In a recent survey of a sci-fi collecting community, I was surprised at how many people had classic cars as a hobby prior to expanding into the sci-fi universe of collecting. Who hasn’t dropped hints to their significant other to try to get their classic Ford or Chevy on Chip Foose’s Overhaulin’ show on the Discovery Channel? Foose has designed vehicles for major motion pictures such as Blade Runner, Gone in 60 Seconds, and RoboCop, and he’s rebuilding cars for nominees on his show. What’s cooler than that? And who doesn’t wish they had Jay Leno’s garage full of classic cars, and his resources to rebuild them?
Decades ago I dreamed of taking an old classic ’57 Chevy Bel Air and rebuilding it into a street rod. So I did it–via a 1:25 scale plastic model kit, first building the model on the box, then sanding it into a rusted mess, then building it back up into a competition orange rod. Lots cheaper than doing it with the real thing. Finding myself wandering a local hobby shop this weekend I noticed several new retro entries in the model car kit category that I hadn’t seen before. I wish I had time to make them all. So check these out, and if you have a car enthusiast, young or old, on this year’s gift giving list, keep these in mind.
Who you gonna call? How about the Ghostbusters and their Ecto-IA hearse? It’s the car Dan Aykroyd bought and thought was just perfect for the team’s new business. It’s from AMT and available for less than $25.
Who doesn’t think Doc Brown’s DeLorean isn’t one of the coolest cars in all of sci-fi? You can pre-order a Back to the Future time machine car fully tricked out for less than $30. It even comes with a flux capacitor.
Do you miss Shag and Scoob and the rest of the Scooby Gang? How about getting your own Mystery Machine? It’s available for less than $20.
. It’s fun for kids and adults (it says it is for 8 years and up), as can be attested to by yours truly and a certain local comic book shop owner I know. With flight times up to 5 minutes and recharges of only about 20 minutes, you can play with this straight from the box. Yep, it’s plug & play. The remote control has a 30 foot range and can hover forwards, backwards and sideways. Whoever designed this was a genius. It operates from a centralized rotor system as a helicopter, that allows it to hover over eight feet straight up and the controls allow for stable flights, that, with a little work, can reflect some sweet maneuvers. The body is styrofoam, which allows for lightweight lift and zero damage to objects in the house. Outside this will soar, too, although it is designed for indoor flight. It lists at $50, but I found a stack of these at TJ Maxx for $19.99. I’ve seen these at $50 still, too, so that TJ Maxx can’t be passed up.
. That’s right. Ice cube tray. As iconic imagery goes, what’s cooler than your own mini-Han, ready for Boba Fett to transport away… in his glass of iced tea. I hear this works well with chocolate, too. You can find these at comic shops and all over the Web for under $10.00.
. I flipped through this new book this weekend and it will hold any Star Wars fan’s attention with great photos and content. Impressive… most impressive. It was co-written by one of the creators of the Star Wars Vault, a good thing, and this feels like its own addition to the Vault series, including pull out items and inserts like film cells. It lists for $60, but you can get it on the Web for $30.
, which was released last year. It will take you a year to get through this as it is chock full of everything you want to know about your favorite Star Wars movie. Lots of great interviews, behind the scenes photos and insight behind the creative process of making a sequel to one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, like adding new characters and locations. This book is pricy, released at $85.00 you can get it for around $50.00 if you shop around. It will be worth it for the big Empire fan.
for your computer, iPad, car window, etc.? You can get one for everyone starting at $1.49 each. Would make a great stocking stuffer.
look just like the original packaging from 1978, only they include updated figures and new characters not originally available. These can be found anywhere–Target, WalMart, Toys R Us–starting at around $7.00 each.
. It includes the full Tie Fighter and X-Wing Fighter as well as two action figures. “Back when I was a kid” they didn’t include action figures. If bigger is better, then this set is the best. The price range on this one varies from $110.00 to $150.00.
