Oldham charity touched by 'generosity' of Star Wars sale

Oxfam Oldham on Yorkshire Street was brimming with excitement and eager collectors yesterday (February 26) as the shop staged its hotly anticipated Star Wars sale day.

The sale came after an intriguing and extensive collection of Star Wars figurines and vehicles dating back as far as 1981 were dropped off in the charity shop by a member of the public.

The cabinets were jam-packed with collectable items dating as far back as 1981 (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

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For the past three weeks, a dedicated volunteer diligently worked to research and value each item with some being valued for under £10 while those on the higher end going for as much as £80.

The big day, which kicked off at 12pm, saw some excited Star Wars fans queue up as early as 9am.

Several cabinets were bursting with Star Wars memorabilia, from Prune Face, Weequy and Squid Head to R2-D2, Ewoks and Tauntauns - not to mention huge vehicles and aircrafts.

Some of the figurines that went on sale included some Ewoks, Weequys and Max Rebo (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

To make it fair, the shop rolled out a numbering system so each person had their turn in order of arrival.

Craig Simpson, who travelled all the way from Rochdale to queue up bright and early, said he was a keen collector already with many Star Wars figurines and other items on display in his home.

Craig spent more than £200 on his bag of goodies, which included the vehicles Scout Walker, TIE fighter, Y-Wing Ship, as well as figurines such as an Ewok and Tauntaun. 

Chuffed with his purchases, Craig said: "I've spent more than I'd liked to but I'm really happy.

"It feels like Christmas.

"My neighbour will be jealous.

"But now I've got to get all of these back home safely."

Craig Simson (left), happy with his Scout Walker vehicle, and Damian Smith (right) delighted with his new Max Rebo Bandstand/keyboard (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Queuing up behind Craig was Damian Smith from Chadderton who said he already has several Star Wars ships at home and was hoping to round up his collection with some more figurines.

He managed to grab a key Jedi accessory, Max Rebo's keyboard - similar to a circular reed organ - which he explained was a key component to the Max Rebo Band, an alien pop music band, as well as a Tauntaun - a snow lizard.

Damian added: "I used to have these but sold them in the 80s!

"I've already got the Millennium Falcon and other ships, so I'm glad to be taking these home."

Sisters Irene and Andrea (left to right) queued up for some collectable vehicles for their loved ones (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Meanwhile, sisters Irene Cheeseman and Andrea Webb from Royton said they popped in to grab some items for their family members, Irene's son-in-law and Andrea's son, who were stuck at work and unable to join in the fun.

Irene managed to grab Luke Skywalker's X-Wing ship while Andrea picked up Boba Fett's patrol and attack aircraft, Slave One.

The sisters said they hoped their loved ones would be happy with the haul.

In just 30 minutes, many of the cabinets stood bare and Jabba the Hutt was looking rather lonesome by himself on his throne, though collectors said he was unfortunately missing items such as his smoking pipe and his mascot, Salacious B. Crumb.

However, volunteers and staff at the shop were delighted with the turnout and the amount of money raised for charity with £431 being made in the first 16 minutes.

Oxfam Oldham's store manager said she was touched by the generosity of the donation (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

While all the team chipped in towards the success of the sale, the main man behind the scenes, a volunteer who did not wish to be named, said he enjoyed working hard to identify, research and value each of the items.

He said it took him three consecutive Mondays to get all the items in order and found most of the goods ranged between 1982 to 1992 but were in incredibly good condition.

Other volunteers also said they were constantly "amazed" by the generosity of local people with many high-value and costly items being donated to support the charity, including guitars, violins, a £300 Japanese art book and several other precious decorative figures and antique ornaments over the years.

Another said: "We like to give Oldham people a chance first, before we put the items on the website.

"We love it when we get donations like these - we love researching them and making sure they go on to live in good homes."

Poor Jabba the Hutt who is yet to find his forever home (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Nic Oakes, manager of Oldham Oxfam, said many donations that come through the door come from people who know the value of the items and choose to donate them.

She said: "I'm really pleased with how today went - with donor's generosity, customers' excitement and their patience too with some waiting around here since half nine this morning."

The manager explained how the Star Wars sale also raised a significant amount of money for charity due to the donor signing up for gift aid.

Nic explained: "It means if you're a taxpayer, and at no extra cost, 25p is donated by the government per every £1.

"It's extra money for free and it really makes a massive difference.

"It's the generosity of people which amazes me, too."

If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.