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  1. Corner garage. While it gets dumped on a bit, it really is an excellent set. The color palette is a bit muted but it's balanced well, the architecture is very realistic but the best thing is that it's a great playset. The garage is a neat playset on it's own and pairs well with smaller car sets that kids may already have, and the roof over the gas pump as well as the other roof surfaces make this a great superheroes playset for minifigs to jump around and battle on. I know this may not be the kind of feature that you're looking for in a modular, but corner garage is just good Lego.
  2. a-star

    [MOC] Porco Rosso

    Well Done! I love this movie!
  3. You're absolutely right. They don't necessarily do that. A lot of them will order bulk parts from Lego directly, which is one of the ways that they obtain large amounts of parts. They also collect them from other bricklinkers or customers who are selling off their parts. I agree that the amount of people buying multiple sets in order to obtain specific parts is probably not that high, which is why it makes more sense for Lego to limit the availability of rare parts. They make the majority of their products for the general public, not AFOLs, so it makes sense to use more generic parts that are useful across a wide range of sets and themes. Most customers that want and have a need for large amounts of rare bricks are going to take the steps to obtain them. And you can order all the pieces to make modulars, from BrickLink. I know one local BrickLink seller spent over $20,000 at the Lego store this last December. That is only in December. That is not from PAB, that is from sets, which were then parted out and sold online. None of those parts took any money out of TLG's pocket. Then there were all the other sales of the same sets to parents and relatives for presents and children spending their allowances, ect. Also, the seasonal sets definitely do not sell out every year. In 2014 during the November invitation only VIP sale they were giving them away for free, then during christmas they had the sets from several seasons in the bargain bin. That did not occur last year, and so far this year both sets are back in the bargain bin.
  4. He's right. It's the same reason they don't sell new elements on B&P. I recently bought a dozen of the new 1x1's with the decorative scroll in white off of bricklink. They only come in one set, so in order for me to get them the seller had to buy six copies of that set. If they sold the parts on B&P, I would have gotten them there which would have meant significantly less sales. Lego is able to manage the supply of these bricks by only releasing them in sets, and ensure sales of other more profitable or less desirable bricks in the process. Take last year's seasonal sets for example. Many of them featured rare and desirable bricks in interesting colours, and for that reason they sold very well, or at least they did at my local Lego store. Take the valentines set for example. I think it had seven sand green masonry bricks, about the same amount of sand blue 1x2's with groove, a couple inverted slopes in cool yellow, a one ring and some bottles, ect. Let's say it had about $5 worth of rare parts, while the set cost $10 or $12. It's easy to see that by managing their supply in this manner they are able to generate a lot more profit and control production more efficiently as well. I think I bought eight of those sets, mostly for parts to use on a modified version of the Green Grocer that I plan on building. Heck, I bought three Lonely Mountain sets on sale, solely for the sand green parts I need for GG. Sure it would be nice to walk up to a PAB wall and fill a cup with those sand green 1x4's (more like five cups) but Lego is a business, not a charity.
  5. a-star

    VIDEO: LEGO Factory in Billund - Tour 2016

    I've really enjoyed watching these videos. Thank you for posting them here!
  6. a-star

    [MOC] Living the Swine Life

    Thatr's a swine MOC right there!
  7. That's strange reasoning. I've always found there to be a certain element of suspension of disbelief when it comes to Lego figures. Anything is possible with that yellow body. The native American and aztec figures worked very well in my opinion, and both represent dark skinned peoples. I've also always thought of disco guy from series two as being a black guy as well. I've got my fingers crossed for some African warriors and a wacky voodoo priest in the CMF line!
  8. Thanks for another great review! I'm super exited for this series now. The cyclops is awesome, possibly my favorite of the series. I'm kinda disappointed that there are only two of some figures per box, but at least they aren't some of the main army builders, such as that fantastic Knight. Can't wait to start collecting!
  9. Oh wow, this series is really shaping up to be a good one! It's packed with army builders! -Space Alien Trooper army to battle Galaxy Patrol from series 7 -Battle Mech army to augment Galaxy Squad -Heroic Knights because everybody likes bunches of knights! -Cyclops always roll in bunches don't ya know? -Cops in multiples for your crime scene/donut shop MOC -a few Mermaids to swap hair with the cheerleaders and seduce pirates -a few Plumbers would make a great "safety meeting" MOC -Fortune Tellers for a gypsy caravan or just for the LEGO tarot cards -Female Archer is a no brained -Waiters for a restaurant MOC ( would make a great modular ) -Roller Skaters -Judges This might be the first series in which I buy multiples of every figure. I can't wait to drop a handful of Battle Mechs on my little cousin!
  10. Hi, Perhaps the Isengard set is the Palantir room where the wizards battle. I'd like that, especially if it includes the very top of the tower where Gandalf is held captive. It could be added to another set to complete the tower, like the scene where Saruman is questioned by Gandalf the White. That might be a neat way to do Orthanc. I'm really excited to get an Ent set. Treebeard has a lot of potential, and I'm sure there will be a small forest scene to go with the set. Same goes for the Balrog, although I expect it will be a little less terrifying than I would like it to be. I predict this set will come with four extra flame pieces. :) What I would like to see from this wave most of all is a Bree set in the same style as Medieval Market Village. This could be the high priced set and include the Prancing Pony, a building across the street and perhaps the gate at the town entrance. As for figures, it could have the four hobbits, a cloaked Strider, Barliman Butterbur and a couple Wraiths. A couple townsfolk would be a bonus. This could actually be a really great set if they pull it off right.
  11. Y'know, if they go this route with the robotic style legs from the monster hunters figure and the robotic style arm with a normal hand it could be one fantastic figure. I would buy several!
  12. Alright! I've been looking forward to this news. Ancient Thespis - Bare arms, dress style leg piece for toga and hopefully a new hairpiece with a caesar style cut and an olive crown. Printed 1x2 tile tablet for an accessory is my guess. Pirate Captain - I am looking forward to this one myself. I hope he comes with a peg leg. Conquistador - this one could be great. New helmet maybe, possibly with a plume. Armor piece over the torso, musketeer saber....too bad the probably won't do puffy breeches. They should also include a couple gold coins! Enemy Robot - black clockwork robot with evil eyes and an axe? Putting the butchers cleaver in the hands of the clockwork robot is already pretty effective at achieving this look. Evil Female Alien - lots of ways to go with this one. I'm looking forward to being surprised. Diver - I expect a man in swimming trunks with a silver medal and Sleepyheads hair. Maybe a swimming cap, or maybe even a female scuba diver! I expect the high diver though due to the Olympics. Vampire - didn't expect this one thanks to monster hunters. Perhaps it will be a sort of French nobleman vampire, or an edgy Lost Boys style vampire. Could be super cool. Fairy - really looking forward to this one. I hope they tool a neat little wand with a star on it or something. Short legs? Long legs? Cloth skirt? Printed? I'm not going to think too much about it and look forward to being surprised. Football Player - I hope it is an American style player. Not a fan of the sport, but it would make a great figure. I expect some sort of new shoulder pad piece and hopefully a ball with a handle inside so you can pose it in a throwing motion. It will probably just have a peg though. I would like to see it in green and gold, but it will probably be red due to match the cheerleader. Trader - stock trader with new pencil in ear hairpiece and new ticker tape paper piece? Maybe a long kind of scroll looking paper piece that can be used for Thespis? Personally I hope for a fur trader bushman style guy with a rifle and a raccoon hat and maybe a backpack. If Lego tooled a beaver pelt I would be thrilled! Skier - female skier I'd imagine Red Cheerleader - brunette with an S is my guess! Santa Clause - lots of potential for new pieces. I expect the backpack with a 1x2 tile printed like a present, but I hope they do a new sack that he can hold over his shoulder with a 1x1 brick sized present. And a bona fide Santa hat. Lego has to do a Sinterklaas with a Zwarte Piet someday. Boy in Bavarian Costume - forestman hat I'd imagine. As for an accessory, my guess is red flowers, or maybe a pretzel! DJ - cool! I hope they make a new hair or hat piece with headphones. This figure has to have headphones! A turntable would be fantastic but I expect just a record or two. A couple round plates to go underneath to make a stack would be neat. Maybe a printed tile record sleeve like disco dude has with a couple plates to stack underneath and a single round record. Cowgirl - right on! I hope they to tool a new hat with a braid in the back similar to the Valkyrie hat. Really looking forward to seeing how they decorate this one. I hope they spring for a lot of printing and do chaps with tassels on the side of the leg. They really need to sculpt some sort of spur piece that can attach to the back of the leg. All in all I think this series has a lot of figures that may strike us as dull on a list like this but could be fantastic depending on how creative the designers get with them. Can't wait!
  13. Hello everyone, it's a pleasure to join your great online Lego community. I'm looking forward to enjoying my time here discussing Lego with other enthusiasts! I haven't collected Lego since I was a child. Although I've always said I would love to and that if I'd ever had children of my own I would buy it for them, I just always seemed to be distracted by something else in my spare time. A few years ago my sister had a boy and I decided to begin collecting Lego sets for him. I bought a couple of basic sets and grabbed some minifigures as well but didn't open them. Occasionally I would grab some minifigures when I saw them in a store but didn't ever think to open them. I'm not sure what it was that finally drove me to open up some packages of series 6 earlier this year, but after I did that I was instantly hooked! It didn't take long for me to open up all the packages I had stockpiled for my nephew, albeit with some measure of guilt! I soon discovered the upcoming Lord of the Rings line and there was no turning back! I've never cared much for licensed Lego, but I really love LOTR so I have made an exception. There aren't many licenses that would appeal to me so much that I would buy them in Lego. I guess it's my time! My Lego interests include the Minifigure series, the city/town series, classic space, pirates and castle series, historical themed stuff like pharos quest, modular buildings and architecture sets and of course Lord of the Rings. In fact, the Lego has inspired me to read the books again! Technic was a favorite of mine as a kid, but I may wait until the children in my life are a little older to explore those sets. Anyways, I just wanted to start off by saying hello and that I really look forward to learning from all the experienced builders here and enjoying their MOC creations!