Redditch was once again become the cosmic hotspot for Star Wars collectors on Saturday 4th February, with the twelfth show taking place at the Kingfisher Shopping Center and packed to the rafters with collectors, friends, special guests and bargains from across the galaxy. Myself and fellow Fantha Trackers Carl Bayliss and Jonathan Hipkiss were at the event to soak up some tibanna gas goodness.
There’s no stopping this show as it continues to swell in the estimation of collectors both casual and dedicated, and that was bourne out by the long queues for the ‘Early Bird’ tickets, which ran right around the bottom of the escalators and well beyond. If demand could be counted in action figure stands, you’d have a bucket full.
The organisers have a superb arrangement with the Kingfisher, taking empty, unused units and making them the focus of the collecting world for the weekend. Across the shows we’ve attended, the event has been held in large, broad units like Echo Base XII was in, whereas others have occupied long, thin units, multiple units and even the whole of the top floor. You never quite know what you’re going to get in that regard – and as a ‘punter’ that makes for a fun visit, the parking and walk to the venue always an easy trip.
Entering the vast room and taking a quick recce we quickly saw that a number of our good buddies were there. The teams from The Vintage Rebellion and Generation Skywalker were side-by-side, GenSky team member and awesome artist Mark Daniels was in the room as was Showmasters very own Jason Joiner, while Bowmansgreen were displaying their usual amazing array of stickers and prints. Topps artist Marsha Parkins was right next to the guest table, where Kenneth Colley, Guy Henry, Spencer Wilding, Rufus Wright, Aiden Cook, Paul Kasey (with glamorous surprise ‘assistant’ Brian Herring in town to visit the show) were all signing and chatting with attendees, while Palitoy legends Bob Brechin and Geoff Maisey held a talk about the history of Palitoys time as the UK home of Star Wars 3 3/4 action figures, sets and vehicles.
If you weren’t lucky ernough to be there for the Echo Base Live XII talk, Bob gave a talk at Echo Base Live VII back in 2019, which you can watch below.
Jonathan Hipkiss was on the ground for the Palitoy talk, and you can read his review of the panel later this week here on the site.
As always the items on array was superb, from modern Hasbro to vintage Kenner and Palitoy (and a few intercontinental variations inbetween). Wtih something for every pocket, Echo is a rare show that pulls in visitors looking for the big ticket items and those with £30 to burn and a shopping bag to fill (and believe us, it can be done). Browsing the packed tables while bumping into friendly faces to shoot the breeze (naturally with only a couple of months to go, Celebration Europe was the big conversation point) is always a pleasure, and there’s never enough time to spend with everyoine you’d like to and have a proper catch up.
We’ll leave it to the Echo team to have the final word, with the excellent news that Echo Base Live XII was their biggest event as well raising the most they’ve ever managed in the charity raffle. Not too shabby for a pre-Celebration, early February gathering in Redditch.
Stay tuned right here to Fantha Tracks, Desert Planet Discs, Collecting Tracks and of course the Echo Base Live Facebook page for more information on the next event as it arrives, and fingers crossed it won’t be too long before the gangs back together for Echo Base Live XIII.
- Hardcover Book
- Baver, Kristin (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 344 Pages - 04/25/2023 (Publication Date) - DK (Publisher)
