Zeya

I was wary about posting this in the pinned deals thread, because Costco is US only, and you need a Costco membership, and this deal is only for a little bit cheaper than MSRP. Costco has only a couple of lego sets. Right now they have two Star Wars sets. They're larger sets, and they're about $5 off the S@H price. I'm not sure if they have them stocked in the brick-and-mortar stores, and they only ship within the U.S. http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=5000001&eCat=BC|48022|78462&N=4045128+4294896489&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1〈=en-US&topnav= Palpatine's Shuttle - $55 (shipping included), S@H price is $60 (shipping NOT included) Starfighter ARC 170 - $55m (shipping included), S@H price is $60 (shipping NOT included) (rounded up from X.99 for readability) Not a super deal, but someone might appreciate this. Might be worth bookmarking this page and checking periodically to see if they get new stuff in. Edit: Sidebar, Costco always has the cheapest gas in town (87 and 91 octane, no midgrade), and I also have the Costco Amex card that gets me 1-3% cash back around November each year. Also you can't beat the bi-yearly trips to buy massive amounts of toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.

The word "boatswain" is pronounced like "boats'n" or "bo'sun". It's a nautical thing. So if there are comics or whatnot where it's spelled like "Bo'Sun", they were just kind of spelling it out phonetically. I used to row competitively in high school. The (usually small/light) person who sits in the stern, steers the boat, and calls out orders (NOT "row row row!" which is an annoying misconception) is called the coxswain, which is pronounced like "cox'n". It's the same type of thing, boatswain->bo'sun, coxswain->cox'n.

Yes, the smear on the right is red.

Needs a monkey or alligator sleeping in the empty hammock!

It depends on your definition of what a set is. The comic thing includes minifigs and accessories, so I technically consider that a set. I wouldn't count the double pack bundle as a set, per se.

The Lego Twitter feed just posted a photo of Pirate Batman from an upcoming DK book: CcjuS02UAAErmBZ.jpg:large

I stand corrected about the back printing: 2009 and 2015 waves all had back prints. Oh yeah, I somehow hadn't noticed. I actually beg to differ. I hate that plasticy-sheet material. It was put to especially bad use in the PotC wave for the waterfall in that one little set. I think because when I was a kid, the flags were all hard plastic, that makes me lean more toward that for the flags. That's hilarious. I need to make a point to stockpile gold coins too. I'm starting to wonder if they'll ever make those again. It really seems like chrome gold is used very sparingly these days. I really don't like pearl gold. I just can't get used to it, hardly for anything except an odd accent piece here and there, maybe. It looks more brassy than gold. But yeah, the treasure in these sets is just sad. The gems are okay in moderate doses, but it's just not the same.

Ninjago simply has a lot more going for it, for the not-yet-AFOL audience. :) A wider range of sets, more collectible minifigs, flashier elements, more action figures and weapons, the spinner card game thing, the tv shows. I hate to say it but... pirates versus ninjas? I'm afraid the ninjas are winning... I mean corrupting our youth!! Arr!! Yeah, Lego knows where the bread is buttered, in terms of profits. On the flip side, at least we got a pirates wave free of some of these extraneous things that AFOLs aren't generally keen to. And if you go back and read a lot of the grips about past Pirates waves, TLG did listen! A lot of people didn't like BURPs, big panel pieces, and giant molded baseplates; the new wave has none of that. Everything is brick-built, which is what a lot of AFOLs prefer. With the 2009 wave, a lot of people complained about some of the silly maniacal face prints - seems better to me in 2015. More back and leg prints too. I haven't yet built all the sets (I've just built the Brick Bounty actually), but I'm happy so far. Sure I have gripes, but I consider this a solid Pirates release. Sure I wish there were more or another wave, but I'll take it. At least we don't have spinning wind-up pirates fighting alligator men, know what I mean? (Wait a minute, maybe that does sound kind of appealing... lol).

Have we had any word on polybags for this series?

If you were a pirate stranded on a tiny island with a large, scary shark circling around, and could only have 3 objects with you, what would they be? There are only two correct answers to this question. You would either want a bottle of rum, another bottle of rum, and yet another bottle of rum... or you would want a gun, a bigger gun, and an even bigger gun. (Any combination of these two scenarios will only lead to dangerous pirate behavior and the risk of self-inflicted harm.) Lego set number 1492, "Battle Cove" gives us that three-gun island. Our lonely pirate may be down, but he is most certainly not out - not without a fight, anyway. Number: 1492 Name: Battle Cove Year: 1992 Pieces: 26 Minifigs: 1 Sharks: 1 Price: Unknown Availability: USA Only Informative Links: Brickset Set Entry Bricklink Catalog Entry Peeron Catalog Entry Lugnet Catalog Entry Brickipedia Entry Brickpicker Page Today I am reviewing Lego System polybag set 1492 "Battle Cove". Unfortunately, I do not have the original packaging, but I do have a complete copy otherwise. This is a set I received as a child. As such, I must cite the informative links I have placed above as historical records of this set. Apparently, this set was sold only in the USA, and according to some inventories, this set may have only been sold at certain stores or was perhaps part of some kind of promotion aimed at consumers. At any rate, it would seem that this is one of the rarer sets in the pirate theme. The Unboxing Unbagging A fresh copy of 1492 (image courtesy of BrickLink) Imagine receiving the polybag shown above. What would you do? Why, rip it right open and dump out the contents, of course! Instructions (front) The front of the instructions shows the same image as the bag packaging depicts. We see the entire set, complete with minfig and shark against a nice background and surface. As a hobbyist photographer, I really appreciate these old box/instructions photos. The good people at Lego put a refreshing emphasis on their product art. This set being from 1992, Lego has not yet turned to computer rendered artwork, and someone has put together a nice backdrop and foreground to show off this set. Bravo. Instructions (back / random segment) This image of the instructions back side is for completion. The type of instructions with this polybag set is more of a folded leaflet that has two sides' worth of instruction panels. So the "back side" in this case is really just one of the instruction panes (the first one showing how to put a shark together... and a pirate.) Set contents (sans instructions) Here we have all the pieces in this set laid out. According to set inventories, there are 26 pieces. However, I count 27! I believe the online inventories are counting the shark body and head as one piece, however the instructions show how to connect the head to the body, suggesting that the shark probably came unassembled. But enough of the geeky piece count nitpicking. Instead, let's nitpick the parts we have here! We have a decent assortment of colors here. We have 4 printed pieces. We also have 3 guns (one being a cannon, actually). (There is no rum, however. Rum bottles would not be included in pirate sets until the Pirates of the Caribbean line.) A palm frond is always a welcome addition to any collection. A smattering of light gray elements and two 6 x 6 yellow plates finish up this set's parts. These are nice to have. Printed corner wall element One piece that sticks out in particular is the printed corner wall element. According to online inventories, this element is only in 7 sets produced between 1988 and 1995. And of those 7 sets, this set is the smallest (the other six are all above 160 pieces and mostly castle-themed sets). That might make this set a viable way to acquire this piece, if not for the fact that this set was a USA exclusive. United States issue non-firing Lego cannon One interesting aspect of Lego sets released in the USA is that the cannons do not fire. I had no idea this was abnormal from the rest of the world until I was out of my dark ages. I'm not an expert on this minutae, but I've heard it explained that it was a safety concern. I believe that some copies of pirate sets in 1989 sold in the USA _did_ in fact have the pull-firing cannons at first, until the design was tweaked to have the non-firing type. The interesting thing is that the newer line of pirate sets from 2009 had firing cannons, including copies sold in the USA. The dark gray shark Here we have the set's dark gray shark. Let's be honest here: the shark is the crowning jewel of this set. I think we can all agree on that. (Be sure to cast your vote in the poll at the top of this thread!) The Minifigure The pirate (front, back) It seems that this minfig torso always accompanies this particular head, and it appears in 5 different minifigure permutations across 21 sets (all of them "classic" 80s/90s pirate sets). But in each canonical minifigure, the pants are either white, gray, or black, and the fig also always sports a tricorner hat (albeit black or brown). If not for having black pants instead of light gray, we might have been able to classify this pirate as Rummy, the first mate of the Renegade Runner. (For more pirate naming fun, see this thread). Could this pirate in fact be Rummy with different pants? I'm undecided; share your opinion on this matter by replying to this thread! Regardless, we have here a minfig whose head and torso printing are some of the more detailed in the line. I personally think the face print is one of my all-time favorites. You have an eye patch, scruffy hair, stubble, and a pleasing smile. This is part of what makes classic pirates so memorable. Everyone is happy in classic Legoland, and why not? The torso on this pirate is also one of the more detailed in the line, with a jacket exposing an undershirt and a thick, piratey belt. It's also worth noting that this torso can perhaps be put to good use as a bluecoat officer or perhaps some kind of privateer. Let's get building. The Build With so few parts in this polybag set, the build is relatively straightforward. The instructions are nice and simple, without any of the modern-day part callouts. Build foundation After a step or two, we have the beginnings of a wall and our cannon placed down. And after just a few more steps, we have our completed structure. (That was quick!) Island and structure (front) From the front, we have a bit of a fortification wall, our proud Jolly Roger pirate flag flying, and a palm frond to protect our heroic pirate from harmful UVA and UVB rays during his stay. Island and structure (rear) From the rear, we can see that the pirate has a place to hang his rifle. We also note that there are hiding places for pirate loot and cannon balls. It's a shame there aren't any in this set. How is our pirate to make use of the cannon without any ammunition? The complete build Here we have the set all together, including the pirate and the shark. Despite its size, it is an aesthetically pleasing set! For sets of this size, our imagination is really what drives the story here. Who is this pirate? And what of the island itself? Is it an abandoned fort, perhaps? There's enough playablity here to have a fair bit of fun on its own. With a chomping shark, a yawing cannon, and an armed pirate, we have all the trappings of a good pirate adventure. Still, there is room for improvement. A lack of a cannonball or two is a definite oversight, even if the cannon does not actually fire. And the addition of a monkey or some gold would really have made this set fantastic. It's a good "parts pack" at the very least, and a good addition to any pirate collection. There's enough to have a bit of fun with. If price data were available, I believe we would find a respectable price-to-parts ratio. It is also very easy to take elements from this set and add to other pirate sets. The minfigure and shark are easily added to a larger ship, as are the cannon, firearms, and flag. At the end of the day, this is a solid polybag set that captures the freespirited nature of classic pirate sets. I give this set two rusty hooks straight up! Scoring Playability: 6/10 (Minifig and shark fun, but your imagination will do some heavy lifting here.) Design: 7/10 (A reasonably attractive structure given the part count. But an extra palm frond or a monkey would be nice.) Parts: 9/10 (Some useful, detailed parts here. Multiple printed pieces. Good for crew building and armaments.) Minfigs: 7/10 (Relatively common minifig parts. But a classic and one of the more complex face and torso printings in the line.) Sharks: 9/10 (You can't go wrong with a dark gray shark. Point off for lack of additional sharks.) Price: N/A (Pricing is lost to the sands of time. Likely comparable to other polybags of its time.) Availability: 2/10 (Only available in USA! May have been an "exclusive" set only at a certain store.) Final Score: 7/10 (A solid pirate polybag. A good mix of parts, and a welcome addition to any pirate universe.) Uh oh. Looks like our hero is in trouble!... Whew! That was close! Our hero lives to fight another day.

Thank you for the kind words, everyone! Writing reviews is a lot more work than you might think, even for a set this size! It's interesting to hear that they didn't have these polybags in Europe back in 1992. As far as I know, they've always been here in the US, usually on a hook by a checkout lane. I don't necessarily remember this particular set as a kid, but then I didn't have the greatest memory of my lego sets in general. When I rediscovered my childhood sets, I was surprised at what was there. I thought for sure I had a BSB, but instead have a Caribbean Clipper, for instance. Memory is a tricky thing, especially that far back. Luckily I had all my old instruction booklets to go by, including for this one.

I'll probably rush out and buy all of them the first week. I did that with POTC when it came out.

I just posted a review for 1492: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=103205&st= This one is currently marked as "review needed" in this index. Can we update it to link to my review, please? Thanks!

The January calendar for the Lego brand stores mentions new sets from certain themes coming, but Pirates was not one of the themes listed. Perhaps this will be a summer wave. (Summer sets start appearing here in the US around March/April, iirc.)

Skull Island will probably be a retailer exclusive. The similar set from 2009 was a retailer exclusive too. For example, here in the US, only one store carries the retailer exclusive, usually Toys R Us.

Well, just2good said this: So I wonder if some of the other figs might have elements molded originally for PoTC. But PoTC used the same tricorn mold (but new colors and painted brims for the British soldiers). So there's a chance of us getting fun accessories with 2015 pirates. Let's wait and see.

@just2good: is there anything you personally were disappointed in from the older leaked photos that seems better in the newer ones you've seen? (Just grasping at straws to make us feel better...)

Does anyone know if series 12 will have 2 box sizes like series 11 did, and if so, what the distribution is? With the price increase, a full box of 60 packets will take some consideration due to the price increase.

I saw Oculus the other night. It's a horror movie. Maybe I was just in a certain mood, but this one really got to me. But if you're into horror movies, I recommend it!

@Modelmaker : I'd love to hear an update on this when you find out more about the item. Please keep us updated. :)

I just dug up the 5 main set photos online. But I haven't been able to find the junior set everyone is referring to. Can someone PM me with a link for that one Edit: Someone linked it to me now. My take on this... I really wish there was more "part count" here and more substantial builds. It's just a bit too small; I can see one or two really small sets but the medium sets should simply be more robust. I will say that these leaked prelims are really preliminary. There isn't a finalized part on any minfigure; you can hardly tell what they're going to be in the final set except for just a vague idea. And as someone else pointed out, there are placeholder elements like the frogs on the palm tree. But that's the silver lining, because these sets are small. And only 5 of them? Any others will be even tinier polybags maybe. I hope there's a store exclusive that is bigger. Probably asking too much for a UCS-style set like the IFS from 2009/2010. Did anyone notice the kraken clutching the bottle? That's my kind of lego pirate comedy! :) Great idea. +1 to this - please someone dig up the 2009 prelims and do a comparison. Probably can't post them directly though, even though they're ancient... I'm jazzed about the female imperial. I hope that's what she is. Could also be a "governor's daughter" type of character. Hey you aren't the only one keeping an eye out for a monkey. :) I also love the parrots. I'm not too keen on the giant squid / krakens though. I guess I'm partial to the old animals from my youth. Yeah, it's pretty funny. But keep in mind there are existing sets with ships cooks. Well at least one anyway. This guy from IFS: http://www.bricklink...tem.asp?M=pi120 He's depicted in the box art and/or instructions as wielding a knife and he's basically implied to be the ship's cook and/or pirate turncoat perhaps. So maybe they're going to take that concept and ham it up a little. :)

I was just coming out of my dark age in mid-late 2010, just as the theme was disappearing. I thought I had more time to acquire sets, but I ended up having to get the exclusive Shipwreck Hideout set off eBay and got a used copy of BBB from a fellow EB member. I have all the core sets and the Imperial Flagship, and I think also the advent calendar. I wasn't interested in the battle packs or chess sets since I had all the figs anyway from the sets. One gem that I think some people forget is this little "basic" set that has a nice pirate fig in it. In fact, this is probably my favorite pirate fig of all time! http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=6192-1

Could be Captain Brickbeard again and just a bad translation. But Lego is wise to the fact that minifigs move product, so my money is on a new captain. Probably all-new minifigs. The part about "warships of the King" is interesting. I wonder if there will be a set for that. The leaked set lists didn't seem to indicate a "coat" ship...

Ebay allows you to cancel an auction once a year. It's pretty obscure. I've only done it once, and can't even point you towards how to do it. Sounds like you have a nice item on your hands. If you know an expert, take it to them to look at it. Otherwise, take very close-up photos with a macro lens if you have it, and make sure to point out all knowledge when you list it, including any uncertainty about authenticity, etc. Good luck!

I strongly suspect the bowler hat is just a placeholder part. For those of you haven't ever seen a preliminary photo leaked from a retailer catalog, there are often these details that are placeholders, and it isn't quite the final product. Sometimes it will be a strange part in red or a not-final face print. Usually the general "build"/structure is pretty much final, in my experience. But a bowler hat seems way out of place, and I think it would be a placeholder for what will probably be a part from a new mold. Maybe that figure will have a beard+hat piece that isn't ready yet, kind of like Blackbeard from the POTC sets. I hope the person from r/toys just has a different taste than I do. I really want this to be a nice wave of pirates, hopefully even yielding a second wave, but first things first. The set list does sound almost exactly like the 2009 wave. I do hope there's 1 or 2 other sets not listed there, even just a polybag or something. I also find the prices to be surprisingly low and I worry there won't be enough there to satisfy me. For the ship, I don't mind a smaller size at all, but I just hope they don't try and make the part count stretch too much! I would be very happy with something like the Renegade Runner.