I wrote a Book – Guide to Toltoys NZ Star Wars Cardbacks
After what seems like far too long of a writing period, I finally finished and published my first Star Wars reference book, entitled SWNZ Guide To Toltoys NZ Vintage Star Wars Action Figure Cardbacks. The book is written to complement similar content on the SWNZ, Star Wars New Zealand website, but includes a lot of new material and photos.
The guide book is a comprehensive guide for collectors and fans of the Vintage Star Wars action figures and the cardbacks they were packaged on, that were released specifically in New Zealand during the Original Trilogy era (1977-1983). This is a topic that I have been researching for decades, but my passion for which really goes all the way back to my childhood when I was already collecting and archiving the packaging materials my Star Wars toys came in.
It can be purchased via Amazon. In fact, in its first week after publishing, it became the no.1 Bestseller in its category on the local Amazon site.
New Zealand/Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0473706458
United States (affiliate link):
https://amzn.to/4bRWAIH
United Kingdom:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0473706458
Rest of the World:
Search SWNZ Guide on your local Amazon site.
The cardbacks of vintage Star Wars action figures are a big part of the vintage nostalgia phenomenon, with their bold logos and famous chrome “racetrack” border. These packaging items are, in fact, often seen as collectibles in their own right. During the early years of Star Wars mini-action figures, when many licensed Star Wars toys were being bought into New Zealand by Toltoys NZ Ltd, imported figures were sometimes packaged on locally printed cards in kiwi factories, resulting in unique collectibles that differed from the rest of the world.
This unofficial guide introduces the history of Star Wars in New Zealand, and covers the relationship between Toltoys NZ Ltd and its United States and Australian counterparts. A chapter is dedicated to each of the main categories of New Zealand Star Wars action figure cardback packaging, including Star Wars Toltoys Logo cardbacks, New Zealand 21-back, 32-back, and 48-back cardbacks, with 90 colour photos to illustrate key features and differences from the Star Wars packaging seen in the United States and elsewhere. Includes detailed info to help you identify and collect Toltoys NZ cardbacks, with a full character/cardback matrix, along with new photos of very rare specimens.
