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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/21/2016 in all areas

  1. I do not think Snopes means what you think it means.
    9 points
  2. Finally finished the 10178 Motorized At-at that I picked up used the other day for $40. It was our first At-At build and our first build of any Lego motorized set, so it was a hit with the kids. I think it is my favorite SW set that I have built thus far.
    9 points
  3. Friends and family event at toysrus starting tomorrow. 20% entire purchase. Check your emails
    7 points
  4. Here is my two bit opinion - I think lego is producing too many sets at the moment, and it wouldn't hurt them to produce less. When I go into walmart now, they take up a whole aisle. No other manufacturer has that luxury and I think that tells me they are producing too much. There should probably be no more than 5 new exclusives per year. One Star Wars exclusive set is enough, and i'd be ok with 3 over a 2 year span, but 3 in a year? Overkillin'. But I got to say, if you haven't sold your grand carousel, snowspeeder, or VW beetle etc when it went 5x, well then that's kind of your fault. It's like that old adage - you have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them. I would like to see lego drop the sets they produce by about 30%. Sometimes less is more.
    7 points
  5. Favourite modular built so far (Vs GE and PC) but have a BB and DO ready to go. This thing is never going to retire.
    6 points
  6. Finally I bricklinked 10182 cafe corner!!! So happy about it! Substitute a few bricks, but I'm pretty happy with the final product. Got into Lego collecting too late, missed a lot of good sets including this. Thanks for bricklink, saved me a lot of money.
    6 points
  7. TRU does have a humorous way of showing their appreciation to family and friends. lol
    5 points
  8. What do people think? If this is what it actually is, there's going to be a lot of disappointment. Maybe this is TLG way to get people excited about the Hoth set, since this actually makes the Hoth set look good!
    5 points
  9. Is it on half price clearance yet?
    5 points
  10. More PEE than usual at KMart.
    5 points
  11. They should've done it today, they would've had a lot more business.
    5 points
  12. I think it´s normal that every theme should have a flagship exclusive - why should it only be Creator expert (CITY for AFOLS) and Star Wars (Space for the nerdier AFOLS that spend hours overanalysing and complaining how many prints a limited Stormtrooper torso should have then collect them all anyway)? In many cases, they are acquiring a license and want to wring every last dollar they can out of it (Disney business plan). Surprised they didn´t do a really big JW set, demand was there last year. It´s also probably a way they can get back a share of the secondary market as they have seen people willing to pay 2 or 3x RRP for some popular retired sets so why not cater for those people by offering them more pieces for the same price if they can afford it? Definitely a pity that there seems to be more rehashing going on and this will certainly continue to impact negatively on secondary market values for themes that now become vulnerable. On the other hand, done themes like Harry Potter, will continue to grow as their rarity value in a world of remakes increases - unless Lego decides to make a "best of" reissue series. Then we can all start popping seals and building what´s left of our portfolios!
    5 points
  13. In case you haven't noticed.......today is 4/20. Alpine is on break ALL Day today.
    5 points
  14. Tru family and friends coupon
    4 points
  15. Well, they ran out of ideas so they have to start reproducing the oldies. Good ideas are just so hard to come by!
    4 points
  16. It's kind of funny seeing almost the exact same scene on the box above it.
    4 points
  17. I do believe there are many members here who just want the value of their current collection, like the info/news, deals, and enjoy the community.
    4 points
  18. I'm really excited to announce that my collection of LEGO labels has been significantly enhanced to include almost every current LEGO Technic element. This latest "Version 2.3" of my label collection adds 82 LEGO Technic parts for a total of over 600 labels across System and Technic!I added labels for 82 important Technic elements to this update.LEARN MORE AND DOWNLOAD AT: http://brickarchitect.com/labels/Technic Lovers, please give the labels a try and let me know what you think! I'm happy to add additional labels to make the collection more useful to you.Sincerely,---tomP.S. While Technic is not my focus, I recently built 42043 Mercedes Benz Arocs, which was my first modern Technic set. It was challenging, but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot!
    4 points
  19. My Kmart smells like PEE, but they don't have any PEE sets in stock
    4 points
  20. All driving an expensive car means is that you drive an expensive car. In the US the #1 car driven by a millionaire isn't a Ferrari or a Porsche, it's the Ford F-150.
    4 points
  21. 4 points
  22. LEGO Elves was launched in March 2015. This set was released in a small second wave late that summer. I purchased this set at RRP a few days after release, but it has taken me until now to actually put it together. Below is my finished product: SET DETAILS: Set #: 41078 Name: Skyra's Mysterious Sky Castle Theme: LEGO Elves Parts: 808 Regular Retail Price: $79.99 BOX CONTENTS For this set, there are 7 numbered bags, one loose 6 X 12 dark sand beige plate, one sticker sheet, one pegasus-style horse and one thick 132 page instruction book. I liked that the book was a single binding as compared to the multiple inconsistently-sized variety I have seen in other sets. SET AND BUILD OVERVIEW: I will start with the figures, as they are assembled in bags 1 and 3. Mini Dolls (Queen Skyra, Naida the water elf, and Emily Jones) and Pegasus: And their capes: The smaller capes are the standard coarse material while the full-length cape is of a softer, silkier variety. I would like to point out that I had some difficulty stacking both of Queen Skyra’s capes on her very slender neck and then attaching her head. Once assembled, I enjoy the look of the white embellished “collar” against the dark violet cape. Basic assembly of the other figures was fairly simple. It is always a bit tricky to snap the round tile onto the curved elf hand. The pegasus design is nice, but I found myself trying to figure out how to position the wings while the creature is standing. Fully upright wings look too heavy, but when they are placed in a downward posture, I think the animal looks vaguely wounded. BUILDING THE STRUCTURE: Bags 1 through 4 assemble as independent structures. At the end of 4, three of them are connected to provide the base of the finished build while the structure from bag 1 remains separate. (I had a picture of this, but used the box as the background. When putting my review together this image was scrapped because it was hard to see what was box art vs. built pieces in front). Bags 5 and 6 are also assembled independently of the structure, but the resulting piece is attached at the end of the instructions for bag 6. It was a bit tricky to determine the point of attachment for this upper deck. Further scrutiny led me to decide the bottom plate should be flush with the frontmost part of its supporting structure (completed in bag 2). I’m not sure if one could build 5 directly attached to structure 2 because of the portal mechanism. Bag 7 contained all of the finishing touches including the lilac turrets, elemental keys, leaves and jewels. The elemental keys are pretty great looking: But they have no mechanical function (with regard to opening the portal) when they are positioned as pictured in the instructions. I cannot explain this, so I guess I need to watch the show... THE GOOD AND THE BAD: I love the colors! Despite my distaste for mini dolls, Elves is one of my must buy themes because of the colors, shapes, and unique pieces. I like the design of the Element elements. The lilac fences, use of transparent and jewel accents, and the fact that it’s a castle drew me to this one in particular. Build was fairly straightforward and simple without becoming boring or tedious. There was a bit of trouble trying to line up the mech and axle beneath the portal, but I was able to work it out with some determination. NOTE: Younger builders may need assistance with this. The biggest flaw, in my opinion, was the mechanism that opens and closes the portal. It was slightly confusing trying to get it all lined up, and in the end, the portal is activated by turning a large knob. (Again, maybe I need to watch the show). Perhaps Skyra’s sceptre was supposed to turn it, but it doesn’t fit. I think you could use one of the keys, but I believe the idea is that each key needs to be in place to activate the portal. My best guess is that the portal is opened and closed by magic forces, so the actual opening mechanism is not intended to be part of the play function, but I found it disappointing. In my opinion, magic levers should be behind the active play area to maintain the illusion. Queen Skyra: "If you wish to return home, Emily Jones, I must summon the power of the mysterious sky hand to open the portal." Awkward maneuvering as Sky Hand presents itself and completes a quarter-turn of the center pedestal Emily Jones: "Thank you Queen. Your mysterious sky castle is mysterious no more." My only other gripe is regarding the stickers. Although I don’t particularly enjoy ANY stickers, these were the worst kind. I have yet to figure out how to keep my fingerprints from becoming a permanent addition to the application of transparent stickers. I have trouble with small decals as it is, so tweezers or gloves seem to me that they would only add to the clumsiness. Thankfully, all decorated pieces after bag 5 are all pre-printed. All said and done, I enjoyed building it. I understand that the build-by-section method is accepted as a good way to break up the build, but I did find myself asking when is this going to turn into one integrated piece. (I’m still not sure where to position the earth doorway or the dining table). Spare parts: I found it odd that there were so many duplicate spares. The additional fuchsia (official color name?) flowers give the builder an option to balance the bouquets into three of each color (which I prefer). Each round 1 x 1 element tile also has a backup. I can always use extra cherries and cookies, but it would appear that I may have already misplaced one of those spare cookies. INVESTMENT POTENTIAL? My best guess is that this will have little demand as a set. There are some new and unique elements from a parts perspective, but there’s no real way to tell if they will stay rare as more sets are produced. If you can pick one up for yourself or as a gift, great. If plan to buy this as an investment, I think you will be hard-pressed to find a buyer desperate enough for this one to pay above RRP. (As of now, this set is already being reduced at major retail outlets). That's my two cents. Thanks for listening. Disclaimer: This being my first published review, I recognize that my photography leaves a lot to be desired. I appreciate your patience through my learning stage.
    3 points
  23. Define investment. SW was a great set upon release at the Lego store with Double VIP and Promo instasold on eBay for $165. QFLL > LTH
    3 points
  24. 3 points
  25. A couple more FBA sales: Endor & Imperial Troop BP 9489 - $40 Croc Swamp Hideout 70014 - $125 - Sometimes there are winners in even the weakest performing themes. I found this one lingering at TRU in December for about $50. Unfortunately I didn't buy more earlier.
    3 points
  26. Carousel is 7+ years old. UCS Falcon is going on 10+. They're obviously going in a theme park/ride direction and STAR WARS is experiencing a resurgence. It'd be bad business for them to NOT remake these....particularly if the buying public/AFOL/people who have come out of their Dark Ages are asking for cheaper alternatives to the secondary market.
    3 points
  27. If they continue to remake large sets on a regular basis, they just won't be worth much after retirement. It's more than just people waiting it out for the next version though. These big sets aren't selling hundreds a day like can easily happen with the smaller sets. Even a 10 year window won't be enough time to move all the inventory at prices that will make it worth all the hassle of dealing with them. The general mentality now seems to be to wait out the initial flippers then sell in 2-3 years after retirement. That's going to be a problem when there's a possible remake a couple years after that and there's thousands of units that everyone is going to be trying to move at the same time. I'm just looking at it strictly from an investment point of view. Obviously, it's great for everyone who just wants a set to put on their shelf, but it is not good for people hoping to make a worthwhile return on them.
    3 points
  28. Yes, KMart is now equal in the retail industry to Ross, but with higher prices.
    3 points
  29. I beg to differ. It shows that you either: 1.) Have the credit to secure an expensive car 2.) Have have a relative (mom, dad, uncle) that was nice enough to buy you a car 3.) Actually have cash. It is a TERRIBLE indicator how someone is doing on the whole financially. While you might have the income to buy a car, it does not mean you are smart with money. There are many people I have met over the years that drive Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Acura, or whatever vehicle you might insert here, but ultimately, they are not wealthy. There are many people who feel the need to keep up with everyone else. Many can afford a nice car, but ultimately it is not the best indicator. On the same front, I have met many people out there, who aren't flashy, don't own anything of consequence, but ultimately, they are more financially secure than people with six figure salaries. There is a BIG difference between making a good salary and being financially secure. Many people just feel the need to keep up with Jones'. Ultimately, it's your bank statements and portfolio statements that truly tell you someone's worth. Not what car you drive or what clothes you wear. It was from a very famous book from the 1990's "The Millionaire Next Door." It primarily discusses the attributes of millionaires. The reason it is the F-150 is because the majority of millionaires in the US are not rock stars and actresses. They are business owners. Business owners need cars that are usable and have utility. You aren't going to be moving much stock in a Ferrari or Porsche.
    3 points
  30. Yesterday there was a completely off-topic discussion of Jimmy John's, their customer appreciation day ($1 subs) and the chain's rightfully controversial owner. As someone who long ago worked in a sub shop in a related chain, I can definitively tell you that $1 doesn't come close to covering the food cost for one of their subs, let alone the labor and overhead, and thus today of all days if you feel like a cheap sandwich but don't want your money going to an utter jerk, you should feel fine. You're costing him money! Just never go back again and you're all good.
    3 points
  31. Sorry but I'm not sure i agree that more choice erodes demand because they're opening new sectors to high end sets. A technic porsche guy might have no interest in star wars, i love the star wars stuff but no interest whatsoever in minecraft, same with Ninjago. Disney Castle well that has a pretty broad spectrum of appeal. You also have to realise that children's toy budgets have gone through the roof. And where a £200 lego set used to be the domain of just AFOLs these days parents have no issue blowing that kind of money on a top level lego set for timmy. The other factor is more adults now find less stigma associated with being an AFOL and I'm sure that watching the lego movie made a lot of adults remember that when they were kids they wanted a basement full of lego that they can now afford. People start collecting then find items they want are no longer sold so they start paying over the odds but everyone has their limit. Yeah there's the odd person prepared to blow 5k on a 10179, but not many. For example i reeaaally want one, i could afford one but then it starts to invade the budgets of my other hobbies. 5k gets me several snowboarding hols or trackdays and upgrades for my car. Plus at 5k when i open the box to build it, i pretty much half its value. So as a purchase it just doesn't make sense. I think there will always be a market for 2x maybe 3x profit on lego but those big numbers have always been unsustainable. And when you know there's demands for a set out there but the price has put it out of reach of most people, as a company you'd have to be pretty dumb not to entertain the idea of a reissue. Not to mention that pieces and techniques available now can make more accurate models than was possible 10-15 yrs ago.
    3 points
  32. Another point is that the more sets they make in a premium price band, the more demand is spread around as there are much less people able or willing to spend 200 USD plus on a single set, far less 400. It´s like having a bunch of new resellers come onto the market. I agree, it won´t be an overnight disaster but it will gradually erode growth of sets and it will also change buyer mentaility, similar to deflation. Why pay more now when I can wait some time and get more for less. Only the impatient and the needy will sustain demand.
    3 points
  33. Save some money for Legos: $1 Subs tomorrow https://www.jimmyjohns.com
    3 points
  34. None of this is new news (just further confirmation) - Don't hold your sets forever.
    3 points
  35. I don't have really old sealed sets squirreled away so I don't have a dog in the reissue "Beetle/Grand Carousel keep for many many years because it will grow no matter what" fight... but I would be really surprised if anyone here really hadn't expected a company to reissue successful products in addition to new ones if the market spells clearly that it would be good for the bottom line. If they wouldn't do the appropriate market research and see the blatant gaps in the market they could serve, especially if it is a product gone for many years, I would consider them incompetent. That is something I consider with everything I buy that may have some sort of niche collectible value; doing it for LEGO sets I am squirreling away as well is not different in any way. The perceptions here I am sure are influenced by the fact that we scrutinise every little action, keep records of all past sets, see the similarities in the things that a consumer that views LEGO as just LEGO wouldn't care about. And all of us "prey" on the impulsive desires of people who want that set NOW no matter what the price. If it were that they just had to be patient... they wouldn't have even cared to buy something at those prices to begin with. How many of those people would rather hold out for months or years sniping on eBay or chasing things down on Bricklink, second hand shops etc in the off chance that they will be lucky enough to find one instead of just plopping down the money? In fact I would say it is more likely they would buy something else instead of the set they originally wanted to tide them over. P.s. Cue the bubble thread. Amazed it hasn't been brought up yet.
    3 points
  36. 9516 Jabbas Palace for $200 shipped on eBay. This was my last copy to sell. I'm keeping one (opened with sealed bags) next to a Rancor Pit in the ever growing to-build-pile.
    3 points
  37. I was fine with EU turning to Legends. I was reading the Marvel comics in the 80's and all of that stuff was pushed aside. I was reading books and comics before and after episodes 1 and 2 that were either completely ignored or retconned in other books. I listened to my records of Rebel Mission to Ord Mantel, Planet of the Hoojibs and Droid World all the time when I was little, and I was fine with all of that being just stories involving my favorite characters, but not necessarily involving the situations in the movies. The movies were the movies and everything else was everything else. I think the main difference is that I wasn't looking for TFA to blow my mind and rock my world. So many people I knew ignored their disappointments with the PT or the special edition changes and got their hopes up to a fever pitch. I was excited to see Star Wars again, but it was tempered by the knowledge that I would never again see STAR WARS for the first time. So many people wanted that initial experience again and walked away feeling unhappy and jaded that they didn't recapture that initial childhood excitement. I have a friend that didn't really care about the EU, but has done nothing but complain about TFA and how it didn't meet his expectations. So many people didn't get the movie that they wanted or expected because the only person that could have realized that movie was themselves. George Lucas didn't give any of us the Prequel films that we wanted or expected because he had his own ideas and didn't consult with us on an individual basis. the same holds true with JJ and TFA. He made the Star Wars sequel that he envisioned. What's amazing is that so many cannot fathom or accept that people aren't as excited or disillusioned as they are. So many people get so angry at each other for having opinions that are different. Other people have to chime in on conversations just to say how different their opinion is, whether to get a rise or just to be contrary, who knows.
    3 points
  38. Bottom line is this....If Mr. LEGO fan and collector (and throw in resellers) believe that a LEGO set is going to never appreciate like before, who is going to drop $400.00 on a box of plastic.? Sure, I love iconic and unique LEGO sets and would still buy a few, but if my buying habits change, what will the average LEGO consumer do? It's funny that I never see a regular family buy a big exclusive at a LEGO store. The LEGO Group's success has coincided with the creation of secondary market sites like eBay. The perceived value of a LEGO set on secondary market sites is a major success factor for the entire LEGO marketplace. It won't be a fast death, but a slow suck. Remakes on a large scale will kill the secondary market and will eventually hurt the bottom line of LEGO.
    3 points
  39. With some exceptions, I just don't see how remaking a set that is 10+ years old such a huge issue. If it happens from time to time, but still release nice new fresh sets, it isn't that big of a deal. If they were to come out and do a remake of a SSD or something along those lines, then yes, your point is very valid. But look at the Xwing. That set was 12 years old by the time the new one hit the market. Sure it hurts the value, but it's not some major crash that's going to bring Lego to it's knees. As others have said, there are a lot of casual people out there who don't follow it religiously, and just see a cool new set and buy it. I've seen more parents and regular adults buying big exclusives for themselves than your investor. Also not to mention, that for people that have held onto a sealed set for so long, and the market drops, well that's your own fault you couldn't cash in when you are making upwards of 10x the initial investment. I just feel that you and others who share your view are being way over dramatic. I feel what's honestly hurting the market more than anything are the millions of new 'investors' getting into the game. The occasional remake isn't going to hurt nothing.
    2 points
  40. I would also bet that the total revenue generated from exclusives is far less than from the more affordable ranges, so I think Ed can have it both ways.
    2 points
  41. I joined for the brickfolio, stayed for the reselling...
    2 points
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