I snuck into a special gift shop that would make every 'Star Wars' fan lose it

When the clock struck 12:01 on Force Friday, "Star Wars" fans ambushed stores across the country to get their hands on the highly anticipated new line of "The Force Awakens" toys and merchandise.

But employees of Lucasfilm, the production company behind the saga, knew the one-stop-shop for all their lightsaber, cosplay, and BB-8 needs was right on campus - in the official Lucasfilm gift shop.

That's right. There's a Lucasfilm gift shop. And it's a "Star Wars" fan's paradise.

Earlier this week, Tech Insider got the chance to visit the San Francisco, California, headquarters and we even snuck in to preview the toys. On our way out, we noticed employees lugging large cardboard boxes into a small room with glass walls, filled with "Star Wars" and Lucasfilm-branded merchandise.

A cashier said that the gift shop was closing at noon, so that the new inventory could be stocked. The store would open early Friday morning so employees could get their hands on the goods bright and early.

Here's how it looked before the transformation.