Home to the world's largest Star Wars collection
Watch Steve Sansweet unveil an exciting new addition to his collection : A near-exact static prop replica of the Wampa head puppet used for closeup shots in The Empire Strikes Back, made by licensee Regal Robot.
Hear why and how the ILM FX team made the Wampa puppet and how it was created. This amazing piece will become available February 20, 2024 from Regal Robot!
Steve Sansweet has more answers for your #AskSteve questions submitted via our social media channels in March!
The collection contains many rare Japanese items, many acquired through my long time friend and fellow collector Sword Takeda. A sealed cup of Star Wars branded rice snacks or a similar package of bread sticks, both from 1978 come to mind. Among my favorites: over 20 posters, including mini billboards, of a Panasonic ad campaign only in Japan from the late 1980s featuring Star Wars characters AND George Lucas himself. – Steve Sansweet
See more about some of the Japanese Star Wars collectibles at Rancho Obi-Wan!
There are hundreds, maybe thousands of great stories attached to items at Rancho Obi-Wan. That’s why a guided tour takes several hours. Visitors love to hear how something was developed, manufactured, acquired and any associated stories. There’s always the tale of how I picked up Qui-Gon Jinn’s soul—or sole, as the case may be—but you’ll need to book a tour to hear that one! – Steve Sansweet
Come take a tour to hear all the stories!
Wow! We’re getting a little heavy and philosophical here. I don’t know of anyone who has figured out how to take anything with them when they pass. My first assistant, Josh Ling, once answered a more ghoulish message board question by suggesting that I’d be laid out in the middle of the museum and it would be imploded around me. But the collection and spirit of Rancho Obi-Wan will last a long time into the future. – Steve Sansweet
We’ll have more answers to your questions coming soon!
Be sure to check out answers to #AskSteve Pt 1
We recently posted on our social media channels if you would like to ask Steve Sansweet a question? 🤔
Tons of you submitted questions for the opportunity to get an answer from our Executive Chairman and Founder.
We have randomly selected questions and have some of your answers now from Steve himself!
Glad to hear that The Ultimate Action Figure Collection was one of your favorites. It was a lot of work to plan, research all the figures and do the photography. All of us involved were thrilled with how it turned out! But the market for Star Wars collectibles books is largely being filled these days with amazing self-published books by worldwide collectors. I’m not currently involved in any new publishing projects. – Steve Sansweet
The most unique and rarest Star Wars action figure that was available for purchase was a figure of Vlix, a crime lord from the animated Droids television series. Kenner Products never produced it or other Droids characters in a planned second wave because the first wave didn’t sell well and the series only ran one season in the mid 1980s. But for some reason, Brazilian affiliate Glasslite produced a Vlix in relatively low numbers in 1987. On a card, it’s worth its weight in gold. – Steve Sansweet
Fifty to 100 years? I’d be happy to solidify a plan for five to 10 years out. And our great board of directors is working on a strategic plan that could see a new kind of museum experience in that time frame. A lot of variables all have to go the right way, but we’re all firm believers in that old Kenner Products marketing slogan: Star Wars is forever!- Steve Sansweet
Stay tuned for more #AskSteve answers (and photos) coming soon!
While cataloguing our poster collection, we discovered a rare Star Wars poster! Watch the video below to see Steve Sansweet explain why this poster from The Empire Strikes Back is so special.
Read more below about what Steve Sansweet had to say about this finding rare poster!
This is a pre-press color separation used to make the four offset printing plates that were used to print the Style A theatrical poster for The Empire Strikes Back. It’s also familiarly known as the “Gone with the Wind” poster since—at George Lucas’s request—it’s an homage to a 1966 re-release poster of that famous film.
The Empire poster is from 1980 and was painted by American artist Roger Kastel, who is also responsible for the iconic theatrical poster for Jaws.
There usually would only be one color separation made for each print location. It, and the first test proofs produced, would be carefully checked by the printers and the movie studio for any problems before proceeding to print several thousand copies to distribute to theaters.
I have no recollection of where, when or how I acquired this rare treasure. It’s not unusual for me to make the most amazing “finds” by searching through my own collection since I’ve been collecting Star Wars memorabilia for 45 years! – Steve Sansweet
Rancho Obi-Wan presents The Saga Museum Vol 1 debuted in August of 2022. This was a live stream fundraiser event on our Facebook page that featured a deep dive into portions of the Star Wars collections of Steve Sansweet, Gus Lopez, Duncan Jenkins, and Vic Wertz & Lisa Stevens.
We are excited to now share video of The Saga Museum Vol 1 here in our Virtual Museum!
Continue reading “Rancho Obi-Wan Presents: The Saga Museum Vol 1”
Here is a closer look at the licensed replica Tauntaun and Max Rebo concept maquettes from Regal Robot.
Continue reading “A closer look at replica maquettes from Regal Robot”
The nostalgia and collectibles associated with Life Day are always worth celebrating and sharing.
Happy Life Day 2022 to everyone throughout the galaxy!
Check out more from our archive.
These are the 30 exclusive Star Wars Bottlecaps to collect from Star Wars Celebration Orlando in 2017.
Star Wars fans and collectors tried to hunt them down individually over the course of the convention, and Rancho Obi-Wan was lucky enough to have acquired this complete set with the great display as well.
Check out more Inspired by the Force posts and pics!
For all the Star Tours fans out there, here we have two still sealed “Color-Me-Tees” featuring Ewoks. These colorful items were sold at the original Disney Star Tours shop back in 1987.
Explore more Star Wars collectibles Inspired by the Force
This is a never produced prototype for a Luke Skywalker sculpture by Kenner for their Cinemacast product line. A matching Darth Vader sculpture was produced that would have paired with this piece.
Rancho Obi-Wan is one of the very few places people can actually see this great representation of Luke now.
See more Star Wars collectibles Inspired by the Force