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The universe of LEGO Star Wars is changing. Some of the changes may be too subtle to notice at first, but it began more than a year ago. Before we look into the changes taking place now, and influencing the future, let us take a look at the way things have always been. Historically the LEGO licensing of the Star Wars brand has always been consistent. Star Wars had a three-year cycle between movies starting with The Phantom Menace in 1999, the year that LEGO acquired the rights. There were theatrical releases of Star Wars films in 2002, 2005, and 2008. Three years was sufficient for LEGO to create new sets and visit new ideas. Enough time passed to fully explore the themes presented in each film, and supplement them with Original Trilogy sets. In 2008, The Clone Wars presented an opportunity for an ongoing series to promote and stimulate sales of sets. The continued Media support gave the creators time to revisit and update older sets. The continued use of the same, or similar vehicles, allowed The LEGO Group to refine older designs, while simultaneously experimenting with a few new concepts. TLG created sets based on The Old Republic and The Yoda Chronicles. Those sets that performed poorly post retirement. Star Wars: Rebels received a limited number of sets. Presumably LEGO learned from the lower popularity of Intellectual Properties that were not live action Star Wars films. Each time that Lucasfilm expanded the brand, LEGO was there. (Look for the Freebuilder sets on clearance at stores near you within the next year) There was no pressing for LEGO to completely turn over all of the available products. They could phase out the previous film slowly to prepare for the next one. Original Trilogy sets could bridge the gap between the last of the previous film and the first of the new. That's most of LEGO Star Wars history. Before we proceed, let's take one last detour to the not-too-distant past. December 2014, the Millennium Falcon 7965 and X-Wing 9493 retired after nice, long runs: the TIE Fighter 9492 had also retired only a few months prior. The resellers were prepared for steady gains, because collectors that missed out were scrambling to find something that would fill a collection. It should have been at least 2 years before the next version of these iconic, and frequently remade, ships hit stores again. June 2015 rolled around and a very similar Millennium Falcon was leaked. The steady growth stalled and then fell. A new X-Wing and TIE Fighter also accompanied the Falcon, and the values stalled (momentarily) for their recently departed relatives. In December 2015, a bunch of Star Wars sets that had only been out for a year unexpectedly retired instead of reaching the average 18 month life span. In my opinion, the one year life cycle will not be an anomaly, it will become the new normal. We live in a universe where Disney is going to be releasing one Star Wars movie a year for the foreseeable future. For the first time in LEGO history, a new film will demand new product every Christmas. Long time collectors will want the new ships and characters, and new collectors will want whatever is most current. Turnover will be accelerated. I foresee the last of the Rebels packaged sets retiring in June 2016. Going forward, I believe that we'll see predominately Sequel Trilogy and Anthology sets. Refreshes will come, but they will be aligned with the film releases. Rogue One should facilitate the return of classic Original Trilogy sets. So, people who went deep on AT-ATs should be prepared for a quick return of this popular vehicle, and plan accordingly. The new version will probably have Stormtroopers and/or Scouts instead of Snowtroopers. We are less likely to see the return of Clone Wars or Prequel Trilogy sets. Some PT will be released, but they will be fewer and further apart. The fans that were kids in the PT era will have aged and become AFOLs in this new universe. They may be on the lookout for neo-classic PT sets. I'd almost expect some movement on these in the coming years. People who snapped up discounted Jedi Interceptors, Grievous Wheelbikes and other "Hero" vehicles with main characters should see good returns. The 75019 AT-TE and the 75021 Republic Gunship which featured prominently in both the Clone Wars and two of the Prequel Trilogy, are likely to gain demand. LEGO has also shown they are willing to release variations within a year; with the release of both 75102 Poe's X-Wing and 75149 Sacking of Jakku, we will have 2 concurrent X-Wings on shelves. (Although my force sense says that the Sacking of Jakku will be a store exclusive.) Some people are even speculating about a third X-Wing, a classic one, for the launch of Rogue One. Although I think that's less likely to happen in 2016. In summary, my intuition tells me that we will see faster turnover (to keep up with the new films), fewer sets from movies that do not feature events or vehicles in the new films, and potentially faster remakes of popular ships specifically because they will be featured in an upcoming films. We're also less likely to see Prequel Trilogy sets in heavy rotation as Disney moves forward with OT era and ST era sets. What does this mean for the future? "Difficult to see . . . Always in Motion is the future." We will need to look at new factors. Look for the one offs. If there is an important character that doesn't make it out of the movie alive, any set with that character will become a key later on. If there is a vehicle that is used prominently in a single film, it will become desireable later. Rey's Speeder will do nicely post retirement. It is well made, represents the vehicle nicely and is unlikely to be used in another film. It's also a cheap set that many will have ignored. It will be revisited eventually, because LEGO is never completely done with remakes, but it will be years, unlike the TIE Fighter, X-Wing, Millennium Falcon, AT-AT, etc. Will the old Han in 75105 be enough to lift that set up when another Millennium Falcon will (almost) definitely be out in 18 months? It's possible. . . Looking at recently retired, or in production Prequel Trilogy sets the Jedi Interceptors (75038, 75135) and Grievous Wheel Bike (75040) are likely to be steady gainers. The Naboo Fighter (75092) and Sith Infiltrator (75096) will probably fly under the radar for a little while before picking up steam when fans realize that they missed their last chance at retail. Did anyone notice that the AAT 75080 quietly retired? Scene builders will want some of these, and won't be able to get them from retail. The Republic Gunship and AT-TE (75019 and 75021) will probably be highly sought in the near future. Only time will tell if my predictions are right. I feel strongly that the old model has been destroyed by the (Disney) Empire. For better or worse, we should anticipate changes. In the past, OT sets were the safest bets, but with the anthology films coming, we'll see more and more of those. In addition, We'll likely see some movement on a few sleeping dogs. Imagine a Han Solo film or even one about Boba Fett without a hint of Jabba the Hutt. Unlikely I think. Now, imagine those disappointing Jabba's Palace and Sail Barge sets when TLG makes a smaller "Encounter with Jabba" set. Really, it is better to anticipate change than to be caught unaware and have to catch up. If nothing else, it's all food for thought. One addendum, premium sets like the UCS sets will always have their place and demand. That is unless The LEGO Group continues to dilute the brand with inferior playsets or future remakes. May the bricks be with you . . . always.

I have to admit that I am a fan of this ship. When I came back into LEGO collecting as an adult, I wanted Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter. I loved Star Wars, and I loved this ship. Sadly, it turned out that it was only available in the exclusive 7283 Ultimate Space Battle. I spent a lot of money bricklinking that set, only to be disappointed in how flimsy the build was. Eventually I got rid of the whole thing. I liked 9494 Anakin's Jedi Interceptor and 75038 Jedi Interceptor, but wondered if LEGO would ever revisit Obi-Wan's ship. As soon as this set was announced, my hands twitched to get one to build and review. REVIEW: SET DETAILS Set #: 75135 Name: Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor Theme: Star Wars Parts: 215 Price: $24.99 Before we get to the build, let’s talk value. At 24.99 the price per piece works out to almost $.12 each. This is on the high/middle side of pricing for a licensed set. There are 2 minifigures. The minifigures are Episode 3 Pilot Obi-Wan Kenobi and R4-P17. Both figures are unique to this set. BOX CONTENTS Some people may wind up picking up a set that is open box or, want to verify the box contents before beginning a build. For this set, there are 3 numbered baggies, a sticker sheet, and an instruction book. THE BUILD AND EXECUTION BAG 1: I've built 9494 and 75038. In fact I built and modified 75038 several times. I expected that I knew what to expect from this build. Right from the start it is different. I was pretty happy with this build. I had expected one or two inverted slope pieces, but you build it out of a variety of pieces. It's more interesting than the previous versions. I like that you're not using the same wheel pieces as usual for the thrusters. Although it doesn't look as much like a thruster port. I think that in all previous builds, the cockpit canopy was almost dead last on the build. It makes so much more sense to finish it up now instead of coming back to it. Obi-Wan wants you to have a nice day. BAG 2: Here you build the first wing. I noticed right off that instead of leaving a hole in the wing right next to the attachment points for the wing tips, it's just recessed. Notice the large void where the Astromech docking slot is. Check out the stickers. If you look at the comparison pictures at the end, you can decide if you like the sticker half hexagon, or the brick built shape on 75038. I like the details on the stickers, I just worry about them coming up later on. The blaster kind of disappointed me. It seems squat, and I dislike the gap between the cone and the rest that shows off the red pin. Here. you are building the "seat" for the droid. I was dissatisfied with how high she (yes, the droid is canonically a she) sticks up out of the port, so I tried removing some pieces. She still sticks up too high, and was impossible to remove. Although, funnily enough, her head came off and left the rest behind when I tried. (Just like in the movie.) The round bottomed plate seems perfect as a foot for resting on a flat surface. Another sticker showing off all of Obi-Wan's kills. I kind of like the difference in the slope I love the new outer wing stickers. I wish it could have been printed, but whatever. BAG 3: THis bag is pretty much the same as the last one, in mirror, without an Astromech. I'm going to skim this one a bit. Interesting that there's a big Astromech sized hole in here, I was pretty sure they were going to fill it in pretty soon. Almost the last thing you build here is a pod to attach to the bottom and fill in that hole. This made no sense and felt a little lazy since they were just mirroring the previous wing. It should have had a different design here. Hard to tell here, but the vessel does not rest on the wing pods or the base of the cockpit. It's completely on the tips of the wings. REACTION I loved this set, it was almost entirely satisfying. Some things were done better previously. I was not a fan of the Astromech socket. Poor R4 sticks entirely too far out and looks like a whack-a-mole. The fact that the ship rests on the wing tips instead of the cockpit base or even the pods on the underside of the wings is a design flaw, IMO. It places stress on the hinges that will more than likely cause them to slip and change the profile from the canted position to flat. I'm probably going to extend the lower part of the cockpit to relieve the weight on mine. I like the stickers. I can completely understand why people don't like them. Hell, in many cases I agree. I just like the added detailing that we wouldn't have gotten without them. I compared the 9494, 75038, and 75135. I liked the added detailing on the wings. I liked the kill marks and the hexagonal cutout. The brick built cut out on 75038 seemed awkward to me. I like the blasters better on the 75038. I think that the slopes are kind of a wash. I couldn't tell you which was more accurate, all I know is that I am glad to have them both. The Dark Red pieces of this set appeal to me. It goes with all of the other Republic vehicles. It's just more satisfying with the rest than Anakin's jarring yellow one. Too bad it is impossible to display with wings extended unless you build a stand for it. Both of these figures are unique. The printing on the R4-P17 is extensively, but subtly different. Obi-Wan has a serious and a worried expression. The head with headset is the only real difference between this one and the one packaged with 75040. FINAL THOUGHTS As I recently blogged about, the future of Star Wars investing is (most likely) changing. We're looking at a future that may be lacking in Prequel era sets. This particular iteration of the Jedi Interceptor has been on the backburner for over a decade. I feel like this set is sure to be a steady gainer. If you can package this with a 75038 Jedi Interceptor or even better add a couple 75041 Vulture Droids, you'll have a winner. The low buy in of this set will keep away most of the prestige level buyers that eschew anything that's not an exclusive. The relatively low level of speculator interest in the cheap sets will keep away the riff raff. Look for a price drop online in a few months as Amazon and Wal-mart try to offset buyer fatigue. Initial values will likely be low as people anticipate PT stuff to continue to be dogs. A spate of post retirement clearances will have the horde fighting each other for the bottom on this set, but stick it out. This set will have legs. Stick it in a hole and bring it out again in a couple years. I know that some of this probably sounds like the overly enthusiastic ravings of a fan, so let me sum up my thoughts. It's a hero ship that pairs nicely with existing retired items. It's unlikely to be remade anytime soon (after all it's been 11 years since the last time.) Younger fans who came of age with the Prequels and Clone Wars will be getting better jobs with more disposable income and will be looking to get sets that remind them of their youth. It's likely to get passed over because A.) it's a cheap set and easily available and B.) it's a Prequel Trilogy design so the common thinking is that it's just not as good. That last point may continue to hold some water amongst older collectors, but someone has been buying all the PT sets that have been coming out for a decade and a half. RARE PARTS I'd like to take a look at some of the rare or unique parts that are in this set. This should help to highlight the pieces that may become more valuable once this set is out of production. Trans-Black Windscreen 10X6X3 with Jedi Starfighter pattern with a square cutout was only available in 1 other set 75038 Jedi Interceptor Dark Red Flag 5x6 hexagonal was only available in 2 other sets 7283 Ultimate Space Battle and 75051 Jedi Scout Fighter Dark Red Wedge Plate 8X3 (Right and Left) were available in 2 other sets 7283 Ultimate Space Battle and 7259 ARC-170 Starfighter Dark Red Plate 1X10 was available in 3 other sets 60069 Swamp Police Station, 75019 AT-TE, and 75052 Mos Eisley Cantina Dark Red Wedge, Plate 6X3 Cut Corners was available in 2 other sets 70137 Bat Strike and 75003 A-Wing Starfighter Light Bluish Grey Tile 1x1 Round with SW Republic pattern was available in 2 other sets, 75038 Jedi Interceptor and 75076 Republic Gunship Microfighter EXTRA PIECES COMPARISON PICTURES The control areas are all different. 9494 had a joystick, 75038 had a tile with a big sticker and 75135 has nothing notable. See how much higher out of the socket R4 is than R2 Here are the new R4-P17 (left) and the older one from the Kamino Planet set (Right)

This set has been sitting on my shelf since May the Fourth. I never really got around to it, always kind of figuring I would eventually. This week its time came. I don't recall why exactly I decided to pay full retail for this except since I was trying to get a Yularen minifig. It looks good, and I don't have another model of the N-1 anymore, so maybe that was part of it. As a countdown to the Force Awakens, I will be writing at least one Star Wars review each week. REVIEW: SET DETAILS Set #: 75092 Name: Naboo Starfighter Theme: Star Wars Parts: 442 Price: $49.99 Before we get to the build, let’s talk value. At $49.99 the price per piece works out to a bit over $.11 each. This seems to be on the low/average side of pricing for a licensed set. There are 7 minifigures (9 if you count the Droidekas, which LEGO did not), of which only the Naboo Pilot is unique. (I guess it depends if you count both Droidekas.) That's actually a pretty significant number of figures for a set of this price point. BOX CONTENTS Some people may wind up picking up a set that is open box or, want to verify the box contents before beginning a build. For this set, there are 4 numbered baggies, a sticker sheet, and an instruction book. The stickers are plentiful and in most cases small, making me wonder if my sticker applications will pop out and look terrible in my pictures. (please excuse the date stamps, I didn't realize until I had already loaded them that my wife changed a setting in the camera) THE BUILD AND EXECUTION Bag 1 is a completely self contained set of parts. You create Obi-Wan and the Naboo pilot as well as a box of guns, a "hovering" (rolling) munitions cart and 2 Droidekas. The box requires one sticker and the Droids each require 2 small stickers. The droids are each 30 parts, and the poor pilot's listed accessory is handcuffs, hey whatever he's into he can do it on his own time. My wife thinks the Destroyer Droids are cute. I like them, I've built a few different iterations over the years and these are certainly the most recent. I like the Obi-Wan, mostly because I don't have another TPM Obi-Wan hanging around. He's got a 2 sided head. Bag 2 brings us the Anakin that was new for this set, the R2-D2 that has become standard since 75038 and some Battledroids, one with Commander markings. Anakin has a 2 sided head, and a helmet that you can swap out for his monster hair. In this bag, you build the basic body of the Naboo Starfighter. the only surprise to me was a Triple connector Axle/Pin piece (10288) that I originally hoped was some kind of neat way to mount the ship so that it would hover. It turned out to be the launching mechanism for the spring missiles, which are very well hidden. Bag 3 finishes off the main body of the Starfighter. Lots of stickers in this part of the build. Bag 4 is all about the engine pods, and some peripherals. The engine pods, you build at the same time. I like that you put some stuff inside to stop the various rings that might otherwise freely rotate from doing so. Some of the parts still turn, but not as many as old builds. I like the peripherals. The fuel pod that plugs into the engines make the technic pin holes look intentional. The Ladder goes well with the ship, but overbalances if you stand it by itself, and the rotating stand is nice. There were a lot of small extra parts, of course you get extra Battle Droid arms, a lightsaber hilt and a couple goggles. There's also an extra pair of handcuffs. I also include the brick separator, because I have so many of these now, and they are not a part of the build. REACTION LEGO has been building the N-1 Naboo Starfighter since almost the beginning of their license with Lucasfilm. 4 times so far. This set is successful. It's a quick build since you use up so many pieces building Destroyer droids and various carts, stands, boxes, etc. The ship itself is kind of small but then again it's supposed to be. I like how they built a concavity into the bottom of the ship to hold the stand so that it wouldn't fall off, and you don't have to snap anything into place. The button under R2-D2 to dislodge him really launched him several feet in the air when I demonstrated it for my wife. I like that the cockpit is designed to accommodate Anakin with his short legs (standing up) or the Naboo Pilot (sitting down.) FINAL THOUGHTS I feel like the new release schedule for Star Wars films will change the re-release schedule of the "classic" sets. Too many new films with their own new designs will demand shelf space that traditionally would have gone to the newest version of an older model. Prequel trilogy sets are more likely to be left in the dust in my opinion. This is due to the lingering antipathy towards the PT in general and The Phantom Menace in specific. These designs will make a comeback, fans who were children in 1999 and saw Episode 1 as their entry into the Star Wars universe are beginning to become AFOLs. In a few years, they'll probably be wondering why Pod Racers and Gungans and Droidekas are not more common. Then they'll look for sets like this. All of the new products coming up are going to demand shelf space, so I could see this set quietly making an early exit. It's not a big gainer in the short term once it goes EOL, but it should be slow and steady. There will always be some demand for Prequel Trilogy sets, even though they are less popular than the new thing, or the Original trilogy.

Welcome to this week's Best of Brick Classifieds: Star Wars Edition. The twelve featured sets have the lowest pricing available among Amazon, eBay and Brick Classifieds vendors. I have included sets from a variety of price points and Star Wars sub-themes. Click on any of the hyperlinks to view the individual set listings or click here to search all Brick Classifieds Star Wars Sets listings. Thanks to all Brick Classifieds Vendors for taking the time to offer such outstanding prices on their sets, but especially to the Vendors with the sets listed below. 1. CMStevens: LEGO Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon #10179 $4500.00 2. Bricks N Figs: LEGO Star Wars Endor Rebel Trooper and Imperial Trooper Battle Pack #9489 $30.00 3. Variety: LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader's Tie Fighter Anniversary Edition #8017 $105.00 4. BricksInc: LEGO Star Wars Clone Walker Battle Pack (4) #8014 $109.25 5. The Brick Ranch: LEGO Star Wars UCS R2-D2 #10225 (No Box, Sealed Bags) $324.95 6. Mrs Moose LEGO Emporium: LEGO Star Wars #8085 Freeco Speeder $23.99 7. thekayfabe88: LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon #7965 $188.00 8. Bricks N Figs: LEGO Star Wars Bounty Hunter Pursuit #7144 $80.00 9. Jonpo: LEGO Star Wars UCS Super Star Destroyer #10221 $890.00 10. Brichnusa:LEGO Star Wars TIE Fighter #9492 $99.89 11. KrazyBricks820: LEGO Star Wars Jedi Defender Class Cruiser Ship #75025 $85.00 12. FlipBricks: LEGO Star Wars UCS Red 5 X-Wing Starfighter #10240 $289.99