Finnigan

This was exactly my case...Purdue University Mechanical Engineering 1997 - 1999. I was treated like an anomally. If I wasn't beating back the advances from the male engineers, I was trying to show them that I was just as good (if not better!) than them with regard to our major. The final straw was when I was asked not to contribute to our sophomore design project and instead "just write the final report." I switched my major to management and never looked back. Now I spend my time supervising a bunch of civil engineers. Who says fate does not have a sense of humor! I will say though, that there were two engineering majors that seemed fairly wide open to females. One of them was aerospace and the other was civil. And at the civil engineering firm I now work at...our project manager male to female ratio is almost 50/50. I think that there is a lot of opportunity with the city line to expand TLC offerings toward girls. Many of these have already been mentioned, but how about boutiques and shops, more houses with yards and gardens, outdoor fountains, a zoo, a horse stable, etc. I think a vet office is a great idea. And I love the beach volleyball suggestion! I also am surprised that TLC has never tried to market more of their castle line toward girls. It seems like the castle line would be a natural fit for some of the fantasy princess fairy tales that lots of little girls grow up hearing. I'm not saying that it has to be an all girly castle line, but just add some sets that feature princesses prominently. How about an elaborate carriage with horses? A tower for the princess to live in (and be rescued from if need be)? A ballroom set? More civilian type sets like the Medieval Market? I'm hopeful that the TLC will use the disney license to market more to little girls. It seems like with the disney license there would be a lot of potential. And I think it should all be system type sets. Having a line like Belville that does not really fit into the system world is awkward. Finn

I agree with this completely. I would agree that little girls might not be naturally drawn to lego, but TLC itself perpetuates this by marketing sets geared toward boys. This continues the cycle of parents believing that lego sets are for boys. Fortunately when I was little girl, my parents didn't give a crap about gender stereotypes and nobody told me that I would not enjoy lego because I was a girl. My brother also had a cabbage patch kid and he turned out okay. I do wish that TLC would focus more on lines that are not conflict driven. Bring on modular city. Bring on the zoo with lots of animals. Bring on the hotels and boutiques! So that way, when I come busting out of my office job with my designer handbag slung over my shoulder and awesome strappy heels on, I have something to look forward to when I get home. Seriously though, I'm so far off of TLC's demographic they can't even see me. And it doesn't help that they're not exactly looking at my gender for new customers. You would think they would work a little harder to bring in little girls...I'm hopeful that Disney will have a more widespread appeal. Finn

As a gal, I have some ideas on this... When I was a kid, I was completely unaware that legos were for boys. I just didn't "know" this and no one told me (credit my parents here). My little brother and I had tons of lego and I spent a lot of time with my castle sets. But I could never figure out why there were no female minifigs. It was such a mystery. I have all these knights defending my castle, but no princess in the tower to be rescued. It was weird to me. I've noticed lately that more female minifigs are showing up, but they're still few and far between. Why are there no strong female characters? And why does the castle queen not have legs?? It bothers me. If we have capes, why can't we have fabric skirts so she can have actual legs under there? Miniskirts for city would be so awesome! I was kind of a tomboy I guess, but I did have dollhouses. It seemed so obvious to me. Lego dollhouses that I could build myself. And I'm not talking about the crap lego is producing for gals right now. I would have been in heaven if I had a cafe corner or green grocer when I was a kid. I suspect that's why they're so popular with adult female fans. This leads me to another problem I with lego's approach to girls. I like full background type sets. I'm talking complete pirate ships, a soldier fort, a castle, a town building. I can't figure stuff with half walls out. For example, the new star wars hoth set. I the tauntaun, but I have no use for the gun things. I'm not imaginitive enough to figure out what to do with them. I like to display my sets. I want a complete setting. I want a full hoth base building with my tauntaun running out of it. (I was like this as a kid too. It's not just an adult thing.) So why don't I just build one myself? Easy...it can't figure out how. I have an idea in my head, but it's difficult for me to translate to reality. I love, love, love the mocs here on this site, but I need help. I need pictures, instructions, guidance. I've been watching Captain Green Hair's build a frigate topic with great interest. It has pictures to help me along and I get a complete ship. (If I could just figure out where to get the plastic ship bow and stern pieces!) This is the kind of thing that interests me and would have interested me as a kid. Anyway, just my $0.02. And just in case TLG is listening....stop with the obnoxious pink and purple parts! It is such pandering to the boys like blue, girls like pink stereotype!! Finn

What if this is the first in a series of battlepacks? Future BP's could include just pirates or just soldiers. This pack would be the "leader" pack. Finn

I hope the Pirates BP and game are an indicator of great pirate sets to come next year! Perhaps the next wave of pirate sets will come in time for Christmas.... Finn

I don't see a connection between a potential end of the fantasy castle line and emergence of Romans either.... I voted for Greeks. I think the mythology alone would be interesting. Bring on the hydra and Medusa heads! I also think monsters vs. humans is more of TLG's style. I can't see Romans for the very fact that it would be human vs. human. Romans are known to most as conquerers and for their military prowess and we know that TLG shies away from military type play. I think it would be interesting to see a license for the Percy Jackson series. The movie is supposed to come out next year....

It looks like the first picture (852741) is some kind of holiday candle with a flame on top....kind of weird looking though. And speaking of weird, what is up with santa's face in the ornament pack?? Finn

I think that TLG has taken some distinctly well-known characters and made them uniquely Lego. I personally think it would be weird for Woody and Buzz to have yellow minifigure heads. If you think about it, these characters are not based on people as are most other licensed characters, but "toys." I think TLG group has done a fantastic job of taking an "animated toy" from a movie and making them into a lego product. They're instantly recognizable. I don't that this in any way spells the end of minifigures as we know it or a downfall of the entire lego franchise. I think it just makes this particular lego line unique. Finn

I tend to agree that some of the negativity toward the Toy Story minifigs is because they are new and different. I kind of expected the Toy Story line to be duplo and was having trouble imagining what Toy Story minifigs would look like. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were minifigure based with some new features (notably the new heads). I'm still not sure how I feel about them and will have to reserve judgement until I see the new sets or more pics. However I still think that this line has lots of possibility. (Giants, anyone? Especially as new foes for the fantasy castle line? ) As for PoP, I like it! The new hair, torsos, turbans....not to mention the camel and emu! I'm really looking forward to this! Perhaps a little off topic, but I am unfamiliar with PoP. What kind of sets can we expect from this? I thought I saw a pic of a pyramid somewhere in the flickr photo stream....I'm at work and can't access the pics right now, so maybe someone else can confirm. Finn

I voted 50/50. I like the fantasy castle line, but it seems like they are running out of new ideas if no new faction (please elves, please, please, please!) is released. It also looks like next year will be all about the new licenses for Toy Story and PoP, so I wouldn't be surprised if fantasy castle went away for a while and the regular castle theme returned in a couple years. Finn

I have a paralyzing fear of heights. It's mostly the falling aspect of it. Whenever I feel like I'm somewhere I could fall, I get dizzy. No problem with flying, though! I know....strange, but true.

I fell through the deck of our house once when I was in middle school. I knew there was a rotten part of the deck and to stay away from it, but I somehow fell through it anyway. Luckily I didn't fall far....but my dad was annoyed at the hole.

I have the first one. As others have noted, it fits in nicely with the Chamber of Secrets and other first wave sets. However, if I were to add another castle, I would go with option 3. I love the greenhouse! Finn

For me, I collect what I love and I find that I'm rarely disappointed. I used to think that I should collect all of a certain line so that my collection was "complete". However I would then feel guilty about sets outside that line that I really liked....especially since I was "focusing" my collection. It was almost a relief when I allowed myself to change my definition of collection to be "it is what ever I want it to be". I also decided that if I ever regretted not getting a set, I could probably find it somewhere online if I looked hard enough (and paid the right price!). That said, I have not been collecting the SW line for 10 years. That would be a monumental habit to break. However I think you should give yourself the leeway to refine the definition of your collection to not include the CW line or whatever else subline that you don't really care for. Just my 2 cents.... Finn

Nice! I like the Vader and storm troopers.... This would make a great special effect!