Stephen J. Sansweet, born on June 14, 1945, holds the position of chairman and president at Rancho Obi-Wan. This not-for-profit museum is renowned for its extensive collection of Star Wars memorabilia, recognized as the world's largest. Before his April, 2011 retirement, Sansweet dedicated 15 years to Lucasfilm Ltd. as the Director of Content Management and head of Fan Relations; he continues to serve the company as a Fan Relations Advisor. As an author or co-author, he has contributed to eighteen books, with sixteen focusing on Star Wars. Following his move to Northern California to be nearer to his new office at Skywalker Ranch, Sansweet acquired a former chicken farm, renovating its barns to accommodate his vast collection. This property was subsequently named Rancho Obi-Wan.
After a lengthy and prosperous career in the field of journalism, Stephen J. Sansweet took a significant career change in 1996, pursuing his enthusiasm by becoming the Director of Specialty Marketing at Lucasfilm Ltd. His role later evolved into Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations. Sansweet transformed his affection for the Star Wars saga into a second professional life, acting as the key connection between Lucasfilm and its global fanbase, and vice versa. He delivered presentations at over 100 conventions within the U.S., and at numerous international events spanning from the U.K., France, Spain, and Germany, to Australia, Japan, Mexico, and Finland.
During the latter half of the 1990s, he was featured in excess of 50 hours of Star Wars collectibles programming broadcast on QVC. Furthermore, he has accumulated the world's most extensive private collection of Star Wars memorabilia, which is housed within a repurposed 9,000-square-foot (840m square) chicken barn situated in Sonoma County, California. Remaining dedicated to his passion for writing, Sansweet's bibliography comprises eighteen books, sixteen of which are centered around Star Wars, including the expansive 1.2-million-word Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia published in 2008, and 2012's Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection.
On October 20, 2010, it was publicly announced that Sansweet would be resigning from his position as Head of Fan Relations, effective April 2011. He communicated via a press release, stating: "Almost 15 years ago, I left my position as the Los Angeles Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal to pursue my passion and accept a 'one-year job' as Lucasfilm's Star Wars ambassador. Now, the time has come for another transition and fresh challenges, while I continue to play an active part in the Star Wars fan community."
- Star Wars Insider 11
- " From the Publisher: The Force of Steve Sansweet " — Star Wars Insider 29
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- starwars.com at Celebration III - Fans in Force: Inside Heart of an Empire on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- A Visit to Rancho Obi-Wan on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- " Blaster " · — Star Wars Insider 110
- Steve Sansweet Talks 1,000 Collectibles on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Steve Sansweet To Start A New Chapter on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Star Wars Show: Brand New Alien From Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Meet Babu Frik on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- " 200 Reasons Why We Love Star Wars " — Star Wars Insider 200
- SWCA 2022: Meet Marietta Ivanova, the Cosplay Competition Winner Who Brought a Geonosian to Life on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Steve Sansweet on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Official Rancho Obi-Wan
- Stephen J. Sansweet on Wikipedia
- Stephen J. Sansweet at the Internet Movie Database