Second edition of the LEGO Collector’s Guide

Is finally confirmed for release on 1 July 2011 according to an email I got from Fantasia Verlag.

Some random thoughts

I’ve actually been feeling kinda guilty about neglecting the blog tho I know I have good reason to…  Apart from work, I’ve been busy with a personal project that is currently taking up loads of my free time. 

As I’ve mentioned before, I still do continue to read  many of the LEGO fan sites and blogs and forums, just that I don’t blog about them as often as I used to.  Come to think about it, I’ve been shopping much less frequently now so that really shows how busy I’ve been… (hey, shopping is a favourite past time for many Singaporeans!). 🙂 

Anyway, a couple of noteworthy reads:

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1. Brickset shares news of another LEGO survey

The direct link is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LEGO_AFOL_Q12011

One nugget of info from the last survey that I found interesting was that “Respondents say they are prompted to collect sets because of the theme or unique minifigures or elements. Less than 10% of fans say they’re prompted to collect sets because of a unique box or a box of a different size. However, when asked if the LEGO Group were to create sets with different box sizes and identical contents would they purchase an additional set, nearly half responded that they would.”

Really? Half? I thought most people bought LEGO for the contents and not the boxes? Anyway to find out what the other results are, do visit Brickset’s post here.

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2. Toysnbricks reports on sets discontinued in 2011

If you have been holding out for whatever reason on these sets, wait no longer cos you know the prices will rise once the stores are out of stock.  And, these sets are really among the better ones.  I think MMV and Emerald Night are destined to be instant classics.  As for Star Wars… well, we know how sky-high prices can go right?

• Castle Medieval Market Village (MSRP: $99.99)
• Creator Emerald Night (MSRP: $99.99)
• Star Wars Death Star (MSRP: $399.99)
• Star Wars Battle of Endor (MSRP: $99.99)

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3. Charity drive for Japan’s tsunami victims by The Brothers Brick

If you would like to do something for the tsunami victims in Japan, you may like to have a look at TBB’s charity drive.  They have requested for donations in creations and for support in the auctions.  (Note: Having grown up hearing and studying WW2 history, I find the logo used quite disturbing tho…)

If you are more practical like me… cash is king, especially when multiplied.  I’ve heard of firms (like mine) who are matching dollar-for-dollar any donations made by staff.  If not, you can also visit any local Red Cross to make a donation.

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4. Singapore Only: Service Pack for 10213 Shuttle Adventure

I found out about the service pack for Shuttle Adventure some time back (thanks to an email from TS), but never managed to find time to go down to the LEGO Singapore office to collect it. 

Luckily, Toy Station/Brickstation now has them in store for those who bought them from TS when it was 1st brought in (like me).  So if you are one of those who bought from TS, you may like to pop by the store when you are free. Perhaps to coincide with the expected new stocks coming in next week or the week after? If you are not on TS mailing list, you can follow their blog, facebook or twitter (yeah, very well-networked store) (Side note: Yay, store goodwill index up)

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you may like to read Smashing Bricks’ post here.

More Goodies from Ace & Ryan

Wow, the guys from FBTB dun seem to be sleeping… everytime I check back there are more nicely sorted (and well taken) pictures on the FBTB Flickr Photostream (by sets).  Thanks guys!! 😀

Like this Lightning McQueen made of 325,000 bricks:

Or all these new licensed products, some which look really good! (Ok, I’ve only copied those I find interesting but still quite a lot):

I’ll leave you to browse thru the rest.  Too many details to mention ranging from the glass bottle & globe in the POTC sets to pics of the new Cars range to how the UFO abduction function works, to details of Kingdom’s Mill Village Raid (goats, the windmill mechanism, chickens, etc)…

Blast from the past… and a MOC

UPDATE: Did a bit more googling to find the buildings that were mentioned in the poster below (what can I say, I’m a curious gal)… Back then TLG displayed prototypes built by fans who were invited by TLG to join a workshop in Billund (lucky!). 

Here they are, in this order Firehouse, Hotel, Bank:

And there was also a prototype of the VW Beetle, and 3 other cars, a Mustang, an Aston Martin, and a DeLorean.  Of course, we now know that the VW Beetle was finally produced but not the other 3. 

Here’s what the VW prototype looks like, next to the final product, the 10187 Volkswagen Beetle.

 

Source: Pics from Lugnet via Brothers Brick

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I wonder how many AFOLs got sucked into the hobby cos of the Modular series?  I can certainly be counted as one… anyway, I was just restlessly browsing the net (and wondering when the NY Toy Fair pics will start surfacing) and remembered a concept art drawing of the Cafe Corner I saw some time back before it all started… a bit more googling and:

Does anyone know where to get a clearer/hi-res image of that? 

Anyway I came across this nice wax museum MOC and wanted to feature it.

More on EB forum here or from shutinc’s Flickr account.  Really reminds me of Marcos Bessa’s Ancient Lady’s Museum.

Btw, while I haven’t been featuring MOCs recently, I haven’t stopped looking.  Since I became a Flickr member, I’ve been regularly adding favourites.  I’ve also added a link to my Flickr favourites on the right column and you can also click here: MOCs I Like on Flickr

CC art pic source: http://www.brick-town-talk.com/2007/06/drawing.html

Update on LEGO Ideas, Harry Potter & Star Wars Character Books

Hey, remember my earlier post about DK’s The LEGO Ideas Book and the subsequent pic found by killyrbf ?  Well, the source has been (re-)found, courtesy of legolijntje from EB Forum. 

Or how about the LEGO® Harry Potter™:Building the Magical World or LEGO® Star Wars™ Character Encyclopedia?  No recollection? Nevermind, I’ve the updated info all below. 🙂

Btw, if you enjoy LEGO related books, do click on the Books category to read my previous posts about LEGO books k?

• LEGO Ideas Book
• Pub. Date: 19 Sep 2011
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover , 200pp
• US$24.99 / £16.02
• ISBN-13: 9780756686062
• ISBN: 0756686067
• LEGO® inspiration: tips and techniques from expert LEGO builders covering transport, buildings, space, kingdoms, adventure and useful makes. Perfect for LEGO fans who want to make their models cool, fun and imaginative. 

• LEGO® Harry Potter™:Building the Magical World
• Pub. Date: 16 May 2011
• 301 x 252mm 96pp, full colour throughout
• US$21.99/£16.99 hardback 
• ISBN-13: 9780756688875
• ISBN: 9781405366458
• Get the lowdown on your favourite LEGO® Harry Potter™ sets with this exciting companion to the magical world. Includes an exclusive Minifigure.
• The magic of Harry Potter™ and the fun of the LEGO® world, now in one incredible book!
  Since it was first introduced in 2001, LEGO® Harry Potter™ has been one of the LEGO Group’s most popular themes. This incredible guide gives readers an up-close look at the bricks, constructions, and minifigures of the LEGO® Harry Potter universe—from Hogwarts Castle to Hagrid’s hut.
  You won’t want to miss out on the exclusive inter views with the LEGO® Harry Potter™ team, and special sections allowing you to see, first-hand, how the bricks and figures come to be the toys we love today! The book will also feature a timeline that shows the evolution of the LEGO® Harry Potter™ construction sets, video game and board game.

• LEGO® Star Wars™Character Encyclopedia
• Pub. Date: 19 Sep 2011
• 235 x 183mm• 208pp, full colour throughout
• US$18.99/£14.99 hardback
• ISBN-13: 978-0756686970
• ISBN: 9781405373586
• Get to know the LEGO® Star Wars™Minifigures: discover rare variants and lots of cool LEGO Star Wars™facts! With an exclusive LEGO StarWars™ Minifigure.

Source: http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/cs/uk/11/search/pdfs/22-DK_Children_Film_and_TV.pdf

Some News Round-Up

If you have been making use of the RSS feeds on the right, you would have read these but just in case, here are a few notable ones:

• Brickset’s Huw reports from the 2011 London Toy Fair – See my summary of the various Q&A and comments below.
• Brickset’s yellowcastle reports that the Collectible Minifig Series 3 codes are either being mixed up or disappearing altogether – actually I’ve been relying on the ‘molest’ method so no diff. My finger/thumb is feeling bruised tho!
• Brickvention 2011 reports in Brickset & The Brothers Brick 
• Brickset has re-org their ‘Gear’ section – “Gear includes magnets, key chains, books, clothing and so on: basically everything that isn’t a proper construction set”.  I was actually struggling to categorise LEGO books for the Singapore S0937 forum (umm… I’m a ‘librarian’) and am really glad Brickset has managed to tackle the categories to come up with a good list of books. Yay.  
• FBTB reports new LEGO Toy Story alarm clocks that feature Buzz n Woody.

The comments QnA in the London Toy Fair report is really long, so I did a summary of what caught my eye:

• The new City marina sets float;
• Jack Sparrow minifig is different in each POTC set;
• 2 new Spongebob sets – “some sort of fairground rise and the other a vehicle” – EDIT: It’s 3816-Glove World and 3815-Heroic Heroes as listed on Brickset;
• SW calendar features “mini models from the entire galaxy and 8 minifigs” – one minifig is a new one described as “one of the figs has not appeared in any of the films, books, cartoons and is unlikely ever to” and “all the figs have appeared before, but one of them is in new clothes, and it’s not a queen Amidala“;
• 7879 Hoth Echo Base may be a TRU exclusive “no Hoth sets on display, and there isn’t one in the retailers’ catalogue either. Maybe it’ll be a TRU exclusive or something“;
• The Darth Maul and Savage minifigs have new horn pieces on their heads – “a new soft plastic horn piece, a bit like a washer that goes over the stud, and ends up flush with it. It looked very effective“;
• HP sets – some speculated minifigs based on Huw’s descriptions:
  • Battle for Hogwarts: “consists of a couple of towers and an entranceway” – Prof Sprouts in tan, HP, Snape, student (in new uniform, so can’t be Neville who is a Gryffindor – he is able to use the Gryffindor sword in the battle remember?)
  • Forbidden Forest: Hagrid, Narcissa (“two-colour hair: mostly brown with lighter brown or blonde highlights round the front edges, which I think is a first for a minifig“), HP, Voldemort (no centaurs!);
  • Knightbus: Purple, and with HP, Ernie & Stan.
  • http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/eskallon1/Eurobricks-Stuff/Harry-Potter/picture_2.png
• UPDATE on 30 Jan: And no stickers on the new Cars sets. Yippee!

Source: Brickset, FBTB, The Brothers Brick and also the many commentors in Brickset.

Free Download of Marcos Bessa’s Models

Update: I don’t know why, but I can’t link the pics to the websites.  So to be clear, you have to go to his blog to download the files (LINK HERE) and to Flickr to see the rest of his portfolio (LINK HERE)

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Remember Marcos Bessa? (Yep, he has become a LEGO Designer – read HERE).  The good news is that he has kindly put up his LDD files on his blog so you can now download for free his digital creations here from his blog.

I also just notice that Marcos shared his portfolio created in July 2010 for the LEGO Designer position.  Here’s a sample:

Nice huh? More in Marcos Bessa’s Flickr.