COLLECTABLES

Things we’ve been playing with this month

1Do or do not. There is no try. And so the boffins at Lucasfilm licensing refused to countenance defeat in their quest to roll out something truly unexpected. The result? These Star Wars mini lights (FPI price £11.99 each; product codes H1501, H1503), which squeeze R2-D2 and a Force Awakens-style Stormtrooper into the shape of a tin can, as if they’ve had an unfortunate encounter with a trash compactor. Press their heads and not only do they illuminate, they make a proper sound effect, too. BB-8 and lightsaber designs are also available but frankly the former looks a bit odd. Guys! BB-8 is spherical!

2What the bloomineck is Luminart? Well, it’s just a fancy word for a light-up canvas. This foot-high example of Star Wars Luminart (FPI price £24.99; product code H1498) features Tom Chantrell’s classic artwork – surely the best Star Wars poster of the lot. You’ll search in vain for an on/off switch; instead, you activate it with a gentle tap of a finger. Display it on your desk powered via USB (a 1.5m cable is supplied); hang it on the wall and pop in three AA batteries (not included). Very neat: we only wish that it was a mite bigger.

3Hulk smash? Hulk cash! Yes, you too can get a gamma ray-spawned rage monster to guard your coins against penny-snatching lowlife. This Hulk money box (FPI price £19.99; product code H1449) finds the green bruiser given a silver ceramic makeover as he stands vigil over some rocks. He’s looking rather windswept and Byronic, we think, as he flexes those radiationsoaked pecs of his. What profound thoughts trouble that noble brow? We shall never know.

4A gathering of half a dozen of the latest superhero Dorbz here (FPI price

£8.99 each; product codes H3381, H3382, H3383, H3384, H3385, H3386). From left to right we have: Groot (with shield); Radium Batman; Iron Patriot; a nonemore-bling Gold Midas Batman; a faintly Christmassy half-and-half Compound Hulk; and finally Wonder Woman (with shield). All are limited edition releases, and in some cases we’re not surprised... Was anyone clamouring to see Batman rendered in retina-scarring lime green? Really? You people are odd.

5Yes, we know Guardians Of The Galaxy wears its ’70s influences proudly on its crimplene sleeve, but making this Groot medium talking plush

(FPI price £15.99; product code H1930) out of brown corduroy rather over-eggs the point. Still, this jolly little chap does say his line when you squeeze his tummy, though we’re wondering why the tips of his head stumps are covered in such unpleasantly scratchy material. Maybe he goes around sandpapering the rough edges on his tree-person buddies? On the plus side, they work a treat if you have a veruca that needs removing. Cuddly and useful.

6As you may have noticed, it’s 40 years since we first journeyed to a galaxy far, far away. Why not raise a brew in tribute with these Star Wars 40th anniversary mugs (FPI price £5.99 each; product codes Leia H3286, H3287, H3288, H3289)? Each features a character-focused montage, in classy monochrome. Shame the way a starscape is overlaid on Leia makes it look like she has an unsightly rash. Also available: R2-D2 and C-3PO.

7Looking at this DC comics

backpack (FPI price £24.99; product code H1471), you might think it comes covered in sew-on patches, but it’s a cunning optical illusion; the nine Superman/Batman/The Flash patches are printed on the polyester. The design also features faint echoes of various DC hero logos, along with a peculiar scattering of pixels; it’s rather like the ghosting you used to get on old analogue TVs, and we like it about as much.