Welcome all to the twenty fourth episode of our collector snapshot, where a vintage collector answers 10 short questions. The same questions will be given to every collector appearing in this segment. Check out the previous collector snapshot here –  Fonz Napolitano.

This time I’m delighted to introduce Stephen Savory onto the blog!

I first met Stephen a few years ago on SWFUK, where I bought a baggie from him. Not only was he a super chilled dude to deal with but he was also professional – not always qualities you encounter when dealing in vintage figures… I then met Stephen face to face for the first time at Celebration London and found he was just as cool in person as he was online.

Stephen is quite a popular and well-known figure on the forums and social networks so I don’t need to spend too much time introducing him, except to say that he lives in Wiltshire, England and works for The English Heritage Trust; a charity that looks after some of the greatest and most significant monuments, castles and Abbeys in England including the World Heritage sites, Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall. His role there is ‘Buying & Merchandising Manager,’ meaning that he manages the team that designs and buys all the souvenirs and gifts at over 100 of the sites in their care.

Now to the questions!

1.How long have you been collecting?

I collected as a child, with my brother Daniel, but being that bit younger (he was born in ’77 and I was in ‘73), he was Jedi era at best, but actually more interested in Action Force, Transformers, A-Team and Mask. That made for a good mix of figures and often my Rebel Soldier and Rebel Commando would be drawn into battle if the super-scary Bib Fortuna on the other hand was less welcome!

At the end of the 80s, probably ’89, as I was in my final year at school, I was in the Swindon Ice Hockey youth team and the toys were gathering dust in boxes. Mum suggested that to buy updated kit we might do a boot sale… I cleaned up, full body armour costs covered, childhood binned off…

Then in 1993 at university I met a couple of guys that were Star Wars collectors and ended up becoming best mates with one of them; Chris, he and I spent every weekend at car boot-fairs and church jumble sales grabbing every SW toy we could. I quickly amassed a large loose run, maybe around 70% of a full run. Mostly with weapons… Chris and I enjoyed a few nights out and a few shall we say chilled out nights in too… uni was great… but he came up cash short one term as we had both been rather excessive and despite the beers etc. we needed to eat… I had a handy gift of funds come in from my Grandfather and Chris offered me a large number of his boxed ships for sale; Tie Interceptor, X-wing, Blue Tie-Fighter, Falcon, Rebel transport and Y-wing. A bargain price and all but one of these I still have to this day!

After uni, I kept my hand in, went to the now famous Cheshunt fairs, just north of London, including the one just before the Phantom Menace release that had a number of signing bods and a stand selling off TPM props from a dumpster dive. I plunged all my money into that prop and passed over some far more preferable items that would fit far more comfortably than a painted plastic toy the is somewhere in the set as dressing… though I’ve never found it… some piece of scrap in Watto’s junkyard is my best guess!

My son was born in 2001 and at that point I was collecting TPM, oh how foolish I feel now.. I had a full run of MOCs as well as all the boxed vehicles and playsets at its largest… eventually though he needed his own room, so my collecting room was disbanded and boxed up storing what I could and selling a bunch.

There it all stayed until 2012 and I did a loft clear-out, decided that I had space in the house for a home office, the shelves looked bare, so first the loose run came back out, followed by the Mint on Cards and then the boxed vehicles. By 2014 I was active rather than lurking on SWF.uk Forum and having struck up a friendship with super dealer Iain Sanderson I finished off my MOC run relatively swiftly… and between him and Christian at GW Acrylic, I also had an acrylic fetish too! (VSWC – you can check out our past review of GW Acrylic here – GW Acrylic)

2.What do you collect?

Can I say Star Wars? Haha!

Seriously though, I collect Han Solo. Principally I collect the Han Original outfit, be that as a figure, oddball item, artwork, posters, books, cups, toothbrush, the whole nine yards.

I have recently completed my Han Solo Kenner numerical carded run. I may look into the Alpha-numeric in time, but for now I’m happy to have taken it this far and still have a passion for it, where other runs have come and gone over the years.

I also started ‘side focuses’ for my two other favourite Kenner action figures, Rebel Soldier and Rebel Commando while trying to complete things within the Han collection. Both of these are far more pedestrian, but no less love goes into them… they were certainly my most played with figures as a child and hold a very special place in my collecting room/display as well as my heart.

3.What’s your grail?

I genuinely don’t know if I have one.

I was desperate for a year or so to get the Han Solo model Trem and one day it appeared on Facebook and I bought it… so I’m not sure it was a grail, just dumb luck and desire.

I spent nearly four years looking for the Han Solo ESB 32 back Kenner MoC to finish the Kenner run, and I guess that was a grail of sorts.

I have no rational desire to own a Han wax-sculpt or hardcopy. I certainly wouldn’t say no if someone was passing one my way and finances added up, but these are not the kind of things I’m actively hunting and wishing I owned… or things that I think I could ever justify owning/paying for either. I guess I don’t really collect like that.

4.What collectors inspire you?

I’m not sure that anyone does… That really isn’t anything to do with arrogance, but I simply don’t look at other collectors in that way. I don’t aspire to be anyone else, or have his or her knowledge or collection. I have my collection, it means a great deal to me. It has evolved and changed to my needs, space, interest and taste. This is also true of my knowledge (or lack of it) too.

There is no doubting that there are impressive collections out there to see, but many of them are about volume rather than quality or are so high-end that they don’t interest me so much.

Gus Lopez is possibly the only collector in the Star Wars realm that I have spent quality time with (although briefly) to talk face to face about their collection and be truly impressed. I would though temper that comment by noting that I still find it all a little overwhelming to be honest; having so many amazing, no, breath-taking items almost seems like too much weight for me to shoulder if I were to have them in my own collection.

5.What is your most embarrassing moment as a collector?

The only one I can think of was a silly mistake when I questioned a listing of a Rebel Soldier on a Facebook for sale group and questioned if it was the debut card or not; having completely misread the listing and made an arse of myself in the process!

6.What is your favourite Star Wars film?

The Empire Strikes Back… boring answer I know, but it is. What comes after is a much tougher reply though of course Star Wars is right there. I am though also a big fan of the Disney era so far and was and still am a huge fan of The Phantom Menace too.

7.What would you change about the Star Wars collecting community?

I’d like to say nothing, because I actually like that everyone likes different things, but sadly I would say I’d like those that do like different things to stop their inane belief that only they can be right on any subject.

If you don’t like The Last Jedi for example… I couldn’t give a tiny rats ass… if you love it, I don’t care either if either of you are going to squabble about it and not listen to the other side of the story with some level of acceptance.

You don’t have to agree, you do though need to be civil and mature enough to accept that others don’t think the same thoughts you do and then have to try and prove your point… unless you’re a politician of course and then you’re most likely a dick anyway, so move along, move along…

8.Forums or Facebook groups?

Instant answer is SWF.uk forum. I do use some of the Facebook groups and I do like a number of them, but for me they are all fairly transient and there is little to make me stay on one group more than another.

9.What Star Wars character do you most resemble?

As a bald-headed chap, I guess I have to be Lobot! Not sure I really resemble any though…

10.Is there one thing collectors might not know about you?

I’ve not made a secret of it, but I run a bit and have completed 50 marathons, 20 of which I did in less than 350 days.

I have though now retired from marathon running (over a year since my last… probably should get a chip for that really) and will be refocusing on shorter distances such as Half Marathons and faster things like 5 and 10k events too.

VSWC: Check out Stephen’s Instagram account for awesome photos of his collecting and marathon feats – Star Wars Runner

Star Wars wise, I love to make my own customs from beater figures…

VSWC: Thank you so much for joining us Stephen and for sharing your passion for not only Star Wars, but for life in general! It has been an absolute pleasure as usual.