ELYRIA — It’s been a year since Adam Shields walked into The Chronicle-Telegram just days before Christmas with his massive “Star Wars” collection in tow.

The figurines, both big and small, were packed in boxes — several boxes.

There was Han Solo, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker.

Some were from the late 1970s, when “Star Wars” first graced the big screen as a box office hit. Others were newer and cooler, with voice boxes and attachments, made around the time “Star Wars: Episode 1” came out in 1999.

They were the pride and joy of Shields, now 36. But when he walked through the door that cold day, he was dead set on giving it all away to the Not-Forgotten Box, the annual toy drive sponsored jointly by the Elyria Salvation Army and The Chronicle-Telegram.

Maybe another little kid can enjoy these as much as I have, he said at the time.

But after a quick look at his offerings, it was easy to see that his toys were not just toys. They were collector’s items.

While The Chronicle has never done anything other than turn over the toys collected to the Salvation Army, this time it seemed as if there was more that could be done with Shields’ donation.

So instead of placing the figurines into the assortment of baby dolls, Candy Land games and toy trucks already donated by generous Lorain Countians, the collection — with Shields’ blessing — went into storage with a grander plan in mind.

On Friday, that day came as Shields returned to The Chronicle to sit among his toys one last time. That’s because soon, his collection will be sold on eBay, and all of the money generated will fund the purchase of more toys for the Not-Forgotten Box.

While preparing his “Star Wars” bounty for a photo shoot, he handled each box carefully, delicately wiping dust from the cardboard enclosure, taking care as only a seasoned collector would.

Shields’ collection is so complete that he thinks he not only has every popular character from the six movies, “but even the ones that didn’t say a word or their names in any movies,” he said.

Still, Shields, a 1991 graduate of Elyria West High School, said he was OK with walking away from the toys he had been collecting since childhood.

“I don’t really collect anymore,” he said Friday. “They were sitting around in boxes. And sitting in boxes doesn’t do anybody any good.”

As for the eBay idea? He went along with it wholeheartedly.

“That’s funny, because I really don’t know how much this stuff is worth,” he said. “Some, I would guess, is not worth much, but some could go for a lot for a toy. I know I have spent thousands of dollars just getting them. I’ve had them for so long.”

For Shields, his love of “Star Wars” started as a young child.

The first installment of the legendary motion picture series was just hitting movie theaters. Shields said he went to see it with his parents and was hooked from the first scene.

“I was just amazed,” he said. “It was nothing like I had ever seen before.”

Soon after, Shields said he received his first toy, Darth Vader, the dark, iconic villain.

“I played with that toy a lot,” Shields remembered with a smile.

From there, Shields said his grandmother was always good for a few figurines each Christmas, which helped start his collection.

But the release of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” changed Shields from a childhood toy hoarder to an adult collector.

“I saw it at midnight opening night and the next day I went right to Toys ‘R’ Us and bought every one there,” he said. “I started putting them up in a room of my house.”

Shields said he caught some flack from his friends, who could not understand why a grown man had a “Star Wars” room. But the creation of the movies and the cool special effects that went along with their production drove Shields to collect more and more.

From a miniature Jar Jar Binks — the character Shields describes as a popular toy, but so disliked by viewers Lucas significantly reduced his presence in the last two movies — to a 12-inch Darth Maul on a Speeder Bike — his favorite character and toy of them all.

“I have all of this, but really it’s not doing me or anyone else any good just sitting around,” he said. “It’s time it helped someone else and the Not-Forgotten Box is where I always came with my parents to donate toys. So I am just coming back to what I know.”

It’s hard to imagine how many toys Shields collected over time. He never counted them, he said.

But now that he has lost his desire to continue his expensive hobby, he hopes he can help other kids find that one toy that sticks with them for life.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

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