The official Star Wars Fan Club in Mexico put together a different sort of convention this year to celebrate 25 years of Star Wars collecting. Two days of nothing but toys and collectibles, pure heaven.



I arrived Friday afternoon and thank god my good friends Oscar and Mauricio picked me up at the airport. I'll admit, I was a bit timid about making this trip but soon after checking into our hotel fell into my own comfort zone. After grabbing a bite to eat we decided to check out the convention center and see how things were falling into place. The place was busy with everyone scambling to get everything into place for Saturday's 10:00 AM opening. Silver Fett's were stacked in one corner, Hasbro set up in another and the vendor room was a madhouse! I could see we were in for quite a show, there seemed to be a good vibe in the air, a lot of energy as everyone was in good spirits and ready to have fun on Saturday.



Saturday morning we arrived early to watch it all unfold and be a part of the first ever Star Wars Collector Convention. The lines outside weaved back and forth like a snake through the lobby as fans anxiously awaited admission and their chance to own the Fan Club exclusive "Silver Boba Fett". This version of the exclusive was rumored early on to be numbered but that was not the case. The only differences I saw in packaging were a few import stickers required by law if I'm not mistaken.





Hasbro displayed new products for 2003 including some Clone Wars items. What caught my eye the best though was the boxed sample of the new TIE Fighter. Collectors will love the way this thing is shaped just like the TIE Fighter wings!



LEGO was set up and selling tons of LEGO product. Seems like they had one of everything you could imagine and then some. These new LEGO writing system pens caught my eye. I haven't seen these yet and thought you all might like a peek too.



The vendor area was a bit small and very cramped at times but fun too. Quite a few good deals were found. I only wished I had more money to spend on toys while I was down there.



Recognize any of these Star Wars Collectors? Why it's Gus Lopez, Todd Chamberlain, Chris Georgulias, James Gallo and Duncan Jenkins! Seems like they had their hands full in between speaking engagements!



The customs and dioramas on display were top notch! Scope out some of these great works of art!



The guest of honor for the show was none other than Super Collector and Star Wars author Steve Sansweet. Steve took in the show stopping to talk to collectors and signed autographs for roughly 7 hours straight one day.

The guest speakers included some very big names within the collecting community and the toy making industry as well. I was able to catch a few of these presentations while I was there.



Duncan Jenkins covered the various vintage packaging variations from Star Wars A New Hope to Return of the Jedi. He walked us through every major change on both foreign and domestic carded figures. It helps you ease into vintage collecting when someone can take the time to sit you down and show you the differences between a 31 back and a 77 back vintage carded figure!



Joseph Iglesias likes tattoos, and bootleg Star Wars toys as well! Joe is now in my opinion the man to talk to if you ever have an question regarding anything bootleg in the Star Wars universe! The images from Joe's presentation just baffle the mind. I had no idea there was so much bootleg product to go after. From brazilian figures made out of lead to the infamous Uzay "Head Man" Joe seems to be on top of it all. Kudos to Joe for informing me about one aspect of collecting I think we all tend to forget about.



OSWCC member Todd Chamberlain ( Toychamber.com ) did a presentation on vintage store displays. The artwork and nostalgia these store signs brought up makes me want to get a few myself. Well maybe just some of the more available ones :-) It's really cool to see people collecting this sort of thing because to me it's history. Most of these items were simply thrown out at stores after being used several months. you can't buy this sort of collectible at Wal-Mart or Target. Good stuff indeed, thanks Todd!

The last presentation I was able to catch was by Luis Galvez and Luis Villagomez. These two guys know their Lili-Ledy stuff for sure! They walked us through the Lili-Ledy line as well as most every vintage collectible to hit the Mexico market back in the day. I'll admit I'm no Lili-Ledy expert but I feel I can hold my own now after hearing these guys talk about it! Muchos Gracias Amigos!

Now due to a conflicting work schedule, and a head cold all weekend, there were a few presentations I missed out on. Steve Sansweet talked about his Star Wars museum "Rancho Obi-Wan". Which many have never laid eyes on but will soon be able to in an upcoming issue of the Star Wars INSIDER!

Former Kenner employees Tim Effler and Bob Kling gave a presentation about their time at Kenner and the various Star Wars products they helped create.

Gus Lopez ( Toysrgus.com ) held a session on film crew collectibles as well as his collectors appraisal panel where he and other collectors help appraise the value of your favorite Star Wars collectibles.



I missed a few other presentations due to my early flight out of Mexico. However, there was another great Star Wars fan site present at the show called Endorsystem.com. These guys had a great booth and a great fan presence at the show. Please check out their website for more great coverage! Also be sure to check out this very cool custom "Silver Wicket" they held a drawing for!

Overall I had a great time and cannot wait for next year! I had so much fun meeting everyone and making lots of new friends. Who would have ever thought that seven years ago when I started this collecting hobby I would ever end up in Mexico City having the time of my life with such a great group of freinds who share the same enthusiasm for Star Wars Collectibles! See you all next year! Adios!

Here's a few more images to wrap up this report. Enjoy!