Got a few little tidbits for you today, some slightly aged, some new. Been a busy week for me (in my real job) and I kept forgetting to write up some posts about this stuff, so here it is, all in one post.

First up, a new Universal Studios exclusive model has shown up on eBay, as shared with me by my good buddy AnimateOrange. Strangely, this product does not have any of the usual Metal Earth or ICONX branding, though you can see the small legal stuff on the back mention that it is manufactured by Fascinations, Inc. From the packaging, I would hazard that this is an ICONX model of some sort. And yes, that looks like they just slapped the existing Gringott’s Dragon on top of a model of Gringott’s. And, yes, I still want it. Because DRAGONS! And Harry Potter! And hopefully the feet will be easier to attach to the base!





Next is news on the Books-A-Million exclusive Hogwarts Express, which has, just today, moved from pre-order status to shipping on the BAM! website (see source link below). So if you’ve been waiting, it’s On Like Donkey Kong. I can’t believe I just wrote that… Meh, it’s a Friday. So sue me.

Finally, some interesting information has surfaced about the seeming demise of the Legends line, thanks to someone pulling out this old photo from one of AnimateOrange’s long-past news videos. Someone decided to send an email to Fascinations to ask about what happened to those even-more-boxy models, and they shared the response with me. Back before the Legends line became what it is, it had an experimental phase with a temporary name of ME Lite. These were just trial runs to gauge interest, and eventually it evolved into the Legends line that we loved (and hated).

But the real juicy bit came after that explanation… they are working on some detailed full body Star Wars characters (similar to Iron Man / Black Panther / C-3PO)! The emails shared with me mentioned Boba Fett and Vader, and I’ve reached out to my little birdie and confirmed that these two, as well as possibly a third, are in the works. That doesn’t mean that their release is set in stone or anything, mind you. Licensed merch is risky, but given the good relationship that Metal Earth has with Star Wars, I’m thinking the prospect looks pretty good. I wish I had some pictures to share with you, but alas, I do not. I’m looking forward to seeing some just like you are!

Sources: eBay, Books-A-Million, a friend and a little birdie