Posts

January 30, 2015October 9, 2022

It Only Seems Like 6 Months…9 Years Later at Rancho Obi-Wan

February 3rd will be the ninth anniversary of my arrival at Rancho Obi-Wan. I remember the day with incredible clarity. I had started out from Austin, Texas on February 1st in my Honda Insight Hybrid full of clothes, computer equipment and my cat Claire. I drove by myself 12 hours a day through El Paso, Phoenix, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area to finally land at Rancho late in the evening on the third day. I was welcomed like I was family, shown to my temporary room…and promptly fell ill for three days.

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December 22, 2014October 31, 2022

Treasures from the Cantina: Collecting Scum & Villainy!

The Mos Eisley Cantina was one of George Lucas’ most ground-breaking visions in the 1977 release of Star Wars. This seedy bar of outlaws was a nod to the saloon scenes from Westerns, but populated with a wide range of alien species to set it in a galaxy far, far away. The cantina scenes were originally shot at Elstree Studios outside of London, but Lucas was dissatisfied with the original shoot and the limited range of characters, so the cantina was reshot in Los Angeles in early 1977; footage from both shoots was seamlessly combined in the version we see onscreen.

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November 17, 2014November 15, 2022

Happy Life Day—For the 36th Time; Now Go Out and Collect Something!

Yep! We’re giving a shout-out to the sadly misguided Star Wars Holiday Special. Why? Because as fans of all things Star Wars, we think every aspect of that faraway galaxy is worthy of some love, even if that means tough love. And with the Holiday Special turning 36 today, we thought it deserved a bit of charitable coverage, seeing as how it’s responsible for one more holiday on the Star Wars calendar: Life Day, a sort of saga analog to a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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October 27, 2014November 15, 2022

Mystery Solved! A Tale of Snow-Swept Chewbacca, Bantha Tracks and Me

A long time ago from an Indiana farmhouse really far away, I joined the Official Star Wars Fan Club. I remember being concerned that galactic deliveries wouldn’t find their way to our Rural Route address, but my Mom assured me that if it truly was the “Official” Star Wars fan club not to worry.

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August 14, 2014May 26, 2023

The Slug Years: The Life and Times of an Intergalactic Gangster

By Brian Anderson
TK-7602, 501st Legion

Jabba and friends at Celebration VI, 2012

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away….

Wow! It really was a long time ago: hard to believe that we started this project more than seven years ago! And now the Big Slug will be the star of the second annual Rancho Obi-Wan Gala!
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June 11, 2014July 26, 2023

The Strange 1982 GE Star Wars Competition Down Under

While 1982 was an off-year for Star Wars movie releases, worldwide promotions were touting the airing of the original Star Wars on television as well as the upcoming Revenge of the Jedi (before its famous name change).

One 1982 promotion that’s come to be known more for its poster than the contest it was part of was a General Electric Star Wars competition in Australia. The poster is notorious for being somewhat misleading; it’s undated and appears to be promoting Star Wars “The Movie” but shows a photo from The Empire Strikes Back. To add to the confusion, the original Kenner logo with the classic Hildebrandt Bros. Luke and Leia art appears in the lower left, suggesting some kind of Kenner tie-in; that detail has long piqued the interest of Star Wars toy collectors.

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June 2, 2014July 26, 2023

The Many Lives of C-3PO’s and its Premiums

Kellogg’s released C-3PO’s cereal in the U.S. and Canada in 1984, the first-ever Star Wars-branded cereal. During its relatively brief life, there were character masks on the back of each box to cut out, sticker-covered trading cards, and something that seemed pretty far out even for Star Wars.

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May 19, 2014March 29, 2023

Why Star Wars and Rancho Obi-Wan are Forever

Star Wars taught me at a very young age to believe in my dreams and that magic is real. So if you would have told me when I was 6 years old that someday I’d be working for a place called “Rancho Obi-Wan” that houses the world’s largest Star Wars collection…I would have believed you.

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April 28, 2014December 5, 2022

Kenner ‘Luke Endor’ Large-Size Action Figure Used in Making ‘Jedi’

Star Wars fans begin their journey into collecting along many different paths, and action figures are frequently the “gateway collectible” of choice due to their widespread popularity.

January 10, 2014November 6, 2022

Rancho Obi-Wan Hosts First Wedding Reception

The museum at Rancho Obi-Wan recently hosted its first wedding reception, with guests dining in splendor with a catered meal set up in front of the Art Gallery and under the watchful gaze of a giant Darth Vader.

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