JediCon WV and Marx Toy & Train Show

This Father’s Day weekend includes a few shows for collectors.

Jedi Con WV is June 16th from 10am to 4pm at the New Martinsville United Methodist Church in New Martinsville.  Admission is $1 and all proceeds go to the Children’s Miracle Network.

The event will have a lightsaber demonstration and training by Outer Rim Praxeum Lightsaber School, guests speakers Kim Simmons (Kenner Star Wars toys photographer), and Jason West who will be talking about Jawa focus collecting, a silent auction, and guest apperances by the Garrison Corellia of the 501st Legion and Mandalorian Mercs Black Mountain Guard.

———————————————————————————————————————-

The 20th Annual National Marx Toy & Train Show is at the Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum in Wheeling.  The show is June 15th 8am to 7pm and June 16th 8am to 5pm.  Admission is $10, for student 3-17 admission is $5.

Events include guest speakers, group photo, Custom’s Contest, pizza social, and a chance to show off your unusual or rare Marx items.

—————————————————————————————————————–

A Sports Cards and Collectables Show at the Charleston Town Center from June 15 through June 17th.  The show is open during mall hours and is hosted by Select Cards & Collectables.  Tickets are $10.

On Saturday from noon to 2pm they will have College Football Hall of Famer and Mountaineer great Major Harris signing autographs.  They will also have an expert comic book grader, David “Speed” Jones, there, he will grade your first comic for free and varying charge after that.

All of these events are great for collectors.  Just depends on what your focus is.

JediCon XIV

The 14th annual JediCon WV is this Saturday June 18th from 10am to 4pm at the New Martinsville United Methodist Church in New Martinsville.

There will be door prizes, a silent auction for the Children’s Miracle Network, costuming groups, a caricaturist and several guest speakers.  The speakers include Bill McBride the holder of the Guinness Book of World Records title for Darth Vader collection, Guerra Estelar author of a book on Star Wars in Argentina, Kevin Lentz founder of the Kentucky Star Wars Collecting Club, and Kim Simmons the photographer for Kenner used on vintage Star Wars toys.  Costuming groups like the 501st and Rebel Legion.  The Ourter Rim Praxeum Lightsaber School of Fairmont will attending and giving a presentation of the seven traditional lightsaber forms.

Plus several vendor selling Star Stars action figures and merchandise plus some artists like Scott DM Simmions.  A Special limited edition copies of Guerra Estelar created exclusively for the show will be for sell.  A food court will be run by Christy’s Cakes and Catering.

Admissions is just a dollar with kids five and under getting in free.

For Star Wars fans and collectors, this is a show to check out and help raise some money for charity.

JediCon XI

West Virginia’s original Star Wars convention dedicated to the fans and raising money for Children’s Miracle Network JediCon WV XI is Saturday June 21st at the Matthew Barker Memorial Complex in Paden City from 9am-4pm.  Admission is just $1 for everyone six and up, free for five and under.  If they still have any table space left they are just $5.  There will be door prizes, a silent auction, and guest speakers.

Panelist for the con are Blind Wave Productions two-time winner of the  LCC (Lightsaber Choreography Competition), Bryan K Prosek author of Earth United, Brian Stillman producer of the documentary Plastic Galaxy, and Bill McBride curator of the Darth Vader Toy Museum. Also members of the costuming groups Garrison Carida of the 501st Legion, the Rebel Legion, and Mandalorian Mercs will all be around for photo ops.  Other special guests include Kim Simmons the photographer of Kenner Star Wars toys,  The Science Fiction Alliance of Pittsburgh and the West Virginia Star Wars Collectors Club will also be there.

Besides panels and the convention supports the Children’s Miracle Network with the proceeds from their silent auction.  The auction has items donated from the vendors, present and past guests, and different companies.  There will be a video game area with a lineup of vintage video games.  Food will be provided by Christy’s Cakes and Catering.  Plus tables and tables of Star Wars toys and merchandise, and many other fandoms and series will be represented, to buy, sell, or trade.

I plan to make the trip up for the day to check out this event.  Those who want to come up and hang out on Friday with the crew when they go out for food after set up might want to look into a nearby hotel.  Though all the real close ones are already full.

 

Jedi Con WV X

Jedi Con WV has been going on for ten years now.  WV’s first and only Star Wars con, it has been bringing in fans from all over the region who love the fandom.  This year’s event has been moved from their usual Octoberish date Saturday June 15th.  They are expecting to be able get a bigger crowd.  The con is at Sistersville Fire Hall (121 Maple Lane) Sisterville.

The con’s special guest artist Scott Simmons who has done work for Lucasfilm, at cons he does sketch cards, sketches of guests as Star Wars characters, and artwork of any requested character.  The con will have plenty of vendors selling old and new Star Wars toys and memorabilia,  door prizes, a video game booth, food catered through Christy’s Cakes and Catering, costuming groups 501st Legion’s Garrison Carida and The Rebel Legion, and the WV SW Collectors Club.  There will be exclusive prints (example below) by Kim Simmons who help design and photographed the Star Wars toy packaging from 1977-1986.

They are holding a silent auction with items donated by Brain’s Toys, Sideshow Toys, a Price Guide written by Super Collectors Gus Lopez and Duncan Jenkins, and a retro 12″ Jumbo Rocket Fett from Gentle Giant donated by Kenner Collector.  All proceeds from the auction, ticket sales, and food sales goes to the CMN which in turn go to the WVU Children’s Hospital in Morgantown.

Admission is just $1 for everyone 6 and older.  Kids under 5 get in free. If you want to buy a table to sell at it is only $5 for each table, if they have any left.

Small event to be sure, but looks like fun for sure.  Another little one to head to if you have the time.  Do not even have to be that big of a Star Wars fan to find something to do or buy.