January 2015 "Wretched Hive" SWNZ Wellington Meet-Up

After great success with the first of these, I'm happy to announce the second "Wretched Hive" SWNZ Wellington Meet-Up will be going ahead this weekend!


The meet-up will be held at 5.00pm on Saturday January 31st at a bar/restaurant in the Wellington CBD. Despite the allusions to scum and villainy, it'll be at a venue that's very family-friendly, so kids and significant others are more than welcome!

If you're interested in attending, be sure to send me (Archon Revuge) a PM on the SWNZ Message Boards, or email me at relicsoftheforce@gmail.com for full details of the venue. I hope to see you there!

The Future of the Relics of the Force Blog

It goes without saying that 2015 is going to be a massive year for Star Wars, and for this blog. The prospect of a whole new horde of collectibles to coincide with the release of The Force Awakens is exciting beyond words, and you can be sure that I'll be documenting every second of my Star Wars collecting adventures on this blog.


Here are a few other things you can look forward to from Relics of the Force in 2015:
  • More in-depth posts on additions to my collection. Up until now I've usually documented new additions with a single photo and a few brief sentences by way of a description. This is useful for my records, but not particularly engaging for readers. So, in future, you can expect more in-depth "review" style posts of each addition with additional photographs and more in-depth discussion of the item in question.
  • More "Wretched Hive" Meet-Ups! This one is a little more region specific, but if you're in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, stay tuned for many more of these meet-ups throughout the coming year. The next one of these should be happening in the last week of January, so be sure to keep an eye on the Events section of this blog and the SWNZ Message Boards for updates.
Most of all, 2015 is going to be about engaging more with you - the readers. So if you you've got any questions or comments (or if you just want to talk Star Wars) be sure to drop me a line! You can email me at relicsoftheforce@gmail.com or send a tweet to @Archon_Revuge.

Hasbro The Force Awakens Products Announced

Yesterday TheForce.net gave us a rundown of the product assortment that Hasbro is soliciting for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. There's a variety of 3.75" and 6" figure products listed, but one of the most exciting parts of this announcement was the mention of an old favourite: Micro Machines.


The Micro Machines and Action Fleet lines were - and still are - some of my favourite Star Wars products ever released, so the suggestion that they might be returning is an incredibly exciting one for this collector. Among the Micro Machines solicitations were listings of the traditional three-pack assortments, deluxe assortments, and figure multi-packs, as well as new blind bag assortments. The rundown also included mention of die-cast vehicles in The Black Series line, which could very well see the return of the old Titanium Series in a new form.

Last year I wrote a post decrying the lack of focus on miniature Star Wars vehicles. It's great to hear that - as the release of The Force Awakens draws near - this may all be about to change.

Be sure to check out the full list of Hasbro solicitations here!

Hallmark Keepsake "The Rise of Lord Vader" Christmas Tree Ornament

Shortly before Christmas I posted a short piece about the amazing range of Star Wars-themed Christmas "Keepsake" ornaments that Hallmark releases each year. For Christmas this year, I received another from my parents to add to my collection: "The Rise of Lord Vader".


The detailing on this ornament is exquisite, and perfectly captures Vader as we see first see him on the operating table. One particularly cool feature is the built-in sound effects: the press of a button causing the ornament to play dialogue from Revenge of the Sith at a surprisingly loud volume.

Star Wars Rebels Stormtrooper Tin and Toffees

Another great trooper-themed present from my parents was this Star Wars Rebels Stormtrooper tin and toffees.

It's difficult to tell from the above image, but the trooper helmet is actually embossed into the lid of the tin. The toffees will most likely be devoured in short order, but the tin will be incredibly useful as a way of storing a few odds, ends, and spare parts for my Stormtrooper armour.

"Surf the Dark Side" T-Shirt

From my parents this Christmas I received this very apt "Surf the Dark Side" t-shirt.


I've found myself particularly partial to trooper-themed merchandise ever since completing my suit of Stormtrooper armour. With that in mind, this t-shirt will be perfect attire for over the summer!

Stormtrooper Pez Dispenser

Another Christmas present from my partner was this awesome Stormtrooper Pez dispenser.


This'll go great with my growing collection of Star Wars-themed Pez dispensers - including Chewbacca, Darth Sidious, and the Darth Vader I picked up a short while ago.

Star Wars Belt

I received some fantastic Star Wars-themed gifts this holiday season, first of which is this amazing belt from my partner.


It wasn't long ago that Star Wars clothing was extremely hard to come by in New Zealand. In recent years, however, there's been an explosion of fantastic items like this. This is the first Star Wars belt I've owned, and it goes without saying that it'll be getting a lot of wear!

Darth Vader vs. Santa Claus

Every now and then a reader will send me something that I just have to share. A short while ago, Loris from Italy did exactly this. He's part of the D-UNIT Stunt YouTube channel, and to celebrate the festive season they've put out an incredibly polished (and hilarious) video entitled "Darth Vader vs. Santa Claus". Check it out below!


D-UNIT Stunt have a bunch of great videos, so be sure to visit their channel and give them a follow. A huge thank you also goes to Loris for sending this through!

Mission Series 3 3/4" MS 07 Death Star Han Solo and Chewbacca

This year I took part in the New Zealand Post Twitter Secret Santa. The mandate was simple: spend around $10.00 on a Christmas present for a random Twitter user, and in turn you would receive a gift from another anonymous individual. Mine arrived a couple of days ago, and my thoughtful Secret Santa (whoever he or she might be) surprised me with this awesome Mission Series MS 07 Death Star Han Solo and Chewbacca!


It's a great set, featuring two of our favourite heroes from the original saga. I must say, I'm continuing to be surprised by the high quality of the sculpts on these five-points-of-articulation figures. Chewie's bowcaster is particularly detailed - the stock, bow, and sight all disassembling for easy transportation.

If my Secret Santa happens to be reading this, then thank you so much for my amazing gift!

Darth Vader Pez Dispenser

During my recent travels i found a Darth Vader Pez dispenser being sold on the Dover to Calais Ferry for £3.95 ($NZ8.05). This is an item that falls outside of my usual collecting focus, but ever since seeing Fanboys I've found Star Wars-themed Pez dispensers incredibly cool.


For some reason, they're also an item that's incredibly difficult to come across in New Zealand - so it's always hard to resist the temptation to purchase any I do find!

Disney A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back Figurine Playsets

I recently spent some time abroad, and while travelling through London I managed to track down a Disney store and pick up two of their new figurine playsets - those from A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Unfortunately they'd sold out of the Return of the Jedi packs, so I'll soon be hunting for one of these to complete the set!


These packs retailed for £12.50 ($25.23NZ), making them an incredibly affordable way to build up a nice collection of well-detailed characters. The figures lack articulation, but their dynamic poses more than make up for this. Each figure is also mounted on a black display base - perfect for diorama building!

Vintage Poster 13 Coaster Set

Another birthday present - this time from my parents - was this tin of thirteen vintage poster coasters.


The graphics are fantastic, and draw on designs from around the world. The coasters themselves are completed with a matte finish that makes them well-suited as mini-artworks in their own right.
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