fred67

Some of it may be subjective, but some of it certainly can be objective, as well, not the least of which is the number of layouts at any given show, as well as the size of the layouts (which you can get a good idea of). It's nice to suggest going to a different show every year, but I personally wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars every year just to see other people's layouts that I can see online when I can use that money to buy more LEGO, so I think someone who is willing to put that money up just to see some other LEGO trains is better off choosing one with a lot of layouts.

Another Container Store option. I just received this case today and, as I suspected, it fits exactly 16x16 studs; I put in two 8x16 bricks (not plates) and it's perfect. Now, it might not be so great for minifigure only display, but it works perfectly for a small MOC and it's certainly possible to make levels to display minifigures. Edit: sideways is almost exactly 22 studs... slightly larger, so 22 fits nicely.

I work in broadcasting, and I'll let you in a "secret" (in quotes because it should be obvious); that guy knows someone. That's how it works. Anyone like that gets highlighted, and it's because someone who works for, is family of, or friends with someone who works at the news agency, said "I've got a story for you." In this case it's pretty obvious - I thought what he did was cool, but anyone that does a google search for LEGO (or "legos") is going to be a lot more impressed with what's out there. I just threw the link out there because it's always nice to see LEGO getting press, especially adults.

I didn't notice that... the CNN article is littered with the term, but it sounded to me like he said "LEGO."

Oscar Best Pictures in LEGO. Didn't see this, so hope it's not a dupe.

Brickset: 721. But it's not accurate (it's too low, I don't put every set I own into brickset the second I get it; nor do I put every single CMF I buy into it). It's actually kind of depressing because so many are languishing locked away in boxes until I have room to display them, although I probably have a couple of hundred scattered about on display currently. I'm sitting in my office at work and count... 43 on display, both in sets and MOCs. That doesn't include the CMFs I just took home to put in their new cases... another 48 that would normally have been here otherwise. They add up quickly... when I started counting at my office I didn't expect the number to be that high, but a couple of SW battle packs and you've got 8 right there.

Wow... how'd you come across that? I didn't download the PDF, just read what was on the page... "derivative" doesn't begin to describe what a ripoff this is. Not just ripping off TLG, but Lifelights, too.

If I open a set, I throw the box away. I don't see the purpose in keeping them and don't want to end up like the people on Hoarders. I do have a number of closed sets that, if I never get the chance to build them then I may sell them. I'm short on space to put the finished set... 4504 Millennium Falcon, for example... which has skyrocketed in price since I bought it, and even if I move and get more space to display sets, might be worth it to sell and get several other LEGO sets. But once it's opened, but once it's opened, the boxes are gone. If I knew right off that I'd never be selling any, I'd dump the boxes to save space.

I'd like to add that my thoughts are with you New Zealanders this morning as well... I wasn't even going to hit Eurobricks (I actually work sometimes) until later today, but heard about the quake and, knowing several EB users from NZ, wanted to send out my condolences and that mine (and others) thoughts are with you.

Off topic, but the search seldom yields decent results for me. I use google and add "site:eurobricks.com" on the end. Works great.

I agree with CallMePie... if it doesn't fit, I'll make it fit or I'll just put in what I can.

I use these: or attached to large (6x6 or bigger) bases for stability. I only use one for each, except the new Slave 1, which I wanted displayed at an angle (like it's shown on the box)... I still used those supports, but I needed three of them. Oh... I also throw in to get the ships angled in more interesting ways... I use those because for some reason I have dozens of them, but there are better choices.

Well... first post to an AFOL site is essentially "isn't LEGO childish?" So... yeah... but I gave you the benefit of the doubt, didn't I? Hey... like I said, might be a bit immature, but there's nothing wrong with it! Always being mature is not fun.

Sounds like a troll, but answer anyway... It's a hobby. Everyone's got a hobby. The people most likely to think LEGO is childish are the people whose only hobby is something as unproductive as watching other people play sports (or troll on the internet). I have nothing against spectator sports (although I prefer participating somehow), but at least with LEGO you have to unleash some creativity and you'll have something forever (if you want), something (besides saying "did you see that play?") you can share with other people (and your spouse/kids if/when you have them). Even if just build from instructions you learn techniques. That's one of the reasons that I don't like the term AFOL... "fan" seems to me to have a pretty passive connotation... fan of a TV show, musician, movie... things you just sit there and watch. Anyway... NO. Nothing childish about it. There might be something childish about running through your home with a LEGO spaceship making laser noises, but that's a different question (and there's nothing "wrong" with that, either, even if it is a bit immature).

Sometimes I go nuts on Bricklink, sometimes not. I guess in all my time there I've averaged around an order per month, but then I also had a several year "mini dark ages" gap. Yes, I often think about how much a MOC costs; the little ones are more impressive to me because people often have to use a lot more creativity using just a handful of pieces. Those super large MOCs are sometimes impressive only because of their size. I also get annoyed at TLG themselves; last year they had the commercial with the father and son building a house in time lapse, and it was a really cool commercial, but good luck getting all those pieces from TLG... even if you could manage it, it would probably cost upwards of $1000.00 based on S@H PAB prices... and before anyone mentions BL w.r.t. that commercial, do you really think that's what TLG was intending?

I like TJ Avery's solution.

Kids.Woot.com, LEGO Racer Alarm Clock $14.99 + $5/shipping, but it's a single shipping charge for up to 3 items. Woot is one item per day (normally), this item will stop being available at midnight central time or until sold out.

:) I love your mirror of Erised!

Glad to fulfill your hopes... this is REALLY nice, Alopex... the cars are really cool (I just saw the Futurama where Amy buys a new car and your MOC reminded me of it, although your cars are really different and creative... and great technique, too). I'm trying to see what you did there for the front of the building... built on an angle? Very nice... I also like the way you made the plants. This is really cool, it would be awesome to see pictures of a real one some day!

Well, I guess for once I'm not sad for missing out... not only could I build these from parts I already have (or a very minimum BL order), but I don't have to because they're not particularly good. I guess I'm lucky I'm not one of those people who needs some sort of certificate of authenticity... I just like the LEGO.

It would cost $500 or more, but you know what? I'd buy it... and never buy another castle from TLG again, because hey, I have the UCS one. I can think of several reasons why TLG wouldn't do this - primarily the prospect of very low sales figures.

Definitely a cool little vignette, but I have a few problems with LEGO's elves. First of all, you can't use a bow and hold a shield at the same time... I'm glad they gave us both, but none of my elves have both. I suppose it could be strapped on their backs or something. It's cool that you added the quiver, but it makes no sense without the bow. Second, elves have really cool swords that TLG doesn't make... got some very cool ones at brickforge. Third, you need blood... a few small red plates/tiles. Lastly, DAMN IT. I was going to make something very similar! Well... a bit bigger and with more figures and a lot of blood, but similar concept.

So LEGO can double it's profit margin... cool!

I'm not really seeing the problem... TLG's patent expires on technic bricks and a clone brand starts making them. I don't see what's particularly heinous about the instructions given... that using two pins to hold the bricks straight is a LEGO "building technique?" Otherwise I just don't get it... that's like saying "well, they can copy the basic brick, but they can't have instructions to stack them like LEGO!" I'm just not seeing a problem here... if you prefer LEGO, keep buying LEGO. In fact, in this case, I think it's not just good to have competition, it's GREAT, because TLG is dropping technic bricks, I thought... now I won't buy MB technic bricks, but if TLG isn't going to sell them then at least there's something for people to buy.

Perhaps... but I don't think this is even possible. I mean, if you make the "wall" of a brick thinner, then either it wouldn't clutch or you'd get gaps that are too large between consecutive bricks. I realize this sometimes happens (consecutive bricks not matching as well as they used to), but I don't think it's substantial and most bricks seem to fit together just fine. Moreover, we have the point that davee123 makes (quoted in part below). I'm sorry, but sometimes it's just a case of a company wanting higher profit margins. TLG is a profit driven company; they may be more magnanimous to their customers than other companies, but the bottom line is still profit, and they apparently are not making as high a margin as they'd like to. That's all the explanation that's required when someone raises prices - they are selling enough units that an increased price more than makes up for decreased sales in profit. I'll say this, too, based on previous discussions here, TLG insinuated that low prices in the U.S. were subsidized by higher prices elsewhere. Now, I think that's a load of bunk... if anything, I'd say lower profit margins were subsidized by higher profit margins elsewhere, and now they are slowly but surely raising profit margins in the U.S. to be more consistent with elsewhere so that TLG's overall margin met a certain goal (a pretty high one at that, by my estimation). You need look no further than two consecutive 10% jumps in battle pack prices and a 50% increase on CMFs (we are talking U.S. here, as that example you gave was in the US). So making a tube hollow instead of filled is essentially pointless from a cost savings point of view; I don't believe they're trying to use less plastic, at least not by modifying existing bricks to eliminate 1/100th (or less) of the plastic used; the effort would cost more than any savings could possibly give them. To stay back on topic, I know for certain that TLG makes molds to do multiples; I think we've ironed that out by now... I don't want to discuss the story of the 9V tracks (as a lesson for TLG of what NOT to do), but we learned that straights and curves were made in pairs (don't know how many pairs per mold, though, and it was apparently just a single mold)... much to the dismay of customers who needed more straights. I think they haven't learned when they went to the new plastic only tracks (I believe it's a different mold, even if based on the old one, because the old one left room for the metal). But if you're trying to figure out if molds add a significant amount to the price of an item, I'd have to say no. Everything adds something to the cost, but I don't believe it's significant. More money is probably spent on salaries for employees, advertising, shipping, compliance (each country with it's own rules and regulations and systems of taxation)... raw materials and processing is probably the least of it. I also believe TLG intentionally limits production so as to keep demand high, and I don't begrudge them that... I think part of their problems 10+ years ago was over production.