By day, John Wooten is an information technology manager in the neurology division at the Ohio State Medical Center.
But when he opens the door to his home, he is surrounded by memorabilia that transport him to a galaxy far, far away.
Wooten, 38, is the central regional director for the Ohio “Star Wars” Collector’s Club, an organization that spans Ohio, from Portsmouth to Youngstown and everywhere in between.
Wooten, who labels himself a fan of the vintage collectible era, estimated he has spent more than $10,000 while accumulating his collection. One of his most expensive pieces is a variation of an original Princess Leia action figure, on which he spent around $2,000, he said.
“There’s no way I could collect based on my OSU salary,” Wooten said. He sells some of his older pieces to make money to buy the ones he wants — a method he calls self-sustaining.
“OSWCC was founded in 1997 by a small group of ‘Star Wars’ fans and collectors who wanted to connect and share their love for Mr. [George] Lucas’ creation,” said Seth Knore, spokesman for OSWCC.
Since then, the club has seen its membership rise from single digits at the outset to more than 200 active members in the three regions of Ohio, Knore said.
Wooten, an OSU graduate, has been an integral member of the group since its inception and served as president in 2001.
“Everybody’s involved in a different way,” Wooten said. “Everyone’s into different things, but ‘Star Wars’ brings them together.”
Not all members of OWSCC are simple collectors. There are some in the club who do official work for Lucasfilm, “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ namesake company, Wooten said. These individuals will sometimes be invited to speak about their experiences as presenters at annual club parties.
The OSWCC Summer Social has been known to feature gaming tournaments, collection vendors, giveaways from important sponsors like Hasbro and Lucasfilm, as well as live auctions, Wooten said.
Other annual events include member T-shirt and badge contests, orchestrated at monthly meetings in each of the North, Central and South regions.
OSWCC does not have a recruiting program, but usually garners interest with booths they sponsor at the various conventions around Ohio and the country. They plan on running a booth at this summer’s “Star Wars” Celebration V in Orlando, Fla., Wooten said.
“If people want to join, they already have an interest,” Wooten said. “I like to foster those interests further and spread my own enthusiasm.”
