Ron writes:
I first met Michael Mensinger at a toy show in the late '90s. My friend with whom I'd set up that day and I ended up chatting with him for what seemed like hours, as we likely disregarded paying customers to further discuss rare store displays, prototypes, or whatever it was that was occupying our thoughts. Though I can't say for sure, it's a good bet that the Star Wars Collectors Archive was one of the topics of conversation. As Mike mentions below, he joined the site as an editor several years later, and he's been here ever since, contributing lots of well-researched content and necessary revisions. He's also remained my good friend. Come to think of it, so has the person with whom I set up at the toy show on that fateful day: a guy named Todd Chamberlain, another editor of the site!
Michael writes:
Collecting books, magazines and Toy Shop represented mediums by which I digested vintage Star Wars information and viewed pictures during my initial collecting endeavors. Yet during my early college years, a new and unexplored frontier of information, the World Wide Web, presented itself. I quickly realized a new world of online collecting content, albeit somewhat limited compared to today’s standards, was literally at my fingertips once I learned to surf around and discover it! The interwebs lead me to an amazing website: the Star Wars Collectors Archive. I recall printing entry pages to read and save in a folder in the event I couldn’t locate the site again. A bookmark was something to place in a book as opposed to saving one’s place on the web to a novice web surfer like myself, after all, and my web access was limited to University of Delaware computer labs.
The Archive’s in-depth content, crafted by Gus Lopez, Ron Salvatore, Chris Georgoulias, and John Wooten helped expand my knowledge on Star Wars prototypes and the toy production process, which in turn greatly guided my path down this collecting avenue. Not only that, but I developed lasting friendships with the site’s staff and graciously accepted an offer to join the Archive as an editor in February 2003. I recall my excitement when Ron asked me to submit images of a few pieces from my collection for site entries, so the idea of writing entry descriptions and fielding submissions from fellow collectors couldn’t have been more appealing. Additionally, I’d be giving back to the hobby that brought me so much joy and meaningful friendships.
I’m pleased to have authored over 1,000 entries on the site over the past 21 years and spent countless hours transitioning existing entries over from .HTML files to the Archive database during that transition. I also dedicated time and effort to expanding prototype content by fielding submissions from others and adding material from my personal collection. The proof card and Micro Collection prototype sections represent two particular areas where I spent significant time and energy, both in terms of content generation and index page reorganization.
It’s been an absolute pleasure being affiliated with the Archive as an editor since 2003 and content submitter during prior years. After all this time, I still view the Archive as the absolute best resource online or in print for Star Wars collecting information and memorabilia. Cheers to the 30th, SWCA!
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