Collectors | VINTAGE STAR WARS COLLECTORS

Hi guys,

Have you any of you had the chance to visit the Lars Homestead in southern Tunisia? Do you remember it from Star Wars? Well here’s a little something that might jog your memory… For me it is film’s most iconic scene and the reason I focus on vintage Luke Skywalker figures.

If you have visited the homestead, you owe a gigantic thanks to the crew of the ‘Save Lars’ initiative, an eclectic crew of hardcore Star fans that came together just over two years ago, under the leadership of Belgian Mark Dermul, to restore the dilapidated film location. The homestead was located in Nefta, in the Tunisian desert, and had suffered at the hands of a unforgiving North African sun.

Other key members of this crack team included Brits Mark Cox and Terry Cooper, Dutchman Imanuel Djik, American Robert Cunningham and Belgian Michel Verpoorten. While there were hundreds of people from across the globe who lent their support to the project, I was thrilled to hear that several prominent vintage collectors were among these individuals.

The project was funded by public donations and in May 2011 the team received the funds, just under 12,000 U.S dollars, required to begin their restoration work. In December 2011 they finally received authorisation from a newly elected Tunisian government and after sorting logistical issues the team flew into Tunisia on 26 May 2012 to begin their work.

I was lucky enough to speak with team member Mark Cox who gave me a brief outline of some of their work. It took the team five days to restore the homestead and they sweated in the sweltering heat from 6am until 12pm, escaping the sun once the incredible mid-day heat kicked in.

As you can see from this team photo, the homestead looked almost brand new post restoration. When I saw the site first hand I was amazed at how the stunning white paint presented a striking contrast to the permanent blue expanses of the Saharan sky. Absolutely cracking job lads!

Mark also told me that they have further plans to continue the up keep of the homestead for many years to come but unfortunately they don’t have the free time to work on any other filming locations. He wishes that could save all of the locations but alas they are only a small team. Mark and the team are very proud of their work and hope the homestead will stand for many more years to come.

Here are a couple of photos of Mark relaxing and taking it easy while the rest of the team were slaving under the sun!

While the efforts of this crew did receive publicity (is there ever enough coverage for a great deed like this?) what may not have been as widely appreciated is that Mark and Imanuel are both avid collectors of both carded/boxed and loose SW vintage! You’ve just got to love that.

If you’d like to learn more about the crew’s gallivanting in Tunisia, check out their site:

http://www.savelars.com/

I am incredibly grateful myself to the crew, considering that I travelled down to the homestead last year with my Tunisian wife and her parents. It’s a long drive down from the capital Tunis in the searing summer heat but it was well worth the trouble. Seeing the homestead was one of the highlights of my 40 years. I almost wet myself (well not almost, I actually did) when I saw it on the horizon – much to the bemusement of my in-laws, who had never watched Star Wars. In many ways, I felt that I had arrived home, albeit my home from 35 years earlier. What a feeling. If you haven’t been there, you really need to go.

Not only is the homestead amazing, but the surrounding area is spectacular. We visited an oasis in the middle of the bone dry Sahara desert and also saw some of the locations from the prequels. Okay not vintage but still cool.