Last Saturday saw the spring edition of the now world-famous Echo Base Live collecting event held, as always, at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch, West Midlands. In terms of collecting events, this show is now undeniably unrivalled, and rightly so. The day, for many of us, is a big one in our annual Star Wars calendar. It’s a chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones, purchase some beautiful bounties and, for a day, forget your troubles and enjoy our passion.
The day started at 5:45am and I quickly made my way to pick up fellow collector Chris Cooke and we made our short journey to Redditch. We took our place in the queue around 7.00am and got talking to someone I’d spoken to before – a lovely chap named Russ. The time spent in the queue chatting away is always glorious and time well spent. I love it. As the early bird queue started to get longer, we saw old faces and caught up on the latest Star Wars news, pickups, and – of course, what we were hoping to find when the doors opened.
For many, this social aspect of Echo has become equally important as the actual buying of toys and collectables itself. We’re a community and a great one at that. You know that you can talk about the thing you love most and the people around you just totally get it.
These Echo events have also become a marker of time for me. I thought this as I was driving over. Like Christmas and New Year, we often find ourselves reflecting on what’s happened in the intervening months since last Christmas and with them being held every six months in spring and autumn, I now do this with Echo. It also gives us something to keep looking forward too, something I believe it a key to living in this modern world.
The show itself, which was attended by Guz Lopez, once again boasted the finest offerings from a galaxy far, far away. No matter your interest; Lego, vintage, food premiums, customs, books, modern figures, plush toys – it’s all here and looking glorious.
Having an early bird means you get a good 45 minutes before the general entry at 10.00am and you can take a first lap of the show and pick up some great finds and get a lay out of the land. A lesson here is; if you want the early bird, GET IT when they go on sale. My pal Chris, as is easy to do, had thought for a long time that he’d gotten his early bird ticket only find a week before that he’d totally forgotten and though he queued with me, he then had to wait for the general entry.
I was able to find some wonderful pieces. Among them, them 7” Vintage LP of ‘Christmas in the Stars’ featuring an unknown, at the time, Jon Bon Jovi, a Gentle Giant Mace Windu statue for only £20.00 and the only remaining Monopoly I needed in my collection; the 2004 Original Trilogy edition for a bargain £15.00 – still sealed. The quirky find of the day was a Dave Prowse Green Cross Code Man school badge for £2.00.
At 11.00am it was time for the swag meet and everyone had outdone themselves once again. This has become a great source of fun for everyone involved and the effort and time that people go to is unbelievable. There were stationary sets on offer to swap, badges, figures, and my personal favourite – Luke and Vader salt and pepper shakers. If you’re not involved in the fun of swag, I highly recommend you giving it a try. Its real fun and a great way to connect with people.
The show itself seemed as busy as ever and the event just seems to grow each time. The guests on offer this time were under the guise of ‘Unmasked’ and seemed to be doing well with a steady flow of traffic throughout the day for them. Guests included Paul Jerricho, Anthony Forrest, Dicky Beer and, Darth Vader sculptor himself, Brian Muir. With next year being the big 50th anniversary of Star Wars, there was lots of chatter about who might be attending next year.
As the day wore on, there were deals to be done and there are some really wonderful dealers who attend Echo who are more than happy to do a fair price of items if you’re of the right attitude. There were also a number of collectors selling off parts of the collection or downsizing and the interest in the event makes it a win-win for both sellers and buyers alike.
The team at Echo also do countless efforts for charity. The day, along with the Star Guest Dinner the evening before, raised a whopping Death Star-sized £5164.00 for Cancer Research UK. I’m sure you’ll all agree that this is worthy of recognition in the archives.
I cannot stress how much I love these events. They are my two favourite days of the year and, after a little while to decompress, I’m already anxiously awaiting the date for the autumn return. Typically, its October. The first or second weekend so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.
A massive well done to all involved. A rest for a while, you have earned it.
The next big event on the UK calendar is Star Wars Fan Fun Day weekend taking place over the weekend of May 4th. A couple of weeks later, Mark Newbold and I are attending the Power of the Force event in Germany. Be sure to stay tuned for coverage from these fantastic fan-led events.