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My little contribution to this Eurobricks FABULAND Month, and I tried to complete it before the first proposed deadline, since I will be away from my LEGO for a while afterwards. So here is the story: After the boat trip with Lionel Lion and Hannah Hippopotamus, Lionel, the rich teacher, invites Hannah to his new ride: the Fabulous Limousine And they continue their romantic dating inside. Hope you will like it and here is the full set of photos.

Number – 3269 Name – Barney Bear (Bruno Bear) Theme – FABULAND Year – 1981 Minifigs – 1 Pieces – 16 Price – Price paid unknown; original MSRP unknown. Currently £9.23-£10.26/ $14.00-$15.72/ €10.71-€12.02 for used sets on Bricklink or £39.49-£64.78/ $59.91-$98.26/ €45.81-€75.14 for MISB sets on Bricklink. Links: Brickset, Bricklink, Peeron. The Box The characteristic FABULAND background provides the setting to display Barney Bear and his car. There aren't that many green pieces in FABULAND, mostly keeping to red, yellow, blue, black and white, and as a result these colours stand out vibrantly against the light green FABULAND background. The back of the box has the characteristic 'catalogue' pose for Barney, as he clutches his wrench to advertise supplies for serial killers everywhere. And he looks so innocent! The other pictures show him zooming off into the distance, and pretending to have a flat tyre to lay in wait for another innocent victim, still clutching his weapon of choice. Noticeably absent, however, are any pictures of alternative builds. None. Nada. Not one. The sides of the box have identical pictures of Barney fixing an engine the only sensible way; by hitting it with a wrench. One side has unfortunately suffered a little damage from a long lost shop sticker, and the box is a little battered and bruised from the passage of time, but nothing too terrible. Even here on the bottom of the box, the last side to have pictures on it, there are no pictures of alternative builds. Instead we have a candid shot of Barney taking a comfort break and clearing up the age-old question of what bears do in the woods. Oh, and there's a nice picture of the car, too. The Box Contents The Instructions As always with a FABULAND set, the instruction booklet is a small piece of folded paper, with a charming hand drawn picture of the set and its figure on the front. FABULAND can be seen sitting on a hilltop in the distance. Barney looks innocent and adorable clutching his trusty wrench and positioned next to his getaway car. Another lovely feature is that the instructions for these early sets are given as a cartoon, showing Barney building his own car. Admittedly this is easy to do in a set with only a few parts, but it's such a lovely way to illustrate (quite literally) how to build the set. Another regular feature is the multilingual introduction to the main character of the set. This gives the Fabufig some personality and gives you an idea of how he or she fits in in the town. As ever here's a mish-mash translation of what's said: "This is Bruno bear. He is always friendly, helpful and reliable. Or genuine and sincere and always ready to give help." There is usually a hand drawn picture of FABULAND too, and this is actually different from the one seen in 329 Bernard Bear and his Lorry from just 2 years previously. For a start there are far more Fabulanders around, most notably a panda careering across the hilltop with a crazy monkey clinging onto the attached ladder. In addition to the instruction leaflet, there's a little advertising pamphlet too, again a usual thing in these sets. Like the other pictures, this front picture is also new, and shows much less odd behaviour than that seen in 329 Bernard Bear and his Lorry, except Bonnie Bunny looks like she's been caught in some bad act, though. And I have to wonder what the cat and the lamb are doing on the top of the hospital.. Inside this pamphlet there's another, different view of FABULAND displayed in sets, plus small pictures of the sets themselves, as no potential for advertising should be wasted (which is fair enough, really). If you looks carefully at the larger picture, you can see that many eyes are drawn by Chester Chimp's antics on top of the ladder. Those crazy chimps. On the other side of the pamphlet, in amongst all the other pictures of sets, is yet another sweet picture of a little boy and a little girl building FABULAND together. And they seem to be having fun together. Equally. The last little bit of this pamphlet is a small cartoon. For 329 Bernard Bear and his Lorry we had Charlie Crow in the rain, but here we can see Perry Panda getting annoyed with his lazy companion Chester Chimp, who's content to lounge on the job. I adore these little cartoons, although it's a little weird that the cartoons themselves don't relate to the actual set. The Parts There are only 16 parts here, so not much to choose from, really. The wrench is available in loads of sets (200 or so) and mostly it's basic bricks, however, if you want the printed FABULAND brick, then this is the only set you can find it in. Additionally the curved roof is only available once each in red, blue and yellow, and obviously therefore this is the only set containing this part in this colour. Furthermore, the yellow window frame is only available in this colour at all, and only in three sets; the same other sets as before, namely 3635 Bonnie Bunny's Camper, and 3634 Charlie Crow's Carry-All. So, out of 16 pieces, 3 of them are quite rare. Not bad, really. Minifigure Hello Barney Bear, who may be a psycho killer who draws innocent Fabulanders into the countryside with his fancy car and clubs them to death with his wrench. He looks so adorable and innocent, but we know what dangers lurk beneath. Barney Bear has conveniently found himself an alibi, by appearing also in 3670 Service Station. Clever, very clever. The Build I've recreated the building steps shown in the instructions (well, as best I can with real LEGO, the instructions were drawn and subject to artistic license). Barney carefully places his precious printed grille piece at the front of the chassis, with a couple of 2x4 bricks forming the bonnet and engine. Barney next places the FABULAND vehicle door pieces on either side, otherwise he won't be able to get in and out of his car. Time to build up the back of the car; the boot or trunk depending on where you live. It's easily comprised of 2x3 and 2x4 bricks. Next thing to do is to hoist the windscreen into position. It's a heavy part for a little bear, but Barney's been working out. Then all Barney has to to is pop the curved roof piece into place, grab his trusty wrench and he's good to go! Doesn't he look adorable? From the back you can see that the rear of the car is also decorated with a yellow 1x2 brick, which makes it look like Barney has packages stacked at the back of his car. That little yellow brick makes a lot of sense there, from a design perspective; it's clear that something is needed in that spot. Having recently reviewed 329 Bernard Bear and his Lorry, I thought it would be interesting to compare the two. In only a couple of years the boxy feel of 329 has evolved into a smoother and more rounded vehicle in this set. The main differences between the two are afforded by the addition of the curved (and printed) FABULAND grille piece, and the curved roof piece. You could argue that the moulded roof removed some building steps, but really it's just replacing putting together three 1x4 bricks and a 4x6 plate. So here's Barney with his pride and joy, posed as he is on the box front. It's a cute little car, brimming with the FABULAND aesthetic, which often seems to me to be based on vehicles from the 1920's. The set number, and the reappearance of the bear, suggest that this was a sort of update of 329, and although 329 is a fun model, when it comes down to it the shape of this vehicle appeals more. Conclusion Design: 9/10 As I've mentioned, this car is classic FABULAND style, and some people really love that, and some don't. It is a personal thing, but I am a fan of FABULAND, and this car is a beautiful representation of this style. The curved FABULAND pieces - the chassis, doors, grille and roof, form the entire design here really, but I like the 1920's aesthetic, playfully recreated with bright colours. Parts: 9/10 There aren't many pieces at all, so to find two specific FABULAND pieces only found in this set, is really quite remarkable. I'm surprised, given how early this was in FABULAND's overall release, that neither of these pieces were reused at any point. Aside from the FABULAND specific parts, the others are really just basic bricks in basic colours. Minifigs: 8/10 Barney's another bear, and he's cute; there's absolutely no denying that. He has the adorable first-generation eyes and brown bears are pretty limited in FABULAND. Although the mould itself is used often, Barney appears only here and in 3670 Service Station (with Peter Panda Bear, who looks more like a black bear than a panda). Barney's brown bear brother is Bernard bear who appears in 329 Bernard Bear and his Lorry (seen above, and he's not necessarily Barney's brother). Build: 8/10 There aren't many parts, and they don't take long to put together, but it's still fun, not least because the instructions themselves are adorably displayed. By adding character to the instructions, character is added to the build. There is also something exciting about building a 30 year old LEGO set for the first time, too. Playability: 8/10 As a car, this model provides full zoomability function, and the model is sturdy enough to withstand the fiercest zooming. Having doors that open and providing Barney with an accessory allows for more scene-setting. He can fix his car, club unsuspecting victims over the head and drag them into the passenger seat and drive away. Endless fun! Price: 7/10 Really the prices currently on Bricklink are pretty high. As always, it will depend on how much you want the set itself ano/or its pieces. There are a few rare pieces and it is a cute model with a lesser seen Fabufig, so the lower end of the used prices isn't unreasonable. You may see this set going cheap on e-bay (or a local equivalent) in which case it may well be available for much less. Overall 82% This is a charming car which is beautifully representative of the FABULAND theme. It's fun, with a cute little bear who even has an accessory (in fact there were two wrenches in the box) and the model is nicely curved and smooth, but still with studs visible. It's an enjoyable build, and the presence of rare parts makes it more desirable. If you're a FABULAND enthusiast then you'll enjoy this set. Thank you for reading, comments are always very welcome. High-Res pictures can be found on my flickr account.

It's FABULAND season, so what better time to crack open a MISB set and have a look at it? None, that's what. Carefully stored away, awaiting release and review, is this little gem, one of the earliest FABULAND sets ever released. So, what could one find inside these green boxes of delight? Read on to find out... Number – 329 Name – Bernard Bear and his Delivery Lorry (Bernard Bear and Pickup Truck) Theme – FABULAND Year – 1979 Minifigs – 1 Pieces – 26 (although Brickset claims 109) Price – The purchase price for this set is lost in the mists of time, as is the original price this set would have been sold for by retailers. There are but three lots on Bricklink at the time of writing: two used from £4.99/ $7.56/ €5.78 and one MISB at £21.63/ $32.78/ €25.06. Links: Brickset, Bricklink, Peeron. The Box It is an old box, unsurprisingly really, given that this set is from 1979, and it is a little faded, especially on the front. It has survived the years in remarkably good condition, however, with only a few scuffs around the edges. The pictures on the front of FABULAND sets are always charmingly posed, and here it looks as though Bernard Bear is ready to be your new friend and play with you. You can see the whole truck, so you know exactly what you're getting. There are more charming pictures on the back. Bernard in his 'character' pose, waving to a friend just out of shot, and clearly wondering where to start with all these pieces in order to build his lorry. The main picture is of an alternative build, something very common in FABULAND sets, and we'll see more of these very soon. Both sides of the box are identical, except obviously one side is where you're supposed to open the set. Bernard can be seen loading items onto his lorry for delivery, and like all FABULAND pictures, it is charmingly posed. The bottom of the box shows Bernard again in a 'catalogue' pose, as if modelling a jumper, and next to him is yet another alternative build suggestion. There's a suggestion that this is for ages 3 to 7, but nowhere is there a dire warning about not trying to inhale the parts nor any pleas not to stick Bernard up your nostril. There are merely beautifully posed pictures of the LEGO with the verdant FABULAND background. For further confirmation of this, the top of the box merely has a small declaration that the set was made in Denmark, slightly hidden under the flap that the box would hang from in the shop. The whole box is simplistic, yet covered with delightful pictures of what we're actually interested in. The Box Contents The Instructions There are two little leaflets of the same size inside the box. One is the instructions and the other is a little pamphlet about other FABULAND sets. The front of the instruction leaflet has a lovely hand-drawn picture of Bernard driving his lorry through the hills and vales of FABULAND, and just reminds us of the set number. When you fold it out, the rest of that side of the leaflet is actually the building instructions, also hand drawn, and shown as an adorable series of cartoons. To have Bernard build his own lorry is just lovely, but this was the norm with FABULAND; the characters built the LEGO with you, and then used it in their everyday lives. On the back, one panel introduces us to Bernard. Through the power of Google, I will attempt to translate (and I've taken the best mix from all three translations, so it may not be a literal translation of one particular language): "This is Bernard, the bear, with his lorry. He runs the FABULAND removals company." Nice to meet you, Bernard. Next to Bernard's introduction we have another drawn picture of FABULAND, and it's a really bright and vibrant scene, but then FABULAND is meant to be colourful. Having a drawing rather than a posed picture brings even more life to the characters, and you can see how FABULAND shapes up as a whole at this stage of its release. Bernard Bear can be spotted in the bottom right, driving his lorry, and bottom left you can also make out a cheeky-looking Ricky Raccoon zooming about on his scooter. The front of the second pamphlet focuses more on displaying the FABULAND sets photographically. Here you can see that Hinckley wasn't the first Fabulander to hide in a dustbin, as Clara Cow demonstrates here, seemingly to Charlie Crow's annoyance. Inside the pamphlet there is a large photograph of many of the early FABULAND sets. The characters are all out and about, living their lives, being pushed around in wheelbarrows and hiding in bins. A gentle reminder of the set numbers is displayed discreetly to the side. As a little bonus there is a hand drawn comic with Charlie Crow, who has evidently managed to extricate Clara from the bin, and requires the bin lid to keep the rain off him. He could of course have just hidden in the bin himself. The rest of the pamphlet shows photographs of more FABULAND sets and their set numbers, but charmingly has a little boy and a little girl playing with FABULAND together. That picture in itself speaks volumes. The Parts So given that there are only 26 parts, here's all of them in one shot. The colour palette is limited to red, yellow and black, and most of the pieces are ordinary LEGO SYSTEM pieces. The specific FABULAND pieces are only the vehicle chassis, the windscreen and the car doors (and technically these are all SYSTEM too as they are compatible). These are all vehicle pieces, and FABULAND produced so many vehicles that none of these parts are particularly rare, really. Minifigure So this is how Bernard bear came out of his MISB box. The box was entirely untampered with; I had to perform careful surgery just to open it without damaging it, and I emptied the contents onto my white board ready for photographing, and there was no loose arm. I very much doubt that LEGO customer services, no matter how nice they may be, will be able to help me out here after 34 years. It's almost too much to... bear. (sorry) "Hmmm, the review can't continue with you in this state Bernard, we need you to demonstrate how to build the lorry. Take him away Rufus!" "Yaaays! I have a whole new (but subtly different) left arm!" "You may thank the wonders of modern science. And the passing walrus who so kindly donated to your arm transplant." Right, now that we're back on course, you can see that all the printing was saved for the Fabulanders' faces, and the torso and legs are fairly plain. I thought now would be a nice time to demonstrate how much TLG loved the bear mould. Not only did they get a couple of different bear colours out if it (and associated changes in their clothing) but also a few raccoons and a couple of pandas from the same mould (but obviously with different printing). And while it's undeniable that all Fabulanders are adorable, somewhere near the very top of the adorable scale has to be the bear mould and its extended family. Or maybe I'm horribly biased. No, I'm not, they're really adorable. The Build There was a walrus who gave his left arm to see Bernard build his own lorry, so we best not disappoint him. Step one; the placement of a few bricks at the front of the chassis allows the bonnet to take shape. The arm is working nicely and displaying no homicidal tendencies, it's all good. Time to build up the back of the lorry, and don't comment on how the bricks could be pushed down better; it's being built by a BEAR! A bear with a sore arm, no less. He's doing the best he can. Well now we have the palette on the back, we can add the doors, so that Bernard doesn't fall out while driving. That done, we add a bit more to the back, and position the windscreen just so. And Tah Daaah! with the addition of a roof and the loading of the furniture on the back, we have a completed removals lorry! The cab at the front is in a nice bright red, and at the back you can see somebody's table and chair that need to be moved somewhere. It's simplistic, but quite clearly a lorry. There's no steering wheel, but then none of the FABULAND vehicles were bogged down with needless ephemera such as steering wheels. The nice thing is that you can remove the table and chair and use them as furniture elsewhere in your FABULAND layout, whilst loading anything else you like into Bernard's lorry to deliver around town. Obviously this is made much easier by having an open back to the lorry, rather than having it built up as an enclosed lorry. Keeping it open improves the playability of the set. Bernard fits nicely in his cab, and has a good view out of his windscreen. The bonnet has remained simple, as has pretty much all of his lorry, but still very recognisable and functional. So there he is, ready to zoom around FABULAND picking up and dropping off furniture according to the whims of its residents. His lorry is sleek and very much of the FABULAND style, thanks to the chassis and wheels with running board, the bold colours, and simplistic build style. If you'd like to build something in the same style, but without the aid of instructions, than you could attempt one of the alternative builds as I have here. I always believe the charm of including pictures of alternative builds serves to demonstrate the endless possibilities with LEGO. Here Bernard's lorry has been changed into a hot-rod style car, still very FABULAND though. The colouring at the back is a little off, but it's been built with only parts from this set. The other alternative build is more of a racing car, judging by the overhang of the red 1x4 bricks at the front and the back. I'm not sure what the black and yellow affair is at the back, but maybe it's some sort of super-duper exhaust? Anyway, working out how to build this and the other alternative build from single faded pictures is considerably more challenging than the original build was. And quite a bit of fun too. Conclusion Design: 8/10 It's really very simple and basic, but to build a convincing lorry out of mostly just bricks and plates is to be admired. Having the back open does make it look slightly less like a lorry and more like a trailer, but having the back open improves the interaction. Parts: 7/10 These are mostly just basic bricks, with a few FABULAND vehicle parts added. At the time though, vehicle parts wouldn't have been anywhere near as common as they are in retrospect now, so at the time this may have been a much more appealing set. Minifigs: 9/10 This is the only set where you can find Bernard, and he's really quite adorable. You can find one other brown bear in only two other sets. He's got the cute eyes of a first generation figure, and the plain torsos that are particular to these early Fabufigures. It's a small set, so it'd be unusual to have more than one figure (although it has happened), and a mark is lost here for losing an arm (so careless). Build: 8/10 As seen, the build can be completed in a few easy steps (even by a bear with a sore arm) but it's still fun, especially if Bernard helps out. You don't have to add the wheels and their tyres separately, but with the chassis and other pieces you can build any vehicle you wish, as seen by the alternative builds. There's a lot of building joy here. Playability: 8/10 With full zoomability, thanks to the wheels, there's a lot of play to be had here. The open back allows loading and unloading as Bernard goes about his business, and gives him good reason to interact with other Fabulanders. Even if he is alone in FABULAND, he can still have fun driving over the hills and through the delightful countryside. Price: 6/10 The cost of this set MISB is really quite high, and probably the most valuable piece in it is Bernard, as one of the earliest Fabufigures. The other parts are not particularly sought after or rare. Rather than buy this set MISB, a purchaser might be better off buying Bernard as a single lot from Bricklink; indeed as can be seen here, you can't guarantee what condition a figure will be in when it falls out of a MISB box. Overall 77% This is one of the earliest FABULAND sets released, and Bernard is a charming introduction to this world. He's a cute and adorable bear, with a functional and fun lorry. He is, however, Schrödinger's bear, as he might well have existed with a full compliment of arms up to the point that I opened his box. I would say it is a nice set to have, but buying it MISB is probably unnecessary unless you're a collector, and there are easier ways of picking up the Fabufig, if Bernard's all you're after. Thank you for reading, comments are always very welcome. High-Res pictures can be found on my flickr account.

Greta has a spiffy new ride to get around Fabuville, she'll be tearing up the tarmac in no time! If you had not already guessed, Greta is my FabiFig. This car was a fun little play around to build something that would work for both my Fabuland Figure and my Sigfig. I just had to go for a Hotrod because they are just so cool! More Photos here (when moderated)

It's FABULAND Month!! Season!! That's right! We're extending it until the end of March! Two whole months of FABULAND fun. So order those pieces and get building! Review a FABULAND set, FABULAND-ize your avatar! Tell a FABULAND story. Build a FABULAND boat. The staff are getting into it as well, so come play with us and enjoy a FABULAND Winter! FABULAND Your Avatar Contest - make a FABULAND avatar FABULAND Building Contest - build a new building or house for FABULAND 1st Annual GAL FABULAND Boat Contest - create a boat using FABULAND pieces FABULAND Vehicle Contest - create an original vehicle using FABULAND pieces FABULAND Story Contest- tell a story with a comic or film using FABULAND pieces and characters FABULAND Crossover Contest - mix FABULAND pieces with your favorite theme to create a unique MOC Check out the FABULAND Month topic for more info!

Made for my daughter to help to explain what is papa doing out there and why. Please consider it as my entry into the Fabuland story contest: still: Thanks for watching, possible voting, and all comments/suggestions.

After some re-styling, the FABULAND Theatre is almost ready to open again. Come and see the new look of one of the most popular meeting places in FABULAND! The yellowed marble of the front has been sanded and now shines clean and polished. The addition of Greek and oriental elements, while criticised by some, adds to the appeal of the building, according to the majority. While the main hall still needs few finishing touches, the foyer is open and the bar can serve you delicious clam cream pies. Major Caroline Caw checks on the workers on the way home from the market. Not all of them are working as good and orderly as she could wish. Charlie Crocodile is testing the microphone and speakers, while Harry Horse gives the stage a final sweep. The soundproof panels on the wall grant perfect acoustics, and the emergency lights at the foot of the wall satisfy even Capt. Brandon Bulldog's strict safety standards. As you can see, the working crew did a very good job with the lighting plant, and they also mounted a mobile giant flat screen, which is used for adding sub-titles or display voting results during the many contests held in the theatre. I hope you like this building and will join us for the premiere in a few weeks! Few additional shots can be found in this BS folder (once moderated).

When Obadiah Tusk unleashed his FABU Monger on FABULAND, billionaire Tony Seastark had to don his armour and become super hero Iron Beak to stop him. This is my first experiment with low light photography and alternate lighting sources, by the way. A better look at the FABU monger:

This little spot just at the edge of the park in Fabuville is a popular alternative activity on rainy days. Up on the roof terrace Greta, owner and chief GM is painting up a new miniature for playing with. Harry Hound (Hurunk The Orc Knight), Stan Stallion (Shergare the Barbarian) and Percy Pig (Pellinor the Mage) are midgame. I wonder who will earn the most exp. this round? Rhys Raccoon and Kari Kitty are playing a popular card game. Lani Lamb is acting as the adjuticator for this match. She gets to play the winner! Like many citizens of Fabuville, Greta lives above her shop in this cosy bedroom. Pay no regard to the loft space... After a win on ebay netted me a variety of figures and parts this month was the perfect excuse to get building! Hope you enjoy this, I am not really a building MOCer...

That's a big Chocolate, and needs a big loader to move it. And in a rare treat, my friend Siegfried and his spank'n new Loader will be helping me moving that delicious nugget. (yes I had to Sci-Fabu it up.)

Ok, here's my entry for the Fabuland Crossover Contest. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I've carefully read the rules of these forums before posting this MOC. It's stated somewhere in the rules thread that: "if you are an adult who is offended by what is often labeled as adult content, you should probably avoid this site", so I don't think that there should be any problems with this entry. Anyway, if anyone is really offended by this MOC (even though - you see - no one here is naked) I'm sorry and I will remove this ASAP. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The director is not who you think he is! No minifigure was harmed in the making of these photos. All minifigures are 21 years or older since photographed. TLG does not sponsor, endorse or approve this build. LOL! You wanted a crossover? What's better than mixing Fabuland pieces with adult contents? What's more NPU than using Atlantis teeth as... well, you know? It's a busy day in Legoville Studios... The shooting for "Fabuland meets Teletubbies" is starting in a pair of minutes and all the actors must hurry! THE CREW:

Celebrate FABULAND Month by creating an original MOC using FABULAND parts and characters, mixing it with your favorite theme (besides FABULAND, of course! The Idea What theme will you mix FABULAND with? Space? Castle? Star Wars? Maybe there's a FABULAND battlefield on an alien planet! Maybe the residents of FABULAND are fighting off a zombie invasion! Create something unique and mix up the world of FABULAND as we know it. The Rules Entries must be posted by midnight UTC, March 31st, 2013. One entry per member. Entries should be new (never posted anywhere previously) and be FABULAND-themed and mixed with another official LEGO theme or fan-created theme. All entries are to include only real LEGO elements. No clone brands, 3rd party parts, or digital entries allowed. Decals will be allowed if you've made them yourself, but no cutting, sculpting or modifying parts. Entries are to be placed in their own entry topic in the Special Themes forum. The title of the topic should begin with "FABULAND Crossover: " and then give the name of the entry. The entry post (first post in your entry topic) may be edited at any time up to the end of the contest, so feel free to make improvements if you wish. Entries are to consist of no more than 5 posted pictures of 800x600 or smaller resolution but may also include a link to a folder of additional images of any size. Please make your first picture the picture you would like used in the entry thread and leave a clear link, not a Flickr slideshow, please. No photoshopping backgrounds or packaging. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not follow these rules. Crossover Contest Entries Prize Pool 1st place 3670 Service Station 2nd place 121 Roadster 3rd place 3788 Paulette Poodle in her Living Room

FABULAND your Avatar! What you have to do: Change your current sig fig or avatar and give it a FABULAND twist! Edit: (If you don't have an avatar, or a FABULAND one already, create a FABULAND one! (or an even FABULAND-ier one!) Example: Before / After Rules: Change your avatar to a picture of your newly created FABULAND and then post a small picture of it here as well for posterity. Good photographic skills are recommended. If a voter cannot see your entry clearly, they probably won't vote for it. After the deadline for submission has passed, a voting topic will go up where all members will be able to vote for the best new avatar. Prizes: The top three entrants will receive a special FABULAND tag for their EB profile. (Note: a tag is not a physical object but just a fun little piece of forum flair.)

Celebrate FABULAND Month by creating an original boat using FABULAND parts and characters for the first annual GAL Fabuland Boat Contest! The Idea FABULAND needs more boats! What kind of boat will you build? A creative rowboat? A pleasure yacht? An industrial boat? Add any boat that would enhance the world of FABULAND as we know it. The Rules Entries must be posted by midnight UTC, March 31st, 2013. One entry per member. Entries should be new (never posted anywhere previously) and be FABULAND-themed: no crossover or licensed entries in this contest. All entries are to include only real LEGO elements. No clone brands, 3rd party parts, or digital entries allowed. Decals will be allowed if you've made them yourself, but no cutting, sculpting or modifying parts. Entries are to be placed in their own entry topic in the Special Themes forum. The title of the topic should begin with "FABULAND Boat: " and then give the name of the entry. The entry post (first post in your entry topic) may be edited at any time up to the end of the contest, so feel free to make improvements if you wish. Entries are to consist of no more than 5 posted pictures of 800x600 or smaller resolution but may also include a link to a folder of additional images of any size. Please make your first picture the picture you would like used in the entry thread and leave a clear link, not a Flickr slideshow, please. No photoshopping backgrounds or packaging. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not follow these rules. Prize Pool 1st place 3673 Steamboat 2nd place 3710 Peter Panda Takes a Bath

Celebrate FABULAND Month by creating an original vehicle using FABULAND parts and characters! The Idea What does FABULAND need? A new Ambulance? A Milk Truck? Maybe there's a new resident in town and they have a beautiful new Roadster! Add any vehicle that would enhance the world of FABULAND as we know it. The Rules Entries must be posted by midnight UTC, March 31st, 2013. One entry per member. Entries should be new (never posted anywhere previously) and be FABULAND-themed: no crossover or licensed entries in this contest. All entries are to include only real LEGO elements. No clone brands, 3rd party parts, or digital entries allowed. Decals will be allowed if you've made them yourself, but no cutting, sculpting or modifying parts. Entries are to be placed in their own entry topic in the Special Themes forum. The title of the topic should begin with "FABULAND Vehicle: " and then give the name of the entry. The entry post (first post in your entry topic) may be edited at any time up to the end of the contest, so feel free to make improvements if you wish. Entries are to consist of no more than 5 posted pictures of 800x600 or smaller resolution but may also include a link to a folder of additional images of any size. Please make your first picture the picture you would like used in the entry thread and leave a clear link, not a Flickr slideshow, please. No photoshopping backgrounds or packaging. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not follow these rules. Vehicle Contest Entries Prize Pool 1st place 328 Roadster 2nd place 3625 Airplane 3rd place 3781 Maximillian Mouse

Celebrate FABULAND Month by creating an original building using FABULAND parts and characters! The Idea What does FABULAND need? A new Hospital? A Lumber Yard? Maybe there's a new resident in town and they have a beautiful new house or cottage! Add any building that would enhance the world of FABULAND as we know it. The Rules Entries must be posted by midnight UTC, March 31st, 2013. One entry per member. Entries should be new (never posted anywhere previously) and be FABULAND-themed: no crossover or licensed entries in this contest. All entries are to include only real LEGO elements. No clone brands, 3rd party parts, or digital entries allowed. Decals will be allowed if you've made them yourself, but no cutting, sculpting or modifying parts. Entries are to be placed in their own entry topic in the Special Themes forum. The title of the topic should begin with "FABULAND Building: " and then give the name of the entry. The entry post (first post in your entry topic) may be edited at any time up to the end of the contest, so feel free to make improvements if you wish. Entries are to consist of no more than 5 posted pictures of 800x600 or smaller resolution but may also include a link to a folder of additional images of any size. Please make your first picture the picture you would like used in the entry thread and leave a clear link, not a Flickr slideshow, please. No photoshopping backgrounds or packaging. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not follow these rules. Building Contest Entries Prize Pool 1st place 134 Service Station 2nd place 132 Cottage 3rd place 3631 Orchestra

It's FABULAND Month!! And there are so many ways to celebrate! FABULAND Your Avatar Contest - make a FABULAND avatar FABULAND Building Contest - build a new building or house for FABULAND 1st Annual GAL FABULAND Boat Contest - create a boat using FABULAND pieces FABULAND Vehicle Contest - create an original vehicle using FABULAND pieces FABULAND Story Contest- tell a story with a comic or film using FABULAND pieces and characters FABULAND Crossover Contest - mix FABULAND pieces with your favorite theme to create a unique MOC And a couple more surprises on the way! Are you ready for the FABULAND fun? Well you have a whole month to gather your senses and join in the party! Index of Contest Entries

Pandora Panda got a brand new Roadster for her birthday! Here she is cruising along, ... ... showing off the dark red leather interior and folding roof, ... ... opening doors and uhm... steering wheel, ... ... shiny front, ... ... and (headache-inducing) sloping rear and spare tire. Of course Pandora Panda had to really test the performance of her new Roadster, so she challenged Ricky Raccoon to a race through the streets and forests of Fabuland in his fast Hot Rod. All the Fabulanders came to watch the race and... see Pandora Panda win. Let's see if you can spot the obligatory Fabuland frog.

Number – 3675 Name – General Store Theme – Fabuland Year – 1987 Minifigs – 3 Pieces – 103 Price – MSRP sadly unknown, bought for an undisclosed sum as a present. Links: Brickset, Peeron, BrickLink My love of Fabuland is a well-known fact, so it is no surprise really that I might receive some for my birthday a couple of months ago. Fabuland is such a happy place, with such adorable characters, that I find I cannot help but smile when I see them. As it was a present, I didn’t personally buy this set, but I might just have pointed out that it seemed like a great set to have, and thus set wheels in motion ready for my birthday. This is also a second-hand set, not MISB, however it came with the original box and (most of) the original parts, so with that in mind I have tried to record here the experience of opening the box and building and playing with the set inside... The Box The very front of the box is old, battered and faded, but you can still make out the extremely bright Fabuland colours, and the idyllic scene the Fabuland characters play out with the combined shop and post office. This front picture gives a very good view of the set as a whole, as it allows you to see a little of the detailing at the back of the set. The most delightful aspect of the box, though, is that this frontage is actually a flap that lifts up to allow you a preview of the parts inside. As you can see, the top lifts to reveal the Fabuland inside. This was a huge excitement to me – having some of the pieces placed on display in the clear plastic container greatly increased my anticipation. I began to see exciting parts, in the upper display, yet (even though they had been repackaged by the seller) I could also make out some tantalising glimpses of further Fabuland promises underneath. In truth I simultaneously wanted to get the box open as quickly as possible whilst wanting to take great care not to damage this delightful design feature of the box. Here’s a better view of the clear tray which contains a somewhat random collection of parts, but perhaps most importantly for some also shows the Fabuland figures included in the set. We’ll meet Freddy Fox, Hannah Hippopotamus and Boris Bulldog later, but underneath the tray you can glimpse some of the other LEGO also included. The inside of the box lid isn’t left plain either. There is a genuinely cute picture of a little boy and girl playing with their General Store and reading the accompanying story booklet. There’s also a pictorial indication that the recipient of this set need not fret, as the instructions are included. The back of the box shows a wide variety of alternative builds. Some of these, like the boat-home in the top left seem a little bizarre, but most are adorable scenes of Fabulanders going about their daily routine. The colour scheme remains bright and bold, and the pictures are absorbing to look at. The sides demonstrate another alternative build; here the designers seem to have deliberately engineered a tall and narrow townhouse with a balcony whose picture fits perfectly on the side of the box. This may have been coincidence, but I appreciate that these areas of the box really could have been left blankly covered with the Fabuland green, and had a text box declaring that this set is suitable “from 5 years” rather than have Hannah say it in a speech bubble. After all that excitement, one might expect the remaining contours of the box to be calm and plain, but even the bottom of the box manages to squeeze in yet another alternative build, while the top of the box shows Freddy posing in a photo-story with Boris. He seems to be shouting “Fruit” at Boris (who purely has a cameo role to deliver the post) which seemed a little odd until I realised that he’s advertising his wares as a greengrocer. Or fruiterer to be exact. Despite this innocent explanation, I still find the third picture along somewhat sinister... So having contained my excitement long enough, the contents of the outer shell are extracted carefully. Here you can see that the clear tray rests on top of a simple box in the Fabuland green colour. The clear tray simply lifts off, and itchy fingers have free access to all the LEGO parts and the booklets within. The Instructions Every Fabuland set comes with a story booklet, which often, for larger sets such as this, doubles as the build instructions. The pictures of these instruction booklets are charmingly hand-drawn, and the colouring used is more pastel-shaded, and so slightly gentler on the eye. I have recorded each double page spread below: The first few pages of the book give instructions on the build in story form. Keen eyes must look closely at the accompanying pictures to ensure the parts are correctly placed on the baseplate, but the adorable characters describing how they build the store make you really not mind that too much. In fact it really is quite fun to follow along with the characters as they build “their” General Store. I’ve included pictures of the pages with the build as a reference, and also because, well, they’re just lovely to look at really. The remainder of the booklet contains another story of what happens to our FabuFigs when the store opens for business. Again, it’s all hand drawn and adds detail and interest in one’s mind regarding the set you are building. The very last page shows a group shot of all the characters from this generation of FabuFigs, and their names, no doubt in an attempt to make children want even more of these adorable animals. If you’d like to see high resolution versions of any of these pictures, please visit my flickr page. The very back page shows a composite sketch of all the sets of this generation of Fabuland, and reinforces, by use of another picture of a boy and a girl, how Fabuland is intended to be unisex. The composite sketch itself gives an idea of how this incarnation of Fabuland fits together, and brings life to the sets; making them part of an active world. There is another booklet with this set, and it’s the generic “let’s show you all the other LEGO you can buy, too” style of booklet. The rather nice thing about is that many people’s favourite, the Forestman, takes pride of place in the picture, but Edward Elephant from Fabuland isn’t far behind, even if he does look like he’s kicking Classic Town dude out of the wall. I’ve resisted the urge to photograph every single page of this second booklet, however here I’ve shown the Fabuland double page spread. Please click the picture for a high resolution view. This picture’s purpose is really to make you (or the child reading) really want to buy more and more Fabuland. And it works. Once again, seeing these adorable animals having fun together in their adorable world just makes you want...moar! in addition you can also see the types of Fabuland sets that were around at the time this set was released. The back shows the old harbour sets, and is thus mercifully free of the later added Gagne-Child. Once again LEGO have the marketing sense to pose their minifigs and form a scene with their sets, and this is far nicer to look at. It may seem irrelevant, as I can no longer order these sets from LEGO, but I find it nice to look at nonetheless and I’m glad it was included in the set, especially as it’s second-hand. The Parts Of course the sets are really about the parts, and the most important parts to me are the Minifigs, or rather the FabuFigs. Here are our adorable stars of the set. These are second generation FabuFigs, so they are slightly different from their first generation counterparts, most noticeably with the eyes.. The eyes... Aaargh, the eyes. They aren’t so bad for Boris Bulldog, he still manages to look cute, but Freddy Fox looks slightly psychotic and Hannah Hippo looks like she has a serious anxiety disorder that makes her surprised at everything. They are still undeniably cute, though, if a little mad looking, and look closer and you’ll see that Hannah has ladylike eyelashes, too. The other difference from first generation FabuFigs is the printing on the front. All three have a design on their torsos. Hannah is a laaaydee and so has a sweet necklace printed on her top, while farmer Freddy wears printed overalls, and Boris has the postman motif on his torso (because...he’s a postman) along with some smart buttons, that you can imagine him polishing proudly. The hats are not removable, which is a shame, and there is some slight wear to Boris and Freddy’s facial printing, but not too bad overall. Boris only appears in this set, while Freddy also stars in 3683 – Amusement Park 1987, but Hannah features in three other sets! These are: 3662 – Bus 1987, 3798 – Hannah’s Garden 1988, and 3622 – Rowboat 1988. Please note that I am specifically referring to these second generation FabuFigs. Very similar incarnations of these FabuFigs were seen in the first generation (Buzzy Bulldog springs to mind), however the first generation had the cuter eyes but lacked any printing on the torsos. From the back, the torsos are plain, and you can see Boris and Freddy’s moulded hair poking out underneath their hats. This brings the realisation that Helen Hippo is bald! But she’s a hippo, so that’s ok. Plus you can see she has cute little hippo ears, now that you aren’t distracted by her manic gaze. There’s a decent sized green baseplate with this set; 32x24 to be precise. Always useful to have around, and in proportions that aren’t so easy to find these days; there are a few lots on BrickLink, but they aren’t all that cheap. There are some larger pieces in this set, many of which will be classed “<insert that tiresome argument>” by some. The large bay window is one of them. I really like that there are LEGO bay windows and if it comes in a part that has the surrounding wall included, I’m happy with that. The colours are typical Fabuland colours (blue and yellow), and one could argue that they could have provided the window itself and the bricks to build around it, but that isn’t the point of Fabuland - it was designed for younger children, after all. There is another wall piece, also with a large window and also in the bright primary colours of Fabuland, along with a larger door (for access for the larger FabuFigs) which, like the Minifig scale doors, fills the doorframe. I’ve resisted the word System here to describe Minifig scale, as Fabuland is System, however the scale of these details is different because the scale of the FabuFigs is larger. The stickers were already applied when I obtained this set, and you can see that the window piece has the 75 sticker fortunately nicely placed and that it hasn’t worn too much with time. There’s no reference to the Store being Number 75 on a particular road, it’s evidently just an arbitrary number, however I appreciate the detail. The back of the window piece also has shelves, which is a useful quality as it allows for more detail to be added in to structures using this part. It is certainly preferable compared to a hollow piece. The roof pieces in Fabuland are more than just slopes. The base of each roof piece is 2x6x2, however they are composed of two parts joined together. They don’t separate, so please don’t try. In this set there are a handful of such roof pieces. Not an overwhelming amount, but as they can cover a wide area, they are still welcome. The surface of the roof pieces have a nice wood-grain mould to them, marking them out as such, whereas the slopes used in System sets to make roofs are left plain, allowing them to be re-used in other ways. There are of course regular System elements to the set; there is a little building required rather than merely the placement of larger pieces. There are a reasonable selection of plates in various sizes, and again in the primary colours we associate so much with Fabuland. There are System bricks, too, again in a variety of shapes and sizes, and again in primary colours only. The red and yellow 1x4x1 fence pieces are a welcome addition, but not particularly rare. The set comes with a large post box in blue and consisting of two parts – the base and the lid. The design on the front is printed on and clearly denotes that this is where you should deposit your packages and letters if you want Boris to deliver them. It’s a large part, and uncomplicated, but it easily denotes a post-box, and you could even fit a FabuFig in there, if you wanted to. This, as mentioned, is a second generation Fabuland set from the 1980s. The trees in the second generation had apple printing as this does, which is a pleasant detail. The trees in the second generation sets weren’t as widespread as those of the first. The plain tree appeared in 10 sets in total, while this tree only appeared in this set, and 3 others; 3659 - Play Ground 1987, 3680 - Camping Caravan 1988, 3682 - Fire Station 1987. I’m very happy to have it, although there is a temptation to want to place the red apple minifigure accessory in the holes denoted by the apples. To add to the outside detailing there’s also a bright and cheery petrol pump. Clearly the Fabulanders are wise economists and realise that profits won’t be made with fruit or post, but by selling gasoline to the various inhabitants who have vehicles. Unfortunately for a grown-up mind, this comes with the realisation that there might be pollution in the green fields of Fabuland, but put such thoughts from your mind, this was the 1980s where the words “catalytic converter” were only just becoming known in common parlance. The petrol pump itself has a sticker on the front that the previous owner wasn’t too careful with, but the hose detaches and reattaches providing a feature to allow play in filing up tricycles and scooters with petrol and it hasn’t even been chewed. It does also make sense in the set, as Boris himself has a car, as we’ll see later. This part only appears in this set and the first generation 3670 - Service Station set from 1984 (where there are two) and there aren’t very many available on Bricklink – certainly not complete ones with stickers intact. For more architectural detail there are these lovely light grey lamp posts, which are used as columns in this set. The moulding gives them a Victorian feel, and they are certainly parts I would like to have more of. Unfortunately these lamp posts are only available in this colour in this particular set. The mould is still going though, as a white version was seen most recently in the 2011 Cars set 8639 - Big Bentley Bust Out. There are a good number of parts to add details to the outside of the store. There are two Fabuland fence pieces, which are a little twee, with their heart shaped cut-outs, however it cannot be denied that they are actually intricately moulded pieces and also quite useful. I have seen them often used in MOCs to denote bed heads, for which purpose they work well. The bench is a Fabuland mould; it was only ever seen in Fabuland sets. The white version (as we have here) was present in 10 sets altogether, the red version, however, was only seen in two Fabuland sets. I actually prefer the white version, personally, and although there are System sets with pieces and instructions to build more traditional brown wooden benches, I like the detail of this piece. Also included are two Fabuland flowers and three Fabuland flower-stalks, and a broom in Earth Orange, all of which are widely available. There are two signs included, to denote both the general store and the post office. The actual LEGO of the sign is a fairly intricate part with the swoops and curls that connect the “sign” portion to the post, which is also detailed. The stickers were applied by the previous owner, and unfortunately they got them the wrong way round. The General Store sign stickers are supposed to be front and back of one sign, with the Post Office stickers on the front and back of the other. It doesn’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things, but I know we have eagle-eyed readers here at Eurobricks. The interior of the general store also has furniture, which in itself also serves to provide walls to the shop. This is the outer orientation of the dresser, which has a sticker applied showing the prices of various items that may be for sale here. The addition of the sticker transforms what would have been a plain wall into a detailed part. The inside of this piece is a charming dresser. I really do like how this is both a structural element and a piece of furniture, with shelves and a cupboard at the bottom. I like the detail that even the shelves have brackets moulded in, although that may be just to make the actual LEGO piece more sturdy. Another charming thing is the attention to detail; the doors to the cupboard actually open. I know this sounds silly, but they could have just been a block with stickers to imply doors. It’s details like these that children notice, too. It is another way of providing interaction with the set, and making it “playable”. There are two sets of 2x3x2 chests of drawers, and the draws themselves are removable; they actually function as draws. The questions that people often ask about when they see a MOC are along the lines of “does it have an interior”. Interior detailing is important to many AFOLs and having the means of providing some detail is great, although you have to not mind too much that they are in bright Fabuland primary colours. The draws are put together with some plates and 1x2 bricks (from the above inventory) to form another structural piece, which again is also functional. The colours of the desk and shelves made me think very much of Sweden, and because they’re furniture, very much of IKEA, however these pieces of furniture are infinitely easier to construct than anything from IKEA. To go with the desk, there’s a red Fabuland chair, slightly larger than the Minifig chair, understandably, and with more curves to it. The round base allows the chair to be oriented at different angles rather than just in the direction of the studs. Hmm, you can’t help noticing these mugs are pink. Pink isn’t really a Fabuland colour, but this is what I got. They are actually supposed to be one blue and one yellow. But I got pink. On the plus side, yellow and blue mugs are plentiful, but pink mugs are only available in Paradisa sets, and so are slightly rarer, so it isn’t the end of the world. Other accessories (there are lots here) also include a lovely red telephone, with its string still attached and a lovely bright blue Fabuland teapot, because there’s no point having mugs if you don’t have the means to make tea, let’s face it. In addition to stickers, there are also printed parts, and everybody loves printed parts, especially if they’re tiles. We have a 1x3x1 red brick with printing to denote the top of a cash register, and some printed tiles to represent letters, for Boris to collect and deliver. There are actually only supposed to be two printed letters; one 1st class and one 3rd class, but for some reason I received two 3rd class letters, but I’m really not complaining, especially as one of them is somewhat worn. You can see that there are three tiles with fruit printed on them. These are used to denote the produce that Hannah herself grows in order to sell, and they are used to denote the items for sale. They are such a simple way of representing these items, but they’re still cute, and it’s clear what they represent. Unfortunately, there is also supposed to be an apple tile like this one (image from BrickLink): but I didn’t receive it. I’m sure the observant reader will wonder what on earth a Pirate treasure map is doing here. I wondered too. It seems to be a compensatory replacement tile, for the lack of apple. So you will see Hannah selling a variety of fruit, and a treasure map, just in case any of our Fabulanders have dreams of taking to the high seas and plundering loot. Boris needs a little car to get around and deliver the post, and Hannah needs a little car to deliver her produce to the inhabitants of Fabuland. Provided in the box are parts with which to build such a vehicle. These are synonymous with Fabuland vehicles and have appeared in a number Fabuland sets, however some parts have also appeared in Belville, Disney and Paradisa sets. The pieces are larger, the chassis itself includes the wheel arches already, and there is a piece with the headlamps and front bumper as part of the mould. Again, some may call these pieces <insert that tiresome argument>, however these sets were designed for younger children, and there is still construction required – albeit not very much, but arranging the pieces once gives the builder the opportunity to consider how else they may be arranged. The chassis has been seen in a couple of Fabuland sets in various colours, and because it is a standard mould it also has the tow-bar at the back and the tow-bar connection at the front. There’s no sense in that in this set, as there’s nothing to connect the chassis to, however in the 1985 set 3641 Car and Camper there are two parts to the whole vehicle and they connect in this way. As that set was the first time the chassis was seen, it seems obvious that TLG would continue to use the same mould. It does also mean the parts are interchangeable and adaptable; you could build a Fabu-Convoy if you so wished. The Main Build So as mentioned when I spoke about the accompanying booklet, the instructions are essentially a story which describe how the characters themselves build the General Store (and indeed, why). I’ve taken a few pictures to illustrate a few stages of the building, and tried to recreate the scenes found in the instruction booklet itself. At this point Hannah and Freddy have built the cash register section at the back of the shop, and built the walls around the right hand side of the building, which is not a taxing task as the walls are the larger 2x6x7 pieces. They have also managed to add a few System bricks and plates to form a porch with a balcony, making pleasant use of the red 1x4x1 fence pieces. By now Hannah and Freddy have added a roof to the initial part of the building and continued the walls round the left hand side of the store, which is actually the post office. You can begin to see here that the furniture itself provides the boundaries for the store; the shelves that were constructed earlier (the IKEA shelves) actually form the left wall of the post office. You can also see how further System bricks and plates are used to cover this left hand side. Having now added the roof to the post office (and deliberately decided to use grey roof pieces to make it different to the store), Hannah has decided that there’s no better time to try out the new balcony. This is a faithful re-creation of a scene in the instructions – diagram number 17 to be precise. I have no idea what Hannah is doing on the balcony, but at least she looks happy, which is more than can be said for poor old Freddy who looks either forlorn or puzzled at the IKEA shelves. So when our adorable friends have constructed their post office and general store, they also add in some additional detailing to the exterior. There are some flowers, a tree and some fencing to add to the cute little garden at the side of the post office portion, and the charming Fabuland bench is placed in front of the grand bay window, so that our characters can sit and chat whilst watching the world go by. The post box is also placed at the front, on the opposite corner to the petrol pump, so that Boris can zoom by and pick up the post on his way to fill up his fuel tank to ensure he can deliver his letters around Fabuland. Moving round to the left side of the building, there’s a better view of the little garden with the built-up yellow flower (which is why there are three Fabuland leaf parts to two Fabuland flower heads) and the Fabuland tree, which is slightly less impressive side-on. From here you can also see how the IKEA shelves fit into the structure of the building, and that they look built in (because, effectively, they are). From the back you can see better how the store and the post office are laid out. You can also see that the previous owner of this set did indeed get the stickers on the signs the wrong way round, which is mildly annoying. The post office maintains the mostly-blue-with-a-hint-of-yellow colour scheme, and although the shelves are somewhat bare there is a nicely appointed desk, complete with shiny red telephone. The mug on the desk of the post office is supposed to be blue, to match the colour scheme (as I’ve already mentioned), as indeed the mug on the counter of the general store is supposed to be yellow. The post office desk has the lovely red Fabuland chair, jauntily angled at the desk, and there is a letter on the desk that clearly requires closer examination from Boris or Freddy. It’s possible Freddy thinks there’s some money in it, naughty fox that he is, or perhaps Boris the official and officious bulldog has noticed some wires poking out, and one of the Fabulanders has in fact sent a letter bomb? Here you can also see the counter next to the cash register and some of the shelves in the general store, and although there is a great view of the bright blue teapot, it isn’t easy to see how the shelving units are arranged. This view allows you to see better: From this angle more of the general store layout can be seen, and the bright yellow colour scheme with red accents is clearly apparent. What can also be seen is that unfortunately some of the shelf space from the window piece is lost and the interior looks a little clumsy as a result. It really is unfortunate; the pieces are arranged this way so that the external walls are flush and the roof pieces economical, however it really doesn’t look so good on the inside. I’ve arranged the “fruit” as described in the story/instructions (and here the part of an apple is being played by a treasure map) but it does leave the shop looking slightly bare. There are lots of pieces placed on the counter next to the cash register, almost swamping the cash register itself, but still somehow I hoped for more. As we move around to the side of the general store, my adult logic starts to niggle annoyingly. I want the continued suspension of disbelief, however practicality and function must be addressed. Here you can see that the walls indeed do sit pleasantly flush, and that it would be a shame to lose part of the dresser’s back wall as it has the price list for customers on the back (also a sticker, and also applied by the previous owner) – a price list for things the shop doesn’t have for sale... Hmm. Anyway, this price list is sensibly positioned next to the cash register, on the side where customers might walk past it on their way to the cash register... or at least they might if the post box weren’t in the way. Oh well, the stickered wall certainly adds interest to this side of the building, and from here you can also see more of the balcony, which I feel forms a very pleasant architectural feature, especially as a roof to the porch. I shall not dwell too much on the fact that there’s no clear way for our FabuFigs to get up there, I fear I’m destroying the magic as I type.. The latter part of the story/instruction tells of how to build Boris’ car. Indeed in the story initially it isn’t clear to whom the car actually belongs, but come on, it’s blue and yellow, it must be Boris’ car, right? The construction is very simple, essentially adding the five pieces to the chassis, one by one. The end result, though, is adorable. It is a cute little open-top run-around, complete with headlights and a windscreen. And to demonstrate just how cute it is, Boris has kindly stepped in to model the car, complete with a letter for him to deliver. You can see how well the car matches Boris’ own colour scheme and that of the post office, and that the proportions suit a FabuFig extremely well. Boris just has to sit in the small box-seat and look cute, for there are no unnecessary trivialities like a steering wheel to worry about. This is Fabuland; everyone gets to where they want to go. So when we add all these adorable elements together, how does it look? Here I have again tried to re-create a scene from the box; you can see the characters and the car as well as the other accessories, as the whole set is displayed. The set comes to life when the characters and the car are added, and it looks like a busy and vibrant Fabuland general store and post office. It’s not just a shell with a few figures, there are also enough details here to make it playable without being swamped with pieces. There was no need to add the garden, or the bench or the broom, however these additions are pleasant and unassuming. There are plenty of scenarios for children to act out, and plenty of scenes to re-create with the parts available. Overall, I think it is adorable. Now a few people may remember that on the back of the box are a few alternative models shown. Quite a few in fact, and some of them are... a little odd. I’m a sucker for an alternative build so I’ve picked out a couple to re-create. Here’s the first: Boris’ little postal run-around has been transformed into a sort of charabanc. Freddy sits on the upper deck admiring the Fabuland countryside, while Hannah sits waiting for her ride. It seems to me as though Hannah is saying to Boris “There’s no way I’m getting in that crazy contraption” and Boris is replying “Just get on the damn bus, hippo!” It’s a fairly simple construction, and the upper deck of the vehicle is supported by the windscreen at the front, and a few layers of bricks at the back. Freddy is actually sat on the single red chair, so even if Hannah could catapult herself up there, there’d be nowhere for her to sit. Such practicalities as these don’t matter in the minds of children, though. This isn’t ever the most bonkers of the vehicles shown as part of the alternative builds on the back of the box: I present to you the backless house-car thingy. I admit the name needs a little work. It might be a caravan, or a Winnebago, I honestly don’t know. There is the possibility that the area above the car portion might be intended to be a sleeping section. However what completely boggles my mind is why a door is necessary when the whole of the back of the vehicle is open! It is fairly sturdy, and even zoomable, but it really makes me think it should be a vehicle in Wacky Races; it bears a passing resemblance to the Creepy Coupe to my eyes: That said, it was quite fun to build, as was the other alternative build, and their bonkersness just adds to the Fabuland charm, really. Conclusion Design 8 /10 This is a cute shop, and I particularly like how is it separated into a post office and a General Store both by the colour scheme and the fact that the areas are mostly kept to one or other side of the door. There has been attention paid to the elements that both the store and the Post Office might need to make them playable - the stock and the cash register for the store, and the desk and chair, letters and telephone for the Post Office. Overall it is a pleasing structure, and I especially like the porch with its pillars and balcony. The real disappointment, as I’ve already pointed out, is the slight covering over of the shelves in the general store. It would have been great if the design could have included a way to have all aspects of the shelves visible, and still have the external walls flush with the roof still covered. This is the only gripe I have with the design, though, as the rest is pure Fabuland joy to me. Parts 9/10 The System bricks in this set aren’t really anything much, however the Fabuland parts are plentiful, with some being relatively uncommon. The lamp posts are a very welcome addition to any collection, especially mine, but there’s a plethora of pieces I’m delighted to have. Other stand out parts for me are: the multitude of printed tiles, the red telephone, the petrol pump, the postbox, the apple tree.... There are so many parts included that I’m spoilt for choice. FabuFigs 7/10 Talk to anyone about Fabuland figures and they’re referred to as FabuFigs, so no mention of Minifigs here. This isn’t a huge set overall, so receiving three FabuFigs as part of it is quite a boon. The hippo and the bulldog have always been higher up the adorability list, and Freddy Fox is still nice, if a little sinister. As mentioned earlier, there’s nice printing on all the torsos, and the hats on Boris and Freddy are great, too; it’s just a shame they aren’t removable. The biggest shame, though, is that TLG gave these cute and adorable Fabulanders monstrous eyes when they reincarnated them in this second generation. The older eyes were significantly cuter and didn’t make the Fabulanders look like they’re strung out on Crystal Meth. I love these figures, but unfortunately the eyes are a disappointment to me. Why TLG?? Why??? The first generation eyes were soulful and cute, these are.... dreadful. Build 9/10 The basis of the building comes together pretty quickly as the main structure is composed of the larger pieces. Once those are in place, however, there is some “traditional” LEGO building, followed by the plethora of details that can be positioned “just-so”. Following the story/instructions makes the build interesting and fun, and of course oh-so-cute as you join with the characters in building their store, so overall the build is lots of fun with plenty to add interest. Attempting the alternative builds once more opens up new and interesting ways of combining the pieces; ideal for those not used to MOCing, and just fun to build in all their bonkers glory. Playability 9/10 With the addition of the stories and so many little details, there’s oodles of playability here. Boris’ car is extremely sweet and very zoomable, and it can be set up as a grocery delivery van, or a post vehicle, and can be used to fill up with petrol. The other elements provide seemingly endless scenarios also, with growing the produce (as in the story) and selling it, not to mention posting and delivering letters and working at the desk with the telephone. The cash register makes for an ideal play shop, so there’s plenty for children to play with here (and adults, too). Price 7/10 I find it very hard to comment on price for these sets. There’s no information available in the usual source for how much this set may have sold for at the time of its release, and I honestly don’t know how much this set cost to buy this time (and I don’t really want to, it was a present after all). Looking on BrickLink, at the time of writing there are three sets available; a used and incomplete set for £37.82 GBP (60.89 USD, 40.04 EUR); a complete used set without the box for £86.38 GBP (139.04 USD, 98.31 EUR); and a MISB set available for £210.98 GBP (339.57 USD, 240.09 EUR) so there is a huge variation in prices and what you might get for your money. This is a used e-bay lot, which came with the box and instructions and only a couple of missing parts (which were replaced, sort of). There are many useful items here, some relatively rare, and fortunately in pretty good condition, mostly. For an old set like this, a reasonable price is really whatever that particular buyer is willing to pay; some may think the price is extortionate while others may think it is reasonable for the Fabuland goodies within. I myself am happy to own this set, and even happier that it was given as a present. Overall 82% This is another nostalgic piece of Fabuland charm. Not everyone loves Fabuland, but I do, and this set is so jam-packed with detailing and accessories, not to mention Fabuland parts for building houses and a car, that overall it is a great set with endless playability. The accompanying booklet adds pathos to the characters and introduces them to you or to children who may play with the set. The one big down-side is the FabuFigs, unfortunately. The second generation eyes are just too much, just a bit too crazy, and sadly reduce the cuteness of the otherwise adorable characters. However, if you have a few first generation figures in your collection, you can still make the set adorable, and the first generation figures will fit in perfectly. Thank you for reading, comments are always very welcome. High-Res pictures can be found on my flickr account.

After more than 30 years of loyal service, Billy Goat finally decided to replace his old tow truck. Look what the cat goat dragged in.

Fabuland's Ricky Raccoon has a new ride. He has replaced his scooter with a fast new hot rod. Bigger versions of these pictures on flickr.

Number – 3628 Name – Perry Panda and Chester Chimp Theme – Fabuland Year – 1981 Minifigs – 2 Pieces – 3 Price – GB £26.14/ EURO 30/ $42.28 (when bought) Links : BrickLink, Brickset, Peeron Everyone loves Fabuland, don’t they? It’s a bright and happy world where sweet little animals go about simple lives, and many real-life people find that they have resonance with a particular character or animal. For hopefully obvious reasons, I personally found this resonance with Perry Panda, who really is.... adorable. Through the power of BrickLink, I bought a used and lonely figure of Perry Panda, but unfortunately, though still adorable, he was a little grubby and faded, and required a lot of photoshop work to restore him in pictures. A return to BrickLink and a slightly more thorough search returned this set, MISB! An opportunity to have a new Perry Panda, plus a friend and a vehicle, for our Fabuland friends must have some of their world around to make them feel at home, this is an opportunity not to be missed! Review: Perry Panda and Chester Chimp 3628. It’s an old box, and the passage of time has not been kind but the front of the very colourful box shows our heroes going about their daily business. An old price sticker indicates the box was likely originally bought in Germany, costing 10.20 Deutsche Marks. The back of the box is equally beaten up. It shows what good friends our heroes are and further scenes of day-to-day business, including an inability to put the ladder in the tricycle, and Perry’s concern for Chester as he horses around at height. The sides show identical scenes of further chimp and ladder acrobatics, and you can see where I have tried (and failed) to open the box carefully. The base shows yet another comic scene. Inside the box are two booklets, one with a specific story for Perry and Chester, and the other showing off other Fabuland sets. The Story Booklet shows a wordless comic describing the adventures of the pair as they set about cleaning windows. It is lovely to look at so here are all four scenes. Another page describes the relationship between the pair, unfortunately not in English, so I have translated as best I can: Percy is the owner of a window cleaning company. They say he is a real a businessman- but perhaps a little too good-natured. Gabriel Gorilla works for Percy. Intelligent he is not, but in the story (or in his mind?), he is king. It’s interesting that BrickLink and other resources call this set Perry Panda and Chester Chimp, when the Story Book clearly calls them Percy Panda and Gabriel Gorilla. The booklet also shows a drawn picture of Fabuland itself and its inhabitants. You can see Perry and Chester at the top of the right-hand side (click the picture for a high-res view). The second booklet shows a photograph of Fabuland and its inhabitants. As this set is not easy to get hold of I’ve included some small pictures of the pages inside the second booklet; please click on them for links to high-res pictures. The last page of this booklet shows Charlie Crow building his own truck (Carry-All) and also has instructions for parents. I shall translate (I hope!): Each box contains a book of stories on the small animal from the box, and gives ideas for building and play. If you read the story aloud, your child will better know each new character. Onto the LEGO! There are but three parts, the first two are a ladder and a red tricycle: The tricycle is an attractive red and seats (stands) one at the front, with space for equipment at the back. When I saw this, I immediately remembered my childhood Fabuland set, Ricky Raccoon and his Scooter, as the tricycle is remarkably similar: The ladder is a simple piece with hand grips at one end and attachments for the tricycle at the other. There’s also a brush (but I got two ) Our adorable heroes, Perry and Chester, from the front: I’m slightly miffed that, given the main reason for buying this set was to get a brand new Perry Panda, the 30 years of rattling around in the box has still left his nose and ears a little worn Here they are from the back, and Chester is looking a little short... The build requires simply attaching the ladder to the tricycle. Here you can see the holes in the bed of the tricycle into which the ladder attachment is inserted. The ladder stands upright when attached in this way. It can also be placed using the hand-holds to lie horizontally. Here are all the elements of the set together, emulating the scene on the front of the box. And once you get them all together, you can start to have even more fun! Conclusion Design and Parts –8/10 this is classic Fabuland, not that there’s any other kind, and it’s a beautiful red tricycle. It coordinates well with the scooter, and the fact that the ladder can attach in two different orientations is great. The brush is the same as those used by classic LEGO minifigs and looks a little small. Given that other Fabuland sets have Fabuland specific accessories, a Fabuland brush would have been nice, as would a bucket. Build – 8/10 it takes under five seconds; attaching the ladder to the tricycle is neither taxing nor time consuming, but still makes you smile. Minifigs – 10/10 these are the headline of the set for me. I bought this primarily for Perry, who is just able, but Chester is also entirely loveable, with his cute little ears, even if he is a little short. The addition of the background story adds depth to the characters. Playability – 9/10 the characterisation gives a springboard for setting up scenes of comic mishap with these two, plus the tricycle is fun to zoom around and the ladder attaches firmly in both orientations, preventing dislodgement when zooming. Price – 8/10 At the time of selling, this set was evidently priced at 10.20 Deutsche Marks, which equates to EUR 5.22, GB £4.52 and US$ 7.36 at todays exchange rates. I'm not sure how reliable the conversion is, but GB £4.52 is certainly a more expensive price-to-parts ratio for 1981, but this was the case with Fabuland back then. Nowadays a MISB set can be bought from GB £25.99 to GB £43.28, and used sets range from GB £4.98 to GB £19.06 (values from BrickLink at the time of writing). This was a MISB set with a known battered box, and I paid GB £26.14; I bought from a seller I had used before who also had other things I wanted to buy. This set is undeniably expensive, and I can only comment for myself, but I felt it was worth every penny. If only a secret stash of old MISB Fabuland sets could be found so that they could be cheaper to buy (and I’d feel less guilty for opening it ) Overall 88% I adore this set, it’s just gorgeous. The characters are cute and the story is great, the only thing missing are more appropriate accessories, but those can be acquired by other means. Thanks for reading, High-Res pictures can be seen on my flickr

This is another gem from my childhood LEGO collection, the Fabuland Wind Mill with Harry Horse and Marjorie Mouse. Set Nr: 3679 Released: 1986 Pieces: 79 Figures: 2 The Front of the box: The back of the box: The contents in the inner plastic tray: Bricks, plates and flowers: Fabuland elements: Harry and Marjorie: Front cover of the instructions: Getting acquainted with Harry and Marjorie: Random instruction page: All larger Fabuland sets contained an inspirational story after the model was built: Harry and Marjorie start to build the wind mill: Harry gets a little help from Marjorie and in no time at all the roof elements are snapped into place: Harry making some final adjustments on the wind mill: Marjorie starts to assemble the delivery car: A few more parts and the car will be complete: The completed wind mill: The wind mill is unique with the big wind mill blade and flour sack printed tiles. I especially like the updated versions of Harry and Marjorie with the new style eyes and printed aprons.

This is where Fabuland creations of all types are indexed. Further Fabuland resources are found in the Special Themes Fabuland Index Page. If you would like to ask questions, make comments, or discuss any aspect of Fabuland, please visit The Discussion Thread or check the the already running discussions listed in the Special Themes Index linked above. Buildings Vehicles Scenes/Vignettes/Objects Stories and Comics Fabuland Christmas and Brickworld Fabuland Current Members - Denoted by: Cecilie CopMike ExoBuilder Gylman Hinckley Jipay LegoLyons LuxorV michaelozzie Pandora Ricecracker Rick Rufus Shadows Siegfried SirNadroj SlyOwl WhiteFang All other Fabuland resources are hosted on the Fabuland page of the Special Themes Forum. Inspiration, Information, Innovation For Reference: [topic=17396][img=http://www.eurobricks.com/shadows/FBG/builders_guild.gif][/topic]