Well, it’s here folks! The much anticipated and oh so long awaited for sequel to the Star Wars movie series has started hitting the cinemas, with the rest of North America following suit. And for all the Star Wars fans out there, this might’ve just scored to be one of the best events of the year for sure. But instead of going ahead and telling you all about the movie and risk spoiling it for the few of you who haven’t yet seen it, we’re going to do something else.
Considering Christmas is less than two weeks away and that having seen or planning to see the new movie soon, the hype is surely hitting an all-time high once again, what better way is there to feed our undying passion for the series than to splurge out pocket money on some of the craziest and fun pieces of Star Wars merchandise we found in stores and online?
Don’t worry, if you haven’t seen the movie yet, we’ll keep everything spoiler free. Here’s a list of the best items we’ve found so far. Mind you, some are a little eccentric and shouldn’t be taken that seriously; they’re just fun – and at times ridiculous – things you can either get as a present for your most dedicated Star Wars fan friends or even get for yourself as a Christmas present.
1. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Chess Set
Let’s start with something light, shall we? We’ve found a fair few types of Star Wars inspired chess boards, figurines included of course. No, sadly, it’s not 3D, but still a marvel to look at and a damn fun thing to make use of. Now, you can either go for a simpler, more plain version of the Star Wars Saga Edition chess set that we’ve found here on eBay for just $29.99. While we’re at it, there is a The Force Awakens version, if you’re willing to whip out another $10 extra.
For the absolutely dedicated, however, we’ve found a more advanced, and downright more expensive Star Wars Chess Game Board. It goes for $350 but it includes faithfully modelled collectible figurines (hence the spiked out price), made after the original Star Wars characters. Who cares about playing with the white or the black pieces when you get to choose whether you play with Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker, Yoda or Darth Maul?
2. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars BB-8 Interactive Talking Figure
The Disney Store graces the devotees of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens with a cute little robot that will roll and bleep its way into your house and your heart as soon as you power it up. It uses a dented wheel underneath its body, making it omnidirectional, and has a surprisingly huge amount of upright stability even if the robot wobbles about a lot when moving. He can also talk and interact with anyone who spares him the attention through simple voice commands. With a vast collection of lights, sound effects and several play modes, he’s a really fun toy for anyone who wants their very own BB-8 rolling about (he can’t be remotely controlled).
The BB-8 Interactive Robot can be found on the Disney Store for $34.95. And if you don’t know who BB-8 is, might as well not look into it until after you’ve seen the Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie.
3. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Dog Tags
Easy to collect and a bunch of great looking trinkets, the Star Wars dog tags feature either the Rebel Alliance, Galactic Empire or Boba Fett. Whether you use them as dog tags are meant to be used, on your key chain or whatnot, they remain a very nicely designed gift or collectible. You can get them for $10.99 a piece on eBay and Amazon.
4. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Headphones
I have to say, these pairs of headphones may not be the absolute highest quality of sound rendering you can find, but they’re fairly well performing and a sight for sore eyes. With a sturdy and foldable build, a detachable cable that includes an on-wire mic and remote so you can use them with your phone, the SMS Audio Street by 50 Star Wars Edition headphones are outstandingly fashionable. There’s two editions that you can get these in, with slight differences between them. Furthermore, the first edition features either Rebel, Stormtrooper or Boba Fett color pallete and design, while the second edition comes in Rebel, R2-D2 and Darth Vader versions. Ranging between $120 and $150, you can order yourself a pair of those on Amazon but you might want to hurry – they’re low in stock at the moment and the next batch will only be made available on the 24th of December, meaning you might not be able to get them on time if you’re planning to gift them.
5. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars R2-D2 Projecting Clock
“Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you’re my only… way of telling the time!” Yeah, sadly, there won’t be any holographic Leia grinning at you from the R2-D2 figure, but this sure is a fun alternative to a plain old clock in your room. It can project the time and date on any plain surface. It may not be all 3D and holographic and just relies on simple light projections in the form of red lasers.
For this one, however, you’ll have to keep an eye out on Amazon as it’s currently unavailable for purchase and instead redirects you to other providers with slightly inflated prices. Normally, you should be able to get it for about $50 and not the $175+ that I’ve recently been spotting it going for.
6. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Death Star Ice Molds
Maybe not very appropriate for this time of the year, but at least for future reference you may want to get this lovely tray that makes Death Star shaped ice cubes for your beverages. They’re surprisingly high-detail too, making you feel a little bad when they start melting. However, still a great thing to have in your cupboard for any Star Wars themed party and a nice surprise to anyone who stops to notice the ice cubes in their glasses. You can get the Jollylife Silicone Mold Ice Cube Death Star Tray for as little as $7.49 on Amazon.
7. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Death Star Planetarium
This one is a bit of a 2 in 1, as you might’ve been able to tell by the name alone. It comes in a nice Death Star figure that you can use as a simple decoration with no remorse as it’s nicely designed to start off. However, once you take off the top half cover and reveal what’s underneath, the whole device receives a whole new meaning. The glass layer is inscribed with an entire map of the entire Star Wars Galaxy that will project on your walls thanks to the light inside. There’s also an Earth’s night sky projection dome included in the package which will only project stars all around your room at night. Did I say 2 in 1? Make that 3 in 1.
The Star Wars Science Death Star Planetarium is available on Amazon for $39.99.
8. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Lightsaber Chopsticks
Now I’ll be frank with you, I own two pairs of those, one in red and one in blue. Actually using them for meals – be it from Asian cuisine or not – is really not the ideal experience as they tend to slip a lot. They’re great as a novelty to show off on your shelf or use as hair sticks when you’re sporting a bun. Bet you didn’t think about that, did you?
The chopsticks are a loyal as it can get replica of the light sabers from the series, with the only design exception that they’re a lot more conical for practical purposes. You can get them for $15 a pair; and much to my enthusiasm, there seems to also be a Mace Windu version of purple chopsticks and Yoda’s very own green version.
9. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Lightsaber Wall Light
Once again, a great Star Wars novelty that one may find intriguing and pretty cool to say the least is this very appealing lightsaber replica that you will use as a wall light out of all things. While I’m sure you already own an actual lightsaber replica, together with the woosh and everything else, this one you can simply hang and display on your wall. At 25” and 8 different light effects, you can get a suitable hue for your room, at the risk of going all non-canonical (colors included are red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, purple and… pink. Actual pink, not Mace Windu-like manly purple).
Regardless, it’s available on Amazon for $29.99.
10. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars R2-D2 Pop-up Storage Bin
Who doesn’t want a new R2-D2 trash bin as a present for Christmas? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a listing of that once. However, this one is a more respectful storage bin that can fold up and be stored away basically anywhere. Whether you use it for clothing or random objects that you really have no more room for, the R2-D2 Pop-up Storage Bin is a fun alternative for the Star Wars fan.
The only place where we’ve managed to find it available for purchase is BigW however, where it goes for $39.
11. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Darth Vader Force Glove
Let’s take it up a notch on the roleplaying ladder and take a look at a toy that not only your kids will enjoy. I’m sure everyone wished that the Force existed at at least one point throughout their lifetimes. Or that one would be able to make metallic objects go crazy like X-Men’s Magneto. You don’t see the connection? Take a look at the Star Wars Darth Vader Force Glove and you will: by combining the magical powers of magnets with a loyal replica of Darth Vader’s most fashionable glove, you get to play pretend at the next level. You’ll have to explain why your outstanding control over the Force only seems to work around magnets and metallic objects, but up until that question arises in your conversation, you can have an unusually large amount of fun just pushing and pulling things around with your Force-tastic glove.
Uncle Milton Store has it for only $19.99.
12. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Chewbacca slippers
I don’t see anyone wearing these for anything else but a downright laugh, but hey – why not? This one is pretty straight forward if I do say so myself; you get the warmest, the furriest and the most comfortable Chewbacca-faced house slippers to wear around your home on those colder and colder days. They only come in large sized but at least on Amazon you can gift wrap them too and have them on their way to their soon-to-be warm and comfortable owner. Currently purchasable for up to $30 a pair.
13. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Chewie Costume Hoodie
Oh my god, they killed Chewie and made a coat out of him! Not really, but the chewie hoodie is a fun thing to wear though I would expect you won’t be taking it with you and wearing it to any galactic conferences anytime soon. Or any conference or other formal events for that matter. However, those cinemas get awfully cold at times and you wouldn’t want to be shivering while you’re trying to get immersed and enjoy the latest Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie, would you?
We’ve found it for sale via the thinkgeek.com store website for just $69.99.
Note: No real Wookiees were harmed in the making of these fake fur hoodies.
14. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Chewbackpack
While we’re still caught in the apparel category, we’ve got one final item that will allow you to finish your Wookiee clothing collection, even though it comes more as an accessory than anything else: the Chewbackpack. This one won’t just attempt to make your back as hairy as Chewie’s, but instead mounts a smaller scale Wookiee right on there, awaiting a piggy-back ride, with storage space included of course. He even sports a Rebel insignia and a strap that matches Chewie’s bandoleer.
You can purchase it on eBay for $32.99.
15. Star Wars Merchandise – Star Wars Episode VII Star Destroyer BT Speaker
I’ve actually come to appreciate and greatly enjoy products that mix fun with utility. It takes away some of the guilt I feel spending money on things that other people would consider pointless. This Star Destroyer is a great example of items that go well in the list of excusable merch. Keep it turned off and all you’ve got is a Star Destroyer replica that already looks amazing by itself. Turn it on and sync it to your phone via Bluetooth, and suddenly you’ve got your very own Star Destroyer-shaped wireless jukebox speaker to carry with you throughout your house in order to listen to music. With a range of up to 30 feet, its very own charging docking station that looks more like a pedestal than anything else, the Star Destroyer Speaker is available on thinkgeek.com for just $49.99.
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