Pingles

I find controlling two trains with one controller fun. I have done three but don't have enough track to make that anything other than a catastrophe.

My daughter is two and has a giant box filled with Duplo that she has no interest in. HOWEVER. My Lego? She can't get enough. For the Lego involved it's a disaster. She just doesn't have the dexterity or patience needed to keep the models in one piece. I am constantly putting things back together. As others have said it's our play time and I love doing it. I just know ahead of time I am going to be rebuilding. It did catch me off-guard at first and I posted about her first run-in with my Emerald Night in the Trains forum. That poor train never stood a chance. I am currently modifying a Fire Brigade for her to play with. It's large, open play areas are perfect for her. I am removing the back walls and angling in teh walls to maximize her access while minimizing chances for disaster. It's a fun challenge.

Overwhelming to see them all in one shot. It's intimidating!

I am not at the point in my Lego growth that I can participate in this contest but I wanted to comment that I think events like this are an amazing thing to do for your community and those prizes are absolutely unbelievable.

I would love it if every Expo got it's own thread as a clearinghouse of pictures. I am always interested in seeing the pics/videos from these.

Definitely buying this for my daughter. She will go nuts.

I am currently converting a Fire brigade into a dollhouse for my 3 year old daughter. She has no interest in Duplo but plays with "Daddy's" Legos every day. Fire Brigade has large, open spaces perfect for her to wildly swing her little arms through. Currently I am very disappointed by the tiny play areas in current sets. I will definitely be interested in what "play" value they design into these new sets. With my daughters passion for my minifigs I get the feeling that these new minifig-ish sized characters will be perfect. I'll definitely report back with her experiences. It will be interesting if she ends up preferring the standard minifigs.

A beautiful reproduction of a brute of an engine! I'm a Steam fan but I love that engine! And your work is fantastic. How inspiring!

So much character, so many great details. Breathtaking!

It's been mentioned before but I think it bears repeating: To be realistic we have to consider mainstream appeal. No matter how many multiple copies of sets AFOLs buy it pales in comparison with a single ToysRUs (or Lego Store) on a busy weekend. I'd be happy to see small sets with train-themes. Road Crossings, Utility/Support cars, etc. As far as a full train SET I'd love to see a Steam based one but I don't know if that has mass appeal.

This is a LOT of money they are investing into these sets. I can guarantee (no, I can't...but you get what I'm saying) studies were done by reputable institutions. Whether it WORKS is another thing. Plenty of products have been tested up the wazoo and failed. But before they commit to an undertaking like this there have been LOTS of kids tested using multiple models and see which ones they gravitate towards.

I hope aliens intercept them and then when they try to infiltrate our society they mistakenly disguise themselves as minifigs.

For those who had no idea what Bricktober was: Brickipedia Bricktober. EDIT: Worded it better

Just like any investment these things usually depend on how much work you want to do with them. I had a friend who made a ton of money on the stock market but he LIVED AND BREATHED nothing but stock market for several years. He was reading every newsletter, investment site, etc. and pretty much disappeared behind his PC for several years until he announced he had made enough money to retire. If you want to monitor prices and trends and you enjoy it go for it. But be prepared to spend some time doing it and also be prepared for some decisions to go horribly wrong.

He who hesitates... I took too long. The BOGO deal at TRU is gone.

I am amazed by how often you guys genuinely surprise me. Spectacular!

Sad Story: Today I have started refreshing the S@H website over and over hoping it's August SOMEWHERE and it will be updated.

So much character jam-packed into such a tiny diner! Beautiful work!

Ha! I meant I am considering whether to buy that pair. Wasn't asking for help choosing, just writing out my thoughts as I try to justify the purchase. I promised to limit myself to one big purchase a month and the new month is just a few days away!

I can't find the ad on the homepage but lots of Lego kits on ToysRUs' website are coming up "Buy One Get one Half Off". Every City and Pirates set I checked was. Considering the Imperial Flagship and the new Cargo Train set.

Looking at all of those tiny details makes me think it would be great fun if you had a handout with things to look for! So much fun to look at!

Great mood! And the scene looks very alive! Nice work!

A great way to incorporate tunnels into a layout! I like it. I'm going for a more organic type of tunnel but for a city structure I think it's top-notch!

Santa Clara did not have it. Hmmph.

Now I find myself asking "What do *I* consider to be art?" The first time a Lego creation crossed over from cute gimmick, neat model or fascinating engineering into ART was the abandoned building of Mike Doyle. Not sure what made that tug at my heart more than my brain and I don't think I could define it adequately. Fascinating.