May the 4th, 1999

[Hedji]

Happy May the Fourth!

Where were YOU 20 years ago today?

I can recall distinctly what it was like to go to ALL of the stores and see Episode I merchandise EVERYWHERE. I remember seeing that key art on huge banners in every store... Anakin in his Podrace helmet, the Jedi vs. Maul, Queen Amidala...I don't think we've seen that scale since, or ever will again. I'm sure some will scoff and use words like "overproduced", and I'll concede that there was little restraint on the part of Lucasfilm merchandising. But you cannot deny the mass popularity and hype the event generated.

I'll admit, I'm nostalgic for all of it. I'm the Star Wars guy round these parts, I guess. Sometimes I'm the old man yelling at the cloud. But I don't care. Today, I'm celebrating 20 years of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I hope some of you will enjoy the trip down memory lane. So for anyone who would like to pee in this pool, let me first get it nice and clean by adding the following chemicals:

THIS was what it was like to go shopping 20 years ago on this day. Media Play, Borders, Kay Bee, K-Mart, Toys R Us .... They are all gone now. Even JC Penney got into the act.



I of course went to the Toys R Us midnight madness event. I was just old enough to have disposable income, and boy, did I dispose. It's hard to believe it was 20 years ago, because I can remember coming home with all of those bags to our apartment and just admiring all the stuff I didn't have a chance to inspect at the store. I have since sold it all, but the memories were worth it. My Wife and I sat on the concrete outside Toys R Us and passed the time by drawing a Star Wars poster, which made it onto the local news.



I suppose I should get around to signing the part where it says "Star Wars Enthusiast", because that is what I am. Star Wars Forever.

[LonnieFisher]

Yeah, I'm peeing in the pool. But I really do like Darth Maul!
Happy Star Wars Day, everybody!

[Hedji]

I see your pee, and raise you images of me from 20 years ago yesterday at Toys R Us Midnight Madness. Be gone, pee!

[PNGwynne]

Great poster!

[msenger76]

the line was too long at TRU, so we went to walmant. the sales ladies at 1030 pm were determined to stock the shelves fully. i finally convinced them, that we were just going to grab everything and put it into carts, so they should let us go thru the boxes and take what we wanted BEFORE they started stocking. they were worried about the 12:oo pm sales date, so we all had to promise not to try to check out until after midnight.

[Werewolf]

I was at Walmart combing through pegs of Galactic Senators looking for Darth Maul.

[LonnieFisher]

I was working a K.B. at the time, so I had no problem finding anything. I unloaded the trucks and stocked the shelves. The cool collectors liked me, because they got info that scalpers didn't. I'd put things in places, and tell the cool people where to look. The scalpers went straight to the shelves, the better informed went to a different section and had full cases to sort through. Or a cart conveniently placed in the back with good stuff in it.

[Hedji]

I am lucky to live in a community where the collectors help each other out like you describe. We have our own private group on facebook, and we stash things, alert each other, or pick up things for each other. It's a good system, with good people. I don't even collect much anymore, but it's fun to see what the other guys are after.

[Klosterheim]

Thanks for sharing your pictures.
1999 was a fantastic year and I could not get enough of Obi-wan and Darth Maul.
I sat on a sidewalk in line to buy TPM movie tickets.
They were tossing beach balls around the theater on movie night.
When's the last time that happened?
It was a wonderful time at FAO Schwarz.
I had a Jedi green light-up Lightsaber and the Darth Maul one.

[pmwasson]

In 1999 I lived in Colorado and went to the first Star Wars Celebration:


There was a long line to get in:


My friends were overwhelmed:


I got in trouble:


We got to see C3PO:


And talk to Darth Maul:


More cosplay:


It was a great day. We really had fun and were looking forward to seeing Episode 1.

[Nostalgiabuff]

i remember the merchandizing blitz and excitement well. they were doing daily countdowns on shows like Entertainment Tonight. everyone was amped up for the movie. it was a good time to be a Star Wars fan. Maybe that is why I actually like PM the best out of the prequel films. it was just so magical to see new Star Wars for the first time in 16 years

[Random Axe]

It's hard to comprehend that its been 20 years, but that night was pretty awesome. I got to TRU around 1115 and I was the third in line. By the time midnight rolled around the line was around the building. When they opened I remember most of the crowd running ahead of me like maniacs. I simply stayed calm as I knew exactly what I wanted. While the carnage of dump bins was no doubt being filmed on security cameras, I strolled over to a shelf, grabbed the three 12 inch figures I wanted and went straight to the checkout. I was the first one through the registers and I was looking back at what appeared to be a battlefield of fandom, scalpers and desperation. I was probably home before the next person went through the checkout line.