There’s a beautiful place out in the middle of the Northern Californian wine country where dreams come true.
Steve Sansweet has what might be the largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia and toys in what is now called Rancho Obi-wan. Set up like a museum, it is the most amazing place you’ll ever have the chance to visit.
Late last year I had a chance to visit (along with Kelly “Scarlet Robotica’ Adams, who took all the pictures) thanks to the wonderful work of Consetta Parker, who works at Rancho Obi-wan.
You see, Rancho Obi-wan has become a non-profit organization, offering tours to the public for memberships. (You can get the full price breakdown here). Though the official mission of the non-profit is to “serve the public through the collection, conservation, exhibition and interpretation of Star Wars memorabilia and artifacts, using this collection to provide meaningful educational, aesthetic, intellectual and cultural experiences for a wide array of audiences,” talking to Steve, it’s apparent that the goal of the Rancho is to inspire kids and adults of all ages to leverage their love for Star Wars into something positive for themselves and for the world at large. The different aspects of Star Wars inspire so many fascinating things, charity work, science, astronomy, art, creativity, writing, and hundreds of other things.
There’s something infectious about Steve’s spirit on these guided tours that just makes you go, “Wow.”
And it’s not just because he’s willing to try on every hat.
The place is truly amazing. Steve has collected Star Wars memorobilia of all sorts from even before the movies have come out and through all eras. Seeing the museum and the ever changing nature of marketing, toys, styles, and everything else change over the years all in one place is nothing short of a miracle. I can imagine anthropologists could find untold amounts of information about the change of technology and culture just by looking at the items in Steve’s collection on a chronological timeline.
Take for instance the films themselves. Back in 1977, there was no home video market and the only way to relive scenes from the film, short of revisiting the theatre, were small, silent 8mm reels of film. Then there were video discs (basically analog records with the film on them), then BETA and VHS, Laserdiscs, and eventually onto DVD and Blu-ray. Steve has every iteration of the films there, documenting the advancement of the home video market and the marketing of it in less than 40 years.
The types of items and the quality of them changed so drastically over the years, too.
And he even has an entire operating bathroom with a complete display of Star Wars toiletries made over the years. Including Yoda branded toilet paper.
He even has an impressively massive library of Star Wars books and printed oddities in every language. One could spend an entire day in there, crushed by the immensity of that one room alone.
But the museum doesn’t just contain the officially licensed oddities, Sansweet has made a point to collect oddities of any sort. Bootlegs, fan creations, hand made pieces of art, prototypes. You name it and chances are there’s an example of it in his massive collection.
It’s important to note that Steve leads every tour. When you buy a membership, you’re not just helping advance the cause, you’re paying for his time to energize you with his love of Star Wars. And he seems to have a story about every single piece in the collection, always ready to answer any question, and he flexibly tailors the tour to you personally.
It’s nothing short of intoxicating.
The museum itself is massive. Just when you think you’ve reached the end, there’s more. There’s an entire arcade with every sort of stand-up Star Wars game, there’s the briefing set from the Comic-Con Blu-ray presentation, there’s an entire gallery of fine art…
The thing I was struck by was the level of personal connection I found with some of his one of a kind pieces.
Like this for instance:
That was one of my favorite cards in the TOPPS Star Wars Galaxy Card series. I still have it in my collection of bubblegum cards and I used a duplicate of it as a bookmark for years. Looking at it in card form, you’d never really think about what the real thing looked like. And then, turning a corner at Rancho Obi-Wan, I found myself face to face with it. All of a sudden I was 13 years old again, riding my bike to the local comic book store across town with a few bucks in my pocket, waiting for the owner to arrive so I could buy another pack or two of cards.
But then seeing the piece in the flesh turned my entire perception of the piece of art on its ear. You can kind of tell just a little bit in this photograph is that the piece of art isn’t a painting or a drawing. It’s a collage. The frame is more than a couple of inches deep and each piece of Boba Fett is layered front to back.
That’s the best part of Rancho Obi-wan. There is so much to see, and think about, and reflect on. Like any museum, I suppose, you have to take your own notions and memories and experience inside and allow the exhibits to change you in some way.
One of the most popular pieces in the collection (I’m sure) is the full size replica of the Modal Nodes that were once behind the bar at FAO Schwartz. Even just acquiring them and getting them into proper working order at the Rancho is an amazing story to hear told.
Another highlight is the Tantive IV hallway Steve had installed to bridge two buildings together. (The video and script he prepared for the transition was right out of Jurassic Park mixed with Star Wars)
There is simply no shortage of love for Star Wars, both from Steve and from the Rancho itself.
It truly is a magical place. I can’t wait to go there again.
And I’m so excited that there’s a way for the public to visit now. (Here’s the website again.)
Also: For those curious, I did ask how many pairs of children’s underwear were in the collection, but there was no available answer.
I’ll be back soon with more pictures from the Rancho and an interview with Steve Sansweet about the wheres and whys of how the Rancho Obi-wan came to be in its present state.
