JanetVanD

A lot of charm and character in this neat model. I really like it.

One of my favourites out of an increasingly impressive collection of models. I don't know much about the game but the artwork of this piece speaks for itself. Rolli, you just get better and better!

I loved this model! The detailing, textures, colour and creative use of parts are all of a very high standard. Well done.

Am I the only AFOL who has never come across a poor quality LEGO element? I would call myself very discerning and I closely examine any new sets, bricks, etc. I get, but (so far) the quality has always been top-notch. The only discrepancy is in the variations within a colour (e.g. yellow) but that's a different issue.

Bulk bricks to order would be a dream come true for anyone in Ireland, where there's not only no LEGO store, but a sea to cross and currency to change before getting to the nearest country that does have a store. Sadly, I can't see TLG planning anything like it any time soon.

I agree that discoloured and/or scratched bricks can look a lot more realistic in a build, especially off-colour white in a town or castle theme. Personally, I only throw away a piece if the damage is so bad it upsets me to look at it!

Someone has probably already said this one, but even so, it would be worth saying again: masonry bricks for corners!!!

As with all Lego sets that you really like, I think the best motto is "get 'em while they're hot". I've been caught too often with missed opportunities and regrets! Also, with the new stuff being released at an ever-increasing pace, the wish list soon gets too long to ever catch up on. Of course, one might not be able to afford to eat for a few weeks.....

An excellent review; as detailed as the set itself. Yet another item for my Lego wish list (which lengthens at an ever-increasing rate!)

I was quite excited about this set until I realised it had microfigs instead of minifigs. The micros just don't do it for me.....

We really wanted to go, as it would be our first Eurobricks event to attend and we live close enough to England but the price of the hotel is so high it makes the trip impossible. People have told me that if you stay somewhere other than the designated hotel, you miss out on a lot of the social activities, which kind of defeats the purpose of going.

For me, it has to be the classic Yellow Castle. I loved everything about it! There's even an amusing story about the first time I built it: My family and I were temporarily living at the boarding school where my mother worked and since I was only a small child there were strict rules about where I was not allowed to go. However, I wanted more space to play with my Lego collection (which, even at that time, was already getting a bit large) so I used to sneak into classrooms late at night. One night, having just gotten this most exciting yellow castle set, I crept into the science & mathematics lab (a dangerous and most forbidden place), spread my precious Lego all over the counter and started to build. Unfortunately, I got so engrossed in the hinged walls and working drawbridge, I forgot how loud the sound of rummaging through piles of bricks can be, especially when echoing down a big, 19th Century school corridor in the middle of the night! The night custodian heard me and came to investigate. In my rush to gather my Lego and hide, I dropped a knight, spear and shield. The custodian found the pieces and the next day my mother was sternly admonished for letting me play in labs at night, which she strongly denied. She almost had them convinced they were mistaken until I came forward and admitted my wrongdoing. You see, to me, it didn't matter about getting in trouble, as long as I got my Lego pieces back!

Excellent entries,all! 26. Cara - 1 22. Emma-1 18. ShaydDeGrai - 1 13. parsom - 1 10. 6kyubi6 - 1

Also coming from a small country (with no Lego store!) I understand your frustration, but rural Slovenia is SO BEAUTIFUL ! There are even a few Slovenian landmarks I hope to build in a year or two.... I used to be the only Lego fan in the household but over the past four years everyone else has "converted", with the last non-fan building his very first set just three months ago and then finding himself hooked!

The problem of how to sort and store Lego can never be permanently solved unless you intend to never allow your collection to grow (and let's face it: how many of us would want that?!) As a collection grows in size and diversity, the sorting system and type of containers used will evolve with it. I prefer to sort by both colour and type, e.g. red brick, red plate, red arches, red slopes, red "special", etc. To avoid "over-sorting" to where it gets tedious gathering pieces for a model, certain parts get sorted by type only, e.g. mixed hinges, doors & windows, 1x3 curved slopes, etc. Then, of course, I often separate often-used pieces but then save space by combining similar colours. e.g. mixed green cheese slopes, mixed grey headlight bricks, etc. My Lego room is tiny and my collection vast, so the containers have to be stackable, slim and super-efficient. At the moment I have a mix of SmartStore, Wham, Crystal and Really Useful Box containers along with a multiple drawer system for my minifig population. A bit obsessive? Probably. TIdy and easy to locate pieces? Definitely!

My first set to play with was the 1974 Building set no. 125. I loved it even though I couldn't get the hang of building "brick style" for the longest time ( I kept stacking the 2x4 pieces on top of one another and wondered why my roof wouldn't slant and my walls kept falling down!) The first set actually bought for me was no.540 Swiss Chalet in 1973 but my mother wouldn't let me have it until years later because she liked it too much!

It's certainly not easy to pick just one theme as favourite (or even two or three) With several Lego fans in my household, nearly every theme is well represented! I suppose, if pressed, I would pick Creator and Modulars first, followed by castle and TLOTR& Hobbit as they are loved by all at home. Mind you, I have a good few Star Wars sets and Friends,and Chima and Technic and........and...........

We have no Lego store in my country (Ireland) which is a big bummer, especially since we are an island. So when I do get across to a store I usually go wild and use up all of my carefully-hoarded VIP points at the PAB wall. During Brick2014 in London, we AFOLs had great fun at the wall on Black Friday. I managed to fit nine brown horses in one cup with lots of filler in between. My daughter stacked 45 8x8 DBG plates per cup, again with lots of filler. I loaded up with hundreds of red seats I needed for a soon-to-be-started MOC. (I was just about to order these from Bricklink) All in all, a worthwhile trip.

Sorry, but I don't think I could ever use a non-Lego part. All the Lego fans in my household are die-hard purists! A few months ago someone gave us a big box of mixed bricks, some genuine Lego, some not. We spent days separating out all the imitation stuff and donated it to the local school. There were some really cool retro pieces in the real Lego, though......

Just completed a HUGE sorting-fest and properly sorted all the stuff I brought back from Brick2014. Now I need to disassemble a bunch of sets so I have space to start my Christmas building spree!

An excellent review on a lovely set. I got a chance to admire these (and many other) birds at Brick2014. Actually, my favourite was the turkey! It's nice to see an artistic, non-licensed theme join the Ideas mix. (something for everybody)

Great display, Dfenz! All in all, Brick2014 was a fantastic show and I'm already looking forward to next year!

Lovely rendition, particularly of Hobbes. You got the pose just right!

I feel a Sweeney Todd MOC coming on..... I suppose the Bellatrix LaStrange minifg could be Mrs. Lovett??

Thanks for all the positive feedback, everyone! Answers to questions: Sorry no video, my technical skills are too limited for that! The "glass" is actually clear plastic sheets for safety purposes during transport. ( Normally I'm a 100% Purist, but this had to be an exception)