L@go

You're not reading the posts in this thread properly before posting. We're talking about at least four different sellers here - the one that was originally reported, miran0620 on eBay, started his business with making instructions for other people's creations by studying pictures on the web - which is a grey area at best - and then proceeded to advertise them for sale on eBay by using the original pictures that other people have snapped of their own creations. Which isn't grey at all, it's pretty black and white, as he doesn't own the rights to those pictures. Now, after having been told by three of his 'victims' that they don't approve of what he's doing, he's swapped the pictures from their creations with digital renders from his instructions (but still haven't done so with the creations that he hasn't yet received any complaints about). He admits the creations weren't his to begin with, but claims it's like offering a painting of the Eiffel Tower for sale. It's important to understand that if none of the people whose creations he originally copied, had objected, he'd have gone on selling the instructions without saying anything about the models being his designs, still using the pictures he didn't own. He's not at all being honest, he's admitting - under pressure - that he's a copycat. Then there are others that claim that their copied designs are their own, like the one that brickcitydepot is talking about. That's definitely copyright infringement. And others again who sell on instructions that they've bought from somebody else - which is piracy. I'm not really sure where you're going with your post. But I like this thread. The temperature is rising :)

That is insane. Your budget must be astronomical! I'll be following the progress on this, that's for sure...

Have you reported him to eBay? And if yes, what is their reply? Also, the response that danim got really annoys me. Shutinc has never allowed him to sell those instructions. What does it help if he states that it's not his design? A**hole.

Thanks for the comments, guys! About the thug: He might be able to fool the security guards, but soon he'll have this girl on his tail: She just arrived in my photostream along with her brand new police command car :)

Now, that's a proper response (and a very labor-intensive one). I applaud! And I just had a quick look at some of your old MOCs - from before I was a member or even a lurker at this site. There's a lot of good stuff there - but if I can make a request: I'll be first in line for instructions for that glorious Art Deco Movie Theater, if it's still around.

And while I'm at it, there's another one selling instructions for Peachtree's Spanish cafe: Lego Spanish Cafe This seller, smpratte, has put a 'disclaimer' on the bottom of his auction page: **These instructions where original made by "peachtree". If you message me about the seller in the Netherlands, they do not belong to him either. The original creator is "peachtree".** Now, I may be jumping to conclusions here, but I very much doubt that Peachtree has ever made instructions for this - in that case, I'm quite certain that they would have surfaced somewhere else. So there's a chance that this is a double scam: Instructions for Peachtree's building, made by miran0620, sold by smpratte... Obviously, if I'm proved wrong here I'll crawl in the dust and apologise to whomever necessary.

Hi there, I see that you've now included my latest two posts of vehicles in the Index, and that's really nice! You've missed the first two, though, and I'd be grateful if you'd include those as well :) MOC: Four City Vehicles (February, 2011) MOC: Eight New City Vehicles (September, 2011)

I was just considering starting a new thread about this after you mentioned that the subject could use a thread of its own, Hinckley, but now I'll just add to this one instead :) Here you can see which instructions that are currently up for sale on miran0620's eBay page. He's still selling instructions for Jamie Berard's Town Hall, shutinc's Wax Museum, and jaredchan's Arc de Triomphe, but he's replaced the original photos (that were not his) with rendered images of his own recreations. Now, morally, that might be just as bad, but legally, he's much more on dry land now than he was before. I suspect, though, that the only reason why he's done this is that the original creators behind these buildings are the only ones who's been bugging him about them. He's still using photos to sell other buildings, and given his history I don't think it's unfair to assume that these other buildings were also made by other people, and are 'stolen' like the three I mentioned. I'll post links to the auctions here, so hopefully, we can identify them and notify the original builders. "Corner Cafe" "Police Station" "Hardware Store" "Lego Huge Train Station" And then there's these, which I believe were built by a Japanese builder who calls him/herself Peachtree. I don't know how to get in touch with him/her, though, so if you do, please respond: "Spanish Green Grocer" "Corner Cafe Variant" "Spanish Cafe Corner" The strange thing here is that he has to be reasonably skilled to pull off these reverse-engineering processes that are necessary to create instructions for buildings that he didn't build in the first place. So he's probably quite a good builder. He's just desperately low on imagination (and moral values). EDIT: Changed links to ebay.com instead of ebay.com.sg - don't know why I ended up on the Singapore version in the first place... It's much easier to report items on ebay.com than on ebay.com.sg.

Is there a particular reason why you post here instead of just asking Sylvain who runs 1001bricks? In my experience, he's a very friendly guy who has yet to disappoint me at any point, and as I said, I've placed lot of orders with him. A shipping time of three weeks from Europe to Asia doesn't sound very unlikely, especially as your package has been in transit over Christmas. I'd give it a bit longer still.

Wow, this is mind-blowing. The attention to detail is simply unbelievable, and the colours for both the buildings and the trains... it's perfect! Thanks so much for sharing!

B-OM-9A Hello, honorable Eurobrickers, I first announced this back in May when I posted my 8-wide modular apartment, but it's really taken a long time to get from the planning stage to finished photos. This building spent a lot of time in MLCad before I took the plunge and ordered the (more than 3000) bricks to make it a reality - and when I'd finished it, I wasn't happy with the roof. It looked a bit "like a barn", as Hinckley so eloquently put it when I asked for advice back in September. By then, I was torn between two different designs, none of which I felt at ease with, until Locutis suggested I combine them. And the solution really was that simple. I rebuilt it, and then I took some outdoor photos, but didn't get around to taking interior shots of it until yesterday - so, almost a year in the making. Hopefully it was worth the wait (as if you've all been expecting it)... I have one regret. I should have taken the time to do a cellar that could have been used for storage or even for a vault - there's plenty of room for it underneath the ground floor - but when I had finished the whole building in MLCad I just couldn't stand the thought of going back to do it all again... Well, let's get down to business and give you something to look at! You probably didn't come here to read. First a couple of exterior shots, marred by strong sunlight, lack of photographical excellence and a difficult colour - sorry about that. I wanted the building to look imposing, like it wouldn't be easy to get in if you weren't supposed to. So it's a bit of a fortress, but I'm happy with that. The first floor windows in the back are protected by iron bars, and there are also iron gates to protect the front and rear entrances. The main stairs also add to the feeling of something big and sturdy. I added the statue to add detail - it's supposed to be St. Matthew, patron saint of bankers, but why I've provided him with a key I don't remember... oh well, I'm not a Catholic, so I'm not too good with saints. I should also mention the cash machine, which I've placed in a separate room to the right of the entrance, along with some brochures. A couple of comments here: I wasn't aware of those printed Duplo bricks until I started looking for printed parts that could be useful when building a bank, but they fit perfectly - they were even white, and the green colour goes very well with the flags. The use of the 2x2 round brick with grille was a no-brainer. The sign is a simple Photoshop job, printed on regular paper, so the colour is a bit off - I might change that later. And this is what caused me so much trouble. I think the final solution is a very good one for this kind of building. Now for some interior shots - I personally think this is what I do best. On the ground floor, the main feature is the teller's counter. There are three positions, each manned (and womanned) by a friendly employee equipped with a computer (and an invisible alarm button). There's a printer/photocopier on a shelf on the back wall, a waiting area with a water cooler, a queueing ticket dispenser and clips for the elderly customers to attach their walking canes in while they're being helped. And there's an example of my signature spiral staircase leading to the first floor. The other room on the ground floor is the video surveillance room, where the security staff keeps an eye on everything that goes on inside and outside the bank. It's equipped with lots of monitors, there's a service hatch for the cash machine, a couple of guns and a some handcuffs. On the first floor there are two smaller cubicles, with sliding doors, where consultants can give advice to customers. I'm particularly happy with the metal detector lamps in the hallway... The bank manager obviously has a bigger office than his employees, complete with a gold-lined desk and a big safe. I originally designed the safe door (inspired by the one in 3661 Bank & Money Transfer) to be flush with the wall - but naturally, that makes the door impossible to open. Which is something that MLCad won't tell you (but my brain should have), so I had to redesign it. A couple of exterior details: To add a bit of freshness to the imposing building I added a small water feature on each side of the staircase. And to protect the cash machine I installed a surveillance camera in the mandatory lamppost :) And this guy? Well, if you have a bank, you'll have some thugs lurking around wondering if it's really as bullet-proof as it looks. The fellow right here is particularly smart - you see, he's dressed himself in civilian clothing instead of the prison uniform that most of the city's criminals insist on wearing, even when they're not in jail. As a consequence, the security guards probably won't suspect a thing... To round the whole thing off, here's the original MLCad design - with the new roof. I've already received a couple of very nice comments on Flickr, including one that says I should do more of this. While it's very satisfying to finish big builds, I find myself drawn more and more towards building vehicles - for the simple reason that they're cheaper to build and don't take so long from idea to finished product. That said, this won't be my last modular, I just need some serious motivation to attempt another building this big. And maybe I'll get that from posting here - it's something I always enjoy, as you're such a positive and friendly crowd. If you'd like a closer look, there are many more pics in the Flickr set, including more detail shots. Thanks for watching! And comments and constructive critisism are always welcome!

Norway (Non-EU but Common Market): Sales tax: 25% on most, including toys (15% on food, most books are excempt). $1 US ~ 5.91 NOK (Norwegian krone) A McDonald's cheeseburger = 10 NOK = $1.69 An apple = about 5 NOK = $0.84 8Gb iPod Touch = 1500 NOK = $253.66 Collectible Minifig = 25 NOK = $4.22 10222 Winter Post Office = 649 NOK = $109.75 10218 Pet Shop = 1599 NOK = $270 Average pay per month before tax was 36,700 NOK ($ 6206) - but that's only counting employed workers that were actually paid (in 2010), the number would be lower if you included the unemployed. But the unemployment rate is only 3.3%. The income tax on this average salary would be about 32% - more if you are paid more, less if you are paid less.

This is so grand and spectacular that I feel it's almost a bit unfair to the other, 'normal' entries to allow it into the contest. And that is a big compliment! Your signature use of the small Technic liftarms gives the building a unique look, and in combination with the 'woodwork' the result is amazing. The interior details are top notch, too. Is that a custom torso on the minifig on the slead (nice use of the minifig skates, by the way)? EDIT: I see the contest admins agreed. A shame, in a way, but your MOC is simply too great :)

Yes... in Norway - where there isn't a single Lego store. Understandable, of course, as it's so far from Denmark... But a lot of stores have these here now. It's very strange how these sets are distributed. This one seems to be rare across the pond, while the sets that have been released in shops here so far are all of the police sets and the brush fire truck (4208). The other fire sets and the recycling truck (4206) are all available, along with the police sets, on S@H in Norway - but we don't yet have the ambulance (4431), the dirt bike transporter (4433), or the tipper truck (4434). The garbage truck (4432) and the car and caravan (4435) is available in the UK, but not in the US or here... I don't quite get it.

I've been wondering about this set, wanting to see more detailed pictures of it for a while, and thank you very much for providing those! I'm very surprised that people love the design so much. In my opinion, it's definitely a much weaker vehicle design than the recent City ones - it's very simplified and looks big and blocky. Oh well, a matter of taste, I guess - and that being said, I'm not surprised that it looks the way it does, as it's not meant to 'compete' with City designs, it's designed for a whole different audience - not for me :)

I've just built 4438, the Bandits' Hideout, and was pleasantly surprised at some of the parts used in it. I thought I'd let you know about it - but I don't really have the time to make a review: The rear of the hot rod is made up of this piece, which has until now only been found in the Cars sets, and with printing. In 4438 you get a plain one, in black. Nice. Then there's obviously the new 1x2 bricks with brick pattern - eleven of them, in fact, in medium dark flesh - there are a couple of the new 2x2 round plates with four arms used for attaching branches to the tree, and a final surprise: The designers have used the fez hat as a lamp base - which I've seen in a couple of MOCs, but not in an official set before. And then there's another detail, which I'm not quite sure what to make of. The 1x2x5 reddish brown bricks look like any other 1x2x5 bricks we've seen since they were first introduced - but the 1x1x5 is different. It's got a solid stud - which I believe is new. I can't quite work out why, though, so this might be a permanent mould change on Lego's part... there's no listing for this new variation on BrickLink.

I know the feeling. I have a couple of digital models waiting around for a few BL orders, but I can't spend money on that just now... Go ahead and post the files if you like. I don't use LDD myself, I've tried it but find MLCad much easier to use :)

For me, 2011 has been my most Lego-filled year thus far. It's been a couple of years since I came out of my dark ages, but in December 2010 I posted my first MOC on Brickshelf, and after having created a Flickr account in February I've kept building - I've got four modular buildings (of which I've only posted three so far), a re-coloured train, one vignette and a bunch of vehicles, and particularly those have been very well received by the community - which I'm obviously very happy about. I've also been blogged by The Brothers Brick (yeah!!), paid three visits to LEGO stores abroad (we don't have any in Norway) and spent more money on these addictive bricks this past year than I've ever done before (and far more than I'd planned), so much that I'm constantly considering whether I'm descending into madness... I'm going to have to decide soon what I want to keep and then sell off something, not so much because I need the money, but because I need the space! :) I've also spent a lot of time here on EB, which has provided tons of inspiration. Without you fellow builders out there, I probably would have built a lot less.

Well, I'm honored that you're re-imagining my work :) With the added width the proportions are certainly less wacky and probably more realistic, and I quite like the outcome. I think I'd add another plate behind the bumper tile to keep the headlights from sticking out so much, and I'd probably raise the curved part of the rear by one plate so it's flush with the lime green 'waistline' of the car. Apart from that, it's very nice. Any plans on brick-building it? I'd very much like to see that!

As I said in your other thread, I really like this. I'm glad you decided to share your MOCs here on Eurobricks, they deserve a wider audience!

That's a really, really good rendition of The Beast! I read an article about it once, by a journalist who had actually tried it, and it sounded like a pretty intimidating thing to drive. The turning radius is probably interesting, to say the least, and imagine trying parallel parking...

Simply brilliant! Being in the television business myself, I know how much effort goes into just making a minute-long news story - and there's never any stop motion in that :) This is just awe-inspiring, and I'm impressed that it took you only eight months! Like others have said, the editing, the filming, the angles, and even the dialogue and the comic timing is spot-on. Well done. If we have to wait another eight months for the next one, it'll be worth it :) Incroyable!

As sonicstarlight said, it's been worth the wait. I love the new buildings... in fact, I love just about everything about this fantastic giant MOC. I must admit I'm not sold on the shark on the roof - although the idea is good, I think it looks a bit out of place there and would be better suited above an entrance or something - but that's my personal opinion and apart from that I don't think there's a single thing I'd do different here. The airport sign is a favourite, and the subway entrance is a very neat touch. On the whole, a cracking job on a stunning MOC - the whole idea of building a hill makes this stand out as something different. I'd love to see this 'in the brick' some time. If you'd consider going to Skærbæk in September, bringing this with you, I think I'd actually decide to go :)

I bought this set a couple of weeks ago, and while I generally like the design and also appreciate the fact that two minifigures can fit inside the car, what I don't like is that the ranger hat is so big that the officer needs to lean way back into the lap of his prisoner to fit underneath the new car roof. It looks weird, and personally I'm not sure that I think the advantage of having room for two weighs up for that design 'flaw'.

Finally! This is really great - the buildings obviously are wonderful, and the detailing is top notch (and will probably be even better when you've added the final touch). I love the little alley and the fence with the poster on it. Is that an official part/sticker, or did you make it yourself?