Galaxy Explorer

Incredible review for a less than incredible set! One of my "not favorite" themes, because there are no bad themes in Classic Space. I agree, the buggy looks awful stuck to the front of the ship- reminds me of a bike on a bus. The ship itself is pretty big, but just seems too open and not solid enough. Maybe I was just too spoiled after all the Galaxy Explorers/Commanders, etc. M-Tron in general represented a big change for me- The colors used were very different from the blue/grey/white of the last several years. The trans green elements all but replaced the beautiful warm yellow. The most frustrating thing was the fact that this theme, and most other space themes afterward only ran one wave! Every year a new faction- Ice Planet, Blacktron II, Spyrius and so on- all one wave- nothing to add on, and M-Tron needed more sets, most notably a base. Ironically, I own the entire M-Tron collection. I just don't build them that much. Top notch review!

You have a great opportunity right now to get several iconic Original Trilogy vehicles and playsets which will sooner or later be retired and become very expensive on the secondary market. Each set in the current line-up is great- minifig selection and build, I would recommend all of them.

Ki-Adi Mundi, the AT-ST has always been in ESB, way before the SE. I remember seeing it in 1980 and thinking somehow an AT-AT had been cut in half and its rear was stumbling backwards! There was also the Kenner toy, then called a Scout Walker, released in 1982. I had always wanted to see more of it, and my wishes came true when ROTJ opened. As for my favorite LEGO AT-ST, I like the 2007 and 2009 versions. Each has its merits and both are a vast improvement over the 2001 model. I would have to say that I love the turning head feature on the 2007 version as well as the pilot minifigure, but I don't care too much for the virtually unarticulated legs. Plus, they look way too thick. However, when I look at it standing, I think it looks very much like the full-size prop built for the movie. The 2009 model's legs are a little more accurate and gets bonus points for being in one of the best Star Wars sets ever. I think we are due for an updated AT-ST, and I would love to see it get a Hoth treatment. They should have included one in this year's Battle of Hoth, IMO.

Great review and restoration! The Space Cruiser was my first "larger" Space set and really shows its miles. A restoration would be in good order, here. I got mine back in 1982 and since then I've acquired four more to make a respectable fleet. As I have always thought the Galaxy Explorer was the LEGO equivalent of a Star Destroyer, the Space Cruiser became the Millennium Falcon. The Space Cruiser also was responsible for many unprovoked attacks on my Town layout back in the day.

Brickworld will be premiering a new set on 6/14. They did not say what it would be, but I have my fingers crossed for the Ewok Village. I've been thinking about the whole Force-ghost issue. I believe trans-minifigs would not look as good as solid colored ones, since the mechanics of the figure would be exposed. I would not be opposed to stickers on a panel, as long as it had a play-function of sorts, like twisting a Technic gear to make them "appear"

Glad to hear you are going, Modulex. I believe we met last year- you introduced me to the Modulex system!

Great job on the restoration, Rufus! I should get mine out and see what needs touched up. Aside from a little dust from display, I believe it is in pretty good shape. It is an older version- the 1x1 round bricks all have solid studs, and the large inverted dish has a round center, not square. Classic Space is second only to Classic Town, IMO. Right now I'm working on a diorama for Brickworld- Four weeks to go!

I'm very saddened to hear this. As a child of the 70's I watched many of his movies on late night TV, awe struck by his wonderful creations. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is to this day still one of my favorite dinosaur movies. Tonight I will celebrate Harryhausen's life with a screening of Clash of the Titans, his final film. We truly lost a great one- Thank you, Sir, for all of the great movie magic!

I suppose it would depend on the type of store, too. Second hand stores and thrift shops can have any merchandise regardless of age, while major chain stores usually only have recent items. However, I do remember seeing a Galaxy Commander at Sears in 1988, which was five years after it had been released. I thought "Wow this has been out a long time!" but back then sets had longer life spans. But the Galaxy Commander had been replaced by the Cosmic Fleet Voyager in 1986, so this was clearly something that had lingered around. It was $40, so I passed. I was hoping it would have been marked down by then, but no luck. There is a small toy store a short distance from me that had some Studio sets as late as 2005, but they were so expensive I couldn't imagine anyone buying them.

Thank you for the pictures! Yes, this will be a pricey summer for sure. All of the AOTC sets are on my list and looking pretty good. Very excited for the Gunship and AT-TE, since the last ones I have are from '02 and '03. I'm not so sure about the Calendar, though. I think they are overpriced, but I've been able to get the last two year's sets half off, and I do enjoy the daily builds during the holidays. And I really want the lil Boba fig!

Going downtown first thing tomorrow for this! I've always had a thing for the B-wing. I'm glad I waited.

I really hope that is true! 50% off the B-wing would be an incredible deal, but I would settle for 20%, which is what i was expecting. hondare- Did they mention any other sets being discounted?

I would like to see some updated Bespin themed characters. We have a current Lobot minifig with no companions. This is a sorely untapped area for new figures, to say nothing of potential playsets. I hope 2014 answers my wishes. As for a single most-wanted character I agree, a Bith band member would be great.

Very good review, and yes, please review Gamma V next! I almost voted average, because I agree, this is one of the weaker Futuron sets. But after looking over those parts, I realized if I saw them in a pile lying around I would scoop them up without thinking twice. It's a very nice assortment of later Classic Space parts. I just don't really care for the finished model- it's not very fun and really isn't swooshable. I know they're wings but why do they fold? If that's how it lands then the little guy has to jump- not very convenient. But yes, there is no such thing as a bad Futuron set. It's just that some are better than others.

I would imagine anyone getting into LEGO town in 1997 would only collect the Diver sets! I'm not even sure if Divers was a sub-theme or its own independent theme. Town Jr. started that year, and Divers was much more realistic. In fact, they are a few pages apart in the product catalog from that year. I am sure there are fans of LEGO Star Wars who only collect UCS or only collect System sets. I pretty much buy any set I like regardless of the theme. I have the Haunted House, but no other Monster Fighters sets. There are themes I heavily collect, such as CITY, but there are always sets I pass on. The Police Pontoon Plane from 2008 would be a very good example.

So you want a Millennium Falcon but nothing to chase it? 99% of its screen time is involved with trying to get away from something, usually an Imperial Fleet. Star Wars is a very "vehicle-based" entity. X-Wings, TIE Fighters, Slave 1s, AT-ATs are all great sellers so taking that away really would hurt. Please don't get me wrong- I absolutely LOVE Star Wars playsets.I believe I have all of them, and I look forward to the next release, hopefully the rumored Ewok Village. But to suggest taking away all vehicles save for one that at its cheapest costs $100 retail is not too smart. What Star Wars set could someone with a limited budget be able to buy?

They say Yoda was the first one with short legs in the Character Encyclopedia and that always confused me. Maybe Yoda had been designed first, but the goblin got released earlier.

After 35+ years I do not believe Star Wars is "trendy" Why would it suddenly get sour, especially with a new trilogy on the horizon. In fact Star Wars always enjoys a big surge in popularity whenever a movie is about to be released. Remember the months leading to Episode One? Sure there was backlash after the release, but I sure don't remember it being any less popular. Star Wars in all of its incarnations continues to be a popular form of entertainment for all ages, and a theme that fits LEGO perfectly. I did not get the Statue of Liberty, so an update would be welcome here. I would like to see a smaller scale, but include the base. LEGO has had great success with licensed themes and it would be a shame to abandon them. I'm interested as to why continuing these themes will bankrupt TLC. I don't think LEGO will be gone in ten years- there are plenty of new classic themes in production right now for those who do not prefer licenses.

I received an Email regarding May the 4th from LEGO, but no information on discounts. However, there was an area with regular priced UCS and exclusives featured, including the SSD, Death Star, B-wing and R2-D2. It said, "Can't wait? Order now!" Perhaps some of these will get a 20% discount on the 4th. Crosses fingers!

I think the first short legs were on a goblin minifig from Harry Potter. I purchased Gringott's Bank in Jan. of 2002, and Yoda was released in May, unless he was in something before that, but I do not recall. Maybe a Toy Fair hand-out that year?

It's a feeding frenzy! I love it! I just wish they included a Great White Shark with the patrol set, since I'm not too interested in the big helicopter.

Very nice review! I remember getting this set along with the TIE Interceptor and Millennium Falcon. What an expensive day that was, but worth it! This was my first "adult" set. It really showed what LEGO was capable of and set down the groundwork for all the UCS to come. The box design with it's sleek embossed black & white graphics really looked amazing and was a strong selling point. The build itself was a lot of fun, seeing it all come together. And of course, my friends would look at it and say "That's LEGO??" I do not see how this is a "horrible" design. If this was designed in 2013, then I might say yes, and of course the new one is a decade ahead design-wise. Many parts had not been produced yet, so I'm not sure what else could have been done. Definitely one of the best!

I go to my store at least once a month, if not more. I'm about a half hour from Water Tower Place, depending on the trains. I'm glad I have one nearby, as it keeps me from spending $$ at TRU. I do, however, miss the grab bags- they were a huge draw for me. Looking forward to my visit on May the Fourth!

I saw Jurassic Park in 3D last week, and tonight I'm watching a special screening of the Next Gen Episode "Best of Both Worlds" It's been re-worked from a two-part show to a feature length film. Next week I'm going to the Iron Man Marathon on Thursday, then Star Trek Into Darkness on the 17th.

I think you and I have a lot in common! I've been a FOL since 1979, and generally collect most System Themes. Town, Space, Castle, Pirates- I have most of these sets and like you, I hunt for bargains. I buy bulk vintage lots on ebay quite a bit, so I have hundreds of doors, windows, wall panels, you name it. Classic Town MOCing is a lot of fun. But I don't have to tell you that!