Random set of the day: Megatax
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 3072 Megatax, released in 1999. It's one of 6 Space sets produced that year. It contains 23 pieces and 1 minifig.
It's owned by 126 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
Help me come to life! If you like the set I've chosen for you today, please pledge your support for me on LEGO Ideas so I have a chance of becoming an official LEGO set!
43 likes
22 comments on this article
SHOOOM!!!
How many times in a row now have we had a tiny set? Huwbot feeling kawaii uguu
@Harmonious_Building said:
"How many times in a row now have we had a tiny set? Huwbot feeling kawaii uguu"
Umm... Two times in a row now...
Space IRS
@LegoRobo said:
"Ahhh! Not the IRS!
I’ll never pay my taxes!!"
(Yoshi leaves the chat)
Ah yes, a Megatax. Just like we have in the US.
Is that a control panel with a targeting reticule on the hood/bonnet of the ship? Does he have to lean way forward whenever he needs to aim the lasers?
Megatax actually got a really good refund the following year after his megafiling.
’Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes. Tho many can be certain of the existence of Megadeth, very few have witnessed Megataxes.
Kabaya got the sweeter end of the deal 98/99 with all these small, cool and cheap space vehicles. But then again; that was also the year they launched the starwars line.
Actually there are some really nice parts in this set. Rockets, boosters, the seat... Well done.
The tax on this set is insane
Just took a look, and ALL of the 6 space sets from this year were tiny ones like this. Interesting.
Actually not a bad looking set given how jumbled theses polybags tend to look
So I suppose this set name is where they got the idea, in Lego Legacy, that the Insectoids character is some kind of deep space evil businessman; as opposed to the peaceful voltstone rock harvesters, fleeing from their cruel leader, that they were often portrayed as at the time. I'll admit, I wondered where they had got that idea from, but with a set name like this it's perhaps a logical conclusion after all...
On the other hand, since this set was another Kabaya exclusive, it could be - like someone pointed out on the Pharaoh one that was RSotD back in February - that this is just a mangled retranslation of the Japanese set name. I'd suspect the same was true of yesterday's set, too, given the discrepancy between a 'gun' and a catapult.
If this is the Megatax, a wonder how tiny the Minitax is.
Insectoids was ahead of it's time in terms of parts and high quality printing.
Electronic parts as well.
But who knows, maybe that also caused part of the LEGO financial struggle during the early 2000s.
I didn't have this set but I had :
2964-1: Space Spider (Didn't know this was a promotional set?)
6817-1: Beta Buzzer
6907-1: Sonic Stinger
"Megatax"… hm, that must be the minifig that makes sets in the Benelux and Northern countries more expensive than they should be, imposing an unnecessary extra 5 euros on 30-70 euro sets, an extra 10 euros on 100 euro sets… up to an extra 50 euros on the 800 euros MF…
@essel said:
""Megatax"… hm, that must be the minifig that makes sets in the Benelux and Northern countries more expensive than they should be, imposing an unnecessary extra 5 euros on 30-70 euro sets, an extra 10 euros on 100 euro sets… up to an extra 50 euros on the 800 euros MF…"
Certainly is true for many Star Wars and some other licensed sets.
$20 75214-1: Anakin's Jedi Starfightercosting €35 here.
$20 75951-1: Grindelwald's Escape €30 here.
$30 75203-1: Hoth Medical Chamber €50 here.
Somehow City sets do get Mega-taxed in the US though.
And while some people would probably say "But European sets have around 20% VAT included" , no, there are other sets with (near) equal dollar/euro prices.
VAT rates alone don't explain the differences between EU countries either.
UK pound prices are still generally a bit favored particularly now at the lower rate of €1.10, but shipping has increased a lot over the years, and soon brexit will make it apply to non-EU import rules (if no deal is reached).
There's something special and beautiful about space polybags
Insectoids was a weird line, but I think also goes to show the turmoil in LEGO at the time it was made.
@TeriXeri:
It wasn't nearly responsible for their two annual losses on its own, but it likely contributed to the situation. Mostly it would have been themes like Jack Stone, where they invested heavily in new parts that saw little use outside of a single theme, and had abysmal sales. Galidor was even worse, as most of the parts _couldn't_ be reused outside of the theme, and worse than ponying up for a simple licensing contract, they went all-in as the master license (meaning that anyone else who was crazy enough to want to produce Galidor merchandise had to sub-license the rights from The LEGO Company, for which they had to pay a much higher fee than if they just negotiated a stand-alone contract, and which I'm pretty sure never saw even a single sub-license). All they ever really got out of their Galidor investment is a new joint system that was a vast improvement on anything that preceded it, and a hard lesson learned.