WACO, Texas — A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, one man had a vision. The force was awakened in him and soon enough he had a full collection.
"There are tons of clone troopers, whole bunch of 401st troopers. Just all the different variants," Star Wars collector Jack Matson said.
Since 2018, Matson has built a Galactic Empire of his own, right here in Central Texas.
"My son and I will watch movies or some of the shows and when you get these figures in and vehicles and you can re-create scenes from that, it's something fun to be able to do," Matson said. "It's kind of like reliving your childhood a little bit."
His passion for lightspeed and blasters started at a young age.
"They all love Star Wars. My mom saw Return of the Jedi and camped out for it," Matson said. "I watched it when I was a kid, played with lightsabers and it's been a lot of fun."
That fun was then carried over into his own family. With over 3,000 items, Matson feels a special connection to each one.
"It's kind of cool because they have 501st troopers and 501st airborne troopers. I was in the army and I was part of the 501st airborne, so it was kind of cool to do that," Matson said.
Each item is placed with a plan and precision, all ranging in size and price.
"One item might be worth $5-$10," Matson said. "Just this little tiny shelf, I mean some of those are worth hundred a piece."
Even though some may be on the pricier side, Matson feels it's all about enjoying the item.
"We want things open more. So, if I get some rare item that we don't have opened. It's getting opened," Matson said. "It's less rare now because it's out of the box, but I don't care. How are you going to play with it if it's in a box?"
Well, you won't.
On a day like May 4, better known as Star Wars Day, Matson and his family love nothing more than coming in the room and getting lost in a galaxy far, far away.
"It's a holiday. It's a holiday in this house. May the Fourth is fun," Matson said. "We pretty much always wear Star Wars shirts. I wear them when I go on jobs. My son has a ton and he likes to match, so we try to get shirts that we can both have."
To all you Star Wars fans, May the Fourth be with you!
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