New 2012 Christmas Gifts for Star Wars Fans

There has been some furor this year, as Lego reacted to the news of three more films with a steep price increase.  Many complaints later, they brought it back down to last year's levels!

The reason for the upset was simple - the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar is an extremely popular item.  People look forward to it each year, as it's used to collect all of the mini-figures inside.

For Star Wars fans, this is the ultimate in Christmas countdowns.  Each of the windows are opened to extract the tiny, Lego figure inside.  It could be a character or a starship or anything else that can be used with the more general Star Wars Lego sets.

Part of the appeal is the surprise - not knowing what or who you will find behind the cardboard each day.  For that reason, I won't spoil it here. However, if you do wish to know in advance, a commentator on Amazon has listed them all.

And, incidentally, the 2011 Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar is still available.  If you have more than one fan in your home, it might be worth getting both for the extra mini-figures. The dates will be exactly the same!  

I know that these Lego sets are popular.  I recently watched the look of utter glee and anticipation on the face of a teenager, as he purchased the latest in his collection. It was all he could do to hold off until he was home, before he opened it!

As for the Star Wars inspired Lego sets, there are many. They appear in the stores at regular intervals throughout the year, allowing collectors to build up (literally) huge universes in their rooms.

Ready for Christmas 2012 are the X-Wing Starfighter and the Desert Skiff.  Both are of the usual high quality expected of Lego. 

The X-Wing includes four mini-figures, namely Luke Skywalker, Jek Porkins, R2-D2 and R5-D8. There are moveable parts in the cockpit and landing apparatus.  For me, most of the fun would be in continually recreating the moment when Luke blows up the Death Star.

It's just like Beggar's Canyon back home, you know.

Luke turns up again in the mini-figures for the Desert Skiff.   He's joined by Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett and Kithaba.  This Lego set recreates the famous scene, from Return of the Jedi, when Jabba has ordered them all to be thrown into the Sarlacc pit.

Happy days!

There's Darth Vader looking very festive.  I don't know.  There's something quite pleasing about the Supreme Commander of the Galactic Empire dressed up as Santa Claus.  Though perhaps not if he was likely to be delivering any gifts to small children.

I've displayed Darth Maul and Darth Vader, but they aren't the only Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments created for Christmas 2012.

These have been coming out since Christmas 1996, and there are always several in the Star Wars collection.  New for 2012 are: Han Solo to the Rescue; General Grievous; a TIE Interceptor; and a limited edition ornament of Momaw Nadon; as well as the Sith Lords already shown.

They aren't just static ornaments either.  Han Solo to the Rescue plays dialogue from the relevant scene in The Empire Strikes Back. The Darth Vader one is equipped with a motion sensor, which randomly triggers any one of nine messages. All of them are in character, so don't expect much seasonal goodwill to all.

Meanwhile the TIE Interceptor comes complete with sounds of the starfighter in battle, then gives us a rendition of The Imperial March.  There is a certain amusement factor about that dangling off your Christmas tree, should you so wish to place it there!

The other three do appear to be quiet ornaments only though.

There are 305 cards and attendant chaser sub-packs in this action card box set.  It also includes a poster, a sketch card, an autograph/replica relic card and many other goodies besides.

The Star Wars trading cards have been out for years, but collectors usually have to buy individual packs and hope for the best.  That becomes a little expensive, when you add up all of the dud purchases over the decades.

Topps Star Wars Galactic Files takes the gamble out of the packs, by just giving you the whole set. That might take away a little of the magic, but ultimately ends up cheaper.

That said, this is still a rather pricey gift idea for Star Wars fans, though the gaming potential afterwards looks set to continue for many decades yet to come.

I doubt that there is anyone in the world who has collected every single book ever published about the Star Wars universe. They would need a huge hall just to store them!

But there really are some gems out in time for Christmas 2012, which any fan would long to get their hands on.  The trouble is knowing where to start!

Is it me or does that story sound very, very familiar?  Change a few names here and there and I'm sure that I watched it as a movie back in 1977.

Oh!  Well, if a formula works, milk it.

On to the the next literary choices for Star Wars fans this Christmas.

There are so many more books besides that it would be impossible to do them all justice here.  If you do have a Star Wars fan, who enjoys reading, then you could probably fill their bookshelves with this year's publications alone.

However, I do want to highlight just one more...

Some Star Wars Christmas gifts are so obvious that it's barely worth mentioning them, but occasionally something very different comes onto the market.

Chris Alexander has been creating origami all of his life.  He was introduced to it at only four years old!  And he's a big Star Wars fan.  The two had to collide.

In all honesty, I haven't attempted this myself, but judging by the reviews, it's a huge hit.  Everyone from small children to avid, adult fans, through to prisoners in a Californian prison have been engaged in a folding frenzy. 

It was apparently extremely well received at the San Diego Comic-Con, where Alexander himself demonstrated what could be done.  Sales of the book rose accordingly.

All levels of expertise are represented.  Your budding crafter can begin with the 101 designs, then move ever onwards towards the very difficult Jabba the Hut. Each chapter has a wealth of background information, so you know precisely who you are creating.

Please note that you only receive the guide book here. Some commentators seemed surprised that there wasn't any origami paper included.