Thursday, April 13

Star Wars Collectors’ Stage
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Gus Lopez and his enthusiastic and creative crew return to Celebration with another great round of panels on collectibles. Don’t miss the exclusive Star Tot giveaways, created especially for Celebration Orlando and available only at these panels. Find the full schedule for this and all other stages on the Celebration mobile app and in the printed Insider’s Guide to Celebration. We clear the Star Wars Collectors’ Stage after every performance.

12-1pm
40 for 40: Highlights from Four Decades of Star Wars Collectibles
Join life-time collectors and podcasters Matthew Fox from “This Week in Star Wars,” and Jake Stevens from From4-LOMtoZuckuss.com as they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars by chronicling 40 different toy lines and collectibles from the past four decades. Selections will include the famous, the infamous, and the forgotten. Memorable not only for what they are, these collectibles also tell the story of how Star Wars changed over the years. A unique franchise which has been diversely perceived and marketed over the years: surprise phenomenon to kids’ property; dormant franchise to 90’s nostalgia revival; prequel oversaturation to pre-Disney aimlessness to the omnipresent cultural staple it is today. Whether you prefer Kenner or Hot Toys, Hasbro or Lego, Pez or Bend-Ems, the hosts cover it all with a 40-year look at the good, the bad and the ugly from the ever-expanding universe of Star Wars collectibles.

1:30-2:30pm
The Growing Galaxy of Women’s Star Wars Fashion
Women’s Star Wars fashion has been around since 1977, but has grown significantly as geek culture has become mainstream and female Star Wars fans have become more visible and active in demonstrating their passion for the fandom. This panel takes a look at all aspects of women’s Star Wars fashion (both collecting and wearing), highlights from the range of commercial products and designer Star Wars garments on the runway, as well as examining the concept of Star Wars clothing as both self-expression and a collecting focus.

3-4pm
Rancho Obi-Wan
For many collectors across the world “Rancho Obi-Wan” is a near mystical place. Steve Sansweet and a team of volunteers have turned it into a true destination that everyone can visit. Hear and see all about this amazing destination for Star Wars fans, why it was done, how the museum operates, and a close-up look of some of its treasures.

4:30-5:30pm
Food Collectibles
Food promotions have been used to market the saga to a worldwide audience over the last 40 years. From Wonder Bread and Coca-Cola promotions for the original release of Star Wars, to current worldwide cereal offerings from General Mills and Kellogg's, Star Wars fans throughout the world have been exposed to a vast array of food-related packaging, premiums, and related promotional materials. Come learn about highlights of the often short-lived and regional food promotions from the vintage era to the latest trends in more healthy food offerings, including preservation and display techniques, in this fascinating panel presented by Jonathan McElwain and Tom Stewart.

6-7pm
The Art and Packaging of Vintage Star Wars Toys
Learn about Kenner’s now-iconic design for the Star Wars action figure line and how important that design was for the success of the line. Mattias Rendahl, author of A New Proof - Kenner Star Wars Packaging Design 1977-1979 and pre-production collector, will talk about the basics of the Star Wars packaging design process, show original sketches, artwork and proof cards from all the vintage lines, tell stories from ex Kenner employees that did the original design. See rare Revenge of the Jedi proof cards, the gateway to 2D pre-production collecting. Questions welcome on anything from rarity to current values.
1:30-2:30pm