The first Star Wars film was released almost forty years ago, but the fan base is still growing and the franchise itself remains one of the largest in the world. Those fans who dreamed of being Jedis all those years ago are now all grown up and still buying the merchandise today, making the market big enough for a wide range of products varying in price and application. With the latest film, Star Wars: Episode VII, set to be released next year, the available merchandise is set to increase and prices likely to soar. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the more peculiar promotional items ever created in the broad Star Wars canon…
Darth Vader Mr Potato Head
Guess which version of everyone’s favourite toy – Mr Potato Head – caused something of a stir immediately following its release. No, we’re not talking about Mrs Potato Head! The Darth Tater well and truly messes with your mind, combining the interchangeable accessories of Mr Potato Head with the eerie mask of The Empire’s most feared ruler. You can move and remove various limbs and facial parts, but in the end, you’re always going to end up with a man who looks like he’s plotting planetary annihilation, even if he does have stumpy legs and googly eyes.
Star Wars Cookbook
You won’t find any recipes for dominating the universe, but you will find recipes for Darth Side salsa, Obi-Wan kebabs and Wookiee cookies. Having not tried to make any of the recipes ourselves we can’t tell you how good they are, but the Star Wars cookbook seems to have sold quite well in the US, so perhaps it does have some relatively good ideas. Of course, there is also a sequel to the cookbook: Darth Maul and More Galactic Recipes. We’ll stick to Jamie and Nigella, thanks…
Darth Vader dog costume
If TOWIE fans can dress their dogs in pink jumpers and high heels, why can’t Star Wars fans dress their dogs up as Darth Vader? That’s probably exactly what the manufacturers were thinking when they created the perfect Darth Vader costume for dogs. It’s surprisingly detailed and made of soft material for maximum comfort, not that your dog is likely to want to keep it on for too long.
Star Wars toilet roll
You’d be surprised at how many franchises boast their own toilet roll designs, and Star Wars is no exception. It’s just standard toilet roll printed with all of your favourite characters, but we’re not exactly sure why anyone would buy it. We suppose mainly for the fact that it is both useful and a conversation starter for when your dinner guest gets back from the bathroom, but surely Obi-Wan has too much dignity to be treated in such ghastly fashion?
Darth Vader toaster
Who wouldn’t want a toaster that imprints Darth Vader’s face onto your bread? It’s actually a relatively smart looking, all-black toaster, but it does have to burn the toast slightly in order to imprint Vader’s image onto your brekkie. If you can live with that minor inconvenience, however, then this piece of promotional merchandise makes breakfast great fun for the kids and of course for yourself. Never mind the fact that nobody in Star Wars eats toast, ever…