Waterloo Region Record

Some Star Wars toys for fans who have $10,000 to burn

- Anousha Sakoui

Star Wars returns to the big screen this weekend, with fans young and old already lining up in Hollywood for early screenings.

“The Last Jedi” is sure to attract a wide audience, including those same kids who were there in 1977 to see the very first episode. Back then, they might have had to scrape together paper route money for a ticket. Now older and wealthier, some are still brought to tears by Luke Skywalker’s appearance at the climax of the last instalment, “The Force Awakens.”

What to do with that reverence for a galaxy far, far away? Well, spend, of course. And when it comes to Star Wars, there’s always been an almost endless selection of goodies to choose from. Now under the auspices of Disney, the latest push for toys is unparallel­ed.

But what if you want something fancier than a light sabre? If you’re a diehard fan with money to burn, here are some items you may not find at the local mall.

The $8,999 Star Wars pinball machine: For the den, what can be better than a Star Wars themed pinball machine? Retailing for as much as $8,999 from Stern Pinball, a limited edition version immerses the player in “the dynamic and challengin­g Star Wars pinball environmen­t as they battle to restore justice to the galaxy.” The game features speech from the original trilogy and colourchan­ging LED-lighted inserts, as well as a sculpted LED-lit Millennium Falcon and TIE fighter.

A $6,499 Millennium Falcon coffee table: What living room of any self-respecting Star Wars fan would be complete without a Millennium Falcon coffee table? The team at Regal Robot has made an official line of Star Wars furniture. Among the highlights is the $6,499 Millennium Falcon Asteroid Coffee Table, featuring the famous craft navigating a dangerous debris field like the one in “The Empire Strikes Back.” The item is handpainte­d and made of fibreglass.

The $9,999 Han Solo carbonite desk: Let’s not forget the office. Why leave your workspace bare when the desk you work on every day can feature Han Solo frozen in carbonite? The downside is it’s too late to get it for Christmas, as it takes 12 weeks for this made-to-order item to come your way.

The $10,250 Darth Vader crystal: Add sparkle to your favourite Star Wars character by having her or him or it cast in Swarovski crystals. For $10,250, you can have one of 300 black crystal Darth Vaders, set by hand with 29,000 crystals. Each one took 120 hours to complete, according to Swarovski. There’s also a crystal set C-3PO droid at a lower price point if money is an issue.

Star Wars couture: Imagine you’re fighting for the Rebel Alliance in high end clothing brand Rag & Bone-specifical­ly its line of Star Wars themed clothing. That means a lot of white, sand colours, and orange. Desert style. One white-padded jacket retails for $1,295. To match, there’s a Rag & Bone “Ellis Force Boot” for $695. But, as with most objects of desire in fashion, many have already sold out, so you may have to use the Force on a more susceptibl­e sales associate.

A Crystal R2-D2 for $4,400: Etsy, the go-to online marketplac­e for crafts, offers some compelling Star Wars gifts, such as a this naturally occurring R2-D2 in sapphire crystal from Sri Lanka. The cost for these unusually combined elements? Only $4,400.

The $10,000 Death Star fire pit: For a backyard gathering to roast some marshmallo­ws and discuss the latest plot twists, there’s the six-foot Death Star fire pit. Each is custom made by Milwaukee Blacksmith. The biggest retails at $10,000, though smaller versions for less ambitious emperors are also available.

The $799 Millennium Falcon Lego set: With 7,541 pieces, nothing will occupy your children better than the $799 Millennium Falcon Lego set. Described by the creators as the largest, most detailed Lego Falcon model they’ve ever made, it features intricate detailing, including upper and lower quad laser cannons, landing legs and such interchang­eable crew members as Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO.

 ?? BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO ?? The Sphero R2-D2 and BB-9E app-enabled droids sit on display at the Walt Disney Co. store in New York in September.
BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO The Sphero R2-D2 and BB-9E app-enabled droids sit on display at the Walt Disney Co. store in New York in September.

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