Imperial, California - Some might say that Darth Vader stole the show when the first Star Wars movie premiered in 1977. Certainly, he ranks as one of the most popular movie villains in the history of motion pictures, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens.
Texan Bill McBride must think so; Bill would be perhaps the most fanatical member of a die-hard Darth Vader fan club, considering that he has amassed 70,000 pieces of Darth Vader collectables – a cache worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. His hobby gained him a ranking in the Guinness Book of World Records. McBride was just a boy when he saw the first Star Wars film and was introduced to Darth Vader. It triggered a fascination for collecting memorabilia and an urge to begin amassing Vader stuff that has only grown stronger in the ensuing years. "It's something that still brings me joy and still truly makes me happy to do it. We all have our hobbies and our interests, and this is something I truly enjoy," he says.