That's right, they're hollow chocolate eggs (their name in Germany translates as children's surprise eggs) with toys and figurines inside. Usually, I'm not interested, since most figurines are cutsie kiddie stuff, but once in awhile, they have a series connected with some movie or comic (Star Wars or Asterix, for example). In this case, they have had a series for the LotR movie release the past three years.
I know that the figurines aren't always the same - different countries have different series, so it's possible that other European countries or Canada don't have them. Check with collectors or try the internet for information.
The problem with these little things is that you never know what's inside - it could be a figurine, or it could be a worthless toy. The chances of getting a figurine are only one in seven, so you have to buy a lot of chocolate eggs to get the figurines you want! Collectors develop tricks, like shaking to see if it's something with little parts, or weighing to see if it's heavy enough for a figurine. Even if you average better than the norm, chances are you get double of one and none of the other. That's why buying them from a trader's stand, from a collector's site or E-bay is a surer bet.
The links I posted show them close-up - they're only 2 - 3 inches high, for the most part.
It'll be interesting to hear if they've been issued in other countries as well!
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth.. .'
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