Herky

jaysapathy - did you buy the new parisian restaurant? can you throw a pic up? which store was this, seems like your store was the only store to have this out for you to purchase...interested in this info, thanks

Was so thrilled to get an invite from someone who wasn't going to use theirs, great lady, gave her a big hug and I think she got a lot of joy out of letting me take it...here was the qualifications for our store, top 35 people in sales dollars, the low (which tells me how much she spent) was $7500, and the high was $22,000...sheesh, I didn't have a chance at my piddly $2000 I spent. In any case, we were running a bit late and got there at 9:10 and were the last ones there. We got a PAB box each, a wristband each, the peel off (both of us got a keychain, but the guy in front of us got a free $69.99) and that was it. Nothing new at all in the store although they did have the Back to Future sets which I hadn't seen in there before...so I got the Winter Village carousel one and my daughter got a master builder's academy. No hobbit poster for anyone that I saw. I got a couple of smaller sets for my daughter (friends ones) but we didn't even fill our PAB boxes yet cause there were so many folks at the wall it was hard to get in there. Checking out we received another PAB box and the other holiday set. I am not even sure I got triple points...so to be honest, it was disappointing due to the build up on here I thought we might get % off on sets or the peel off might be for more than a key chain. Don't get me wrong, was thrilled and pleased to go, but wasn't what I had thought based on previous comments. The worst thing is I put off ordering a couple sets on Amazon due to this and came home to find they were sold out. Ugh. Still, I have 3 PAB boxes to fill in the next couple of months so I would value that around $45 free, the issue is I am not a MOCer and other than missing pieces, I am not sure what I would get as I just got a box of leftover Lego's from my nephews that is the equivalent of 8 PAB boxes and not sure what to do with it. Overall I have to say, glad I got to go.

one quick possibly dumb question...if you didn't get the VIP invite...are these deals going to be available any other time or just at that event?

This is sweet, thanks for sharing with us, TLG should copy you for next years set, amazing.

Really glad I saw this, called my local store in St Louis and they said they had 35 invites that were sent out but have a few leftovers if they don't RSVP. So I am on the waiting list...I just told her I have spent a lot of money in the store and would love to come. Heck I just popped for the Opera House in October there. If I go I will ask the criteria but I hope I get to go, sounds like a blast and be nice to avoid the crowd that are usually crowding the store. I know how much I have spent, so if there are others that have spent even more than me, dang, I need to win the lottery or get a raise. Good luck to all those who will attend.

I have a truck very similar to the one posted above, but it is a Mercedes one, at least it has a Mercedes logo on the front from what I can discern. I like the barrel truck posted above as well.

very cool set, but aaaahhhh, this giant tease is making me want to skip the rest of November and December and get right to January...ugh I hate waiting, great review!

Just an aside on Purdue Pete, it reached 10K due to a campaign to Purdue students and alumni who signed up...while kind of cool as a college mascot done in Lego, I really can't see TLG ever making a line like this...good job to it's builder, but I really doubt it was ever meant to be taken seriously as a definitive product that TLG would market. I have been on the lookout to buy the first Cuusoo project, the Shinkai...I do think we forget that Cuusoo is Japanese word and it was all started due to the desire of this set to be made. It has morphed from there certainly, but that set is a cool looking set. I have to think TLG saw this and thought Aaah, this might be a cool way to get some feedback on product to market and if it fits the molds and folks buy it, why not? That 1st set only sold in Japan as well...it's interesting to see how this has grown and I think TLG really has something on their hands they did not anticipate now. Just my opinion anyway.

Thanks for posting the pic, a great addition for the line based on its size, and I have seen the marina bay sands one as well, can't find a decent pic though, they are all very small. Hopefully a good year for the Architecture line in 2014

wow, just amazing, thanks so much for sharing, that is truly one of a kind...I can't imagine the time that went into nevermind the actual cost...I am always constantly amazed at what creativity exists on this site and how AFOL's just make it happen, this is one of the tops though I do almost wish folks would post the hours and cost of their MOC's which I feel goes into some of the appreciation, for me, as a non creative, I can look at this and see a labor of love but truly the cost and time is just as amazing sometimes as the finished project, which makes it all worth it

for a non native English speaker, you did great, it's hard to know the difference between too and to and when to use each, nice job on pics and review, keep going and put out the truck next

Not sure if this has been posted but just saw the latest decisions on facebook...one project only from winter 2012/spring and summer 2013 the exo suit Land Rover still under research...so out of 10, 1 gets in, I certainly hope they have better luck with the next 7

since it just came out on the 14th, I can't imagine they would let you buy it individually yet, but my question is more on the truck, I have been told that is the Black Friday set...will it only be for that day or is it going to be similar to the other set for a certain period of time?

Anyone heard of this? I saw it on a friend's FB page...described as this: "Focused on building an interest in science and engineering in children agest 6-9, Jr. FLL is a hands-on program designed to capture young children's inherent curiosity and direct it toward discovering the possibilities of improving the world around them. This program features a real-world challenge, to be solved by research, critical thinking and imagination. Guided by adult coaches and the Jr. FLL Core Values, students work with LEGO elements and moving parts to build ideas and concepts and present them for review." He had pics and it looks like it came with a box and in it were parts and a motor and cards and a binder for the educational part for the program. Here is a link I found: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/jr.fll Think this would be pretty cool for kids.

Do we know the release date for this? Also I assume it is mentioning contest winner or something of the sort in the silver ribbon on the right hand side, I blew up the pic but then it got too blurry.

I concur with a lot of thoughts here, first, the levers/supposed flags...horrible, why not use the straight up pole pieces?...I find the UN building a hugely poor choice for the architecture line although I really like the blue pieces. There are a ton of great buildings out there that could have been done instead. The grey circle is not really done well, but I do like the main tall building and the other little one. I am not really a fan of the actual UN organization, they seem worthless really and wonder why TLG chose this...TLG needs to do a building in Denmark, why not do a Frederiksborg Castle? I want to commend Clone on a great and well written review though, excellent job.

Do you think you might be able to build a smaller version? I am just wondering, I would love to build one of these for myself, just really like them, would love to see how you do a squid or octopus as well.

oh wow, this is beautiful, thanks for sharing, I think you did a fantastic job. I might like a bit of color more on the facade, maybe the sea shells in a dark blue or black, but I really like how you put this together, and the pic down the skylight of the atrium is a great touch. This is a nice MOC, excellent job!

Strategist, i was just going to ask that about the Tardis..but remember, it would have to somehow be bigger on the inside Really can't say enough how great this looks, makes me want to run the other way waiting to hear "Exterminate" Please tell me you don't have voice activation in it to say that...so very cool, thanks for sharing!

very cool build, like the pool, like the interior, the foliage is a nice touch, I like that it is not a big build either, colors are a nice choice, thanks for sharing

Thanks Aanchir, this would be easy to do as well, can just take that print out then...appreciate the tip!

definitely a labor of love building that one, that's a lot of minifigures in the seats, had to chuckle at the bathroom scene

Really like this ship, once I got past all of the aforementioned stickers...like seemingly everyone else, that is the deal breaker for me unless the price point is pretty low, but I do appreciate the time they took to make this ship look really nice. True it's a container ship and we know the partnership with Maersk and TLG (I bypassed the train, wish I hadn't) and I agree with comment that said this one is being put out due to the ship being launched, I just can't get past the stickers though. I love building the sets, but I hate putting the stickers on, would rather they come pre stickered myself. It's too bad too, cause I bet this will be the downfall here.

aha, I did it, got them, beautiful, thanks so much Brawl, not the sharpest knife in the drawer on this stuff, but with this, I can go to PAB and try to make my small LDD a reality, very much appreciated!

Historian - interesting, are these collectors just using ebay? I have picked up a lot of older sets myself in the past year from this era, mostly the 1970's. It is not easy to find the older 1960's set in complete sets, but I still have all my sets from a kid and have picked up the cheaper other ones. By and large the 1970's sets do not go for really high prices, but trying to collect those along with new stuff eats up the expendable cash quickly. Still you can find good stuff on ebay at decent prices. I have been on the lookout for the town plan at a good price, one of the harder ones. I have asked you a few times about set 310-5, the esso filling station that seemed to be in the town plan but also sold separate as well. Have only ever seen one for sale, but price was too high. I think I have a part of one already. 1957, 95 pieces...see this link: http://www.toysperiod.com/lego-set-reference/classic/town-plan/lego-310-5-esso-filling-station/ I use that site for education as well on old sets. Interested on where the collectors overseas are getting their stuff. I have recently picked up a few items from Denmark myself so looks like things are crossing the pond on a regular basis.