This feature originally appeared in Complex's December/January 2015 issue.
It seems kids these days are more interested in iPhones than the toys of our youth. Perhaps that’s why nostalgic adults are the target market for premium collectibles based on some of the most fandom-heavy franchises out. Hasbro’s taken the classic lightsaber and Jedi mind-tricked it out with a metal hilt, durable blade, and realistic sounds culled from a galaxy far, far away. Mattel’s latest Batman utility belt is an accurate facsimile of the one Adam West rocked in the ’60s, and it even comes with a batarang you can pelt unsuspecting victims with. Drones more your speed? Try Nerf’s spider-shaped Combat Creature, ideal for terrorizing the office. If you prefer stuff you can show off on your desk, sixth-scale renditions of Boba Fett and Iron Man from Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys are so detailed, you’d swear they come to life when you’re not looking. And just in time for the 25th anniversary of Ghostbusters, there’s a 6-inch Peter Venkman that comes with his own proton stream and a dead-on likeness of a young Bill Murray. Be careful not to cross the streams.
From left to right:
Nerf N-Strike Elite Combat Creatures Attacknid Dart Shooter, $80, available at hasbro.com
6” Peter Venkman (with Proton Stream), $25, available at mattycollector..com
Darth Maul Force FX Lightsaber, $150, available at hasbro.com
Hot Toys Iron Man Mark XLII, $310, available at sideshowtoy.com
DC Classic TV Series Batman Utility Belt, $125, available at mattycollector.com
Sideshow Collectibles Boba Fett (Prototype Armor), $180, available at sideshowtoy.com
Anakin Skywalker Force FX Lightsaber, $150, available at hasbro.com