While still relatively new, as reported yesterday, to Mexico, where they are being sold at newsstand kiosks, the metal Figuras De Plomo have been around for months overseas. Many Rebelscum readers have sent in information about where they originally came from and what other figures are available. While some readers who have seen them say the paint jobs look bad, the vast majority of collectors who wrote in seem to love them. Here's what they had to say:



Here in Mexico City and in almost all the country each figurine is available each 15 days on the newspapers stands or kiosks, they're not for sale in indoor stores.

So far are available the figurines of Darth Vader, Stormtrooper with Yoda and Han Solo.
When you buy the Stormtrooper figurine you get free the Yoda figurine.

The first figurine (Darth Vader) cost 69 pesos (like $7 USD)
but the other figurines and the rest of the collection will cost 139 pesos (like $14 USD)

-Jose



The good news is that these figurines (actually from lead I believe) already are on international distribution (check the site www.deagostini.co.uk), the bad news are that DeAgostini is the same company that previously published the Star Wars Fact Files, and if I remember correctly those weren't available on the US market.

-Francisco



I'm from Madrid, Spain. Those 1/32 figures that Mario from Mexico found belong to a collection that started here one year ago. The price here is 9.99 euros each and you can buy it at your newsagent or subscribe.

This is the list so far (there's a lot more to come!):

- Darth Vader
- Yoda
- Storm Trooper
- Han Solo
- Luke Skywalker
- Chewbacca
- TIE Fighter (different scale)
- C-3PO
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Darth Maul
- Leia
- R2-D2
- Admiral Ackbar
- X Wing (different scale)
- Count Dooku
- Wicket The Ewok
- Jabba the Hutt
- Grand Moff Tarkin
- Imperial Guard
- Anakin Skywalker
- Emperor
- Padme Amidala
- Boba Fett
- Clone Trooper
- Tion Medon
- Bib Fortuna
- Jango Fett
- Lando Calrisian
- AT-AT (different scale)
- General Grievous

This is the the link to the Planeta DeAgostini page little some pictures: www.planetadeagostini.es

- Curro





I have a Darth Vader and Luke figure that look identical to this line. (see attached photo) Mine came from France - via another collector in Georgia.

The metal in these figures is very soft. Lightsabers can bend or break in the mail if not wrapped well. (I learned this the hard way.) The two figures I received were not in full packaging, but there was a clear plastic bubble on Darth Vader's back that was contoured for this figure.

-Craig



I just saw pictures on the site and had cause to write in for really the first time ever.

I was in Europe most of last year, and these things you're showing are die-cast collectibles that they sold in newsstands in Italy. They're surprisingly heavy and well done, and while there are more of them, I personally have Vader, Han Solo, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Stormtrooper, and Leia.

They were available at the newsstands you see everywhere in Italy, and also by subscription though it specified you had to have an Italian address - so no dice for me. They were also available in Spain, and were much cheaper there. They came with big magazines about the characters, and it was all really well done. Wish we had stuff like that here - at newsstands over there they sell all kinds of collectibles along with magazines and such. I got a tuxedo T-shirt with a magazine on the Cannes film festival while I was there.

-Don



Here in Spain this collection was launched on january 2005, and it is still running. Each 15 days you have a new figurine with magazine in your nearest newsagent. Last week they released the 28th figurine (AT-AT). As far as I now, the same collection was also released in teh U.K.

-Eugenio



This is a publication which is offered in Spain. In fact it is published by Planeta deAgostini (a very important publisher of serialized items about any topic in Europe).

This publication consists of a kind of magazine (I don't know the word to use in English, but think of a 20 pages little paperback, containing files with photos and descriptions of characters, vehicles, weapons, etc of the Star Wars universe, with a look similar to "Star Wars Chronicles" for instance, and when you have a group of about 20 issues you can join them adding a hardback, and making a bigger volume). The hardbacks are also offered each 20 issues.

Besides, each issue (it is sold every 15 days) comes with a lead Star Wars figure.
Last week I just acquired issue number 29, and you can think that the collection may last about 45 issues (I hope). The issues are written in Spanish and also add a unique paper sheet showing the way the figure was made.

-David





Here is a picture of the figures that I have on display so far (just the Tion Medon and Bib Fortuna are not shown yet). The base is a gift after you receive so many figures (I forget how many) and then they offer the chance to buy more…as you can see, this base (lead too I think…it is very heavy) is quite crowded and I think I need to get another one!

The magazine is full of fantastic info from the process of sculpting and painting the figures, to a centerfold spread of (usually) a ship that has something to do with the figure you received tons of other facts about planets, the movies, species, etc. Each magazine is 20 pages long and in full color….very nicely done…

-Pete



DeAgostini is an Italian publisher which has a lot of serial products which are usually sold in newsstands. In the Italian DeAgostini site there is a web page about the collection (http://www.deagostiniedicola.it ) where it says there will be 40 issues and there is also a list of the first 23 issues . DeAgostini is selling its products in other countries as well. It looks like the same collection is sold at least in Mexico, Italy, Spain, and also in Great
Britain!

-Gian



Looks like the DeAngostini Star Wars Fact Files have a Mexican version now. Up to now, these have had limited release in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Malta. While it is technically possible to get a subscription here in the US, those who have dealt with them in the past can tell you that DeAngostini's service leave a lot to be desired. I'm lucky enough to have a good friend in Northern Ireland who picks these up for me directly from his newsagent. The figurines are great and the magazine exceptional. If there were enough [of an] outcry for these in the US, perhaps we could persuade DeAngostini to distribute here.

-Jerry



True dat. Thanks to all the above quoted readers as well as everyone else who wrote in about these figurines. Hopefully everyone who wants them now has enough info to start collecting. If you'd like to discuss this more, join the discussion currently going on in the Rebelscum Other collectibles Forum