If you’ll recall, I wrote a week or so back that I’d like to add several Star Wars prop replicas to my collections. Just for kicks, I’ve put together a wish list of these items, complete with linked photos so you can see what I’m talking about as well as some commentary for those new to this corner of SW fandom. These replicas are all fairly expensive, limited-edition items, most of which long ago sold out from their respective manufacturers, so it’s doubtful that I’ll ever get around to buying them for myself. But who knows? One of my Three Loyal Readers may get an inheritance and kindly decide to reward me for all the entertainment this blog has provided them.

(To be honest, I probably could buy at least some of these for myself, but it’s hard to justify the expense for something that doesn’t do anything except sit on a shelf and warm the hearts of any fanboy friends who may drop by the house. Still, it’s fun to dream…)

• Icons Luke Skywalker A New Hope-style lightsaber
  Star Wars fans have been making their own lightsaber replicas ever since the news got out that the original shooting props were nothing more than antique flashguns with a few modifications. Unfortunately, fanboy demand for those old flashguns soon drove prices through the ceiling and made the guns themselves into an endangered species (which in turn earned Star Wars fans the ire of photography buffs who started having a hard time finding unlightsaber-ized collectibles of their own). Somebody eventually realized that there was a market out there for screen-accurate “from-scratch” replicas that didn’t require the sacrifice of any antiques, and a start-up named Icons became the first company licensed by Lucasfilm to make them. Unfortunately, Icons went out of business after only a few years for reasons I’ve never been able to determine. Their license was subsequently picked up by Master Replicas, which has since become the big boy on the prop-replica block. Curiously, though, Master Replicas has never produced its own version of Luke’s New Hope ‘saber; the closest they’ve come is the model used by Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. (Luke’s and Anakin’s ‘saber is supposed to be the same one, of course. In the story, Obi-Wan retrieves Anakin’s weapon after their big duel, holds on to it for 20 years, and then presents the younger Skywalker with it. However, the props used in the films have minor differences due to one being cobbled together from bits of junk — Luke’s — and one being fabricated specifically for the movie.) For my fantasy collection, I’d prefer to have the Icons version, since it recreates the first lightsaber we ever saw on film (assuming, of course, that you saw the movies in the order in which they were made — the proper way, in my opinion — instead of in “episode order.”) For me, that’s the “iconic” — forgive the pun — ‘saber, and the one that has always looked most “real” to my eyes.
• Master Replicas Han Solo New Hope blaster
  This is the one I mentioned the other day, the one we see prominently when Han “fries poor Greedo” in the first Star Wars film. This is not the same weapon that Harrison Ford used in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, by the way. It’s kind of a long story, but basically the prop had to be remade for the sequels and the new version ended up being a little chunkier in appearance, with a silver tip instead of black. As with Luke’s New Hope ‘saber, I prefer the original model, partly because it was the first one and partly because it’s the better-looking version, in my opinion.
• Master Replicas stormtrooper blaster
  Probably the most recognizable weapon in the entire Star Wars saga (because we see so many of them) and just plain cool.
• Master Replicas Studio Scale AT-AT model
  In a movie saga brimming over with cool-looking vehicles, the Imperial walkers have always been a particular favorite of mine. The design may be impractical as hell for the “real world,” but they were incredibly imposing on film; to this day, I get a chill down my spine when the Rebel trooper catches his first glimpse of them through his binoculars and starts to hear the booming of their massive feet. The Master Replica walker is the same size as the stop-motion miniatures used in the filming of The Empire Strikes Back, and it looks as good in the photos on the MR site as the ones in the movie. It is also the priciest of all the items on this list, costing just a bit more than most people’s first car.
• Master Replicas Studio Scale snowspeeder model
  Hey, if I’m going to have an Imperial walker around, I need a snowspeeder to fight with it, don’t I?
• Code 3 Collectibles Millenium Falcon model
• Code 3 Collectibles X-wing model
• Code 3 Collectibles Vader’s TIE fighter model
  There’s kind of a funny story behind the way Code 3 acquired a license to build die-cast models of Star Wars spaceships. The company actually specializes in fire-fighting memorabilia; as I understand it, they became connected with Lucasfilm when they made a model of the antique fire engine used around George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch and presented it to George. I don’t know if Code 3 saw an opportunity, or if someone at the Ranch approached them, but their foray into the SW universe has raised their profile considerably, and I see on their Web site that they’re now branching out into other movie properties. A lot of companies have made models of the SW ships, but Code 3’s versions are simply beautiful. They’re pretty large, highly detailed and screen-accurate, and they have removable panels so you can see inside. I’d love to have all three of these models, but if I had to choose just one, I’d go with the Falcon. Again, it’s the iconic vehicle of the original trilogy and my favorite.
• Attakus Han Solo in Carbonite statue
  Someone made a life-size fiberglass copy of the “frozen Han” prop a few years ago, but the price was outrageous — several thousand bucks — and I’ve never actually seen one. Besides the prohibitive cost, though, is the question of “where would you put it?” Most people do not have desert palaces with large alcoves just off the throne room, after all. This small statue is a lot more affordable and much more practical for household display…
• Gentle Giant Studios Han Solo in stormtrooper disguise mini-bust
  This final item isn’t terribly expensive — MSRP is about $50, I believe — but it is hard to find. It was recently offered as an exclusive item to the manufacturer’s “Collector’s Club” and the run sold out within a day. I saw one go for $75 on eBay earlier this week, so it’s still within the budget, if I could find one. That’s the real trick, though. I like this item because it’s fairly unusual — you don’t see a lot of items depicting our heroes in their stolen ‘trooper armor — and also because it’s a decent likeness of Harrison Ford, a relative rarity in the collecting game.

Well, there you have it, my list of totally impractical collectibles that I’d love to have sitting in a curio cabinet, doing nothing but looking cool. If anyone out there has any extra cash and a soft spot for yours truly, remember that Christmas is coming soon…