Let’s take a look back to the 80’s of a story about how a trip to England, and a random stop at a petrol station, led to the discovery Star Wars “Star-Badges” and quest to complete the collection!
In the early part of 1989 I was traveling around England. Our coach pulled into a petrol station in the little town of Moreton-in-Marsh to refuel and all the passengers disembarked to stretch their legs and stock-up on snacks for the road. At the checkout counter, I happened to notice a familiar sight: the Star Wars logo. Being the late-eighties, it was not a common image to see in a retail setting since it had been several years since the last movie and there was no expectation of any new material anytime soon from that galaxy far, far away. Always on the lookout for Star Wars merchandise, I made my way up to the counter and discovered a wire rack display with an arched cardboard backdrop touting the famous logo in red and surrounded by a semi-circle of six metal buttons (badges as they are called in the United Kingdom) featuring art of Star Wars characters and ships. These weren’t just any badges, they were “Star-Badges!”
The search for snacks was immediately forgotten as I began flipping through the carded badges hanging from the racks. There were about eight or so badges but, sadly, only one style (Chewbacca). I grabbed one and inquired with the cashier if I could also have the display. A resounding “No” was the curt response. He replied the reason being that they might get more stock later. More stock? From a line of badges that ended six years earlier? Paying for my badge, I took one last look at the display before boarding the coach and continuing our journey into the mist-filled evening. If I couldn’t have the display, at least I would have the image firmly fixed in my memories. As the trip continued, I took the opportunity to examine more closely my new prize. The badge was made of metal about two and a quarter inches in diameter and had unique artwork for the character in addition to a red Star Wars logo. The badge was affixed to the cardboard backer card by skin-wrapped plastic (think shrink-wrap). But the most interesting feature on the badge was two red lights in place of the character’s eyes. That’s right, Star-Badges light-up!
Thus began my quest to learn more about this line and, of course, acquire a set for my collection. The licensee, Starfire UK Ltd., a badge manufacturer out of Scotland, had the license to make these buttons in 1983. There are 12 different badges in the line. Six with the red Star Wars logo and 6 with the black & white rectangular Return of the Jedi logo. The Star Wars logo group consists of C-3PO, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, R2-D2, X-Wing, and Yoda. The more specifically Jedi-related characters emblazoned with the ROTJ logo are: Admiral Ackbar, Bib Fortuna, Gamorrean Guard, Jabba the Hutt, Imperial Shuttle, and the Heroes in their Episode VI costumes (Luke, Leia, Han, Lando). It’s interesting that the main heroes who normally feature prominently on licensed merchandise were relegated to sharing a single badge, while the background characters get a moment in the spotlight on their individual badges.
All twelve buttons utilize the light-up feature in some fashion. Most replace the eyes of the character, but in the case of starships the engine(s) light-up. And, in one case, the barrel of a laser pistol serves as the place for the tiny bulb. When activated, the bulbs blink rapidly in an almost hypnotic way. Unfortunately, there is no on/off switch so I am sure the novelty wore off quite rapidly. It is somewhat ironic that the back of the card states that the badge is “not recommended for young children” which one could argue is also the intended customer of this product. Regardless, the line makes for a fun and colorful set that can be highly challenging to collect. In the decades since my initial acquisition, I have managed to collect all but one of the twelve Star-Badges. The one badge that features the group of Luke/Leia/Han/Lando continues to elude me but my patience will one day be rewarded and my set will eventually be complete. We collectors certainly enjoy a good hunt.
Speaking of rewarding patience, one day in 2022 I was scrolling through social media posts and did a double-take as I saw an image I had not seen in thirty-three years! There was a photo of the wire-rack display with the arched header and six badges. It was the same style store display I missed out on initially and now it was for sale from a fellow collecting friend of mine who lived in Europe. After some quick negotiating I was able to add this display to my collection and transform an elusive memory into a satisfyingly tangible object.