Do you remember those neat Super Mario figurines that Nintendo planned to send to Club Nintendo platinum members?  Well, the company has started to ship them out.  In fact, due to the high demand for the figurines, it turns out that they will be shipping them for quite some time.  Here's the word from Nintendo that was sent via e-mail to everyone who registered for a figurine:

We had thousands of loyal Nintendo fans reach Elite Status last June and it is going to take us a couple of weeks to ship all the orders.  So, even though your friends or neighbors may receive their Reward before you do, please be assured that your order is being processed too!

I've wanted a proper Super Mario displayable figurine of some sort for years now.  I have memorable collectibles for most of my favorite major film, television, and gaming franchises, but there's been a distinct lack of quality on-model Mario items out there, so I've never been able to fill this particular gap in my collection.  Now Nintendo has come and not only offered up a solution, but for free as well.  It's a classy move and very much appreciated.