MAB

But if you missed the first sets, then you wouldn't be able to get the main focus of the theme - the five friends. So they have to repeat the figures. They do introduce further characters in both the series and the sets. That is partly historical and because of what people are used to. People (especially AFOLS) often have large collections of lego, including minifigures. If they suddenly stopped making minifigures and replaced them with something else, then there would be outrage. Not becuase minifigures are better but because that is what people already have. Their old collections no longer fit with the new stuff. They already did this before with colours. The old greys and browns were replaced and some people were furious. Yet somehow they got by. Were the old colours superior to the new? If they could go back in time and could come up with more detailed minifigures that were better articulated, more realistic shapes, more variable in heights, etc but still had them with modular / swappable parts and they put them in all the sets that came out in the past then I'd probably prefer they went along the more detailed route. As an AFOL, I don't mix minidolls and minifigures, and wouldn't if they went all minidoll. Yet it is funny to see kids play. They care much less about such things. Mine mix minifigs and minidolls. But then they also mix in playmobil characters, my old Kenner SW characters, figurines that were free with comics, etc.

It is because Friends is mainly based on a group of five friends. Hence the number of characters is quite small as they get repeated a lot.

Chances are they are gone for good. In my experience, when licensed parts get removed rather than sold out then it doesn't ever come back. Now is probably the time to buy them on BL, when they are cheap-ish (but more than a BnP) as resellers didn't pay too much for them and there is still a lot of stock around.

There is a new LEGO Flagship Store opening in Leicester Square later in the year, so there is a chance that they are saving the London Bus promo for the opening.

For many you are going to have to pull hands from arms and arms from torsos (and also legs from hips for some).

If German kids are anything like UK kids then Castle sales will be high. Meaning sales for the current Castle sets, as in Nexo Knights. I dread to think how many 6-9 year old boys' parties I have been to with my kids, and how many of the birthday boys have been getting small sets of NK from their friends and the Fortrex from their parents. That one in particular seems to be outselling the Jestro's Lair and other mid-large sets. I guess Jestro's Lair will be saved for Christmas. For me, the heroes sets are too blue, but the villains are actually quite decent castle sets (mainly Jestro's Lair) for MOCs. Quite black, but I use a lot of black. It could have been much worse, given Jestro's colours are red and purple, they could have made his lair much more purple than black. Fortunately they didn't. I'm a little surprised that they have both NK and Ninjago out at the same time. Obviously different inspirations behind the themes but both quite action focussed sets aimed at mainly boys of a certain age.

Bionicle is an exception rather than a rule though. Maybe it is because they have a hand in the media side of the project too.

The most efficient way of storing LEGO in a limited space is to build a solid brick without leaving any gaps. Although obviously not the best solution when you want to retrieve specific parts. The solution is clearly going to depend on what size your collection is, how diverse your collection is, how you like to build, what space you have available, what storage system you already have, what you are willing to pay for the storage containers, etc.

LOTR is not Star Wars though, either in LEGO terms or in marketing stuff to kids.

^ Thanks, a little detail that really adds to them. There are a few other sets of legs like that too for variation.

Wilko's have had their own version of pick a brick for years. Perfectly legal too.

Look up SY206 on aliexpress or similar.

And that is why it is a poor measure, as it is highly subjective.

Ramses Pyramid gets you quite a few 2x bricks plus a baseplate. If you can find them.

It really depends on whether you want a glued version. I wouldn't try to unglue them, you 'd be left with damaged used parts worth nothing.

I cannot answer the poll. I do not think that lego will produce historic castle themes while Nexo Knights are in production (as in the survey) but I do not fear this (as in the title). I think there are plenty of sets available that are great for castle builders, including Nexo Knights.

No only is it normal, but it shows that they are genuine. The fakes don't have those numbers.

Why do you need to break things down for this to work? That is necessary if you only value building with lego and nothing else. If someone builds a set then plays with it every day without breaking it down, then they are getting more value out of a set that is built, broken down, rebuilt then boxed away.

Laughing at crap isn't negative, it is the foundation of the internet. It is a request to bring back old / rare parts in a pack rather than a proper set. That is what is wrong with it.

It would of course be great if they did give us more. I wouldn't say no to new LOTR sets, although if they did I'd hope that they do new / different versions of the minifigs rather than repeat the old. I think the most realistic thing is a single figure through Dimensions, although they don't seem to use new pieces for Dimensions so Witch King is probably out.

I think the opposite. The fact that they haven't released sets for a while makes it less likely they will release others, in my opinion. Who would buy them? They'd only really be bought by people that have the originals. Why would anyone want a Witch King vs Eowyn set if they don't have Frodo and the other hobbits. Why have Faramir if you have no Boromir? And so on. If they do anything again, they'll have to rehash all the existing (main) figures again if they want to appeal to new buyers. I think I said this over a year ago. And now I feel it is even less likely.

So we can only have one through ideas .... although even that is highly unlikely. They also do not exclude more than one set from an IP being made. They just exclude further projects being submitted. So if two projects based on the same IP are submitted and both make it to review, then there is nothing in the rules to stop both being made if there is a business case, so long as both are submitted before one is released. I believe the rule change is that once they negotiate the license following an ideas project, then they will release whatever series they want afterwards irrespective of what other projects were submitted to ideas beforehand. Limiting the submissions after a set is successful stops the whining when someone submits a set based on the successful ideas project when lego may already be planning a follow-up - like the GB firehouse. LOTR is a special case. Since they already have the license, I doubt they will be receptive to making even one new ideas set. Unfortunately. It wouldn't surprise me if the same is true for other existing ranges, such as SH and SW, but that they don't want to exclude everything. After all, if they excluded submissions based on existing regular sets or themes, then the classic space Exo-Suit would have been prohibited. Also, if they did make one (or more) LOTR set through ideas I don't think it matters too much what it is. If they decide there is a market for LOTR again, then only sets submitted before one is released are allowed. But surely if there is a business case for an ideas LOTR set, then there is a business case for other LOTR sets. The difference being LEGO would decide what follow up sets to make, rather than ideas voters. But of course the stumbling point is the business case. LEGO has made LOTR sets in the recent past and knows much more about their sales than any of us.

Most recently in the 850425 Business card set (white on black), and coloured ones in the notebook.

AND it is in stock :-)

It is taking a little while to get used to it, but there are lots of nice new features. I am also finding wanted lists are working well now, sort of doing what you expect them to do whereas I used to have lots of trouble buying all the parts before. The minimum cost doesn't seem to be working correctly but if that is fixed it will be great.