On this episode of Our American Stories, before anyone understood the reach of Star Wars, a small toy company stepped in with an idea that would alter the future of licensing. The first run of 1977 Star Wars figures was modest, yet the response from children and collectors revealed something larger. These toys made the galaxy feel close enough to hold, and that closeness turned the franchise into a merchandising powerhouse.

Jarrod Roll—museum director and public historian known for his work preserving and interpreting American material culture—explains how this shift influenced the habits of young fans and redefined what a film could become once it left the screen.

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