The Archive at 30: Mattias Rendahl

Ron writes:

 Swedish collector Mattias Rendahl is no stranger to the Archive blog, having authored a couple of posts (see here and here) and sat for an interview concerning his excellent book, A New Proof. In the below tribute, Mattias remembers how his interactions with the Archive's editors, Michael Mensinger in particular, helped him to discover new aspects of collecting. An excellent graphic designer, Mattias also created the terrific 30th anniversary graphic that you see at the bottom of this page.

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Mattias writes:

I discovered the Archive in the late '90s and, like many others, used it as my go-to reference for collecting. 

At the time I thought I was the only adult collecting Star Wars memorabilia, but "Toys 'R' Gus" (that's what we called it at the time) showed me I wasn't alone. That realization only fueled my passion even further. By the early 2000s I had also found the forums at Rebelscum.com. While I didn't post much, I spent a lot of time reading and absorbing the insights from the Archive editors who posted there. "JohnA" (John Alvarez) always advised everyone to "read, read, and read the Archive" -- which I did and already had for years, and still do on a weekly basis.

I particularly remember that Archive editor Mike Mensinger regularly posted incredible links to Archive entries each week. He would share threads about new entries as well as links to posts in the "Figure of the Week" threads (I can't quite recall if it was even shortened to FOTW back around 2003). The Archive links from "michael_mensinger" (one of the few RS names I still remember because of his use of his real name) were the highlight of my week. Those links encouraged me to explore the Archive more deeply and sparked a desire to dig into various collecting niches. They also led me to delve into Swedish collectibles, as I realized just how much rare and unexplored material was still out there. Eventually, I decided to focus on a character (Chief Chirpa) with few Archive entries, wanting to uncover what had yet to be documented.

All those links not only piqued my curiosity but also helped me form friendships with many of the editors of the site -- friendships I still treasure today. 

I’ll never forget Mike’s AOL email address after all the discussions and questions I bombarded him with. The same goes for Chris (earthlink), John, Gus, Ron (hvc.rr.com), Duncan, Todd, et al. Those old email addresses are like the first phone numbers you memorize for your closest friends.

So thank you, "michael_mensinger," for inspiring me to dig deeper. You and all other editors have played a big part in my journey to publishing books and hosting panels at conventions worldwide. Looking forward to the next 30 years on Toysrgu… I mean theswca.com!

The Archive at 30: Mark Salotti

Steve writes:

 Longtime friend and fellow collector Mark Salotti (who co-authored Coining a Galaxy with Archive editor James Gallo) fondly remembers finding his way to the site in its early days, reflecting on how it impacted him and created globe-spanning friendships that remain to this day. Cheers, mate! 

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Mark writes:

Most Aussies only had internet access at work in the early '90s, but my brother enrolled into an I.T. course and signed us up at home, and it wasn't long before I stumbled across the Star Wars Collectors Archive. I had always considered myself well-versed in Star Wars toys, but discovering the Archive opened my eyes to wonders I had never before seen, or could ever have imagined.

Every day thereafter I would check the "What's New" section and delight in the latest contributions. I remember when friends visited we would load up several Archive pages, and go watch an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (sorry, it's: collect Star Wars, watch Star Trek) whilst my 28.8KB dial-up modem s-l-o-w-l-y downloaded the images (my new 56KB modem in the late '90s was lifechanging)!

Shortly after discovering the Archive, I reached out to Gus Lopez, and recounted my local experiences collecting POTF Coins, which were my focus, and just collecting in general, and I was moved by how generous he was with his time and knowledge. Soon enough, we were bouncing emails daily, and I was also regularly communicating with Chris Georgoulias and Ron Salvatore and other editors of the Archive, and then in 2005 I finally met them all in person at Celebration 3 in Indiana.

These early conversations lead to friendships that I never would have thought could have been possible -- given the distances between us, and how infrequently we actually met up in person -- and the friendships continued, developed and strengthened as the years passed, much to my joy and continued happiness.

Today, I have travelled the world, given presentations at multiple Star Wars Celebrations, visited countless collections, proposed to the partners of several friends and even attended a wedding, all thanks to Star Wars. Although, as I write this, I realise that had I not typed "Star Wars" into WebCrawler 30 years ago and discovered the Star Wars Collectors Archive, my life would have unfolded considerably differently; so really, Star Wars was the cause, but the Archive was the effect that had the profound affect on my life.  

A heartfelt thank you and congratulations to Gus and the team for 30 years of informing and entertaining collectors, bringing people together and making the Galaxy a better place.

Looking forward to the next 30 years with much admiration and gratitude from this Aussie "mate" to the Archive and all who grace it with their hard work and dedication.

The Archive at 30: Jonathan McElwain

Jonathan writes:

Wow, 30 years of The Star Wars Collector’s Archive! That’s quite a milestone and a testament to the quality of the site that it remains a relevant and vital resource to the Star Wars collecting community, three decades after its founding.

When reflecting on this milestone for the Archive, I found that my experiences with the site divide pretty neatly along decade lines.

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Decade 1 - Information Overload

I don’t recall precisely when I first discovered the Archive. Although I went to college from the early to mid 1990s, and certainly used computers in my studies, I wasn’t really a computer person. So, I missed out on the earliest online interactions. Then again, I was mostly a lurker throughout the later forum era.

I rekindled my interest in Star Wars fandom and collecting in 1994 and got online after purchasing my first personal computer in 1995. At the latest, I knew about the Archive by August of 1996, when I read a profile on Gus Lopez in Topps Galaxy Magazine, authored by Steve Sansweet. But more likely, I stumbled upon the Archive via a search on AltaVista (my early search engine of choice).

However I came to find it, what I discovered when I reached the Archive was a wealth of information to explore. While my personal collection is focused in very specific niche areas, I have a broad interest in Star Wars memorabilia, far beyond the confines of my own collecting pursuits. The early entries on the Archive definitely scratched that itch.

As the Archive expanded and matured throughout its first decade, some of my favorite early content included the following:

• The Comprehensive Star Wars Cereal Box Checklist, authored by Gus Lopez. The earliest archived version that I can find on the Wayback Machine lists 124 Star Wars cereal boxes from just five countries. Gus still maintains a comprehensive list of cereal boxes in the Archive Database, currently standing at over 1,900 boxes from all corners of the globe.

• The Special Features, authored by many of the Archive’s editors and other contributors. The Special Features provided detailed road maps to collecting in niche areas.

• Relics of the Outer Rim, authored by Pete Vilmur. The in-depth articles featured there are an early precursor to what would come later in the Blog.

Looking back, it is truly remarkable how much content was added to the Archive during its first decade. Most of it has stood the test of time and/or been foundational for continued development of hobby knowledge.

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Decade 2 - The Archive Database & The ‘Chive Cast

The second decade of the Archive saw the addition of the Archive Database as well as the debut of the Star Wars Collectors Archive Podcast (The ‘Chive Cast).

The Archive Database was added to the site in 2004, with a vast number of entries by Duncan Jenkins and contributions from many others. The Database provided a new way to navigate the Archive. More importantly, it significantly broadened the content of the Archive. Early in my collecting, I had relied on the two editions of Tomart’s Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles, authored by Steve Sansweet and T.N. Tumbusch. While price guides can be useful to see pricing to understand relative values, the real value to collectors is in the list of known products. The Database provides that information in an interactive, searchable format. I was able to leverage the data available in the Database to guide my own collecting pursuits.

The Database came online around the time that I emerged from collecting in a vacuum, started attending Celebration events, and began to make an effort to meet other collectors, including many of the major contributors to the Archive. Those early interactions grew into friendships, which would eventually lead to my own involvement with the Archive in the next decade.

The ‘Chive Cast hosted by Skye Paine and Steve Danley has been a wonderful audio companion to the Archive, highlighting both its content and contributors. Like the Archive itself, the ‘Chive Cast has matured over time and is quite a body of work in its own right. Some of my favorite recurring segments on the ‘Chive Cast are the Nugget from the Archive and the Unloved, which do an excellent job at spotlighting items from the Archive. The Archive Parties are always a personal highlight of Star Wars Celebration events when they occur.

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Decade 3 - The Blog

It is hard to believe, but the Blog started a decade ago, coinciding with the Archive’s 20th Anniversary. Over the last decade, an amazing breadth of collecting knowledge has been shared via the Blog.

I would be remiss if I didn’t offer an appreciation for Ron Salvatore’s contributions to the Blog. As regular consumers of the Archive know, Ron has been a fantastic writer throughout his long tenure, from individual entries and Special Features to his many original contributions to the Blog.

With some encouragement from Ron, I’ve made my own contributions to the Blog, covering the strange corners of collecting that I inhabit. I was humbled to be added as a Blog contributor a few years ago. It’s been rewarding to give back to the Archive in a small way, after having been a consumer for so long.

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I’ll close with a final note of appreciation for the Archive. In my experience, the Archive is a unique place built on the free sharing of information. It is the sum total of countless hours of work by many collectors. I’m not aware of anything that parallels it. Some of my hobby interests crossover with other fields of collecting, some of them quite well established. I’ve often lamented the lack of quality online (or even print) resources of knowledge for those other fields of collecting. This makes me appreciate the Archive all the more.

The Star Wars Collector’s Archive remains a vital resource today. While there is always room for improvement, I’m thankful for the ways that the Archive has organically expanded and evolved over time. I very much look forward to what the next decade will bring and look forward to continuing to be a part of it.

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BONUS: Here is the profile on Gus Lopez from Topps Galaxy Magazine, published in August of 1996.