Stuntman Mike

Just went for two Haunted Houses and then batted clean-up on some smaller Monster Fighters sets that I've been needing. Get while the getting's good!

And what do I find at my four nearest stores? Bupkis. Each one had shelves with big gaping holes with "Clearance" tags under them, but nothing worthwhile. One even still had Bug Obliterator at full price?!? At least I earned some good karma by "facing" their Lego shelves for them. Lord knows that they hadn't done it . . .

And NOW is when my car acts up?!? AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!! Screw it. I'll make three trips on my motorcycle if I have to. Time to go Lego hunting . . .

First of all, let me express a sincere "Thank you" to all of you who liked what I wrote and took the time to reply. You've gotta love the internet's ability to bring cool people together from everywhere. Having said that, let me apologize for not replying sooner. Brickpicker.com is firewalled at my work, or maybe they've only firewalled it on my computer, and I was at a business meeting this evening. I've only just now been able to log back on. There were a couple of statements to which I wanted to comment specifically. They are noted below. Thank you for the kind words regarding my current profession. Aerospace is a really stressful business. The quality and robustness of the finished products are CRITICAL; pressure to ship and meet schedule is great; and successfully interfacing with suppliers, coworkers, and customers can be harder than building the hardware we supply! Since we don't work on the spacecraft itself, but only supply major components, we don't get to see the finished product. It goes in a box, out the back door, and on a truck just like anything that you all may make in your professions. That's what's so great about something like 21101 Hayabusa: It's a reminder of where what I just put in a box is going to go and what it will do. Reminds me how fortunate I am that I was able to follow my childhood dream, even if I'm not flying the spaceship. Guys, even during the years when Legos were about the furthest thing from my mind, every once in a while I would think about when I was younger and for some reason one of the things I would think about was Galaxy Explorer even though I never had it. Thank you for the advance warning on the antenna, too! I could see how that piece wouldn't hold up over the years. Dude, that high five can't come quite just yet. After making this initial post, I saw another post about how 21101 Hayabusa was going to go EOL if it hadn't already, so I went over to LEGO Shop at Home and ordered three of those instead. But thanks to you, there WILL be LR stagecoaches in my brickfolio. When it does retire, we'll have to find out a way to have internet wings '******' beer to celebrate! Yeah, I got a little crazy during those first two months. I've throttled back considerable since then, not only because of the cash I was spending but also because storage got to be a problem in a hurry. I haven't quit completely, though. Everything in moderation, right? Okay, folks. I'm off to bed. Work tomorrow and then another set of Thursday Target runs after work! And thank you again for the warm welcome. It's most appreciated!

Hello everyone! I've been lurking around here for some months now, gaining huge amounts of information while getting my brickfolio off of the ground. I thought it was only fair that I show up and introduce myself. For the record, my name is Steven. I just thought Stuntman Mike was a cool character from "Death Proof." How did I end up here? It was a culmination of three things, or more importantly, three sets: 1) 497 - Galaxy Explorer: I was nine or ten when the Classic Space theme first rolled out. I had the old Coast Guard Station (575) but Space was the first time I'd seen minifigures with movable arms and legs! I had the Space Shuttle (442), Mobile Rocket Launcher (462), and the Alpha 1 Rocket Base (483). I played the crap out of those things. So much fun. But I always remember wanting the Galaxy Explorer. That box was so big! That ship was so awesome! That ship was over $30?!? (Keep in mind that this was over 30 years ago and $30 was a chunk of change! Plus, my family didn't have a lot of money, so $30 may have just as well been $1 million. I wasn't getting that one. Not a chance.) I still remember trips to K-Mart with my parents and spending the whole time in the toy department's Lego section. I could look at the small sets and think there may be a chance of me getting one or more for Christmas or something. But even though Galaxy Explorer was always on the bottom shelf, it was always out of reach . . . 2) 7468 - Discovery Kids Saturn V Moon Mission: I remember seeing this one years ago when it was on the shelves. Since I am of that age demographic, I liked this one too. Even before I had the Lego sets mentioned above, my bedroom walls were plastered with NASA posters from the Apollo missions. (Funny how I later became a mechanical engineer and now work in aerospace, eh?) I was at a coworker's house who happens to be a friend of mine too. He's got a five year old son and in addition to all of his Star Wars toys, race cars, iPad app's, etc., they also show him videos like "From Earth to the Moon", "When We Left Earth", and "In the Shadow of the Moon". I think to myself, "Hey, that Apollo Lego set was only $20 or so. It would be pretty cool if I got that set for Owen. It's probably not on shelves anymore, so I'll go get one off of ebay." Then I go on ebay and see that they're selling NIB for over $150?!? Holy crap!!! Owen didn't get that Lego set. But gears were turning in my head . . . 3) 21101 - CUUSOO Hayabusa: So a few weeks after my experience with #2 above, I'm telling that story to a few other co-workers one day during lunch. Unbeknownst to me, one of my lunch buddies that day had some fairly recent Lego sets. He says to me, "Did you know that Lego came out with some sort of limited run Hayabusa set? I just got one at the Lego store at Downtown Disney." Here's the deal: The company where I currently work supplied hardware for Hayabusa. In fact, we're also supplying the same hardware for Hayabusa 2 and I was even helping out with it a little bit a few months ago. (You know the part on the back of the spacecraft where the four 1X1 round plates are surrounded by the two 1X4 flat plates and two 1X2 flat plates? The rounds are supposed to be the ion engines and the flats are the frame where they mount. We make the pan/tilt assembly that moves the engine frame, which vectors the ion engine thrust and "steers" the spacecraft. We also make the rotary motor drives that point the solar panels.) All of a sudden I thought to myself, "Limited edition Hayabusa Lego set is currently available? And that Apollo set is worth how much now? And remember how much you wanted that Galaxy Explorer? I wonder if there is such a thing as Lego investing?" So I got home that night after #3 above and Googled, "Lego Investing". Brickpicker.com was one of the first (if not THE first) hit in the search results. I clicked in and my jaw dropped. There are sets that have annual ROI's that beat my mutual funds? Someone is monitoring the appreciation of all of these sets that closely? Look at all of these Lego themes!!! I was shot out of the dark ages like a cannon . . . Next thing you know, I've dropped $2000 on Legos in my first two months of brickfolio building. May 4th B-Wing bonanza. Ordering two Jabba's Palaces from amazon on the day of the "protest" without even knowing what had just happened. The high of finding Vampire Castles on clearance at WalMart to the low of buying a Helm's Deep for full price at Target just because I had "Brick Fever" and had to buy SOMETHING. I have no children of my own, but now my co-workers know of my "hobby" and ask me what good prices are for Lego sets and where to get them for their kids. Other friends who I haven't seen in a long time who have two daughters are floored when I ask their girls if they have any Friends sets, which they do, and I seamlessly ask them whether they like the city pool or the veterinary clinic better. ("Uncle 'teve" got major cool points that day.) I am amazed how everyone you meet in some way, shape, or form, is tied to Lego somehow. And would you believe that I still don't have a 21101, a 7468, or a 497? Maybe someday. I should probably score a used 7468 for Owen too. Thank you for reading; and I'll see you in the Lego aisles! Steven

Furthering your point, search "Lego Lone Ranger" on the amazon main page. Look at the results. Currently there are 29 reviews for the stagecoach, compared to 15 reviews or less for all of the other Lone Ranger sets (including the train). That's it. Color me convinced!

That is a very valid point, and one that I hadn't considered. Looks like it's time for me to take another lap to all of the local Targets again!

I'd mentioned this in the Target Clearance thread, but last Thursday I went into my local Target and they had three Trains, many Calvary Builders, and many Comanche Camps at 30% off. I believe Colby City Shootout was still full price, but in stock. I picked up two of the trains, thought about the smaller sets, but didn't buy them. A co-worker's asked me if I would pick up a LR train for him since his young son was really into trains but none were on sale near him. So I when I went back the next day, all of the discounted Cavalry Builders and Comanche Camps were gone. But the last train was still left. Was someone building their own LR display at home and needed them? Why wouldn't they get the last train too? Did they not see it? It was a real head scratcher for me. I would've liked to know how all those small boxes left the shelves. Darned if I know . . . I've been on the fence about coming in on the stagecoach. Regardless of whether or not the "Lone Ranger" licensing is successful, I'm willing to bet on it being Western themed AND a train. But Western themed alone? I'm not so sure. But Quac's comment at post #62 makes me feel a little bit better about taking the plunge.

Seriously, What is up with Monster Fighters? I have found a few 30% off Vampire Castles, but otherwise it's between 0% to 15%. And the prices are holding steady. I thought these would be the first to get blown out. However, I remain patient . . .

Anyone Brickpickers in the San Fernando Valley looking for a Vampire Castle? The Target in Northridge on the corner of Balboa and Nordhoff had a 9468 on 30% discount yesterday. And the box was sweeeeeeet. I would've gotten it, but I already have a number of them and was on the hunt for other stuff. Get it while you can! And remember your Red Card!

After sharing the same initial disappointment that many of you have been experiencing, I finally, FINALLY, hit some Target clearance paydirt this week! The one nearest my house got me the following on Thursday (Prices before tax): 1X 6866 - Wolverine's Chopper Showdown @ $13.28. 2X 79111 - Lone Ranger Constitution Train Chase @ $66.48 each. 1X 9474 - Battle of Helm's Deep @ $86.46. Then yesterday I went to a Target not TOO far from my work that I hadn't visited before and picked up: 2X 9471 - Uruk-Hai Army @ $19.93 each. All prices were after 30% discount and additional 5% Red Card discount. Observations: 1) The other Target in the city where I live still has dismal discounts. Serves to show that you never know what you're going to find on any given occasion. 2) The Target near my house with the deals had many Lone Ranger Comanche Camps and Calvary Builder sets at 30% off too. I went back to it yesterday to get the last Lone Ranger train for a co-worker's kid and all of the Comanche Camps and Calvary Builder sets were gone, yet the train was still there. Hmmmm . . . 3) Monster Fighters sets are starting to come out of the woodwork and reappear on shelves, but the discounts are mostly really poor. (Come on! Stuntman Mike wants some more Vampire Hearses!) 4) I still haven't found any Friends on clearance at all at ANY Targets that I've been visiting. Anyway, keep your chins up, Brickpickers! This clearance event isn't over yet!

Lucked into two of them today at a Target that I'd never visited before. They were on clearance at 30% off. PERFECT, considering that I've got two Helms Deeps to match! I love it when a plan comes together . . .

Just checked both of the Targets in my city today and saw the same price for MOM. The only other clearance was Galaxy Squad Bug Obliterator. The discount was slight on that one so far too. What I found to be curious was that neither store had the sets on clearance endcaps. They were on the regular shelf, but with red "Clearance" tags alongside where the regular price is. Now I know not to be looking exclusively at the endcaps anymore for these upcoming deals.

Going down that road, I would like Mockingbird. Not only is she a S.****.I.E.L.D. agent and affiliated with The Avengers, but then maybe we'd get Hawkeye in his purple outfit. (You have to admit, the minifigure mask would be pretty cool for either / both of them.)

No doubt. I was totally happy when I went to a Walmart about 10 miles from my work last week and found three Ghost Trains for $54. Then yesterday I went to the Walmart near where I used to live, a shop that I'd never visited since I started my brickfolio, and found a Ghost Train for $40! And to top it off, I just got back from the local Walmart where I found a Quinjet for $30!!! I have pretty much accepted that I am making a stop anytime I am in the vicinity of a Walmart. You just never know what you're going to find . . .