I thought today we would begin a series of posts that encompass a number of items including the History of Star Wars Toy Collecting, research before the internet and the actual use of both books and talking to real people and a tribute to one of the hobby’s great pioneers. Back in the Fall of 1990 Action Figure News and Toy Review’s first issue hit the newsstands for those who remember such things as newsstands. Leonard J Lee III aka Lenny Lee was the publisher of this revolutionary concept and creation. He launched a magazine totally devoted to the love and passion of collecting toys, specifically Action Figures. This was unheard of at the time as ALL toy magazines and collectors revolved around either Dolls or Trains. Nothing else mattered to the toy world and even GI Joe’s 12 Inch Figures were lumped into the Doll world as Action Figures were unimportant to the hobby. Lenny changed all that. His magazine was in comic stores and book stores everywhere in very little time. While the first issue was black and white they changed over to a color cover and a finer paper with issue #2. All color followed shortly thereafter. At this time this was a very costly and bold move and it paid off as the magazine ran for over two decades.

With that as a backdrop and with the gracious approval and consent of Lenny we are presenting to you some of the Star Wars moments (Vintage of course) in the storied history of Lee’s Action Figure and Toy Review (aka AFN). We begin with page one of a six page introduction to the world of collecting Loose Star Wars figures. Remember this is a time BEFORE the internet and resources like these were treasured and revered. Books on Action Figures would follow but this is where it all began. I present to you page 1 of AFN’s Complete Loose Figure Review on Vintage Star Wars. Subsequent pages to follow over the coming weeks and months and daresay, years. A section in the Articles Database has been set up totally devoted to the history of AFN.

Enjoy!

Reprinted here with permission from the editor and owner of Lee’s Action Figure News and Review. All rights reserved and copyrighted by Action Figure News & Toy Review
June 12, 2016