For Star Wars fans and collectors, having a passionate advocate and steward like a Steve Sansweet, who also just happens to be the custodian of the largest Star Wars collection in the galaxy, is like catching lightning in a bottle. Not only does he have a collection you can never even dream of owning (let alone housing), but he can write, and write pretty well, of all the relevant events and collectibles from both a fan and collector standpoint because he bore witness to and collected most of them. Like E.F. Hutton, when Steve writes, every Star Wars fan should read.

Let's finish up this trilogy of purple astromech droids while I listen to Freezepop and post the R4-Series Astromech Droid in this lovely coloring.  You'll like it.  Trust me.  Mace Windu would, too.

It looks like it belongs to Mace Windu, but the Purple R6-Series Astromech Droid is one of many robots you can build at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando.  Well, maybe, getting the pieces you want is something of a trick.

Ahh, the Purple R3-Series Astromech Droid.  This Orlando exclusive is a pain in the next to get, but pretty neat because of the crystal-clear colorless dome and the purple detailing.  Should you get one?

Ah, Anakin Skywalker.  This is a pretty great figure, because it has good wrist movement and a swell cloth skirt piece which doesn't get in the way of it being a good toy.  It's also not impossible to find, and online prices aren't awful.  Want to know more?

This is a good one!  Another Battle Pack exclusive, Clone Trooper Echo (Kamino) has some awesome deco.  There's a swell tampo on his thigh, slick blue stripes, and of course, a gun.  You need guns.

If you can't afford Gentle Giant's animated maquettes, Hasbro's animated action figures like Obi-Wan Kenobi are a pretty good deal, largely because they are now sort of worthless.  There's a little bit of articulation, and it's a striking sculpt with strong lines.  On eBay, an entire collection is still ridiculous.  Should you get this one?

This version of Princess Leia came out earlier in the year, and she's a neat one.  A mix of the 2009 Slave figure with new parts (like goggles), this is a pretty nice design and comes from one of the many deleted scenes on the 2011 Blu-Ray collection.  Should you get her?

Pretty closely scaled to figures, the Naboo Nuna is also known as the intergalactic equivalent of our Thankgiving bird.  The "Swamp Turkey" comes from a Battle Bags set from 1999, which brought us about 16 unarticulated PVC figures from The Phantom Menace which are, frankly, awesome.

Awwww yeah!  R2-D2 made from build-a-droid bits!  Well, one of two, but this one is nifty because it has a Naboo Droid Harness plus a nifty blue light on his dome, which is unusual.  He looks great!  Should you care?

It's the new Aayla Secura!  This is a great upgrade for a figure most of us thought was pretty good - the new 2012 edition has amazing articulation, more gear, and an improved paint job.  The 2005 one was already really good, so you'll want to see what's on the table this time around.

It's been way overdue, but Star Wars action figures have been inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2012, along with Dominoes. With over $20 billion in sales generated since 1978, Star Wars action figure toys beat out Clue, Lite Brite, and the Magic 8 Ball for the honor.

Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny that this Darth Maul has the best portrait on any version of the character at this scale.  It's awesome.  The articulation is a little light, but the figure looks better and stands more easily than his siblings.  Can we call this one a "win"?

Here's a neat repaint from a Battle Pack earlier this year.  Clone Trooper Hardcase is a new-ish figure in that he's a new character based on a familiar mold, and arguably worth the price of admission.  Did you get yours yet?

Hey kids, it's the Emperor's Royal Guard!  The new Vintage version is a pretty slick figure with all of the bells and whistles you might expect from a 2012 figure, with one major missing feature.  What is it?  Well, watch the review after the break, true believers!