odd toys

A true prototype Rocket Firing Boba Fett Star Wars action figure was revealed for sale on eBay this week. As the Star Wars brand made the most valuable "collectors item" toys in modern history, the Rocket Firing Boba Fett is the most sought-after item in the whole Star Wars action figure universe. This version of the action figure is not only one of the very few examples of this action figure to ever exist, it might also be one of the rarest iterations of said action figure.

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Today we're taking a peek at the game Pokemon Battle Academy, a game that's all about physical gameplay rather than screen taps. Pokemon Battle Academy is called a "board game" but it's basically a "starter box" the likes of which we've seen released for every CCG (Collectible Card Game) since the dawn of the format. Inside the box you get a board, you get damage counters, and you get two decks of cards.

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Remember the times you would stare at the biggest LEGO display sets in the toy store wishing you could persuade your parents to buy you one? But like the most of us, you probably had to settle for one of the smaller boxes below $30. The good news is, it is not too late.

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The LEGO Ideas ISS (International Space Station) was revealed as a build-ready, in-store, consumer-ready set this week. This build was made on the micro-level, which means it's got a pair of 2 astronaut microfigures that'll live in the base of the set near its user-built stand. This system is both incredibly detailed and surprisingly simple - an instant classic, for sure.

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Physics students at Lancaster University did a study which revealed a bit of a shock about standard, commercially available LEGO bricks. The material with which LEGO bricks are made* as well as the method with which LEGO bricks connect made for a perfect test element for thermal conductivity. They created structures made of LEGO and tested their abilities to isolate elements from extreme cold. Not only could they insulate, they provide solid support without any 3rd-party adhesive - they're their own connectors!

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You cannot buy an officially-licensed Baby Yoda plush toy in time for Christmas 2019. That's by design... sort of. As Lucasfilm product licensing SVP Paul Southern said today, "It was important to us that the reveal of the new character, the Child, be a special moment for fans, and we could not be more thrilled with the response." Lucasfilm and Disney felt it was so extremely important to keep Baby Yoda a secret that they did not include imagery or descriptions of the character in the first wave of license-ready media for manufacturers. As far as they knew - no such character would even exist!

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The LEGO Star Wars set 75254 "AT-ST Raider" rolls with one of the most epic-looking pieces of hardware in The Mandalorian. This set contains four minifigures and a rather mixed-up looking All Terrain Scount Transport (AT-ST), the likes of which we've only ever really seen looking a lot more... completely flat metal gray. Now it's got parts in red, with stripes, and all sorts of oddities.

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Transformers is a toy line that's never really dull. I remember getting Transformers toys for gifts for Christmas and birthdays when I was a kid, and even when (90% of the time) I did not know the character in the box, I was thrilled to get another one of these bafflingly entertaining pieces of moving parts in plastic. The difference between a "good" transformer and a "could've been better" transformer gift always depended on the intended audience for the toy. Not all Transformer toys are made for little kids.

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Why would someone pay over one-hundred-thousand dollars for an action figure? That's likely the question most people ask when they see the most recent listing of a Star Wars: Boba Fett "Rocket-Firing Prototype" action figure here in late October, 2019. Today we're going to give a nutshell version of the low-down on this particular action figure and why it, above all others, strikes the fancy of the most hardcore collectors.

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Today we're looking at the first collection of "Ponies: The Galloping" - for charity. This collection of cards and sleeves and generally cute nonsensical fun is appearing both in the USA and Canada. There'll be digital Ponies: The Galloping sleeves in Magic: The Gathering Arena, there'll be special edition playmats from Ultra PRO, and there'll be a 3-card set.

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Today the folks at LEGO introduced a thick-with-pieces new brick set for their Winter Village product range. This is the LEGO Creator Expert Gingerbread House, the 10th individual set in the modern Winter Village LEGO universe. This set looks both modern and retro at the same time - it seems to roll with classic North Pole furnishings, but stays general enough to be a holiday release any individual get on board with later this year.

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Today we're taking a peek at a couple of new LEGO sets in the company's newest line: Hidden Side. This new LEGO line Hidden Side stars with some spooky setups and enhances play with a smartphone app. The sets themselves are akin to past releases with monsters, haunted houses, and Halloween in mind. Given their release of this series here so far in advance of Autumn, we must assume that the ghoulish attraction of the month of October is spread beyond its Roman Calendar confines at last!

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