The Nostalgia Awakens with Duncan Jenkins, Tonight at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

Join Star Wars super collector Duncan Jenkins at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Missouri, tonight (August 21st) between 7pm – 8pm for a talk looking Beyond the Toys at the other Star Wars licensed products available from a galaxy far, far away.

Beyond the Toys
Thursday, August 21, 2025 – 7:00-8:00PM

The Kenner Star Wars action figures and toys from 1977 to 1985 formed one of the most popular and enduring toy lines of all time, but they were only part of the licensing juggernaut for the original trilogy of movies. An unprecedented array of other products was sold with the Star Wars brand—apparel, food products, bedspreads, school supplies, and more. Did you know there was only one licensed spherical Death Star item released in the first twenty years of Star Wars merchandise? Or that a country in South America released tubs of margarine with character art from Return of the Jedi? Buy tickets to find out more about these and other humorous and obscure pieces from the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars Toys Worldwide
Thursday, September 18, 2025 – 7:00-8:00PM

Did you have the 1978 C-3PO action figure? Did it shoot missiles from its chest? Probably not, unless you lived in Japan. Was your Hoth Snowtrooper action figure blue? Not unless you had the “Blue Stars” action figure sold in Turkey. These are just a couple of examples of how the Star Wars action figures and toys around the world differed from the Kenner line familiar to kids growing up in the USA from 1977 to 1985. Buy tickets to look at the far-reaching popularity of those toys from Argentina to the United Kingdom and what was unique in other countries: different packaging, different sizes, and even completely different toys.

SOURCEToyAndMiniatureMuseum.org
James Burns
James is an active member of the Star Wars collecting community, and is the Brand Director for Jedi News. James is also the host of the Star Wars Collectors Cast, and co-host of RADIO 1138 on the Jedi News Network.