Way, way back in 1999, the world was in the middle of Star Wars mania. Everyone (including YOU) constantly thought about one thing and one thing only, and that was Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. During this heady tumult of fandom Pepsi introduced a set of collectible Star Wars cans.
And you better believe I collected them!
There were 24 cans in total (excluding the chase cans), distributed between four different types of soda: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi One and Mountain Dew. The cans were exclusively available in the 12/24 packs of soda, with 4 cans only available in 24 packs. This meant to collect all 24 one would have to buy a minimum of 20 12 packs and 4 24 packs of soda. That’s 336 cans in total. Over four months!
In addition to the normal cans there were much rarer chase cans, including a ‘gold yoda’ can and a ‘choose your destiny’ can. Details of which can be found here.
As I said, I collected all 24 cans. By myself. By buying soda. I never traded, nor did I buy any online. Here are some shots:
Note the rich coating of dust. More on that later.
I also sent away for the ‘collectible’ display holder, which you can see in this shot:
<No Sio Bibble?
Even though it was almost 10 years ago when this occured, I can fondly remember the ordeal of completing this set. For starters, some of our local stores did not stock Pepsi One, which meant we had to drive a fair distance to a Wal-Mart to look for it. For seconders, around that time it seemed no one actually bought Pepsi One, so the few Wal-Mart’s that stocked it never seemed to restock their supply which meant the same character cans were on shelves for a long time. For thirders, both KLS and I hate Pepsi One, which means that in the four cases we bought a case, we almost certainly (and, I admit, shamefully) poured it down the sink.
But that pales next to the fact we both hate Pepsi as well. Note there are 8 Pepsi cans. Thats over 100 cans of Pepsi that were probably poured out…
I also continued to buy Mountain Dew after completing the set, and not just because I was downing 5 or 6 cans daily back in those days. It’s because I had a sort of mania to get the gold Yoda can, which (thankfully) died when I got the can holder and saw it didn’t have a space for a 25th can.
So where are the cans today you ask? Well, they are still proudly on display:
< It’s called a heirloom
Yes, that’s our laundry. The cans – in the holder – have a pride of place in our laundry! A lavish coating of dust graces each and every one of them these days. And even though I rarely think of them, even less often look at them, and not for many years before today have actually touched them, well even with all this in mind they are one of my absolutely favourite possessions 🙂
They don’t just represent vacuum formed licensed aluminium merchandise – no these cans are proof positive that we live in a day and age where dreams can still be chased, and wishes (excluding the wish for a gold Yoda, of course) can still come true.
[This story has an intriguing afterthought, which could possibly be resolved by someone in a comment. Logically I collected not one but at least twelve sets of these cans. I specifically and distinctly recall keeping a second pristine set. What happened to this second set? Did I give it to someone, perhaps AW or BFS? Or could it remain hidden in a box in our attic to this day? The mind boggles…]
You sent me a set!
I remember Shmi being very confused because they were empty and to her just garbage. I explained the collectible aspect of them, but I don’t think she was impressed.
I don’t have them anymore. I’m not entirely sure what happened to them…
It is simultaneously surreal and saddening to think that your set was cashed in at the recycler’s for a pittance 🙂
If by ‘cashed in’ you mean ‘thrown’ and by ‘recyclers’ you mean ‘garbage’ and by ‘pittance’ you mean ‘nothing’ then yes it’s a bit sad considering the effort you took to collect them.
If it’s any consolation they did sit in our laundry for over a year.