TheLegoDr

I automatically assume ALL information given from anywhere on April 1st is not legit. I think companies/individuals should add a disclaimer that it isn't a joke when posting on April 1st... but that is just my opinion. In case it is real, I think a lot of people would really like this as a theme. So many characters. I could see a lot of good army builders also.

No rumors that I am aware of. Since the movie franchise ended years ago, I don't see them coming out with new sets. Yes, there is a new movie series coming out, but since it takes place before Harry Potter exists, I don't know how well sets would sell with A LOT of unknown characters. Don't get me wrong, I'd buy them all in a heartbeat, but I don't know if there is a big enough fanbase to cover their investment.

I get overwhelmed with contests for some reason. Just can't ever get the right look to my build and then end up not winning or entering...I was almost relieved.. But I'll hanker down and keep working I suppose.

I already posted, but I'll add some to it. I would agree that my wife is very understanding. She spent a ton on clearance LEGO recently at the Target Spring markdown...I ended up taking some of it back, because I felt bad. My wife didn't, I did! How crazy is that...anyway, You really need to think about what you WANT for your collection purposes. You may think you NEED certain pieces (and maybe you do), but is this the most feasible option? That is why I tend to buy things on clearance, hold onto it, and then return it (unopened of course) a few weeks later if I felt that I didn't truly need it. Some people open things right away and regret it, I don't. I haven't had too many regrets on purchases for that reason alone. That way, you get the sale price at the time so you don't miss out, but if you have to take it back because you don't like it, then someone else might be able to enjoy the sale price.

I haven't purchased anything yet. I had considered Lonely Mountain since I haven't ever seen it anyway before and Amazon hasn't had any sales on it yet. Double Points may be the best way to get it. But I just can't justify that price for that set. LEGO is putting me in a tough situation. Risk missing out on blue coat Bilbo and Smaug, or overpay on a set that isn't worth it....

Precisely. If a store is busy, they probably don't want to linger in the back too often. Every time I've been in a store they are very adamant about being on the floor to keep an eye on all of the customers. They seemed rather nervous at this one Chicago store I went to. Maybe they have a history of people trying to steal? But it's in a mall, so relatively safe I'd think.

I was building an inside corner Cafe Corner MOD. It actually looked really nice, but to achieve the inside corner, it ended up needing more baseplate than my shelves could hold (it would have hung off the edge) so I decided against it. Otherwise I would have one built right now. But with that said, in order to have any interior whatsoever, it needed more baseplate to build on. The official sets aren't going to include more baseplates unless they upcharged the set on top of it. I think my footprint was 48x48, but only used the back L shaped corner with the front being exposed (I used traditional 32x32 + 16x32 in one orientation, then another 32x32 + 16x32 on the other side to create the L). Edit: Looking at that Chinese restaurant, it does look very possible to do an inverted corner, if they considered something similar to that. I hadn't thought about having it come that far forward for the sidewalk for some reason to allow extra walking space. I think my CC MOD was going to be too thin on the back area if I didn't do it the way I originally was.

I like this set from pictures. My wife also liked it. My daughter not as much. I guess I could buy it for myself...haha From looking at it in more detail, it does look like a fun set. A lot of fun little pieces that could be used elsewhere. Of course Heartlake City needs ANOTHER toilet. I don't currently own any lighthouses, so this would be a nice change to scenery. I think a little taller would be fun, and I may have to buy the extra pieces to do just that. Thanks for the review. Very informative.

It certainly has a lot of potential. I approach modulars with the same type of detail the official sets have (usually more interior than official). This has some nice shaping to the front facade on the ground level. I like the outside seating area with the curved window. The stairwell works well. I'm not so sure on the random balcony at the top of the stairs. And certainly continue to work on the exterior upper level detailing. It'll be neat seeing it finished.

Meesa not liking where this is goin'. Meesa scared of the future.

Well done. It looks great!

Very clever. Definitely a more frightening situation than the standard Smaug. I think brick-built is the only way to go for Smaug if you want "realism." Keep up the good work. I should look into this for a show. Any tips on how to build a dragon?

I really like the first one. The colors and mixture of space and pirate work well together. I'm not in love with the second one, but it might grow on me. I'm still working on mine too. Good luck!

That video was interesting. My concern would be, how does one know how many boxes of each size do I need? I guess it could spill over into smaller boxes if you had enough of certain parts. Granted with LEGO vs screws it may be different also. I've considered drawers originally, but then I started thinking separating boxes would be easier since I pull stuff out a lot (not all drawer systems allow you to remove them). So I did cardboard boxes separated by color for the longest time. Cardboard because it was free from work. Then I started buying the 6 quart sterilite "shoe box" and started separating the colors into like pieces within that color scheme (esssentially just bricks, slopes, small bits that are similar, and miscellaneous. Plates go into a separate area separated by size). I just put them in ziplock sandwich bags. But in doing so, I've actually cut my cardboard box usage in half. I could have done the similar thing with the cardboard, but since sterilite are clear, it makes it easier to see where each color is since I have merged a few colors per sterilite container instead of each color getting its own cardboard box. I still have a long way to go, but it seems to work okay so far. But then I do have a small drawer system for other bits and pieces. I do like it, but it isn't nearly big enough for ALL of my elements.

I thought it was also said that you can do Cat B solo, but you have to have the "spirit" of teamwork? Or something..

When it is all said and done, does it really matter? :)

It was a much simpler time then. (I was born/grew up in the 80s), but it seems like things were a lot different back then.

Those dark red slopes are also available in the Pet Shop, so they have been done a few times before. It seems people forget that set.

It seems everyone has hit the nail on the head here. Set up a budget, buy what you can reasonably afford, don't go into debt for LEGO. As for me, I have definitely curbed my spending over the last few years. It does add up quickly. You really need to evaluate how badly you want a certain set. With the recent Target clearance extravaganza I splurged way more than expected. I bought sets I didn't plan on buying originally, but bought them because they were on clearance (something I never find). But in the end, I'm left with multiple sets that I originally didn't care for, so I have stacks of pieces that I may or may not use. When in reality, I could have not spent a good chunk of that money and put it toward a set I actually did want (or pieces, or figures, etc). So keep that in mind too.

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around how to blend space and pirate. It sounds Steampunk in some respects (which is another theme I can't wrap my head around). I mean, something that is flying but has cannons. I think the mix of technology is what throws me. How to make it consistent? But I think I have a hard time thinking futuristic anyway.

I can't wrap my head around this theme. I'd love to build something for the contest, but I can't picture how to merge pirates and space.

It looks to be a fitting ship for any fleet. I like the new classic look to it. I haven't really followed any of the guidelines in terms of that, but this would fit right in with them in my book. I do like the yellow canopy. I may have to pick up some of them.

Nicely done. I missed out on SPII, but I loved that era of space (I actually prefer Blacktron II personally) and M:Tron. This adds a nice touch to the era. I like how it fits in with the theme. The color scheme is great. I've been wanting to build some SPII sets since I never owned any. I'll check back at this for inspiration.

I was not into this theme, but somehow seeing them all on clearance (1st wave) at Target/Walmart recently, I decided to pick them up. They look like more fun builds than I expected. I'm also using Tremor's torso/legs as new Space Police I am creating..we'll see how that works out.

As far as I'm concerned they are dragons too. But I don't really care. It sounds like an SAT question. If all wyverns are dragons, but not all dragons are wyverns, then [what is the meaning of this question on a standardized test?] Either way, Smaug is tremendous, no wait, magnificent? I don't own him because of that stupid price tag, but I should just bite the bullet and pick him up, lest I miss out on him and be upset at myself. But the comparison is quite striking. How big is the standard Dragon vs the T-Rex? I do own a T-Rex and was impressed at his scale, but I don't own any regular style dragons. I don't even own the dragon master's dragon from the mid '90s (will someone play me a small violin?)