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  1. Ok, now I am really done. A+B+B+A, 10025-1, 10025-2, 10022-3, 10022 MOC Dome Car, 10022-3, 10022-3, 10022-1, 10022-2. Sent from my SM-A326U1 using Tapatalk
    13 points
  2. Finally finished the Titanic just over 2 months off and on while building other sets in between to break up some of the monotony. No more missing pieces, so not bad only 2 that were wrongly swapped at the factory and replaced, out of over 9K elements. Although I did have a damaged 2x12 white plate that I replaced from my own inventory 46 numbered bags most with 2 and some with 3 bags per number. Four almost identical smoke stack sections with 7 bags each so 28 of the 46 bags are repetitive, and the portholes are brutal. When you finish the last smoke stack section for the rear of the ship which is the beginning of box 3 there is a notation in the instructions: “Stern & Well deck: the final section is the most complicated” and this is where the build really excels and probably why most have such good impressions of the overall build of the set. It is so good that it makes you forget about the misery you just went through. If you are doing a family build just grab box 3 as you will get the full effect of building the entire ship and feel sorry for whomever gets box 2. My ratings for this set which I purchased prior to the price increase: Build 8 Play 2 Display 9 Value 8
    13 points
  3. While technically not a buy, the next-door neighbor had an estate sale today, is moving and gave me a Lego storage container as a thank you for taking care of her lawn over the years. What looked like an ordinary container turned out to be quite the find after going through it. This is same neighbor who gave me a tote of her son’s old Lego that had a nearly complete 6991 Monorail Transport Base set in it with the instructions. I feel so fortunate and lucky.
    12 points
  4. With your super prolific contribution count of 10 messages, I'm sorry that we aren't meeting your expectations.
    12 points
  5. Snow Whites Cottage. This one started off just like Winnie the Pooh lots of very small specialized elements to build up the structure, and piece count, instead of classic Lego bricks. Look at all the extra pieces. I did not apply the stickers to the beds and the piano but might go back and add them although not really necessary. I was not looking forward to the roof but it actually was an excellent build and really made the set more enjoyable. The Dwarfs all have 2 sided facial expressions but besides from Dopey’s molded ears are all rather generic with no arm or leg printing but perhaps accurate to the source. They should have included the parts necessary for them to sit at the table like they did in Rivendell. I would think there are lots of play opportunities in this set but it is very cramped. The figs and Disney tax make this set overpriced by $40 compared to the Blacksmith and A frame both larger and fully enclosed with similar piece counts. Build 8 Play 8 if you have tiny hands Display 7 Value 6
    11 points
  6. This is a family forum. I don’t think you’re allowed to talk about your Funwhole here. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    7 points
  7. By definition, a forum is a medium in which people exchange ideas and express views. Most everyone here shares the commonality of buying, selling, collecting, and/or building LEGO, and a little friendly off-topic conversation from time to time is alright. Keeps us sane and human. Also, RIP Jetty.
    7 points
  8. 30% off certain Star Wars sets at ShopDisney when basket total is $150 or more. E-Wing vs Shin Hati $76.99 Ahsoka Tano's T6 $55.99 Use coupon SAVEMORE to get above price. As always, use SHIPMAGIC for free shipping. 4% Rakuten. https://www.disneystore.com/lego-ahsoka-tanos-t-6-jedi-shuttle-75362-star-wars-673419377027.html
    6 points
  9. I built this using the head from the Stormtrooper BrickHeadz set (set 41620) and the body from the Stormtrooper Mech (set 75370). The result was better than I expected.
    6 points
  10. Lego has continued to raise prices, which has given the bootleg companies wiggle room on prices. Watching this consistently since this thread started all those years back, the bootleg prices have moved upwards as Lego provides them room to still be a comparable deal, and make a larger profit on top of it. Take Rivendell for example. Lego: $499.99. Bootleg: Less than 1/3 of the price. I'm sure enough people will be happy to get 3 large sets without "Lego" written on the studs, for the same price. This price difference is worse for resellers than Lego itself. Brick Bank on Amazon today: $655. Bootbank: Can be found at nearly 1/10 the price. Any set that bootleggers keep in production, is hurting product moving on the aftermarket. Sure, most buyers wouldn't buy at that price... but each person that is swayed will affect stagnation. We cater to the upper class with money to blow, but the cost of actual necessities is going up and people may still want to get their fix. I've seen enough "I'm a lifetime Lego buyer but after this, I'm hooked" posts on reddit/facebook to know that people with actual money are being swayed. I disagree with copyright infringement, but I don't blame anyone for saving money for something that they are shoving in their private residence... that someone would need to be close enough (and care enough to pay attention to) a little word written on the studs. I can't agree that the bootleg fans are about instant gratification though, as they wait months after an official Lego set release before they can get their hands on the same set. You'll see many posts about "when will bootlegs make this set" whenever a new desirable set appears. They've just decided that building something a couple months earlier isn't worth paying triple the price. A lot of AFOLs are quite vain about being able to afford expensive sets, and the bootleg fans laugh at them. If I wasn't playing with house money/damn good at finding deals... I can't say being prideful about spending multiple times more than someone else for a non-essential would be enough to make me do it. The younger generations have less disposable income, and have been raised in a culture that focuses on the experience versus the status. Getting the same exact build experience for 1/3 (or less) of the cost... all while not supporting billion dollar profits? That ticks all the boxes. Whether you agree or not, this generation is your future customers. Buying alternatives is going to be ingrained in them, and unlike previous generations... they're going to have an uphill climb with owning property and other essentials to living... I'm not sure the bulk of them are ever going to have "piss away" money to splurge on 400% aftermarket increases.
    5 points
  11. Insect Collection great set with no stickers, excellent prints, and unique part usage, look at the Sand Green Pistol. If you can find this for 20% off or more it is a definite pickup and has a good cross-over with the Botanical sets. The flower build at the base of the butterfly is top notch. 1111 pieces but a lot of them go to the stands and displays not the actual insects. You can easily remove the insects from the stands if you wanted to play with them. The building app now gives you stats. Build: 8 Play: 6 Display: 8 Value: 7
    5 points
  12. I guess I don't have any problem with all these castles being made (though I'm personally getting a bit burnt out), but I would like to see some other themes get produced on this scale. I prefer classic space to castle, and while TLG is producing some interesting space sets, there's nothing approaching the scale of these castles that has the classic space feel. I won't even talk about what a ludicrous miss that space CMF set is. But I do think a 3k - 4k piece classic space set would do quite well - it's just a shame the BL program is starting to boil down to castle, trains and modulars. At least, that's how it feels right now. Maybe a bit of recency bias here...
    5 points
  13. I could be wrong but Im not sure these are going to be that popular.
    5 points
  14. 5 points
  15. 5 points
  16. Local Walmart started markdowns in toys today. Lady said she had over 1000 SKUs. Lego that I saw were Destiny Bounty, AT-TE Walker $86, Minecraft Golem, Donkey Kong $36, Peach Starter $28, and a handful of smaller sets. Most appeared to be around 35-40% off MSRP
    5 points
  17. LEGO Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 AR Race Car Toy 42138 $31.99 @target. Amazon matched. Limit 3 75288 LEGO Star Wars at-at Walker 75288 Building Toy, 40th Anniversary Collectible Figure Set, Room Décor, Gift Idea for Kids, Boys & Girls with 6 Minifigures Price down to retail $169.99 at amazon. Limit 60
    4 points
  18. Target has #42115 Technic Lambo Sian for $299.99 and #10297 Modular Boutique Hotel for $183.99 (20% off)....plus some other sets for their 20% off ad this week.
    4 points
  19. Will wait for actual pics to make a final judgement, but this seems like a giant swing and a miss. Seems like they tried to play homage to the space themes, but these just don't really do it for me. Definitely will get pink space baby, of course, but without any figs really going back to classic days, I'll pass on them for the most part. I like to see they continue to work with trans pieces for figures, makes me think we may get those force ghosts yet.
    4 points
  20. Barnes and noble has select sets 25% off. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/25-off-select-lego/toys-games/_/N-2z7rZ8qf
    4 points
  21. Geez, next thing, you're going to tell me that my prized Franklin Mint plate set isn't really a collector's item.
    4 points
  22. A picture posted on reddit recently from a "reputable" and reliable bootleg seller. 5 Icons sets for less than the RRP of the land rover. The price differences are extreme, and all the buyer has to deal with is the guilt of not supporting Lego and the IP owner. Apparently shipping to Europe is much higher than to the USA, as we subsidize it because we love cheap Chinese crap in our consumption based economy.
    3 points
  23. Two separate things here, first I am surprised at how many people post pictures on Insta and FB of their "FLego", that's what they call it, fake lego builds. There is an amazing MOC that requires 2 1/2 Rivendell that I was looking at building, but even if not buying the minifigures you are looking at $1K if buying Lego. Also, the Titanic seems to be a big target for fake Lego and most of the UCS SW ships. I haven't looked at this in years so had no idea how prolific it had become. Quality with numbered bags seems to be way up based on reviews and prices are way down with new "official" stores offering purchase options in the USA. Printed instructions and even real "Lego" boxes. These are still stolen IP, knockoffs but not sure what percentage of the market share goes to them versus official Lego sets. Second, Brick Artisan the #2 ranked MOC builder on Rebrickable and BL designer reviewed a new to me building block company, so I thought if it was good enough for him I would give them a try since they are sold on Amazon. These are all original designs not stolen IP that come in boxes better than Lego and include some very unique elements that lego does not produce. I just did a cheap trial set, The Newsstand, for $28.50 and it includes a light kit. I have never built a Lego set with a light kit only light bricks and on this one it is totally integrated into the build so that nothing is visible. All very nice high quality printed parts and a horrible minifigure. The fit and finish was very good with no missing pieces and they do have a parts replacement option although I did not have to use it. The tolerances are so good that the clutch power is so strong that parts are difficult to separate which can be a bad thing. I was thinking about picking up the Farmers Market and Lakeside Cottage but not sure if I want to spend more money on this line. ETA: Oh, I left out the best thing. Name of this company is: Funwhole!
    3 points
  24. This is in those Walmart 3 in 1 Easter Boxes and free instructions: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-145153/Luke_Bricks82/rainbow-falcon/#details
    3 points
  25. Indeed. And I'm on the bandwagon! I think the Medieval Seaside Market could serve as a nice crossover between Pirates and Castle.
    3 points
  26. I see that compressed to heck & back image and think of....
    3 points
  27. Had a stash of 21308 Adventure Time I got cheap at Kohl’s clearance. Never thought they’d be worth much. Current sales on Amazon are $120. You just never know.
    3 points
  28. LEGO Avatar Big Tree - 45% off https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Avatar-Toruk-Building-Pieces/dp/B09X1XZ2RY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KJSI0U6Z3BLR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.D9bDdN1YWSuT2BxGkekx2y_ckAARElBAhXYsVESOElH2sOxw5KLn8dpRbGft6C4eXcs84tY1LkuaZxCv0Bh01oH74QLoIjRSlAMq1keX2L2RzeYbwAIigrXr8EShAYX6-oHXlO00xtFHOHedYYWZx7LKq_ey-VTvc3Smnab9KqEdruNsmx16Xm7iBT4acUcSacyc1SFK8cGuvP9gR7ApgdJadJYn5WUoOJw_84KIBEByt45KXAa5qR0gPCzOQCiiKe8UBVi2JiVjraG07m4gQaxpUsW1PcKrUmoz3dIvoww.cOQtCQG6O1Glhw-fw5_c80GSijDxPFr3HsBWNgxGGMY&dib_tag=se&keywords=lego%2Bavatar%2Btree&qid=1710947145&sprefix=lego%2Bavatar%2Btree%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1&th=1
    3 points
  29. ShopDisney has 18% cash back at Rak Not bad for some of those bigger exclusives.
    3 points
  30. https://www.walmart.com/search?q=lego+speed+champions&typeahead=lego+sp&sourceid=imp_XCt2w4RGoxyPWbHWdp29132wUkHyfWxFo0%3AEwo0&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_2189989&vtcWeb=aLaKQchDeoraf3DR8stTz4&expiryTime=1710720032412&c=mWebSmartBanner&facet=reward_eligible%3AWalmart+Cash+eligible $3.50 Walmart Cash limit 2 first discount on the new ones and good deal on the Lotus and more https://www.walmart.com/search?q=lego&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_65738&vtcWeb=aLaKQchDeoraf3DR8stTz4&c=mWebSmartBanner&sourceid=imp_XCt2w4RGoxyPWbHWdp29132wUkHyfT1do0%3AEwo0&expiryTime=1710720358692&facet=reward_eligible%3AWalmart+Cash+eligible
    3 points
  31. This is the second of two orders, placed about 11:30 pm CST last night. I do know that a friend placed an order with it after I did, maybe about midnight. ** EDITED TO ADD ** I just checked the site again. The search page no longer lists the discount on the page. However, if you click on the thumbnail to go to an item's particular page, it is still listed. Seems that ShopDisney is in the middle of dismantling the sale. No orders have been cancelled so far.
    3 points
  32. A few new sets on sale including a possible sleeper and 2 GWP https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/lego-offers-promotions
    3 points
  33. Release a few, let it sit a bit on the aftermarket to drive up FOMO, then release the big wave of it knowing buyers are salivating. Seems like standard procedure at this point.
    3 points
  34. 3 points
  35. the more you need to write "limited edition" on something.......
    3 points
  36. Lego keeps cranking out sets that look like mocs, in the best way, starting with those dioramas but this is peak.
    3 points
  37. Agreed, but Daily Deals should be strictly deals.
    3 points
  38. True dat…even got my kid driving a manual Jetta…he’s one of like 4 kids in his entire school without an automatic.
    3 points
  39. LEGO Space Series Space 71046 cases $149 sets $54.99 shipped preorder We are expecting them to arrive give or take a few days may 8th sets like the last 2 we carefully open and glue back https://planetfuntoys.com/
    2 points
  40. Quality aside, none of the Flego brands have licenses for the IP (Star Wars, LotR, etc). So buying any of those is effectively stealing from the IP owner. MOCs are a different story. No issue there as long as they are either original or licensed to the designer. I’m all for legit competition with Lego using original ideas and quality parts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2 points
  41. The ick factor on fake bricks is gone. There are still some of the bottom barrel producers that have poor clutch and an oily feel (similar to Megabloks), but across the board you'd find it hard to notice a difference in quality without looking for the logo. I've come across a ton of them while sorting, and previously I could just tell by touch... but now I have to actually look at the studs. The quality really changed when Lego opened facilities in China for production, as they steal and copy everything they can get their hands on. It probably didn't take until the end of the first shift for mountains of data to be provided to the other companies there. It's never going to be 100% as good, but 95% is still an A, and the vast majority of people are going to be happy with it. It will never be lights out for Lego though, as they still sell multitudes more product, and many people are so absolutely brand conscious that they'd never buy anything else. And the move to China only helped Lego grab a footprint in a multibillion person country, which has its own brand conscious people. If you recall, around the time of the move the news was full of "China's growing middle class", and how the "China middle class will surpass America". If they had to give up trade secrets to grab that market, they knew who they were making a deal with. It's going to hurt resellers more than anyone, as the bootleggers keep sets in production for years. It doesn't help that Amazon will display bootleg sets right next to genuine sets on search results. As the reseller price rises, and the bootleg price stays the same, you're going to have more people taking pause and digging deeper. If I'm looking at having a UCS star Destroyer, am I going to spend nearly 4x the price for 2.5x less parts? This is the question our buyers will be asking when seeing these side by side. 6x the price for 2.4x less pieces? Our customer base is getting old, and the replacements are overall not nearly as brand attached, nor are they going to have the disposable income of the previous generations. And Amazon is just blatantly telling them there are other options out there, and to "click here" to explore more. I've bought bootleg animals/dinos for my kids that Lego hadn't produced yet, and it's hard to tell the difference. For example the styracosaurus and pentaceratops feel and clutch the same as the triceratops. Had a brachiosaurus for years now, as well as countless zoo creatures that Lego is still catching up on. You also have MOC artists on rebrickable licensing their designs directly to MouldKing and other brands, as they pay out a lot more than selling instructions on rebrickable. I suppose a lot of people "like" designs but rarely buy the pieces once they see the part cost. Now you can get your MOC instructions and parts in one transaction, for 1/4 of the cost of sourcing them yourself. I don't blame the MOC designers for making money, but it directly affects part resellers.
    2 points
  42. Well I’m apparently wrong as my 14 year old son who hasn’t expressed interest in Lego in a couple years wants this set. I told him it was too expensive.
    2 points
  43. Touching base with finally firmly dipping my toes into breadmaking. Quite a bit of information upfront to digest ranging from tips & methods to ingredients & effects. Very daunting initially, even after all the research. However, after a few different breads, I find the process start to finish rather enjoyable and can confidently say I have a new permanent hobby. So far, I have made a couple of milk bread loaves using the tangzhong or yudane method of "scalding" the flour. First & third ones used a slurry of 20 grams flour to 90 grams milk heated up in a pot until gelatinized then allowed to cool before resting in the fridge overnight making sure all the flour was thoroughly gelatinized and something about forming maltose. (Yay science!) Second bread I took 50 grams heated milk poured on top of 50 grams flour mixing until everything gelatinized then rested in the fridge. Of the two methods, I prefer the first with the slurry as it is easier. Some of the milk will get boiled out but I can account for that by adding a smidge more than needed to compensate. Second method worked just as well but felt like more effort to mix well. In between the breads, I tried making a walnut raisin cake. First iteration was a little dry like a brownie. Second attempt was better being more moist but perhaps too much. I am narrowing down the recipe with each attempt. My last bread best as I could describe was a pizza sandwich or a mortazza I believe. I made a 100% hydration dough using 500 grams flour to 500 grams milk (it should have been 400 grams milk for 80% hydration but I kind of goofed). It was a sticky dough for certain but using a no-knead cold fermentation method (and a little olive oil), it turned out perfectly. I would even say it was the best gosh darn thing I ever made by golly. It was like a huge grilled cheese sandwich ....but pizza. Next on my list, brioche. Additional, egg white whipped with a little milk makes for a nice double glaze.
    2 points
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