Random set of the day: River Raft
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 5902 River Raft, released during 1999. It's one of 14 Adventurers sets produced that year. It contains 19 pieces and 1 minifig, and its retail price was US$4.5.
It's owned by 723 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 $22.00, or eBay.
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33 comments on this article
Must be one powerful snake to cause this raft to basically lose control and practically fall apart.
I have a couple of these sets. (Or is it 5901? Hard to tell, they were second hand.)
Max without the backpack! Even though there is one in the set.
Also, Hooray for two adventurers sets in the sidebar!!
Rudo Villaino...gosh, I'm so glad I wasn't proficient in Spanish yet back in 1999, or my appreciation for this character would've been greatly diminished. This set, however, was never looked upon fondly by my eyes. Most of the Amazon wave of Adventurers failed to impress me, and even the good stuff was pushed to the side for Star Wars sets. Honestly, I don't regret that choice.
Just hope he reaches his target before that fuse burns down
That's not a raft, that's just a pier that broke off. There's no way that doesn't get stuck on rocks and stuff.
I got that one still sealed in the polybag last year after a visit to a toy store near my home to buy a set for my birthday! They sell Lego sets since the 90s and the owner found the polybag lost in the storage. He decided to give the set to me as a present.
Recently he found 4239 as well, that one I got for the equivalent of $2.
Adventurers was the best theme, really creative and fun characters!
@legodachi said:
"Just hope he reaches his target before that fuse burns down"
It's about to blow!
@Randomness said:
"That's not a raft, that's just a pier that broke off. There's no way that doesn't get stuck on rocks and stuff."
I mean, on the one hand, you're not wrong. On the other hand, it's riding pretty high in the water, so there's either more structure that we can't see, or it's already grounded itself during the rainy season, and the waters have receded as the dry season commenced.
For the size, this set packed a punch in terms of great details and parts. The backpack with tools (if dynamite is considered a tool), the map, the rifle, the jewel and that great hat.
A backpack that can open and close. Those were the days.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @legodachi said:
"Just hope he reaches his target before that fuse burns down"
It's about to blow!"
That isn't a dynamite. It is in fact, a drawing of a dynamite.
@ElephantKnight said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @legodachi said:
"Just hope he reaches his target before that fuse burns down"
It's about to blow!"
That isn't a dynamite. It is in fact, a drawing of a dynamite."
“Find the drawing of dynamite, and turn 60° to your left. Walk ten paces…”
You can see the struggle in his face. Very nicely done.
@MCLegoboy said:
"Must be one powerful snake to cause this raft to basically lose control and practically fall apart."
Either that, or this guy is dollar store Indiana Jones.
"Oops, I lost my rifle!"
"Oops, I lost my map!"
"Oops, I lost my backpack!"
Seriously, this looks like a scene from a comedy show.
Remember these being handed out in the restaurant in Legoland one time we went; my sister didn’t want hers so I ended up with two of these. Naturally I merged them together into one big raft because of course
@Randomness said:
"That's not a raft, that's just a pier that broke off. There's no way that doesn't get stuck on rocks and stuff."
I feel like this just makes the scene cooler tbh. More high stakes.
Max Villano…must be the naive but lovable sidekick.
Loved this sub-theme, and what a cool follow up to the desert setting. Nice little boxed set at the time.
@MeisterDad said:
"A backpack that can open and close. Those were the days."
one of my favourite parts as a kid. i miss them...
The minifigure is excellent. The collection of accessories is impressive. But the raft itself is a horrible specimen of late-90s Lego decline. It's not like Lego didn't know how to make a decent polybag raft; see 1182, 1185, 6234, not to mention great raft sets like 6257 or 6261. Even the later 7070 was more raft-like, and it's pretty scary to be outshone by a set that bad. But a 6x6 plate and two 1x6 bricks felt so lazy that whole set just feels pitiful.
It's simple but effective. In the amazon rainforest the rivers would be one of your main methods of transport, so it makes good sense to have a raft for a polybag. Add all those accesories and a villain that's otherwise only in the bigger sets and you've got yourself a winner.
The snake can even provide an obstacle, some conflict, or even a companion, making the set feel complete.
Love the backpack!
I own this set and it is one of my favorites. What a winner.
You're out in the swamp on your raft
There's a massive red snake swimming around, you're about to lose your map and your rifle, you've accidentally set light to your dynamite's fuse.
You think things can't get any worse...
...then you hear banjos
@Ridgeheart said:
"Does that guy have a leech on his face? It's honestly hard to tell."
It's a scar!
I had this set, though it honestly felt to me a little like just an adventurers-themed rehash of 2537, which I also had and was very similar in design. And while it was neat to have Rudo Villano as another named character, by this point I either already had or at least had determined to get 5956 (to this day still a favourite set of mine), which also included him, so getting him just didn't feel as special as it otherwise might have.
For some reason, I feel like I actually got two of this set, for the same birthday; I feel like I vaguely recall getting one from my parents and one from a friend from school (along with some of those sweets that used to come in round plastic containers, I don't remember what they were now but I remember that container...). But if this was the case, then I have no idea what happened to the second one, because while I for sure had one of them, I have no memories of the second besides receiving it.
...maybe if I didn't open it, we took one of them back to the toy shop to exchange for something else instead? I really dunno, but we did that a couple of other times I got duplicate sets as gifts. Or maybe I just imagined there being two of it; but it's weird that I'd have that idea stuck in my memory if it wasn't the case.
Anyway, for me the most interesting part of this set was the trans-neon-green gem, I didn't have any of those parts when I got the set. And you could never go wrong with another cool Adventurers map tile, too!
...okay, correction, it was actually the 5901 version of this set that I had, the boxed version. Still, though.
@EvilTwin said:
"You're out in the swamp on your raft
There's a massive red snake swimming around, you're about to lose your map and your rifle, you've accidentally set light to your dynamite's fuse.
You think things can't get any worse...
...then you hear banjos"
This guy is about civilized man's worst enemy: stereotypical Southern hillbillies!
Quick! Hide anything that might contain the word alcohol! Got any weed? Better just chuck it in the river, because if you can hide 'em they'll find 'em! Prepare yourself, foolish mortal: the "bless your heart" statements and country-fried everything are coming!
(Yes, this is was supposed to be funny. I did say stereotypical, so I had to make it extreme. If you don't find this funny, I suggest you never watch the 1960's Beverley Hillbillies TV show or 80's remake / movie. To quote Jeff Foxworthy: "You might be redneck if you don't find this post funny!")
No matter how riv your raft is, this one is a river raft.
A small set I wish I had. Lots of great elements I don't have any of. Sad I missed out on this whole theme!
If the "River" don't rip-the-"Raft", then the Dino-might.:)
I have this one! I've actually had it on my mind to rebuild lately--mostly because I'm running out of interesting (or good) sets from my childhood collection that are still disassembled. But, given that Rudo himself has been rebuilt for fifteen-plus years, is it really worth reassembling that "raft"?