THE BRICKPICKER LEGO SET REVIEW/BLOG ARTICLE CONTEST IS HERE!!!

Jeff and I are proud to announce this contest for all registered BrickPicker members. It will be based on LEGO set reviews, Evalution Corner and Blog articles. We will judge the winners on several aspects, such as overall quantity, content and quality. We will take into consideration the quantity of reviews and articles you submit and the content and quality of those reviews/articles/blogs. Just because you pump out more reviews than other members, if your content and quality are subpar or very average, we can elect someone else the winner.

The basic BrickPicker Set Review will be accepted at 1000 characters. No less. Unlike the earlier Set Review version, you will be required to submit content for each of the 10 basic categories below:

First Impression(WOW Factor) & Introduction

An introduction and first impression of the LEGO set. Does the LEGO set "WOW" you? Is it or will it be an "iconic" LEGO set? When you see this set, you say to yourself, "I just have to have one!?

Unique Parts/Minifigures

Does the LEGO set have rare or unique minifigures? Are there rare parts/colors in the set? Does the set have a large amount of minifigures or parts that make it more desirable?

Playability/Build Experience

Does the set have elements that make it an extremely "fun" set to play with or to build, thus affecting it's popularity and future viability as an investment?

Value for money(new)

Is the set a bargain? Does the set give you a "bang for your buck" when considering piece to price ratio or is the price of the set extremely high priced for the amount of pieces included? This rating also plays into LEGO collectors/investors who like to "part out" LEGO sets to make money...Could the set be used to "part out for a profit"?

Theme Popularity

Is the LEGO set from a popular LEGO theme that sells well in the primary retail LEGO market and will most likely translate to positive growth in the secondary LEGO market?

Exclusivity

Is the set an "exclusive" set and is marked accordingly so? Is the set limited in production in any way? Is the set from a Toy Fair or Comic Con or other LEGO trade show that has limited production runs?

Packaging

Does the set have unique packaging that makes it stand out from the typical LEGO set? Does the set have special markings on the box that differentiate it from other LEGO sets?

Growth Potential

What is the potential growth of this set in the secondary LEGO market? Will this set appreciate or depreciate after being retired(EOL)?

Display Attributes

Does this set when built display well? Is it a topic of conversation when built and displayed in a office or den? Does it make for an impressive or unique set when compared with other LEGO set

Final Analysis & Conclusion

Your overall final impression of the set, taking into consideration all the above factors. A final synopsis or conclusion about the LEGO set. The numerical rating is for the entire set, with a 10 being the ?perfect? LEGO set, a 5-6 being about average and a 1 being the bottom of the barrel.

Each category can range from a sentence to several paragraphs if necessary. The combined total for all the category content needs to be 1000 characters to be accepted. You will be asked to leave a numerical 1 to 10 rank for each category as well, with 4,5 and 6 being considered "average" LEGO set rankings. You do not have to own a set to review one, but it would help and this will be noted on each review. Here is a sample of a REVIEW I did for the 10227 UCS B-Wing Starfighter. It is a 5000 character review and I would consider it an above average review. You can do more or less, but proper grammar and spelling is also important.

We will take a snapshot of the current review totals and start from there. A BrickPicker member can look over their personal reviews in our new REVIEW LOG. You will have the ability to resubmit an older review and improve it, with it counting towards the contest. Jeff and I will approve or disapprove each resubmission. What is neat about the new review system is that Jeff and I will be able to award BONUS BRICKPOINTS for above average and special reviews. A basic 1000 character review will be awarded 10 Brickpoints, but we can give up to 500 Brickpoints or more for some in depth and special reviews.

The contest will start immediately and conclude at 11:59 PM(Eastern Time) on July 3rd, 2013. There will be three main prizes:

1ST PLACE: 10228 HAUNTED HOUSE or $200 LEGO GIFT CARD

2ND PLACE: 10232 PALACE CINEMA or $150 LEGO GIFT CARD

3RD PLACE: 9516 JABBA'S PALACE or $100 LEGO GIFT CARD

We will adjust all prizes to the winner's country and situation. Jeff and I understand that some members have to pay more for LEGO sets and we will adapt to each situation. We have the right to change the prizes to equivalent LEGO sets if these become retired or out of stock.

There will also be four $25 LEGO GIFT CARDS given out to those exceptional reviews in which I can convert to content for the EVALUATION CORNER. One person can win them all. Look at my reviews for an example of what I am looking for. You do not have to go through the normal review processor if it is easier to produce a large and quality review and analysis on a word processor like OPEN OFFICE(which I use). If you are doing a "special" review, you can contact me. I can guide you. What I don't want is something I have to rewrite. It needs to be quality content and properly written. I can tweak it and help with data and charts, but the overall written content needs to be very, very good.

Depending on the response, we can throw in some other prizes along the way. Maybe some "Honorable Mentions" or some other prize for some review or content that tickles my fancy. This is a serious competition and Jeff and I want the content of the LEGO set reviews to become a very important part of our site. Unlike the quality reviews on top sites like Brickset or Eurobricks, I want our reviews to focus on aspects of LEGO sets that will affect its "investment" potential and value. You can discuss anything you want, but you should have a serious investment correlation in your reviews when discussing many of the categories. The basic categories are set up like an essay, with an introduction, body & content and then a conclusion. Think of the reviews in proper English class terms and you will do well.

That's about it. Good luck with your reviews and any questions can be posted below. Winners will be announced on July 4th, 2013. Thanks.

Ed Mack

EDIT: JEFF AND I WILL ALSO ACCEPT EVALUATION CORNER/BLOG ARTICLES TOWARDS THE CONTEST AS WELL!!!

I agree that most of the reviews have been quality. But I'm not sure how I feel about you guys reviewing sets that you haven't built yourselves... Not suggesting it should be disallowed, but perhaps a disclaimer of some sort is in order. As always, I appreciate and read almost every blog, article, and review, so please don't think I'm just trying to naysay for giggles. Peace.

I agree that most of the reviews have been quality. But I'm not sure how I feel about you guys reviewing sets that you haven't built yourselves... Not suggesting it should be disallowed, but perhaps a disclaimer of some sort is in order. As always, I appreciate and read almost every blog, article, and review, so please don't think I'm just trying to naysay for giggles. Peace.

No worries. If you check on the top of each review there are two questions: Do you own this set? And have you built this set? Where you can see if the reviewer has built or at least owns the set.

I agree that most of the reviews have been quality. But I'm not sure how I feel about you guys reviewing sets that you haven't built yourselves... Not suggesting it should be disallowed, but perhaps a disclaimer of some sort is in order. As always, I appreciate and read almost every blog, article, and review, so please don't think I'm just trying to naysay for giggles. Peace.

 

Which is why the first questions on the review form are these.  They are also shown as the first line of each review.

MEMBER OWNS SET: YES (or NO) MEMBER HAS BUILT SET: YES

Hah, duh. I knew that. My brain has gas :)

I agree that most of the reviews have been quality. But I'm not sure how I feel about you guys reviewing sets that you haven't built yourselves... Not suggesting it should be disallowed, but perhaps a disclaimer of some sort is in order. As always, I appreciate and read almost every blog, article, and review, so please don't think I'm just trying to naysay for giggles. Peace.

I respectfully disagree. I review sets that I do not own all the time...not many...but I do.

Veegs: EC article on Creator Houses(500 BrickPoints)

Quacs: EC article on Legends of Chima(500 BrickPoints)

Strylr: BB article on Parting Out sets(500 BrickPoints)

Mikeur86: Avengers EC article(500 BrickPoints)

Quacs: LEGO Truths and Myths Blog  BB article(500 BrickPoints)

Fcbarcelona101:  Personal Blog  on December price swings(200 BrickPoints)

Quacs: Personal Blog on Sydney Opera House(150 BrickPoints)

MartinP: Personal Blog on 10240 X-wing(50 BrickPoints)

Alcarin: Personal Blog on Europe LEGO price difference(150 BrickPoints)

Quacs: Beginner

I agree that most of the reviews have been quality. But I'm not sure how I feel about you guys reviewing sets that you haven't built yourselves... Not suggesting it should be disallowed, but perhaps a disclaimer of some sort is in order. As always, I appreciate and read almost every blog, article, and review, so please don't think I'm just trying to naysay for giggles. Peace.

I see your point and thought that way before until Ed made a good case about it which helped me to understand the review process even better. If you look at my list of reviews, you will see one for Cafe Corner and Market Street, and I have never owned either one or actually built those sets. Now I did semi sorta build the Cafe Corner with a friend many years ago, and when I did the Market Street review I did my best to build the design from my own parts to get a grasp of how it looked in real time. Still would not be considered to have actually built either set though but I did do my research and spent a good amount of days on both to make the writeups as well as can be.

A newbie question from a procrastinator Is there a way to insert a picture to a set review ? A picture can enhance a review I am writing at the moment. I saw a button to insert a table, but did not see anything for pictures.

 

I searched the word picture on the topic, but I did not see any specifics regarding set review.

I agree that most of the reviews have been quality. But I'm not sure how I feel about you guys reviewing sets that you haven't built yourselves... Not suggesting it should be disallowed, but perhaps a disclaimer of some sort is in order. As always, I appreciate and read almost every blog, article, and review, so please don't think I'm just trying to naysay for giggles. Peace.

 

I feel I have to review sets that I don't have because my collection is quite dated (I already reviewed all the recent sets in my collection), and I think that on an investment site, people should be reviewing sets that the average person is able to pick up at a store, because no one needs investment advice about sets from the 70's you can no longer really invest in that have already shown most of their growth.I mean, would anyone really read investment advice about a set that has already lived through its aftermarket life and is now flat? I tried a couple reviews of old sets I have, but it didn't really work out because the only thing that a reader can take out of it is how to apply the success or failure of that set to similar ones that are currently available. So really, I am sorry if you feel that reviews by people who haven't owned the set are not really "reviews", but (speaking for myself) I have to make a choice between how useful the review will be to the community and my budget/collection. 

A newbie question from a procrastinator Is there a way to insert a picture to a set review ? A picture can enhance a review I am writing at the moment. I saw a button to insert a table, but did not see anything for pictures.

 

I searched the word picture on the topic, but I did not see any specifics regarding set review.

Yes, download it onto a site such as flickr or photobucket and right click where you want to insert it in the review, choosing"insert/edit image" and just enter the URL of that image. Easy peasy!

I have only reviewed sets I own and have built so far.  But will run out eventually and do some on those that I don't.  No big deal really, as long as you can research what the build experience is like then the rest is fairly straightforward with perhaps only the first impressions/wow factor being a little more difficult to get a feel for.  I see plenty of great reviews from members that have answered no to both owning and building the set.

 

Brianl3 - go ahead and review some of the older ones for sure.  I love reading about vintage stuff.  Sure the growth and investment side may be flat but try looking at used sets as I think some of the classic sets will see a bit of used growth as AFOLs look to grab sets from their childhood.

Our reviews are more from an investment standpoint. Brickset and Eurobricks does a great job with reviews from a build standpoint. It's my belief that you can analyze a LEGO set based on investment characteristics without owning or building it.

Brianl3 - go ahead and review some of the older ones for sure.  I love reading about vintage stuff.  Sure the growth and investment side may be flat but try looking at used sets as I think some of the classic sets will see a bit of used growth as AFOLs look to grab sets from their childhood.

 

Hahaha, this wouldn't be vintage stuff, just sets too old for people to pick it up in store (mostly 2003ish-2010)

Our reviews are more from an investment standpoint. Brickset and Eurobricks does a great job with reviews from a build standpoint. It's my belief that you can analyze a LEGO set based on investment characteristics without owning or building it.

Agreed. Still, I'm glad I brought it up. Now I'm convinced they are valuable to the goals of the site.

 

Veegs: EC article on Creator Houses(500 BrickPoints)

Quacs: EC article on Legends of Chima(500 BrickPoints)

Strylr: BB article on Parting Out sets(500 BrickPoints)

Mikeur86: Avengers EC article(500 BrickPoints)

Quacs: LEGO Truths and Myths Blog  BB article(500 BrickPoints)

Fcbarcelona101:  Personal Blog  on December price swings(200 BrickPoints)

Quacs: Personal Blog on Sydney Opera House(150 BrickPoints)

MartinP: Personal Blog on 10240 X-wing(50 BrickPoints)

Alcarin: Personal Blog on Europe LEGO price difference(150 BrickPoints)

Quacs: Beginner

Eight days...65 reviews to catch up to Blackjack. I give up LOL

Eight days...65 reviews to catch up to Blackjack. I give up LOL

"I thought it was quality over quantity ?" said a person who only reviewed one measily polybag so far...

"I thought it was quality over quantity ?" said a person who only reviewed one measily polybag so far...

Hmmm... I'm getting the feeling you have a bunch of reviews just sitting in edit mode waiting to surprise everyone LOL.

Eight days...65 reviews to catch up to Blackjack. I give up LOL

If you write one review that is better than the 65 written by Blackjack, then you (in theory) would win. I think it is better to write one outstanding review than write 100 mediocre ones... For me, you spend less work in it,

Hmmm... I'm getting the feeling you have a bunch of reviews just sitting in edit mode waiting to surprise everyone LOL.

No way. I have one in edit mode and I just noticed my review on 1000+ pieces set has less character counts than Blackjack's review of a polybag    I bet it took me 3 times as long to come up with that review too    He is just waay more motivated than me

No way. I have one in edit mode and I just noticed my review on 1000+ pieces set has less character counts than Blackjack's review of a polybag    I bet it took me 3 times as long to come up with that review too    He is just waay more motivated than me

 

Yeah, him and Mike. I don't mind writing reviews because I (like to think) am pretty decent at writing. But writing 90 reviews in like 2 months? o:

I will judge both quantity and quality.  Some of Grolim's reviews are excellent.  As are Fcbarcelona's and Mike's and many other member's reviews as well.  Blackjack has done a nice job and has an excellent chance to win a prize, as long as he doesn't tick me off before July 4th.     I have the ability to note top reviews and have been doing so since day one.  I will tally up total reviews, total characters and give extra weight to those "special" reviews I marked.  

I will judge both quantity and quality.  Some of Grolim's reviews are excellent.  As are Fcbarcelona's and Mike's and many other member's reviews as well.  Blackjack has done a nice job and has an excellent chance to win a prize, as long as he doesn't tick me off before July 4th.     I have the ability to note top reviews and have been doing so since day one.  I will tally up total reviews, total characters and give extra weight to those "special" reviews I marked.  

 

Do you read every review before it gets approved?

Do you read every review before it gets approved?

Either him or Jeff does. If anything just to make sure no one uses foul langauge or the person actually reviewed the set in question instead of writing a bunch of jargon.

Hopefully I can get a few more reviews in before July 3rd!