TheLegoDr

The nearby LEGO store here also said they were going to discount all but the Haunted House. I think to move them from the shelves since it is discontinued. I would pick them up if you can. They were a fun theme.

I don't think there is anything else to be done. You either have to believe it is getting shipped out or you need to keep pressuring them with your disdain and see if it speeds it up. If you forget about it at all, more than likely so will they, so you do need to keep at it, as annoying as it is. I've never had this type of issue before, so this is quite odd.

The exterior is quite nice. My favorite part is actually the top floor with the inward section in the middle and the two outer sections acting as turrets. Very neat. The color usage is great also since we don't have much dark blue around. But the part that wins it all is the interior furnishings. The Apple store itself is very neat and well groomed, so that works well. But that kitchen is superb and the attic is a nice touch. How did they get that piano up there??? I'd hate to move that out. It'd be neat to see this built, but at almost 4000 pieces I like the less detailed interiors to drop that piece count by half. But it is impressive to look at such a detailed interior. Good luck building it!

Great build! It looks simple, yet refined. Everything is clean and wall shaped. The story is an interesting one. Great figure placement and head usage. It tells the story well. Keep up the great work. Join the Giulds. It seems to be a lot of fun. I've only wandered in a bit from time to time, but there are a lot of great builds and stories there. You'd fit right in.

Well, we already have a Gordon figure from the latest Batman set. Yes, he is in SWAT attire, but it is still Gordon, so you can switch him to a different suit if need be. As far as the Kent figure, I actually really like it. I display my figures together, so I don't need back printing. And the shirt being ripped is the appeal to me. I don't need another plain suit with a Clark Kent head. The fact that it shows it is Superman underneath is the appeal of it.

I agree, there are always ways to complete a collection, but it isn't always the most convenient. We are talking about having enough of the set available around you to finish a set. Plus it ends up being more expensive to do ebay/bricklink to finish a set since sellers mark up from the original MSRP. So having them available in a nearby store would be ideal and that's what we talked about. As far as a scarecrow having Tonto's hairpiece? I've never heard that. I picture a wizard hat on a scarecrow, I would never think to have Native American hair on them. And I don't see why they would reuse a piece that was designed for a Licensed product. I don't recall them ever doing that before and I don't see them doing it now.

That is really impressive and neat to see in real life. But I also thought they were going to reveal a new set. Maybe they still will. But for the many people who are nowhere near this thing, it'd be cool to sit in it. Would it house a 6'4" person? I think they should rebuild it.

Congratulations to the winners. There were some great MOCs and some tough competition.

Very neat idea behind the build. I like the rock-work and the trees. The figure placement is spot-on. I like the use of old dark gray and new dark blue-gray. Helps show some real variation. Keep up the great work!

That makes perfect sense. You still get some army builders and you make the other figures more easily attainable. Having 6 figures two per box, really limits the chance to get some of them, especially when you want multiples of them. Who wants to army build a mechanic or skydiver? I'd rather army build bumblebees, which is very next to impossible. But LEGO has their marketing strategies. There is a reason they included the Toy Soldier with the book, when plenty of people would love to army build that figure.

I concur. It can be near impossible to complete sets around me as well. Most of the stores around me never even got in series 9, so to complete that set took a little more digging. So far, series 10 has been more widely available (probably because of Mr Gold), but it also has been sold out or near sold out at most of the stores I've visited and it hasn't been out too long. Thankfully I did find my complete set and a few extras, but I can understand the frustration trying to find the rarer figures when everyone around you is sold out.

That library is very creative. I don't love the brick-bricks, but it does add some texture to the small build. I love the pillars, the front steps and the front door the most though. Great work. Keep them coming! I love mini modular scale.

That is my favorite figure from the series. I wanted to army build multiple figures from that series, but I settled that I would be most upset if I didn't pick up my share of revolutionary soldiers. So I ended up with about 17 and 13 Romans. I may take back the Romans to build up more blue coats! As much as I love the figure by itself, I immediately put on the shako and red epaulets and fell in love all over again. Now I can't look at it without those pieces. They are a superb update to my favorite theme as a child. I actually prefer how the old unprinted shako looks on them and am currently using the printed shako for the red coats. Those brickarms weapons do look really well done for the theme also, but since I have an abundance of the official LEGO version, I will stick with those. Great army you have there. I'd love to see some more.

I don't love the distribution either for some of the figures, but for others (the revolutionary soldier, roman, warrior woman) I was pleased with how many I found. Granted the more I look at the Roman, I will probably take some back, but I still love the Revolutionary soldier more and more each day. I put my old red epaulets and shakos on him and instantly fell in love . So many nostalgic memories of bluecoats rushing back to me. But it was frustrating trying to find multiple Bumblebee girls and Medusas. Thankfully Medusa's packaging was bulky, but still the scarcity made it hard to find. In the end, I found everything I wanted, so it worked out. But that distribution does make it difficult in the long run. I don't need to army build the motorcycle mechanic, so why is he around in large quantities?

That figure does look neat. I will have to try to pick that up sometime.

Skull's Eye Schooner tops the list. I always regretted not having that one, but I don't recall really seeing it until much later. I don't recall ever seeing it in a store or holding it in my hands because otherwise I would have it. I had pretty much every LEGO set I wanted as a kid (some call it spoiled), so it's odd that I never had it. Granted I would have been about 10 when it came out, so I wouldn't have had any money to buy it myself. It is very possible I just never knew about it until after I came out of my Dark Ages. But it would have been available during my original LEGO life. So who knows. As far as holding a set I wanted and then putting it back or seeing something available and not buying it only to find it gone forever at my next visit...I can't think of anything. I think any of the sets I want that I don't currently own are sets that came out during my Dark Ages and I won't pay those high prices for them. I think I have purchased every set I wanted ever since coming out of my Dark Ages, so I haven't missed out on anything yet.

I wouldn't say it cracks me up, but sometimes it does bring a smirk to my face since I am in the know about a lot of the sets and they aren't always and most of the parents are passive observers. Like in the above example, I was told that Mr. Gold is in the same package as another figure so if you find two, you found Mr. Gold. I just smiled and nodded, but in my head I was shaking my head slowly. Poor kids. I guess I could have corrected them, but their parents were right there and it does seem most parents act weird around other adults that are looking at LEGO without any kids around them. One mom was really nice and I helped them find the figure they were looking for, but most of the time they look at me weird. It probably has nothing to do with the red hair and bushy beard or 6'3" or anything... I can understand parents being pissy while in the toy aisle because most of the time it doesn't interest them, so they have to wait while the kid looks at stuff and won't make up their mind. I watch my daughter (she's 3) while she walks through the toy aisles. Obviously I want to go to the LEGO aisle, but she wants to look at dolls or something. So I stand around waiting until I can slowly push her to the section I want to be in. But I can understand the frustration.

That should also go into the Lucky LEGO Find board! None of the stores around me even have Uruk-Hai army. There isn't a spot on the shelf for it even. Most LOTR/Hobbit isn't available here ever since it first came out. As for me, I made a Pick-a-brick purchase online and received it recently. Just little bits here and there for a few projects. It definitely is pricier to do online PAB, but sometimes necessary.

I chose Sam because of obvious reasons. Tolkien himself even said the story is really about Sam being the hero. But he accomplished a lot to keep Frodo to finish the task. Granted I haven't read the books, so I only know of what happened in the movies. And I also chose Gollum, only because he helped lead them away from the army. He ventured into an area he already had been in (and tortured) and was still willing to help them, if only only for his "precious."

That looks amazing. The new olive green leaves are used brilliantly here. I love the new colors LEGO is coming out with. The tower itself looks great. I love the texturing of the sides. The woodwork is well placed as well. And the trees are a neat design from the norm. Keep up the great work! I will check back often.

I personally love the Burrow and the Winter Village sets, but I also like the Modulars. I don't have much desire for trains. But it sounds like you love trains and Modulars, and don't care about the other sets as much. I'd say that your answer is already made up. I think you'll be happier with the train and Modular.

Well, as far as modulars go: To prevent the corner lift since there is only sidewalk weighing it down, is to use smaller tiles at the corner. For example, use 1x1 tiles around the corner instead of 1xn length. That way each one won't have to worry about the neighboring tile and won't lift as is the case with the 1xn length tiles pulling the "weight-less" edge. I've done that and it doesn't pull up at all. I have never considered doing baseplates that are elevated. It doesn't work into my scheme of things. I've also heard of people using the normal base plates and then putting other plates on top of that to elevate the sidewalk a bit so it simulates a curb above the road. That's another suggestion. It would still add stability and create a curb for your city.

I also like Market Street. I didn't love it at first sight, but the more you look at it, the neater it becomes. I don't love the mish-mash of tans and blues, but it somehow works in that build. I also like the side market area (it is called Market Street after all). It does break up the monotony of a row of buildings. I think to bricklink MS, most of the parts are relatively easy to acquire. The most difficult is the dark blue arches and then I guess the front hose pieces, but only because the ends are different. I have a whole bunch of those from classic sets that the end differs a little bit, but not enough to justify the price tag of the new pieces. Also, has anyone noticed the lamp post is a different design on the newer sets (as in, Palace Cinema is different than the earlier Modulars).

I really like this bridge. The detailing looks exquisite and I love the sloped effect of the street. The car is a nice addition too! So did someone pay for the pieces to build this and then just decided they didn't want it? Or did the store eat the cost (for whatever reason) and is now sitting on this wonderful build? Keep up the good work.

That is a spitting image to the source material. I am very impressed. I think that might be one of the few times I've seen minifigure "statues" fit so seamlessly into a MOC. Keep up the brilliant work.