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I am very excited to announce that this weekend (June 30th and July 1st) I will be a part of Washington State Toy and Geek Fest 2018! This show, taking place at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, WA) is designed to be a toy collector and a geek culture fan’s dream come true. Now, not only will I be on the hunt for vintage action figures, I am also one of the Toy Experts guests who will be presenting at the show. Anyone who has been collecting action figures in the last 10 years, should be familiar with each these experts whom I honored to be included with.

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In addition, I will be hosting a series of panels throughout the two-day show that includes fellow toy experts and celebrities from the Star Wars universe. Below are the descriptions and times of each panel:

Celebrity Spotlight – The Toys That Made Us (Saturday – noon – Panel Room 2)

For some people, the favorite memories from their childhoods are playing with toys. Mark Bellomo and Brian Volk Weiss take a look at some of America’s greatest toy franchises, including the people and companies that created them in their series: The Toys that Made Us. Join them as they discuss the first season and catch a glimpse of what the next season holds.

Celebrity Spotlight: The Toy Hunter (Saturday – 1 pm – Panel Room 2)

Jordan Hembrough is a collectibles dealer specializing in the toy market. His reputation for being the `in-demand dealer’ of rare toys precedes him, but it also adds to the pressure of the hunts, and in order to deliver the goods, Hembrough often has to deal with reluctant sellers, relentlessly haggle to stay within his budgets and maneuver around unforeseen roadblocks. Join us as Jordan shares behind-the-scenes info and answers your questions all about Toy Hunting.

Toy Masters at the Toy Table (Saturday – 4 pm – Main Stage)

Come listen to some of the masters in Toy Collecting and Star Wars knowledge discuss the future of Star Wars collecting and how personal collecting has changed over the years.

  • Brian Volk-Weiss – Executive Producer The Toys That Made Us
  • Mark Bellomo – Contributor The Toys That Made Us, Author The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, 1977-1985
  • Jordan Hembrough – Host Toy Hunter, Owner of Hollywood Heroes
  • Gus Lopez – Contributor The Toys That Made Us, Panelist Star Wars Celebration
  • Criz Bee – Creator of JediBusiness.com, Host of Toy Run
  • Hosted by – Jake Stevens – Creator of From 4-LOM to Zuckuss, Host of Toy Run

Celebrity Spotlight: Peter Mayhew (Saturday – 5 pm – Main Stage)

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Who doesn’t love Chewbacca? Come listen to our biggest 7’3″ superstar share his story of playing the most lovable and furry character of them all.

Celebrity Spotlight: Tiya Sircar (Saturday – 11 am – Main Stage)

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Spend some time with Tiya Sircar, the voice behind Sabine Wren the coolest bounty hunter in the galaxy. Tiya Sircar has been acting in Hollywood for ten years in movies, television and, of course, she has been our favorite voice actress in Star Wars Rebels. Tiya is the voice of Sabine Wren in Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: Forces of Destiny.

For those Star Wars fans attending, there will be even more Star Wars love at the show to take in! The following is a list of some of the love the galaxy far, far away will be getting at the show:

  • Stormtrooper Armor Workshop with the 501st Legion
  • Gus Lopez: Visiting Star Wars Movie Locations
  • TOY RUN: The Star Wars Action Figure Cast (live show with Criz Bee and myself)
  • Kids’ Jedi Training – The Force Experience
  • LEGO R2 Building: How it is Done
  • Meet the R2NW Droid Builders
  • Collecting Star Wars Movie Props
  • Star Wars – Did they Really Make that? (This presentation Ryan Beise and myself created for Emerald City Comic Con 2017)
  • 501st’s Garrison Titan with Roxy and Lemmy
  • Gurreck Clan (Mandalorian Mercs)
  • Ewok Builders Club
  • Pacific Northwest R2 Builders Club
  • Jet City Temple (Saber Guild International)
  • Millenium Falcon (replica lounge and Dejarik Table)

You can find out more about all of these events and purchase tickets at toyandgeekfest.com! For those who live in the Pacific Northwest, I hope to see you there and for those that are attending, make sure to stop by and say hi!

Until this weekend,

May the Figures be with you!