There are a quite a few different Star Wars cake ideas that you can choose from such as: The Darth Vader cake, star wars spaceship cake,Jabba the Hut cake, star wars cake with edible cake images,Stormtroopers, millennium falcon cake, star wars fondant cake,Lego star wars cake, 3D Yoda cake, R2D2 cake, star wars light saber cake,Bobba Fett cake and many more!

Solar System Cake

Bake one 9 inch round cake and one mini round cake. Prepare or buy several cupcakes.Arrange the cakes like the solar system. (Star Wars takes place in a galaxy far away, but it is similar to our galaxy in many ways.) Use licorice ropes for the rings around Saturn.

Frost one cake green and blue using vanilla icing and food coloring for Earth. Frost the cupcakes in different colors using frosting and food coloring. If you frost with a thick layer, pressing with different size of measuring spoons, then you will be able to make craters on a few of your planets.

The 3D Yoda Cake

Another one from the list of star wars cake ideas for you to make a 3D Yoda cake, bake a 6 inch round cake using a pan and a tin (bowl-shaped). Once it is done, let it cool down, then stack them up and cover them with butter cream. As for the cake's body, cover it with brown and green colored fondant. The head of Yoda is made using chocolate crackle (crispy rice treats) and is then inserted into the body with the use of bamboo skewers.

Pink Space Slushy

To prepare this Star Wars birthday party drink, you'll need cherry soft drink, raspberry sherbet and also some maraschino cherries.Mix the sherbet with soft drink for a pink, frothy beverage (best when prepared in a punch bowl to minimize mess). Finally garnish with some cherries.

Whether it is for a birthday party or any othe occasion, your party should be a hit that the kids and adults enjoy with these easy to prepare star wars cake ideas.

There are a quite a few different Star Wars cake ideas that you can choose from such as: The Darth Vader cake, star wars spaceship cake,Jabba the Hut cake, star wars cake with edible cake images,Stormtroopers, millennium falcon cake, star wars fondant cake,Lego star wars cake, 3D Yoda cake, R2D2 cake, star wars light saber cake,Bobba Fett cake and many more!

Star Wars Lego Walkthrough is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

The big Old Republic news coming out of EA’s E3 keynote will undoubtedly be Bioware’s sumptuously rendered cinematic trailer, whose stirring score and dramatic combat is guaranteed to generate a plethora of streaming video hits. it likely overshadowed the tidbits that preceded it, including the reveal that every single player who signs up for the EA/LucasArts/Bioware joint venture will have access to their own personal starship.

Fans of the Millennium Falcon and Slave I definitely pricked up their ears. Spacefaring badasses need to travel in style, and thank God the MMO’s designers realize this immortal truth. Though the concept art displayed during the press conference leaves much to the imagination, the thought of specially-modified, point-five-past-lightspeed player houses/status symbols clogging up the spaceports of this highly anticipated game is enough to ratchet up the excitement even further.

Everyone in Star Wars: The Old Republic Gets Their Own Starship

Everyone in Star Wars: The Old Republic Gets Their Own Starship is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

a lot of noise has been made in the past few weeks about this seminal sci-fi film celebrating its 30th anniversary. every imaginable cretin has chimed in with their memories and thoughts on this triumphant Star Wars sequel. most consider it the best of the bunch. The actual anniversary was last week. Its fitting that I come a week or so late to this particular nostalgia party. just as I did to the movie when it was first released. Thinking back on it has me questioning my own geek cred as a film lover and aficionado. Its not that I was too young to see Empire on opening day. It's just that I didn't seem to care too much. In may of 1980, I was eight years old. and this "first in line mentality" that has overtaken us as a culture hadn't quite gripped my soul yet. I didn't see the movie for another week or two after it's debut. same thing happened with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. like any good little kid, I loved all things Chewbacca and C3PO. seeing the film on opening day, or weekend for that matter, just wasn't an option.

if I am to believe the rest of the Internet, I am in the minority here. my parents must have been terrible, awful people not to take off from work and drive me to the nearest theatrical outpost that particular may 21st. I've since learned that they too wanted to see Empire just as bad as my brother and I. It wasn't playing at our local Cineplex on its opening weekend. This meant driving to Eugene, Oregon. a good fifty-six minutes away from the house. Dad was working overnights, and they took us as soon as they could. Before it opened, I remember my cousin buying the Marvel Comic Book adaptation. I didn't want to read it. I didn't want to know what was going to happen. I accidentally saw a couple of panels from the last few pages. and it boggled my mind. I couldn't quite comprehend what was happening with the carbonite chamber. not wanting to read the word balloons, I skipped to the next pane. It was a picture of Lando's right hand man, Lobot. I didn't know anything about this character and assumed, in my eight-year-old mind, that they were punishing Han Solo by shaving him bald. It didn't make any sense to me. and it didn't make me want to see the film all that much. "Han Solo? Bald? Dumb." I remember asking the rest of that day, "Why did they shave Han Solo's head?" my questions weren't answered until I actually saw the film. "Han Solo wasn't bald, you little dope!" my mother frowned as we drove away from the theater.

The two things I remember most about watching Empire for the very first time was that the intermission was really annoying. and that the rest of Han Solo's life must have been kind of boring if this two hour stretch was all we were getting to see of his existence. seriously, out of all the adventures he had in the comic books, and in the Han Solo novels, all he got to do was sleep inside a smelly kangaroo, kiss a chick, hang out on a rock, and get sealed in carbonite by his best friend? Wimpdog Luke, on the other hand, becomes a Jedi. a mother fucking Jedi! Though we couldn't see it at the time, this was the beginning of the emasculation of the American male hero as it still continues through to this day. and the ushering in of the fey scrimp as winning protagonist, as still witnessed in our most recent action epics.

It takes a long time to become a Jedi. It all happens while Han Solo is drifting around in space debris. which must have been forever. He was in space with nothing but a talking trashcan and a dog, and he steal couldn't seal the deal with Leia? Come on! Han Solo is one of our all-time greatest scoundrels. This was the first sign that George Lucas was a little bit nuts. out of all the adventures for Han, he picks this one. It seems like Luke and R2D2 are on Dagobah forever. while Han, Leia, C3P0 and Chewbacca's trip to Cloud City plays like a quaint afternoon jaunt. Heck, they even arrive in time for dinner. Irvin Kershner made such a great movie, most of us kids failed to notice the fallacies of Empire's timeline. But seriously, even as a kid, I remember thinking to myself, "Out of all the things that have happened in these characters lives, this is what you give me in real time? This is what you're showing me?" I guess I thought there should have been more.

It wasn't a gripe so much as an existential exploration of humanity. At the time, I'd built up such a myth about these weird space people in my head, playing with my action figures behind the couch. I thought, "There must be more to this excellent story. Why am I only seeing this? This is it?" The awesome adventures we constantly played through in our heads matched what was happening on screen, but the subsequent films never floated above or beyond those expectations. Maybe that's why I was one of the few who didn't care too much about the prequels. I enjoyed them for what they were. Saturday Morning Bombast. and they reminded me of the original Marvel Comic run. The thing that made Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back such a special film is that it moved beyond the trappings of celluloid. and it was a summer long event. no other film is capable of pulling that off nowadays.

In the early 80s, a few great classics went above the call of duty, drifting through the entire three months we'd be out of school. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of The Lost Ark, Back to The Future, Ghostbusters. Some might even argue The Dark Knight. But Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back was there for us from may to September. We saw it nearly ever other weekend, and I can't even tell you, off the top of my head, what other films opened that summer. That just doesn't happen in this day and age, and if so, very rarely. most films come and go in a weekend. We spend a lot of time contemplating them, waiting for them, bitching about them. as soon as they hit, we see them, and that's it.

Empire was different. and it's all about the characters. We, as a generation, simply love all of the characters in this film. From the Ugnaughts to Lobot, to that weirdo Medical Droid. they all made it an important, lasting affair that particular year. Though I'm unsure of the overall beats, the film is extraordinary in setting up relationships we care about. and moments that hit like a truck. It is glorious cinema on all levels, and everything a great movie should be. Knowing that there were always new Empire trading cards made going to the grocery store a fun event. getting to relive the adventures over again on a Coke glass at Burger King made us fat from fast food. Because of the time of year it came out, we'll always associate the film with sunshine and summer vacation. especially the smell of mown grass, as we each strived to earn that next exciting action figure. I remember my Aunt was in the hospital for most of that particular summer. Empire was what kept us kids at bay while my parents worried at her bedside. Why do most of us kids still remember it as a near religious experience here, 30 years later? Because there was nothing else like it at the time. and it still looks, feels, and plays like the best afternoon a young child could hope for. a river picnic, adventures in a ditch, climbing a tree, Empire, and a girl crush. of course the movie is going to continue to resonate. It's a sensation that elevated itself past just being "a movie". Something our summer films strive for today, but simply can't achieve. Because of all the stimuli that surrounds us. when Empire arrived, we didn't even have too many cable options. It was the only thing in town, so to speak. a hot chick at a Bar Mitzvah.

anyone you talk to who was alive at this particular moment in time remembers it as such. The one thing no one but my brother and I seem to remember, though, is that awful intermission that interrupted the middle of the film. by 1980, the theatrical intermission had been all but abolished. In today's marketplace, where every dollar counts and screen space is a limited commodity, an Intermission, even for a three hour epic like Avatar, is absolutely unthinkable. Unfathomable. Costly. and dangerous to the attention span. during the Golden Age of cinema, the intermission allowed you to head to the lobby for refreshments. Take a quick pee break. or step next door and shoot a quick Gin. when we saw Empire, I'd only every experienced the Intermission at my parents' favorite revival theater, The Roseway, in Portland, Oregon (which is still operational, albeit showing new films). Empire's Intermission comes right when Han is flying the Millennium Falcon out of the Asteroid monster's mouth. The teeth are closing down. and the screen goes black. The lights come up. "What!?!" The entire audience gasped.

We all thought the film broke. Right at the most inconvenient moment. Nope. We were informed that it was intermission time. We weren't told when the film was coming back on. so we all hurried to pee. Dad got a box of Milk Duds, then we were back in our seats. Waiting. Growing restless. The lights went down. The film came on without warning. Fast. The jaws came down on the Millennium Falcon. The scene lasts approximately two more seconds. half of us were turned around, kicking the ground, or otherwise engaged in a conversation about what was going to happen next. 95% of the audience missed the Falcon's escape, and suddenly we were thrust back into Dagobah without much concern. It was a cinematic moment of whiplash that has stuck with me till this day. I can still see it playing out in my mind's eye, like a memory that failed to eviscerate itself.

This wasn't just some odd occurrence, either. every subsequent time I saw the film in various theaters throughout Oregon, the film always played with that same Intermission. It has become Pavlovian. I can't watch the film on DVD without wincing. I know right where the Intermission is going to hit. and I am always shocked when the Asteroid escape scene plays out it its entirety. It just doesn't seem right in my head. and never will. It scarred me so much, I remember being worried about the intermission when Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi came out. there wasn't one. no that's I've started taking beer to the theater, I wish every movie had an intermission.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back is a film that will be with us forever. It deserves a pat on the back for being quite decent these past thirty years. Aside from all that assholish CGI tinkering by its creator, the film still stands as a fresh and exciting endeavor for anyone interested in taking a look. Its held our hand through many spiny nights. Its been their for us when other movies sucked. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back? Whoop-Doo! Eat Food! Kill Grandma!

Now where the fuck is my Empire Blu-ray?

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back was released May 21st, 1980 and stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker. The film is directed by Irvin Kershner.

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BOOS! and WHOOP-DOOS!: The Empire Strikes Back Celebrates 30 Years of Being ...

BOOS! and WHOOP-DOOS!: The Empire Strikes Back Celebrates 30 Years of Being … is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

A garden shed used as a youngster's playhouse has been given a military makeover, it has been reported.

Four-year-old Dylan from Magor in Wales is now the proud owner of the garden shed, which was styled to look like an army base.

The South Wales Echo reported that the shed had previously been used as a Wendy house for his elder sisters; however it has now been transformed with camouflage paint and netting on the veranda.

After the shed began to look "a bit shabby", and with Dylan wanting something of his own in the garden, the decision was made to give the garden shed a makeover,

Dylan's father, Rob, had also thought of making the shed look like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, before his army base idea.

He told the newspaper: "I didn't have enough wood to make the Falcon, and the thrusters are difficult to come by, so we opted for idea two and he loves it!"

Dylan has now been entered into the Shed of the Year competition.

Find out more information about garden sheds

Four-year-old's garden shed gets army makeover

Four-year-old's garden shed gets army makeover is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

Kayla Kromer, the maker of the infamous Hamburger Bed, is back at it, this time with a sweet Millenium Falcon joint. which, true story, I once used to make the Kessel run in less than eleven parsecs IN MY SLEEP. Suck it Han, I own you more than Jabba did!

Hit the jump for several more shots and a link to the official Facebook page.

Millennium Falcon Bed's Facebook Page

Thanks to Kayla, Johannest85 and Rogue Leader Ming S. Pan, who sleep in spaceships all the time because they're interplanetary-ass mothers.

Sleep Like A Smuggler In The Millennium Falcon Bed

Sleep Like A Smuggler In The Millennium Falcon Bed is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

I am a leaf on the wind...
A couple of days ago I had to transfer the overheated guts of my PC into a new case with adequate cooling facilities. while this was happening, my laptop was pressed into service as entertainment while I worked. When selecting a DVD, my finger stopped at the spine of my Firefly box-set and, seeing as I've not watched it in ages (too much of a good thing and all that) I thought, "why not?"

I'd forgotten just how much I love the show, how great the characters are and how much I want my own Firefly class vessel to roam the 'verse in.

I've always like the space-ship to be a bit knackered and falling to bits. That gives it soul - makes it another character. I feel just as fondly about Starbug and The Millennium Falcon. the Enterprise is clean, clinical and thus about as soulful and endearing as a plank of wood. When it was blown up / crashed / destroyed, no tears were shed. Just build a new one and slap the next letter on it.

But how, in the name of all that is good and righteous, could you build a new Millennium Falcon. Why did the Red Dwarf crew always rebuild Starbug? What possible circumstances would lead to Serenity - A? the answer is that the crews of these respective vessels, weather they acknowledged it or not, view(ed) their ships as something more than something to get around in. They are homes, means of doing business and, more often than not, protection.

Never is this bond between ship and crew more evident than in the Firefly universe. from the get go, we see the subtle hints that the crew (well some more than others) have a great fondness for Serenity.

We, the viewer, are also sucked in. Sure we may love the characters (I do) for different reasons but we also fall in love with the one common love they all have.

Having watched all the series from start to finish, falling in love with it all over again, I have just watched Serenity again. As well as the fighting, the humour, the gunplay and the deep, profound messages the film puts across, I still wince everytime Serenity hits the deck at Mr. Universe's compound and also everytime it crashes into something. When it comes to rest I found, at the first time of watching, I had my hands over my mouth in shock. Shock that was only matched when Wash (the character I am most like!) is killed - and yes, I cried like a baby at that one!

I suppose what I am saying is that Serenity is a place I would like to be, very much.

fireflyfans: I am a leaf on the wind...

fireflyfans: I am a leaf on the wind… is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

But if you can believe it, all of those beds have been surpassed by Kayla Kromer, who has done the unthinkable by turning the Millennium Falcon -- Han Solo and Chewbacca's eternally awesome chariot once owned by Cloud City's own Lando Calrissian -- into the coolest sleeping apparatus known to mankind.

The circular bed appears to be an exact replica of the Falcon, albeit with less functionality - but even then, it's impressively functional thanks to working lights and an openable cockpit that you can fit some action figures inside of.

Honestly, I can't see how any geeky beds could ever top this one, unless somebody figures out how to turn the Death Star into a destruction-worthy sleeping apparatus.

[Link via /Film]

Fly the Millenium Falcon from the Comfort of Your Own Bed ...

Fly the Millenium Falcon from the Comfort of Your Own Bed … is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

We've showed some pretty amazing console mods here, but this one might just be our most favorite yet.

The Dreamcast still stands as one of the most compactly designed consoles, especially when considering only the original releases of consoles and not the eventual "slim" revisions. but no matter how well Sega did in packaging its last console, it can't beat a fully working Dreamcast stuffed inside a Millennium Falcon.

Check out the video below:

This mod was created by "pezzapoo" and featured on Ben Heck's Showcase. Pezzapoo wrote in the mod's description:

"As soon as I saw these caricature versions of the Star wars toys I thought about the Dreamcast and how the fun little console would feel right at home inside one. Strangely the DC game port facia fitted directly into the toy with about a mill to spare so I knew it was meant to be! Two side docking ring fans keep the hot DC from melting. Lots of soldering and the switch was added to turn on the GDROM. no paint was applied."

Sega Dreamcast Stuffed Into a Millennium Falcon

Sega Dreamcast Stuffed Into a Millennium Falcon is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts

NEW LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Millennium Falcon 10179 Picture(s) and Description:

NEW IN BOX! HARD TO FIND STAR WARS LEGO SET! All Legos are in factory sealed packaging. Only the Certificate of Authenticity envelope has been opened, but contains all original contents. LEGO STAR WARS ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S SERIES MILLENNIUM FALCON 10179 BRAND NEW! OVER 5,000 PIECES! LARGEST LEGO EVER MADE! ALL LEGOS ARE IN THEIR ORIGINAL FACTORY SEALED PACKAGING, BRAND NEW. Outer box has a dent from the original shipment to me and in a few places on the side of the box the outer portion of the box as come off when the tape was removed. This auction is for 1 Lego Ultimate Collector's Series Star Wars Millennium Falcon, #10179. BRAND NEW! HARD TO FIND! Build the ultimate Millennium Falcon! Straight out of the classic Star Wars movies comes the Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon, Han Solo's famous smuggling starship. Every detail of the modified Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-1300 freighter is here, all constructed to scale with LEGO minifigures. at almost 3 feet (90cm) long, it's the ultimate centerpiece to any Star Wars collection! with over 5,000 pieces, this is the biggest LEGO set ever made! Model is built completely to minifigure scale - minifigures can sit inside and man the controls! Landing gear provides a stable base for model to stand on! Ship is over 33" long, 22" wide and 8" tall! (84cm long x 56cm wide x 21cm tall) Radar dish rotates and elevates and boarding ramp extends! Top and bottom quad-laser turrets rotate for realistic play! Cockpit top can be removed to access minifigures! Includes 5 minifigures: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa! This special set also includes a display card with detailed ship specifications! From a smoke free home! Paypal only Will ship within 2 business days of receiving cleared payment Returns will not be accepted

Popularity: 9% [?]

NEW LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Millennium Falcon 10179

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Recently, cable has been running the Star Wars prequels over and over again. and, The Clone Wars have continued the enduring franchise exceeded in longevity only by Star Trek. with the economy remaining in the doldrums, we all want an escape. Tough times like this also provide a good time to collect Star Wars action figures and toys if you have the cash to do so. Collections can go cheap when people are cash strapped. Here's what you need to know to jump in.

In may 1977, Star Wars: A new Hope exploded across the big screen in a symphony of sound and light unlike anything audiences had ever seen. Fans went wild and cinematic history was made. Merchandising history was made as well. Never before had one film created such a demand for movie related products. Millions were clamoring for tangible souvenirs of the new universe they were coming to know and love. George Lucas and the captains of industry were all taken by surprise, left slack-jawed and flat-footed in that summer of ‘77. they scrambled to catch up with their adoring, demanding fans. as a result, today, the first Star Wars trilogy is complete, was revised for its twentieth anniversary celebration, the prequels have been produced, the Clone Wars battle on, and the captains of industry continue to do their best to cover the world in a mantle of Star Wars products. Fans all over the globe continue to collect these products, just as children (read future collectors) continue to play with them.

Pulled from among that galaxy of products and presented for your consideration are the objects of desire that inspire the vast majority of Star Wars collectors ... the toys. Furthermore, among those toys, the items that are by far the most sought after and which therefore receive top billing here are the 3 3/4” tall titans of the Star Wars collecting universe, the action figures.

Prior to its 1998 acquisition by Hasbro, one company was responsible, along with its planet-straddling affiliates, for the vast majority of the Star Wars toys available to collectors today. Kenner Products obtained the original license to manufacture toys, games, puzzles, and a few books prior to the release of the first film in 1977. In time, the resultant outpouring of product from the Kenner factories would far outstrip the rather limited expectations of the licenser -- George Lucas stated that all he expected from his merchandising rights were a few posters and T-shirts to lure more children to his film. Kenner’s management was in for a surprise or two of their own--chief among them was the shattering of their expectation that children would pick and choose among the action figures offered, seeking out favorite characters while leaving others dangling from toy store racks gathering dust. however, since Kenner’s diminutive heroes and villains were available for no more than two dollars each when they first appeared, kids everywhere realized that all the characters from Star Wars were theirs for the asking (nagging, cajoling, pestering, or whatever it took). Kids quickly bought all the figures and, like Oliver Twist, came back for more. together, Kenner and everyone who purchased Kenner’s figures (children were not alone in their desire to acquire those figures) would change the look, and stature, of action figures for more than a decade to come.

Following Kenner, others toy manufacturers joined the fray. Chief among them over the last decade of the twentieth century was Galoob (another Hasbro acquisition-to-be), a company determined to “out-small” Kenner with their Star Wars Micro Machines offerings. Playsets and spaceships were this company’s forte. Action figures by Galoob are about the size of the smaller accessories that accompany Kenner’s figures. These truly tiny men and women of action were sold as part of a playset or as pilots for some ship-of-the-line. no other company even came close to the Star Wars toy output of these two firms. over the years since, toys originated by these two firms continued to be produced under that all-encompassing Hasbro banner.

To get specific, action figures are molded, poseable plastic figurines designed for play. Action figures vary in size and in the number of articulated joints they contain. In Kenner’s 3 3/4” high Star Wars action figure line (while some figures may be taller or shorter, 3 3/4” was the general height designation for the series), figures generally have five point articulation. This means they move at the neck, shoulders and hip joints. larger figures tend to have a greater number of joints, although this is not always the case. The 3 3/4” figures (and Galoob’s even smaller figures) also tend to have their clothing molded as part of the body while some of the larger figures have removable clothing.

Action figures of various sizes are packaged differently as well. The 12” and 8” figures generally are packaged and sold in boxes. The 3 3/4” tall figures most often appear on store shelves sealed against a decorated cardboard backing within a plastic bubble commonly, if unappetizingly, referred to as a “blister.” The package for the 3 3/4” figure is thus referred to as a “blister pack.”

The 3 3/4” high Kenner Star Wars figures were designed for use with playsets, spaceships, and other accessories. Kenner’s 12” figures of Luke, Darth, and the gang (and now Hasbro’s Jar Jar, Darth Maul, and company) were too large to be conveniently equipped with playsets and spaceships. one thing most action figures do have in common though is that they come with a variety of small accessories that tend to disappear quickly once the figures are removed from their packaging.

Star Wars 3 3/4” high figures were redesigned from time-to-time. For example, the original Boba Fett never had a chance to leave the factory with his rocket launching backpack. Newly drafted federal legislation prohibited toys with tiny missiles to avoid injuring children. Advertising for the rocket firing Fett was retracted and the figure was sold with the rocket firmly glued in place and accompanied by an explanatory letter. R2-D2 received designer’s attentions after both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. After Empire, R2 came equipped with a retractable sensorscope and after Jedi, the sensorscope was replaced with a pop up lightsaber. C-3PO had trouble pulling himself together following Empire as his figure was redesigned with removable limbs and a carrying pack.

In 1985 the Kenner Star Wars action figure line had its last gasp for a time. Their final offerings were figures based on two animated children’s cartoon series, the Ewoks and Droids. A decade later, in 1995, the line was reintroduced with redesigned and/or repainted figures and accessories that appealed to children and adults alike. Added to the line were new figures from the Shadows of the Empire stories and from the re-released and improved Star Wars 20th Anniversary Special Edition Trilogy. Kenner also released a new line of 12” tall figures under the direction of a “New Ventures” division. These taller figures were very popular with collectors. some of the most popular 12” figures included 14” tall creatures--such as the tauntaun and the wampa--in two packs (one figure and one creature per box). under the Hasbro name, 12” figures based on The Phantom Menace included Obi Wan and Defense of Naboo Collector two Pack: Qui-Gon Jinn & Queen Amidala among the heroes and Darth Maul and a Battle Droids for the villains.

With the more recent figures, from time to time Kenner changed the figure mix on display, removing a couple of the old war horses in favor of some new upstarts, and then returned those tried and true favorites later on. Kenner only removed figures from the line permanently when it was certain that the demand for that figure was filled. Now under Hasbro’s leadership, 4” tall figures were produced in abundance for the diverse heroes and villains introduced on may 19, 1999, with the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. as the prequels progressed, additional characters rolled out.

Aging computer chips found new homes in a wide variety of toys. For the release of The Phantom Menace, Hasbro introduced a new twist on their 4” figures, computer chip enhanced bases and a “Comm Tech” system. When the figure was placed on the system, it briefly spoke one of that character’s lines from the film. (I wonder if any of those still work?)

For 1997, Kenner added a line of more detailed figures into their mix, 5 1/2” and 6” high statuettes called the “Epic Force” collection. each figure was permanently mounted on a revolving base in a single “dynamic” pose. A wheel on the base turned the figure, allowing it to be viewed from all sides without ever removing it from its large blister pack.

It was in the late 1970s that Kenner first released a line of 12” tall figures, sticking mostly to the movie’s core characters. Boba Fett and IG-88 were later added to the line. These figures are marked with the years 1978 and 1979. The 12” figures did not compete well with Kenner’s 3 3/4” tall line of figures and accessories and the company soon lost interest. as a result, these toys are scattered rather thin on the ground and are considered to be most collectible if you can find them.

Kenner began to release a new line of 12” figures in the mid-1990s. The figures bore dates from 1995 onward--although the first wave actually hit the marketplace in 1996. The aforementioned new division, new Ventures, handled this 12” line. Figures offered in the first wave included Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

These new Venture division “Collectors Series” figures generally required no advertising on the company’s part, as they were certain to attract collectors with no more than a mention or two in specialty magazines. new Ventures also released a number of these figures as limited run exclusives. each exclusive line appeared in only one particular store chain.

To attract a more feminine clientele, Hasbro also released a series of dolls based on Queen Amidala as the millennium was drawing to a close in 1999. among them were the Royal Elegance Fashion Doll, Hidden Majesty Fashion Doll, and Queen Amidala Senate Collector Doll. For young ladies more loyal to the original series, Hasbro also offered a Ceremonial Leia Collector Doll (but no Leia in slave girl outfit).

Playsets, Vehicles, and Accessories for Action Figures

Kenner playsets and vehicles really took advantage of all the possibilities presented by the small figures. larger figures could never have been offered with either a multi-level complex such as the original Death Star playset or a complete Millennium Falcon. Both the size and expense would have been prohibitive. These playsets and vehicles are worth considerably more when they come complete with the box they were packed in and when that box is in good condition. new Ventures also produced Star Wars playsets for Kenner. In 1996 the new Ventures group released the Death Star Chasm and the Detention Block Escape. In 1999, under the Hasbro name, vehicles based on The Phantom Menace included Turbo Blast Podracers, Anakin’s Podracer Vehicle with Figure, Trade Federation Droid Fighter Vehicle with Figure, and playsets from the same film included the Throne Room Encounter Mini Scene and the Trade Federation Raid Mini Scene.

An armada of plastic and die-cast metal spaceships, transports, and vehicles were produced by Kenner during the twenty years from 1977-1997. Kenner’s die-cast metal vehicles were produced from 1978 to 1980. Although unable to interact with the 3 3/4” action figures Kenner offered, these 4” to 7” long vehicles and vessels are popular collectibles. These craft had some plastic and moveable components. The first four vehicles in the series were the Landspeeder, TIE Fighter, Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, and the X-Wing Fighter. These carried the Star Wars logo on the packaging. later additions to the line bore The Empire Strikes Back logo. The larger vehicles were packed in a 3” deep frame box, carded on a blister pack, and included the Millennium Falcon, Star Destroyer, TIE Bomber, and the Y-Wing. Smaller craft were secured in blister packs.

Galoob, a San Francisco based toy manufacturer, introduced its Micro Machines line in 1987. over the years the line grew “immensely” (if you can say that about a teeny-tiny toy line). from 1994 onward, Galoob offered over seventy-five Star Wars toys under the Micro Machines label including some very popular Transforming Action Sets.

Galoob introduced its first two “Micro Machines Action Fleet” Star Wars playsets, Ice Planet Hoth and the Death Star, in 1996. The company added the Yavin Rebel base playset to its “Micro-verse” for Christmas 1997. In 1999, under the Hasbro label, Micro Machines Star Wars offerings based on The Phantom Menace include Subulba’s Podracer Die-Cast Vehicle, Republic Cruiser Die-Cast Vehicle, and the Galactic Dogfight Platform Action Set.

While I have focused on the older, collectibles here, today, you can collect all the new lines of figures, including 30th anniversary action figures, bobble heads, and highly detailed statues of some of the main characters. Clone Wars toys are also to be had. of course, today, you also have all sorts of elaborate Lego Star Wars sets to collect, and amusing Lego Star Wars video games to play. This is great for children and for adult collectors just starting out. It's fast, fun, and inexpensive to start collecting with the new products.

Now, a word about values. Price guides can make for fascinating and beguiling reading. however, before deciding to attempt making a small fortune by speculating on Star Wars toys (remember when people tried that with Beanie Babies), it should be known that such a path is fraught with danger. There is no way to know with any certainty which items will be truly rare and desirable in years to come ... or even the day after tomorrow. even a true rarity may not have much value in the future. It may simply have been a botched job, an ugly product nobody wanted when it was first produced and that nobody will ever want to collect.

Rather than getting stuck with a bunch of objects you thought would increase in value and did not -- objects you have come to despise but cannot get rid of -- it is much safer to collect the items you enjoy. Gather up the objects which bring you joy, that are personally exciting for you to track down, and that provide you with opportunities to meet like-minded individuals and strike up lasting friendships. if any of the items you collect happen to be valuable in years to come, that is an added bonus. Fortune hunting should not be your reason for collecting.

Star Wars Collecting Action

Star Wars Collecting Action is a post from: Lego Sets and Gifts