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Many Bothans died to bring us this information. The official Xbox website has launched a page showing screen captures from an upcoming entrant into the LEGO Star Wars game series. This time it is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The date given for the release of this game is 6/28/16. Players will be able to play as their favorite new and classic Star Wars character. One screen capture shows Han, Leia, and Chewbacca as they appear in the 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium set. What that means about playing older movie scenes has not been shown yet. Warner Brothers games has not officially announced the forthcoming game Is this the release that will come with the FN-2187 Polybag that has been spotted, but has no official release information? The leaked trailer on YouTube mirrors the trailer for the film. At the end it shows that the game will be released on the following platforms PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and PC. Check below for more pictures.

Probably I'm not the only one surprised by the early retirement of several quite recent Star Wars sets. I decided to make an overview of all non-polybag Star Wars sets in Europe and in the United States. The list below is the result. It is divided in subs '2013', '2014', 'January 2015', 'during 2015'. At least in the Netherlands you can find toy stores that still have some of these retired and Shop-at-home-sold-out sets, some even from 2013. Hopefully you will find this list useful in your shopping efforts. Collecting and investing conclusions: below list. This list was last updated 25 March 2016. Updates can be seen under the list. 2013 Number Name Price in USD Europe United States Miscellaneous 75000 Clone Troopers $12.99 Retired product Retired product US: 705 days 75001 Republic Troopers $12.99 Retired product Retired product US: 743 days 75002 AR-RT $19.99 Retired product Retired product US: 707 days 75003 A-Wing $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 701 days 75004 Z-95 Headhunter $49.99 Retired product Retired product US: 707 days 75005 Rancor Pit $59.99 Retired product Retired product US: 717 days 75006 Jedi Starfighter & Kamino $9.99 Not on the site Retired product US: 350 days 75007 Republic Assault Ship & Coruscant $9.99 Not on the site Retired product US: 431 days 75008 Tie Bomber & Asteroid Field $9.99 Not on the site Retired product US: 340 days 75009 Snow Speeder & Hoth $9.99 Not on the site Not on the site UK: 119 days 75010 B-Wing Starfighter & Endor $9.99 Not on the site Not on the site UK: 152 days 75011 Tantive IV & Alderaan $9.99 Not on the site Not on the site UK: 179 days 75012 BARC Speeder with side car $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 732 days 75013 Umbaran MHC Mobile Heavy Cannon $49.99 Retired product Retired product US: 743 days 75014 Battle of Hoth $49.99 Not on the site Retired product US: 352 days 75015 Corporate Alliance Tank Droid $19.99 Retired product Retired product US: 487 days 75016 Homing Spider Droid $29.99 Retired product Retired product US: 486 days 75017 Duel on Geonosis $39.99 Retired product Retired product US: 487 days 75018 Jek-14's Stealth Starfighter $69.99 Retired product Retired product US: 489 days 75019 AT-TE $89.99 Retired product Retired product US: 494 days 75020 Jabba's Sail Barge $119.99 Retired product Retired product US: 519 days 75021 Republic Gunship $119.99 Retired product Retired product US: 516 days 75022 Mandalorian Speeder $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 485 days 75023 Star Wars Advent Calendar $39.99 Not on the site Retired product US: 83 days 75024 HH-87 Starhopper $39.99 Retired product Retired product US: 533 days 75025 Jedi Defender-Class Cruiser $89.99 Retired product Retired product US: 501 days 10236 Ewok Village $249.99 Available Out of stock US: exp. 30 days 10240 UCS X-Wing Red 5 $199.99 Retired product Sold out (US: 893 days) 2014 Number Name Price in USD Europe United States Miscellaneous 75028 Clone Turbo Tank $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 441 days 75029 AAT $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 337 days 75030 Millennium Falcon $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 440 days 75031 Tie Interceptor $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 439 days 75032 X-Wing Fighter $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 438 days 75033 Star Destroyer $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 340 days 75034 Death Star Troopers $12.99 Retired product Retired product US: 618 days 75035 Kashyyyk Troopers $12.99 Retired product Retired product US: 617 days 75036 Utapau Troopers $12.99 Retired product Retired product US: 615 days 75037 Battle on Saleucami $14.99 Retired product Retired product US: 632 days 75038 Jedi Interceptor $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 607 days 75039 V-Wing Starfighter $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 283 days 75040 General Grievous' Wheel Bike $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 650 days 75041 Vulture Droid $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 364 days 75042 Droid Gunship $49.99 Retired product Retired product US: 642 days 75043 AT-AP $59.99 Retired product Retired product US: 617 days 75044 Droid Tri-Fighter $29.99 Retired product Retired product US: 676 days 75045 Republic AV-7 Anti-Vehicle Cannon $39.99 Retired product Retired product US: 658 days 75046 Coruscant Police Gunship $49.99 Retired product Retired product US: 664 days 75048 The Phantom $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 452 days 75049 Snow Speeder $29.99 Retired product Retired product US: 490 days 75050 B-Wing $49.99 Retired product Retired product US: 476 days 75051 Jedi Scout Fighter $59.99 Retired product Retired product US: 482 days 75052 Mos Eisley Cantina $69.99 Retired product Retired product US: 471 days 75053 The Ghost $89.99 Retired product Retired product US: 483 days 75054 AT-AT $99.99 Retired product Retired product US: 472 days 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer $129.99 Retired product Retired product US: 452 days 75056 Star Wars Advent Calendar $39.99 Not on the site Retired product US: 37 days 75058 MTT $89.99 Not on the site Retired product US: 511 days 75059 UCS Sand Crawler $299.99 Available Available JANUARY 2015 Number Name Price in USD Europe United States Miscellaneous 75060 UCS Slave I $199.99 Available Out of stock US: exp. 7 Apr. 75072 ARC-170 Starfighter $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 325 days 75073 Vulture Droid $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 331 days 75074 Snowspeeder $9.99 Available Available 75075 AT-AT $9.99 Available Available 75076 Republic Gunship $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 305 days 75077 Homing Spider Droid $9.99 Retired product Retired product US: 330 days 75078 Imperial Troop Transport $12.99 Available Available 75079 Shadow Troopers $12.99 Available Available 75080 AAT $24.99 Retired product Sold out (US: 346 days) 75081 T-16 Skyhopper $24.99 Retired product Retired product US: 330 days 75082 Tie Advanced Prototype $39.99 Available Available 75083 AT-DP $49.99 Retired product Retired product US: 323 days 75084 Wookiee Gunship $69.99 Retired product Retired product US: 332 days 75085 Hailfire Droid $19.99 Available Available 75086 Battle Droid Troop Carrier $39.99 Available Available 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter $39.99 Available Out of stock US: exp. 21 Apr. 75088 Senate Commando Troopers $12.99 Available Available 75089 Geonosis Troopers $12.99 Available Available 75090 Ezra's Speeder Bike $19.99 Retired product Retired product US: 347 days DURING 2015 Number Name Price in USD Europe United States Miscellaneous 75091 Flash Speeder $29.99 Available Available Av. from 1 June 75092 Naboo Starfighter $49.99 Available Available Av. from 1 June 75093 Death Star Final Duel $79.99 Available Available Av. from 1 June 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tyderium $99.99 Available Available Av. from 1 June 75095 UCS Tie Fighter $199.99 Available Out of stock Av. from 3 May US: exp. 3 Apr. 75096 Sith Infiltrator $89.99 Available Available Av. from 2 Aug. 75097 Star Wars Advent Calendar $39.99 Retired product Not on the site US: 58 days 75099 Rey's Speeder $19.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75100 First Order Snowspeeder $39.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75101 First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter $69.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75102 Poe's X-Wing Fighter $79.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75103 First Order Transporter $89.00 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75104 Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle $119.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75105 Millennium Falcon $149.99 Available Out of stock Av. from 5 Sept. Exp. 3 Apr. US 75106 Imperial Assault Carrier $129.99 Available Available Av. from 1 June 75107 Jango Fett $19.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75108 Clone Commander Cody $19.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75109 Obi-Wan Kenobi $24.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75110 Luke Skywalker $19.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75111 Darth Vader $29.99 Available Available Av. from 5 Sept. 75112 General Grievous $34.99 Available Available Av. from 9 Sept. All data were first gathered on the 25th of January 2016, except the Ewok Village and Red 5, which data were gathered on the 27th of January 2016. Data thereafter amended corresponding to the updates listed below. References: Brickset, Brickpicker and Lego Shop at Home. Exp.: "expected shipping in case item is out of stock". Av.: "first date of availability of a set". With retired sets, the number of available days is given. Green: more than two years availability. Orange: one to two years availability. Red: Less than one year availability. Updates 27 January 2016 10236 Ewok Village and 10240 X-Wing Red 5 were added. Thanks @fossilrock for the tip. 75058 MTT: changed from 'retired' in Europe to 'temporarily out of stock, retiring soon' in Europe. 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'available' in the US to 'out of stock, expected shipping Feb. 10 2016". 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'out of stock' to 'available' in Europe. 75060 Slave I: changed from 'out of stock, exp. 29 Jan.' to 'exp. 9 Feb.' in Europe. 75079 Shadow Troopers: changed from 'out of stock, exp. 30 days' to 'exp. 7 Feb.' in US. 75094 Tyderium Shuttle: changed from 'exp. 26 Jan.' to 'available' in Europe. 75095 UCS Tie Fighter: changed from 'exp. 26 Jan.' to 'available' in Europe. 75099 Rey's Speeder: changed from 'exp. 26 Jan.' to 'available' in Europe. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 29 Jan. to 'available' in Europe. 28 January 2016 10240 X-Wing Red 5: changed from 'temporary out of stock' to 'retired' in Europe. Note: was only 'temporary out of stock' for a few days; previous status: 'retired'. 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'out of stock, expected shipping Feb. 10' to 'exp. Feb. 12' in US. 75075 AT-AT: changed from 'out of stock, expected shipping 29 Jan.' to 'available' in Europe. 75101 First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter: changed from 'out of stock, exp. shipping 29 Jan.' to 'available' in Europe. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'temporary out of stock' to 'available' in Europe. 29 January 2016 10236 Ewok Village: changed from 'temporary unavailable' to 'available' in US. 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'exp. 12 Feb.' to '13 Feb.' in US. 75060 UCS Slave I: changed from 'exp. 7 Feb.' to 'available' in US. 75078 Imperial Troop Transport: changed from 'exp. 26 Jan.' to 'available' in EU. 75079 Shadow Troopers: changed from 'exp. 7 Feb. US' to 'available' in US. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Mar.' in US. 75096 Sith Infiltrator: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' to '17 Mar.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 13 Feb.' in US. 30 January 2016 75078 Imperial Troop Transport: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 11 Feb.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'available' to 'temporary OOS' in EU. 31 January 2016 75078 Imperial Troop Transport: changed from 'exp. 11 Feb.' to 'exp. in 30 days' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 6 Feb.' to 'exp. in 30 days' in US. 1 February 2016 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 1 Mar.' in EU. 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'exp. 13 Feb.' to '14 Feb.' in US. 75078 Imperial Troop Transport: changed from 'exp. in 30 days' to '14 Feb.' in US. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter: changed from 'exp. 17 Mar. to '15 Feb.' in US. 75096 Sith Infiltrator: changed from 'exp. 17 Mar." to '15 Feb.' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. in 30 days' to 'exp. 6 Feb.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'exp. 13 Feb.' to '14 Feb.' in US. 2 February 2016 75060 UCS Slave I: changed from 'exp. 9 Feb.' to '8 Feb.' in EU. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 6 Feb.' to 'exp. in 30 days' in US. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: changed from 'temporary unavailable' to 'available' in EU. 3 February 2016 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter: changed from 'exp. 15 Feb. to '14 Feb.' in US. 75096 Sith Infiltrator: changed from 'exp. 15 Feb. to '14 Feb.' in US. 75095 UCS Tie Fighter: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 8 Feb.' in EU. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. in 30 days' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' in US. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: changed from 'available' to 'temporary unavailable' in EU. 75110 Luke Skywalker: changed from 'available' to 'temporary unavailable' in EU. 4 February 2016 10236 Ewok Village: changed from 'exp. 9 Feb.' to 'available' in EU. 75058 MTT: says 'temporarily unavailable, retiring soon' but when clicking on entry it says 'sold out' in EU. 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'exp. 14 Feb.' to 'available' in US. 75060 UCS Slave I: changed from 'exp. 8 Feb.' to 'available' in EU. 75078 Imperial Troop Transport: changed from 'exp. 14 Feb.' to 'available' in US. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter: changed from 'exp. 14 Feb. to 'available' in US. 75095 UCS Tie Fighter: changed from 'exp. 8 Feb.' to 'available' in EU. 76096 Sith Infiltrator: changed rom 'exp. 14 Feb.' to 'available' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: says 'temporarily unavailable' but when clicking on entry it says 'exp. 10 Feb.' in EU. 75107 Jango Fett: says 'temporarily unavailable' but when clicking on entry it says 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: says 'temporarily unavailable' but when clicking on entry it says 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75110 Luke Skywalker: says 'temporarily unavailable' but when clicking on entry it says 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75111 Darth Vader: says 'temporarily unavailable' but when clicking on entry it says 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75111 General Grievous: says 'temporarily unavailable' but when clicking on entry it says 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 5 February 2016 75058 MTT: changed from 'temporarily OOS retiring soon OR Sold out' to 'Sold out' in EU. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' to 'exp. 19 Feb.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'exp. 14 Feb.' to 'available' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'temporarily unavailable' OR exp. 10 Feb.' to 'exp. 10 Feb.' in EU. 75107 Jango Fett: changed from 'temporarily unavailable' OR exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: changed from 'temporarily unavailable' OR exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75110 Luke Skywalker: changed from 'temporarily unavailable' OR exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75111 Darth Vader: changed from 'temporarily unavailable' OR exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 75112 General Grievous: changed from 'temporarily unavailable' OR exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' in EU. 6 February 2016 75058 MTT: changed from 'sold out' to 'not on the website' in EU. 7 February 2016 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 19 Feb.' to 'exp. 18 Feb. OR 19 Feb.' in US. 8 February 2016 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' OR 1'9 Feb.' to 'exp. in 30 days' OR '18 Feb.' in US. 75060 Slave I: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' in EU. 9 February 2016 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. in 30 days' OR '18 Feb.' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'exp. 10 Feb.' to 'exp. 25 Feb.' in EU. 75107 Jango Fett: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75110 Luke Skywalker: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75111 Darth Vader: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75112 General Grievous: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' to 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 10 February 2016 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' in US. 75060 UCS Slave 1: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' in US. 75082 Tie Advanced Prototype: changed from 'available' to 'exp. in 30 days' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' OR 'exp. in 30 days' in US. 75107 Jango Fett: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75110 Luke Skywalker: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75111 Darth Vader: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 75112 General Grievous: changed from 'exp. 17 Feb.' OR exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' in EU. 11 February 2016 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' OR 'exp. 26 Feb.' in US. 75060 UCS Slave I: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' to 'exp. 18 Feb.' OR 'exp. 26 Feb.' in US. 75085 Hailfire Droid: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 17 Mar.' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' OR 'exp. in 30 days' to 'exp. in 30 days' OR 'exp. 18 Feb.' in US. 75107 Jango Fett: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' in EU. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' in EU. 75110 Luke Skywalker: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' in EU. 75111 Darth Vader: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' in EU. 75112 General Grievous: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' to 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' in EU. 12 February 2016 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'exp. 26 Feb.' to 'available' in US. 75060 Slave I: changed from 'exp. 26 Feb.' to 'available' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 18 Feb.' to 'exp. 30 days' in US. 75107 Jango Fett: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' to 'available' in EU. 75108 Clone Commander Cody: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' to 'available' in EU. 75110 Luke Skywalker: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' to 'available' in EU. 75111 Darth Vader: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' to 'available' in EU. 75112 General Grievous: changed from 'exp. 16 Feb.' OR 'available' to 'available' in EU. 14 February 2016: no changes vs. 12 February. 13 February not checked. 15 February not checked. 16 February 2016 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'available' to 'exp. 29 Feb.' in US. 75059 Sand Crawler: changed from 'exp. 1 Mar.' to 'exp. 24 Feb.' in EU. 75060 Slave I: changed from 'exp. 19 Feb.' to 'available' in EU. 75082 Tie Advanced Prototype: changed from 'exp. 30 days' to 'exp. 29 Feb.' in US. 75085 Hailfire Droid: changed from 'exp. 17 Mar.' to 'available' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: changed from 'exp. 30 days' to 'exp. 29 Feb.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: changed from 'exp. 25 Feb.' to 'exp. 24 Feb.' in EU. 17 February 2016: no changes. 18 February 2016 75059 Sand Crawler: from 'exp. 24 Feb.' to 'available' in EU. 22 February (19-21: not checked) 75059 Sand Crawler: from 'exp. 29 Feb.' to 'exp. 5 Mar.' in US. 75082 Tie Advanced Prototype: from 'exp. 29 Feb.' to 'exp. 5 Mar.' in US. 75093 Death Star Final Dual: from 'available' to 'exp. 6 Mar.' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: from 'exp. 29 Feb.' to 'exp. 10 Mar.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: from 'exp. 24 Feb.' to 'available' in EU. 1 March (22-29: not checked) 75059 Sand Crawler: from 'exp. 5 Mar.' to 'available' in US. 75082 Tie Advanced prototype: from 'exp. 5 Mar.' to 'available' in US. 75093 Death Star Final Dual: from 'exp. 6 Mar.' to 'available' in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: from 'exp. 10 Mar.' to 'exp. 14 Mar.' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: from 'available' to 'exp. 13 Mar.' in US. 25 March (2-24: not checked) 10240 Ewok Village: from 'available' to 'exp. 30 days' in US. 75034 Death Star Troopers: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75035 Kashyyyk Troopers: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75036 Utapau Troopers: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75037 Battle on Seleucami: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75040 General Grievous' Wheel Bike: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75043 AT-AP: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75044 Droid Tri-fighter: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75045 Republic AV-7 Anti-Vehicle Cannon: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75045 Coruscant Police Gunship: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75049 Snowspeeder: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75050 B-Wing: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75051 Jedi Scout Fighter: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75052 Mos Eisley Cantina: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75053 The Ghost: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75054 AT-AT: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75058 MTT: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75060 Slave I: from 'available' to 'exp. 7 Apr. in US. 75072 ARC-170 Starfighter: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75076 Republic Gunship: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75077 Homing Spider Droid: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75081 T-16 Skyhopper: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75083 AT-DP: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75084 Wookie Gunship: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter: from 'available' to 'exp. 21 Apr. in US. 75090 Ezra's Speeder Bike: from 'sold out' to RETIRED in US. 75095 UCS Tie Fighter: from 'available' to 'exp. 3 Apr. in US. 75102 Poe's X-Wing: from 'exp. 14 Mar.' to 'available' in US. 75105 Millennium Falcon: from 'exp. 13 Mar.' to 'exp. 3 Apr.' in US. Conclusions and perceptions (attention, SPOILER ALERT as regards which vehicles aren't featured in the new Star Wars movie!) In 2013 there were 26 new Star Wars sets. All have been retired or at least can't be found on LEGO Shop at Home anymore. In 2014 there were 30 new Star Wars sets. In Europe all of these but the UCS Sand Crawler have already been retired. The Sand Crawler is out of stock until tomorrow (expectedly). The Sand Crawler is also the only available set in the United States. The 'sold out' sets will probably retire soon. Whether the Sand Crawler (the last surviving Star Wars set of 2014) will be retired soon, isn't clear. On the one hand, it's a special set (UCS). On the other hand, it isn't featured in The Force Awakens. I recommend you don't wait too long to buy this set, just to be sure. If you happen to find any 2013 or 2014 sets on the shelves of your local toy store, now is probably your last chance to get them. Beginning 2015 there were 20 new Star Wars sets. Remarkably, 9 of them have already retired, 1 sold out (in Europe). Several of the other sets being out of stock and none of them having specific reference to the new movie, it seems likely the remaining half of these sets will be retired soon. If you can find a retired 2015 set in your shop, now is the time. These will probably become collector items, having only been available during 1 year. Out of those sets I personally have highest expectations of 75083 AT-DP. During 2015, 21 sets were issued. 7 of them deal with subjects found in the new movie. For easy reference, these are marked blue in the above schedule. Half of these sets are out of stock in Europe. I personally see this as an early retirement warning (especially for the non-Force-Awakens-sets), but opinions on this may differ. For the sake of completeness: no sets exist for numbers 75026, 75027, 75047 and 75061 to 75071. According to Brickset, 75057 is going to be a 2016 Marvel set (?) and 75098 is going to be a 2016 Star Wars set. View full blog article

In a 2 day competition, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Arizona conducted a unique job interview searching for their new LEGO Master Model Builder. In the food court of the Arizona Mills mall 46 applicants participated in a build off to find the most qualified person for the job. What is a Master Model Builder? They are the person that creates the models and displays that decorate the location. They are the face of the LEGOLAND location, communicating with the press and the public alike. They run the minibuilds for the kids and special events, as well as creating seasonal and special displays. I was informed that in November they will be creating a new Star Wars display in this location. Creativity and execution are important, so are working well with a team and kids. Inside the mall on the morning of January 30, registration opened early, the competition was to begin at 9:00 AM. Some applicants had arrived from out of state the night before, others very early that morning. Nervousness and excitement intermixed. The very last applicant registered slightly before the cutoff time. Some applicants had preregistered online, others filled out their application that morning. As they signed in, they were divided into 4 groups. At the start time, the groups were given the theme that they would build. Each group got half an hour to build an animal. There were 16 elements spread across 6 colors from a 1x3 yellow tile to a 1x8 white brick. There were large tubs of bricks that the builders could choose from. The judges watched them build, and watched each contestant interact with the spectators and the other builders. Enthusiastic kids helped to sort bricks and pieces for the contestants and offer suggestions. At the end of the half hour, each group took their build to the judging area. After 4 hours of building, the judges spent another hour whittling the applicants to 20. The semi-finalists were divided into 2 groups and given the theme "Under the Sea." Each group was again given half an hour to build. The semi-finalists were whittled down to 10 and the day was done. After 8 hours, 46 had become 10, and they each had a chance to go home and contemplate the theme for the following day. On Sunday, they would have to build something that represented them. Now, job interviews usually consist of an actual interview, and this one was no different. Early Sunday morning, each of the finalists had to return and be interviewed by representatives of Merlin Entertainment Group. Merlin is the holding company that runs LEGOLAND, Sealife Aquariums, Madame Tussaud's and more. Each of the contestants arrived for their interview, tired from being up late trying to figure out their design. Some had spent the night trying to construct their ideas from bricks, others drawing on graph paper. But now it was time to put their best foot forward. Once the interviews were completed, they still had hours to wait until the afternoon's competition. At 3PM the second day's competition was scheduled to begin. The area had been cleaned and set up again, all the spilled LEGO bricks back in tubs. The Finalist's builds were on display, no hint of those who did not make the cut. Spectators gathered around the tables again, excited to see the end of the competition. Each finalist was introduced to the new crowd and the final event commenced. Families and friends cheered on their champion. Kids alternately helped or hindered the contestants. The finalists were mostly engaging and friendly, chatting with the kids and asking their opinions. Some were boisterous. Judges again toured the area, observing the builds, asking questions and seeing how they all interacted. When the time was up, they stood, hands held high. Relief mingled with hope. Each contestant chatted nervously with friends, family members, spectators and each other. They were each taken to be interviewed for local TV while the judges made their final decision. At 4 PM the final announcement was made, the winner was crowned with a hard hat. Alecsander Posta was the new Master Model Builder. He was given a brick built goblet and they dumped a bucket of LEGO over his head. Those who did not win were very gracious. Congratulations Alecsander, we look forward to seeing you on opening day.

Yesterday I was contacted by the website Tech Insider to help them list the Top 25 most valuable sets of All Time. It was good timing too since I did run the price guide numbers recently. With no real big surprise, Star Wars led the pack with getting 10 sets into the list. I think the one surprise is getting a set from 2015 in there with the Bat-Pod. No one is really sure how long that will remain in the list and if aftermarket builders will do a good enough job on the "fakes" to kill that market. Good old Mr Gold is still going strong after a few years and holding onto a value greater than $1,500. If you are lucky enough to have every set on this list, you are holding onto a pretty nice bundle of cash, $35,277.95! So the big question is, how many sets on this list do you own? SET NUMBER SET NAME THEME YEAR VALUE (NEW) VALUE (USED) 10179 Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon Star Wars 2007 $3,987.40 $2,499.34 10189 Taj Mahal Advanced Models 2008 $2,732.93 $1,219.53 10196 Grand Carousel Advanced Models 2009 $2,593.27 $1,450.53 3450 Statue of Liberty Advanced Models 2000 $1,998.87 $1,282.00 10181 Eiffel Tower Advanced Models 2007 $1,781.60 $851.87 10030 Imperial Star Destroyer Star Wars 2002 $1,744.00 $1,030.40 10182 Cafe Corner Advanced Models 2007 $1,676.13 $773.25 10143 Death Star II Star Wars 2005 $1,656.87 $875.11 710019 Mr Gold Collectable Minifigures 2013 $1,558.88 - 10190 Market Street Factory 2007 $1,537.40 $729.13 5004590 Bat-Pod DC Comics Super Heroes 2015 $1,530.20 $700.00 10129 Rebel Snowspeeder Star Wars 2003 $1,365.53 $734.13 10019 Rebel Blockade Runner Star Wars 2001 $1,199.20 $718.33 852293 Castle Giant Chess Set Gear/Board Games 2008 $1,128.20 $513.60 10134 Y-wing Attack Starfighter Star Wars 2004 $1,067.60 $621.93 10185 Green Grocer Advanced Models 2008 $959.93 $674.27 10221 Super Star Destroyer Star Wars 2011 $881.33 $687.20 7191 X-wing Fighter Star Wars 2000 $848.87 $320.80 10018 Darth Maul Star Wars 2001 $807.13 $388.60 10187 Volkswagen Beetle Advanced Models 2008 $754.13 $423.27 10173 Holiday Train Trains 2006 $734.40 $359.47 10210 Imperial Flagship Pirates 2010 $731.61 $477.20 10175 Vader's TIE Advanced Star Wars 2006 $673.20 $387.73 8275 Motorized Bulldozer Technic 2007 $671.87 $257.87 21021 Marina Bay Sands Architecture 2013 $657.40 $353.17 Here are quick breakdowns by Theme:

Welcome to a (maybe?) regular update on what I'm currently investing in. While some would prefer to read through threads to listen to various members' opinions about what they are buying – or not buying, as the case may be, I think some folks would rather save some time and get the real scoop on what Big Blue Dog Bricks (BBDBricks) is up to. In this case, putting my money where my mouth is and telling readers what I bought this week, and why. Big Blue Dog Bricks: What I'm Investing In Now: Guardians of the Galaxy Edition! I'm a small to medium-sized investor, height wise, weight wise and probably also in terms of total investment. I've sold around 30k or so (before fees, shipping, taxes, etc) in the last three years, so not big time but not exactly green around the investment ears. I started small, with about 1k in the first several months and built from there, so I imagine this post might appeal to those either at a similar level of investment or who want to move from having a closet full of Lego to a basement full of Lego without being a hoarder. (For clarification, the Macks are hoarders, in that they don't sell their sets, while I regularly shift inventory to make room for more inventory) What I bought this week: Guardians of the Galaxy Sets! It is time, sheeple, to follow my advice and grab a few complete sets of this line before the ship sails off into the EOL night. As an investment vehicle this small theme within the larger Marvel line has quite a few things going for it right now and not too many negatives. Pros: Pretty solid movie: I double checked the box office haul just now and, if Wikipedia is to be trusted, made $774 million dollars worldwide, which is perhaps a little more than 'solid'. As a casual superheroes fan Guardians of the Galaxy (GotG) wasn't well known to me and I imagine others were also not as familiar with GotG storylines, villains and heroes as well. Despite not being as ubiquitous as Batman, Superman, Spiderman et al, the movie managed to do pretty darn well. If people will spend money to go the cinema, it stands to reason they might want licensed toys as well. Of course, that alone isn't enough of a pro on its own, so let's also consider some other positives. 18 month mark: The Milano Spaceship Rescue and Starblaster Showdown have already moved to Sold Out on Shop at Home. They may or may not come back, but as of this writing that is where these two sets stand. The Knowhere Escape Mission is still available, but it seems unlikely it will not succumb to its fate sooner rather than later. This week I grabbed six Milano sets from Wal-mart.ca, 50% off. I laughed when I saw the sticker on the outside of the original Lego shipping boxes – Do Not Put on Shelf Before June 1, 2014. Clearly, initial demand didn't require Wal-mart to open these bad boys up, or they perhaps got stuck behind other boxes and patiently sat in a warehouse somewhere for the last year and a half. At any rate, they are mine, now, and I love them (especially at 50% off) . Even though these might not be available at the official Lego website, it should be possible to get creative and add these sets to your stash over the next couple months from other retailers. 18 months is a standard (well, I don't know if this word applies to any Lego sets anymore) cycle and I'm glad they seemingly aren't extending production for a full two years (or more) which would make the opportunity window potentially much smaller before new sets hit with the sequel. Now is a great time to buy, as your hold time will be significantly less than many who hit up clearance sales last fall or this winter/spring/summer. Definite sequel coming: Always good news – wait, almost always? My worries with slightly less well known licensed lines is that they will drift more towards Lone Ranger or Prince of Persia type returns. It is easy to forget that LR still had a large box office return even though critics didn't especially love it (or even like it). Box office alone doesn't an investment make. A sequel slated for 2017 means GotG will certainly be back in front of the consumer in perhaps another 18 months. This could be a double-edged sword if the new (probable) Lego sets are too similar to those out now, or worse, a straight up remake of, say, the Milano. That being said, if the current sets get the retired tag there should be a window to sell, and a savvy Brickpicker should have leaks about the upcoming sets long before the general public does, and can act accordingly. Although I am buying these sets, I'm certainly not going 20-30 complete sets deep. I think it might be hard to move that many at a decent return and the window is too short to go all in, at least for BigBlue. Easily collectible: Unlike a lot of other lines, there are only three sets. I think this is advantageous for a few reasons. Number one, easy to invest in. I've spent the last couple of weeks searching out deals to get complete sets for future selling. Number two, easy for buyers to get all three at once without breaking the bank. It appeals to a lot more collectors. I personally hate starting to collect (for myself or my family) in a theme with a crazy amount of sets as I am a bit neurotic and like to have ALL OF THEM. Having an uncompleted theme of all the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings sets makes my brain uneasy. I think the phenomena is common, or at least I tell myself that to make myself feel better. This is a neat and tidy package of three, relatively easy to list and ship together. Having one offs, even if you got them at a great discount, might be harder to move even if priced well. As a collector, I hate paying for shipping more than once, so if I want sets I seek out lots. I can't imagine the majority of future buyers wanting to shell out over MSRP + shipping for one of the three sets, when listings for the whole line are also available. Obviously, those buying gifts or completing partially collected sets would be interested in single set sales, but my gut says most serious buyers post-EOL are going to be collectors looking for all three. Prove me right, Marvel collectors! Cons: There are cons, and not the convicts terrorizing the Lego City sets. Although I'm pretty confident the sequel will do well at the box office, even if it isn't as good or nearly as good as the original, the threat of a remade Milano scares me. Chinese counterfeiters scare me too, but I still think the target market I'm selling to is interested in the sets and genuine Lego products. Another major con is I think these have a definite ceiling in terms of growth. I've been able to source my complete sets at around 40% off MSRP or better (for all three) with some careful planning and buying, so I think my risk level is quite low. That being said, I don't expect double MSRP by next Christmas and would be quite content with perhaps 20% over MSRP sales. Anything more would be a bonus, and I'm only looking to move around 5-10 lots, definitely not more. These are a nice tangential investment for me, and might be a good call for a small to medium-sized investor who is looking for a short(ish) hold with a decent return, provided they are carefully sourced with maximal discounts. I'm certainly not advocating lining your stockroom with these sets, especially at or near MSRP, but I think there will be a window to make a decent return.