Christmas in February?

I don't buy many action figures, but the annual Toy Fair show still captivates me. Why? Because it never fails to impress.

But this year's big surprise was a doozy. Finally delivering a figure it advertised decades ago, Hasbro is making available the fabled rocket-firing Boba Fett. This mail-away offer, presented in connection with the 30th anniversary of "The Empire Strikes Back," was outlined in Hasbro's press slideshow and print materials. You can see the actual figure, which closely resembles the original Boba Fett figure, here. The main difference between the figure first proposed three decades ago and the one available later this year is the elongated "missile." While some naysayers might chide Hasbro for taking the extra step to avoid shipping a choking hazard, I applaud the company for giving longtime "Star Wars" fans this special treat in addition to their newest Boba Fett figure, which is pretty darn sweet.

And those figures aren't the only nicknacks I'm tempted to buy this year. The recently announced Hallmark ornaments for this year include miniature Boba Fett and Han Solo in carbonite decorations. I think they'd look great on the tiny tree Annie and I use in our apartment each December.

Some other winning concepts unveiled at this year's Toy Fair were new figures based on the enjoyable "G.I. Joe: Resolute" cartoon, some retro-styled figures based on the "Venture Bros." series, and two impressive Transformer sets that reimagine classic gestalts Superion and Bruticus for the current toyline. There also are some pretty slick toys based on the upcoming "Transformers: War for Cybertron" video game.

Finally, I'd be remiss not to mention the Boba Fett helmet and blaster that are releasing exactly 26 years too late for 6-year-old Josh to enjoy. Alas. It's good to know, though, that other boys will have fun playing bounty hunter.