It's in great condition, still shiny and crisp and clean, and it contains the basic 72-card "Firefly: The Complete Collection" set as well as the one-sheet promo ad flyer for the series, four promo cards (P-i, P-2, P-4, and P-UK), and even the box the cards came in (folded).

The binder was tough to find even before the company went out of business and it's near impossible now. Don't miss out!

Next up in my dehoarding efforts: Autographs!

I love collecting autographs. I love the connection you get with a personal hero. Sure, it's a fleeting one, one they'll undoubtedly forget almost immediately. But you'll still have that memento, that proof that you once met this person and got to talk to him or her about the effect they may have had on your life.

I don't sell autographs I've gotten in person, for that reason and because I don't want celebrities to stop having those moments with fans for fear that their generosity of time will end up… well, on eBay, frankly. They give a lot of their time to fans and we appreciate it, we shouldn't run off and make a buck.

That said, occasionally I'll buy one myself, from a reputable source, to fill a hole in a collection. And if I later get the fortunate opportunity to get another directly from the actor or writer or musician in question, it leaves me with an extra. I figure the celebrity was compensated for the bought one (usually from a convention or arranged signing) so I don't feel as weird selling it myself.  So here's what's up so far:

Nathan Fillion and Gina Torres preprints: I can't stand auctions that aren't clear regarding autographs and preprints so let me say it outright. These are copies of original autographed photos, but they were not themselves signed. There's no indication that either actor ever personally touched these prints. That said, they're pretty cool and would nicely decorate a Browncoat's wall. 8"x10", one of each.

Morena Baccarin as Inara: Whereas this is an actual, signed-in-person, autographed photo. Authenticated by Creation Entertainment, with their certificate of authenticity on the back. 8"x10", glossy.

Amber Benson as Tara: This is a gorgeous photo. Signed by Amber at a Metro Entertainment signing (CofA included). 8"x10" glossy. Hard-to-see wear on the top from being in a frame.

Auctions for all three end next Tuesday night. Don't miss out!

Well, I knew this going back to – pretty much every show that I’ve worked on has had a terrible title. WONDERFALLS doesn’t tell you anything, THE INSIDE doesn’t tell you anything, FIREFLY doesn’t tell you anything – none of these titles tell you anything. [TERRIERS sounds like it will be] a reality show about dog grooming. On the other hand, I will say this, when I imagined DRIVE, I thought, “Well, DRIVE – that is an active title. It’s one word, it tells you everything you need to know about this underground cross-country road race” – and nobody watched that either. So I have no answers [laughs].

So, if you were going to pitch Firefly today, what would you name it?

Keeping in mind that "Like Star Wars But From Han Solo's Side" is probably unworkable.

(Here's parts 2 and 3 of the interview. Well worth the read.)

Then they produced two Firefly Companions, which contained scripts from all the episodes as well as even more interviews and pictures and insider stuff, and they were also exceedingly good. So that was it, right?

Nope. On sale next Tuesday (May 25) is "Firefly: Still Flying," which has even more behind-the-scenes material, quotes from and about the actors, closeup views and histories of some of the most iconic props (and where they ended up), interviews with the stunt coordinator and the location manager and copies of the Serenity Valley battle storyboards and candid photos and a look at the wardrobes and, oh, I don't know what else.

Oh, right. Four new, original Firefly stories by some of the Firefly writers.

Some of you reading this have just left to go pre-order it, but for the benefit of those who have not (or, more likely, have already pre-ordered it), here's some pics.

Like the Companion books, Firefly: Still Flying is big, colorful, and beautifully presented by people who obviously love the material. And again, amazing for someone like me who spent years seeking this stuff out, many of the photos are new. Each actor gets a section filled with quotes from the actor — taken from interviews and convention appearances — and quotes about the actor from others. And alternating with those sections is an article about the production of the show, a story, or a photo gallery.

The section on props ("Objects in Space")  includes how each props was made and where they ended up afterward. The chair/table in the med center, Jayne's knife, the breathing masks hanging at every hatchway (did you notice those? did you notice they had call buttons built in?), even the cookware in the galley. There's even a separate essay on the whereabouts of the Jaynestown statue.

And then there's the stories. "What Holds Us Down" by Jane Espenson, "Fun With Dick and Jayne" by Ben Edlund (a two-page cartoon),  "Crystal" by Brett Matthews and "Take the Sky" by Jose Molina. The first new authorized Firefly stories since the movie. I'm not going to give plots or spoilers (I even blurred the photo above to hide the text) so I'll just give you my impressions: overall, not bad. Not as amazing and world-changing as I'd hoped, no new secrets were revealed, but solid stories told by people who know the characters inside and out. (My favorite was probably "Crystal," although the others got a smile out of me several times).

And the fans. We get our own section, along with a section on new merchandise. I had a (small) hand in quite a lot of that, and I'm proud to see it represented, and delighted to see so many friends mentioned.

I didn't even mention the lengthy section on the ships of the 'verse, or The Story of Monkeyshines, or Jane's essay on writing for a Joss show (Buffy, but close enough).

There is a slight sense of "what did we have that didn't fit in the first two books" in this one — die-hard fans may recognize a lot of what's in here — but what's here is well presented and fun to read and even if you've seen some of the interviews or already knew where Burgess' laser came from, it's nice to have it all together in a handy package and excellent gift idea, hint hint.

Available at Amazon ($13.46), TFAW.com ($15.96), and your local bookseller ($19.95 retail). 160 pages, softcover.

I don't have one to give away this time — you can't have mine — but several other sites are giving them out: Aint It Cool News, IESB.net, ForcesofGeek.com,  SciFiBlock.com, StarPulse.com, StayingInWithVlada.com, SyFy.co.uk, TVOvermind.com, and Whedonesque.com.

And if you haven't seen Titan's Firefly: The Official Companion 1, Firefly: The Official Companion 2, or the Serenity Visual Companion yet, go get them immediately.

A pocket-sized Firefly for your very own, of course!

About 2" long, made of solid metal with a pewter finish, it's solid and just a joy to look at.

Here's a pic of mine:

It's heavier and less fragile than I expected; you could drop this and not worry. I'm not sure I'd actually use it as a keychain, though, the reactor manifold strut things under the engine tends to catch on things in my pocket.At the moment it's dangling from my rear view mirror.

But it looks perfect. Made from the original digital files from the show, it captures the feel of our good girl nicely.

$9.99 plus shipping. QMx has them back in stock or if you'd rather you can buy it through Amazon .

The Firefly Replica Keychain was created using the TV series' special effects files and carefully scaling them down to just over two inches. The keychain is cast in solid metal with a pewter finish and contains an incredible amount of detail – leaving no doubt that when you travel, you do it in Firefly style.

This is the first item QMx has prioduced with their new Firefly license (as opposed to their Serenity license) and it's seriously cool and very affordable.  You're gonna order one anyway, you know it. Might as well get in on a chance for an even shinier one.

Jane's story will be a short one, around 2,000 words. In an interview while promoting her new series Caprica, she said, "Oh, I just came up with a very clever little short story that involves Kaylee and Wash, two characters that we haven't seen together that much."

Jose Molina had mentioned his several times on his own Twitter feed: 'Working on my Firefly short story. Assuming Jane has finished and Edlund will write his 6 hours before it’s due."

While Titan Books is still not quite ready to announce it formerly despite Jane's leak ("to be fair, we did not ask her not to!"), they have verified to me that original stories will form part of "Still Flyin: A Celebration of Joss Whedon's Acclaimed TV Series," the third Firefly Companion book coming this spring.

"Still Flyin'" will include 'unseen photos, costume designs, behind the scenes secrets and much more," and if "much more" means new stories by these guys I want it even more now. Titan's previous Firefly Companions (reviews here and here) have been amazing collections of photos and articles with stuff I had never seen before, and it looks like this one will be even cooler.

"Still Flyin: A Celebration of Joss Whedon's Acclaimed TV Series" is scheduled to hit shelves April 27 and you can preorder it from Amazon for $13.46.

Me, I'd suggest for replica catalyzers, blinking van-top bombs with magnetic bottoms for personal use, Vera, the big red button, letters from Bad Horse, a variety of pistols, and maquettes including the Dr. Horrible crew, a bathing Inara and a naked Mal on a rock. Let's go, people!

More to the point, you almost certainly already have a copy if you're reading my site but now it's cheap enough for you to buy another copy or two to give out as presents or just loan to friends and coworkers.

Or if you're like me, it's time to buy a replacement copy for the one you've already been loaning out that's getting a little ragged.

Don't know yet if the prices are the same in the regional stores — anyone? — but this is one of the best deals ever for this set. And I understand some minor gift-giving holiday is coming up soon…

The massive props store 20th Century Props is going out of business and holding an auction for its final pieces, and there's quite a bit of familiar stuff in there. Wooden chairs, furniture and assorted background props from Firefly (such as the neon Chinese character sign to the right), what looks like the pool table from The Bronze, and much more. This is  a rare chance for Browncoats; props from Serenity pop up regularly, but three aren't many Firefly props available.

The two pieces pictured above, though, I don't recognize offhand. They're listed as being from Firefly; the first is "STATION, SPACE/BATTLE, KEYBOARD, FIREFLY" and the second is "CONTROL STATION, MILITARY/SPACE, MULTIPLE KNOBS & GAUGES, GR, FIREFLY". Anyone recognize these?

The auction runs from July 28 to August 1, and you can bid online. Happy hunting!