Celebration 3

Celebrations are generally regarded as the biggest and best conventions for Star Wars fans, and for good reason. The number of things to look at and attend was simply astounding! No one was able to see everything the convention offered. Big draws this time around were: Limited Edition C3 merchandise, a first look at Revenge of the Sith, a presentation by George Lucas and a chance to meet up with other collectors. The management of the event tried to solve the crowd issues that plagued the previous Celebrations, to mixed reactions. Stories of fans waiting in line for hours to buy exclusive items were common, and the lines themselves streched the length of the convention center in some cases. The dealer room alone kept many collectors busy for the majority of the weekend, and it was only a small portion of the event. Few collectors will ever forget some of the amazing pieces that the dealers had for sale, and it was common to see groups of people crowded around these grail items. There were Collecting Panels that were hosted by some of the most knowledgeable collectors in the hobby, who provided information on various aspects collecting. Many collectors chose to stay in the same hotel, which allowed for after hours hanging out. Saturday night saw a Room Sale hosted by some of the collectors who were in attendance. Since the only rooms in that area of the hotel were occupied by collectors, for the most part hotel security turned a blind eye to the goings on. Unlike C2, the C3 room sales were allowed to continue unabated.

A Collector Social was spearheaded by the Editors of this site. It was designed as a chance for collectors to meet up with old friends, or to make new ones. Free animation cels from the Ewoks cartoon series were distributed at the event. Collectors sifted through thousands of cels looking for particularly good ones, or in some cases, especially bad ones. Images of one Ewok eye, or small unidentified lines in the middle of a cel, were pulled from the boxes along with full character cels, and internal paperwork. These cels were also later made available in the collecting panel rooms, so that others could enjoy the hunt.

All in all, C3 was one of the most important events the hobby ever had. It was the last large fan event held before the release of Revenge of the Sith, and as such was the last time fans would gather in anticipation of the release of a new prequel. The mood was bitter sweet in some cases, as collectors realized that the hobby might suffer due to loss of public interest. Sure enough, the months after C3 saw many long time collectors move on to other things and quit the hobby. In a way, C3 was almost an end to the prequel era, and the beginning of a new phase for the fans. The hobby would have to stand on its own now, and no longer depend on the hype surrounding the release of prequels. Whatever the future may hold though, One thing is for sure, everyone will remember C3.