David writes:
I attended my first Star Wars meetup in July of 2017.
It was held in the Hudson Valley region of New York State, at the home of longtime collector and Archive editor/writer Ron Salvatore. The summer gathering was given the nickname “RonCon 2,” as it was the second official meetup Ron hosted for the Empire State Star Wars Collectors Club.
The Empire State Club was formed five years earlier, and became a way for collectors in the New York and northeast region to connect through in-person events and activities. I was aware that collectors hosted and frequented these types of events across the country, but the only access I had to them was through episodes of the Star Wars Collectors Archive Podcast, nicknamed the ‘Chive Cast. Listening to the recorded accounts from collectors’ homes felt exciting, and I dreamed of attending a future gathering. But without any additional context, and without knowing these collectors directly, it seemed like these meetups took place on another planet.
The Empire State Club didn’t show up on my radar until April of 2017, when I traveled to Orlando, Florida for my first Star Wars Celebration convention. And that long weekend at Celebration was the first time outside of a toy show that I was able to spend time and converse with collectors who shared a similar passion for Star Wars memorabilia.
For many of us who had returned to collecting in the years leading up to The Force Awakens, the era was an intensely exciting one. Online conversations around the collectibles had shifted from the faceless and seemingly gated forums to the more personal and more immediate, not to mention more photo-heavy, realm of Facebook. The Facebook groups served as hubs for collectors around the world to engage in discussions about the Star Wars news of the day, and to learn about a wide range of Star Wars-related artifacts.
But a convention like Celebration showcased how important the in-person events are for building friendships. And the afterglow of that Orlando weekend was so powerful that I longed for more moments like it.
So when Pete LeRose, an Empire State Club member and friend I had met through my local toy show trips, invited me to RonCon 2 that July, I immediately said yes. The idea of attending an actual club event reminded me of finally seeing the band Pearl Jam live for the first time at Randalls Island in 1996, after listening to their music on CDs and bootlegged concert cassettes for years.
I was looking forward to spending time with Pete and Archive editor Mike Mensinger at Ron’s, but I only knew a handful of the other members from the social media chats. I was also excited to finally meet Ron, since he was a frequent guest on the ‘Chive Cast. I had read his humorous and insightful entries on the Archive and its blog for years, and they helped shape my perspective on collecting. And while I had studied many of the entries about the items he owned, it would be the first time I would see many of these one-of-a-kind and historic pieces in person.
*****
I traveled up to the Hudson Valley on Saturday, July 22nd, for my first Empire State Club meetup. Arriving early, I stopped at a local diner for breakfast. While I was there, I joined the Prototype Exchange group on Facebook, after Pete alerted me to a sale of some Hasbro Star Wars prototypes. And before I left the diner, I had made a deal with a new friend from Mexico for eight first shots from The Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith and the Saga series. I had been hunting modern prototypes for a while, but it was at that diner that I decided to pursue collecting them in a more serious manner.
I waited for Pete in the parking lot of Ron’s development. As delighted as I was to be there, I also felt a sense of anxiety, as I was visiting a place I had never been to previously, and was walking into a group setting in which I was the new visitor. Seeing Pete walk over to my car eased that anxiety, but by the time we got to Ron’s front door, it ramped up again.
At the Empire State Club’s Annual event in 2019, I recounted that moment in a panel presentation on the history of the club. I joked that Ron’s door was “terrifying,” when in actuality, it was the thought of what was behind it that dredged up a sense of panic.
And I think that’s a situation that each of us has experienced at some point. It’s the fear that has followed us since we were in elementary school - of not fitting in, of not being accepted and of remaining on the outside. The thought of going into someone’s house and spending hours there with nobody to talk to - while being invisible to others and yet fully visible in the awkwardness and discomfort that comes from being a new face in a room - it can be almost too much to bear. And it’s often what keeps us from stepping beyond our respective comfort zones.
But I was fortunate to have a friend like Pete, who not only invited me, but met up with me in advance so I wouldn’t be alone. As we stood in front of Ron’s terrifying door, I considered running into the woods behind us and staying there until the meetup ended. It’s the type of ridiculous idea that races through the mind in a moment like that. It’s the jarring sense of “am I really doing this?” And over the years, I’ve found that if I can push past those thoughts, there’s usually something pretty wonderful waiting for me on the other side.
And that day, I was right. When the door opened, standing behind it was a familiar face. Tyler Fedigan, an Empire member from the Saratoga area, greeted us. I met Tyler at the Celebration Orlando room sales. He and I did a deal for some DROIDS figures, and we talked for a good portion of the evening. Seeing him at a northeast meetup signaled our friendship would continue beyond the Celebration convention. And the anxiety of the moment instantly dissipated.
*****
The entrance way to Ron’s home led to an open living room with a two-story ceiling. Light flowed through the windows and the screen door, and decades-old movie posters lined many of the walls. Approximately thirty club members attended RonCon 2, and the majority gathered in the living room, holding plates of food and having casual but in-depth discussions with those around them. Some collectors hung out in Ron’s kitchen, while the ones who were upstairs could be seen through the bars of the balcony. And others relaxed on his back patio, taking a cigarette break or just enjoying the heat of the summer.
Upon entering, we were handed swag commemorating the day - blue circular pins bearing the RonCon 2 logo.
Ron’s sister made cookies, decorated to look like Chewbacca, R2-D2 and a number of the characters from the Original Trilogy. The tables around the living room were filled with large plates of sandwich segments, and drinks were in coolers on the patio.
The atmosphere was incredibly relaxed. There was an ease to the conversations, and each person was engaged. In between meeting people, I looked around the room and listened to the types of conversations taking place, to the different pockets where laughter emerged. The vibrancy of these connections filled the first floor in a way in which I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in that moment.
Making my way through the living room, I immersed myself in a blur of introductions. I met Jason Thomas and Thomas Quinn, the co-founders of the Empire State Club. They had met years earlier, when Tom was working at his local bank. Jason visited his branch, looking to rent a personal safe-deposit box. He noticed a Kenner figure on Tom’s desk and told him he was looking to store some similar Star Wars action figures and collectibles in the box. The two became fast friends and started a club to attract other collectors in the area.
And five years later, I was taking part in what they and other Star Wars enthusiasts created. During conversations with the other members, when I mentioned that RonCon 2 was my first meetup, each kindly responded by making me feel included - asking me questions about my life and my interests, and then introducing me to their friends. This cycle continued for hours, and it was a true joy to spend a few minutes getting to know each attendee.
When among collectors, I’ve found that the easiest way to get to know someone new is to begin with this basic question: what do you collect? If you’re at a meetup, it’s safe to say that the majority of the people in the room are collectors. It’s generally the reason why they’re there. In this way, Star Wars is the great unifier, a starting point for a conversation.
And each collector has a series of fascinating stories to share. When and how they were first introduced to Star Wars. What the films and the franchise mean to them. The role the toys played in their lives. The connections between Star Wars and their family. How they became collectors. Why they collect. And which areas of collecting they enjoy exploring.
Those are the seeds from which long, interesting conversations germinate. And those conversations often lead to long and substantive friendships, all in the name of Star Wars and collecting.
*****
At one point, I spoke with Joel Lilley, whose personal collection extended beyond Star Wars and was as eclectic and as expansive as his music tastes. He asked me what I thought about Ron’s collection. I told him I was looking forward to the tour, which I had assumed would occur later in the afternoon.
“There’s no tour,” he said. “We can check it out now if you want.”
Again, this was my first meetup. I don’t think I had ever seen a curated Star Wars collection on display up to that point. And I figured Ron would walk us through his collection room, talking and pointing out items, as the group would slowly shuffle along, like we were at a museum. But I was pleasantly surprised by how informal it was. And I was happy to have a new friend join me for my first look.
There was nobody else upstairs. Joel led me over to four dark wood cabinets. I stopped before getting any closer, trying to take in the entire view. I could barely process anything at that moment however, and as my eyes darted from shelf to shelf.
This may sound like an English major’s exaggeration of what should be a normal, quieter moment. But please understand, as a collector, this was my first time seeing some of the most monumental pieces that led to the creation of the figures I owned and loved as a child, and appreciated even more as an adult collector. To see the acetate sculpt of Leia in her Hoth outfit, or a black-limbed Bossk hardcopy, or the wax sculpts of some of the pieces from my favorite childhood playset, the Jabba the Hutt throne, was overwhelming.
Ron’s collection was indeed a museum. The items in the display cases were arranged in chronological order, by the toy line that accompanied each film release. Almost every figure was represented among the shelves. Ron had acquired what was likely the most extensive run of the Rancor Keeper, which highlighted different elements of the pre-production process.
And after a handful of seconds, I reacted like anyone standing there for the first time would have done.
I began yelling at Ron’s cabinets.
“Oh my gosh.” (Looks at a chorus line of C-3PO first shots) “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.” (Sees Imperial Gunner protomold) “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh.” (Spots Luke Jedi prototypes) “OHMYGOSH, OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH.”
That’s what was happening on my end. After what felt like a few minutes of this, I turned to my right to see Joel, slightly frozen and unblinking, staring at me.
“I didn’t realize you’ve never seen his collection in person before,” he said. “I’m going to head downstairs and give you a few minutes to take it all in.”
I wanted to apologize to him for shouting like a crazy person at what was essentially well-lit furniture, but he smiled before he left me. And I realized that he probably had a similar reaction the first time he saw these pieces as well. And I’m sure he enjoyed seeing a fellow collector overwhelmed and overjoyed to be in the presence of Kenner and Star Wars history, curated with the utmost attention to detail and admiration for the action figure line that meant so much to so many.
I then ran to Ron’s cabinets, opened the doors and began stuffing my pockets with as many hardcopies and bagged samples as I could grab.
I bet you didn’t think the story was going to take a turn like that, right?
In reality, I remember stepping back a bit, and realizing how extraordinary meetups like this were. It’s something that we rarely consider and may take for granted now, but at that point, I became acutely aware of the level of trust that a host puts forth when opening his or her home to collectors, especially when some visitors may be early acquaintances or total strangers. And to acknowledge that trust, it must be met with a deep respect, for the person and for their home, as well as for the items they own. And I was honored to be standing there, able to take my time and to examine the display cases for as long as I chose to remain on the second floor.
And then I started filling my pockets with as many hardcopies and bagged samples as I could grab.
Again, that’s not how that moment played out. But being there made me appreciate the bonds that formed at these meetups, and why people continue to congregate at local collectors’ homes. And as spectacular as Ron’s collection was and is, the moment no longer was about the items - it was about the potential of a group like this, and how genuinely special the people were who showed up that day. The thought jolted through my mind like the strongest dopamine rush, and I wanted to chase that feeling and fully immerse myself in it.
*****
Shortly after, Ron came upstairs with a few friends. I had the opportunity to ask him some questions about his collection and to learn more about the items he had curated. He kindly removed some of the prototypes from his display so that I and the others could get a closer look. It’s one thing to see photos of one of the earliest C-3PO figures on the Archive. It’s another to see it in person. But to hold a piece of history in your hand, and to be able to examine it closely while its owner explains its significance and history is an experience on a completely different level.
But my favorite part was hearing collectors like Chris Riehle and John Alvarez contribute to the conversations. The discussions around these items were what we lived for, what we loved. We were diving into the details, building on the discussion with additional nuggets of information, and raising more questions in the hopes of piecing together further answers. It was like taking a mini-class in the middle of a club event, and I tried to digest every word.
After a while, the group dispersed and went downstairs. John and I continued talking and sat down on a couch next to the display cabinets. I had never met John before, but had read his entries on the Archive and had heard him speak about his former Biker Scout and Admiral Screed collections on the ‘Chive Cast podcast.
John was gracious with his time. We spent forty-five minutes discussing collecting. He showed me photos of what he collected, as he had transitioned from prototypes to focus on film props and Egyptian relics. The conversation wasn’t rushed, and I felt I really got to know John during our talk. He was personable and funny, and I loved learning about areas of collecting that extended far beyond the world of action figures.
Toward the end of our conversation, I told John I had been dabbling in modern Star Wars prototypes over the past year, and was on my way to making them part of a true focus. I asked him if he had any advice, as a former vintage prototype collector, that I could apply to my new collecting path.
His eyes lit up at the question.
“Buy hardcopies.”
It was a straightforward response, one said with confidence and with the wisdom of someone who had collected in a previous era, when Kenner prototypes were more plentiful and cost a lot less.
I had just purchased my first Hasbro hardcopy only a few weeks earlier. As I learned more about the pre-production process, the idea of owning a painted resin figure appealed to me. And once that first hardcopy arrived, it looked more like the work of an artisan than a mere figure or toy.
John’s words confirmed that I wasn’t crazy to spend a few hundred dollars on a modern hardcopy at a time when most collectors scoffed at the idea. I was able to ask him questions about how hardcopies were created and developed, which further added to my appreciation of them. And I left our conversation feeling confident about my new collecting path, that I was on the right track.
I spent a few more minutes by myself in front of Ron’s cabinets. Looking at each piece, I realized that I would never have the Kenner pre-production collection I wanted. The values had skyrocketed well beyond what I felt comfortable spending on them. But more importantly, seeing the items Ron had accumulated arranged in one location, I understood that I had missed the era of when these items were available readily to collectors.
And that realization put my mind at ease. It lifted the pressure I had placed upon myself to participate in something that was no longer accessible to me.
Most of the key prototypes were locked away in collections around the world. And they would likely remain in those collections for years to come. And even if I were able to acquire a few over time, the ones I could afford would be much closer to their production counterparts.
I had missed the era of when they were plentiful and cheap - or at least, much cheaper than they were before the Sequel Trilogy put the spotlight on Star Wars collectibles again. But I knew I was at a very interesting time in history with the modern Hasbro figures. The spotlight hadn’t reached them yet. And as an ardent fan of The Clone Wars and its resonant characters, along with films like The Force Awakens and Rogue One, I had the opportunity to curate an extensive collection for the newer Star Wars stories and figures, capturing the fandom and the history of that era in the process.
I walked back downstairs with a new sense of purpose. Sometimes a meetup is simply a meetup. But it can also be a place where advice is shared freely, where insight and conversations spark a new direction, or confirm the current but untested path. And it’s a blessing to be able to point to our fellow collectors as sources of inspiration, ones who can affect us in profound ways for years to come.
*****
One of the most disarming aspects of the meetup was that there were no cliques, no elite circles of collectors, no barriers. Everyone was there to connect. And it makes sense. If you’re going to a convention or a toy show, there are a number of reasons why you would travel to attend. But for a collectors’ meetup, you were simply there to meet up with other collectors, who share your interest and passion.
And it’s amazing how quickly the memorabilia takes a backseat to the friendships that form. The meetups feel exciting, like the house parties of our high school and college years. But as fellow collector Brian Angel once pointed out, “everything is legal now.”
In the middle of the afternoon, Pete and Mike invited me to take a ride with them to Pete’s house, which was only a few miles from Ron’s. I had known Pete for years, but had never seen his collection in person. And while Pete does not focus on Star Wars, he has so many prototypes and production items spanning many of the most popular lines of the 1970s and 80s. Seeing his collection and Ron’s back-to-back highlighted the scope and possibilities of curating something meaningful from the world of prototypes and production artifacts.
While at Pete’s house, I purchased a carded Empire Strikes Back AT-AT Driver from him. It was the figure’s debut release - on a 41A back, with a clear bubble and graded an AFA 85 - and was one I needed for my collection. I was thrilled to pick up the AT-AT Driver from Pete at the time. But over the years, it’s become one of my favorite pieces in my collection, as it is a tangible souvenir that holds so many memories from that day.
I brought my camera to the meetup. Sure, we all have phones in our pockets that can easily capture moments, but the technology at the time wasn’t comparable to a Canon DSLR. I didn’t know if I’d take any pictures that day, or what I would shoot, but I wanted to have it on me, just in case.
At 4:00, Ron announced we’d take a group photo, and everyone headed outside. I ran to my car to get my camera. We stood in three rows, with the grassy slope providing natural risers, allowing all of us to be seen in the shot. I snapped a series of photos with my camera, then traded places with another member to join the group for a few more pictures.
And during the setup for a group photo, we often get a hint that something special is taking place. It hits us in a profound way, yet lasts for as long as the burst of the camera’s flash. But those camera and phone images, taken in moments of levity and joy and togetherness, develop further over time, in a different way. As the months and years pass, even as the details begin to fade in our minds, the importance of that day sharpens. The joy remains. And a singular thought continually rings in our ears: I’m so thankful I was there.
*****
Returning inside, we headed to Ron’s basement. Over the years, the Empire State Club has held fundraisers to benefit Rancho Obi-Wan, Steve Sansweet’s California-based museum and education center showcasing the largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia in the world. And for this event, collectors brought Star Wars- and club-related items to auction for the cause.
We stood in the unfinished section of Ron’s basement, among exposed wooden posts and unpainted concrete, as insulation bled from the beams overhead. Ron and some of the other members took turns announcing each item and showing it to the crowd. One of the larger pieces was a Return of the Jedi-era R2-D2 Toy Toter. A member was kind enough to donate a 30th Anniversary Collection R2-D2 and 3-3PO carded figure set, signed by famed Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie. Another brought a poster showcasing all of the Kenner carded figures released during the original trilogy. And others added model kits, unproduced Micro Collection figures, bootlegs, Lili Ledy overstock parts, lettered saber Darth Vader figures, Archive Party swag, a life-sized Kenner Leia blaster, and action figure posters, books and cases.
Seeing this informal auction materialize at Ron’s house really touched me. Like the meetup itself, it was further proof of the power of a collectors’ club. It was a community of friends contributing to and donating to a worthwhile cause, and doing so as a united group. Together, we raised $2,000 for Rancho Obi-Wan that afternoon. And if thirty people were able to do that in a friend’s basement, the possibilities of our club seemed limitless.
As the auction was nearing its end, I realized my time at Ron’s was coming to a close as well. Not wanting to interrupt the rest of the auction, I quietly made my way to the front of the room to thank Ron for his hospitality. He gave me a handshake and a hug, thanked me for coming, and to my surprise, stopped the auction to announce I was leaving. As I walked through the basement, every member gave me a handshake and a hug, which meant more to me than I could ever express.
By the time I reached Ron’s stairs, I was a member of the Empire State Club. It’s funny, but of all of the moments spent at RonCon 2 that day, those handshakes and hugs, those words of encouragement to return for the next event, have remained so vibrant in my mind. They remind me of the power of our words and actions, and they have pushed me to replicate that same feeling for new members of our various collecting clubs.
After that weekend, I had posted a message in our Empire State Club’s Facebook page, offering an eight-by-ten print of our RonCon group photo for anyone who wanted it. It was a way to say thank you to a community that had wholly embraced me and had made that day so memorable. And it gave me the opportunity to interact further with some of the members and to get to know them better, by giving them a piece of post-event swag.
Recently, Chris Riehle messaged me about RonCon 2. He shared a photo of the print and the envelope in which I sent it to him, along with the note I wrote to him. And the print has not only served as a souvenir of the day, but as the start of a friendship.
And as I look at that photo now, I realize that meetup was the start of many friendships. And over the past seven years, those relationships have developed beyond what I or any of us imagined when we first joined the club.
We’ve traveled to various states and to other regions of the country to attend toy show weekends and conventions together. We’ve held club-sponsored meetups in New York that not only served as some of the best events we’ve experienced, but ones that have inspired other clubs to host ones on a similar scale. We’ve hiked the Hudson Valley together, attended Star Wars premieres together, and celebrated the holidays together. The Empire State Club has been more than a club, and its members have been more than members for each of us. In many ways, we’ve become family to one another.
As I mentioned before, sometimes a meetup is simply a meetup. But in the case of our Star Wars collecting community, that’s often the exception to the rule.
My first meetup in 2017 was and is one of the most important days of my life as an adult collector and Star Wars fan. It was on that July Saturday that I solidified my decision to collect modern Star Wars prototypes, a hobby that I have loved dearly for almost a decade. I toured two amazing collections, viewing pieces I never expected to see in person. I spent a day at a collector’s home with thirty other passionate Star Wars fans, and took part in the conversations and laughter that filled that house for hours. I joined a regional club that has become a special addition to my life, and an outlet to a multitude of adventures. And with its members, I carved out the beginnings of dear friendships that continue to this day.
*If you'd like to hear more about the club meetups, toy show trips and collectors' weekends, please check out the Star Wars: Prototypes and Production podcast.
