They just didn’t have places like this when I was a kid.  You know, back when the major source for getting a look at the newest Star Wars loot was the Sears Wishbook?  Back when I had to walk uphill to school in the snow?  A few weeks back, I heard mention of a store at Clackamas Town Center (a mall just south of Portland, Oregon) that sold primarily Star Wars toys.  Being a big fan of both Star Wars and toys, I decided to check it out for myself.  Oh man… this was worth the drive.

The store is the physical location for online retailer www.starwarstore.com, and to keep things simple they use the same name.  As I entered the store, a quote raced through my mind from famed archaeologist Howard Carter:  “I see wonderful things.”  Carter supposedly spoke those words as he peered into King Tut’s tomb for the first time.  My first words as I entered the StarWarsStore.com retail outlet were more like, “hot damn!”

The store is not huge, but it is packed full of just about any Star Wars toy that has been released in the last 10 years.  It has a few that date back to the late 1970s, too.  There are hundreds, if not thousands, of action figures in three large banks on the walls.  Above the display racks for the figures are stacks and stacks of vehicle and playset toys.  Want LEGO bricks?  They are in the back.  Want to buy a $50 LEGO minifig of Luminara Unduli?  You’ll have to ask for help– she’s locked up!

Throughout the store you will find a few things that are not toys– a life size statue of Jar-Jar Binks, a five foot tall statue based upon an animated Princess Leia, a life-sized Yoda that peers down from a shelf at you, and several collections of props and/or replicas in beautiful displays.  This is the kind of store you would expect if Willy Wonka gave up on candy and became a Sci-Guy!

If you find yourself in the area, the visit is worth the time.  I know of no other place, short of a convention, where you can check out this much Star Wars merchandise in one place.  Clackamas Town Center is located at 12000 SE 82nd Avenue, Clackamas, Oregon, 97078.  The store is on the lower level, across from Nordstrom.  If you go, tell them the Sci-Guys sent you!

By Sci-Guy-Mike