Prep those schedules, plan those days, pack those bags and make sure you have a few dataries in the pocketbook – you’re going to need them. The Collecting Track has been a staple of Celebration since day one back in 1999, when with 2 weeks notice Gus Lopez pulled together a line up of panels and panellists. The Track has grown substantially in the 24 years since, and for Celebration Europe 4 the Collecting Track returns.
UPDATE: Coins, coins, coins! The Medallions are back for Celebration Europe 4, and here’s a look at the 18 that have been revealed so far.
The 12 characters thrilled you in Los Angeles and London in 2007…
The 12 toys captivated you in Tokyo in 2008…
The 15 full-color vehicles excited you in London in 2017…
In 2023 we’re in London again and MEDALLIONS ARE BACK at the Collecting Track!
UPDATED: Here’s the final panel rundown for Celebration Europe.
FRIDAY 7TH APRIL
PANEL “Collectors Social”
TIME: Friday 7th April at 10.00am
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Come to the kickoff event for the Collecting Track on Day 1 of Celebration! This event will be held at the Collectors Stage on Friday, April 7 from 10 AM to 11 AM, Come meet up and socialize with fellow Collectors. Get your first in-person glimpse of this year’s exclusive Collecting Track Giveaways!
PANEL: “Well-Dressed Collectors: Collecting Through Costuming and Cosplay”
HOSTS: Greg Alonso, Mark Mulcaster, and Phillip Parker
TIME: Friday 7th April at 12.00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Not every Star Wars collection sits permanently on shelves and in display cabinets – some collectors wear their collections! Not every part of a Star Wars costumer’s costume goes into storage between events – some go proudly on display as part of collections. Celebrating the relationships between Star Wars collecting and costuming, this panel shares the paths that link collecting replica costumes/props, wearing our collections, and the fan communities who can help. Costuming/cosplay groups are a great way of finding information collectors can use to source and build replica props/costume pieces for their collection. This is an enticing way to introduce a collector to Star Wars costuming/cosplay. The real-world parts used to create the Star Wars props we see on screen are valuable resources for assembling cosplay costumes, and a fascinating category for collecting. And Star Wars costuming/cosplay groups also have patch, coin, and card collecting traditions with world-wide communities.
PANEL: “Best of British? Eccentric vintage collectibles from Blighty”
HOSTS: Peter Davis, Andy Preston, Jason Smith, Andrew Norton, and Richard Hutchinson
TIME: Friday 7th April at 1.30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a well-deserved reputation for the eccentric — from crackpot inventors to Morris Men, funny food to minding your manners, curious customs and odd attire. The world of Star Wars collecting is no exception. From the first collectibles in 1977, to the end of the vintage period in the late 1980s, kids in Britain were treated to a world of weird and wonderful merchandise, officially licensed or otherwise. This panel looks at an assortment of unusual Star Wars memorabilia that was made in Britain, or for the British market, during the vintage period. We’ll be bringing you the best of the quirky, the unusual, and the downright odd, including toys, games and puzzles, stationery and food packaging, toiletries and homewares, magazines, and more. Join us for a light-hearted, entertaining, and educational panel, delivered by five dedicated collectors who keep up that great British tradition of eccentricity!
PANEL: “The Art of Star Wars Posters”
HOSTS: Kevin LaNeave, Matt Fox, Omar Jon Raouf, Peter Hendrickx, and Paul Shipper
TIME: Friday 7th April at 3.00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Journey through some of the greatest movie poster art of all time, with our panel of UK and US poster collecting experts including renowned modern Star Wars poster artist Paul Shipper. We begin where it all started in 1976 through to the modern era, with a special focus on British and European campaign art.
PANEL: “Waiting by the Mailbox: Collecting Mail-Away Promotions”
HOSTS: Jonathan McElwain and Duncan Jenkins
TIME: Friday 7th April at 4.30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Do you remember when 10-12 weeks felt like an eternity? Largely a thing of the past, mail-away offers were a mainstay during the early era of promoting Star Wars. Most collectors are familiar with the mail-away Boba Fett action figure from Kenner, which arrived without the promised rocket-firing feature. But do you remember saving Nestle candy bar wrappers to send away for character pendants from Weingeroff? If you grew up in Japan, perhaps you were lucky enough to mail in Coca-Cola bottle cap liners and win one of the coveted R2-D2 AM radios. Come learn about the wide variety of mail-away promotions in this engaging panel presented by Jonathan McElwain and Duncan Jenkins.
PANEL: “The History of Kenner’s Rocket Firing Boba Fett”
HOSTS: Chris Georgoulias and Jim Swearingen
TIME: Friday 7th April at 6.00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
An in-depth look at the creation of the character by Lucasfilm through the prototyping and development of the toy by Kenner. Learn how Kenner unveiled their mysterious new action figure with a spring-loaded rocket launcher and the subsequent events that eventually forced its removal. Now an iconic toy-that-never-was, this fascinating tale spans nearly five decades and is rife with falsehoods and hearsay.
SATURDAY 8TH APRIL
PANEL: “LEGO Star Wars Collecting”
HOSTS: Jeremy Beckett, Graham E. Hancock, and James Burns
TIME: Saturday 8th April at 12.00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Join fellow collectors in a trilogy of deep dives, starting with a celebration of the 40th anniversary of ‘Return of the Jedi’ with an in-depth look at all of the LEGO sets based on the third Star Wars movie, followed by an inspection of the lesser-known sub-themes of the LEGO Star Wars license, capped off with a look at how LEGO has evolved their iconic X-wing set from a blocky children’s toy to a highly-detailed model aimed at adult collectors.
PANEL: “How the Star Wars Toy Collecting Phenomenon Began”
HOSTS: James Jim Swearingen and Kevin Liell
TIME: Saturday 8th April at 1.30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
While still in production of ‘Star Wars’ George Lucas and Twentieth Century Fox were seeking a toy partner for their licensing efforts. After being turned away by many of the larger toy manufacturers, they pitched the movie to Kenner Toys, then a middle tier company, at Toy Fair in February 1977. Rather than rejecting the license because it was it was a science fiction movie opening in just a few months the representatives from Kenner agreed to take a look. Waiting in Cincinnati was a designer who was primed to receive the license — Jim Swearingen. He was the first person at Kenner to read the screenplay and look through the accompanying book of photos from the completed live shooting. Familiar with George Lucas’ work, ‘THX1138’ and ‘American Graffiti’ and alerted to the ‘Star Wars’ project in the November issue of ‘Starlog’ magazine, Jim jumped at the chance to convince Kenner’s managers in Marketing that they should take on the project and prepare a presentation for Lucas. And the rest is history!
PANEL: “Action Figure Toys Marketed in EUROPE (Meccano / PALITOY) during the Original Trilogy 1978-86”
HOST: Stéphane Faucourt.
TIME: Saturday 8th April at 3.00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Discover the fabulous STAR WARS action figure toy line marketed in France and Europe by MECCANO and PALITOY. The United Kingdom and France were among the few countries to use specific domestic packaging from the start of the original trilogy marketing era (1978 to 1983). The Meccano “Guerre des Etoiles” French toy line is characterized by significant details that make it quite unique, especially the distinctive square blister card format used from the second wave of Star Wars action figures. PALITOY gradually standardized their products and marketing with the ‘Return of the Jedi’ line in 1983, to finally end up with a unique packaging design, commonly called “trilogo”, for the entire European market. This presentation will review the iconic action figure packaging from these two companies, featuring rare collectible characters, things to know on the packaging and how it evolved, and a review of rare and remarkable items such as promotions, mail-aways, and clearance products.
PANEL: “Star Wars Coins & Medallions”
HOSTS: Mark Salotti and Gus Lopez
TIME: Saturday 8th April at 4.30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
As a global phenomenon, Star Wars has been immortalized in coins and medallions all around the world, from the familiar Power Of The Force coins that accompanied Kenner’s vintage action figures, through to lesser-known Japanese Toho medallions and German Helevetisches Münzkontor coins. Mark and Gus will present a showcase of Star Wars coins from around the world over the last four decades.
PANEL: “Collecting Beyond Juguetes”
HOST: Javier Florencio
TIME: Saturday 8th April at 6.00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Spanish PBP and Poch action figures are well known by vintage Star Wars toy collectors, especially high end toy collectors and variant hunters. Yet the success of ‘La Guerra de Las Galaxias’ in Spain triggered the production of some of the most amazing and unique merchandising and memorabilia in the world. In this panel we will set aside action figures and focus on a selection of the most rare, unique, beautiful, and funny pieces of merchandising and memorabilia produced in Spain in late 70s and throughout the 80s.
SUNDAY 9TH APRIL
PANEL: “Collectors Trading Event”
TIME: Sunday 9th April at 10:00am
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
The Collecting Track is hosting the last of two Trading Events at the Collectors Stage on Sunday, April 9 from 10 AM to 11 AM. This is a great opportunity to meet up and trade with fellow enthusiasts!
PANEL: “Lights, Camera, Action Transfers! – Letraset, PrestoMagiX and More”
HOSTS: Craig Spivey, Mark Daniels, and Grant Criddle
TIME: Sunday 9th April at 12:00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
In the days before home video and computer games, the analogue pleasures of rubbing down transfers onto pre-printed backgrounds put kids right in the action of their favourite movie scenes. This panel will look into the history of the Star Wars product ranges created by Letraset in the UK and PrestoMagiX in the US, and present a comprehensive overview of transfers, panoramas, store displays, and associated stationery, promotions and tie-ins from around the world. These product lines produced some of the most beautiful – as well as questionable – artwork of the vintage era. Join us as we explore it all…
PANEL: “Never tell me the odds!: Star Wars contests, sweepstakes, and prizes”
HOSTS: Ross Cuddie and Elling Haug
TIME: Sunday 9th April at 1:30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Not all great things in the history of Star Wars merchandising had to be bought. We highlight 45 years of select contests, sweepstakes and their amazing prizes from a variety of creative promotions.
PANEL: “Beyond Kenner’s Droids and Ewoks”
HOSTS: Bill Cable and Derek Ho
TIME: Sunday 9th April at 3:00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Kenner’s final foray into Star Wars toys in the 1980s was a short-live series of toys for the Droids and Ewoks cartoons. After only one wave of figures the line was cancelled, and Kenner wouldn’t make another Star Wars toy for a decade. Kenner had planned many more figures that were never produced, and the success of the cartoons in some countries prompted them to produce their own unique collectibles. Join us as we explore visions of what was and what might have been beyond Kenner’s Droids and Ewoks.
PANEL: “Tunisian Pickers”
HOSTS: Chris Georgoulias and Gus Lopez
TIME: Sunday 9th April at 4:30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Travel to a land far, far away in this true tale of movie memorabilia hunting in Tunisia. See the filming locations for STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, and THE PHANTOM MENACE and what our crazy collectors found and returned with – in a big way. The desert sands hold many secrets and the surrounding towns were no different. From scraps to full-size props, what the film crews left behind was there for the taking – or buying – if you knew where to look and were bold enough to go for it. Join us for the collecting adventure of a lifetime and feel like you were right there in the midst of the action, exploring the spots and bartering with the locals – all in the never-ending pursuit of Star Wars stuff.
PANEL: “Worldwide Star Wars Oddities”
HOSTS: Joe Yglesias, Darren Thomas, and Gordy Owen
TIME: Sunday 9th April at 6:00pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
See some of the weirdest, most wild, and fun Star Wars collectibles from around the world. Discover and examine the world of obscure and rare collectibles as we spotlight the unusual and often unnecessary creations that were manufactured for eager franchise fans in the vintage years and beyond.
MONDAY 10TH APRIL
PANEL: “Star Wars by Mail: Collecting SW Stamps”
HOST: Jose A. Sanmartin
TIME: Monday 10th April at 11:30am
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
In 1978, US philatelic company H. E. Harris released the first Star Wars themed stamp collecting kit. In this presentation we will have a look at different, original, and always fascinating stamp sets and related materials that have been released all around the world since that day.
PANEL: “‘Die Kraft der Macht’ – Vintage German Star Wars toys and collectibles”
HOST: Thorsten Greth
TIME: Monday 10th April at 12.30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
Discover the variety of German related collectibles ranging from early items like puzzles and posters to the illusive German ‘Kraft der Macht’ multipacks. Long-time collector Thorsten provides some unique collectibles paired with deep dive information about the German Star Wars licensee General Mills ‘Parker’. Special attention is paid to the Star Wars ‘Deutschlandshow’ of 1985.
PANEL: “New Zealand Collectibles: Toltoys, Tip-Top, ‘Taste the Magic’, and Beyond”
HOSTS: Matt Glasgow and Kristy Glasgow
TIME: Monday 10th April at 1.30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
This panel examines the history of Star Wars collectibles unique to New Zealand. We cover the earliest promotions from the Top-Top Ice-Cream company and toy lines such as the Toltoys versions of Kenner figures and playsets, through to the “Taste the Magic” campaign of Mainland Products in the prequel era, and into the Disney era. Star Wars was released in NZ theatres in December 1977. Our remote island nation had a population of 3.1 million at the time and because of its isolation, NZ had traditionally not seen many locally exclusive toys or collectibles. A few local companies foresaw the value in the Star Wars license and gave us collectibles not available elsewhere. Geography and a small population have influenced the story of NZ Star Wars collectibles – as well as exclusive products, some NZ market variants were made in small numbers and have become sought after due to their rarity. Presented by the husband-and-wife team behind SWNZ, Star Wars New Zealand, Matt and Kristy Glasgow.
PANEL: “European Vintage Star Wars Store Displays”
HOSTS: Mattias Rendahl, Darren Simpson, and Thorsten Greth
TIME: Monday 10th April at 2.30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
A tour around Europe about the stuff that was made to promote the toys: store displays. Back in the day, point-of-sale material was often created and used in stores to promote the toys, and store displays have become a collecting area of their own. Display material was seen as trash and thrown away and therefore is often quite rare. But some kids and store employees saved some, by accident or intentionally. Get a good look at unique toy store displays used in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Italy, from known items to never-seen-before treasures!
PANEL: “The Effect And Influence Of The Palitoy Company On Star Wars Toys”
HOST: Dave Tree
TIME: Monday 10th April at 3:30pm
LOCATION: Collectors Stage
By the time Star Wars was released in the U.K. The Palitoy Company was already the number one powerhouse in the boys toys retail marketplace. Whilst the divisions within The Palitoy Company were granted the opportunity to distribute the Kenner products (Palitoy, Denys Fisher & Chad Valley), it wasn’t as easy as just repackaging the toys, many changes and compromises were required in the U.K. market early on which led to unique variations and, in some cases, creating new product. This presentation takes a look back at those challenges, the highs and lows, the successes and failures that all contribute to one of the most coveted areas of international Star Wars vintage collecting.
Check out our very own collecting podcast Collecting Tracks, hosted by Richard Hutchinson and Chris Leddy, the latest episode of which you can hear below.
We’ll be sure to update this page as new panels and scheduled times are announced, so bookmark this page and stay tuned.
- Christopher, Adam (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 512 Pages - 03/28/2023 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)
