Farthest From, Mon Cal Con, Fantha Tracks Day…. What’s Going on?
December 9th and 10th saw many from the Vintage Star Wars community make their pilgrimage down to Fordingbridge to support Dave Tree and his excellent Star Wars Toy Fair. As ever, Dave outdone himself with this event by cramming in so much Star Wars to cater for the different generations and interests into just 48 hours.It began with the very first Fantha Tracks Day which saw the Town Hall cater for fans of the Star Wars movies and modern toy lines. Inside the Hall there were bizarre games involving “shooting Porgs!”, Bantha Races, Hook an Asteroid (or Potato!) and a Planet Shy replacing the traditional coconut stall. The guys from The Rebel Legion were on hand to ensure there were no shenanigans and that no Porgs were harmed through the day.
The highlight of the day, and then later the evening, was the appearance of two special guests as part of Mon-Cal Con. Paul Kasey will be best known to Star Wars fans as the actor behind Admiral Raddus and Rebel Pilot Asty. He was joined by concept and prosthetics artist Martin Rezard whose list of credits is simply staggering, covering multiple multi-million dollar franchises. Both gave a talk which lasted well over an hour in the evening which gave a fascinating insight into behind the scenes of the movies. The captivated audience could not have been educated more and met a giant Porg!
For myself, and fellow vintage collectors, the highlight is always Sunday when the vintage toy goodness comes out. Once again, the sellers produced a fascinating range of stock to suit budgets from less than one pound, right up to 4 figure sums. The first two hours was ram packed as buyers looked for deals and bargains throughout the day and proved that battling the elements was definitely worth it.
It’s not all about the buying and selling though. Jabba’ Court Repro Clinic was on hand for you to educate yourself on reproduction weapons, how to spot them and to discuss the dangers they pose to the hobby. Their stall had a wonderful smell all day as they bought and sold many of their air fresheners to raise funds towards The Running Stormtrooper’s Make A Wish charity. Jez’s charity drive ends this month and you can still donate here www.justgiving.com/rogueone. Standing chatting with fellow fans and collectors from Jedi News, Fantha Tracks, The Vintage Rebellion, Star Wars Forum UK, there is always someone willing to talk about Star Wars and toys!
Dave rounded the day nicely with a charity auction to raise funds for the local skate park. Unfortunately, I was outbid on all the items I wanted but a great amount was raised for a worthy cause. Congratulations to all involved in that. I was really pleased with my purchases on the weekend, caught up with some great friends and chatted Star Wars with like minded fans. Farthest From is an event not to be missed – although the 7 ½ hour return drive was a pain! – and you should get to the next one when it is announced.
