Lord Of Pies

Congratulations!

Oooh a blog, very fancy :) I have to say the classic-pirates.com site and forum are looking very nice, I like the design.

[pid][/pid] Hello chaps, According to my title, I am the official pirate set reviewer around here! However, I think the last time I reviewed a pirate set was almost 4 years ago! Anyway, I thought I would make a comeback because I was looking through the review index and I noticed that no one has reviewed this little set and it is one that I happen to have in my collection. Name: 1747 Pirates Treasure Surprise Theme: LEGO System / Pirates Year: 1996 Pieces: 21 Minifigs: 1 Price: USD 2 Resources: Lugnet / Peeron Notes: This set was also released as a bagged version under the name 1802 Tidy Treasure, for the same price. This set was released in 1996, which wasn't really a vintage year for pirate sets in my opinion. Does this tiny set buck the trend? You're about to find out. Here is the original packaging. It has a certain charm about it with a similar style to the earlier pirate releases: In classic 90s style, the back of the box shows some alternative builds. The pirate map background is a nice touch: The side contains another little 'action' shot: This set came with just one minifig, the ubiquitous 'Black Jack Hawkins'. I bought this set MISB and when I opened it the yellow on the torso was already slightly faded, which was disappointing. On a more positive note, there are plenty of accessories for such a small set. Jack gets a pistol, a sword, some gold and a goblet. What more can a pirate want in life? The set advertised 4 pieces of gold and that is what came in the set, so no complaints there. The gold is the classic colour too, no problems like some have reported in more modern sets. It would have been nice to have gotten a unique figure in this set, because our dear friend Black Jack also appears in: 6204 Buccaneers 6296 Shipwreck Island 6289 Red Beard Runner 6248 Volcano Island (The poor bugger has lost a leg by this point and has a peg leg!) 6281 Pirates Perilous Pitfall and Lego Racers! This means that an avid collecter of lego pirate sets probably has a few duplicates of this minifig, so it makes this set less desirable. Anyway, as you can see from the instructions it is a very simple build: Here is the set in all it's glory. The plate is a standard 4 x 4 yellow piece, just like all the other pirate sets of the period. There are no unique pieces included. If you have even a small number of pirate sets you will have seen all these pieces before. The design isn't too bad, the big leaf adds some much needed colour to the set and breaks up the greyness. The set has some functionality: The treasure can be hidden away, and there's just about room for the goblet too. The little door can close completely, it doesn't have to be slightly open like the picture below shows. The back of the set is completely plain, nothing at all to report on. The natives want their treasure back: Summary review: Playability: 4/10 - For such a small set there is a good amount of accessories, but there is only so much you can do with 21 pieces. Design: 3/10 - This set is nothing to write home about, the folding door works well, but it is not a revolutionary design. The design is definitely let down by the inclusion of such a common minifig. Price: 5/10 - $2 (which would be about $3 nowadays) back in 1996 was a good price for this set. Nowadays a single minifigure on the Lego site is around $7. However, if you wanted to buy this set now it seems to be quite rare, so I think it would be hard to get this for under £5 (inc. shipping) Overall: 4/10 - Only buy this set if you want to complete your pirate collection. Edit: Added poll + picture to intro.

Great review - you are going to do me out of a job at this rate, as I am supposed to be the official pirate set reviewer haha! I really like this little set, it is a nice addition to anyone's collection even if it doesn't have any unique figures or pieces. 3 figures is good for such a small set another Shako is always nice.

Looking at the review index it seems that no one has done a review of 4512 Cargo Train. That happens to be one of the only train sets I do own so I might do a review of it if their is any interest. I haven't reviewed a set for about 2 years I would guess.

Haha no problem. With the internet you can stay in touch with people everywhere and you are able to find every sort of information. => For "every" I'd use any, but I'm not sure if "everywhere" must be substituted with anywhere or whether you can leave it the way it is. I agree with the switiching of "every" to "any", but I would leave "everywhere", I don't think it needs changing. Either one works really. Which one is better? a) I can do with it what I want. b) I can do what I want with it. (b) sounds more natural, it is what I would say, but (a) isn't wrong, it's just not the most common way of saying that.

No I don't think this is right. I have never heard anyone in reference to a football club say they play "at" a club. It doesn't sound right. "For" is the right word in this case. "This is one of the most used things of teenagers. " This is an akward sounding sentence and I can't tell which is right. "Another point where this programme is good is when you..." "where" is right in this case. "It is maybe the best thing that has ever been invented." "Maybe" sounds correct in the position it is already. Alternatively you could use "perhaps" which sounds better IMO.

No, obviously not. I am simply saying that geographical location is a very poor argument to support the hostile takeover of an island. Actually your point about America helps my argument. Following Kircher's line of argument USA should not have independence because the people are not indigenous, therefore using her logic they have no right to self determination. Do you see how stupid it is? Yet suddenly when it is the Falklands in question this logic is sound apparently. What a shoddy argument, Kircher knows it too, she is just sabre rattling.

The hilarious part about Argentina's pathetic claim to the Falklands is that their argument invalidates their own independence. Kircher says that that the British citizens living on the Falklands do not have a right to self-determination because they are not indigenous. This argument is contrary to international law and following this logic would have denied the independence of Argentina itself. The other argument about geography is ludicrous too, just because the Falklands are close to Argentina doesn't mean it should be Argentine. Cuba is close to USA so should it be American? What an absurd argument. You do realise that UK keeps the Falklands because they want to be British? The UK supports their right to self determination, where as it is Argentina that is acting like a petty colonial power.

I absolutely love the way one of the fake brands is called 'Shifty' - so appropriate! Honestly these fake sets do look pretty good in the pictures but I suppose their actual quality isn't too amazing. Haven't really looked about for any fake sets (or real lego) recently so I haven't had a chance to buy any, but I am a sucker for bargain so I might try and get a knock off set and post a review. (I am the 'official Pirate Set Reviewer' after all! :D )

Ahh thank you for that :)

Wow that was a great deal! I'm jealous.

Hey guys, I was wondering, how do I change the background of the forum? It's stuck on the winter theme and I can't for the life of me figure out how to change it. I feel like I have looked at every setting - These new forums are deeply confusing for me! Thanks!

Wow this looks great, thanks for the review! How have I not noticed this set before? ^_^

I got some exo-force sets a few years ago, I have to say they are really good fun. And they were cheap as chips too. My favourite was Blade Titan, but all the sets are great for displaying.

Having recently played Red Dead Redemption the xbox, my interest in Western-themed things has been re-invigorated. I would love to see some new Wild West sets.

Much like Duck I have been away from the forums for a bit and I am shocked to see this news. I never met Zorro but his posts were always informative and he is one of the names I remember well from when I first started to browse Eurobricks. My thoughts are with his family. Rest in peace.

Wow not sure how I missed this! Been out of the loop for a bit so I must have missed this - 93 pages is a bit much to catch up on though, I'll just have a quick flick through. The sets look pretty good, I might even review one sometime! :p

I really liked the Tie Defender, hence that gets my vote. I liked the clever methods used in the construction of the set - the whole thing is suprisingly sturdy. It can withstand even the most extreme of swooshing! Also the new tie pilot minifig is lovely. No longer is he simply a repainted stormtrooper!

Thanks for the comment. The cheapest I could find this set on bricklink was $80, and that was missing the wagon! Ebay occasionally has some real bargains, often people list items without realising the real value. Your right, I didn't really mention how compatible this set is with others too much. This set uses the same crane "claw" as set 6542 like you said, but the containers seem to be slightly different. Still interchangable I would guess. Set 4555 is the closest match for 4549, they both use the same container design and the same crane "claw". The wagons aren't the same colour however. Interestingly, set 10170, the "successor" to 4549, uses very similar containers and they can be mixed up and interlock with eah other. Set 10170 is also interesting because the two wagons in that set share the same bogey.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I havent seen any of the new sets, I'll have to have a look. As a matter of fact, I haven't touched much lego at all recently, I only posted this review because I had the pics floating around! As you say the lorry doesnt fit in well with a modern town, but the crane does, it is quite large by 90's lego standards. It is 6 wide so it looks good alongside newer sets.

'ello Ladies and Gentlemen, I stumbled across my old brickshelf account this morning and realised I had a few photos of set 4549, which I had been meaning to upload ages ago, but never got around to. It's been a while since I last did a reivew, so bear with me here! Anyway, on with the review! (Unfortunately some photos are missing, so use your imagination :P) 4549 Container Double Stack This set, also known as Road 'N Rail Hauler in the US, was released in 1993 and cost $52 from S@H. It was discontinued in 1995. Pieces: 446 Minifigs: 2 The set consists of a 4-wide articulated lorry, a twin bogie wagon and 4 containers. First off the minifigs. The 2 figures included are both bog-standard railway workers, in matching blue outfits. The minifig operating the crane sensibly has a hard hat, the lorry driver has brown hair. Nothing unusual about the faces, just the standard classic smiley. The torso design has a nice white-and-red chevron pattern and a small <-O-> logo: Lets move onto the lorry: I really like this lorry, it is simple, yet looks good. The red colour scheme matches the crane too. The amount of stickers is annoying however, there are 5 just on this lorry! The lights on top are a nice touch too. The lorry can carry either 2 small containers, or one large one. (Or all the containers at once if you wish to disregard 'elf and safety) The cab looks American, not like British lorries at all. The downside to this lorry is that it is only 4 wide, which is fine in a nice old fashioned lego town, but it looks out of place when compared to some modern sets. The doors open as well, and the roof is hinged too, so minifigs can be placed in the cabin easily. ^ This piece connects the trailer to the cabin ^ The way the trailer is attached enables a failry tight turning circle. Another interesting thing about the lorry is the back wheels on the trailer. This piece is used to connect the wheels to the trailer: It means that both pairs of wheels can be touching the ground at once. A very clever yet simple design that I have not seen used on another lego lorry myself. (This review explains it better) The Crane: The crane is also well thought out, unfortuantely I only have 1 picture of it which does not do it justice at all! The crane is very wide compared to the lorry, though it needs to be to remain stabe when lifting the containers up. The crane arm measures 8" when fully extended (No innuendos please) and can be lowered and raised. Using my elite MS paint skills I will show you how the arm can be lowered: The lights are a nice detail as well, as is the little walky talky that can just be seen on the other side. Also on the other side is the handle used to wind in the string. When the "grabber arm" is attached to a container it tightens when pulled which means the containers can be lifted. It is a simple mechanism but it works well enough. This also ensures that playability is high, it is surprisingly fun loading the containers on to the wagon! The wagon: Jeez, I don't have a single picture of this one by itself at all! Its a shame, because I did have many pictures of this set, but they seem to have disapeared. The wagon uses the same low base as 4547 Euro Express Tourist Car. It is very simple and only consists of a few pieces. It is a twin bogie design and can carry all 4 containers at once. the 2 long containers can be stacked up on top of each other in the middle and the 2 short containers can go over the wheels. Sometimes however when the train goes full speed the containers fall off round the bends. I haven't actually mentioned how the containers work really. They stack well because of a simple tile and stud design. They "lock" together so they don't simply slide off, but can still easily be lifted off by the crane. The containers also have doors at both ends. This set doesnt include any actual cargo within the containers. Conclusion: Overall this is a wonderful set, the wagon makes a great addition to any cargo train, and the crane and lorry realyl add to the playability. Pros: Great playability Detailed Colour scheme Several rare and unique pieces Cons: Expensive nowadays Stickers 4 stud lorry/containers hard to integrate into modern town Overall I would highly recommend this set, I got mine for £20 (Bargain!) and it was definetly worth the money. Again sorry about the lack of photos, but I think you got the general idea. This lovely review by Legofan details the construction of the set well.

What on Earth--I mean Smurf is going on here? It's all fun and games until Gargamel shows up!

That looks really good! Far better than any of my attempts at mechas! I like the fact that there are details on the back too, people often forget about the back of mech. Perhaps if you had featured a more prominent secondary colour, some of the details could be seen better?

The new Lotus f1 logo was revealed a few days ago: This raises my hopes that the 2010 lotus will have the lovely dark green and gold livery. Though it won't be a true Lotus - it is Malaysian owned. As for that pesky Shumacher returning, I personally hope the British boys at Mclaren will show him a thing or two about racing next season! :P