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I really enjoyed this set, since it gives you comparable exterior realism to the 10030 UCS Star Destroyer, but it also delivers interesting minifigures such as Tarkin and Vader. I agree that the interior isn't the best styled of them all (does the ISD really need a giant escape pod and useless Vader helmet delivery system?), but customization is wonderfully easy. Look at all the space available! I modded my copy instantly, not because it was poorly designed, but because fixes are so easy and the space is so inspiring. A few extra gray plates and display screens, and you're in business.

As an Attack of the Clones fan, I had to go with 2002, since we got the amazing 7163 Republic Gunship and the equally intriguing 7153 Jango Fett's Slave I. I also feel nostalgic for that year's small sets, like 7103 Jedi Duel. Two (now) rare minifigures, Dooku and Yoda, chrome lightsabers, and a cool speeder, and all for $10? These days, rare characters only seem to come in the larger sets. Plus, most of that year's collection went on discount, allowing some lucky collectors to snag 7133 Bounty Hunter Pursuits for $10. Ah yes, the good old days.

I dislike current Bionicle mainly because I do not like the large, specialized pieces that many of the sets contain. (see Piraka spines, swords/axes/weapons, Barraki squid cannons). These often seem built from low-grade plastic, not ABS. At the same time, I admit that I did buy a few of the original Toa from 2001 because the parts were, IMO, higher quality and similar to those of the Robo Riders and Slizers of the past. I also find uses for basic Bionicle ball hinges, and enjoyed the Bionicle-built dragons from the Vikings line.

You need the coupon from online; it is not available in store and the clerk was surprised that the set was even on sale. BREAKING NEWS: The 10144 Sandcrawler is 79.99 on USA Amazon.com, with free super saver shipping. Stock up, friends...

USA only: Toys R Us has the 7662 MTT for $49.99 today only, December 11. You need to get the coupon here direct from TRU. This is hotter than the Black Friday price, so move fast.

Sorry for getting people's hopes up on this...it appears that Amazon has removed the extra savings that made this deal so hot. . To answer questions about the "bonus" savings, they only appeared at the penultimate ordering screen, right before confirmation, but it appears that those savings are over now. One must be quick to catch these crazy Amazon sales. The Republic Gunship is still available for $90 with free shipping, however, which is not bad.

Amazon.com in the US has the 7676 Republic Gunship on sale for $90, free shipping, and "bonus savings" of $23 off of that for a total price of $67. Other clone wars sets are on sale, but it is not publicized very well so be sure to click around to find exactly what is on sale. I also saw: UCS Falcon for $450, free shipping, bonus savings which brought total to about $405 AT-AP Podwalker with total price of $22.50 7661 Jedi Starfighter, 7657 Imperial Landing craft at similar savings. Check it out!

Great review! I especially appreciate the pictures you took of the box, which are hard to find online. I'm especially impressed with the original stickers yours still has...mine was missing most of them, so I used an hccamsterdam sticker sheet scan, modified it with MS Paint, and printed my own.

I don't know if this counts as "crazy," but I do think I got an interesting deal on an abused 7676 Republic Attack Gunship. http://tinyurl.com/6n34sl It was $42 shipped with no figs and a weight of roughly 1292 grams (just including the bricks); Bricklink lists the set as weighing 2000 grams, but that includes instructions, figures, and the box, so I assume that I got most of the parts. Whether or not I purchased wisely depends on whether "may be incomplete" means missing 30% of the parts or missing a few plates and a windscreen.

Thanks for your Chicago updates. I used to frequent Woodfield, but lately I've had better service and selection at the Northbrook store. Northbrook Court, the mall where it is located, is sparsely attended, so the store puts more sets on sale. I haven't been there in a few months; when I return, I will post what I find there.

I'm quite impressed with the red 4x4 and the quad bike--those look like proper shock absorbers and suspensions, which we have not had on mid-priced models for a while. Knobby tires and springy suspensions are what Technic is all about. I'm not so sure about the green go-kart, though--it looks kind of thrown together.

I am shocked. Just shocked. The value here is incredible, since it costs only $10 more than Market Street yet includes livestock, castle-specific figs, and and Turkey! This is probably the most amazing set since the Blacksmith Shop from a while back...put the two next to each other, and you will have a proper medieval street. About that price, though: Perhaps it is feasible, since the cattle mold was being introduced anyway for the upcoming farm set, one of the maidens was already in the Advent calendar, and the turkey has been around for a while. Even if this set cost $140, though, I would still purchase it. A+++.

I would like to nominate Light of the World, a US store (with international shipping) I have bought from three times. Shipping is reasonable for the parts orders I placed, even when I bought a giant raised baseplate. The store stocks a wide variety of used parts and minifigs; the prices are competitive, but the selection and always as-described parts condition are Light of the World's strong points. Most importantly, the owner ships orders quickly and with sufficient packaging.

I would not pay that price for a 6211, even considering that finding USA eBay sellers who ship to Australia is tough. I searched BL and found a 6211 for $130 that ships from Singapore, which might have cheaper shipping to your location.

Given how hot-selling Lego SW has been these past few years--ToysRUs, Kmart, and other retailers frequently exclude SW sets from their promotions, with Black Friday 2007 being a prime example--it's hard to believe that the theme's success could decline enough so that TLG would not re-up the license again. So, I would expect TLG to renew the agreement. Unless, of course, prices increase too much (which is already happening in the U.S. due to the weak dollar), the Clone Wars hype dies before the end of the CW sets' shelf lives, piece counts and design quality decline, and fan fatigue sets in. This unlucky perfect storm could conceivably prevent renewal.

This is my first time seeing these pics and all I can say is...[brain explodes in joy] mfffmffgurgle! In all seriousness, wow. TLG has really listened to fans' wishes here, especially with those Pirate sets. The designers really have the look and spirit of the originals down pat (flags, cannons, hulls, etc. are all familiar). At the same time, TLG has also refined some original shortcomings, such as the Imperial figs' white torsos, and utilized new colors (such as metallic gold on a treasure chest) to keep things fresh.

I wouldn't mind some more criminals for all of this year's new police sets to chase around. I can't complain, though, since the parts to make my own are readily available. This upstanding citizen's torso cost $.15 on Bricklink.

"Lego Fan 1958-2008" Well, he had a good life. RIP :skull: Sorry for my offbeat attempt at a joke, but this (excellent) promo reminded me of a gravestone a little bit. I'd still love to purchase one though.

I recently negotiated to trade an old 8480 Space Shuttle set for an 8448 Supercar ( ), but one condition was that the 8480's electrical system was functioning. I successfully tested the micromotor, other motors, and fiber optics, but I was at a loss as to how the pole reversers worked. Short of building the whole shuttle (which would be a bit of a waste, since I have to disassemble it in the next few days anyway), is there any way I can tell that the pole reversers work? I have tons of cable and a battery box at my disposal, but no idea what to do. Thanks for your time! FYI, this is the switch I'm talking about:

I saw several here in Illinois at the Northbrook Lego Store; the new 7666 boxes do not say "limited edition" on the front as the first run did. As a side note, Northbrook had the 7658 Y-Wing on sale for $30 and had a MOUNTAIN of $100 Sandcrawlers.

Thanks for all the interest, guys! I'm glad you're as enthusiastic about the 6399 Airport Shuttle as I am. I'm considering building a city layout around it; I already have a 6597 Century Skyway (complete, thankfully) to go with the Shuttle once it's finished. Maybe the Town Plan and a 7994 City Harbor would fit in as well? About future monorails...what with the new Power Functions elements and the trains redesign, it is clear that TLG is willing to invest in creating new electric parts. Given that the designs for monorail track have already been done, it does not seem like much to ask for TLG to re-make the monorail molds and find a new contractor for the motor. Sure, a monorail set would retail for serious money, but AFOLs, TFOLs, and parents have made Star Wars' UCS line a success, even the $500 Millennium Falcon. Heck, the Town Plan costs $150, and the current RC trains aren't cheap either. Plus, a re-made monorail system could provide a halo set for Mars Mission or another space theme (imagine that beautiful monorail track in new colors, like trans orange or black ). @simonwillems: I respect your determination to repair your 6399 by buying a new sticker sheet from BL. One sheet sold for $45 this month, so I'm sure you paid some serious cash for yours. But since many of the stickers from mine are still present, buying a new one wouldn't make sense for me. Besides, once I learn to use The Brickfactory scans to print my own stickers, I can use that skill to fix some of my other old sets (I'm looking at you, 5956!) @Fluyt: Unfortunately, I discovered that the gray baseplate in my pictures is not the correct baseplate. I should have this, which costs $20. I don't think I'll buy this part, however, since it took me this long to notice that mine was incorrect.

Thanks for all the encouragement! From what you told me, I realized that I selected a difficult but doable project and decided to continue full speed ahead. Today, I cleaned more of the bricks and did an inventory of what could and could not be used. Then, I ordered almost all the missing parts on BL for about $50 (!) from several sellers. I'm still looking for cheap straight monorail rails (maybe some will appear on eBay?), but I've managed to find everything else. I also realized that several stickers are missing. Since original stickers for this set are basically unobtainable, I was thinking of printing my own on decal paper using these scans from The Brickfactory. I know the decals used in minifig customization often need to be printed on a thin medium at very high resolution, but has anyone used The Brickfactory scans to reproduce original Lego stickers?

Thanks for the encouragement, I love the 6399 design and intend to finish this...eventually. Yes, I have many of the tracks for the model. Unfortunately, I still need three more straight long rails. I spent some time with the set tonight and threw away some of the more criminally chewed and yellowed pieces (they were common plates, thankfully!). Unfortunately, I also discovered that a 16x16 and 16x32 light gray baseplate are missing. I will definitely need to sell some of my inferior sets to keep this project rolling. I will buy some pricey pieces like this soon, so watch for in-progress restoration pics!

I have spent the past couple of weeks trying to order parts for/clean/resurrect a very rare, very damaged 6399 Airport Shuttle, the rarest and most expensive monorail. This 1991 set has given me all sorts of problems...the straight monorail track it is missing costs $10 a piece, about 40 percent of the set is gone or too badly damaged to use, and it lacks minifigures. On the other hand, I know how amazing it will look when it's finally back in working condition. Here's what it will look like, $100 and several hours from now: Here's how it looks now (it looks far worse in person, because you can't see how beat it is): I've tackled tough projects before, but this really is the toughest. So, is this an evil project, or am I just a wimp?

I always thought sorting bricks by size and color was the best way. Mixing different colors of bricks heightens the possibility of unsightly scratches when they bump against each other, plus a unicolor bin always looks nicer than a multicolored one. Good luck!