Buying a gift for a Star Wars fan can be a bit tricky, because what constitutes a “Star Wars fan” is a pretty broad concept.
I know people who have only seen the recent movie trilogy, and I know people that have read every single spin-off novel and have very strong feelings about how Chewbacca died because someone dropped a moon on him. (Chewbacca’s moon death is no longer official, so don’t worry. He’s fine.)
There’s just so much content to engage with, which means buying a Star Wars-themed isn’t as easy as you’d want it to be.
So what options are there?
For The Vintage Obsessive
Star Wars has been around for over forty years, which means there’s four decades worth of toys and merch out there in the world. Videogames, action figures, chewing gum, shampoo, lunchboxes – you name it, chances are there’s a Star Wars version of it.
There’s a cool collectibility to vintage merch, because they’re not something you can just walk into any store and pick up easily. An ideal gift for the deep cut fan.
Depending on what you’re looking to pick up it can cost you a pretty penny, because some pieces are quite hard to come by. A rare prototype Boba Fett action figure from 1979 sold for US$185,850 at an auction last year. That’ll have to be both their birthday and Christmas present.
For The Art Lover
If you’re buying for someone who really loves Star Wars, why not pick up some art that they can proudly display? Those Drew Struzan posters? All-time classics that’ll always look good, no matter where you hang them.
If you want to go for something a bit different, there’s a whole galaxy of Star Wars-themed fan art out there.
If you want to shop local, Melbourne-based Outré Gallery sell a few great prints and posters inspired by the film series. (The slick Tim Doyle poster above is just one of them.) Most of these prints are from a limited run, so there’s an extra layer of uniqueness to them.
For The Style Icon
Grabbing your mate something that they can wear is never a bad idea, and there’s plenty of Star Wars branded clothing and accessories out there.
You can go big and get them a replica of Darth Vader’s helmet, or you can go subtle and get them something unique that they can wear everyday, like the new Star Wars x Pandora collaboration.
This collection includes 10 charms depicting iconic characters like Princess Leia, BB-8, and The Child from The Mandalorian – along with a snake chain bracelet and a special collector’s edition Star Wars logo charm that’s hand-finished in Pandora Shine.
For The Builder
“Is LEGO ever a bad gift idea?”
No.
“Should I buy my Star Wars obsessed friend a LEGO set?”
Yes.
“Wow, thanks. Very succinct.”
This is the way.
For Someone Who Wants To Keep Exploring The Galaxy
There are three constants in life: death, taxes and more Star Wars novels. Seriously, there are hundreds of them, filling in the gaps in-between the movies and expand character’s backstories. For the most part, they’re pretty great.
There’s also the Legends imprint which includes everything that was published before Disney reset the clock and made them non-canon (see: Chewbacca’s moon death.)
I’m also a big fan of the comics that Marvel have been publishing over the last couple of years. Check out the Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith series. It’s set right as Revenge of the Sith ends and has the eponymous character and hunting down any remaining Jedi.
There’s also a tonne of books about the making of the movie series, and how the franchise has shaped pop culture. I highly recommend Chris Taylor‘s “How Star Wars Conquered the Universe” or J.W. Rinzler‘s coffee-table book series about the making of the original trilogy.
