Rob Foster has almost all the Star Wars figures and models known to mankind, Hutts and Bothans. He and his girlfriend share their home with an overwhelming army of Star Wars collectibles, from vintage 1977 figures to full battalions of the latest Storm Troopers and giant Ultimate Collector LEGO models, in and out of their original boxes, in formation or reenacting movie scenes. Amazing 134-image gallery documenting every figure and angle, plus an exclusive interview with Rob after the jump.
It's Toy Fair 2008 and Rob Foster is looking for what figures and models to get next. Every year, companies like Hasbro, LEGO or Gentle Giant release new products related to Rob's favorite toy franchise ever: Star Wars.
Jesús Díaz: Hello Rob, stunning collection. The sheer scale, all those figures forming on the shelves, the models hanging everywhere, even all that LEGO stuff... it's just amazing. As I was going through each image, my only thought was: "omfg, it can't be real." So first of all: how many figures does your collection have?
Rob Foster: In terms of 3 3/4" figures, I'd say that there are a little under 2,000 open figures, and 800 or so that are still in the packaging.
JD: When it all started?
RF: I started collecting in 1995 when Hasbro brought the line back. I was 15 at the time.
JD: Long time. How much do you calculate it is all worth now? Something along the lines of the Transformers $1,000,000 collection?
RF: To be honest, I have no idea. The vintage and Gentle Giant products do well when you're trying to sell them, but the modern stuff is over-produced compared to the 1970's and '80s. It's not about making money, so I don't worry about that.
JD: You mention overproduction and I see that you really enjoy getting massive numbers of troopers as well as different models... inside all this plastic horde, are there any favorites?
RB: Probably my favorite is actually the custom vintage Gargan. She was the fat dancer in Jabba's palace and was set to be made into the vintage line before it fell apart in the mid '80s. She was sculpted by Ryan Shaw to match the vintage style, and to my knowledge only about 25 of them were made.

JD: What's the oldest one?
RF: The oldest ones are the first series of vintage toys that came out with the movie in 1977.
JD: And your latest acquisition?
RF: I've slowed down a bit recently, but the latest items I picked up were Hasbro's new wave of figures, the 2008 models, wave 1.
JD: What's the one that took longer to collect? You know, the one(s) you really went the extra mile to grab.
RF: I've been very picky about the loose vintage set. I've been working on it off and on for about six or seven years now. It's taken a long time because they have to be perfect when it comes to paint chips and discoloration. Also, the accessories have to be original vintage too, no reproductions. I hope to get into that later this year.
JD: So no reproductions whatsoever, all originals... what about custom pieces from independent model makers?
RF: Apart from Gargan, I've stayed away from customs for the most part.
JD: How often do you get there figures? Or in other words, are you done yet?
RF: I'm certainly not done yet. I've been slowing down because I'm running out of room (everything has to be contained in that one room), but I want to get more into collecting vintage, and as long as Hasbro keeps making a solid product, I'll stick with the new figures too.
JD: Do you think this is the most complete Star Wars figure collection in the world... or about to get that title, this side of Skywalker Ranch?
RF: No, not at all. A lot of people tell me that it's way up there, but I've seen some pretty incredible collections over the years, lots of them with much more money sunk into them.
JD: I also see you have the LEGO stuff; do you have them all?
RF: I don't have everything Lego has put out, I've just picked up those here and there. The Ultimate Collector Series on the other hand, I actively collect. I just need to get around to buying the Death Star and Naboo Fighter to have them all.
Once you are inside the gallery, check the other pages to access the 134 images. The interview continues below, after the gallery
JD: I see the Ultimate Collectors... and the Falcon. How long did it take you to build it?
RF: I'm guessing it took about 25-30 hours. I worked on it for a weekend and then in evenings after work for a few days.
JD: I see you have many of the figures in their package yet. Does every figure (or almost every one of them) have the equivalent still inside the original packaging?
RF: If a figure came on a regular card, I have it open and in the package. If it came in a big box like with a vehicle or a 5-pack, I only have them opened.
JD: I think the only question left is how the heck do you support this amazingly dedicated hobby—what's your job?
RF: I work in the Art Department at a visual effects / animation studio called Reel FX Creative Studios although my department is now being called "Radium Dallas") doing Motion Graphics work. We do a lot of commercials, but the most recent thing that I worked on that had anything to do with movies, was the opening credits for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I animated about half of it.
JD: And what does your other half thing about this?
RB: She's great about it. When my girlfriend and I started shopping for a home, the only thing I asked for was an extra room to put the toys in. She fell in love with this place we live in now, which only has one bedroom and one large main room. I told her the toys were going in the bedroom, and she said that was just fine. So that's our shared bedroom and has been for the last five years. She's a champ!
Indeed, she is. In fact, I can guarantee Rob—whose favorite Star Wars movie is Empire Strikes Back and recently bought a Blu-ray player, just in time—that if she is going through all this, they will go through everything together. Or at least, that's what I tell myself every time I look at all that LEGO. [Jedi Defender]












Comments
Size matters not.
Wow, a truly dedicated man. Kudos. And good on the missus haha.
My wife gets mad when i come home with the $9.99 Star Wars Lego sets...
Jabba needs a good dusting.
Nutter. Tho I agree that if his wife is cool with it, she gets 150 bonus points.
I'm curious to know how much that whole collection is worth.
@CubFan81: he probably will be able to retire and live a great life on whatever he gets on ebay, a few years down the line.
No ultimate collectors edition of the star destroyer? I only see the little one.
...and", said his first wife, "had he put all that money into early Microsoft stock he would have more money than it took to make ALL the Star Wars movies."
The real life 40 year old Virgin!
impressive...most impressive
Rob, Lucas and his accountant thank you.
This person must have no life whatsoever...
Wow...just wow.
My wife and I are into this stuff too, but THIS...!
The only reason I stopped giving her an action figure for various holidays and such is that we HAVE to have our stuff out, not tucked away in boxes somewhere out of sight and we just don't have the space after 17+ years!
We are getting ready to re-model our living room (precursor to HD!!!) and we're giving wall-mounted display options some serious looking into so that we can expand our collection some more and still live in our home.
That is simply a stunningly gihugical collection.
I had to bring my wife in to read the article!
We BOTH send our very best as fellow collectors. (though nowhere near that league)
"How many stormtroopers do you have?"
"Near as I can tell, just about all of them."
Good God. It's like that scene from Return of the Jedi in the Death Star shuttle bay... a sea of white and black.
Daft!
Argh, my wife gave me a funny look when I put up a couple of my old GI Joe and Star Wars figures by my computer recently... I need to show her this post >_>
This story has to be FALSE, it says that he has a girlfriend.
Damn!!! Very impressive, what about the dust? I would go crazy doing it every week!!!
Very cool girlfriend he has there. It saddens me when I read the stories that start off: "Getting married (or girlfriend moving in), need to sell my collection of _______ that I've been working on for the last 10 years".
He doesn't need the encouragement. Really.
he forgot to mention his 'girlfriend' was a 5ft tall Princess Leia replica model. probably inflatable blow up.
But, but...he opened them and played with them ALL!!!
@shoothemup: Probably scored some kind of electrostatic repulsion system for the dust.
Not sure how his girlfriend got past the plastic-based woman repulsion system, though.
He'd better hang on to that girlfriend, and run out and buy her a ring right now. Because if he loses her, he'll never get another!
Unfortunately, this big pile of plastic puke may be worth a lot of $$$ but in my view it is about as worthless as my bong collection.....As Lucas laughs all the way to the bank!
His girlfriend, a very understanding woman, she must be. No time for her, he must have.
Why is ET in there?
@Crap-Action - because E.T. was briefly spotted along with two inhabitants of his planet in the Senate scene of Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace. That is why. Gosh.
Sweet Jesus thats a lot of plastic.
how appropriate, I just finished watching the Robot Chicken Star Wars special: [video.rutube.ru]
I watched the first Star Wars trilogy for the first time during the hype ramping up to Episode 1. My conclusion: Star Wars is HIGHLY overrated.
@REDMAN042
Do they make rings small enough to fit on the finger of a 6" Princess Leia figurine?
Nice collection, but scary to say I have seen larger
By the way, has anyone at Gizmodo ever heard of Steve Sansweet and Rancho Obi-Wan? Obviously not, since HIS is the largest SW collection in the world
Rob: "C'mon, it's Saturday night, how about it? Pleeeease???"
Girlfriend: "Why don't you go play with your Star Wars collection?"
Later in the basement...
Rob: "So Luke, what do you say we play around a little tonight?"
Action Figure Luke: "That'll be five nights this week already! Why don't you go bug Chewbacca?"
Rob: "Chewie says he has a headache."
I love that they are mostly in chronological order. Flipping through the gallery, you can see how he was recreating scenes.
if he's worried about taking up too much space, why does he have like 100 storm troopers?
If i had this collection i would be having some epic battles!
@ASVETIC
dude this robot chicken starwars thing is HILARIOUS!
Holy shit. That is really impressive.
There's a UCS Star Destroyer too - but it's broken up and in the closet for now. It's too wide for the shelves I use.
You guys better pray Mr Lucas' attorneys don't contact you based on the advertising money you're getting from this article.
what's starwars?
Somewhere there is a toystore owner sitting on the beach of his private island with a big smile and a little Rob Foster shrine.
It must be killer to keep all that clean.
I would just tape all the figures down and go at em with cans of air. haha.
Sweet collection.
oh, sorry sir, didn't see you playing with your dolls sir!
@samifumi - I had sex with yer momz in the lead up to the new trilogy and thought the exact same thing.
This isn't just a Collection... it's a symptom .