jonwil

Does anyone know of a mod (with instructions or really good photos) for the Lone Ranger train that shows how to add connecting rods to the Lone Ranger train? Or alternatively another similar 4-6-0 US pattern locomotive that has connecting rods (and that has instructions available?

The new sets aren't comming to Australia either. Looks like LEGO have decided to bypass the entire EU distribution chain (which services Australia as well as the EU) including (it seems) Shop @ Home for the EU markets.

For anyone interested in the 3 new Ultra Agents sets (Ultrasonic Showdown, Portal Hideout, Ocean HQ) we have a comment from LEGO (via http://brickingaround.com/2015/06/24/release-schedule-for-second-half-of-2015/ ) that they wont be released in Australia (which jibes with other information suggesting they wont be released in the Europe/Australia/etc distribution side of things at all or even sold on Shop @ Home to that part of the world) so if you want one you will need to find a US based retailer willing to sell you one. I was sort of interested in these sets for parts but if they aren't showing up locally, I wont bother.

About 2 weeks ago Brisbricks put on a big LEGO show/display at Strathpine. I have finally been re-united with my digital camera and have uploaded the photos I took of the event to https://picasaweb.google.com/jfwfreo/Strathpine

FYI, people are reporting that they have been able to get staff in store to stack the 20% off Friends and Family coupon with existing discounts (obviously it depends on the items, the discount and the staff member) but if there are things you want at Toys R Us (especially things that are exclusive to Toys R Us) and you can get to one this weekend, you might be able to bag a bargain.

I sent the details of this to the Brisbricks mailing list, the guys there have been doing some stuff with lighting and might be interested in a wireless solution that lets you do so much more stuff :)

He has to make injection molds. That costs $$$ (if you want one that is up to the quality standards of LEGO which I am sure this guy does). Not just any molds mind you, molds that are suitable to have the electronics added. (which makes them more expensive than regular mods) He has to produce the tiny receiver/LED boards (and as someone who knows electronics, getting boards made when working with parts that small ain't cheap) So that 130k goal isn't outside the realms of what it would actually cost to get a project like this off the ground at the small scale he is attempting to do it, especially if he has other things that have to happen (e.g. since its wireless he may need to get it certified by regulatory bodies that regulate wireless signals like the FCC)

For those in QLD, good stock levels of most things at Big W Beenleigh. No Helicarrier though (guy told me they were out of stock). Plenty of stock of the Creator stuff (including the Blue Power Jet that is scanning at $55 and not the catalog price of $68). City, NinjaGo, Classic, Pirates and Minecraft. No idea about the other big stuff (Simpsons House, Sandcrawler) since I was in a hurry and not interested in buying these at all and didn't ask. If you have even the slightest interest in the Blue Power Jet and you can in any way afford $55, BUY IT, that price (about 38% off RRP by my math) is the cheapest its likely to go unless it ends up in deep clearance somewhere. Also, Toys R Us has 20% off all full priced items (excluding some non-LEGO crap people on here aren't going to care about) for the 26th, 27th and 28th of June (or online for the 25th as well) via this coupon: http://www.toysrus.com.au/familyandfriends/ So if there is anything at your local TRU that you want, it seems like now would be a good time to buy it. (I wonder if you could get the full 20% off normal price on items that are part of their toy sale catalog but where the discount is less than 20% e.g. the Hydra Fortress set or if you could only get the catalog price)

I would be willing to bet that City in 2015 includes at least one helicopter. City has had helicopters in its sets every year since it started :)

Its not in that Australian catalog because exclusive to K-Mart and retailer exclusives dont appear in the catalogs in Australia anymore (they used to though)

Newspaper Reporter Gender: Male Torso print: white collared shirt, sleeveless suit jacket and tie (suit color chosen to match with the hat color) Headgear: Fedora in a new color (Dark Brown? Dark Bluish Grey? Light Bluish Grey?) Facial Expression: Questioning looks Legs: pants chosen to match the torso Accessory: tile with notepad printing (including some scribble lines on the notepad to represent writing) Tribal Warrior (generic representation of e.g. Zulu/Masai Warriors or other similar African tribes) Gender: Male Torso print: Muscles Headgear: suitable headdress piece of some sort Facial Expression: Angry Legs: Suitable printing to look like appropriate pants Accessory: Oval shield with appropriate printing plus spear

Just the fig, not the other parts of GB set?

Anyone know who (if anyone) will be stocking the City Swamp Police Hovercraft Arrest. Its not in the catalog so it must be a retailer exclusive and I haven't seen it anywhere yet.

I wonder why the Private Jet comes with the scanners, I thought the reason rich people used private jets was to avoid all that security BS. Or has that changed and private guys now need to go through scanners?

Where has the Ghostbusters stuff appeared (i.e. where people are seeing the new figure with the arm printing?)

Since it seems like the stuff I saw at Mr Toys (Tower Bridge included) isn't the rare at-risk-from-scalpers stock I thought it was I will let everyone know that it was Logan Hyperdome that I spotted it all at. MYER at the Hyperdome has reasonable stock levels of everything except the big sets (including new Mixels, new Juniors, new Creator and new Super Heroes) plus the Mini. K-Mart has the new Creator and the new Super Heroes. I could have sworn that the Tower Bridge was some discontinued going-up-in-price set though like the Town Hall, seems I was wrong.

Spotted some NICE stuff at a Mr Toys south of Brisbane which I wont disclose (for anti-scalper reasons that will be obvious when you see what I am reporting on). Items spotted are: New Juniors sets (road work crew and house) Super Heroes Batman Boat and Joker Amusement Park (no new Marvel that I saw though) Architecture Flat Iron Building, Tower of Pisa, Trevi Fountain, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Empire State Building and Lincoln Memorial. Power Functions Motor Box Simpsons House Big Sydney Opera House Simpsons House Blue Creator Jet, Changing Seasons, green 4x4 and that one with the mecha thing that looks like it could transform into an airplane (not sure what its called, just don't recall seeing it at retail before) Ecto-1 Mixels Series 5 (the new one) Simpsons Series 2 Mini City Swamp Police Water Plane (currently not seen anywhere other than Mr Toys) Winter Village Market The reason I am keeping this location a secret though is that this store has the 3 below sets in stock, all of which are VERY much prime scalper targets: Star Wars Red 5 (cant remember the price or how many they had) Parisian Restaurant ($249.99 price tag attached with one spotted, no idea if they have more) and most notably at least one Tower Bridge with a price tag of $379 attached. If you want to know where I saw this, send me a PM and I will share the details with anyone who isn't going to scalp the good stuff (I dont want it but I dont want it to end up on feeBay or cracklink or scumtree at a rip-off price either) If anyone wants details of the stuff I saw at other retailers today (Mini, new Creator, new Mixels, new Super Heroes, new Juniors) PM me as well, I wont share the details of which retailers here because that would give away which Mr Toys has the good stuff is and let the scalpers get it.

Good luck finding one, even the deep outback rural toy stores have been picked clean from what I have heard.

There were still a few Slaves left at MYER North Lakes as of earlier today. They also had the new dark blue Creator fighter jet. No modulars or other interesting stock that I could see (although I may have missed something) Didn't get to Target or Big W (not that it matters since neither of them is actually having a sale :) So all 3 of the new Creator sets have now been spotted in QLD stores but none of the other new sets are out yet except for the retailer exclusives at Big W like the Heavy Haul Train.

Nice job, you really nailed the look. Now how about trying the clock from the film? :)

MYER Brisbane CBD has Minis, some larger LEGO Movie stuff, plenty of super heroes and Jurassic World stuff kincluding the MYER exclusive in both lines, 1 cargo train and some passenger trains and stations, various other city items, Simpsons S2, a few Architecture sets and 4 DOs. No PCs or slaves or new stuff that I could see (and no idea about stock levels in the back). Staff said they have been limiting to 1 per customer for the big items at that store. Only thing at David Jones is some TMNT Lair sets. Didn't hit Mr Toys, Target or Big W. Only stock of note visible at MYER Garden City are a few Minis, brainiac attacks, a fdew JW items including the raptor pen and one each of the Passenger Train and Cargo train. K-Mart has he Changing Seasons and the new 4x4. No jet or anything else notable though. Nothing at Target, Big W, Toys R Us or David Jones

Its not printing vs stickers, its that the detail in the yellow truck stickers happens to be better (IMO) than the detail in the tiles in this new set.

The orange friends basketball is the same mold as the soccer ball, just orange with no printing instead of white with printing. The actual basketball piece hasn't been made in years :) In saying that, unless they are unable to get the OK to use the soccer ball piece (either in the orange found in the 2015 Juniors Family House set or in some other color) or their play testing shows that the Zamor Sphere rolls though the maze better than the soccer ball piece, they will almost certainly use the soccer ball.

Personally I recon the set stickers from the big yellow truck from a while back are much better looking than the ones in the City Square...

There is no way the Frozen Castle will win because TLG has already made a Frozen castle set this year.