DJ Mauls Ultimate Star Wars Toy Room Tour, Part 7


Yet another chapter of my online Toy Room tour, thanks as always for being on board.

Today we get to plenty of good stuff, as we've now reached the right side wall along the tour.

The centerpiece to this section is my Master Replicas Darth Vader Ep.V FX Saber, with the display stand mounted to the wall.

The saber is lit up here but it doesn't look nearly as cool as it should in this picture. I picked this up at CIII last year, and hands down the FX sabers are the funnest, coolest "toys" to play with EVER. I'm hoping to add the Darth Maul FX to the collection someday soon.

Here is a close up of the saber hilt which gives you and idea of the detail on these.

On the wall behind it, you saw my collection of the Code 3 3D movie posters. Let's take a closer look at each one:

Code 3 Ep. III 3D poster - full sized...I got this when it was still limited as a "Best Buy" Exclusive but now it's for sale at most Code 3 outlet sites.

Code 3 Ep III 3D Mini ...I love the way the saber comes out of the frame. The blade is actually removable so that it wouldn't break off during shipping. Smart move there.

Code 3 Ep IV 3D poster, style A version,...this is actually the first of the full sized one's I bought, and my favorite.

What actually got me STARTED with these, and was the first one I actually bought, is this one:Code 3 Ep. V 3D mini poster which was a CIII Exclusive and VERY limited and hard to get now.

I was so impressed with how well this was made I decided to get the entire collection. Even the mini one's are very heavy, and while they look fragile are actually contructed very well.

Code 3 Ep. V 3D poster, full-sized....the classic "Gone With The Wind" style poster. Check out the tiny little lasers coming off the tiny X-Wings on the top right corner.

I knew this one would sell out: Code 3 REVENGE Of The Jedi mini poster that recreates the original name and poster for Ep. VI before Lucas changed the name at last minute.

So of course I had to get the Code 3 RETURN of The Jedi 3D mini as well. I think this was the 10th anniversary poster if I'm not mistaken. If you look closely, you'll notice Vaders saber is blue and Lukes is red. This aparently was a mix up on the original poster and Code 3 kept true to it for the 3D versions.

Of course there is a Code 3 Ep. VI full sized 3D poster as well.


And lastly, the Code 3 Ep. IV 3D poster, style D ...also known as the "circus style" poster. That's the entire set for now; I'm hoping they someday make these for Ep. I and II as they are the only films not covered yet for this series.

Now, here's a shelf I'm sure many of you have been waiting to see: My Titanium & Action Fleet Vehicles shelf.

Since there are so many, Some pictures will include several vehicles, others will focus on individual ships:

picture 1 includes many rebel ships: X-Wings, Y-Wings, and A-Wings etc.

picture 2 features the three Jedi Star fighters, green, yellow and blue.

I also have here the large Ultra Titanium Republic Gunship and the Ultra Titanium X-Wing...both of these, unlike the others you saw earlier, came with stands instead of the plastic display cases. I actually like the stands better, they are easier to display.

Here's a closer look at the Clone Wars Gunship TV which features the cool paint job from the cartoon series.

This next one is an older Action Fleet TIE Interceptor which, unlike the ultra TV's, is PLASTIC, not metal. I'd love to see this as an Ultra TV or even just a small one!

Here we have Darth Mauls Sith Infiltrator and it's smaller. Micro Machines plastic version. I was so happy when they finally made this one; I wondered why it took them so long.

Moving along to the riser, we have some Imperial TV's including the Death Star, Imperial Star Destroyer & more

Next down are some of the TIE series including Vaders TIE and the white chase TIE TV

Next we have three different Millennium Falcon TV's including the plain white one from the 90's series, the newer, darker "battle ravaged" version and the "raw metal" version from the five pack.

Next to them are three versions of Slave I including the silver UGH chase, the Ep. II Jango paint and the Ep. V Boba Fett paint versions.

Down at the bottom, more TV's and some Micro Machine items as well, including some tiny pod racers etc.

Moving across the shelf we have still MORE TV's and Action Fleet stuff, and yet MORE next to them.

This shelf half includes:Jabbas Skiff Action Fleet vehicle

AT - AT Action Fleet vehicle

Millennium Falcon Action Fleet with Han & Chewie up there working on her as usual.

Slave I Action Fleet...check out Boba in the cockpit and the tiny Han in Carbonite that fits in the cargo hold.

B-Wing Action Fleet with the smaller "prototype" version that came with it. Again, for clarification for those who don't know, the main difference between the Action Fleet vehicles and the Titanium Vehicles is that the Action Fleet is all PLASTIC, while the TV's are METAL. I prefer the TV's but The Action Fleets are cool too.

Under Slave I you may spot a Micro Machines Outrider with tiny Dash Rendar figure. I wish they'd make a TV of this ship; I know it's EU but it's an awesome ship and was fun to fly in the Shadows of The Empire video game.

A few more:Action Fleet Escape Pod

Darth Maul On Sith Speeder I can't remember if this is an "Action Fleet" vehicle or from a different line but either way it looks pretty cool and fits right in on this shelf. Again, I'd like to see a metal TV version soon.

The Titanium line has been one of the funnest and my most favorite to chase down and collect. I'm hoping they continue this line and I can add even more in the future.

You may have noticed some of them have blue stands, the others black. The ones on blue stands are all older versions from the 90's series. The new line is obviously the black stands. many of the new versions out are exact versions of the older ones and if that was the case I did not buy them as I already had the old versions. The few exceptions to this were the variations on The Falcon and Slave I and the X and Y Wings with paint variations...if it's different enough of a variation I'll get it. I also have a few other doubles because I bought the Five Pack for the Raw Metal Falcon.

I think that's plenty for this time, but don't worry I'm not close to being done with the tour yet.

Another teaser for you: Here is where we're heading Next Time!

Until then, May The Force Be With You...

DJ Mauls Ultimate Star Wars Toy Room Tour, Part 6

I'm back, with another leg of the online tour of my Star Wars Toy Room.

Before I get to the last few shelves on the Big Shelf I figured I'd take another detour off the beaten bath and present to you a section I just had to call:"Fun With Fishing Line!"

That's right, fishing line, as in the stuff you have on the rod and use to catch fish.I'm not the first collector to come up with the idea of hanging items from the ceiling from fishing line, I know. But it was an idea I just recently started exploring and I wanted to show the results so far.

The first item I decided to hang was an action figure: Obi Wan with Assassin Droid from the Ep. II collection. This figure of course recreates the scene where Obi dives out the window and grabs the droid, which proceeds to fly him all through the skies of Coruscant.I got the fig to stay up on a regular stand, but decided he would look so much cooler in mid flight. That one was pretty easy.

A bit tougher to hang was this old Millennium Falcon toy ship that weighs quite a bit. Arranging the fishing line so that it hung just right was tricky but I got it where I liked it.This version was the one released in the 90's, and as you may have noticed is a bit beat up and some parts are missing. My mother found this at a flea market and thought of me. I will eventually get around to restoring the missing parts (I've seen the cockpit part on eBay, I just haven't gotten around to buying it yet) but despite her obvious flaws the Falcon has always been my fave ship so I kept her. She wouldn't really fit on any of my shelves so hanging her seemed the obvious choice.

Next to the Falcon is this Ep. I Droid Fighters Launcher Toy that I cant remember if I bought or if it was a gift...it's not something I normally would have purchased so maybe someone gave it to me. Anyway, the three Droid fighters are attached to a handle piece and when you pull the trigger buttons it launches the fighters. Again I wanted to hang this so that they appeared to be flying in formation with each other.

Another toy I had laying around that begged to be "flown" is this Boba Fett that is actually an extra one of the OT SE Fast Food Toys I had; it's the "Balancing Boba Fett" and it was missing its stand so I had nothing to "balance" him ON. But like I said I never throw anything SW away if I can help it and a little fishing line helped rescue him from "missing parts" obscurity. (I also have a Balancing Fett WITH the stand, you'll see that later.)

Last item on the Fishing Line tour is this one I just recently added: a Darth Vader TIE Fighter model from AMT models.I just put this together last week and had decided even before it was finished and painted that it would look coolest "flying" across the ceiling.I also purchased a few other models (they were on sale, buy one get one FREE, how could I pass?) such as the X-Wing and the TIE Interceptor. When completed I hope to "fly" them as well in some type of space battle poses.

And now let's get back on track, with the last few sections the big shelf.First, let me show you two new items I JUST picked up last week, and for lack of a better spot, for now they are added to the top of the big shelf:

Anakin VS Dooku Battle set

Mace VS Sidious Battle set

I found both of these marked down from $24.99 EACH to just $9.99 each, and the store also had them special tagged as a "Buy One, Get One FREE" offer, so they actually cost me just 5 bucks EACH! I LOVE a good bargain!!!

Back down to the remaining shelves, next we have: my LEGO shelf. So far I've stuck to the smaller LEGO items. I'm not a total collector of these but sometimes grab one for fun. My daughter likes putting them together as well so sometimes I buy one, she puts it together, then it goes in the display. Such was the case with the Grievous & Obi Wan set there.She also did the big TIE fighter in the back. The little tiny TIE up front was a fan club offer I think...again, a freebie. The little yellow Jedi Starfighter was a Pepsi promotional one. The other there is a little mini Falcon, and my favorite one is the Anakin to Vader transformation set. Very cute.

Next shelf over: some Lord Of The Rings items

The Gollum statue and the Minas Tirith are both from the Extended DVD Collectors set (I also have the Argonath bookends, but they are upstairs in the entertainment center, book ending the DVD set.) The other figs in the back are regular toy figs of Gollum, Gandalf, & The Witch King. As much as I loved LOTR I simply could not afford to delve too deeply into these toys AND keep up with SW stuff as well, so I settled on three favorites.

The comics books on the sides there are a three issue adaptation of the LOTR prelude novel "The Hobbit." ...they are actually quite rare I believe.

The next shelf over is MORE LOTR items including the complete Burger King LOTR Toys set The four BK mugs are also included in the back. The 12" Aragorn fig was a gift from a friend which was much appreciated.

The next shelf is an assortment of Non Star Wars toys that I've collected. As I said I pretty much stick to SW stuff only, but once in awhile I'll spot something that I think is just too cool and grab it.I won't go through EVERY item here, This is too long now as is, but let's highlight a few:


Spawn Hot Wheels Car that was a Wizard World Comics Con exclusive I got maybe 10 years ago? Very rare, very limited.

Evil Ash Army Of Darkness Fig I had to have just because.

Silent Bob In-Action Figure that I grabbed about two years ago again at Wizard World, and had personally signed by Kevin Smith himself. I really need to star case this one, so far the signature has held up though. Plus, you gotta love an action figure with a cigarette in it's hand,

The next shelf over, last one on the big shelf, is another assortment of Non Star Wars stuff, mainly some BK toys from Toy Story and other assorted cartoon stuff. (side note: Big Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what "Deep 13" is from...)

One item I'll highlight here is this Toy Story 2 Hot Wheels set that was a mail away offer from Cheerios cereal. (Held to the side of the shelf through the miracle of "Poster Putty! )

That's it for today. As usual I appreciate you all tagging along and I hope you enjoyed it.

DJ Mauls Ultimate Star Wars Toy Room Tour, Part 5

Welcome back, fellow Star Wars fans, to DJ Mauls Star Wars Toy Room Tour Extravaganza Po-looza Fest World Tour 2006...now with Splenda!

Picking up where we left off, let's continue along the big shelf and move on to the next shelf over.

This shelf features the Aayla Secura Unleashed fig which again I think captures the character really well. I'm a big fan of the Unleashed figs.

Next to her is the Arc Fighter Ultra Titanium Vehicle

Next is the Darth Vader Transformer that changes from Vader to his Advanced TIE Fighter. Out of all the Transformers, again this was really the only one I was interested in, hence the only one I've bought. I'm a sucker for cool Vader items.

This next item is another from Disney MGM: The Star Wars Die Cast Parade Car with C-3PO & R2 D2...this I've left in package as it displays well enough as is.

Underneath that is the Star speeder 3000 from Disney's Star Tours ride, exclusive to the Disney MGM store.

the last few items on this shelf are some Yoda & Chewie and Darth Vader Lollipop holders. I've long since eaten the lollipops.

Ok, next shelf over holds still more items.

1st: A C-3PO keychain flashlight and a Darth Vader Ink stamp, just a couple of cheap little items I found somewhere.

In the back is my Star Wars Pez collection in a store display box.

I'm pretty sure I have every variety of the Pez dispensers out so far, some of these I found several years ago and others are the more recent releases after Ep. III. The box is yet another store display I managed to rescue from being recycled. To display them better, I build a little riser out of wooden blocks so that they all fit in rows and are visible better.

Up front is the Droid Tri Fighter Ultra Titanium Vehicle ...so far I have all the Ultras TV's released, I'm hoping they make at least a few more, like a Falcon version.

in the next corner is the 500th Figure Darth Vader.If you read my earlier blog on Openable/Closable Action Figure Packaging, you'd know how I feel about cool packages that open and display well. This one is well done, because the top comes OFF allowing access to the figure without destroying the integrity of the package itself.

Next shelf over... ...the big item is the Darth Vader Mail Away Cookie Jar, one of three that you had to send away for, you'll see the other two shortly.

Next to that is the Darth Vader M&M mug ...I almost made this my regular coffee mug but it's non microwavable and I like my coffee HOT.

In the back is the Anakin / Vader Corn Flakes Cereal Box just for fun. I opened the box from the bottom to remove the cereal bag and keep the box flaps relatively intact.

Next shelf over......

R2 D2 M&M mug & two cereal Light Saber spoons and the Chewie M&M mug...I think the only one I missed of these is the Yoda mug...they were Target exclusive items as far as I know.

I love this next item: the R2 D2 Mail Away Snack Bowl from Crispix cereal. The head flips upside down to make the snack bowl, and the base has an on/off switch and makes R2 sound effects.

Here is a close up of the Crispix Box...again the cereal has been removed, I see no need for BUGS in my toy room.

last few items: the blue and red M&M Light Saber candy holders; these actually light up!

last item on this shelf: The Japanese import Remote Controlled R2 D2 that is SO fun. Again, they did a great job with the packaging, as R2 and the Light Saber controller can be removed and played with without destroying the package. When you're done driving R2 all over the floor, you can put him right back in the box for display. if you have one of these and never opened it, what the heck are you thinking? This toy BEGS to be played with.

One last shelf for now: The R2 and C-3PO Mail Away Cookie Jars...these are from the same offer as the Vader jar, you had to collect proof of purchases from specially marked Keebler products and send away for them.

Here are some close ups of R2 Jar and the C-3PO jar and here they are with the lids off.

In the back are the C-3PO and R2 Corn Flakes Box and a Keebler Cracker Box featuring the mail away offer for the cookie jars.

I'm still not done with this shelf, but the last few items will have to wait until next time.

DJ Mauls Ultimate Star Wars Toy Room Tour, Part 4

Here we are, Part four of DJ Mauls Virtual Online Star Wars Toy Room Tour Extravaganza Po-looza Fest World Tour 2006!

Today, we will view a wide variety of stuff, Star Wars AND Non Star Wars...for today, we tackle The BIG Shelf!

As you can see, this shelf unit takes up the entire wall. No, it wasn't custom made. I actually found this at Ikea, and while I measured it beforehand to make sure it would fit, I didn't realize how TIGHT it would be after final assembly! My father assisted me assembling it, and BOY was it a trick getting up against the wall!The selling point on this unit, for me, was the fact that it not only holds a LOT of stuff, but I also use it to store my comic book collection in those clear plastic crates that fit perfectly into the shelf units.

Where to begin? I suppose let's start at the TOP:

First item on the top left side is a Hulk With Punching Action figure that I purchased BEFORE I saw the horrible, horrible film and realized these figs were NOT going to be worth pursuing further!

Next to that is my South Park Wind Ups Collectors Pack that I grabbed strictly on a whim...saw them on the shelf, loved them, bought them, that simple. These were released shortly after the show first started, I don't know if they still make them.

Hanging on the wall there, you may have noticed that silver Falcon. That's the case to those watches you may have seen. My mom found the case (empty) at some flea market and grabbed it for me for like a quarter. I hate to throw ANYTHING Star Wars away so I mounted it to the wall there just for fun.

Next, a couple more NON Star Wars items:X-Men: The Movie Wolverine fig Wolverine: Origin fig. As you may have noticed already, besides Star Wars I was REALLY into comic books for a long time. My passion for comics has sort of faded over the last few years, and I don't really buy new ones anymore, but I still have my old collection and a few items such as these Wolverine figs, which has always been my favorite character.

Out of all my NON Star Wars items, my fave would HAVE to be this one:

Movie Maniacs 4: Jaws Deluxe Boxed Set from one of the OTHER "Greatest Films EVER."

This is SUCH a cool item, and the packaging is so well done I can't bear to open it, but here is a closer look at Jaws, in the process of sinking The Orca.

Ok, ok, back to Star Wars stuff: My Vader Voice Changer helmet that I wore at CIII as part of my costume...I'll get to more on that later.

Millennium Falcon AMT model that I assembled all myself ...this is an older version; I bought it from eBay because I could never find a Falcon model on the shelf in stores!

This next item isn't Star Wars, but I'm sure the rest of you are fans of this one as well:Indiana Jones 12" Figure exclusive from Disney MGM. Along with Indy on the shelf is an Indy antenna topper (also from Disney MGM) and issue 1 of Indiana Jones from Marvel Comics. I love the fact that the figure so closely matches the cover of the comic. Also, the map in the backround was part of the packaging for the figure that seemed to work well as a backdrop for Indy, as he IS a world traveler!

Next over: Ep. III Vader VS Obi Wan tribute shelf This shelf features The Target Exclusive Lava Reflection Vader & Obi Wan figs that, YES, I did indeed wind up opening.Originally I WAS going to leave them sealed, but then decided they would look MUCH cooler opened along side their Unleashed Vader & Obi Wan cousins.

In the background are two interesting items:My Celebration III Hotel Card Key , a cool souvenir from my trip, and...The Target Ep. III Figure Release Post card that I got in the mail informing me of the upcoming Ep. III figures release date & sale. I've seen some other folk's collections online and seen this so apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it looked AWSOME.

Next shelf: More Unleashed Figures....I truly love these figs, wish I had discovered them earlier. First one, obviously, is the Darth Maul Unleashed which I've seen now going for over 80 bucks OPENED on eBay...it's a mad world!Next to Maul is Darth Vader and it's the newer version that came out last year. I know there were several versions of Vader from Unleashed, all more or less the same. I love the way he seems to LEAP off the stairs, you'd think the fig would tip over but it's very well balanced.

Next shelf over: still MORE stuff which I'll get to one by one:

First: Sidious VS Yoda Unleashed, again an awesome fig that really comes to life.

Boba Fett's Slave I Ultra Titanium Vehicle...I like the new cases these come in, but they DO make it harder to display because they take up more space...oh well.

Grievous & Vader Force Battler Figs...I'm not sure why I bought these, I think I grabbed Grievous because I couldn't find the Unleashed version, and the Vader I grabbed because, well...he's VADER. But for the most part the Force Battler collection didn't really move me and these were the only two I wound up buying.

On the wall in the back, a treasure: Marvel Comics: Star Wars # 68 featuring Boba Fett's first time gracing the cover! I USED to have a TON of the old classic Marvel comics as a kid, how I lost them would take an entire other blog to explain...

I'm going to do one more shelf for now.

Snow Speeder Ultra Titanium Vehicle Aasajj Ventress Unleashed fig ...again, I love the way these figs come alive, and how she's almost "leaping" off the shelf!

Ep. I Sneak Preview: Battle Droid On STAAP...this was the very FIRST toy released for Episode I. Its on a clear plastic stand so it appears to be flying.

Lastly, my Ask Yoda Toy & Lightsaber that my wife bought me a few years ago as a anniversary present.What, you may be asking, is wrong with his EYES? Sad story: Apparently, while he was in storage, the heat melted the rubber around his eye sockets... Still, he works, and I can't bear to toss him just because of a little damage...I'm still trying to figure out a way of fixing him, I suppose i could try super glue...?

That's enough for today, still plenty more to get to on this shelf alone in future installments.Hope to see you then.

DJ Mauls Ultimate Star Wars Toy Room Tour, Part 3-D!

Welcome back, To DJ Maul's Star Wars Toy Room Tour Part 3-D!

Today I am going to veer from the beaten path...my original plan was to simply go from wall to wall, shelf to shelf and walk through each item in order, but decided it might be more fun if I shake things up a bit.So part 3 will concentrate on a segment of my collection that, while not VAST, is to me, unique and interesting: Star Wars store displays.

A brief explanation: My main job is mobile disc jockey (available for weddings, birthdays, etc. ) but I also work part time for Edys Ice Cream. My job there entails a route of several stores throughout my area, where I go in and basically make sure the ice cream shelves are full. This is NOT as fun as it sounds.Anyway, when Ep. III came out, there were a LOT of various food promotions tied in, and I'm sure many of you saw quite a few interesting display cases set up in your local food store.Through luck, timing, and persistence, I managed to get a hold of a few cool items.

Let's start with:

C-3PO cardboard display

Chewbacca cardboard display

These cardboard pictures are both from (I believe) the same store display case. If memory serves it was a Keebler cookie display. I found both of these in the back of the store near their cardboard crusher; the main display box had already been destroyed but these were still intact and sitting along the side. I asked the store manager if I could take them, since it appeared they were ready to be thrown away anyway, and he said go ahead.(Side notes on other items in pics: the posters next to C-3PO are again more freebies from magazines. The little green Yoda above Chewie is another of those cheap Halloween masks I found, same as the Vader one I turned into a light switch cover.)

Directly below Chewie's feet lies this item:A Star Wars Toy Lightsaber display box that I found in a Wal-Mart.

This box was originally used to display the plastic toy light sabers. While shopping one day I saw this on the shelf, empty, and on a whim took it to the register along with my purchases. I simply told the cashier this was an empty box on the shelf and asked if I could take it, and again she said no problem, it would only be thrown away anyway.For awhile this box sat unused, as I was unsure what to actually DO with it.While setting up the room the box seemed to fit perfectly in the space there between two bookshelves, and then I finally figured out what to put in it!The box currently holds quite a few of some of my more "special" comic books; one's that I have had signed at conventions etc. including the movie adoption of Ep. III that you see out in front. They fit perfectly, displays nicely and offers easy access to them as well!

Back over closer to the C-3PO display, are a few more display items.

The first one I'll address is the Star Wars Ep. III cardboard banner from the toy aisle at Target. There is a second one gracing another shelf on the other side of the room as well.

Again, really just a case of good timing. They were being taken down as I walked into the aisle and I boldly asked if I could have them.

Next we have:a Defeat The Dark Side M&M Display posterand also a Defeat The Dark Side M&M Cardboard display banner ...I moved the items that sit in front of this for a better view, you'll see those items later on. Both of these came from a local Pathmark food store, and again, just lucky timing to come across them as the display was being torn down.There were SO many other amazing displays I saw over the several months during the build up to and release of Ep. III, including an AWSOME Vader Kellogg's display case that would have held a lot of figs quite nicely, but I was never able to get my hands on them. There were several that I inquired about at some stores but was basically blown off by the store managers. But I am happy that I managed to score at least a few.

I'm hoping with the upcoming Unaltered OT coming to DVD this fall there may perhaps be more promotional tie in's and store displays to find...They may not be worth all that much, as many are NOT in "Mint" condition by any stretch, but I think they add a unique touch to the room and are items that not EVERYONE is able to find. Now some of you may be saying "Well, heck, Deej, you can get pretty much any display you want to, just go shopping on eBay!"You're right, of course, but to me that's not nearly as fun or interesting. Besides, the only thing better than a Star Wars item is a FREE Star Wars item...none of these displays cost me a dime.

On a final note: Let me take this moment to extol the virtues of Poster Putty.

Poster Putty is an amazing product that allows one to stick all SORTS of items, including paper, cardboard, & plastics, to walls without having to use tacks, tape, or other items that may damage the item.Pretty much everything you see hung to the wall (with the exception of heavier items like picture frames of course) is attached with Poster Putty. Not only does it hold posters and the like very well, it also is removable, reusable, and will NOT damage your item in the least.Look for Poster Putty at your local office supply store, and tell them DJ Maul sent ya...

(Legal Note: The above endorsement for Poster Putty has been done without their consent and in should no way be construed as a commercial endorsement by either party. "Poster Putty" isn't even really the NAME of the stuff I just forgot what it's really called... )

That's it for part 3. Next time we'll get back on the path and continue on the journey to the next shelf together....wear comfortable shoes, it's a long walk...see ya next time!

DJ Mauls Ultimate Star Wars Toy Room Tour, Part 2


Welcome back to Part 2 of DJ Maul's Star Wars Toy Room Tour Extravaganza Polooza!

Let's kick things off by starting with the wall to your left after entering the door.

In this picture, you will see a cheap plastic Vader Halloween mask hanging slightly askew on the wall from the light fixture.Below this cheesy mask lies:The Vanity Fair Star Wars Special Collectors Edition which came out just last year. (2005)

For those of you who may have missed this, you missed a real treat, as the cover folds out! to reveal most of the major players from all six films!My copy has been signed by several of the actors: Dave Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Meyhew, Billy Dee Williams, Matthew Wood (Grievous voice) and even collector extraordinaire Steve Sansweet. All signatures were attained at Celebration III. I someday hope to get ALL the actors on the cover to sign...a Holy Grail quest if ever there was one.

Moving on, next door to the magazine is My first ever attempt at building my own diorama.It's Vader VS. Obi Wan on The Death Star obviously, and if you want more details as to how this was built, I wrote a whole diorama blog on it just a little while ago.

The Obi Wan is I think from the POTF line, but the Vader fig. is actually from the Ep III collection, which Im sure the purists will give me crap about...

Now, moving further down, let's explore the shelf below the diorama.This is my: Anakin from padawan, to Jedi...

...to fallen Hero...

...to Sith Lord, to redeemed Jedi shelf

......the figures tell the story of course.

Underneath this shelf hangs my Anakin Changes To Darth Vader deluxe figure which I haven't opened so far only because there are SO MANY small parts that could be lost!

Further along this same wall, we next come to my Action Figures Wall Display Case which I found on eBay for a decent price.It currently holds 24 various figures, from several series but most of them from the mid 90's or so. The order and content of this case may change in the future as I add more vintage figs to the collection. Here is the same case from a different view, this thing is tough to photograph because the flash reflects off the mirrored backing but if I don't use the flash it's too dark....anyway...

Speaking of vintage figures, up top we can find a vintage 1983 Jabba The Hutt sitting up next to an extra Han fig and a few Rebels that are there until I find a better location.

Below the wall case lay some real treasures: My vintage 1977 OT figures on the mail away display stand.Want a closer look? of course you do:

vintage figs close up 1

vintage figs close up 2

vintage figs close up 3

Directly next to the stand is a vintage 1977 landspeeder and a 1983 dog chewed Ewok fig

These figs are a bit dilapidated, and many are missing accessories like weapons etc. but they are still one of the prides of my collection.

How I came to own these makes for a nice (but short, I promise) story.

I did indeed have a few SW toys as a kid, but was never a COLLECTOR until many, many years later. My old toys had long since passed into obscurity.While dating the woman who eventually became my wife, she learned of my love of Star Wars and had her mom go hunting in their attic for her old toys, and sure enough mom found them all, including the stand, still stored away! What an AWSOME gift...of COURSE I had to marry her... The only one that was missing was the Jawa, and I eventually found one on eBay to fill that hole. The rest are all a gift from my wife that she owned as a kid.

I'm going to finish out this round of the tour with the last few items along this wall:

Celebrity autographed photos part 1

Celebrity autographed photos part 2

These were all obtained at various conventions, several I got again while attending CIII in 2005....Amy Allen was a sweetheart, and man is she CUTE, too...

Besides the Vanity Fair cover, my favorite autographed item is this one:Dark Horse Vader VS Maul comic book signed by both Dave Prowse (Vader) and Ray Park (Maul) on the same day at a comic book convention in Philly. Several other fans hunted down this comic and had it signed as well after seeing me do it, which I thought was funny.

Last items on this wall closes the tour for now:Wall of Clone Wars Cartoon figs

Now as you will see, I open almost ALL my figures normally, so why have I kept these sealed so far?I'm not sure, perhaps it's the cool cartoon art on the packaging, or that I just haven't come up with a better display idea than this for these figs yet. For now, sealed they stay.

So ends part two of my virtual tour. Time for a snack and a quick restroom break if needed, then soon we'll move on with part three.

DJ Mauls Ultimate Toy Room Tour Part 1

Inspired by Steve Sansweets online video tour of Rancho Obi Wan, I decided to tackle the process of organizing and photographing my Star Wars Toy Room to take my fellow collectors and Star Wars geeks on a virtual tour as well.

While my collection obviously is NOT as extensive as Mr. Sansweets, and I dont have the use of video (yet) only still pictures, Im hoping it will be at least somewhat entertaining.

So...welcome to DJ Mauls Star Wars Toy Room Tour, Part One!

To begin, let's examine the process of building the room itself: (to view the pictures simply click the links.)

This is what the room looked like before.

When I first moved into this house, the basement, while large, was unfinished, only studs marked where walls had once been. Still, I needed space to store my stuff, so I adopted one section, slammed up some cheap shelves, and set it up as you see in that picture. No walls, no ceiling, cheap lighting, ...a real mess.Eventually, years later, we got under way to re-furbishing the entire basement, including the area that was to eventually become my Toy Room.

Here are just a few of the "room in progress" pictures:

Room in progress 1

room in progress 2

room completed.

Now that the room was finally done, it was time to start adding in my collection.

The very first item I put up in the room was this one:A Custom Made Darth Vader Light Switch Cover that was made from a cheap foam rubber Halloween mask I found at a CVS. I painted the actual switch cover red, cut a hole for the switch to come through above Vaders nose, and glued the mask to the switch plate. Came out rather well I think.

I wont drag out the process, but obviously before I could set up the toys, shelves and display cases needed to be added. This was done over the course of a few weeks, some from old shelves and bookcases Id already had, and some newer ones purchased especially for the room.because of the mish mosh of shelves, i decided to keep things uniform looking and painted them all white.Next, boxes were dug out of the attic, toys opened and cleaned, and the process began of finding everything a home.

Eventually the collection was unpacked, and This is the room now completely set up.This toy room ALSO doubles as my office space; This is the room view from the other side and you can see my work desk and chair in the far corner.So not only does this room allow me to store & display my toys, but since I also use it for business purposes its a tax write off! Sometimes it all just works out.

Ok, just a few more pictures for now, the REAL tour will begin in the next installment, but I'll leave you with a bit of a teaser:

1: Above the door, a Darth Maul Saber that I hung up with some wire, here is another view from a further angle. I actually just found this saber this October (2005) at a Halloween shop. It's an old Ep. I toy that somehow wound up on the shelf many years later. the package was almost destroyed and later I found out one side of the blade wont light up, but for 2 bucks it wasnt a bad deal, damaged or not. Still looks cool.

Just a few more pics for now, I'll leave you with a few posters:20th Anniversary ROTJ poster on back of the door

Dark Horse Comics Vader poster also on the back of the door.

Episode III Poster Book Posters of Obi Wan & Yoda

Episode III Poster Book Posters of Anakin & Vader

Clone Wars figures poster

I dont really COLLECT posters, most of these posters were either free giveaways or came with a magazine, My Insider / Fan Club subscription or something like that.In the case of the Episode III Poster book, I couldnt resist when i found it marked down from it's $9.99 price tag to just 50 CENTS!

This marks the end of the first chapter in my tour. I've only scratched the surface here, and I will do my best to get the future installments up as soon as I can.

Next leg of the tour will take us a bit deeper, getting into some of my action figs including some vintage 77 ones.See you again soon for part two.