AFOLguy1970

We already have everything necessary to build the Golden Hall (parts and minifigs), so I vote Osgiliath.

That is exactly how I got Orthanc back home from Colorado. I broke down the box, folded it, and put in in the suitcase, and then carefully placed my camera equipment and all the bags in my carry on backpack. I would like to visit NYC again some day and would check out the large PAB wall at Rockefeller Center. Probably my bag would be full of PAB cups. For visitors from outside the US, there is also the option of mailing your purchases home. The favorable exchange rate would likely still make this option worth it. Also remember that airlines tend to charge a lot for extra luggage these days. If you are buying large sets, there are definitely some choices that need to be made regarding getting the set home.

We bought two City Advent Calendars and one Star Wars Advent Calendar this year. I also used some of the toys and the little boy to add to the Grand Emporium. The dalmation, firefighter, and grill were sent to the Fire Brigade. The table and food setup went to the Bag End set. The Christmas tree, presents, snowman, sled, and Santa are in a plastic bag awaiting display for next Christmas. Whether or not I will get the next one is up in the air as I really do not need repeat police, firefighter, burglar, Christmas tree, and Santa. The kids will probably get one each for the experience of having one in December.

I have collected all of them from the Fire Brigade to the present with the exception of TH. I was going to buy more pieces for my MOC, but may have to use the end of the month extra pay to go ahead and get TH just in case this is true. I do find it hard to believe that they would not be retired in the order they came out, however sales statistics could help in creating an exception. TH does not seem that bad to me. It is simply more expensive, and it does seem to hold true to a public building design. As for GE, it is hard to predict how long it will be out as well. If someone was going to choose between TH and GE on their next purchase, I would simply advise to get the one you want the most.

Not exactly my cup of tea for a set, however it would probably be interesting to tour it in person. Is the minifigure representing a tour guide who takes you through the house?

There are some nice sets this year. Parisian Restaurant and Benny's Spaceship are the most significant two for me. My main concern is the price. As Ritzcrackerman above said, wages are not going up, therefore disposable income is going down. The sets do seem more expensive for what you get, and I am appalled that random minifig packs are going to be $4 from here on out. Also, the online PAB prices are escalating into a very unreasonable range on many bricks. This all makes Lego an expensive hobby. As much as I have enjoyed a return from the dark ages, a cutback seems inevitable. One hope seems to be with Megablocks. Even though I would not buy them, if they expand and compete with Lego effectively (along with others like KREO), then that could help keep Lego's prices in check.

Osgiliath, not because of the ruins, but the dire need for Gondor soldiers.

It is true that you would likely need to pay sales tax. However, do not forget to calculate the cost of gas to drive to the Lego Store. Besides that, the store will charge sales tax as well. In my case, unless I am wanting to visit the Pick a Brick bin for a refill, online S@H is cheaper as long as the order is above $75 (again due to gas).

The Route 66 design looks great! The only thing I might recommend about the Sheriff's office is that you might consider not having the "Police" worded bricks. At least in my state, the Sheriff and the local police are two entirely different entities. The vehicles and station for the city police say "police" while the county sheriff vehicles and the station are typically labelled "Sheriff". Just a thought.

My wife took the boys to Toys R Us to use their allowance money while I was out riding my bike. They got two more packs there. She noticed that several people were there feeling the packs. She tried that herself to avoid getting another President Business, Emmet, Daniel Boone dynamite robot, or Bad Cop since this is all we have so far with multiples of each. When they got home, it turned out to be another President Business and Daniel Boone dynamite robot. With the apparent success of these, it is hard to believe that Lego would not make any more.

If they can make the change without sacrificing quality, then that is great. Getting away from any petroleum based formula would be a big plus. Perhaps this could help keep the price down in the future.

I have seen some sets at Walmart, but not at large numbers. They did have DGB, MEA, and LC. Even the Lego Store did not have a lot of sets, and they were moved more towards the back by the Pick a Brick wall mixed with a handful of LOTR wave 2 sets, most of the rest being Black Gate and Pirate Ships.

Likely everyone has a degree of creativity. Maybe there is sometimes an area of specialty like architecture, vehicles, landscape, etc. I have yet to complete my first MOC, but it is in progress with the first level done. I cannot say that it is fully my idea since it is based on a real building. The movie did leave me a little puzzled. Did the Man Upstairs build from his own creativity or are all of those buildings sets made from instructions? If his town is completely made of MOCs, then he is far different from his alter ego "Lord Business". As much as I hate to say it, I would not be happy if I spent 8 1/2 years making a Lego town, and the boys were scrapping it to make vehicles. Mine are 6 and 7 right now, and they unfortunately tend to lose pieces, bite them, and leave them scattered all over the table. Just like in the movie, they have their bricks, and I have mine. For now, there is no way they are going to allowed near the MOC, the modulars, and Orthanc. I really wish they had the creativity the kid in the movie had, but we are just not there yet, Thus like the Man Upstairs, I am pretty much in defense mode.

Minas Morgul

Well, I just finished building this and can sympathize with many opinions given already. There are some creative techniques. I like the way they have installed some trap functions. My kids really enjoy them. After seeing both movies so far, this set actually seems to represent the footage from AUJ more than DOS. This is where I remember seeing the statue and courtyard. Only the appearance of Azog and the Gundabad orcs seem to really make this a DOS setting. I think Azog was done well. The Gundabad orcs are not too bad, but I like the ones from the smaller set better due to the addition of hair as well as a more appealing weapon selection. Not much to say about Gandalf. We all knew one set had to have him, and this was it. Radagast is done really well. He is the main draw for buying this as far as I am concerned. The one thing that surprised me was that there was not an additional feather from his cap provided in the extra parts assortment. After all, Lego is usually good about providing extras of really small stuff like that. Then there is the Necromancer. This really could have been done differently. A black cape and a black version of the head crown piece used for Savage Opress in the Star Wars Sith Nightspeeder would have significantly helped to make him appear a bit more menacing without compromising the shadowy feel. Glow in the dark elements might have worked. I consider the Necromancer figure the second most disappointing thing about this wave (the first being no Smaug). It is not really a terrible set in my mind, but there were certainly some missed opportunities that brought it to a level of mediocrity in some ways.

I thought Lego once referred to this as "profile" but I mean this: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2877

Something I noticed this weekend. We have a lot of white 1x2 profile bricks. Some have rarely been used, however most have cracks on the side.

At $4 per figure, you can count me out as well. I could care less about a game code. If there are any minifigures of significant interest in the collectible series, then Bricklink will be the way to go. I see this price increase as a deterrent for many. First, they raise the online Pick-A-Brick to obscene levels, and now this. While this may not necessarily revive a Dark Age, it could reduce my spending significantly on Lego.

Hopefully they did not make the same mistake that was made in wave 2 of Lord of the Rings. They designed the $100 Pirate Ship Ambush because, hey, kids like pirate ships. I saw lots of them on the shelf in the Lego Store and in Walmart recently. While a whole lot of kids may want the Sea Cow, I do not see many of them being able to afford it. Most adults will not want to spend that kind of money either. I would buy it if I had that kind of money lying around, but I do not. Priorities will require me to take a pass at this. Other than collectors, resellers, pirate ship fanatics, very determined kids who mow enough lawns, and completionists, I do not see a large market for this.

You have truly captured the essence of this Parisian beauty.

Well done! Indeed you are correct that this theme is found across all cultures. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

I have not really seen announcements for the retiring of themes. Pirates of the Caribbean and Lone Ranger seem to be the most recent examples.

The Dallas store in North Park Mall has done fairly well. They seem very attentive, and I have had no issues in several visits.

We were keeping boxes in the attic, but it is full. I have started to place them in the recycling bin. Really, they have no use. If I break down a set, the parts are stored in bags rather than the original boxes. We do not have a lot of room.

Took my younger son to the Lego store. We got Dol Guldur Battle to finish the Hobbit collection. I bought Cuckoo Cloud Palace for him, and then got a large PAB cup. We then got three Lego movie minifigs. They were 1 Emmet and 2 Badcops. Of the 8 minifigs we bought so far, we have 2 Emmets, 2 Badcops, 2 President Businesses, and 2 of the Daniel Boone dynamite robots. Was really hoping for an Abe Lincoln, Shakespeare, Larry, Taco Tuesday, or Panda Guy.