fred67

Nice one, Seigfried... I'm enjoying this, you guys can do something like this for fun without a contest and I'd still do it... I hope the rest of the clues are just as, or even more, difficult. The idea is to have fun hunting, right?

I don't know how it is for dirt removal, just for correcting color... but yeah, that's the general idea... if you can get 30% hydrogen peroxide and dilute it with water and add oxyclean... but I can't find 30%, just 3%, so I use it undiluted with oxyclean and it works just fine for me... one day (morning to mid to late afternoon) is all it takes with oxyclean as a catalyst. Several days without. I don't know that it would be particularly useful to clean out dust and stuff... I might try the top rack dishwasher trick first, and then just use the hydrogen peroxide trick on the discolored ones.

I'm a good searcher... but search didn't help me. It wasn't long before I stopped using search and started using my head, and found it relatively quickly after that.

I will likely do open back tunnels in a corner (or two) of my layout, some day... in the future... eventually... when I have room for one. I wouldn't make them solid... I have a number of 8x16 bricks (yes bricks) that I can make a structure with, then make a facade. I don't care about the tunnel not existing once you get two or three bricks inside. That doesn't mean I can't experiment making some cool arches now...

TLG seems to underestimate the US audience a lot. They did it with non-city Advent Calendars and they did it with the minifigures. It seems to me they've already realized their mistake, but it was already too late for Series 2. I don't think they would have sold ten times more, but at least two or three times. There's truth to what Darth Jar Jar said... one of the reasons they are so scarce is because people knew they'd be in demand and so hoarded them. Even if there was enough to go around (there wasn't, but bear with me), just the public belief that their wouldn't be would have led to hoarding and it a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you don't believe the truth in that, look at any situation where there's been a disaster and try to find things like generators and such that had been sitting on the shelves. Whenever it threatens to snow in Atlanta (where I live), the supermarkets have a run on milk and bread for absolutely no reason. A couple of years ago a pipeline that brought gas to the metro Atlanta area was damaged in a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, and even though enough gas was being brought in by truck and via other pipelines, there were long lines at the gas stations and inflated prices because everyone went to top off at every chance... the market had enough gasoline for everyone to have around half a tank (an average amount), but when everyone wanted a full tank because of a perceived shortage, it made the shortage real. TLG could have played their hands a lot better, IMO, but then I don't run a successful international company, so what do I know... except that they are waiting longer between releases and seemingly will supply more product.

Thanks for sharing the details... and once again, it's an awesome job.

Personally I would fine that very amusing, but would like to know the answer, too.

I agree. My son is 11 and she doesn't even want him to wait for the school bus by himself. When I was 11 I used to ride my bike 1.5 miles to school (with no helmet, because back then nobody wore them). I'm telling you, though... people are getting crazy about protecting their kids! It's understandable on one hand, but on the other you need to let kids be kids!

I went to my local TRU and LEGO store and they had nothing at all... when I asked if they had them, they didn't say they didn't them yet, they said the were sold out. Yes, it's definitely a problem for me, as I'm not inclined to go traipsing all over metro Atlanta for minifigures, so I have a box on order (but there is no guarantee, so I have been going - I particularly want the vampires and witches, so even if I get the box I want more of those). As far as gender bias... perhaps there should be a separate topic about it... It's always amazed me that we need to distinguish between men and women at all (there's even a special EB females group).

That's what I did, with a 2x2 trans-clear blue round piece in the middle and little roof (if I were home I'd take a picture)... but the one noname linked to is a lot nicer.

I (and anyone with a lick of common sense) agrees with you... it looks like it was in the Gold Coast; if it was the U.S., you'd better believe some lawyer would be out there claiming the LEGO warnings were only for kids up to 3 years old, so since it was dangerous for a 5 year old, the LEGO company is liable.

Fantastic! I'm a big fan of microscale, too, and love it.. especially the ship and the sails. What are those pieces in the cannons at the Imperial Post? And what did you use for the portcullis?

Yeah... this has little to do with a problem with LEGO bricks as much as it's proof of Darwinism. Not that I want anything bad to happen to that boy, but by 5 most kids have figured it out, and it just goes to show you that you can hurt yourself with just about anything if you really try. Will it hurt the reputation of LEGO? I don't know... I know some real idiot parents out there that barely let their kids do anything as it is... if they read about LEGO, I can picture some of them scouring their kid's rooms and chucking every piece. I even get in trouble with my wife just letting my kids ride their bikes (yes, with helmets and everything). It's crazy out there.

Using the clip Artanis suggested, plus "harness" for the Ox... and some string. I like it better, it was a good suggestion.

"Eurobricks Raffle and Mystery Treasure Hunt" is too long of a PM title... it goes to "Eurobricks Raffle and Mystery Treasure H" I know I don't send it yet, but I started a draft.

Just got back from my excursion: no collectible minifigures at either my local TRU or the LEGO Store (Discover Mills in Lawrenceville, GA, USA).

I'm somehow doubting it's LEGO... does it actually have LEGO stamped on it somewhere?

Update: I'd be willing to trade some things, but the only released set I'd really be interested in is HP Durmstrang Ship (Target exclusive with extra minifigures). I'd be willing to knock off $70 (used) up to $100 (new) depending on condition.

Depends on your city... what I'm planning is a fairly modern city, suburb (with that house, plus the Apple Tree House and going down to a beach area I have several beach houses), but the Toy Shop doesn't really fit in that. I suppose if I have room (doubtful) I could have more of an "old town" section where some of the Christmas stuff would work. As for now, the Toy Shop (and soon to be bakery) is in a box labeled "Christmas LEGO" which comes out for the season (along with some trains) and gets displayed near the tree. Both sets have a lot of merit, it's impossible for someone else to decide which will work better for you. BTW, if you like that 6754, could I recommend some of these: (in red, of course). It makes a huge difference in the final appearance. EDIT: In other words: get both, but if you can only get one now, get the toy shop.

Very nice... except there's no one cat-calling Mary Jane.

This is the closest subject I could find in my search, so hope it's appropriate to ask here... Is there a special cloth LEGO uses? By that I mean that the cloth that TLG uses seems very tightly woven and stiff, and when cut it doesn't shred at the edges as much (because of the tight weave). So is there a thread count and type of material I should be looking for? Do they starch the hell out of it to make it stiff?

I'd like to join... have a lot of sets (although most have been reviewed already), a decent camera and do digital photography and editing all the time.

I'm sure it's fairly common, but what're you going to do? You have no idea about a single seller unless you track them for some time. Perhaps the manager or a LEGO store who reports them stolen or as damaged boxes back to headquarters; perhaps merely a shoplifter... but you never know, it could be someone who got it as a gift and didn't want it (sent across country from Grandma with no gift receipt). Just don't get worked up over an assumption. If it really bothers you, follow his sales on ebay. Next time you see one of his items ask how he can sell it cheaper than it's ever been sold for in stores.

They already had... but it was too late for Series 2. Series 3 will apparently not only be more widely available (meaning a longer production run), but there won't be secondary bar codes at all... NO indication of what's in the packages. For what it's worth, I envy you your witch... the two figures I want the most are the witch and the vampire.

Nice MOD, roamingstudio... If you were to put an M motor in, it seems like it would have a lot way to go to reach to another car with the battery. Have you actually done it? The problem I see with it is that if you were actually going to run it, you wouldn't run it open, and so wouldn't be able to see the engine. Well... of course you would, to show off the concept, but not really to play with. And then if you put the top back on to play with it, all the extra gearing would reduce the efficiency of the motor... Don't get me wrong, I think it's really cool... if I were to do something like this, though, it would be more of an AFOL thing and end up in a diorama where you could push a button and watch the engine go (but the train wouldn't move). You might think that's limiting, but as part of a layout at a train show I think it would be really cool... maybe a little vignette in an open train shed where mechanics are working on it.