Star Wars Action Figures
Star Wars wasn’t the first time a movie or television became a merchandising success. Disney sold replica Davey Crockett hats. Charles Schulz licensed the rights to his Peanuts characters, creating a merchandising industry that included clothing and toys. But these were precursors to the true Empire – Star Wars toys. Star Wars, the epic tale of good versus evil, the light side versus the dark side, and Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader, was the perfect platform for toys. Star Wars action figures rapidly became the hot toy of the late 1970s. And that popularity continued well into the 1980s. There were action figures, ships, play sets, dolls, plastic replicas of anything remotely tied to the film. When the other two films in the Star Wars trilogy opened in the 80s, the merchandise was inescapable. It wasn’t just the massive collection of action figures. It was a lifestyle.