Darth Vader toyshop visits

Alisdairmac

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I was never lucky enough to meet Darth Vader in person but I did recently get this signed box. I've definitely seen identical signatures before. Does anyone know if it was the same chap that did all the shop visits throughout the country?
 

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tronprogram

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I don't think so. I'm pretty sure they had multiple people doing it.

I went to one either in Walton or Clacton and I remember whoever was suited up just wrote DARTH on the back of the cardback.
 

edd_jedi

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I have this photo from an old friend, he's the boy in the photo. Unfortunately I'm not sure where it was or who was acting as Vader.

vader.jpg
 

Palifan

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Here's the couple of autographs I still have from back in the day. The first was signed in my makeshift scrapbook I put together around 79-80 (not that you can really make it out!). He came to my local toy store where I bought my figures which was Martins toy shop in Kingswood Bristol.

The other one is signed in the Return of the Jedi story book I bought just before the film was released and was signed in Debenhams, Bournemouth when I was there on a day trip which happened to be on the same day as the signing. Lucky that I was there then and also I'm glad that I still own both of these. :D

I've no idea who signed them but I guess we can start to look at the signatures and maybe figure out how many Vaders there were in the UK signing in the early days.

Ian
 

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theforceuk

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If Vader had come to my toy shop when I was a kid I think I would have **** myself and run home.
 

_Lee_

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I met him in Debenhams, Luton in 1983. Lost my signed card many moons ago but the ROTJ one was he one mainly used for signing as well as he signed slip. Ive actually found 5 variations of the promo card now and some are signed. Picked up the signed book for £1 a few years back.

Lee
 

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Mini99

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_Lee_ said:
I met him in Debenhams, Luton in 1983. Lost my signed card many moons ago but the ROTJ one was he one mainly used for signing as well as he signed slip. Ive actually found 5 variations of the promo card now and some are signed. Picked up the signed book for £1 a few years back.

Lee
What a fantastic collection, real nostalgia.
 

_Lee_

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Thanks bud.

Here is a clearer photo :D
 

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Hod10

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I found this on YouTube a while back, a stills vid. Doesn't answer the question about the Vader signature itself but gives a little more insight into that time possibly... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77CYLmzL9R0
 

Simply Sci-fi

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This is a fantastic thread. It's amazing to read people's recollections and see so many photos. My only experience of meeting Darth Vader was when he visited Debenhams in Romford. A photographer from a local newspaper set up a photo of all the children surrounding Vader. Me and my friend were too cool to take part but my younger brother ended up in the photo. The paper got thrown away before we could snip out the cutting but hopefully I'll be able to find that issue again.

I covered the Darth Vader tours in my book The Star Wars Phenomenon in Britain (if a small plug is okay). In 1977/78 the Rank Cinema chain commissioned some Vader and Stormtrooper outfits that they used for promotions, with the Vaders being pretty poor quality. Individual cinemas and department stores put together Darth Vader outfits too in '78. For The Empire Strikes Back some professionally made Vader Outfits by Nick Farmer and screen-used Stormtroopers did the rounds organised by Rank Cinemas, Palitoy and Lucasfilm UK. Palitoy also had a couple of Boba Fetts that they sent out. The Return of the Jedi tour was organised by a subsidiary of Palitoy's public relations company that used the Nick Farmer outfits. Lucasfilm UK also had a couple of the same Vader costumes that they could use for promotions. I interviewed some of the people who organised the tours for the book.

Memories fade over the years and people I spoke too didn't know exactly how many costumes were doing the rounds. I know that there were twelve Vaders in 77/78 constructed for Rank. Probably around 5-6 Nick Farmer Vaders in 1980 and about 20 from 1983 onward. Regular "actors" were often used, so some of the signatures will match. It would be interesting to find exact numbers one day or even interview some of the people hired to dress up back then. Here's hoping!
 

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SublevelStudios

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I met him at the Normid Hypermarket (CO OP) in Talke Pits near Stoke-on-Trent back in 1983 just after Jedi had been released. It was a massive supermarket where we did our weekly shop. I was taken along with a friend to see him and given some pocket money to buy a figure.

The new Jedi figures were literally just hitting the shelves and I recally loacs of kids gathered around a shelf stacker who'd just opened up a new box - little hands grabbing at whatever thay could. There was a massive crowd of kids as we queued for his autograph. The one thing that struck me was how bad this guy in the suit stunk, really sweaty, but given it was the height of summer it's no surprise.

Afterwards we went back to the figures and I chose a Lando Skiff Guard, mainly because he had a separate helmet and that was a brand new feature for the figures.
 

Simply Sci-fi

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Interesting. I've heard before that a Darth Vader on tour stank of sweat. I didn't get that close to the one that visited Romford. He was pretty animated so I kept my distance!
 

UKS

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I met him at the Debenhams in Bristol. The same flyers as _Lee_ had. The signature is also similar! But I don't have it to hand. (I still have it in storage and a PILE of those flyers)

I think they also had some other miscellaneous creatures? I remember a "grey wookie" but that maybe a childhood dream!
 

Clawrence

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Picking this thread up and found this beauty. Debenhams in Folkestone to promote "Return of the Jedi", as well as interrogating the children about the whereabouts of the Death Star plans. 24th August 1983.
Screenshot 2021-10-18 at 08.48.43.png
 
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