Very Urgent News!

If you fancy your chances of working with Lego (and not just packing it in boxes to send to other people... *ahem* Sorry, we don't know where that came from), make very sure you read on.

We've been contacted by press agents from the soon-to-be-completed Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester. It just so happens they're looking for a model builder. Presumably to work there and, you know, build models of famous mancunians. That sort of thing.
Is... is that the kind of thing you think you might be interested in?

Of course it is! But you'll have to hurry - auditions are being held on the 27th of November (er... that's in 2 days), from 10am to 5pm at the Lowry Hotel in Machester.
Nimble-fingered hopefuls will be faced with an overwhelming array of bricks and the challenge to craft an animal from Lego in just 5 minutes (if one of your fears is growing into a giant ala Alice in the White Rabbit's house, better avoid a room full of tiny bricks. Who knows what terrifying departure from reality such an encounter could precipitate).

So excited you've forgotten how to breathe? Good! You'll need to register, then. To do so, email your interest to: register@legolanddiscoverycentre.com

We at FireStar genuinely wish you the best of luck.
If you go to the auditions, why not take some pictures and write a guest post for this blog? We'd love to hear your experiences. Get in touch in the comments, or by emailing: juliet@firestartoys.com

Doctor Who Goodies!

The time has come, the golden age has come to a close. Possibly. Or, it could be renewed; go on to reach even greater heights, even bigger, more adoring audiences.
Of course, we're referring to the fated swap-over of Doctors - the transition from one Doctor's style of, well, doctoring around the universe, to that of another. For, as it was written by the ancient Maya (and Russel T Davies, probably), the old Doctor has already stepped onto the path that has no forks. Now we travel with him, inexorably swept in his wake to that not-so-distant point where the transformation must take place.

But, before that happens (or after, depending on when you're reading this), why not celebrate the last few years?
At FireStar's Amazon outpost (we keep it in-case of attacks from highwaymen), we've stockpiled some of the most memorable characters and Who-ish accessories, all in shrunken plastic form!
Let's have a look, shall we?

First up, it's the Editor!
Who could forget Simon Pegg's chilling turn as frost-faced future news-man, the Editor? Not us, that's for sure. He haunts our dreams. Here, he's been lovingly recreated in plastic so that you can relive his gory demise whenever you choose! For added authenticity, stick him in the freezer first...

Next pick from our overflowing cornucopia of Doctor flavoured treats, here's a Dalek themed pencil tin!
What better stocking filler for neophyte Who fans - you know, the kind who are supposedly so fond of hiding behind sofas. Send your darlings great or small off to school with this Dalek pencil tin. Who knows, it might just impart them with the cold, implacable logic of the squishy-centred, outwardly riveted ones. That's got to be useful in maths, right?
Or, for grown-up children, relieve days of office-based tedium with this fantastical window into a world where anything is possible. And it holds pencils!

Last on our virtual conveyor belt, take out your goatees, if you will, and peruse this artistic offering:
Don't pictures paint a-thousand words?
What more can we accurately convey about this stunning piece? Sure to go well on any Who fan's bedroom wall, this work was conceptualised and painted by renowned experts in quantum possibility matrices.* Stare into it's purplish depths and contemplate the mysteries of deep space: How deep is space? Is time linear? Where does the Doctor get his coats? All these questions and more are up for rumination by inquisitive minds, inspired by this visual exploration of the Doctor's universe.
Gaze upon its beauties, O mortal, and know the fear of eternity!
Either that, or spend some time picturing just how much bigger the inside of the Tardis is than the outside. Whichever you prefer.

Well, thanks for reading, Doctor fans. Oh, and did we mention that over at firestartoys.com there's a discount running up until the new year?
That's right - you get 10% off anything at all - even sale items! Take advantage of our generosity while you can by typing in the code at checkout:

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Live long and prosper! No, wait, that's another show...

* May not actually have been conceptualised by experts of any kind.

A Wish List FAQ: All you were too afraid to ask!

Greetings, friends and fiends!

In this blog post we’re going to explore the rather spiffing Wish List system over at the main FireStar website, and how exactly it can be of use to you, your family, friends and pets.

Here, below, we have an FAQ. For those of you who don’t know, those letters are what we in the trade call an acronym. If you take each letter individually, they stand in for the phrase ‘Frequently Asked Questions’. You don’t have to capitalise each letter normally, we were just doing that for clarity.

Without further ado, here are all the questions about the FireStar Wish List that you were too terrified, apathetic or inarticulate to ask.

In the interests of full disclosure, we have to admit that nobody has, thus far, asked, well, any questions about the Wish List system. At all. So, we had to assume that all the people who wanted to ask had been rounded up by a gang of marauding ogres, and are currently huddled in the rear of a cave, being poked with sticks and grunted at softly. Fear not! These ogres are simple, but essentially harmless creatures. They are simply under a misapprehension about how to carry out orders that they were far to stupid to understand in the first place. Our crack team of Ogroid-Human communicators are on the case. In the mean time, here are the FAQ we just know you would have asked. Chocks away!

Q: What is this Wish List system I’ve heard so much about?

A: We’re glad you asked! FireStar’s Wish List system essentially puts your presents on auto pilot! It lets you browse the site, putting anything you want into a Wish List that you can send to your friends and family.

Q: Put your presents on auto pilot? What, if anything, does that actually mean?

A: Well, Bob, that means that you don’t have to worry about discussing gift-lists with your relatives any more. It’s all sorted. You make your Wish List and send it to the relevant people. They take it from there.

Q: What if I need more than one Wish List this Christmas? I need one for Pauly-Joe and one for Blinky-Sue. And more for Birthdays!

A: No problemo! You can create as many Wish Lists as you need, and give them different names so you’ll know who they’re for.

What’s more, whenever you want to add something to Pauly-Joe or …Blinky-Sue, was it? – right – to either of their lists, you’ll be asked to choose which list you want that item to go on. There’s a drop down menu! It’s super.

Q: You speak of adding things to my list. Please to explain in more detail?

A: Well, if you’re logged in to your Wish List, you can simply relax and browse the site. There’ll be a pretty Wish List button next to each and every item, on the right hand side. When you come across something your very heart desires (or the very hearts of Pauly-Joe and Blinky-Sue desire. Ask them to make their own Wish Lists! It’ll be fun!), simply click on that Wish List button to add the item.

Q: What happens when I’ve finished making a Wish List? Do I throw my laptop onto a moving vehicle and hope for the best?

A: No. That may be the policy of some online retailers, but here at FireStar we think it’s much simpler to actually tell the people you want to know about your Wish List.

When you’ve finished your list, we give you the option of sending it to as many people as you want via email.

Your chosen recipients can then click through to see your Wish List, and choose which gift they’d like to buy!

Q: I’m alarmingly lazy. Why should I bother?

A: Have you ever rung round various relatives organising who’s buying what for your darling offspring? Have they ever rung up asking what Junior wants, exactly, only for you to realise you don’t know? Have you ever had to hide the look of growing horror on your face as you receive a ceramic unicorn? Or had to plead with taciturn, bovine-faced retail assistants to return a gift you got twice, that didn’t come with a receipt?

A FireStar Wish List takes away all that hassle, whisks it under the carpet and leaves you looking serenely untroubled while all about you choke on the impotent rage of gift-based frustrations.

With a Wish List you know you (or your sprogs) are getting exactly what you want because you chose it.

There are no repeat presents – once a relative has bought an item from the list, it’s ticked off the list.

Best of all for those easily confused by modern contraptions (I think we all know we’re talking about grandparents here), there’s no confusion about which bionicle/ Lego set/ Naughty Naughty Pet to get. It’s all right there on the list! All your gifters have to do is decide which option best suits their price range.

Q: This all sounds great! How do I get started?

A: Easy! Just click this link to head over to our Wish List page. You’ll find more detailed instructions there, but the whole system is pretty intuitive.

Once you’ve created an account, it’s time to make your first list and start wishing!

As soon as something gets bought from your list, we of the FireStar team will scurry from various crevices in our vast stock kingdoms, and, like the noble elves of yore, mine the jewel-faceted walls of toys for your chosen bauble. Then, we’ll send it to you! It all works out.

Q: What about postage? Do you throw the parcels onto the back of a moving truck and hope for the best?

A: Again, no. We prefer to send your presents through a more organised system.

Most packages will go first class Royal Mail.

Over a certain price threshold, we’ll spring for recorded or special delivery for you to make absolutely sure more expensive purchases reach you in the best condition. Or, send them Parcelforce, depending on how big a package is.

If you need what you’ve ordered NOW, you can pay for speedy delivery when you check out.

Q: Most of my money these days goes to pyramid schemes and protection rackets. Can I have a discount?

A: Yes! We’re offering readers of our blog and Twitter feed a special 10% discount until the end of the year. You can even use it to get more money off sales goods. Let nobody question our magnanimity!

Here's the code now:

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Q: Do you really have a tiny photographic studio for Lego men?

A: Yes. We really do. We’ve now expanded it to include a hair section!

Well, that’s it for now. If you have any more questions of burning import, mail them to Juliet@firestartoys.com , or post them in the comments. You could also ring us, if you wanted to (we do get lonely sometimes). The number’s over at the main site!

In which we offer you Discounts!

It’s been said that the approach of winter can be depressing.

This is something we have a certain degree of familiarity with at FireStar, as the shortening days lead inevitably to a sort of low-key melancholy that hangs over FireStar towers like a damp, Tupperware sky.

We’ve speculated that the new, more thoughtful mood might simply be a result of having less daylight hours available in which to pleasure boat in our company lake (and we get very cranky if we don’t get our daily quota of pleasure boating). But that doesn’t seem to cut it.

No, it seems the time of year has arrived when even the guileless smiles of Lego men, existing as they do in a perpetual state of Zen-like contentment, can’t entirely cheer us up. In fact, their serene faces start to appear mockingly self-aware. They know the secret of happiness, but damned if they’re going to share it with you, you monstrous flesh-giant. No, they’ll scuttle away to their brick kingdoms and live merrily, away from the fraught world of men. Look at any box of Lego you’ve forgotten in a loft somewhere – it’s what they’re all doing, guaranteed.

But, we digress.

No, we weren’t going to leave you flailing in our swamp of hastily induced despair. We have solutions!

That’s right, when FireStar feels blue, we cheer ourselves up with discounts! For you! (Sorry if that wasn’t immediately clear)

We’re offering you – readers of our blog and Twitter feed – an exclusive 10% discount code that you can use towards anything over at the FireStar site, right up until the end of the year.

No catches – there’s no minimum spend and you can even use it on items in our Sales and Deals section to maximise your savings.

Here's the magic code itself:

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Thus, we get the warm, fuzzy glow that comes from making great deals for you, and you get the satisfaction from knowing you’ve saved lots of money on stuff you really want.

Literally everyone wins. Everyone.