From food to makeup, 'Star Wars' stuff is out of this world
Beyond the usual action figures and apparel, the seventh installment in the space franchise (and the first from merchandise-driven Disney) boasts a broader array of branded products than ever before: from Chewbacca Coffee-Mate creamer (Wookiees drink coffee?) and "Star Wars" mascara to $400 designer Death Star shoes and a $4,000 Millennium Falcon bed.
Sansweet recently added some Japanese items to his collection, including soy sauce plates and "little kokeshi dolls, which are typical of a small community in Japan," he said.
Retired from Lucasfilm, Sansweet now shares his "Star Wars" collection with the public through his nonprofit Rancho Obi-Wan museum in Petaluma, California, where he offers educational tours and hosts private events, including two weddings.
The Light Side is marshmallow ice cream with crispy clusters, and The Dark Side is dark chocolate with espresso fudge brownies.
Other branded food items include special General Mills cereal boxes (one shows the Trix rabbit as Princess Leia) with plastic "droid viewers" inside and Kraft macaroni and cheese with pasta in "Star Wars shapes."
Beyond the typical T-shirts and PJs, there are one-of-a-kind designer outfits based on "The Force Awakens" characters, such as Halston's gown inspired by villain Kylo Ren, up for auction this month (www.charitybuzz.com ) to benefit the Child Mind Institute.
There's a Darth Vader toaster that brands your breakfast bread with the "Star Wars" logo and the aforementioned light-up lightsaber chopsticks, plus an X-Wing knife block and many other household items.