Random set of the day: Volcano Island
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 6248 Volcano Island, released during 1996. It's one of 8 Pirates sets produced that year. It contains 119 pieces and 2 minifigs, and its retail price was US$12.
It's owned by 2,775 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $150.00, or eBay.
101 likes
34 comments on this article
YEET!
What a hothead
Oh no! The treasure is about to be lost to the depths of the sea!
YARRRRRRRRRRRRRR IT BE A PIRATE RSOTD TODAY!
@MCLegoboy said:
"What a hothead"
He'll be a coldhead once he plunges into the sea!
This was a cute set that I got from a yard sale lot thanks to my grandpa back in 2001. The Pirates theme was dead and gone, so this (and numerous other sets from 1992 through 1997) allowed me to experience the theme all in one go.
With some help from Brickshelf for instructions (none came with the set), I had this spooky cave launching lava and skeletons in no time. It was perhaps overshadowed by the larger Pirate sets I pieced together at the same time, so when I disassembled it prior to a family move in 2003, I forgot about it.
Fast forward to this year, and when shopping around for replacement instructions on Bricklink, one seller had the instructions for this set along with the others I wanted. The price was right, so I snatched it up. Now the set can be rebuilt quickly, though upon looking through it again, I was sad to see so many of the white pieces had yellowed. That will be my next task when I decide to rehabilitate the set.
Hmm... Need to look into that mechanism. Seems like fun.
@Miyakan said:
"Hmm... Need to look into that mechanism. Seems like fun."
Looked into it. It would be fun. A nice spring mechanism. 6755 still has one of my favourite mechanisms. Put some dynamite in the back of the jail and it blows the wall off.
@Miyakan said:
" @Miyakan said:
"Hmm... Need to look into that mechanism. Seems like fun."
Looked into it. It would be fun. A nice spring mechanism. 6755 still has one of my favourite mechanisms. Put some dynamite in the back of the jail and it blows the wall off."
Yes, I agree. 6755 was the peak of play features.
@Maxbricks14 said:
" @Miyakan said:
" @Miyakan said:
"Hmm... Need to look into that mechanism. Seems like fun."
Looked into it. It would be fun. A nice spring mechanism. 6755 still has one of my favourite mechanisms. Put some dynamite in the back of the jail and it blows the wall off."
Yes, I agree. 6755 was the peak of play features."
That and the guy with the Ice Planet 2002 face print are the two main reasons I want that set.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
" @Miyakan said:
" @Miyakan said:
"Hmm... Need to look into that mechanism. Seems like fun."
Looked into it. It would be fun. A nice spring mechanism. 6755 still has one of my favourite mechanisms. Put some dynamite in the back of the jail and it blows the wall off."
Yes, I agree. 6755 was the peak of play features."
That and the guy with the Ice Planet 2002 face print are the two main reasons I want that set."
I want it for everything, but the set goes for ridiculous amounts so I don't think i'll be getting it any time soon.
ye old skull looks to have an odd protusion from the side which be rather unnatural. then again, a skull even being that big in the first place doesnt make much sense either. but its fun, which is what matters most
A set with a name like this really ought to be a follow-up to 6270, 6273, and 6279...
What a cool set and great value for $12.
I really like that pirate, especially his torso which is nice and generic (also probably more realistic) so can be used for various people from the Pirate Era and is not super specific to cartoony pirates.
@Billbuilds said:
"ye old skull looks to have an odd protusion from the side which be rather unnatural. then again, a skull even being that big in the first place doesnt make much sense either. but its fun, which is what matters most"
That protuberance was to accommodate the 1x2 brick with peg the allowed the skull to swivel to the side.
Pirate Joe's brief attempt to plug Krakapinkytoa with his body failed spectacularly.
Being a decades-long fan 6279 and becoming completely obsessed with it as a kid, I always thought this was the poor man's version of it.
@Brickchap said:
"What a cool set and great value for $12. "
Keep in mind that those are twelve 1996 dollars, not twelve 2024 dollars.
1996? I swore this set was released earlier. As in 1989-92?
If made today this set would cost around $14.99 judging by the piece count.
They really were using pieces better than today.
I’ve seen this one before. Not much of a volcano.
That it actually has a skeleton flinging mechanic is morbidly hilarious. Kinda wish more sets with skellies did that
@Maxbricks14 said:
" @Miyakan said:
" @Miyakan said:
"Hmm... Need to look into that mechanism. Seems like fun."
Looked into it. It would be fun. A nice spring mechanism. 6755 still has one of my favourite mechanisms. Put some dynamite in the back of the jail and it blows the wall off."
Yes, I agree. 6755 was the peak of play features."
7052 was the peak of play features. It was the best of the best, far and away.
But the dynamite jail in 6755 was truly fantastic as well.
I had no idea that 6248 had an erupting skeleton volcano. That is hilarious. I felt that Pirates was on its way out by 1996 and quit paying close attention to it. Obviously I missed a real gem.
Pirates was definitely on it's way out, by the mid-90s, and it was such a shame to see such a great theme running out of wind, so to speak.
But some of the last few sets were quite lovely, and honestly, this set was a gem.
I purchased this set on holiday in America in '96 with my holiday money. I thought it was lovely. The skull (which is an impressive build by itself) swings up to reveal a cave full of pirate treasure, and there is a spring-loaded feature that will shoot red pieces (lava) and the skeleton into the air from the top of the volcano. And it absolutely works like a treat.
Yes, a larger set also had a large stone skull as decoration, but I liked the fact that a smaller (and thusly much-more affordable) set also had it as a feature.
Pirates was such a lovely and colorful theme. From the same wave I had 6254 that I bought used (with some pieces missing unfortunately), because it came before my time. One of the themes I'm nostalgic for.
I knew someone who owns this set. Fun little build. Too bad it can't be bought for a reasonable price amymore nowadays. Ah well...
This is one of very few sets I got from this later series of pirate sets, but I thought it was so cool! Working volcano! Skull hiding the treasure! Skeleton with a helmet! I loved the little islands LEGO made for them to stash their treasure, and for a kid at least, this did not disappoint!
Question: Is the skull just a rock formation that coincidentally looks like a skull, a carving of a skull made by natives, or a human skull that the LEGO people killed and used to decorate their "Volcano Island"?
@AllenSmith said:"7052 was the peak of play features. It was the best of the best, far and away."
Indeed. I am very sorry I missed the day that one was RSotD.
@Username28 said:
"Question: Is the skull just a rock formation that coincidentally looks like a skull, a carving of a skull made by natives, or a human skull that the LEGO people killed and used to decorate their "Volcano Island"?"
It's a giant's skull. Which doesn't rule out the last possibility...
I would rather buy a crappy pirate set like that than the uninspiring sets that are coming put these days.
Just do it like in the 80s and early 90s and we're all good. To many colors and different brick types these days.
I had this one! I got it at Legoland at the Mall of America when I was a kid. It was one of my favorites--the "action feature" worked really well!
Three flames, for some added flare. :D
Really liked this set for it's giant skull door (which wasn't the first of it's kind, but still rather new in 1996) and unusual 'volcano catapult'. The catapult is actually built around the wheel suspenison elements developped specifically for Blacktron II's Spectral Starguider, so were kinda neat to get. Also getting more skeletons and BURPs is always useful.
On the downside, there really is a severe lack of space on the outside of the mountain to place anything, and the raft feels a lot like a hap-hazard afterthought, especially since it constantly wobbles around, due to not having a flat base.
The pirate's name is Blackjack Hawkins, although this one in particular seems to be an older representation of him, having lost a leg. He was listed as a crew member of the Red Beard Runner in 1996 Mania Magazine and featured as both opponent and playable character in Lego Racers 1.
EDIT:
The island was also featured in the 3rd episode of the Time Cruisers audio drama, where Dr. Cyber used it as a plays to calibrate his time traversing radio gadget, which received a help call from an unknown time zone.
The got interrupted by the arrival of Captain Roger (Redbeard), who first accused them of trying to steal his treasure, then more and more believes them to be 'sea gods'.
According to Roger, the 1996-1997 Pirates era was supposed to be set in AD 1602. This creates a confusing discrepancy with the earlier Pirates lines, which were set in around 1750, yet still featured some of the same characters...
@Atuin said:
"According to Roger, the 1996-1997 Pirates era was supposed to be set in AD 1602. This creates a confusing discrepancy with the earlier Pirates lines, which were set in around 1750, yet still featured some of the same characters... "
Fountain of Youth.