Brickset news archive: March 2013
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shop.LEGO.com offers for April
Posted by Huw, 31 Mar 2013 05:04. Filed under shop.LEGO.com (US/Canada).
A new month, a new set of offers for shop.LEGO.com customers in the USA and Canada:- Free Exclusive Splinter Key Chain with LEGO® Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™ purchases of $75 or more. Valid April 1 - 30th, 2013.
- Free Exclusive Poster with any LEGO® City or LEGO® Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™ purchase. Valid April 1 - 21st, 2013 or while supplies last.
- Earn Double VIP Points on Every Purchase. Valid through April 8th, 2013.
Please click on the yellow box in the top right corner of the home page to take advantage of these offers.
5 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2662 views
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Wordpress plug-in for Brickset
Posted by Huw, 31 Mar 2013 04:49. Filed under Miscellaneous.
If you're a Wordpress user you might be interested in this Brickset plug-in that's been developed by Nate Jacobs.It provides easy ways to embed links to, and information from, Brickset into your Wordpress blog, using the Brickset API.
I'm not a Wordpress user so haven't tested it myself but it looks to be fully featured and well documented. Nate would love to hear from you if you use it and have suggestions for improvements, or encounter any problems.
13 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1377 views
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Project Swapfig: a Kickstarter project that needs and deserves your support
Posted by Huw, 31 Mar 2013 04:06. Filed under Miscellaneous.
As you will probably know by now, TheBrickStop Kickstarter project failed to reach its goal. I think there were many reasons for this, but one was that the people behind the project were not known in the community and therefore didn't have the level of trust that such a project needs to succeed.
That is definitely not the case with the latest LEGO-related project to be launched on KickStarter. Project Swapfig proposes a website that enables you to trade collectable minifigs with others. The man behind it, Drew Maughan, aka SilentMode, is a Brickset regular and known to me personally.
Take a look at the video and you'll get a good idea of what's being proposed:
I have backed this project and I encourage you to do the same. It doesn't 'tread on the toes' of other sites, because (a) there are no other (decent) ones out there that offer a swapping platform for minifigs, (b) the amount being raised is not totally out of reach, like it was for TheBrickStop, so it has a reasonable chance of achieving its goal, (c) progress has been made already and there are screenshots etc. to prove it and (d) Drew is a good guy :-)
So, head on over to KickStarter and pledge your support today.
30 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3012 views
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The Empire Strikes Out DVD Spotted in Future Shop Canada
Posted by fuelbreak, 29 Mar 2013 17:14. Filed under Shopping (Canada).
Those of you looking for the exclusive Darth Vader in Canada can now buy it along with the Empire Strikes Out DVD at Future Shop, I just picked mine up yesterday.
Price: $6.99 Canadian.
UPDATE: Prices seem to vary.... Perhaps I got a sale?
14 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2218 views
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May the 4th Star Wars promotion
Posted by Huw, 29 Mar 2013 12:10. Filed under New sets.
Nothing official has been revealed about this year's 'May the forth' Star Wars promotion, but there have been rumours circulating about the exclusive item that'll be available from brand stores and shop.LEGO.com for some time.Now, this image has surfaced (on Eurobricks I believe) which substantiates the rumour: it will be Han Solo in Hoth garb. The accessory he's holding is a fur hat.
Thanks again to GrooveBricks for the news.
60 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)6072 views
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German website reveals HH-87 Starhopper
Posted by Huw, 28 Mar 2013 15:12. Filed under New sets.
One of the two known 2013 Star Wars releases that we don't have an image for has been revealed by a German website.75024 HH-87 Starhopper was discovered by our friends over at Groove Bricks, who state that the three minifigs it contains are Obi-Wan Kenobi (disguised), Cad Bane and a Nikto Guard.
The price is expected to be €39.99 and it's likely to be available in selected stores only, rather than everywhere.
23 comments, latest one posted 21 days ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)5561 views
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Free LEGO at Toys R Us (UK)
Posted by Huw, 27 Mar 2013 16:14. Filed under Shopping (UK).
There are usually a number of offers on around Easter time to encourage you to part with your money on toys instead of chocolate, but this year they seem thin on the ground.The only one I've been made aware of is at Toys R Us (UK):
- Spend £40 and get a free bucket (one of four) worth £12.99
- Spend £40 and get a £10 voucher to spend between 15th April and 6th May 2013
TRU is currently selling the three 'Great Vehicles' (60016-60018) for £13.49 instead of £17.99 so if you buy all three you'll ends up quids in... Thanks to Lucien for the news.
Are you aware of any other Easter promotions? Let us know in the comments.
14 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3081 views
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New style of minifig magnet found on eBay
Posted by Huw, 26 Mar 2013 11:49. Filed under New sets.
It seems LEGO is now selling minifig magnets singly in a fancy new blister pack. I haven't seen them before, or heard them mentioned, but eBay seller peterrut
has several listed, including Iron Man, Batman and Boba Fett.
Presumably they are in the brand stores now. Have you seen them?
Thanks to bushellhimself2012 for the news.
17 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)7051 views
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Lone Ranger sets listed at Walmart
Posted by Huw, 26 Mar 2013 11:42. Filed under New sets.
Now listed for pre-order at the Walmart website. Due to be available on 2nd April, apparently. (Article rewritten following comments).
Thanks to Grogall for the news.
26 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4137 views
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Technic co-creation set: More information
Posted by Huw, 26 Mar 2013 10:27. Filed under New sets.
More details about this have emerged on Facebook: Just 20,000 will be made, it will be priced at US$199.99, CA$249.99, £139.99, €179.99, DKK1499, and will be available from August 1st 2013,
with pre-orders starting on July 1st.
Thanks Lucien.Update: According to the official LEGO facebook page, the pre-orders are cancelled. /TD
11 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3947 views
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The quest for image perfection continues...
Posted by Huw, 26 Mar 2013 07:34. Filed under Brickset.
Since I started my quest for image perfection just over a month ago, I've been literally bombarded with emails and DropBox submissions of scans, for which I am very thankful.
Today, I've just finished scanning and adding around 100 instruction cover images that Andy from minifigforlife.com sent me in the post last week. Thanks Andy!
A total of 769 images have been sent, which brings the total number of images that have been replaced to 4250, of which 3209 have large versions available.
But, there's still a long way to go before we've replaced all those that need improving, so if you haven't already please view the list of sets you own that need a better image and get scanning!
17 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2032 views
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Two Wall-Es and the duplication of subjects on Cuusoo.
Posted by glenbricker, 26 Mar 2013 05:15. Filed under Cuusoo.
Movies are very popular on Cuusoo, but there is some difficulty finding the movies that meet the brand fit and translate well to brick though. Not surprisingly, with no fewer than nine projects, many people find that the angular hero from Pixar's Wall-E is a perfect match for Cuusoo.Suzuki's version is my favorite but Langemati has some nice features to offer in their project as well.
Continue reading Two Wall-Es and the duplication of subjects on Cuusoo.
4 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3153 views
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New books for 2013
Posted by Huw, 26 Mar 2013 05:08. Filed under Miscellaneous.
You may recall that just before Christmas I created a page showing all LEGO books of interest to AFOLs that are available from Amazon. I've just updated the page to include those that have just been, or will be, published in 2013. There are a surprising number in the works. Here are highlights:
Christoph Bartneck has updated his 2011 and Star Wars minifigure catalogues, and has completed the 2012 minifigure catalogue. The three books are available now. I have copies of these and I'll be reviewing them later this week.
May sees the publication of the first of two Brickmaster books: Legends of Chima The Quest for Chi, and Brick City: LEGO for grown-ups by Warren Elsmore who many of you will know or have heard of, and Build you own Vehicles by another AFOL, Joachim Klang. DK's LEGO Minifigures Character Encyclopedia is also due at the start of the month.In June, a very interesting book about LEGO, the company, rather than the product, is due: Brick by Brick: How Lego Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Toy Industry.
The Yoda Chronicles by DK is due out in July, as is The LEGO Build-It Book, Vol. 1: Amazing Vehicles by Nathanael Kuipers who is an ex-LEGO designer and well known AFOL, and Mattia Zamboni who I believe is currently a LEGO designer.
August sees the publication of the second Brickmaster, Star Wars Battle for the Stolen Crystals and also Beautiful LEGO, a 'curated gallery of mind-boggling, awe-inspiring, and masterful LEGO creations'.In September, the Dorling Kindersley Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History, is due. This is the book that some of us have been helping source minifigs for.
In October, Megan Rothrock's second volume of The LEGO Adventure book is out, as is The LEGO Build-It Book, Vol. 2: Amazing Vehicles (more from Nathanael and Mattia) and Lego Galaxy: Build Your Own Universe which is also written by a group of AFOLs.Finally, in November, Sarah Herman's second book Extreme Bricks: Spectacular, Record-Breaking, and Astounding Lego Projects from Around the World is due.
Expect to see reviews here as they are published. But first, I'm off to Ikea to buy another Billy bookcase to put them all on :-)
The book list page will provide links to enable you to order them from your local Amazon. If that's not enough, there are 'hundreds' of kids' books due too, which you'll find listed on the Kids' book page.
10 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2369 views
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First image of Superman: Battle of Smallville
Posted by Huw, 25 Mar 2013 09:24. Filed under New sets.
UK retailer Argos has published the first images of 76003 Superman: Battle of Smallville.
Click through on the image to see the hi-res version on flickr. You'll find the hi-res white-background version on the set details page. I can't quite read the text under the minifigs, but it appears to contain Superman, General Zod, Colonel Hardy(?), Faora and Tor-An.
A better image of 76002 Superman: Metropolis Showdown was also published, so I've added it to the database.
Presumably the fact that they've beed added suggests that they'll be available soon.
Thanks JustTooGood and CapnRex101 for the heads-up
40 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4933 views
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Review: 76001 The Bat vs. Bane: Tumbler Chase
Posted by kempo81, 25 Mar 2013 08:00. Filed under Set review.
Welcome to the first Brickset review with video! This is a first for me as well as the site and I look forward to contributing more in the future. I'm going to be taking a look at one of the early 2013 Super Heroes sets to hit the shelves and one of the most anticipated as it's the only set to tie-in with the Dark Knight Rises movie from last year.
So, please enjoy the review and let me know what you think of it in the comments.
Continue reading Review: 76001 The Bat vs. Bane: Tumbler Chase
18 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4989 views
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shop.LEGO.com March offer updated (US/Canada)
Posted by Huw, 25 Mar 2013 05:38. Filed under shop.LEGO.com (US/Canada).
LEGO has altered the offer at shop.LEGO.com today. Gone is the free shipping, it's now double VIP points, which works out at a 10% discount and is obviously better than free shipping if you're spending a lot.
- Double VIP points on every purchase, until 8th April.
- Legends of Chima Speedorz Sale: 20% off the first wave of Speedorz, 70100 - 70106 and 70113.
- FREE, Exclusive LEGO Star Wars Republic Frigate with $50 LEGO Star Wars order.Click on the banner at the top of the page to get shopping.
6 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1741 views
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shop.LEGO.com March offer updated (UK)
Posted by Huw, 25 Mar 2013 05:34. Filed under shop.LEGO.com (UK).
LEGO has altered the offer at shop.LEGO.com today. Gone is the free shipping, it's now double VIP points, which works out at a 10% discount and is obviously better than free shipping if you're spending a lot.
- Double VIP points on every purchase. Valid 25/3/13 – 8/4/13.
- FREE, Exclusive 30242 Star Wars Republic Frigate with £50 LEGO Star Wars order.
- FREE, LEGO® DUPLO® "Find a Pair" Game! with a LEGO DUPLO purchase of £25 or more.Click on the banner at the top of the page to get shopping.
9 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1414 views
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Review: 79108 Stagecoach Escape
Posted by DrDaveWatford, 25 Mar 2013 04:24. Filed under Set review.
It’s always exciting to get a sneak peek at a new set before it appears at retail, and I’m particularly pleased to bring you a review of Set 79108 Stagecoach Escape because out of all the Lone Ranger sets, it was probably the one that I was looking forward to the most, apart perhaps from the Constitution Train Chase set.
At 279-pieces, the Stagecoach Escape is one of the smaller Lone Ranger sets in terms of piece count, as it’s a sizeable jump to the next largest set in the theme, the Colby City Showdown set, which weighs in at 587-pieces.
32 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)9901 views
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Brickset was 'down' earlier
Posted by Huw, 24 Mar 2013 15:13. Filed under Brickset.
Brickset.com was unreachable from about 17:45 to 19:06 GMT today due to some sort of network or nameserver issue. Other sites like BrickLink, hosted at the same site, were also affected.I apologise for the inconvenience. Hopefully it won't happen again.
10 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1769 views
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Hi-res photos of summer Galaxy Squad sets
Posted by Huw, 24 Mar 2013 11:50. Filed under New sets.
Grogall has uncovered hi-res images of the four Galaxy Squad sets that haven't been released in the USA yet. I've added them to the database, and you can see pictures of the boxes at Eurobricks. They look spectacular.
We're still waiting for the release of Galaxy Squad here in the UK, which is somewhat frustrating given they are available virtually everywhere else. When they do become available in the summer, all ten will be released simultaneously.
30 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3137 views
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Official Blog reveals sneak preview of Technic Challenge Winner 41999
Posted by PsyKater, 22 Mar 2013 08:47. Filed under New sets.
The official LEGO Technic Designers Blog revealed today a sneak preview of the winner of the Technic Challenge "YOU DESIGN IT, WE MAKE IT!"
It is shown in a new color scheme (blue, black and metallic silver) and cool decals. The rims have 6 holes and a white circle. Compare it to the rm88's winner entry and tell us your opinions!
Background:
In this competition LEGO Fans were asked to build a new bodywork for the LEGO Technic 4x4 Crawler. The winner was asked to help with the final design. Read more about it on the competition website.
36 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4791 views
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Free Galaxy Squad Space Insectoid with $30 purchase, Toy R Us Canada
Posted by fuelbreak, 21 Mar 2013 19:25. Filed under Shopping (Canada).
Toys R Us Canada is offering a Space Insectoid polybag free with a minimum $30 purchase of LEGO Galaxy Squad product.
This offer starts March 22nd. See the flyer here.
Thank you Brickset user Christian for the news.
4 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1768 views
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Review: 79109 Colby City Showdown
Posted by Huw, 21 Mar 2013 09:57. Filed under Set review.
Continuing on with our exclusive reviews of The Lone Ranger sets ahead of their April release, today I take a look at 79109 Colby City Showdown, which sits in the middle of the range in terms of size and price.It features a bank and sheriff's office/jail, five minifigs, and a whole host of interesting features and parts.
44 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)11310 views
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Sydney Brick Show, 20th – 28th April 2013
Posted by Huw, 21 Mar 2013 07:05. Filed under Events (Australia).
A couple of people have emailed and asked me to mention this event in Australia, so here goes...SydBricks is proud to announce that in 2013 the Sydney Brick Show will move to an exciting and larger venue in the heart of Sydney; On Seven at David Jones, Elizabeth Street Store. For the first time in a new partnership, the show will operate through the week from Saturday 20th April to Sunday 28th April enabling school holiday fun for all to see. The event will launch on the opening weekend spectacular with a focus on activities for the public and AFOLs alike.
For AFOLs, the opening weekend will be the fan focused show followed with an evening event, now in the planning as well as the usual activities.
For the public, the opening weekend will feature Australia’s only LEGO Certified Professional Ryan McNaught along with gifts for the first 100 LEGO Club members and a visit from “Max” the minifig. Children’s building competition winners will also be on display.
Displaying AFOLs are welcome to register for only the opening weekend, however if you are Sydney based, or would like to soak up the week long LEGO show atmosphere, you are welcome to register for the full show.
More information and tickets are available at the official website.
2 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1462 views
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Review: 79110 Silver Mine Shootout, part 2
Posted by Huw, 20 Mar 2013 09:26. Filed under Set review.
What is it with mines? Not only has LEGO made dedicated mining themes Rock Raiders and Power Miners, and also mining City sets, but it seems that every licensed theme contains a mine or underground cavern of some sort, from 7199 Indiana Jones Temple of Doom to 9473 Lord of The Rings The Mines of Moria. We've also had 7036 Dwarves' Mine and in the original Western theme the bandits hid out in a gold mine in set 6761.So, Silver Mine Shootout joins a rapidly growing collection of such sets, and having built it, it's clear that it shares design similarities with many of its predecessors.
Before reading this, be sure to read part one of the review first, which covers the minifigs.
39 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)11164 views
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Series 10 minifigs hit the streets in Hungary
Posted by Huw, 20 Mar 2013 05:20. Filed under New sets.
Benjamin in Hungary has his hands on series 10 minifigs already, possibly obtained from KockaMania.hu and has posted these scans of the collectors' sheet and information about 'Mr. Gold' on flickr.Hopefully it won't be too long now before they start appearing everywhere.
Update: See KockaMania's flickr-set with close-ups of every series 10 CMF!
79 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)11600 views
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Review: 79110 Silver Mine Shootout, part 1
Posted by Huw, 20 Mar 2013 05:00. Filed under Set review.
79110 Silver Mine Shootout is the second largest Lone Ranger set which comes with 5 minifigs.I'll therefore review it in two parts.
Part 1 covers the minifigs, and part 2, which I'll write later on once I've built the set, will cover the rest.
11 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)9286 views
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Bilbo Baggins minifig from The Hobbit DVD/Blu-Ray
Posted by Huw, 20 Mar 2013 04:22. Filed under Miscellaneous.
The Hobbit was released in DVD/Blu-Ray in the USA this week and in Target you can pick it up with an exclusive Bilbo Baggins minifig.Brickset member nyk has sent us these great photos of him.
I haven't yet found out which retailers in the UK and other European countries will be offering it when it's released here on 8th April. Do you know?
16 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3316 views
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Medieval Micro Modulars by T-brick, plus answers from Cuusoo's Tim Courtney
Posted by glenbricker, 19 Mar 2013 13:15. Filed under Cuusoo.
Micro builds are a popular subject on Cuusoo. It makes a lot of sense actually. The very popular Minecraft set was a micro build, the small form factors are ideal for having a lot of narrative content while keeping the costs down, and relatively small quantities of micro builds in the standard LEGO line keeps it novel.
T-brick's Medieval Micro Modulars are one of my favorite examples of the "theme" as its specific subject matter distinguishes it from the rest of Cuusoo mini builds, and it goes beyond the architecture and actually models a bustling street.
In addition to my regular posting, I have a few statements from Tim Courtney, LEGO Cuusoo Community Manager, who I was able to interview at SXSW Interactive.
Continue reading Medieval Micro Modulars by T-brick, plus answers from Cuusoo's Tim Courtney
10 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3375 views
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The Empire Strikes Out DVD with exclusive Darth Vader minifig
Posted by Huw, 19 Mar 2013 11:16. Filed under Set review.
The Empire Strikes Out animated movie is out this week on DVD in the UK. If you're lucky you'll find it with limited edition Darth Vader with Medal minifig on the cover.I was waiting for a Blu-Ray release before ordering but it seems that there isn't going to be one, so I was then going to order the DVD from Amazon at the weekend. However although until yesterday the limited edition version with minifig could be ordered from there, there was a note on the page stating "The Limited Edition with Mini Figurine is no longer available from Amazon.co.uk", so I hot-footed it to Tesco earlier today and found one left on the shelf, priced £5.
The figure is, as could have been predicted, of Oriental origin. The Star Wars minifig completest will require it in their collection but otherwise it's nothing special. The head is the same as that used on other recent versions of Darth Vader.Those of you who collect minifigs attached to books and movies will be interested in a list published by FBTB that contains all those that have been, or will be, available.
I haven't watched the movie yet, I'll do so later!
22 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3530 views
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Review: 79107 Comanche Camp
Posted by Huw, 19 Mar 2013 09:11. Filed under Set review.
Hi ho Silver away
Ride into tomorrow today
But who was that masked man you say?
That was the Lone RangerSince building the cavalry set yesterday I can't get the camp and slightly cheesy pop song Quantum Jump, The Lone Ranger from the 1970s out of my head...
Anyway, on with todays's review of 79107, Comanche Camp, the second-smallest set of the theme which features, among other things, a teepee and three minifigs.
30 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)10872 views
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Chima Challenge to launch at Chessington next month
Posted by Huw, 19 Mar 2013 09:03. Filed under LEGO press release.
LEGO has chosen Merlin theme park Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey to kick-off its Chima Challenge roadshow, that we mentioned back in December.Here's the press release:
Monday 18th March 2013: It was announced today that new ‘big bang’ LEGO IP – Legends of Chima – will partner with Chessington World of Adventures Resort to launch its seven month experiential roadshow.
Launching on Monday 1st April 2013, the Chima Challenge Roadshow will hold a two-week residency at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Surrey. Following this, it will head off to various locations (including major shopping centres and LEGOLAND Windsor) throughout the school holidays and half-term breaks until October 2013.
The roadshow will highlight the new Speedorz sets – a social game consisting of fun, fast and furious challenges that can be played singly or with friends. Players use a rip cord device to race their Speedorz and during the tour children will be invited to take the Speedorz challenge, where they can race with Chima characters, culminating in a grand finale when the road show closes where it originated at Chessington. Costume characters Laval (lion) and Cragger (crocodile) will also be present to oversee proceedings.
‘The partnership with Chessington offers us the perfect location to kick off the roadshow in an engaging environment with an animal backdrop that is synonymous with the Chima brand’, said LEGO UK Senior Brand Manager, Sally-Anne Weekes.
‘Chessington’s new ZUFARI: Ride into Africa experience showcases species native to Africa – just as many of the Chima animal tribes. Animals are a universally popular theme and something that we haven’t had in the LEGO portfolio for several years. Legends of Chima fills this gap and where better to showcase it than with the tribes’ real-life counterparts!’
LEGO Legends of CHIMA launched on 26th December 2012 and is currently performing as the number two toy property within the UK market (NPD Epos Value YTD January 2013). The multi-play brand is one of the biggest ever launches from LEGO and includes collectible animal minifigures and highly detailed vehicles and models.
--
The statement I've hilighted in bold is particularly interesting, although perhaps not surprising.
5 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1482 views
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LEGO Group to build factory in China
Posted by Huw, 18 Mar 2013 14:47. Filed under LEGO press release.
"The LEGO Group has announced plans to build and operate its own LEGO factory in China. The factory will supply products for the growing Asian market. Construction is expected to begin in 2014." says the press release published today.This is of concern to us here because we know that, currently, ABS parts made in China are 'different' to those made elsewhere due to LEGO being unable to import its usual supply of ABS granulate into the country, resulting in it using a locally produced alternative.
That may well change, of course, when this factory opens, but if it doesn't we might end up with two different qualities of product.
The press release does go on to say that "All products made in the new factory will be sold in Asia" so maybe those of us in Europe, USA and Australasia need not worry unduly when buying new products, but what about buying in the aftermarket? And what about those of you in Singapore and other countries in the region?
Now, when you buy, say, a Toy Story alien from BrickLink there's no way to know if you're buying a Chinese-made one from a magnet set, or a non-Chinese one from a regular LEGO set, which is a nuisance because one is 'different' to the other, as you may recall seeing in my comparative photos a while ago.
So, in future, if new sets made in China have regular parts made from Chinese ABS and they do end up being 'different' to others, you'll need to take extra care to determine the provenance of sets and parts before buying on the aftermarket.
I'm probably worrying unnecessarily, but it's food for thought...
Please note, before I get flamed, I am not saying 'stuff made in China is rubbish': I haven't actually said that it is, but ABS LEGO products made there are 'different' to the trained eye for the reason stated above).
81 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)6217 views
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Hi-yo, Silver! We have some Lone Ranger sets to review!
Posted by Huw, 18 Mar 2013 09:48. Filed under Set review.
The LEGO CEE team has kindly sent us some Lone Ranger sets to review ahead of their release in April, so myself and others in the Brickset team will be bringing you reviews over the next week or so.Today I take a look at the smallest set, 79106: Cavalry Builder Set which consists of four minifigs including the Lone Ranger and Silver (pictured left), a cannon and a few other bits and bobs.
Continue reading Hi-yo, Silver! We have some Lone Ranger sets to review!
57 comments, latest one posted 21 days ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)26755 views
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Win your dream minifig!
Posted by Huw, 17 Mar 2013 07:07. Filed under Miscellaneous.
We've teamed up with our favourite custom minifig creator, Minifigs.me, to bring you two exciting competitions.Here's the blurb from Caroline, Chief Minifig Geneticist at Minifigs.me:
"Minifigs.me is a little company, who make custom minifigs to order. We take any kind of commissions, from simple "Happy Birthday" minifigs, to multicoloured, multifaceted creations based on your photos.
"One of our favourite things is hearing your great ideas for minifigures, and what we really, really like is making people smile with our creations. We think the best way to do that is to run a competition so you can tell us your fab ideas for your dream custom minifig, and the one we like best we'll make and send your way!
"And don't worry if you don't have any ideas just now, we'll be happy to just make you smile by sending you a custom minifig of your choice from our website.
"So in conjunction with Brickset we're going to run 2 competitions:- A prize draw: just give us your name and email address so we can keep in touch with our latest creations (we won't sell your email or do anything evil with it, just the odd email to say hello and maybe even some special offers one day!). Someone will be be picked at random and will receive a Minifigs.me gift voucher for a custom minifig of your choice.
- What minifigure would you like us to make? Tell us about it, send us designs if you like, or links to pictures of the person you'd like to see created. The winner will have their dream minifig made for them.
"To enter either competition, fill in the entry form with as much info as you'd like. Our email is also on the form if you need to send more details about your ideal custom minifig.
"And while you're waiting to see who the winner is, why not check out our creations on Facebook and stay in touch with us on twitter.
"We'll close the competition in 4 weeks (Sunday 14th April) and let you know then who the winners and the winning minifig are!"
16 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2688 views
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Shell promotion reaches Australia
Posted by Huw, 16 Mar 2013 04:43. Filed under Shopping (Australia/NZ).
To coincide with the Australian GP this weekend, the 'buy a LEGO polybag at Shell garages' promotion kicks off in Australia on Monday. From the press release: "From Monday 18 March, customers will be able to purchase exclusive Ferrari model LEGO cars at Shell Coles Express sites across Australia. A new model will be available each week for six weeks."
And, from a email that's been sent to members of the 'Shell V-Power club', more clarification: "Our unique range, exclusive to Shell Coles Express, will be available from Monday, March 18 for just $6 when you spend $40 or more on Shell V-Power* at your local Shell Coles Express. Or $8 sold separately."
The six sets are 30190-30195. There's no mention whether the seventh, the pit crew, 30196, will be part of the promotion or not.I wonder then whether the promotion will follow the GPs around the world? If so, it'll hit Europe in May, June and July.
Thanks to Michelle and Scott for the news.
20 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3141 views
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LEGO reports record profits
Posted by Huw, 15 Mar 2013 10:26. Filed under Miscellaneous.
It wasn't long ago (actually, 9 years ago) that the LEGO company was in dire straits and there were fears that it might be snapped up by a competitor like Hasbro or Mattel. However, an article in Bloomberg earlier in the week reports that LEGO has taken the top spot as the most valuable toy company in the world and is now worth more than Mattel. I'll let you read the report and watch the video for yourself, but the headlines are:
- Revenues were up by 25% last year, and have tripled since 2007.
- Earnings of $1bn were made on $4bn of sales last year.
- The company is now valued at $14.6bn, marginally more than Mattel.
- The three children of Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who is Denmark's richest man, are now billionaires.
That's quite a turnaround from the company's 'dark ages' in the early 2000s when its bank stopped lending it money because of the losses it was making. The road to recovery is well documented, but I believe we have Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, who took over as CEO in 2004, to thank for the impressive turnaround and I think the company is in safe hands.
Now, if only they'd reduce the prices a bit...
43 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4991 views
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Another Chance To Get Exclusive Elrond: Toys R Us Canada
Posted by fuelbreak, 14 Mar 2013 18:20. Filed under Shopping (Canada).
Starting tomorrow, March 15 - 21, Toys R Us Canada is offering the exclusive Elrond polybag with any LEGO video game purchase.
No rain checks and only available as quantities last.
Follow this link to see the details.
Update: It appears there is two other offers as well; spend $30 on Lord of the Rings/Hobbit sets and receive a free Gandalf. Purchase the LEGO City Under Cover video game and you get a bonus Chase McCain figure. I am not sure if you can double dip and get an Elrond figure as well with this video game purchase.
10 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2338 views
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Cuusoo of the Week: Minifig furniture - living room by Brixe
Posted by glenbricker, 13 Mar 2013 12:58. Filed under Cuusoo.
Detailed LEGO furniture is a LEGO subject that always fascinates me. It employs micro-scale techniques but applies them to minifigure scaled objects and surroundings.Brixe is one of my favorite LEGO creators hands down, but they also set the standard for which I "grade" LEGO furniture. Brixe has an amazing skill for very tiny details which they use to bring a lot of life to home decor and vehicles alike.
This Living Room is but one of many examples of Brixe's detailed work.
Continue reading Cuusoo of the Week: Minifig furniture - living room by Brixe
11 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4761 views
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Review: 2013 Star Wars polybags
Posted by Huw, 13 Mar 2013 06:14. Filed under Set review.
It's been a while since I posted any reviews, hasn't it. I've been busy with scanning my instructions, but now that's coming to and end I have time to crack open some sets and review them for you.From a polybag point of view, this year has been unusual in that nearly all those that were revealed earlier in the year by LEGO in their building instructions portal, are now available in one place or another. Normally, we have to wait months to get our hands on them, more often than not, for the first UK newspaper promotion (which may or may not be happening this year).
Thanks to Bricksetters in the USA, Canada and elsewhere, I now have the four Star Wars polybags 30240-30243, so I thought it might be worthwhile taking a look at them all together so you can decide which to buy. Of course if you're a polybag collector you'll want to get hold of them all, but if not you might want to just pick up those that are decent models with good parts, because polys can be comparatively expensive when sold in the likes of Target and even more so on the secondary market.
15 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)6157 views
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Image improvement programme update
Posted by Huw, 13 Mar 2013 05:18. Filed under Brickset.
While news has been slow over the last week or so, I've been working on image improvements, and I've now finished scanning my instruction book covers and polybags.In all, I've scanned 1529 items, which is virtually everything I own that was released prior to 2009, plus sets that were not available at shop.LEGO.com released in 2009 or later. For those that were available, we have official images which I don't intend to replace with scans.
I've also added over 400 scans submitted by users, and I'm pleased to say that they are still coming in thick and fast. To make it easy for you to see which sets you own that we still need images for, I've added links at the top of the My Sets page, in the yellow box, that'll show you.
I have also made the full-size scans, and hi-res versions of the official LEGO images, available. You can view them by clicking on the normal-sized images on the set details pages which, if a large version is available, are shown in a grey box, like thumbnails usually are. There are currently 3173 hi-res images, and I still have more to add, from the user-submitted scans. When that's done, we should have some 4000, which is 40% of all sets.
Someone recently questioned 'ownership' of the images, given that they are being sent in by the community. All images are, of course, (c) LEGO group and are displayed here in accordance with LEGO's fair play policy. Brickset does not claim copyright or ownership of individual images and given that it's been a community effort to gather them, over the 15 years that the site has been running, they therefore 'belong' to the community. What that means is that you are free to use them on your own sites, wikis, blogs, eBay listings, or whatever, as long as you, too, comply with LEGO's policy.
Having said that, it is a lot of work to maintain the database and the image library, so Brickset does claim ownership of the image collection as a whole. It would not be appropriate, I think you'd agree, for someone to take all the images and use them on a competing site. So, limited extracts are fine, but not the whole lot.
Thank you to everyone that has sent images, and continues to do so: keep 'em coming!
13 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1855 views
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Minifigures.co.uk: a new online shop for custom figs
Posted by Huw, 11 Mar 2013 14:53. Filed under Miscellaneous.
It's a slow time for news... since the Simpsons bombshell was dropped last week, all the RSS feeds I monitor have been dormant and my mailbox is empty: there's nothing happening worth reporting at all...So, what better time, then, to introduce you to a new online store that specialises in custom minifigs: Minifigures.co.uk.
"We launched the Minifigures.co.uk shop in January 2013 to sell Premium Custom Minifigures from top designers around the world such as eclipseGrafx, Christo, Minifigs4U and Green Pea Toys. We also sell custom weapons from Combat Brick." says Brickset reader Andrew Clapham, who helps run the site. "What might interest your readers is that we try and source new polybags and sell them at reasonable prices. We currently have polybags from the LEGO Super Heroes, Lord of the Rings, Ninjago and Star Wars themes, and are on the look out for all the 2013 releases."
Sounds like it's worth checking out...
29 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4680 views
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New images of 2013 Lone Ranger Sets
Posted by PsyKater, 08 Mar 2013 09:09. Filed under New sets.
Eurobricks member GRogall has found new HR images of the 2013 Lone Ranger Sets. They can all be found in his Brickshelf-folder (not yet public) or in our database.
You can see more details in the pics, especially the minifigures and decorations. What do you think of these sets?
35 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)6549 views
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Minifigures Character Encylopedia news
Posted by Huw, 08 Mar 2013 07:40. Filed under Miscellaneous.
The Dorling Kindersley book LEGO Minifigures Character Encyclopedia is due out on May 1st. DK has recently published example spreads from the book so we can get a feel for what it's going to be like.Images of the exclusive minifig that will come with it, a toy soldier, have also been posted online, by Asian website minifigs.net.
It's 208-pages long and will probably include series 10, so with the exclusive soldier figure, that will make the total number of figures to be featured either 161 or 170, depending on whether the Team GB figs are included. I wonder what'll be on the other pages?
29 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4646 views
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New inventories added to LEGO Customer Services
Posted by Huwbot, 08 Mar 2013 05:47. Filed under Auto alert.
Inventories for four sets have been added to the LEGO Customer Services site.See what's new on our new inventories page.
If the inventories contained new parts, they will be listed on the new parts page.
0 comments (Commenting has ended on this article)1361 views
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China Airlines has City Police Helicopter 4473
Posted by Grahame, 08 Mar 2013 04:02. Filed under New sets.
China Airlines has the City Police Helicopter set 4473 listed in their in-flight shopping catalogue, priced at 23 USD / 18 EUR for 112-pieces.
109 Brickset members currently state that they own this set; it would be great if they could tell the rest of us where they each got their copy of this set from.
8 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4311 views
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New instructions added to LEGO Customer Services
Posted by Huwbot, 08 Mar 2013 01:23. Filed under Auto alert.
PDFs of 12 new instruction manuals have been added to the LEGO Customer Services Building Instructions site today. See what's new on our new instructions page.
0 comments (Commenting has ended on this article)1455 views
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LEGO to license The Simpsons?
Posted by Huw, 07 Mar 2013 13:36. Filed under Miscellaneous.
I've been in denial of this story all day, and didn't want to believe it, hence not posting it until now. Everywhere else has reported it, and I guess it's likely to be of interest to many of you, so, here goes..."LEGO will produce Homer and Marge" claims the Danish newspaper website DR.dk. I guess, thinking about it, it would seem a natural fit given their skin colour, and it's a wonder they've waited this long to acquire a license for the hit TV cartoon.
It's rather surprising that news that negotiations are taking place has become public as normally such things are veiled in secrecy until the contract is signed. But, "LEGO marketing director, Mads Nipper, confirms that the company is negotiating with the people behind the Simpsons, but cannot say anything about when an agreement is expected to be in place."
I can honestly say I've never watched an episode of it and it doesn't appeal to me whatsoever, but I suspect I'm in the minority.
Does this fill you with dread or excitement?
342 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)27477 views
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Chowren Toys March promotion: Ninjago spinners - 55% off retail
Posted by Huw, 07 Mar 2013 04:39. Filed under Shopping (USA).
Our March Brickset promotion is on two Ninjago spinners: LEGO Ninjago / Ninja Sets: 2174 Kruncha & 2175 Wyplash. Brickset readers will receive both spinners for $9, which is 55% off retail. Time to stock up for an army or as gifts.
To receive this special pricing please use the promo code: BSMAR2013 at check out. This is limited to 8 pairs (16 spinners) per customer while supplies last.
Shipping charge per spinner goes down the more you buy. The promotion will only last until 11:59pm (US Pacific Standard time) Sunday March 10, 2013 or while supplies last.
Just like previous promotions, Brickset readers will need to register an account in our store in order to use this code.
6 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1780 views
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New LEGO Store Coming To Edmonton Alberta Canada
Posted by fuelbreak, 06 Mar 2013 23:53. Filed under shop.LEGO.com (Canada).
It appears that Lego is opening yet another LEGO Store in Western Canada.This store will be opening in the Southgate Centre Mall In Edmonton Alberta.
I believe this will be the fifth LEGO store to open in Canada, the second for Alberta. The store is scheduled to open in Spring 2013.
Thank you Brickset member Multani for the great news.
16 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3518 views
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Galaxy Squad now available in Denmark
Posted by Huw, 06 Mar 2013 13:56. Filed under Shopping (Europe).
While most of the rest of Europe waits patiently for the summer release of Galaxy Squad, if you're in Denmark you can buy the first five sets already, either from shop.LEGO.com or, I'm told, exclusively in BR bricks-and-mortar stores. (Thanks Rune for the news).
19 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1900 views
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Free Friends set in Girl Talk magazine
Posted by Huw, 06 Mar 2013 13:46. Filed under Shopping (UK).
It's not all bad news with regards polybag promotions with publications today: Rich at BrickFanatics is reporting that the current issue of Girl Talk magazine comes wihe a free Friends polybag, 30106, Ice Cream Stand.I think the magazine costs £2.99 so it's not a bad deal, even if you don't have young girls in your family to give the magazine to.
(Picture courtesy of BrickFanatics).
24 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2801 views
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LEGO ends partnership with The Sun
Posted by Huw, 06 Mar 2013 12:24. Filed under Miscellaneous.
Here's an interesting turn of events: LEGO has ended its partnership with The Sun, partly in response to pressure from parents.From The Guardian:
"A parent who took his anti-Page 3 campaign to Legoland and Wapping is claiming victory after the Danish toymaker announced the end of its two-year promotional partnership with the Sun.
"Lego confirmed on Wednesday that its association with the News International title had come to a "natural" end – officially denying the move was linked to a 12,000-strong online petition against the partnership.
"However, a senior Lego executive had previously acknowledged concerns about its association with Page 3 in an email to campaigners."
Read the full article at The Guardian website.
I wonder what the future holds for UK polybag promotions? Let's hope it returns to The Mirror or another slightly less trashy rag (although I concede that in the Mirror's case, that is debatable...)
Thanks to Mark for the news.
78 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)5612 views
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New instructions added to LEGO Customer Services
Posted by Huwbot, 06 Mar 2013 01:25. Filed under Auto alert.
PDFs of one new instruction manual has been added to the LEGO Customer Services Building Instructions site today.See what's new on our new instructions page.
0 comments (Commenting has ended on this article)1372 views
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Cuusoo of the Week: Train Turntable and Modular Roundhouse by Fachmann
Posted by glenbricker, 05 Mar 2013 13:45. Filed under Cuusoo.
Trains are very popular in Texas (my current state of residence). We have many Train shows and LEGO is a very popular part of them. I am nowhere near as skilled with trains as most of my compatriots in TexLUG but it has given me a lot of respect for them. There are many fantastic trains on Cuusoo but the most creative train project is not a train at all, but a functioning Roundhouse.
Continue reading Cuusoo of the Week: Train Turntable and Modular Roundhouse by Fachmann
20 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4445 views
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Exclusive Powerpig-designed T-Shirt available today only
Posted by Huw, 05 Mar 2013 07:34. Filed under Miscellaneous.
There's the chance to get hold of a Chris McVeigh (Powerpig on flickr) designed T-shirt today, and today only, at The Yetee, for just $11. The 'Just Build' design was inspired, Chris says, by the old What it is is beautiful print ad.International shipping, at a reasonable price, is available.
I do like a nice LEGO T-shirt, so my order's is in already...
9 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1815 views
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Announcing a new LUG in England
Posted by Huw, 05 Mar 2013 04:30. Filed under Miscellaneous.
If you live in t'north of England you might be interested in joining the newly formed Brickshire LUG.Here's the press release announcing the club's formation:
Announcing the launch of Brickshire.org.uk; the home of Brickshire: The Yorkshire LEGO® User Group (known more informally as Brickshire). Brickshire is the first LEGO® User Group in the United Kingdom to be set up at a regional level.
Brickshire is a group aimed at Adult Fans of LEGO® (AFOLs) based in and around Yorkshire, who would like to meet like-minded people, display their LEGO® creations locally and get involved in events across the region. Application is open to anyone over the age of 18 who would like to meet and attend events in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Richard Lawson, Chairman of the Brickshire said “We want to provide a friendly forum for our members and offer them regular opportunities to meet and display LEGO® models locally, with as much support from The LEGO® Group as possible, which is something that hasn’t been available until now.”
Richard Hayes, Brickshire’s LEGO® Ambassador and Secretary added “It’s important that we build a strong and direct relationship with The LEGO® Group, and that’s where I come in. “As a LEGO® Ambassador, it is my job to liaise directly with The LEGO® Group’s Community Engagement & Events Team and make sure our members’ voices are heard, and that Brickshire continue to be able to positively promote the LEGO® brand with the support of The LEGO® Group.”
Brickshire’s first public display will be at the Northern Modelling and Engineering Exhibition in Harrogate from 10th until the 12th of May 2013, and now that the official Brickshire website has been launched at www.brickshire.org.uk, the group hopes that it will attract new members to display at many more events in the future.
9 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1517 views
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Christchurch (New Zealand) Brick Show 2013
Posted by Huw, 05 Mar 2013 03:39. Filed under Events (Elsewhere).
The Christchurch Brick Show will take place on July 20th-21st, 2013 at the Air Force Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand.The show will exhibit amazing LEGO models for all age groups in the amazing new hangar of the Air Force Museum. Enthusiasts and collectors will show their designs, collections and contraptions. Children will also have the opportunity to go hands on with dedicated LEGO activities in a dedicated LEGO play area. Ryan McNaught, Australia’s only LEGO Certified Professional, will be a key presenter at the show.
AFOL, exhibitor, and seller registration is now open, so head on over to the official LUG 4/2 website for more information and to register.
1 comment, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1116 views
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Iron Man sets available at Amazon
Posted by Huw, 05 Mar 2013 03:32. Filed under Shopping (USA).
After all the fuss a couple of weeks ago, LEGO has now published a set of images for the three new Iron Man sets on shop.LEGO.com. They are not available to buy there yet but Amazon.com is shipping them now. (Thanks Ethan for the news).
9 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1736 views
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Vintage Bricks and Pieces magazine unearthed
Posted by Huw, 04 Mar 2013 06:54. Filed under Miscellaneous.
Back in 2010, I was loaned a number of Bricks and Pieces, the magazine for the UK LEGO club back in the 1970s and 1980s, which I scanned and made available here at Brickset.I am grateful to Peter S for sending me scans of another issue, from autumn 1979, which I've just added to the archive.
It's an interesting read, and harks back to a bygone, lost age. The article on the front cover about a shortage of LEGOLAND Space sets, which attempts to explain why there's a shortage, but not in a condescending way, is particularly interesting.
I also wonder whether they managed to organise the trip to LEGOLAND Billund by ferry, for £50 a person. Unfortunately we don't have the spring 1980 issue to find out...
As I said once before when discussing old B&Ps, the kids' models in the centre pages are actually quite good, and not the thrown-together bolocs models featured in today's issues. The model of the class 47 diesel loco is pretty good given the palette of parts available at the time, and the winner of the mosaic competition on the back page would not look out of place among AFOL creations today.
Update: Peter S has provided scans of the spring and summer 1980 issues. I'm pleased to see that a club trip to Billund was organised (they flew from Luton, cost £75, which is about £300 in today's money) and had a wonderful time, according to the report in the summer issue!
8 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1892 views
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Have yourself illustrated as a minifig
Posted by Huw, 04 Mar 2013 05:52. Filed under Miscellaneous.
Here's something rather cool: Will Wiggins is an illustrator/designer based out of NYC in the USA. He creates illustrations of people as minifigs. For $5, he'll create original artwork of a person or character as a minifig, and for an extra $10 will make a physical minifig to match.He contacted me a month or so ago and offered to do an illustration of me, and here is the result, which is based on this picture of me at LEGOWorld. A pretty good match, I reckon!
You can commission your own artwork on Fiverr (the world's largest marketplace
for small services). I'm thinking of getting the forum admins one each for use as our avatars. What do you think, guys? :-)
26 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3559 views
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We *still* want your instruction cover scans
Posted by Huw, 04 Mar 2013 05:27. Filed under Brickset.
Since I started on my mission to improve the quality of our set images two weeks ago, I've had a tremendous response to my plea for scans of instruction covers.In total, there are about 1644 new scans on the site: 1102 that I've created, of nearly every set I own up to 2005, and over 500 that have been submitted by others.
They've been submitted by too many people to list here, and I'd like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to scan and send them. I will however just mention Slq, W Joey, Michael S and Kellee F who have been particularly prolific over the last week or so and have kept my mailbox stuffed with high quality scans, including this beauty of a car and caravan. They don't make sets like that any more!
But, there's still more to gather, so take a look at these lists (sets I own that need a better image and sets I own with no image) and see if you can help. At the moment I am concentrating on sets released last millennium: I'll ask you for sets from the 2000s in due course, once I've finished my own.
17 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1748 views
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The Hobbit Blu-Ray to feature exclusive Bilbo Baggins minifig
Posted by Huw, 04 Mar 2013 05:15. Filed under New sets.
The forthcoming Blu-Ray release of The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey will be available packaged with an exclusive Bilbo Baggins minifig.In the USA, it will be exclusively available in Target for $25. It's sure to turn up in other countries, so keep your eyes peeled at your local shops and websites and let us know if you find it advertised.
In the US, it's released on March 19th and in the UK it's out on 8th April.
20 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4636 views
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Free Planets at TRU, picture says it all...
Posted by Huw, 03 Mar 2013 10:45. Filed under Shopping (UK).
Thanks iainsconnor and others that emailed with this news.
9 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2610 views
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New inventories added to LEGO Customer Services
Posted by Huwbot, 03 Mar 2013 04:59. Filed under Auto alert.
Inventories for 12 sets have been added to the LEGO Customer Services site. See what's new on our new inventories page.
0 comments (Commenting has ended on this article)1218 views
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New instructions added to LEGO Customer Services
Posted by Huwbot, 02 Mar 2013 01:20. Filed under Auto alert.
PDFs of four new instruction manuals have been added to the LEGO Customer Services Building Instructions site today.See what's new on our new instructions page.
0 comments (Commenting has ended on this article)1453 views
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[NL] Star Wars Planet Series 3 & 4 and other offerings
Posted by PsyKater, 01 Mar 2013 17:19. Filed under Shopping (Europe).
The Belgian/Dutch retailer Toy Champ has some interesting offers this week. They have the new Star Wars Planet Series 3 & 4 in stock (€12.99). You get one Planet set free if you buy two or more. There is also a 50% bargain on every second 2013 City vehicle you buy, and an exclusive Chima bundle.
Plus if you spend more than €10 on LEGO sets between 25/2 and 10/3, you will get a Series 6 Collectable Minifigure for free.
Check out their flyer (Dutch) for more info. Thanks to TWP for the info!
0 comments (Commenting has ended on this article)1500 views
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LotR army builder now available widely in the US
Posted by Huw, 01 Mar 2013 09:56. Filed under Shopping (USA).
Tmgm528 tells us that "I took a trip to my local Five-Below the other day and came across 30211 Uruk-Hai With Ballista for $4.99. This is the only time in the US other than the Discovery Center that it has been seen to my knowledge."
All you army builders best get to your local branch ASAP, then...
37 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3943 views
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Introducing myself as News Editor for Germany
Posted by PsyKater, 01 Mar 2013 05:50. Filed under Brickset.
My name is PsyKater - or Tobias, like people outside the Internet often call me. I am very happy to announce that I was accepted as News Editor with focus on news related to Germany and continental Europe. I hope that I can provide the community with a lot of information about special German offers, events and other news.To be able to provide you with the latest news, I am reliant on your input. Whenever you find something new or interesting for the German audience, please let me know. Just send me an email or use the "Get in Touch" - contact form in the sidebar.
If you want to find out more about me, just visit my profile page - or ask.
14 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1323 views
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March offers at shop.LEGO.com
Posted by Huw, 01 Mar 2013 03:49. Filed under shop.LEGO.com (General).
As you can see from the banner above (if you're in the UK, USA or Canada) there are some worthwhile offers this month at shop.LEGO.com:In the USA and Canada: FREE Delivery on all orders of $75 or more until 15th March, and FREE 30242 Star Wars Republic Frigate with $50 LEGO Star Wars orders.
In the UK: FREE Delivery on all orders of £50 or more until 15th March, and FREE 30242 Star Wars Republic Frigate with £50 LEGO Star Wars orders.
In Germany: FREE Delivery on all orders of €55 or more until 13th March, and FREE 30242 Star Wars Republic Frigate with €55 LEGO Star Wars orders.
Luckily I haven't bought all the SW sets I intend to yet, so I'm off shopping...
Thanks to rmarkworth for the info on the German offer.
18 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2582 views
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New instructions added to LEGO Customer Services
Posted by Huwbot, 01 Mar 2013 01:21. Filed under Auto alert.
PDFs of 23 new instruction manuals have been added to the LEGO Customer Services Building Instructions site today. See what's new on our new instructions page.
0 comments (Commenting has ended on this article)1280 views
