Artifex

I love your blog posts! Keep up the good work! your title should be "Castle Historian"

Now that's a cool set! And this got to be one of the cutest little sets ever!

This guy here was my very first minifigure: I got him with the 6656 Tow Truck. This set is still one of my all time favorites.

Congratulations, guys!

If you love it, then keep it. For as cheesy as it may sound, no money will ever buy love. Listen to what I say: In a couple of years (or perhaps tomorrow), you'll regret ever letting it go. 'nuff said.

Hi there! So today Nirvana's album Nevermind is turning 20 - has anyone got a MOC to celebrate? Unfortunately, I don't... But I spent the morning listening to the album!

Excellent review, thank you! I was really looking down on this set, but your review just made me think twice!

Thanks! And do people still like the old 9v and 12v best? The PF sounds like an improvement... But I'm no train specialist, so...

I forgot to say which option I like best -- and I go with Brickdoctor; I think it's better to have a sticker sheet and apply the stickers when -- and if -- you feel like it then having them applied by TLG. I agree that applying stickers is part of the fun of building a set; I had a lot of fun doing it yesterday. Stickers also add so much to any creation -- not only the official sets, but take a look at those MOCs with custom stickers (like Lightning Tiger's New Mannun Town Centre, Shell Service Station and Shopping Centre). So, I like the printed pieces, but as we have to live with stickers, I'd reather apply them myself.

You guys got me thinking -- you just went straight to the point, asking the questions I should really be thinking about. I'm glad I openned this thread. For starters, I want to have a train in my Lego city. I'm not yet sure how big the track has to be, and I'm not afraid of rebuilding and replanning everything (the whole city layout) if it comes to it. I thought about getting a train before planning anything, but I do see that's not the right way to do it. I'd like to have a passenger train to take my minifigs from one side of the city to the other. No fancy layout, just a track going in and around the buildings. As I have no real experience with trains, I was going for something very straight in design, a Lego train set of tracks plus a couple of track sets if needed (and I'll probably need it, I guess). Then I saw these pics on one of the train reviews (sorry, I can't remember which) where someone had a passenger train and a cargo one in his/her city. I liked that. I know that's far ahead in my city future, so I guess I'll start with a single train. As for the train itself, I'll think about the money when I find out which train suits my needs -- I'll just save money for it, even if it takes some time to buy it. I'm not in a hurry. From what I said above, I guess a passenger train is the place to start, although I think I have a thing for the 7939 Cargo Train (it's got a nice train, a truck, two cars... It's good for the city as a whole!) Here where I live, there's no better way to get tracks but buy them online. So... As for tracks, I see people complaining a lot about the flexible tracks -- but why? Are they that horrible? I have no idea if I'm going to MOD or MOC the train itself (the loco and the wagons) -- do people do that a lot? I have no trouble running the trains as they are, and I'm pretty sure I won't be messing around with power functions, engines and such -- if I change anything, it's probably the exterior of the train, I guess. Question: What's the difference between 9v, 12v and Power Functions? I know that for the 9v and 12v it's something related to how much the engine can pull, but in which ways are the Power Functions different? Thanks so far!

Hi there! Today I applied lots of stickers. While doing it, I found myself thinking of another passion of mine: GIJoe! Years ago, Hasbro would release the GIJoe vehicles completely unassembled - you had to build (almost) the whole thing. And you had to apply all the stickers. Today, everything comes more or less assembled, and the stickers usually come already applied. It's not always for the best, to be quite honest... But they are there anyway. So, what would you think if Lego applied all the stickers instead of having us doing it? Would you like that?

Hi there! So I've been reading reviews of the many Lego trains for a time now. And I'm thinking about buying my first train set. I came out of my Dark Ages last year. I'm into Kingdoms, City and the modular buildings - I'm not in my "top building condition," but I guess I'm in shape for the challenge. So where should I start? Which train set should I buy first? What is the best train for a complete "newbie," and which one is both a good start AND a good addition to any city? I know there's the 7939 Cargo Train and the 7938 Passenger train, and they both look great. I recently got the 8404 Public Transport, and the Tram is just great! Where whould I go from there? Each and every piece of advice, comments and suggestions are welcome!

The one thing I don't get is: Why doesn't TLG simply re-release all those sets? 3 years is a good time to put Cafe Corner back on the shelves, isn't it? I guess many more people would buy it now than when it was first released - everybody knows how good a set it is nowadays! Not so much all those years ago, wouldn't you say so? Isn't that what they do with Police and Firefighters every 3 years? Add a bit here, do some work there, recolor some parts and that's it - "brand new" sets... No irony intended. The same sets, but usually -- most of the time, lets be honest -- improved, better.

Thanks for all the advice, guys! 'Just came back from the toy store - I got the Lego Truck! I got it for all the above reasons and now I just can't wait to get back home and have it deliver Lego goodies all over my town! I'll see what I'll do about the Police Boat and the Marina - I'll end up getting those two sets too, for they sort of just got to the Brazilian stores. Thanks again!

Hi guys! I'm in need of a quick advice. I can only get one out of the following Lego sets from a local store (I'm in another town today and I won't be coming back here for months.) All of the below sets are difficult to find here in Brazil (at least in the region where I live) - and they are equally hard to come by. So which one should I get: * 3221 Lego truck * 7287 Police Boat * 4644 Marina Prices aside, this is the first time I've ever seen the Lego truck in a Brazilian toy store. I've seen the Police Boat, but it's not that common a sight. This was the first time I ever saw the Marina here in Brazil, but it's a brand new set and I guess I can get it this year or maybe sometime in the next two years. Each and every word of advice is welcome. Thanks in advance!

Beautiful! Question: is the girl supposed to be sitting? If so, what about changing the color of the "brick" where she is sitted? If she's supposed to be standing and that's her skirt, just leave it as is - works perfect!

Oh, New Mannum looks so great, LT! It's a lovely little town (and I mean that the best way it can possibly sound!) The buildings, the business, the streets... It all looks fantastic! Not to mention the interior of each and every building! It's just... It feels real! And it's still Lego, with the best from Classic Town side-by-side with the best from today. I just want to thank you for sharing your creation with us. It's a great MOC. It feels so real, so lively (even with no minifigs in the streets, so I think everybody can imagine how lively THAT will look like!) And now go to bed and get well soon! P.S.: On the side: There are no bus stops?

I'm officially in love!!! :wub:

Wow! This is one HUGE castle! I like the measures -- from the many baseplates to the walls and stairs. Please keep the pics coming!

In one word: awesome! The MOC is itself amazing, and so are the LDD and the instructions! I'd buy this set if Lego were to seel it!

Amazing, LightningTiger! Simply stunning! I love the Shell color scheme, and you made it even better - the white floor just makes everything else shine. As usual, there are so many details that's impossible not to spend a good time just looking for every little thing you put there. The interior of this station is just amazing - from the counter to the Coke fridge to the clock to the table and then you reach the pies... I was stunned when I saw those! The blue 'windows' just added so much detail to the overall snack place... The stickers add another level entirely - while one can get the MOC by its colors and architecture, the stickers add such realism to the MOC that it really feels alive. Outside there's a lot of space... What about a small parking lot space over the studs? Something simple, as befits a servive station. Just my two cents ;)

Here you go: * 3182 City Airport: That's USD 99,99 (at Lego S@H). In Brazil, it costs around BRL 499,99 (at Ri Happy toys). * 3181 Passeger Plane: That's USD 36,95 (at JoyLot). But in Brazil it costs around BRL 189,99 (again at Ri Happy toys). * 7498 Police Station: That's USD 95,54 (at Amazon). I have no links for that one in Brazil, but I know it costs around BRL 550,00 at any store because I have plans to buy it so I'm saving money for it. But I just found it on Mercado Livre (that's our "Brazilian ebay") for BRL 369,00 (check it in here). (Please notice I'm using the cheapest prices out of a quick Google search) USD 1,00 = BRL 1,53 (as of today). So for a set that costs say, USD 100,00 (BRL 153,00), we pay around 3,25 times more. Sad but true. :( That's why I usually use Bricklink or ebay. I only buy Lego in Brazil when the total cost (product + shipping) is more or less the same for an ebay or other internet buy.

I guess you forgot ebay, which is another good place to find and buy Lego. I know how you feel about buying in your own country - here in Brazil, Lego average prices are three times more expensive (yes, 3x MORE!) than they are in the US.

I'm not sure if you can do this, but a link to your store would do miles for most people interested...

The new (2010) Kingdoms 7946 King's Castle. Thumbs up for that one!