Paul Boratko

Well they went and pulled down my instructions for my Muscle Car and Porsche again today.. After reviewing your eBay account, we've taken the following action: - Listings have been removed. A list of items that were removed can be viewed at the bottom of this message. - We have credited any associated fees to your account. Here are the listings that were removed: 271516087422 - Crowkillers Custom Lego Technic Porsche 997 GT3 166 Page Instruction Download 390846661323 - 2014 Custom Lego Technic American Muscle Car 175 Page Instruction Download I sent am email and got somewhat of a response. They said I was using their Trademark (Lego name) without their permission and there may be other issues including people being confused as to whether it is an actual product from Lego or not... That is fine, but what about the 10,000+ other listings that come up when you search for "Custom Lego" ? 600 listing for "Custom Lego Instructions" People that are selling custom instructions are generating revenue for Lego... They pull my muscle car instructions and the model is on the cover of Brickjournal which is being sold on Lego's website...

After Brickfair 2012 I was informed via email that I was no longer allowed to have business cards on the table near my models and I was also not allowed to advertise my website(I had a 8" x 11" sign holder with a business card slot).. They said I can keep them in my pocket and hand them out if someone asks for one, but when I am demonstarting something in front of a group of people and someone is moving along with their kids, it is much easier to grab a card... I was also told that since my website looks like a store, that I would have to register as a vendor to advertise it.. Yes, they said it looked like a store... But I was then told that unfortunately all of the vendor spots were already sold out for 2013's show... Not like I was going to cough up $250 anyways... I was also informed that vendors were upset because someone had seen me sell a transmission after the show ended on Sunday to another attendee... Yeah, these minifig vendors are singing the blues because I sold a $40 gearbox to another person displaying at the show, meanwhile they did $1,000's of dollars selling non Lego products at a Lego show... Now I ask you, what is the point of charging attendees $50 to $60 and making ridiculous rules for them..? Why should I pay $120 for my wife and I to do a show, not to mention hotel, food, and gas cost and then be told that I can't advertise a website that costs me around $400 to $500 a year to maintain..? Where is the incentive of doing these shows if they're getting so political..? Another funny thing is that I was questioned about the wheels on my cars not being Lego(which they are) and if they were not that I couldn't use them... They said everything on the displays had to be 100% Lego.. Of course the 100's of aftermarket minifigure items scattered throughout the MOC's were perfectly legal... When I asked about this, I was told "They sell those at the show" Oh yeah, no one is allowed to promote their Cuusoo/Ideas Projects.. So if you are hoping to use this show to get some extra votes for your Cussoo project, think again...

I wouldn't mind doing another show out there.. I was there in 2010.. Only thing that sucks is that it is a 10 hour drive for us... That's cool that you are allowed to have business cards on your table.. They are only allowed to be in your pocket at Brickfair...

Would definitely look better with red ones... Maybe they had a ton of #3 LBG connectors that they had to get rid of... Could be the same situatiuon as this strange one here from a few years ago... The LBG smooth toggle connectors look completely out of place on the 8081 model...

Due to the politics involved, Brickfair 2012 was and will be the last Lego show that I ever attend down there... It's pretty sad when vendors dictate how you are allowed to run your show...

It's no secret that Technic isn't as big here in the states as it is over your way... It's pretty sad when you go to a Lego show with 1,000 exhibitors and there is one Technic model...

Hopefully they make this part without friction at some point... This could be a handy piece to use with the new style hubs...

Technic isn't going anywhere, in fact there is probably more Technic in the regular 2014 non-Technic sets than any year before...Technic really adds to the playability of traditional system sets...This is a good thing as I think that standard builders are finally going to start appreciating Technic more...

Yeah, me too... Back in the late 90's and early 2000's some of them came with gold wheels... Nice job..!

I have never been a VW Beatle fan, but I am today..!

Thanks! That is a good solution, but the mechanism that I have is for remote opening from the rear... I am actually using the new steering arms to create the pivot point for the up and outwards motion...

I don't know if this builder posts here or not, but this certainly deserves a thread... One small thing that I love are the blue Subaru emblems that he did with the "star" being the cross in them... Outstanding... Full Brickshelf Gallery Video: He really detailed the engine too...

Nice Car...!!! I am currently working on a butterfly door mechanism for a new car that I am working on...

There are people who don't even design anything that pull in money from youtube for just doing reviews on Lego sets... I have no clue what MOC building heavy hitters like Sariel pull in, but I know people that have far less subscribers are making several thousand dollars a year from their Youtube channel just making simple videos.. While it may not be enough to make a living, it does pay for their Lego hobby.... If one was creative enough and devoted all of their time to their Lego hobby, I believe that someone outside of Lego could certainly make a living designing models, makign videos, selling instructions and small kits, etc... Of course you have to constantly be coming up with new ideas and such and then of course you are going to have to deal with people blatantly ripping you off from time to time, but that come with the territory and happens in all businesses.

LOL.. It took you long enough to finally make a post here....

I had commented about the Online Customer Service in another thread... You cannot go by what they show that they have, because they have many items showing as available that have been out of production for years....

LOL.. Me too. I made an entire hinge system out of Technic parts for the one that broke in my Camaro's center console... I made PSP stands about 8 years ago... I've fixed all types of things around the house with Technic bits...

That Shuttle set came out right around the same time that the Technic Shuttle did(Give or take a year) Maybe that was the model that pushed LEGO to declare using that technique "illegal" Putting plates on both sides of a Technic brick would eliminate the possibilty of pushing one out with a pin or axle from the other side since both are covered... Perhaps they received a lot of complaints about that set...

I would say that you should be able to get at least what you paid for it and maybe make a small profit... I would take it all apart and sell it un-built... The average selling price of a brand new one on Ebay is around $380 USD.

I live on the East Coast and I can confirm that they have hit the Toys R Us stores here as well... As Eric said it was just the 4 smaller sets... I would imagine it would be kind of odd if someone comes in to use their V.I.P. card and asks you if you know when the new sets are coming out and you tell them that you can't disclose that information and they say "But they are already on sale at Toys R Us" I suppose since Toys R Us is the largest distributor of Lego that they can do what they want... They always have sets way before Lego does.. I remember at Brick Magic a few years ago they were sneak previewing the new Lego Miners sets to the public, but they wouldn't give a release date, meanwhile you could go to Toys R Us and buy them... I would also like to add that Toys R us is currently selling the new sets at the price they are supposed to be and not jacked up yet. The 2013 Pullback racers are $24.99 and the new 2014 ones were $19.99 and I believe the snow mobile was as well....

And how about this... Then add this Legal or illegal..? Only one stud is in each piece.

If the picture on the Left is illegal, then the picture on the right should be perfectly fine correct...?

^^^^ One stud is ok, but no more than that. Like a 1 x 2 plate inserted into 2 holes would not be ok...

I also like the use of the 1/2 bushings for the Audi Emblem.. Very creative....