A small toy company, Kenner, took a risk by manufacturing Star Wars toys after the big companies passed on the opportunity. The toys became a huge success, and the company's president, Bernie Loomis, made a decision that would change the course of toy history. Meanwhile, a museum curator shares the story of how Star Wars revolutionized movie merchandising and licensing, and how it influenced kids' toys and imagination. [... more]

The nostalgia awakens as museum curator Jared Roll shares the story of how the small toy company Kenner took the offer from George Lucas to manufacture Star Wars toys, revolutionizing movie merchandising and licensing. The exhibit features every action figure toy made by Kenner from 1978 to 1985, showcasing the impact of Star Wars on kids and adults alike. [... more]

The Star Wars franchise revolutionized movie merchandising and licensing, allowing kids to be their own storytellers through action figures and playsets. Museum curator Jared Roll shares his experience growing up with Star Wars toys and how they became valuable collectibles, sparking a new generation of adult collectors. [... more]

Jared Roll shares his experience growing up with the original Star Wars trilogy and how it influenced his childhood. He discusses how Kenner Toys created a new line of action figures, the Power of the Force, after George Lucas announced he wouldn't be making more movies. Roll also talks about how he started collecting vintage Star Wars toys and how his passion for collecting eventually led to creating an exhibit called The Nostalgia Awakens. [... more]

The story of how the small toy company Kenner took the offer from George Lucas to manufacture Star Wars toys after the big toy companies passed on the opportunity. Kenner's decision to create a smaller action figure line and focus on play sets and vehicles helped make the toys a huge success, and the early bird kit, which was an empty package with a promise of the figures to come, became a collectible item. [... more]

Jared Roll, a museum curator, shares his experience of growing up with the original Star Wars trilogy and how action figures allowed him to be his own storyteller. He discusses how Kenner Toys' decision to continue producing Star Wars toys after the original trilogy ended, despite George Lucas's lack of plans for new movies, ultimately led to the toys becoming highly valuable among collectors. [... more]

Willie Kenner, a battle-hardened warrior, becomes the first black lawman in Colorado, taking on the notorious Barney Casewit and bringing justice to the town of Yankee Hill in the late 1800s. [... more]

The story of how a small toy company, Kenner, revolutionized movie merchandising with the Star Wars action figure line, and how the franchise's staying power influenced kids and adults alike in the late 1970s. [... more]