May the 4th be with you

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I sat in a theater engrossed in the original Star Wars, a movie that would spawn five sequels and countless number of books, magazines, video games, and, of course, toys.  I was so enthralled with this soon to be cultural phenomenon that I read the book, played the soundtrack on my record player over and over and over again, and excitedly discussed the finer points of the film with my best friend, Richard.

I had no idea that the images projected on that big screen in 1977 would still resonate with me 36 years later.  I still get goose bumps when I hear John Williams’ theme and see the famous opening crawl.  My inner nerd rejoiced when Disney bought the franchise and immediately made plans to expand the universe. 

You do have your moments. Not many, but you have them.

Of course, being a dealer, I also see dollar signs attached to all things Skywalker, which is why I had an inspiration when I heard that May 4 is Star Wars Day, an unofficial holiday for geeks like me.  I always pick up Star Wars memorabilia while scouting, and had a few items in my online inventory that I thought would look good in my antique mall booth.  So, I delisted everything “Force” related, and created a display. It looked a little sparse, though, so I went hunting at the thrift stores this week for R2-D2 stuff, only to come up empty handed.

Use the force, Luke.

I was dejected, but undeterred.  I happened to look on Craigslist, though, and found this:

HUGE STAR WARS TOY COLLECTION - $160
I have for sale 2 huge bins of Star Wars toys all excellent condition and still in packaging. If interested or have any questions feel free to TEXT or CALL me at anytime. *Serious Inquiries only*

These ARE the droids you’re looking for.

Not only was it the droids, but also Luke, Leia, Han, and Lando.  I texted the owner right away, and late Thursday, I was the proud owner of the two totes advertised, plus several other boxes of vintage toys for $200.

I’m Luke Skywalker, I’m here to rescue you.

I was like a kid on Christmas morning, going through all the toys when I got home.  I priced the larger items using my scanner, but got tired when I crossed the $500 mark.  I’m sure the remaining items, including the vintage stand-alone figures, will push the total past $600.

I’ve just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever.

Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.

Now, I just have to move the items to the booth, and hope fellow Star Wars fans shop there.

Great, kid. Don’t get cocky.

Have a productive weekend everyone.