Reading – Collect Them All!
Collect Them All!*, subtitled “Confessions of a Recovering Action Figure Thief,” is one example of what can happen when a dedicated fan sits down and finds the motivation to document his roller coaster life as a child growing up with Star Wars. The 64-page book, priced at only $4, is a quick and sometimes painful read as the author, Kurt Vonn Gutzman, relives his childhood and shares it with all of us.
Sequential Memories
Throughout the book, Gutzman outlines his memories of Star Wars toys from his first two figures — Darth Vader and Princess Leia in 1978 — to his most recent — a vintage AT-AT Driver in 2012 — as he and his brother amassed a collection of toys through working for money, the generosity of his family, and then a path that led to stealing a large number of toys. Gutzman tells of the time his brother was caught for shoplifting, talks of his troubled teen years, and even goes so far as to say that the lack of a Star Wars film was one contributing factor in what made his later teen years so packed with misdeeds and poor decisions.
An Example of Technology at Work
Collect Them All!* is a perfect example of how anyone dedicated enough to sit down and do the work can publish a book these days. The book is not a literary masterpiece — and it needed an editor to correct mistakes — but it is an honest and enjoyable read that was well worth the $4 price tag. Reading Collect Them All!* at times triggered memories of my own childhood, and the one thing this book — as well as Collect All 21! Memoirs of a Star Wars Geek* — has done is make me consider the idea of writing my own Star Wars memoirs.
Closing Thoughts
Collect Them All!* often feels like the author is sharing personal memories that are best left private; it makes you think you’re sneaking a peek at someone’s journal and that you’re somehow doing something wrong by invading his memories. But it is quite honest and very likely took a lot of weight off of the author’s mental and emotional shoulders. It’s not the book you must read today, but it is the book you should read if you’re a child of the seventies and eighties and collected Star Wars action figures. I think that for $4 it’s nicely priced and delivers enough entertainment that it’s a good book for collectors.
And maybe reading the book will inspire you to jot down your own Star Wars memories.
Related articles
- Star Wars Mail-Away Boba Fett Offer (battlegrip.com)
- Affiliate Link – Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection: 35 Years of Characters (battlegrip.com)
