Toys

        When I was in second grade I discovered Star Wars. I had already seen both Ewok films and I guess my mom thought that I was ready for the big leagues. I don’t remember much of my first viewing of the trilogy, but I remember after watching the first film, I quickly went to the Copps Grocery video store and rented Empire Strike Back and Return of the Jedi. Star Wars quickly became the favorite thing in my childhood. I think so many of us can claim that.

            My first Star Wars toys were the Star Wars Bend-Ems. JustToys released about twenty figures in 1993 and I owned almost all of them. There is nothing particularly great about these figures. They didn’t have accessories- although there was a lightsaber pre-attached to Luke’s hand and they did come with a Topps trading card. I will always have fond memories of these figures because they were my first.

            By my tenth birthday I had started to receive Star Wars Micro-Machines, which remain my favorite Star Wars toys to this day. It was probably the ships, the locations, and the tiny characters that made the set so great. The largest Micro-Machine sets were the Falcon & the Death Star, yet every location and scene in the movie was covered.

            Eventually, I was collecting the Kenner Action Figures as well. Occasionally, I could find ones from the eighties at rummage sales, but most of mine were the new Hasbro figures. I think my favorite was the Rancor, but the X-wing and exploding Tie Fighter were also pretty amazing. I was playing with these toys throughout my sixth grade year and my brother even made references to the games we played in his speech at my wedding.

           My Star Wars Toy collection probably began to peter off in Middle School but in eighth grade when The Phantom Menace released I remember owning quite a few of the figures (now with voice chips that quoted lines from the film). By the time Episode II released, I was 17 and I was not buying toys anymore, but I do remember purchasing a single figure: Arena Pame with midriff showing and chain attached (Hey, I was 17)

            In 1999, Lego began releasing Star Wars sets as well. I never had many, but I loved playing through both trilogies of Lego Star Wars on the Playstation. I have recently really got into the Lego Architecture sets (Legos for adults) but I have not taken my eye off of the Lego Star Wars sets (The $400 Executor set looks amazing!) Perhaps I will soon find an excuse to own more of them.

            A lot of people accuse Lucas of wanting to sell toys, but the fact is that we bought the toys. Everyone reading this blog probably has thousands of dollars of Star Wars Merchandise sitting somewhere - thousands of dollars of stuff just because we enjoyed a few movies. It boggles the mind.  

Playskool Heroes Jedi Force

Of course those of us who do own all these “things” know that Star Wars is more than just a few movies to us. Star Wars was our childhood and it’s going to be a big part of our children’s childhood. 

Star Wars, Toys, and Childhood are three things that just seem to go together and even when you are an adult, Star Wars always seems to bring out that inner-child.

I'll be in Vietnam for Chinese New Year 

but I'll be blogging about "Shadows of the Empire" in about a week, so feel free to brush up!