TheLegoDr

Neat little build and a fine addition the the cottage. My one issue, with such a tight fit, how can he get out of the car once he pulls it in there? Otherwise, brilliant!

That is very difficult to decide only ONE set to choose from. I always wanted Skull's Eye Schooner growing up. It is the only Pirate ship I didn't have from the early 90s. I started to bricklink it, but never finished. I think I would become very giddy if I was able to unbox that and build it fresh from the box. Also, PM sent for the question answers. Great idea for the raffle.

Basically TLG is a business that wants to make money. There probably is a lot more money to be had with Star Wars (including a Death Star) and Lord of the Rings than there is in Firefly/Serenity. Yes, it is a cult hit now, but that in no way guarantees any money for future releases. Surely, TLG could afford to take some risks here and there to bring about certain play elements. But then again, that is probably what got them into trouble earlier in the 2000s. Any given situation can create an exception. I'm not going to bring about any of my own beliefs into this argument, but as absolute as some things appear, there can be a reasonable exception. With that said, TLG probably has the same line they are trying not to cross. They want to bring about as many fun play scenes to the masses, all the while making some nice profits to continue to do it in the future. They need something to appeal to the target audience and violence (dubbed "action") is a seller in that group (as is in most groups). Lord of the Rings/Star Wars has conflict and that brings about fun playsets. I'm sure Firefly had some conflict, but I don't remember much going on other than a lot of dialogue when I watched it. Either way TLG, like any other business, needs to dance a fine line.

I have heard of people taking the VIP only products up to the register to buy them and then becoming a member right then and there. So as far as I know it isn't a hassle to become a member, but it is nice of some of the exclusives. Have fun with that.

Those are really neat to see. I hadn't considered that before. I really like Captain America and Hawk-eye with their hoods. Actually Hawk-eye is my favorite there holding the hawk in his hand. I may have to do something similar to that since I have a few extra Hawk-eyes. And I really like the newer version of Superman with the hair/beard combo. I may have to borrow that idea for someone. Which figures did you get those from? Thanks! Keep up the great work. I will check back often to re-look at them.

I guess I took that differently. Yes, he survived, but I don't think he was letting them know he survived. I think he wanted Blake to find the batcave because he knew he could handle the helm and help out Gotham since "batman" is only a symbol, not a person. Fixing the autopilot for Fox shows that Bruce was willing to die for Gotham, not that he necessarily survived. He wanted to give "everything" to them. Obviously going to the cafe for Alfred alerted him that he was still alive, which calms his saddened heart. The batsignal for Gordon does alert him that he survived (or maybe he fixed it prior to the ending and Gordon never went up there). It also plays on the symbol aspect instead of strictly Batman being there for Gotham. Either way, it was a brilliant ending to a great trilogy. I can't wait for the blu-ray. Since Nolan said he wasn't doing anymore Batman movies, with Blake finding the cave and the school housing the orphaned boys, maybe Nolan could create an awesome Robin universe with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the star.. Robin doesn't have the clout that Batman does, but with Nolan behind it I could see it becoming an awesome addition the to Nolan-verse.

Mr. Elijah Timms That is quite the list. It would be difficult to decide between all of those. I am surprised if you are into town that you don't already own some of the Modulars. I find those to be awesome builds and great display pieces. I did really enjoy the MMV set though, so I would recommend that one. I still want to get the Joust, so I can't attest to the build there, but it looks detailed. I would have to agree, go with the sets that will go away first. If all of these interest you right now, just imagine waiting a few years and looking at the prices of some of those early sets and kicking yourself for not getting them. If there is absolutely no regret, I would say a modular and MMV if you can swing that. Good luck in your purchases. Masked Builder I didn't care for that figure at first until I held it in my hands. So if you already like it and don't want the full set, I would highly recommend getting it. He seems to fit in quite well with the rest of the group. I'm not sure what a good price for him individually is, but $20 probably sounds about right.

I found it hard enough to recap everything said on the last 10-12 pages, but looking at the pictures again, it looks like the newspaper tile is actually a sticker? Do we know if it will remain a sticker or become a new printed piece? Sorry if it has been asked before. Otherwise, the building looks great. As much as I like some of those other expensive sets, I think this one may take priority over them.

I really like the recessed seating area with cloth awnings. I may have to borrow that idea in the future. Most restaurants that have outdoor seating (in Lego world) seem to eat into the sidewalk too much, but not that idea. Good luck in the contest!

This was a very impressive build. I am amazed at the color scheme working so well together and I love the roof balcony area above the barbershop. This is easily in my top picks for the contest (behind mine, of course ). There is some really tough competition in this contest. It will be hard to vote when the time comes. Good luck.

I do everything in my mind. I think in Lego actually. Any building I see I imagine what pieces are needed to build it in Lego. It actually is troublesome because I want to think about other things and not Lego all the time, so after this Modular Madness build I am taking a little break and hopefully that will help. As far as being a new builder, I would recommend looking at various buildings in the style that you like and see if you can get some ideas in the shapes and structures and what you could use to resemble the areas that interest you. You can certainly draw out the buildings and see what you need. Sometimes that will help. I've drawn out pieces/sections of buildings before to see what I could use to build it. It depends on how you like to work. Some people do it on LDD completely, some do it on paper, and some only in their minds. Since there is a building near you, I would recommend getting pictures of it at different angles and trying to copy it to work on build skills. Then modify it to suit your needs. You may need to purchase many more specialty bricks. I would recommend pick-a-brick from Lego Shop at home, or bricklink.com. It depends on what you need for which one to be cheaper. Good luck on building and can't wait to see your designs.

Thanks for the comments everyone. It is neat and tidy, one may say empty. But I liked how it came to be. Sometimes parks can look really overcrowded and I wanted this one to be more tidy. I liked how it turned out. I may add in some more details in the future. This is one of those builds I was pleased enough with I will want to keep it together. Don't forget to vote. Keep up the good work everyone.

I am excited for this release. I love the winter village line. They always add in a lot of charm to the sets. And they make a perfect Hogsmeade for Harry Potter fanatics. The price point is great for the piece count and figure count. I do like them being a little cheaper, but this set will be a good addition. The blue works well since the others have had little splashes of color. This almost fits right in with the MMV with the brown trim. I don't love how much snow is on the roof compared to the others, but I guess that happens. I may have to alter the post office roof now that I see this addition. I really like the new street light techniques, but I would also appreciate if they were similar enough since they should all be in the same village. On second look, I love the new look of the street light. I may end up retro-altering the rest of the lights in the village. I really like this look. And I want more of the black posts instead of the white for the modulars. I am excited for this set. Thanks for the pictures. I'm glad to finally see it!

That's a great entry. Any city layout could use more townhouses and this would make a great addition. I may have to borrow some of those ideas. Keep up the good work. Good luck in the contest.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I wish I would have had/spent more time on the interior. I will definitely add in some more variety in the books on the shelves in the future. After seeing the other bookshop entry, I may have to alter my version of the bookcases. I was really pleased with the stone work on the front though. Even if I don't win this contest, I am really proud of my entry. I ended up taking apart 10+ sets to build this thing, so I will have to buy all those pieces over again so I can rebuild those other buildings again. Thanks for the comments. I'm glad people enjoyed it. Don't forget to vote

B-OM-29E Here is a beautiful library to add to your city lay-out. This was a rushed build last week since the deadline was fast approaching and my parents came to visit. I first tried coming up with ideas when the contest was first announced, but I did a complete overhaul of the top two levels last week. I only have kept the ground floor intact from the beginning. I even changed the color from dark blue to dark red due to lack of pieces. Without further ado, a library. Here is the front shot. Not the best pictures were taken due to lighting and my amateur skills. The large tree out front adds to the historic feel of building district. I modded the streetlight post to resemble another winter village post, only in white. They also have a book return receptacle out front for the after hours readers. I felt the modular series could use another sloped roof building. There is very ornate stone work around the windows with nice slate roofing. The rear shot of the building. A little stone walkway out the back door will lead you to the park next door. There is a big arch in the middle to add some detail/texture to the back of the facade with more ornate stonework. You can also see the little outdoor reading patio on the upper level. A close-up of the stone work around the windows (using minifigure legs) and around the edge of the building. Another close-up of the front stonework. I am very proud of how this turned out. The funny thing it was not the direction I was going with at all until I fiddled with some pieces and this was born. An interior of the ground floor. I didn't have time to finish the interiors for the upper two levels. I am sure I will eventually, just not before the contest ends. It has wooden flooring with a fireplace and bookshelves galore. Also, a bookshelf ladder to reach those really high books. And here is the flickr account to see some more photos. I hope everyone enjoys the library. I think it would be a fun place to read a good book. Whenever I finish out some more details I will update as needed. I know it will be after the contest is over, but I hope you like what you see anyway. There is some great competition and I know my work is cut out for me. Keep up the good work everyone. Don't forget to vote.

B-OM-30B I finally got pictures taken and uploaded. My parents came into town this last week so I had to put everything off until today. This was a very rushed build last week, so I hope everyone enjoys it. First photo shows the entire layout next to my modular. It has an apple tree in the back and also a gazebo for some romance in the park. A nice brick lain path with some flower beds along the front fence. A close-up of the gazebo. I took inspiration from the Winter Village Post Office, but I recreated it with my own personal touch. Basically it is the same size and I changed the other details. Also, you can see the modded lamppost to light up the area at night. A close-up of the apple tree. A nice gentleman is picking some apples to take home. A good use for the Grandma Visitor basket. You can also see a nice little black bird bath. A back angled shot showing the flower beds and the bird bath a little better. Also, you can see the front lanterns a little easier. And here is a link to the flickr account to see more photos. I hope everyone enjoys what they see. I haven't been online lately to comment on other people's creations. But I know there is some great competition this go round. I had fun building everything, but it was very time consuming. It was very challenging to do this build, but I know I will take a much needed break after all three builds. Enjoy and don't forget to vote.

Being upset about it being expensive/rare and then TLG decides to put it in a set isn't the same as it being a pre-promo figure showing what is to come. Some people love getting things early, but eventually everyone will be able to get that if they so desire. Some people will pay a lot of money to get something early even if it will be widely available around them in the near future. I would gladly accept these exclusive figures, but I don't want them enough to pay $100+ each. If TLG did more offers like the Hulk promo back in March, then I could see many people still wanting the figures and TLG making money to be able to release them. I understand the need for a promo figure at a Comic Con to stir up some interest. But there are pitfalls to that. Many fans feel slighted because they can't afford to go to the con or have the time to do so. And even of the people who made it to the con, they weren't guaranteed a figure either. But if they were widely available for a special order offer or something, there would be far less people complaining. I am not one of the people complaining because I've accepted that I won't have a complete collection of SH figures. I won't spend that kind of money on an individual figure, so my loss I guess. But TLG did say they wouldn't release these exclusives in future sets. That doesn't mean they won't release a slightly altered version in a future set. Similar to the TDK black suit as the exclusive and the new dark bley TDK as the set figure. They could do that with the 4 new figures and it won't change the exclusivity of the con figures.

Neat little build here. I really like the middle section with the tan bricks and white tiles. I haven't considered that color scheme together before. But I don't particularly care for that section being like that and then the one right below it being the opposite. I really like the stairway in the back though. Keep up the good work. Good luck in the contest. There is some really good competition for sure.

I would say they are not meant to be removed. But that isn't to say I haven't removed my fair share. Some of the figures (new and old) are loose, whereas others are still tight as can be. I think it is a luck of the draw. You produce millions upon millions of pieces, there are going to be a few that aren't identical (even though theoretically they would be). I don't have a problem removing arms or legs, but I would be upset at myself if/when they become loose.

I'm not in love with it, but it is a very unique and creative idea. The scaffolding looks exactly as it should. Working in miniature can be tricky at times, but what I like about the official minis is the complete lack of stickers. Not that your stickers don't work in this setting. They definitely give off the brick vibe and of course the subject matter of the building with the DNA, but just the use of stickers isn't ideal (in my opinion). I really like the windows using the cheese slopes in that manner. Very smart. And it adds something different with the angled tiled roof instead of the slope bricks. Other than that, definitely an interesting building. There are a lot of great builds in this contest. Voting will be difficult for sure. Good luck in the contest. Keep up the good work.

I really like the upper-most support structures. I may have to borrow that idea. I also like the lower cut-out in the rear. The use of brick-bricks, while creative, may be overdone in this instance. Especially on the rear. I think the nougat color would work really well for a Modular building and I'm sure incorporating the brick-bricks will be done in the future, but not to that extent. I would look for something more structurally sound for the back facade. Adding in a bit more neutral colors (lt bley, dk bley, white) to offset the nougat color could work really well also. But that's just my opinion. The overall feel looks good and I think it would blend in with the street otherwise. Good luck in the contest. Use this experience to keep on building.

I really like the concept and color scheme. The awnings look great, as does the entry-way. I like the piece used for that. I will have to keep that in mind for the future. The colors used are brilliant. The dark green and black roofing go well together. Good luck in the contest. I know I don't need any more competition!

I hate to say it. I don't need anymore competition. But this builds looks good. I like the color scheme (I considered doing dark green, but didn't have enough bricks). I like the overall shape of the building. It does seem simple in a few parts, but that adds to it. I love the interior flooring and the red-brown + dark brown stairs. I may have to borrow that idea sometime. Very original idea. Good luck. Voting will be difficult.

I don't think a helmet would work well at all. I think the printing looks amazing on the new Bane. If you look at a lot of figures, they just print on facial hair instead of having new beard molds all the time. Yes, I know The Hobbit is having a lot of new molds, but I'm sure some of them will just have printed beards also. I would have loved more TDK/TDKR sets, but I'm glad we are getting this one. I have yet to see The Avengers or TDKR, but I plan to in the future.