Random set of the day: Scorpion Detector
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 1737 Scorpion Detector, released in 1996. It's one of 10 Space sets produced that year. It contains 196 pieces and 2 minifigs, and its retail price was US$20.
It's owned by 964 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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16 comments on this article
It might be space theme, but doesn’t look like Star Wars.
Maybe Huwbot prefers Revenge of the Sixth?
I use this to find all my misplaced scorpions.
For me, the Exploriens were the tipping point where using big pre-fabricated pieces became detrimental to the sets. I was okay with it for the Spyrius ships or the UFO range, but here, it didn't improve the design of the ships (in fact, it left giant gaping holes in the bodies of the spacecraft) which was a thumbs down, for me.
Not Star Wars, but at least it's something Space.
Can you imagine how great it would have been if it was something Clone Wars?
Spoilers everywhere for the finale.
@Your_Future_President said:
"I use this to find all my misplaced scorpions. "
Nah, dude. You gotta use 5918 Scorpion Tracker if you want results.
The late 90s were rife with special releases of various kinds: special packaging, exclusive large plastic items, or just plain limited-release sets. It wasn't uncommon for sets to be released under multiple numbers.
In Europe, the Scorpion Detector had a conventional release at the start of 1996 as 6938. In the U.S. it first appeared in the summer with a limited release (in-store only, no LEGO.com) as 1737. But in 1997, the 6938 version began to be sold in the U.S., both in stores and from LEGO.com.
The difference between the two that made the different numbers necessary? Whereas 6938 came in a normal box, the box for 1737 looked like this: https://img.bricklink.com/ItemImage/ON/0/1737-1.png.
Because the first place I go to look for earthly critters like scorpions is space.
@TheWackyWookiee said:
"It might be space theme, but doesn’t look like Star Wars.
Maybe Huwbot prefers Revenge of the Sixth?"
How dare you
I wasn't too keen on Exploriens. I was done with Classic Space after Blacktron and Futuron. Then came the Space Police-3 and the true villains.
I'm fairly sure the intention was for that thing on the trailer to be a telescope but, lets be honest, how many of us pretended it was a laser?
Wow. I actually had this one when I was about nine or ten years old. I still have several printed pieces and the round red and blue lenses bouncing around in an old tackle box somewhere. Haha
In my opinion, Exploriens had the best Box Arts out of all the Vintage Space themes. Those backgrounds look stunning with that Sci-Fi City in the background.
Also, the color scheme of the sets is just beautiful. I like how they also re-used it later on for Space Police 3.
Great set. I bought it last year to complete my Exploriens collection.
@phi13 said:
"In the U.S. it first appeared in the summer with a limited release (in-store only, no LEGO.com) as 1737 ."
I wonder if it was a test run in an attempt to make LEGO packaging more 'eye-catching' on store shelves?
@Zordboy said:
"For me, the Exploriens were the tipping point where using big pre-fabricated pieces became detrimental to the sets. I was okay with it for the Spyrius ships or the UFO range, but here, it didn't improve the design of the ships (in fact, it left giant gaping holes in the bodies of the spacecraft) which was a thumbs down, for me. "
Wasn't UFO after Exploriens?
Anyway, you have a point about the big slope pieces with holes for the canopies, which looked great from above but left huge gaps underneath (which, admittedly, was a problem with Space sets going right back to 6890 Cosmic Cruiser from 1982, or 6872 Xenon X-Craft from 1985). Even so, the 6982 Explorien Starship _was_ particularly skeletal.
The thing that most bothered me about this set was the mismatched wheels- I'd have preferred it with bigger front wheels on the leading half, but of course, that large canopy surround would have needed to be lifted even higher, so I always just put up with it.
All that said, the Futuron-esque white, black, and trans dark blue colour scheme has always been one of my favourites, and in a brief gap between dark ages Explorien became the first Space sub-theme I managed to complete, so I have a soft spot for it.
@eMouse: This type of packaging was used for two other special-release sets (one in 1995 and one in 1997). The sets were 1822 (https://img.bricklink.com/ItemImage/ON/0/1822-1.png) and 6599 (https://img.bricklink.com/ItemImage/ON/0/6599-1.png). Unlike the Scorpion Detector, in those cases there was no release with normal packaging.