Rare Star Wars Boba Fett figure sells for 1.34M!

An ultra rare Kenner 1979 J-Slot (Version 2) Rocket-Firing (Mailer) Prototype Boba Fett, described as the ‘Holy Grail’ of Star Wars toys, sold for a record-breaking $1,342,000!

Goldin auctions said the toy which never made it to market due to safety concerns, is now the most expensive toy ever sold, the most expensive action figure ever sold and the most expensive non-prop Star Wars-related item ever sold.

The action figure is one of only 30 ever produced, is the highest-graded example of the three known to still exist and is the first to be sold at auction. A similar Boba Fett figure previously became the world’s most expensive vintage toy when it was auctioned for $525,000 in June.

The world’s longest shoelace

A Missouri museum, in collaboration with a business on its second floor, set a world record with a 2,729-foot-long shoelace. The City Museum, housed in the former Annex of the International Shoe Company, teamed up with The Shoelace Factory, which used antique machinery to craft the shoelace over 24 hours.

The shoelace was fitted with custom aglets and laid out across the Eads Bridge for official measurement. The museum had to prove the shoelace was woven from threads and functional by using it to tie a shoe.

15-year aged meat becomes world’s most exclusive

Polmard, a small farm in Saint Mihiel, France, produces the world’s most exclusive meat using a process called hibernation, which preserves meat for up to 15 years without losing quality.

Alexandre Polmard, a sixth-generation farmer, developed this technique in the 1990s. The process involves blasting cold air at 120 km/h over the meat in a -43°C environment, allowing it to mature over a decade. The longer the meat is cured, the higher its quality and price, with a 15-year-old rib steak costing $3,200 per kilogramme.

Polmard uses Blonde d’Aquitaine cattle, raised free-range to minimise stress, before subjecting the meat to hibernation. Unlike typical dry-aged beef, which matures for a few weeks, Polmard’s meat can be aged for up to 15 years or more. This rare meat is highly sought after by top restaurants. Alexandre personally ensures that only a selected few restaurants worldwide understand how to serve his hibernated meat properly.

Albino alligator hatches at Florida safari park

Wild Florida, in Kenansville Safari Park, announced the arrival of a baby albino alligator, the third such successful hatching in the history of its breeding programme.

“With the hard work and dedication of our Croc Squad, we worked together to produce one perfect healthy albino alligator hatchling this season,” Croc Squad member Andrew Ayala said. “We are most proud of the parents, Snowflake and Blizzard, who continue to beat the odds and be a one-of-a-kind experience for guests.”

The baby will go on display to the public after about a month, the park said.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 24th, 2024