories of the holiday season, that special time of the year when we celebrate religion, solstice, and the wonders of consumerism  -- and not necessarily in that order.  In the '70s and '80s, walking into a store during the holiday season was like walking into a new world -- you felt a little like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, as she opens that monochrome door and beholds the Technicolor vista of a more glamorous realm.  There was the sense that, for a few weeks ..read more

Ron writes:  Star Wars licenses have been granted for all manner of products. But how many official licenses are associated with alcoholic beverages? None that I can think of. Though I'll happily admit I'm no expert in this area, I just can't think of any official Star Wars product that's tied to beer. That paucity of official alcohol product makes this article by guest blogger Daryl Whitlow particularly interesting. If you love beer and Star Wars, and you want to collect something that bridges those interests, you might consider seeking out the Sapporo products that Daryl discusses ..read more

Ron writes:  Intro  Do you remember Star Wars in the funny pages?  No, I'm not talking about the comic strip created by Russ Manning (and later Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson); I'm talking about Kenner advertisements that were printed in the funny pages of the local newspaper. I realize, not without a degree of melancholy, that some of you may not understand what I'm talking about. Allow me to explain. Back in the '70s and '80s, nearly every home received a newspaper on its doorstep each morning. That's how people stayed informed. You needed the newspaper to stay on top of th ..read more

Ron writes:  We haven't featured much poster content on the blog over the years. So when I saw that Danny Katzel posted some interesting poster-related content on a Facebook group, I thought I'd ask him to work it into a blog post. Happily, he agreed. Although posters are one of the most heavily collected areas in Star Wars fandom, certain examples remain mysterious. Questions abound, like: How exactly was the Happy Birthday poster distributed? and What was the intended forum for John Alvin's Concert poster? Danny's post touches on both of these longstanding questions, and raises a few ot ..read more

Ron writes:  What do you reckon is the best book on Star Wars collecting ever published? I think most will agree there are several legitimate contenders for that title.  Undoubtedly, most will also agree that there's no correct answer to this question: Opinions will naturally differ as to which publication is superior.  But what if I modify the question slightly?  What if I ask not what is the best book on Star Wars collecting, but instead what is the most impressive? The blue, gold, and silver colors correspond to different Kickstarter tiers, while the black cover (m ..read more

Yehuda writes:  Character watches have been ubiquitous with playground fashion since the 1930s. Often dominated by the Disney cast, watch faces typically feature popular characters of the moment. I sported a manual wind Mickey Mouse watch in Second grade. I remember flashing it to a friend who in turn showed me his new Darth Vader watch. It was clear I had been bested. Once Star Wars was released, R2-D2 and C-3PO et al. quickly replaced Mickey Mouse on the wrists of many children. I don’t know if letters to Santa are still a thing. Do kids even write letters anymore? Maybe St. Nick i ..read more