One fan chronicles her journey saving a piece of Star Wars history

Photo: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).. © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).. © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. /
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One fan chronicled her journey to save a specific piece of Star Wars memorabilia. YouTuber Silver, who runs the channel Star Wars Thrifting, has made a name showcasing the best items she’s found on her thrifting adventures. Her latest saga might just be the biggest score yet, but also one of the most complicated.

The journey started on August 28, when Silver shared on her Twitter that she found an exceptional score on Facebook Marketplace. She teased in the post, “Renting a pick-up truck and picking up this weekend. It’s absolutely bonkers and I can’t wait to share more later,” before following up with the joking tweet, “Driving 4.5 hours in a rental to pick up this silly thing is how I choose to spend my weekends.”

https://twitter.com/StarWarsThrift/status/1696223967860900005

She followed up on September 1 that this journey would have to wait a week. The reason? She needed to rent a truck with a lift gate. The plot thickened again days later when Silver shared that she needed a forklift for the item! By now, fans of Silver’s work were eager to find out what this great find was that would require so much setup.

https://twitter.com/StarWarsThrift/status/1700137794440732690

Flash forward to September 9 when Silver posted she was on her way to get the mystery item after renting a box truck. After driving for 2.5 hours, she arrived to rescue the item. So what was this mystery find?

It was an Episode I: The Phantom Menace Pepsi vending machine from 1999 that was set to be scrapped in a junkyard. Silver’s find allowed her to swoop in and save the item from being trashed forever.

Moving the vending machine was filled with plenty of jokes, with Silver sharing the “PIVOT” joke from the sitcom Friends when Ross, Rachel, and Chandler fought to move a couch up a flight of stairs. On her Instagram page, Silver shared videos set to classical music as the forklift removed the vending machine. With help from her friends and a forklift, Silver brought the vending machine home to her collection.

One of the best parts of fandom is when fans share what they love about this galaxy far, far away. Silver started her YouTube channel to mix her admiration for thrifting with Star Wars. It led her to this moment to save a piece of Star Wars history that would have been lost to time. We tip our hat to you, Silver, and all the fans who go to these lengths to preserve Star Wars history.

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