Most read articles published in the last 3 months
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Series 10 minifigs revealed by Argos
Posted by Huw, 27 Feb 2013 07:26. Filed under New sets.
Argos has listed series 10 minifigs and has provided this image showing them all, including the 'golden' chase figure.
Thanks to Teamladd who posted in the forum earlier. There is a higher-res image available at Argos, but unfortunately it's viewable only through their Flash zoomer. I haven't been able to locate the URL of the image: maybe you can...
Update: Murphquake has cracked it, and the hi-res image is now on flickr.
There's no word on release date, but they'll be priced at £1.99 again.
151 comments, latest one posted 30 days ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)54414 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)27560 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 24 days ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)26845 views
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Review: 10240 UCS X-Wing Starfighter
Posted by Huw, 01 May 2013 03:36. Filed under Set review.
In a few days time, the highly anticipated UCS X-wing will be available. LEGO has graciously provided us with a copy to review ahead of its release.This pictorial review will consider its design, construction, the completed model and will also compare it to the original 2000 UCS X-wing which I reviewed last month.
Since the start of the Star Wars licence in 1999, an X-wing has always been part of the product line-up and this is, I believe, the 9th version. We've had three mini versions, four minifig-sized ones and, with the release of this set, two UCS versions. You can view them all in the database.
50 comments, latest one posted about 5 hours ago.18923 views
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Mr. Gold on eBay
Posted by Huw, 16 Apr 2013 03:02. Filed under New sets.
Two Mr. Golds have been offered for sale on eBay by the same seller in Germany:
Lot 1| Lot 2
. The asking price is €999, which is about $1300.
This proves why it was a misguided decision on the part of LEGO to produce the figure in such limited numbers and distribute them as they are doing. All it will do is enable third-party sellers to profit massively should they find one whilst at the same time annoying loyal customers and minifig collectors.
In other series 10 news, I'm told that they can be ordered from shop.LEGO.com in Switzerland and that the official release date in the USA, when they'll be available in Target, is May 1.
(Thanks Luke, lifelislegos and Ben for the news).
176 comments, latest one posted 11 days ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)17846 views
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Mr Gold's turning up in North America
Posted by Huw, 20 Apr 2013 03:31. Filed under New sets.
It seems Mr. Gold may not be so hard to find after all. Overnight, two people emailed to say they'd found them in the USA and Canada. Mike, who sent this picture, writes "Series 10 Minifigs have appeared in at least one Wal-Mart in Canada (Southwestern Ontario) and I was lucky enough to find a Mr. Gold! Ending up buying ten bags in total - I was feeling for some specific ones and then felt his top hat. My lucky day!"Another Mike sent a photo of his and just says 'Found Mr. Gold, GA', which might indicate Georgia, I've asked him to clarify.
Meanwhile, if you're not willing to leave it to lady luck to find one, there's still a Mr Gold on eBay
located in the USA, which ends today. Current bid is $1200, with a reserve of $1400.
There are rumours that in the UK, some branches of Argos are selling series 10 already, although they are not due out until 1st May. (Catalogue number is 911/0520). Good luck tracking them down; let us know if you find them.
175 comments, latest one posted 11 days ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)16888 views
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10237 Tower of Orthanc press release
Posted by Huw, 26 Apr 2013 09:58. Filed under New sets.
10237 Tower of Orthanc, Ages 14+. 2,359 pieces.
Build the The Lord of the Rings™ trilogy must-have model!
US $199.99, CA $249.99, DE 199.99€, UK £169.99, DK 1699.00 DKK
Finally, collect one of the most instantly recognizable and iconic buildings of The Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Tower of Orthanc! Build all 6 highly detailed floors filled with fascinating movie-related details including the attic, library, alchemy room, Saruman’s throne room, entrance hall and dungeon. This exclusive model stars in some of the most iconic scenes from The Lord of the Rings movies. Swoop down with the Great Eagle and rescue stranded Gandalf the Grey from his tower-top prison after his defeat at the hands of the white wizard, Saruman. Build the powerful, tree-like Ent, with poseable limbs and cool swinging arm function, then attack the Uruk-hai and Orc Pitmaster while Saruman and his servant Grima Wormtongue take refuge high in the tower. The Tower of Orthanc is a must-have model for any The Lord of the Rings collection! Includes a Great Eagle, buildable Ent figure and 5 minifigures with weapons: Saruman with kirtle outfit, Grima Wormtongue, Gandalf the Grey, an Uruk-hai and the Orc Pitmaster.
- Includes a Great Eagle, buildable Ent figure and 5 minifigures with weapons: Saruman with kirtle outfit, Grima Wormtongue, Gandalf™ the Grey, an Uruk-hai™ and the Orc Pitmaster
- Features 6 highly detailed floors with lots of functions, including a folding staircase, LEGO® light brick palantir, opening entrance doors and a trap door
- Weapons include 5 staffs, knife, sword, shield and a long axe
- The attic features a folding staircase, the 3 staffs of the missing wizards, the 2 keys of the Two Towers, 2 maps and an Uruk-hai helmet, shield and sword
- The library features 2 books, 2 torches, 2 maps and 2 skulls
- The alchemy room features 2 torches, a bomb (being produced for the Battle of Helm’s Deep™), 2 potions, bottle, skull, gunpowder keg, pot, cauldron and a long axe
- Saruman’s throne room features lamps, 2 bookcases with 3 potions, map, letter and the powerful palantir with a LEGO light brick
- The entrance hall features opening doors, trap door, 2 large banners, chandelier, statue and 2 axes
- The creepy dungeon features a chain, 2 bones, 2 skulls and a rat
- Buildable Ent features poseable limbs for holding a minifigure and a cool swinging arm function
- Attack the tower with the cool buildable and poseable Ent!
- Swoop to the rescue with the Great Eagle!
- Activate the LEGO light brick and make the palantir glow!
- Set the trap door and banish unwanted guests to the dungeon!
- Prepare the bomb for the Battle of Helm’s DeepTM!
- Swing the Ent’s arms to smash or grab things with the poseable fingers!
- Measures over 28" (73cm) high, 8" (21cm) wide and 6" (16cm) deep
- Ent stands over 9" (23cm) tall
Available for sale directly through LEGO beginning July 2013.
There are more pictures in our flickr stream. I'll get them added here ASAP.
101 comments, latest one posted 5 days ago.15177 views
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Dot code for Mr. Gold
Posted by Huw, 05 May 2013 11:25. Filed under Miscellaneous.
Eric2008 found a Mr. Gold in Rochester, NY and has sent this image of the dot code which those of you still hunting high and low for one might find useful.
75 comments, latest one posted 6 days ago.13567 views
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14ct 'Mr Gold' minifig found!
Posted by Huw, 01 Apr 2013 05:15. Filed under Miscellaneous.
There's discussion in the forum about someone having found a real 14ct gold 'Mr Gold' minifig in a box of series 10 minfigs in Hungary, and something about a ticket for a LEGO factory tour.No, I didn't believe it at first either, but it appears to be true. Check out the thread in the forum.
25 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)11856 views
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Image improvements continue
Posted by Huw, 25 Feb 2013 10:01. Filed under Brickset.
It's been a quiet few days for news, but I've been busy behind the scenes scanning my instruction covers. I've now done all the sets I own that were released prior to 2000 (that came with instructions), which is some 566 new scans. Shortly, I will make the full-sized 150dpi scans available, too.That's all well and good but I still need your help! There are loads of sets I don't own and that we don't have an image for, or don't have a decent image.
To make it easy for you to see which sets in your collection we need scans for, I've created a couple of queries:
- Sets I own, released before 2000, that need a better picture will show you, as its name suggests, all the sets you own that we need a better picture for.
- Sets I own without an image will show you sets that we don't have an image for at all.
So, if you (a) find sets on the lists (b) have a scanner (c) have time, please send me some scans! Ideally they will be
- Of as-new or lightly creased instruction covers, or polybags
- Scanned at 150dpi, with descreening enabled (I use screen ruling 175dpi fine print on my Epson), or if they are small, scanned at 240 or 300dpi.
- Saved as JPGs at a quality of 90% (0.9)
If you have a few to send you can email them (huw at brickset.com), but if you'd prefer I can share a DropBox folder with you, which makes transferring large files much easier.
Thanks to everyone who's started to send theirs through: I have a slight backlog but I should get them uploaded soon.
While you're going though your collection, I'll crack on with 2000 onwards...
29 comments, latest one posted 2 months ago.11847 views
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Confessions of a Serial Polybag Collector - Part 3
Posted by atkinsar, 01 Apr 2013 02:37. Filed under Miscellaneous.
Forgive me Brickset readers for I have sinned, it has been over three months since my last confession. Did I say these articles were going to be monthly, what I meant to say was of course quarterly. Life sure does have a habit of getting in the way sometimes, I have been utterly consumed with family, Brickset commitments, work and my LEGO room project (notice how I actually put the most important thing last). I wish I could say the end was in sight, but it isn’t, so I’d better just stop complaining and get on with it.Wow, what a crazy few months in the world of polybag collecting! With the ushering in of 2013 we got a sneak peak at some of the 2013 polybags that we could look forward to. This is always an exciting time for polybag collectors, since these are often just descriptions at this stage rather than pictures, we can use our imaginations to conjure up all sorts of great little sets we’ll be keeping them in their bags. It’s also an anxious time, where and when exactly will these polybags be available, how will I get hold of them and most importantly, exactly how much is this going to cost me??
In particular I think the Star Wars polys thus far revealed look excellent, with not a rehash in sight which is always welcome news.
A lot of these polybags have now been released somewhere or other in the world, and it’s been as challenging and fun as ever tracking them down (which is a great part of the appeal for me). This job is made so much easier by you guys sending us in news of sightings, so a big thank you for that and keep it coming.
I have made some great contacts and friends through this hobby, and in particular through my collecting of polybags which really seems to bring the best out of the community in my opinion. I’ve had countless offers of help from all over the world, with people going above and beyond what could reasonably be expected. I’d like to think that I try to repay this kindness and I’m a big believer in what goes around comes around, so if I haven’t repaid your kindness yet, I will I promise! What can I say to you people other than a massive thank you, and know that your help is always appreciated.
So what can you expect this month? As well as the regular features, I’ll be taking a look at what it means to be a completist and what this has to do with the Ninjago theme. I had planned to review 30243: Umbaran MHC but Huw somewhat stole my thunder on that one on that one, so instead I’ll be reviewing two little owned Creator polybags: 30184: Little Helicopter and 30185: Little Eagle. You can still read my review of 30243 though as I've published it on Brickset.
There’s also another competition, and this time around I’m not going to make you work very hard at all to enter, read on to find out how you can enter and what you can win.
So grab a hot drink, if past experience is anything to go by, this may be a long one.
Continue reading Confessions of a Serial Polybag Collector - Part 3
223 comments, latest one posted 1 month ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)11783 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)11656 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)11361 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)11225 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)10951 views
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Mr. Gold found in the UK
Posted by Huw, 26 Apr 2013 03:42. Filed under Shopping (UK).
Series 10 figures are starting to appear in shops in the UK now. Ron emailed last night to say "Just been to Smyths in Kidderminster (West Mids) and they had series 10 out! Brought myself a whole box, so fingers crossed for the elusive Mr G..."Two hours later he sent me another email with this picture "And look what I just found!!"
While we wait for LEGO to get their official Mr. Gold page online you can keep track of sightings in the forum and read about some of the (questionable) lengths other people are going to to try and get hold of one.
Whilst I do not blame people for doing such things (I probably would given the opportunity), the whole Mr. Gold affair (shall we call it Goldgate? :-) ) is very distasteful and I hope LEGO is having serious regrets about the whole thing. What with retailers going through their stock before putting them on the shelves, retailers letting others go through their stock before putting them out and ridiculous sums being paid on eBay, it seems to be backfiring disastrously, bringing out the worst in people, and the chances of kids getting their hands on them are going to be virtually nil. (rant over!)
93 comments, latest one posted 20 days ago.10527 views
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Series 11 Minifigures identified by Amazon
Posted by Huw, 15 Apr 2013 04:00. Filed under New sets.
Amazon.fr
has listed the series 11 minifigs and provides a description of them which, roughly translated, is:
"With 16 new figures in Series 11 Special, the LEGO collection continues to grow. Each figure is packed in a bag 'mystery' and accompanied by special accessories, a base and ask for a booklet. Inspired by movies, sports, history or everyday life, this collection includes: a scientist, a female robot, evil, a jazz man, an elf, a policeman, a Bavarian woman, a waitress, a scarecrow, a barbarian, a welder, a mountaineer, a grandmother, a warrior tiki man and gingerbread."
(Thanks Damien for the news).
32 comments, latest one posted 26 days ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)10323 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)9959 views
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Tower of Orthanc unveiled
Posted by Huw, 26 Apr 2013 09:41. Filed under New sets.
The LEGO CEE team has just revealed it on their blog, ahead of the press release going out to fan sites.It seems it was unveiled at an event in Lisbon and will be available on 1st July. No other details are available yet.
I am going away for a weekend break with my wife later but I'm hoping that the collateral for the annoucement arrives before I go, but if not, one of the other admins should be able to keep you informed, or you can head on over to Brick Fanatics where I'm sure Rich will do a good job of covering the news.
Let us know what you think of it, that is if you can actually make anything out from the poor camera-phone pics.
UPDATE : Official pics from LEGO are now available on the Brickset Flickr Stream - view them here !
20 comments, latest one posted 17 days ago.9541 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)9348 views
