Pictures from June 1997


Looking into the Museum from the hall. The Taco Bell Star Wars dangler display dominates this shot, as does the C-3PO cardboard cutout. That's a Star Wars tie he's wearing, and on his head is a Doctor Who lampshade that Ron Robinson brought us from England.

You should also see Luke's T-16 Skyhopper from Kenner (notice the Micro Machines version in front of it), Galoob's fold-up Death Star playset, and Stormtrooper and Darth Vader cardboard cutouts in the back. The detritus in the foreground is mostly empty Taco Bell Kid's Meal containers.

More Millennium Falcons than the mind can comfortably comprehend. They're washed out in this picture, but there are sixteen in this display. (More have been added since the picture was taken.)

On the right are some children's pajamas, and below them you can make out a corner of the toy that Thomas calls the "Ewok Drill Rig."

The original 12-inch Chewbacca, R2-D2, IG-88, and Boba Fett watch over Applause's vinyl R2, Greedo, Boba Fett, and Tusken Raider. They in turn seem oblivious to a Broadway dance number starring a cast of Bend-Ems, Applause PVC figures, and an occasional figural rubber eraser.

Overhead, the Enterprise and Shuttle Galileo tree oranments from Hallmark survey the action.

On the shelf beneath, most of the original run of Kenner action figures wonder just what their noisy upstairs neighbors are up to.

Many marvelous Micro Machines mass for a major mission. Among them, devious droids delay, pencil toppers prevaricate, and an escape pod exists precariously.
Top shelf, a set of the SW Special Edition Taco Bell toys. Middle shelf, almost all of the new Kenner action figures (at the time the picture was taken.) On the bottom shelf, in front of the C-3PO and Star Wars corkboards, you might make out the Galoob Action Fleet shuttle, with Kenner's Mini-Rig Shuttle Pod to its right; Prince Xizor fighting Darth Vader, a Biker Scout chased by a Swoop Trooper, and a Mini-Rig Imperial Sniper.

At the entrance to the Museum, a cardboard Luke Skywalker stands guard over our Ice Planet Hoth display case. In the case, Kenner Micro-Collection vehicles, figures, and playsets (c. 1982) are combined with Galoob Micro Machines and Action Fleet toys (1995-97). The four-legged Walker on the middle shelf is an unauthorized Japanese wind-up toy from the 1980's.

Underneath Hoth you may be able to make out a 1977 Star Wars lunchbox, on loan to the Museum from the Betsy Anthony Childs Collection.

The blue button on the left says "Whoever dies with the most toys, dies."

A shelf with lots of heads, all by Galoob. C-3PO, R2-D2, Luke, and the TIE pilot all open up into little playsets with tiny figures and vehicles. The plethora of tiny heads each open to reveal an exquisite miniature diorama with a tiny figure.

In the display case above the heads, you can just barely make out some Star Wars mice -- these are little ceramic figures of the Star Wars characters as cartoon mice, with snouts and big ears. They are hilarious. (Handcrafted by White Witch Miniatures. In addition to Star Wars characters, they also do characters from Babylon 5, Dr. Who, and a variety of historical mice, including King Henry VIII and his six wives. Email us if you want their address.)

In this picture you can also see some bookmarks, part of the box of AMT/Ertl's "Encounter with Yoda on Dagobah" model kit, and a brain (don't worry, it's plastic).


Original photos by Don Sakers.


Museum pictures from April 1997
Museum pictures from 1996.