Taking place on Saturday 13th Echo Base Live, is a FREE event that will provide Star Wars fans with an unforgettable day offering up an excellent range of vintage and modern collectable items from toys and figures to art and books.
There will also special guest signers available on the day. Special guests signers include*:
Julian Glover (General Veers), Denis Lawson (Wedge Antilles), Chris Parsons (K-3PO), Riichard Oldfield (Derek (Hobbie) Klivian), David Stone (X-Wing Plot), Jack Mckenzie (Cal Alder), Paul Jerricho (AT-AT Driver), Stephanie English (Hoth Rebel Technician), John Mogridge (Snowtrooper), Alan Austen (Snowtrooper)
Come along as your favourite Star Wars character – you won’t be alone at Echo Base Live!
That’s how the Kingfisher Centre website described the event, and for Star Wars fans – and obviously the collectors – there are few days in the calendar year as important as the two Echo Base Live events. I make a confession at the top…I absolutely adore these events. Around a month before each show, the anticipation grows and the week before it I’m like a kid counting down to Christmas.
It was little different this time around as I, along with my good mates, had rented a couple of tables to sell off some duplicate items and unwanted bits and bobs. (Apologies to The Black Series but I stopped being interested a long time ago) So, I was up at 4.30am and headed off the Redditch Kingfisher Shopping centre to meet my old pals – Chris (of Toys of the Jedi) and Paul (of Fantha Tracks) I met both men in a dark Toys R Us car park way back in September 2015 and it’s been nothing but a friendship full of joy ever since.
For the second time at Echo there was a Star Dinner on the evening before, and from all accounts, however, it was a smashing success. The event itself boasted a stellar signing line up worthy of Celebration but without the eye-watering prices to go with it. Wedge Antilles himself, Mr Denis Lawson was in attendance along with a motley crew worthy of living up to name of Echo Base. The prices, as always, were sensationally fair and all the guests looked to be extremely popular from where we were standing. On offer for the first time were professional photo shoots which were a nice touch, and you could bring home a special memory from the day.
Even though we were all selling this time, I’d taken along some cash to spend of course as it would be sacrilegious not too. There were some amazing finds to be had to quench the thirst of any collector. I managed to pick up a grail item for myself – a Land of the Jawas playset. It was a little worn but complete and was an incredible price. Some other highlights included some Episode I Christmas crackers, a Jumbo Gentle Giant Vader, a 1983 3PO model kit and some Argentina Episode I bootlegs.
The SWAG at Echo base events has really grown too and there were some brilliant ones to be had. The Wampa juice has become a firm favourite in the collection already.
It was great to catch up with old friends and there were two topics of conversation on everyone’s lips; Celebration Japan and the forthcoming Haslab. We’ve all heard the rumours and everyone I passed at some point had a certain playset on their lips.
As ever, there were some brilliant traders and good deals to be had. There was also a second room next door to the main event that featured around 20/25 more tables. A setup that had everyone talking was the IB3D stall. If you were there, it was amazing to see. If you couldn’t make the event, then fear not – we have pictures.
The raffle was as popular as ever and the team and goodwill of Star Wars fans have managed to raise £3864 for Alder Hey Children’s Charity in Liverpool. Well done to all involved. Outstanding.
As ever with events like this, a sign of a good Echo is getting home and being absolutely shattered from Star Wars buying overload, and I certainly was. The real collection, however, are the friends made along the way. (I can hear the groans but it’s true)
Surely the next event will be in October and I’m waiting with my pen to mark it in my diary. (I may be 32 but I’m old fashioned) If you can’t wait until then, fear not! Star Wars Fan Fun Day is taking place in just a couple of weeks with the Star Dinner on Saturday May 4th and the show itself on Revenge of the 5th with Fantha Tracks in attendance.
One final note worth mentioning. It was great to see so many younglings at the show with their parents. Without them, Star Wars collecting has no future and seeing them excited by the toys just as we were as kids is really brilliant to see.
Roll on October.
Thanks to Neil Warren for the use of his photographs. For more from Neil, visit https://www.facebook.com/SWCCollection
- Hardcover Book
- Kempshall, Chris (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 432 Pages - 07/09/2024 (Publication Date) - DK (Publisher)
