blueandwhite

I'm hoping that some of the more coveted ones turn out to be a bit easier to find. I would be disheartened to discover that the cheerleader and the Robin Hood clone turn out to be among the rarest of the bunch. Hopefully some of the less popular figures prove harder to find. This would undoubtedly push their value up without disappointing or frustrating other collectors looking for some of the early favourites.

That's quite the list you have there. Unfortunately, I very much doubt we will see anything close to this. Personally I don't see LEGO acquiring the LOTR licence given that we've just had a fantasy line which could easily return in the future. Moreover, your request seems a bit too... grand. Most LEGO lines are 5-7 sets. I don't really see a line that would be anywhere near as comprehensive as this. I'd rather see LEGO focus on their own products instead. We have plenty of other licences out there.

Looking at the packaging mockup that we've already seen, I don't think it will be possible to feel the contents of these bags. As jamtf mentioned, they look more like a small chocolate box (cardboard with the top sealed together) then like a soft bag. It makes sense if this line is supposed to be a collectable line akin to a pack of trading cards. If the figs were visable, certain figs like the cheerleader, Robin Hood and the clown would probably disappear quickly while others are left warming the shelves. Fortunately, given the size of these forums finding somebody to trade your figs with to complete your collection shouldn't be too difficult. It's very possible that you'll be able to find some local AFOLs making postage a non-issue as well.

Honestly, I fully respect what Brickjournal brings to the table and feel that LEGO would have a hard time matching the quality of Meno's publication. Moreover, an adult publication coming from LEGO themselves could kill Brickjournal which I don't think anybody would want to see. Brickjournal as an independent publication can look at issues in the AFOL community that LEGO would likely never consider/touch making it an ideal publication. If anything, I would like to see LEGO produce an annual idea book comprised of some of the year's best MOCs photographed professionally. Given the number of public displays and conventions which LEGO is involved with, this probably wouldn't be that hard for them to do. That is something I could easily see myself purchasing.

Just because Eurobricks is a site for adults, I don't think that the moderators are looking to invite controversy. A "taboo" forum sounds like a place where members would inevitably start trying to push the boundries and I imagine that it would quickly become a headache for the mods. Do we really need a forum dedicated to pushing the limits? A major aspect of being a mature adult is the ability to use one's discretion to discern what is appropriate or inapproriate in a given environment. Many teenagers make the mistake of assuming that the depiction graphic acts of violence are mature, simply because they are generally viewed as being inappropriate for a younger audience. Now this is just my opinion, but creating a forum that looks to invite controversy would probably bring in an undesired element to the Eurobricks community.

I'm still hoping that these guys come complete and not as a set of random parts. If this line is going to continue into the future, I would expect nothing less. I can see a number of casual purchasers getting fed up after buying say ten or more of these only to find that they have only completed a single figure (probably the crash test dummy). Having multiple figures is one thing; having a pile of random parts that don't come together to form anything is something else entirely.

For me it's yellow or nothing. I grew up with yellow minifigs, and I will always have a preference for them. I don't like the mixture, if only because they represent two very different things. Fleshies were made in an effort to be more accurate to the 'real world'. Yellow minifigs don't represent any particular race. For me the original yellow figures have an innocence about them that I felt was lost when LEGO introduced flesh tones into the brand. Mixing the two just doesn't work for me. At the end of the day I'm just happy that we still get non-licenced yellow minifigs.

This show really got me hooked on LEGO as a kid! Honestly, seeing that space station in motion was absolutely incredible. No matter what I built, I always looked to the LEGO World Show models as a source of inspiration as a child. I remember trying to duplicate that Space train as a child (a precursor to the monorail perhaps). It's funny looking back at this though. The colour and parts selection in 1984 was so limited. Dark grey bricks were a rarity outside of Legoland so it was no surprise that many of the knights were stuck with light grey helmets. In fact, I was absolutely in awe of the Legoland photos because of the light and dark grey mottling on the rooftops and the castle in the background. Even today these models are quite impressive.

The mention of this being modular has me anticipating what you have in store for us next! You've mentioned an inner and outer village; hinted at multiple churches and of course a castle as a centrepiece. Do you plan on building all of these things and then joining the modules together or are you going to use the bricks from this wonderful MOC in your next effort? The project that you've described sounds daunting, but if it's possible it would be absolutely incredible. The level of detail in your work is phenomenal. I can only imagine how amazing an entire village complete with a castle would be. Great stuff.

The details really make this MOC stand out! MOCs of this size are not uncommon, but the street view is simply stunning. It's busy, cluttered and full of action. I'm not too fond of the tiles for water but everything else is stellar. It's really nice to see a Castle MOC set beside the sea.

There is an understated quality about this MOC that I absolutely love. The entire scene is incredibly beautiful and the use of cheese slopes on the roof is simply brilliant. The end result is a building that looks more like a model than a LEGO MOC. Truly a masterpiece!

Erdbeereis +2 SlyOwl +1 Great stuff (again)!

Excellent work! I really like the use of the Dwarf beard for hair. The brick-built Davy Jones is simply marvelous! Once again you show your amazing ability to take but a few bricks and make something with a huge amount of character. Great stuff.

I certainly feel for you Finish AFOLs. Having to pay such a disproportionately high price compared to the rest of Europe certainly seems unfair. I would be very curious as to why there is such a disparity between Finland and other EU members. As for American pricing, perhaps LEGO should rethink its position on that issue and raise prices to match other nations on S@H exclusives. I hear a number of American consumers telling others to pay up or shut up, yet when a set like the Advant Calender (Pirate or Castle) isn't available in the US they cry foul just as quickly as the rest of us. Given that S@H exclusives are a low-volume product directed towards a smaller group of dedicated LEGO enthusiasts, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to boost the prices in countries like the US where LEGO is typically cheaper. It wouldn't upset the average Toys R Us consumer and many dedicated AFOLs would still pay for some of these exclusives even at a higher rate. If paying for S@H exlcusives is a way to support better products in the future, maybe AFOLs in nations other than Finland should be paying a bit more to do their share.

Some of the sets mentioned have me a bit confused. Since when was the Fire Brigade universally loved? From what I've seen on these forums, 10197 is generally disliked by most European members. I always thought that the response for this set was mixed at best. Now if somebody had said the Green Grocer, then I might be a bit surprised as that set seems to have a genuinely strong following. There are a number of sets I'm not too thrilled with, but I'm pretty sure that most of them weren't universally loved anyhow. The Fantasy Castle line for example is something that I'm not fond of, but I appreciate that this can be said for a large number of fans. The real challenge would be to find a set that is truly universally loved, because while some sets have a very strong legion of fans, I find that those sets also have some of the most vocal critics.

It's pretty shocking how close the two actually are! Particularly the placement of certain objects (mailbox, plant stands) and the inclusion of a revolving door at the front entrance (allthough LEGO's version only seems to have three panels on the door).

For me it was the release of the Star Wars line in 1999. I pretty much gave up on LEGO in the mid-90s. I found that the set designs and part selection was becoming so poor that I had a difficult time rationalizing the purchase of any LEGO sets at the time. By 1994 I had pretty much stopped buying LEGO alltogether. Star Wars LEGO was something I had always yearned for a young lad so when it finally came into being I had to have Luke and Vader in minifig form. Interestingly enough, I didn't really stick with the Star Wars theme. Exploring various early LEGO fansites including LUGNET and Brickshelf I found myself drawn back into MOCing. A number of early Castle creations like Ed Boxer's LEGO castle and Dr. Carney's earlier MOCs brought me back to Castle again. As a fan coming out of his dark ages, I elected to focus on buying bricks (LEGO's bulk program at the time had some great deals) and sets for parting out. When the BFF fortress was re-released I purchased 10 of them. Today I am a steadfast LEGO castle fan, but it was Star Wars that brought me back into the mix.

Owen Pallett (formerly 'Final Fantasy') - Heartland.

The colours look better than I was expecting (the rumoured yellow and black weren't exactly awe-inspiring to me), however the model looks to be a bit lackluster at this point. I'm really hoping that they've upped the anti on the interior because the exterior details just aren't that exciting. I'm still glad that the building turned out to be tan and grey as opposed to being yellow though.

MOCs for me. I do have some sets on display, however it's the MOCs that I take real pride in. I respect that people like to collect and display sets, but I have no interest in it personally. The real appeal of MOCs to me is that they are unique to the builder who created them (unless the design was borrowed). That personal touch makes MOCs far more interesting than conventional sets. I see set collecting as being very similar to army building. It's a hobby for some, but it doesn't appeal to me personally. I do have a few standout sets I've kept built for display (the Falcon and CC sets being examples), but most sets for me are simply a source of bricks. Even if my MOCs are not particularly great, they are my own. A set is simply somebody else's design. I know that my Falcon is no better or no worse than the 100s of other Falcons out there. It's just not that special. Any reasonable person can put one together if they have the time or money.

I hope it's a droid. A chrome droid at least makes sense, even if the character wasn't chrome in the films. I don't need a chrome Luke. Still, for some reason a chrome gold or silver Leia appeals to me.

I'll bite: City car: Ford Fiesta Small family car: GTI Large family car: Volkswagen CC Executive car: Audi A6 Luxury Car: Porsche Panamera Turbo Sports car: Porsche Cayman S Grand tourer: Ferarri California Supercar: Audi R8 Convertible: Boxster Spyder Roadster: Boxster Spyder Minivan: Honda Odyssey SUV: Honda Pilot Pick-Up: Ford F-150

I think this is a great way of viewing things. As an AFOL I see myself as both a collector and an amateur builder and take pride in doing both things for a different set of reasons. I agree with Ralph that set collecting is very much like painting by numbers; it's an activity where you follow a set of instructions carefully to yield a desired result. The process itself yields a great deal of satisfaction. I have all of the CC series sets and my UCS Falcon built and displayed. MOCing is a very different animal. The satisfaction one gets from building a MOC is quite distinct in my experience. For me the greatest aspect of MOCing is knowing that the end result is yours and yours alone. You can take great pride knowing that what you've built is as unique as your own fingerprint. While many AFOLs undoubtedly have UCS Falcons and Corner Cafes proudly displayed at the centre of their collections, a MOC is unique, one-of-a-kind creation that you can take pride in designing and displaying. Even if your MOC isn't as complex as some sets, it is yours and nobody else's.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened again with Castle in 2010. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to have a 1 or 2 year line so long as the line is filled with quality sets. If anything, the Fantasy line burned out after the second year. This year's sets seemed more like filler than anything else. Pirate fans also had an amazing year considering the main line and the Imperial Flag Ship all came within the span of twelve months. LEGO's seeming ability to balance freshness with nostalgia has really impressed me in recent years.

My first Castle set was 375/6075. Fourteen figures and a castle made entirely out of bricks. While the set may look exceedingly basic by today's standards, the fact that it was built out of bricks and plates appealed to me even as a child. When a friend was given 6080 for Christmas I was astonished by what I even as a child considered'juniorization'. The fact that the Castle was made of giant wall pieces and the Knights had visors that didn't move bothered me even in 1984. While the new colour (grey) was a major step forward, I couldn't get over the wall panels even as a kid.