Still Raindrop

Interesting point; I think that also applies to the Town/City line (there are only so many different uniform variations the police or some other group can have, after all).

I tend to go in cycles; the "Big Three" (Town, Castle, and Space) seem to be my main ones (with Town the most prominent, then Castle, then Space), but I sometimes find myself really interested in other themes for a short time (Pirates, Adventurers, Rock Raiders, various action themes, etc.). My interest in these eventually wanes, but generally it returns, at least for a while. It's odd. I think the reason for my circulation among the big three is due to the desire for variety, whereas my growing/declining interest for other themes probably comes from my lack of sets or pieces in that theme.

I forgot one other point--the inclusion of printed "curves" to indicate hips and breasts on female minifigs does make things difficult; there aren't very many torsos that have this kind of printing, and it makes older-style female minifigs (including ones using blank torsos) look odd.

I agree that LEGO has a good reason for changing things; indeed, I really enjoy a lot of the newer prints. I'll probably go back and forth on this issue, particularly for town, where I don't necessarily need a lot of repeat minifigs (and I'm definitely keeping the new print styles for my winter village). My wife disagrees with me on the pirates, too. I admit, some of it may be nostalgia--the pirates sets were some of my earliest (although my very first LEGO System set was a classic space one, and the first sets I put together without my dad's help were two small Aquazone sets), and I can remember spending hours creating adventure-filled stories with the old pirate crew, so it's a little tough to replace them. My observations may simply be rationalizing my nostalgia (as Benjamin Franklin said, "So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for every thing one has a mind to do")--but I still think that the reasons are valid for me. I don't think that LEGO should go back entirely to this older style; they have moved forward quite a bit, and I think it would be a misstep to return. But I do miss some of the old style, and feel like there have been losses along with the great gains.

I've been thinking lately about the level of printed detail on minifigures, and thought I'd type out my observations and thoughts here. I know this is something that's been discussed a lot before, but I was unable to find a topic devoted to it; if there is one, feel free to merge this post with it. If not, feel free to add thoughts in this topic. First, a bit of history. Although the level of printed detail on minifigures has been slowly increasing for quite some time, it was around the year 2003 that the overall style of the printing, both of the torsos and the faces, shifted (the shift sort of began in 2001, but it was in 2003 that it became really noticeable; interestingly, this was close to the beginning of my Dark Ages). Faces before the shift were generally based on the classic smiling face). They varied in style and detail, but most (not all) still grew out of, and therefore fit in stylistically with, the classic face. After the shift, the faces were based on a "new classic" face, one with eyebrows, a subtler smile, and eyes that have a "sparkle." The eyes and eyebrows are the main uniting factor, with all new minifigures having the "sparkling" eyes and most having eyebrows. Similarly, torso prints before the shift were generally more stylized representations of clothing; after the shift, the printing tended to be more "realistic" and detailed, and the print often extends to the back of the minifigure. The two styles can sometimes be compatible, but often the level of detail on the new prints makes the old look bad (for example, prints that show the folds of clothing make unprinted torsos look out of place, as they lack clothing folds). Of course, the level of detail is hardly consistent; this torso has no back printing: ; this one does: ; this one has front, back, and arm printing: Anyway, a few months ago, I put together some similar minifigures, both from before and after the shift (for example: compared with , compared with , etc.). Seeing the minifigures together, I decided that I liked the newer style better. Although the nostalgic part of me wanted to prefer the earlier style, the detail of the new style appealed to me too much at the time, and I decided to use that style in my town. I dismantled the old minifigures. It was last week, however, that my thoughts began to change. I've been thinking of making an Adventurers photo-comic in which (for reasons you may find out later) I plan to use pirates. I had previously populated my Black Seas Barracuda with minifigures from the new Pirates line, but I decided to assemble some pirates from the old line to use in the comic. It was in doing this that I saw the old minifigures in a new light. Compare, for example these two minifigures: . The newer one is much more detailed--the belts are less stylized and hang at a realistically crooked angle, the shirt is torn, the back is printed, etc. This level of detail is very cool; it is also, for me, the downfall of the new style. If the comparison were just between one of each minifigure, the results would be the same as they were in my earlier comparison. However, I needed a pirate crew, and the new Pirates line only gave us about five pirate torsos--one of which was a captain's torso, another of which was a female torso, leaving us with three torsos to use for average crewmen. This means that, to have a full crew, torso repeats are necessary. This is when the strength of the older style became clear to me. The Black Seas Barracuda also had only five different types of torsos (but some of those were repeated, and two of the five only differ in the color stripes they have). Since using multiples of one torso is necessary for a full crew, imagine having several of the "old-style" pirates with the same print, and several "new-style" ones. The faces and torsos of the "old-style" minifigures are stylized and generic; by switching around the color of pants and bandannas, you get two pirates that are different enough; the faces are simple and stylized enough that they can both represent a generic mustachioed pirate. Similarly, the torso print represents a stylized version of a common pirate shirt; since it is stylized, it can also be very generic. Perhaps in one's imagination these pirates would be different--one might be taller and thinner with a hooked nose, gaunt cheeks, and an earring, while the other might be short and stocky with a broken nose and several missing teeth. In the LEGO world, they are represented almost identically; the minifigures serve more as stock character "types" than actual characters (not that older LEGO doesn't have actual characters--Captain Redbeard and the female pirate are examples. But they're meant to be characters, set apart from the average "crew"). I can suspend my disbelief and see several different characters of the same type represented by variations on this stock minifigure. By contrast, the "new-style" prints represent very specific characters, even among lowly crew members. While there is a great enough variety in face prints to avoid having a crew of smirking pirates with stubble, bored eyes, and one raised eyebrow (as common as this face is, it's hard to imagine several people having it), there are, as mentioned before, only a few torso varieties. With such detail, however, it is harder to suspend disbelief. Cool details like the torn shirt, the uneven angle of the belt, the curve of the stripes, and the fact that the belts are tightened on the second and fourth holes now become odd. It is easier to imagine that two "old-style" torsos, with their lack of precise detail, represent two different characters wearing similar clothing. It is harder to imagine that with the detail of the new torsos. Would everyone's belt hang that exact way, or be tightened that much? Would every pirate have an identical tear in their shirt? The same problem, interestingly, manifests itself with the faces in the City theme. Although there are lots of face prints that can be used in City, the theme itself is very limited; if one collected only City, one would be left with lots of minifigures with chiseled faces, smirks and stubble, or half-smiles. Again, the level of detail in differentiating minifigures also means that, to be convincing, each minifigure should have a different face. And this, in my opinion, is the problem of the new style, and the reason that I have decided to switch back to the old one.

I've been working on a re-colored edition, and am almost finished (just waiting for a few more pieces from Bricklink, then I'll post pictures). The chapel is now tan with a dark orange roof, making its color scheme much closer to the actual Shove Chapel.

That's wonderful! It came about two years too late for me (but I made miniland-scale figures for the cake topper, so that's ok).

Oh, man, that robot could have been really useful a few years ago in the LEGO Island Xtreme Stunts theme as a Brickster-Bot. Instead we got those dumb henchman.

Sorry for the long reflections, everyone--they ended up being a lot longer than I thought they would be. Vehicles 4431 [Ambulance]: I really like how this set is done; not only does the vehicle look great (since I live in America, I'm all for a few American-style vehicles, and this ambulance certainly looks a lot like the ones I see around here; the only things I don't like are the lack of side mirrors--easily fixable--and the word "City" printed on the grille; I might have to switch that out for plain grille bricks), but it has some nice accessories--the street corner is nice (love that green trash can), and it's good to have a patient for the ambulance to transport. I'm glad to see that LEGO City cyclists are finally using helmets (and that the green bikes are becoming more common)! It looks like the stretcher piece is slightly modified from the original version (not sure if this has happened before or not)--the tops of hinge bricks are used for the wheels. This is nice, because it would allow the stretcher to sit flat if the "wheels" are removed. Also, it would be cool if, in the final version, the "Ambulance" sticker (or printed brick?) will be a mirror image of what it is now (so that cars can read it in their rear-view mirrors). I like the current color scheme, and wonder if there will be caution stripes on the back doors. I also wonder what the new paramedic torsos will look like, if they are going to be different; I think the current ones work quite well, but we'll see if they improve on them. This is probably the best ambulance LEGO has ever done (with apologies to Enter and Return from LEGO Island). 4432 [Recycle/Garbage Truck]: I had thought that the recycle truck from 2007 couldn't be beaten; I might have been wrong! There is so much to like about this truck: the green and white color scheme (very similar to the garbage trucks around here), the front grille (even though it's probably a sticker), the solid-looking design--I could go on and on! I dismantled my old recyce truck because I didn't really have space in my town, but I may have to make space for this one. The inclusion of two trash cans is nice (I love the addition of fish and a banana, although a bottle would have been nice, too), and hints that this may be a truck that deals with both trash and recycling. Also, is that a longer steering wheel, or are my eyes playing tricks on me? Anyway, a great-looking set--I'm looking forward to seeing the dumping mechanism and how the interior is done (it does look like the drum-type truck that lightningtiger posted). 4434 [Tipper Truck]: A nice-looking set that has both doors and side windows! I probably won't buy this one, as it doesn't really fit in with my town, but the design of the truck is very well done. And that wheelbarrow is great! 4435 [Car and Camper]: This is actually one of my favorites. The car itself looks very nice, despite the lack of doors. That new roof piece is great, and adds to the streamlined, realistic look of the car. The overall shape and design is excellent; I'd go so far as to say that this is one of LEGO's best car designs on this scale. It also looks like it seats two minifigures, which is a bonus. I wish that they had used wheels that didn't stick out--but I guess that's probably a lost cause. I also wish it were a different color; dark blue would be wonderful (yellow sedans being something of a rarity). But that is also probably a lost cause. The camper looks great, too--I look forward to seeing interior images. The contrast between the four-wide car and the six-wide camper is great. I hope we get a different torso for the woman than the one shown here--with the printed "curves" we've been getting on female city torsos, the older style ones now look a little odd. "Forest Police" (Note: with all these sets, I hope they exchange the "Police" stickers for "Sheriff" or "Forest Ranger" stickers) 4436 [Patrol Car]: I rather like this set. The car is pretty much identical to the one in the camper set (although for some reason it looks shorter and bulkier; probably due to the watermark), so my comments there apply. I only have three new observations about the car itself: First, if it does indeed seat two, it would be nice to have a divider in between, so the prisoner doesn't try tnything. Second, I like that they included the little light on the side of the car--that's a feature that I've seen in many real police cars, and it's nice to see it here. Third, it looks like we finally get the car chassis in a color other than dark bley! Very exciting, since most cars don't have large grey stripes at the bottom (it would be nice if we had gotten a yellow version in the car and camper set). I hope that the prisoner gets a new torso, or at least some back and arm printing. I also hope the sheriff's torso is preliminary, and we'll get one of the dark tan ones. One of my favorite parts of this set, though, has to be the little cattle stopper bridge; it's a nice touch that they didn't have to throw in (but I'm glad they did). 4440 [station]: Although this set has some very strong points, I'm not extremely impressed with it overall. It has the looks of a small Sheriff's/Forest Ranger station, but somehow I feel it's missing the charm it should have. I can't really put my finger on it, but something is just a little lacking. I'm not too keen on those new "brick" bricks, either. I suppose I'll have to see a larger wall made from them before I can really pass judgment, but they just seem out of place. If a new brick needed to be developed, I would have much preferred one that looks like the current log bricks, only done horizontally so that a nice-looking log cabin could be made without having to use lots of advanced SNOT for the walls. Now, as I mentioned, the set does have lots of strong points. I like the SUV a lot; they really nailed the look very well (although I hope that isn't "CITY" printed on the grille, like it is for the ambulance; it would be really out of place here). I like how the new torsos look, especially combined with the hats. I'm also fine with the new badge--usually sheriffs and deputy sheriffs have different badges than the police, and this looks like a more "sheriffy" badge. It's cool to see the log pieces in medium nougat. The tree is great, and the bear looks fierce! I'm glad it's not just a re-colored polar bear. I just wish the better elements of this could have come separately, in smaller sets (although perhaps when we get better pictures, including interior shots, I'll like this one better). 4441 [bandit's Car and Hideout/K9 Truck]: I have mixed feelings about this set. I like the bandit's convertible (black and dark red is a nice combination, and neither of those colors are seen very often in LEGO cars). It's interesting that there appears to be a new mudguard piece that is less massive than the previous ones, but the wheels still stick out so far to the side. Ah, well; this one can be pretty easily fixed. I just hope that they change the mudguards to black or dark red in the final version. The little gold mine is nice, and I love the beehive (and the new piece for the tree branches is great, too). I'm not as fond of the police van--it just seems so massive. The proportions seem weird, too (even for LEGO proportions); the new mudguards might have something to do with this; while they look good on smaller cars, they look strange on larger trucks and vans. I do like that new sheriff hat, though--I'm glad that it's not so detailed that it would make Johnny Thunder's hat look bad.

It sounds like both of these themes are going to be hits--I can't wait to see pictures! (If anyone wants to email them to me, as well, I'd appreciate it--I found some pictures online, but they were all of other themes and the forest fire, which is the City subtheme I was least interested in)

It was interesting--the Walmart in Colorado Springs had at least ten times as many minifigures as the LEGO Store in Park Meadows Mall. Anyway, one of the minifigures I picked up was the ice fisher. I love the outfit, but it's strange that he has no gloves. Also, if he's supposed to be an Inuit or Aleut or something, they're not really known for their chiseled cheek lines. But that's ok.

Very nice--I'm hoping to get this one for Christmas; the winter village sets (excluding the holiday train) started coming out the year that I got married, and every year my mother-in-law has bought me one for Christmas . I simultaneously love an am slightly off-put by the roof; I love that it looks more realistic, but it means that I may have to re-do the roofs of the other buildings; I can't imagine that they would look good together. While that should be easy with the toy shop, it may prove a little tougher with the bakery, due to the roofs on top of the dormer windows being made from sloped bricks, not plates. Hmm. Or maybe I'll just put them on opposite sides of a street, so that it looks like one side got more sun than the other (it's common here in Colorado to see houses with lots of snow on one side of the street and very little on the other side). I love the old mail truck, and think that it could work for multiple time periods (I'm pretty sure it's not unheard of for companies to use older cars, particularly during certain times of year). I love that new torso, as well. I'm not, however, too sure about that streetlight. I liked the one at the toy store and really liked the one at the bakery, but this one I'm not too sure about. I would have preferred another bakery-style light, for some consistency. Fortunately, that's an easy fix, and doesn't take away from such a great set (and the pieces are useful).

(any sort of idea for pricing would be helpful, as I have no idea whatsoever)

The website has been updated, and it contains lots of fun in-jokes, as usual (for example, the gangster's profile speaks to many an AFOL's woes: "The problem with being a no-good criminal in LEGO CITY is that the place is just chock full of police stations. You can hardly turn a corner without running into a friendly officer or three out on patrol." Also, the detective is said to have solved the "Mystery of Timmy's Nose.").

Thanks, everyone--I think I know how I'm going to auction it now. I would like some more input on my other questions, though--which one should I sell, and how much do you think I should sell it for?

Thanks! I forgot one more question: should I do it here on Eurobricks? (would I be allowed to?) Or should I do it on some other website? I like the idea of doing it here, but I'm not sure.

Hi, everyone; I have a question concerning selling/auctioning off some MOCs. Lately I've felt like it would be a good idea to put my hobby to a good use and sell/auction off a few of my MOCs, then donate the money to Sonrise/Mustard Seed (an orphanage and school in Rwanda). I was thinking of selling my beach scene (which you can see soon, although I have since completed it and improved it; when I do sell it, I will have new pictures up): Here is the rough, uncompleted version. I was also thinking of auctioning one of the buildings from my street scene (these have also been improved some): you can see it here. So, these are my questions: 1. Do you think I could actually do it? Are my MOCs good enough to auction like this? 2. If so, which building from my street do you think would raise the most money? 3. How much do you think people would be willing to pay? Hope to hear from people soon--thanks for looking!

Very nice! I love the design, and the inclusion of the "Police" tile was a clever move(I'm assuming that was a purposeful nod to the the band ).

I beg to differ--I live in Colorado Springs, the biggest city in Colorado (in terms of area, not population), and we have several smaller forests within the city limits. In addition, larger national forests lie just outside the city limits. We're situated on Colorado's Front Range--as one moves west into the mountains, one would find even more cities (like Woodland Park) that are completely and immediately surrounded by national forests. I would therefore argue that this subtheme is even more properly part of the "City" theme than the farm subtheme was.

I'm very excited about these new sets (partly because I live in Colorado, and always thought that the mountain sets LEGO did were underdeveloped--now we can get more! ). Although it will be police (or forest rangers) and fire again, I think that the new setting adequately changes things; I don't think it won't be just a repeat of what we've had. I'm looking forward to pictures!

Very true; however, LEGO anatomy has always been a little odd . I think the only way to change the steak and have it fit the system well would be to put a stud on the underside; I might like the bone solution better.

Maybe we're getting another robot minifig, and, due to the similar coloration, his body go switched with that of the Grey? Not very likely, but possible.

I noticed that the mechanic (who really looks like the Fonz) is named "Raph." Is that an actual name somewhere, or is is a misspelling of "Ralph?" It wouldn't be the first time that a misspelling like that has occurred on a LEGO piece. Perhaps it's short for "Raphael"....

These are excellent! I'll definitely pick up that butcher and use him for my ice cream parlor--he looks better than the minifig I have there now. I probably won't get many of these, since I'm trying to only get figs that I feel like I can incorporate into my town (although I might have to get that Scotsman for the kilt--I have a plan that might work for that one), but they're all very impressive.

Ah, I would love to come, but it's a long shot--my wife and I were thinking about trying to go to Rwanda next summer (it would be my second visit), and we probably couldn't afford two trans-Atlantic flights (or one, really, but people give money when one is going to Africa; not so much when the destination is Denmark . Still, we'll see. It would be wonderful.