sharky

Maybe the piece count is not accurate. Perhaps it is more than 415 pieces? Either way, one of the 2 doesn't seem right, price or the piece count. Since the price is on the tag in the pics but the piece count is not on the box, I'd guess maybe the piece count is not updated.

So, it's better to stack the bricks? I'll have to remember that next time. I did make a point of not getting anything to big. I suppose it also makes sense to fill all the little voids with 1x1 rounds and such.

I'll be looking to wash some old bricks soon. Thanks for the washing machine tip. I assume gentle cycle. Kind of a related question with regard to cleaning Lego. Is it possible to polish scratches out to improve the surface finish? Just like any plastic I assume it's possible to polish out scratches, but I'm not sure what product works best. I have some polish designed for headlights, and I thought I would give it a try. I suppose it would be a very tedious task, but I was thinking about only doing it on larger more unique pieces that are harder to replace.

I'd go for the AT-AT without hesitation. One, it's an older set than the Falcon so it may go away sooner. Two, it has Bespin(ESB) Han and General Veers minifigures which I don't believe come in any other sets. And, three, I feel the overall design of the Falcon is not that great as far as aesthetic shape. I feel the AT-AT displays much better.

Technically, they are both 2011 releases, but I recall the Log Cabin came out late 2010 while the Lighthouse came out around the summer 2011. Granted I was just speculating, but all things being equal I would expect the Log Cabin to go away before the Lighthouse. Also, be sure to check out the great reviews on Eurobricks which will give you more insight into each set.

If you keep checking the lego website it will post when the grand openings are. Click on 'United States' and it appears that even the upcoming stores are already listed even if it's not open yet. http://stores.lego.com/en-us/default.aspx For example, the Victor, NY store shows the grand opening dates of April 27 - 29. http://stores.lego.com/en-us/Victor/LandingPage.aspx But, the Alpharetta, GA doesn't have any info yet. http://stores.lego.com/en-us/Alpharetta/LandingPage.aspx

It is my understanding that TRU pays for the privilege of selling sets first before other retail stores, so maybe the mark up is due to the extra premium they pay. Also, they seem to quite often put sets on sale by as much as 30%, so perhaps marking them the rest of the time is a way to even out the profit margin. I do notice that they tend to mark stuff up more during the Christmas season as well. I believe it's because they know that people feel obligated to get the gift their kid wants even if it means paying more than MSRP. Personally, I simply have patience and wait for other stores to get the sets. If it's a TRU exclusive I wait for a sale. As far as Christmas, I shop way ahead of time and get it on sale. I got the Hillside House when it was on sale and saved it for my daughter's Christmas gift.

You can't really go wrong with any of the Creator houses. Between the 2 you mention I would go with the Log Cabin only because you mention you already have lots of red bricks. And, you could get another nice set with the extra $20. However, the Lighthouse is more of an interesting structure and is more interesting to build IMO. But, since the Log Cabin has been around longer I would get that first since it will most likely be discontinued before the Lighthouse. You could always see about getting the Lighthouse for Christmas or your next birthday perhaps. Also, look out for the new Seaside House coming this summer as a possible Christmas gift. I'm going to get it as it will go great with the Beach House from 2008.

Just a curious question: does anyone use the cup as a drinking cup, or do you just keep it to store parts? I'll take a pic of what I got today when I get a chance tonight. Edit: better late than never. Not even sure what I'm gong to do with them, but I figure you can't go wrong with tans, light blues, and clear parts.

I really miss the moon base plates. As a side note I was surprised to find that my Lego 8654 Scuderia Ferrari Truck from 2005 has full instructions for an alternate build of a garage with tow truck.

Thanks for the review. That jet looks pretty neat and should make a nice escort fighter for the Quinjet.

Works for me. Actually, you can get a really cool Blade Runner pistol made by Brickarms. I have several in fact. Here it is: http://www.brickarms.com/toys/weapons/M2019.aspx

WOW! That was cool. For a second, I thought it was stop motion, but I quickly realized it was motorized.

I chatted a bit with my local Lego store employee that I have made an acquaintance with regarding the grab bags. What happens normally is that they get in shipments and when they get a box that is too damaged to sell, they part it out. They might hold on to the parts until they get enough to make a batch of bags. This guy in particular tries to spread the parts out from a set among several bags if possible. I think the idea is to make it more random and not basically give you half a set or even a whole set in a bag. IIRC they weigh them, and try to make them all about the same. They sometimes fill in some parts from the pick-a-brick wall when needed. He also makes it a point to throw in one minifigure in each bag. Although, the minifigure itself may have random parts and may not always have matching torso, legs, and head. It might work a bit differently depending on the store and how they like to do things I suppose.

Actually, the notion that a resume should never be more than 1 page is an outdated concept. The main idea is that a resume should be clear, concise, and to the point. It should not have anything not relevant to the position and should be easy to read and understand. Maybe someone fresh out of school should try to stick to that as they won't have a lot of good experience to put down. But as you advance in your career you will need to show all your relevant experience. For someone with lots of work experience, relevant certifications, training, computer skills, courses, etc it is pretty much impossible to do it on 1 page without using a font so small it would be comical. My resume is a solid 2 pages, and I've always had success at getting the jobs that I seek out. It is not uncommon for people going for Phd research type of positions with 3 or more pages on their resume. I am a mechanical engineer that has been working for over 10 years. As far as putting Lego as a hobby, I frankly don't put any hobbies down on my resume as I don't have the room. Some large corporations have applications to fill out, and sometimes hobbies are listed. I usually put regular stuff like sports (tennis, golf, etc) or even list computers as a hobby. Yes, Lego Technic can be viewed as a technical hobby, but you don't know who is going to be seeing that and what they will think. It's always best to err on the side of caution and just don't list it. If hobbies comes up during an interview it is probably safe to mention since you can explain in great detail what it is that you do with Lego. Once they call you in to interview, they have determined that your qualifications meet the job requirements, and they are trying to determine if you fit in with the company. So, something that can make you seem more personable and friendly is usually a plus. Also, during an interview you can present yourself in a professional and mature manner, and discussing Lego won't seem childish as it might seem when reading it on someone's resume.

Yesterday, I finished out the specific Series 6 CMF that my daughter wanted. I'll surpise her with a nice reward for getting good grades. She wanted: Leprechaun, Butcher, Sleepyhead, Genie, Surgeon, and the Statue of Liberty. I ended up getting her the Clockwork Robot as well, but I was mistaken as I thought she wanted that one. Still, I'm sure she'll enjoy playing with it. It's kinda of fun to see her open each one not knowing what it'll be. I told her how I figure it out, but she still seems to be amazed at how I can determine what's inside. I guess I'll still be a her hero a bit longer. Now all I need is to army build the Classic Alien a bit more, and I'll be ready for Sereis 7.

Coincidentally, so did I. The way I figure is I was going to buy it at full price anyway, so why not save a few bucks. And I was able to directly pay with money I already had in PayPal so I avoided some PayPal fees as well. Since, it's a TRU exclusive there wasn't many options at getting it below MSRP in any case.

I think so as well. IMO, they should be a bit more stylized by being more blocky. They are too curved on the sides. Still, they are nice.

After thinking more about it, I changed my mind on how I feel about Anakin's Jedi Interceptor. I picked it up this weekend, and after building it I'm glad I reconsidered.

Perhaps one way to do something along those lines is to make it more of a scientific endeavor where they are only catching them in order to tag. But, that's probably not an interesting subject to hook the kids.

It's not so much the price as I think it's a great value for the money. I just can never convince the wife that $149 is not too much to spend on a Lego set like this. At one time I had the Fire Brigade and Grand Emporium on order during a TRU BOGO 1/2 off sale, but was shot down by the wife. My original plan was to keep one for myself and give one to my daughter for Christmas. I simply need to get serious and sell off a bunch of other toys I've collected over the years and use that money to buy at least the Pet Shop for starters. I do find myself thinking about what it would be like to have it and build it. I think about it much more than any other set. Edit: I forgot to mention that when I visited my local Lego store yesterday, the worker that I usually chat with urged me to get the Fire Brigade if I was going to pull the trigger on modulars.

I like almost all the set I buy very much for different reasons. If I had to choose only one I guess I would go with what I always have on display and that is the AT-AT. I just like the aesthetic of it with how tall it is compared to a minifigure and I just think it looks great displayed on the shelf.

Sigh, I keep avoiding buying the Pet Shop as I know it will only be the beginning. I tend to save up for it, but somehow manage to get distracted. Most recently, I came across a bunch of 1/2 priced sets at one particular Walmart and ended up getting a bunch of medium sized sets.

This is why I am not a Lego designer. That's a good idea you have.

I like the hologram idea a lot.