blueandwhite

While this isn't my favourite modular building, I still can't wait to grab a copy of this one on the weekend at the new LEGO store in Toronto. Talk about great timing for a grand opening .

A town hall is an interesting idea which would look quite good as a corner building. Much like the Fire Brigade, it will be interesting to see if this develops into a North American style town hall or into a European one. My personal preference is for an American town hall but I would be happy with either. Hopefully if such a building is in the pipeline we will see it this fall.

This set looks like a fantastic source of parts and figures. Even with a price of $90 (CDN) I'm still looking forward to snagging a couple of copies for my collection. The figures and accessories are amazing. Kudos to LEGO for taking a risk and introducing some real variety to the castle theme.

10218 isn't too shabby but I find myself feeling a bit underwhelmed by the design. While there isn't anything inherently wrong with the design, it all feels like something we've seen before. So much of what's shown seems like a rehash of the Green Grocer and the Cafe Corner. I honestly think that these would have been more interesting if they were sold as stand-alone sets as the size of the buildings is the most interesting element here. Despite my (slight) disappointment, I'm looking forward to grabbing a copy of this set when the LEGO store near my home opens in a few weeks.

It's kind of funny; I've been so busy marking papers that I've actually missed my own birthday thread . Thanks for the birthday wishes and here's to middle age (34).

Great work. One of the things that really draws me to your MOCs is the excellent back story you give to each one. Your buildings are once again perfect, and the scene itself is just fantastic. I like that you continue to use a rich assortment of earth tones in your work. While I'm not overly fond of the dark-green grass, it's nice to see some variety in this regard. Perhaps sand-green grass would be worth a try? Still, it's very hard to find real fault in a MOC such as this. Thank you again for sharing your work.

I'd just like to welcome our Kitty overlords. Goodbye AFOLs; hello AFOKs (Adult Fans of Kitty).

I here the word 'accuracy' being bandied about quite a bit, which is quite ironic considering that what constitutes an accurate design is LEGO extremely subjective. For one builder, colour and proportion may be of the highest importance. To another builder, the angles of shapes and elements may demand priority. For a third builder, texture and recognizability may be key goals. It's not possible to achieve all of these things with LEGO bricks. It's the limitations that make building so enjoyable to begin with. Every MOC demands a huge amount of compromise simply because we are working with a large assortment of prefabricated geometric shapes which can only be assembled in so many ways. The more talented builders in the community have simply found ways to build what they want while making fewer compromises. Many of the differences between the best received MOCs out there are simply a question of personal preference and priority. Of course, when you start ripping into another builder (or builders) for failing to share your priorities you're inevitably going to earn the ere of other AFOLs. Starting a thread to compare and rank your MOC against the works of others while criticizing the shortcomings of those other builds probably won't win you many friends.

While this isn't news per se, the Toronto LEGO store at Sherway has been listed in the news section on LEGO's store site. I guess that makes it as official as it gets.

This thread has produced such a wonderful assortment of ideas! Still, with the success of these collectible figures, I'm kind of hoping that we'll see LEGO branch out and do a few themed series'. It would allow for more than one series to be on store shelves at a time while catering to a broader range of FOL. While the current series caters largely to town fans (LEGO's largest fan base), I could easily see a series aimed exclusively at Castle or Space fans being quite popular with collectors. Alternatively, it would be a great way to introduce a line of figures that LEGO probably will never make into a theme like the often requested Romans or Greeks. As a castle fan I want acrobats, peddlers, serfs, monks, heralds, nuns, maidens, men-at-arms, and feudal lords yet I know that we will probably see a dozen snowboarders, skateboarders and surfers before anything close to that ever happens. I love what the collectible series has given us to this point, but its focus is so town-oriented that I find myself longing for something different.

Well, it did take me three days . In all seriousness, when it comes to these figures I've always been a bit concerned that I won't be able to get them well the getting is good. So far I haven't had any real trouble finding any of the series (1 through 4), but there are so many horror stories on these forums that I'm always relieved when I am able to complete a series.

Well, I've finally managed to complete my Series 4 collection. Finding the scientist was a bit of trouble but beyond that everything went nice and smoothly. I managed to grab 12 musketeers and 6 hockey players without difficulty so I'm quite content. This series is easily the best LEGO has offered so far.

I'm actually looking forward to Series 5 because my wallet desperately needs a rest after Series 4. There really isn't anything in Series 5 which I would want to amass in large numbers. After dumping a small fortune on Cheerleaders, Spartans, Forestmen, Elves and Musketeers I'm really looking to stop this addiction. If series 6 actually has any castle related (not fantasy) figures, I'm probably doomed. Collecting these guys is just too much fun .

I believe Silent Mode was inferring that Series 1 was the only series that had some figures without hairpieces/hats. Series 1 also had the wrestler, the zombie and the crash test dummy. Every figure in Series 2 and Series 4 had some type of headgear but as was mentioned above, the Mummy from Series 3 was also 'hatless'. Every figure in Series 5 also has some form of headgear.

It figures that the rarest figure of the lot would also be one of the harder ones to find. I guess I'll be on the hunt tomorrow then.

I noticed this as well. . I really wish the prices had stayed at $2.86, but I guess that this isn't all that surprising. I'm sure the price will rise at S@H once series 4 is released there. I've managed to acquire everything but a Surfer, Scientist and a Werewolf. I just couldn't figure out how to find the Scientist or Werewolf by feel. I'll probably head back tomorrow with the dot code and see if my luck improves.

And there's the problem. Perhaps you need to stop constantly ripping into the work of other builders. I'll be honest here; your criticism is typically condescending and unpleasant. It's one thing to offer constructive criticism, but your comments can hardly be considered constructive. You are constantly knocking into others for failing to achieve perfection and are overtly negative about work which is not yours. If you want constructive criticism, that's understandable but why do you always feel the need to drag other people's efforts through the mud? There are several wonderful X-Wings out there which are built with some amazing techniques. None of them will ever be perfect but listening to the way you describe them makes it sound as if these models are absolute rubbish. In the future you may build the greatest LEGO X-Wing we have ever seen; it still doesn't mean that you should go out of your ways to criticize or discredit the work of other builders.

Hardly surprising. It's not like you could expect LEGO to continue to offer us anything at prices that are on par with the US. I expect that they will shoot up to $3.99 by series 5 which would be in line with the 25-30% premium we pay on other sets. Out of interest, which Wal-Marts have they been spotted at?

I really like your ambition! The idea of a village and a forest sounds great, but I'm not sure you have enough to include a proper castle. Might I suggest a large manor house, town hall or church as possible alternate focal points. If you were to add a castle, I think you might want to add another two sections to give the castle some weight (and size). Whatever you choose to do, this project has amazing potential. Good luck!

I assume this figure has something to do with the upcoming film. Possibly it's a voodoo doll or something similar. The lines and lack of a mouth suggest that he is supposed to be made of wood (to me at least). Also, this belongs in the Pirates of the Caribbean thread over in the Pirates forum.

There were multiple codes but i don't think they had anything to do with geographic location.

Nurse, Lifeguard & Fisherman Entry (Build by Danchurch): A solid entry which is in desperate need of a fisherman -1 point- Tribal Hunter, Mexican & Tribal Chief Entry (Build by George G.): Great brick-built tipi -1 point- Nurse, Surfer & Space Villain Entry (Build by Darkblane): This is just awesome for its complete randomness. I get a real 'Eureka' vibe here -1 point-

Pilot (Build by Mookage): I love the sense of scale here. -1 point- Snowboarder Entry (Build by Dreamweb): A nice original vig that is easily recognizable and fits the figure perfectly -2 points-

You would imagine that a minifig could withstand a lot more pressure than a human being so I imagine that they could sink pretty far. Also, remember that there is not a lot of surface area on a minifig. There are a number of organisms that can live a few miles below the surface so I imagine that a minifig could also withstand a life under the sea. Perhaps a more scientifically inclined member could give you a more precise answer.

While all of these images have shown up on various forums at one point or another, they do highlight some interesting elements that LEGO has considered producing. The image with the Loch Ness Monster is a good example. There we have the first example of LEGO's great helm; a piece that didn't come into being until the Kingdoms line. There is also a figure wearing a kilt and it appears that LEGO has been fond of those pot catapults for far longer than most of us could have imagined. Other interesting elements are the crown, the assortment of civilians and civilian wear that include a number of unique hats and a beard. The puffy arms complete with painting are easily the coolest unreleased element I've ever seen. If many of the elements produced here had made it into production I suspect that I would never have entered my dark ages in the mid 1990s.