BrickFair 2009 (version 2.0)

[Dadster]

I agree with Omicron - it should be fun for you. Besides seeing some awesome MOCs and meeting new folks, its a chance to schmooze with the Lego Team. They were always willing to help and speak with folks with a smile on their faces last year.

[TJJohn12]

Friday nights, the local lego store will hold a huge discount, and during the weekend a semi decent discount for attendees. Brickarms will be there.

It is totally worth 50 bucks for 3 days of amazing Lego fun. And since you're 14, you will need to register with a parent/guardian or someone who is over 18.

That being said, it sounds like the public day might be the best idea for andy0002. I've been suggesting the public day even to casual, just-getting-started AFOLs, let alone TFOLs and kids. A fest can be culture shock; it might be helpful to dip into the LEGO insanity slowly.

Also, there was a good deal of frustration from the adult fanbase last year that so many kids and uninterested parents were registered. Lego fests, in general, have always been intended for the AFOL community, with upstanding, mature TFOL's scattered in for good measure. I was one of those TFOLs at Brickfest 2002, before we had a term for teen fans. Be that as it may, a good deal of the adults were upset at having so many kids underfoot during off-public-hours. I, for one, was quite upset at the Dirty Brickster, as Star Wars sets were stolen and re-stolen 10s of times, yet the more special gifts (classic, MIB sets from the 80s and the like) were passed over and given no respect by the younguns.

Sorry if this has come off as belligerent. I'm not trying to sound like a crotchety old man in a chaise lounge shouting "Get off my lawn," but Brickfair last year did lack the strictly adult socialization time that other fests seem to have. I'm glad to see the late-night BYOB 21+ party incorporated this year. Nothing sounds more fun than a drunken speed build!

-John

Aside: I went digging through LUGNET to make sure it was 2002 that I went to Brickfest and figured out I've been posting in AFOL communities for just over 10 years now. Wow, just wow...

[Hinckley]

Dadster, could you update the first post with the specific date and location please?

[CP5670]

That being said, it sounds like the public day might be the best idea for andy0002. I've been suggesting the public day even to casual, just-getting-started AFOLs, let alone TFOLs and kids. A fest can be culture shock; it might be helpful to dip into the LEGO insanity slowly.

Also, there was a good deal of frustration from the adult fanbase last year that so many kids and uninterested parents were registered. Lego fests, in general, have always been intended for the AFOL community, with upstanding, mature TFOL's scattered in for good measure. I was one of those TFOLs at Brickfest 2002, before we had a term for teen fans. Be that as it may, a good deal of the adults were upset at having so many kids underfoot during off-public-hours. I, for one, was quite upset at the Dirty Brickster, as Star Wars sets were stolen and re-stolen 10s of times, yet the more special gifts (classic, MIB sets from the 80s and the like) were passed over and given no respect by the younguns.

That would be great as far as I am concerned. It means less demand for the things I want.

I have no problem with the kids myself and they can occasionally add a lot to these events. There was a 12 year old kid last year (who is on the front page of the site) who had a remarkably large and detailed ship next to my Blacktron carrier. It looked like an AFOL creation and was certainly miles ahead of anything I built at that age. If I simply want to converse with friends, I would arrange something with a few select people of my choice anyway, not the entire Brickfair attendance.

[Dadster]

Dadster, could you update the first post with the specific date and location please?

Done and Done.

[Dadster]

The LINK is below and I've added it into the first post as well...

http://www.brickfair.com/

[Omicron]

Just a reminder.

If you haven't registered and/or paid, now would be a good time too, since the goodie bags are limited to the first 400 paid registrants, and there is already 296 paid (and the 104 can come very quickly). So if you want the goods, be quick.

-Omi

[Dadster]

Bit of news...

Latest News: 7/20/2009

All vendor tables are sold out! As many of you recall last year's overcrowding, this year we rounded up the vendors together in one location. There's a finite number of tables, and they're all filled.

Vendors coming to BrickFair '09:

* Chuck Mangin

* BrickJournal

* BlockStock

* BrickArms

* Brickengraver

* Bella Deux

* Bricks w/o Mortar

* ME Models

* John Schaffer

* Brickmania

* LEGO Serious Play

* BrickCircuits

* Greg Hyland

If you're a vendor who missed out, I hope you still choose to join us for fun, even if not for business. We'll try to arrange more space for you at BrickFair '10.

[SirNadroj]

I'll be there; my first event. I plan on bringing a few MOCs, too, including "Warehouse District Shootout", "Stagecoach and Buffalo", "Stanley's Steam Car", "Fulton's Revenge" (A big steampunk ship, should be posted in a couple days.), "Bot-O-Matic", a soon-to-be-finished remote-control moon rover [if I can finish it in time!] and maybe a couple other things... I look forward to meeting some fellow EBers.

[Sir Wellington]

I might attend if my father allows me. I will probally bring a Battle MOC using the pirate figures.

[Omicron]

Bit of news...

Latest News: 7/20/2009

All vendor tables are sold out! As many of you recall last year's overcrowding, this year we rounded up the vendors together in one location. There's a finite number of tables, and they're all filled.

Vendors coming to BrickFair '09:

* Chuck Mangin

* BrickJournal

* BlockStock

* BrickArms

* Brickengraver

* Bella Deux

* Bricks w/o Mortar

* ME Models

* John Schaffer

* Brickmania

* LEGO Serious Play

* BrickCircuits

* Greg Hyland

If you're a vendor who missed out, I hope you still choose to join us for fun, even if not for business. We'll try to arrange more space for you at BrickFair '10.

Brickforge is now officially going as well as a vendor. They were added last minute. :D

I'll be there; my first event. I plan on bringing a few MOCs, too, including "Warehouse District Shootout", "Stagecoach and Buffalo", "Stanley's Steam Car", "Fulton's Revenge" (A big steampunk ship, should be posted in a couple days.), "Bot-O-Matic", a soon-to-be-finished remote-control moon rover [if I can finish it in time!] and maybe a couple other things... I look forward to meeting some fellow EBers.

Wooooo steampunk.

-Omi

[jerba]

Chalk up another AFOL as I'll be at Brickfair! This will be my first Lego gathering and I am quite excited. I'll have a microscale moc and a Power Miners(!) Moc as well. I'm new to the internet scene and haven't been to a convention yet so I'm still catching up on things!

[Dadster]

Chalk up another AFOL as I'll be at Brickfair! This will be my first Lego gathering and I am quite excited. I'll have a microscale moc and a Power Miners(!) Moc as well. I'm new to the internet scene and haven't been to a convention yet so I'm still catching up on things!

Jerba - were you there last year? Your name looks familiar (or maybe I've simply seen it around here...).

[Omicron]

Latest News: 8/1/2009

In response to a recent email...

Hi Sean,

I'm sorry you are the 451st to pay. Someone had to be :(

We prepared 450 "freebie kits." You're missing out on that, I'm afraid. The kit consists of 41 fairly common parts, so you can recreate the freebie kit from your own pile of bricks. The instructions will be made available online after BrickFair.

Vendors freebies are limited to the first 500. So you still get those. Everyone gets a program guide, bingo card and bingo tiles, and a BrickFair pin.

Todd

-Omi

[CP5670]

It looks like we'll get considerably more people than last year, possibly over 600 at this rate. I paid a while ago, although I only added my MOCs yesterday. It's the same stuff as last time so far, although I have some new monorail stations that I'm still debating whether to bring or not.

Edited August 4, 2009 by CP5670

[jerba]

Chalk up another AFOL as I'll be at Brickfair! This will be my first Lego gathering and I am quite excited. I'll have a microscale moc and a Power Miners(!) Moc as well. I'm new to the internet scene and haven't been to a convention yet so I'm still catching up on things!

Nope I've never been. I'm looking forward to it though! How nervous should I be about bringing MOCs that aren't exactly the most amazing creations? I'd say mine are decent but they aren't Brick Brothers worthy if you get the jist.

[andy0002]

-Omi

so first 500... they mean to pay 50 bucks right? crap. i really hoped i'd get some extra freebies if i showed up early but i guess i read that wrong. the brickfair website should have more information on it!!

ive got another question relating to vendors. how much do the minifigures cost from different vendors? do they range in prices? heres a couple of examples...

nightwing(batman char.), the joker(batman again), episoded 3 clone trooper(green details), episode 2 clone, green ninja, classic space man(blue), Aang(the avatar), captain rex(clone trooper)

and same with sets. are they more expensive than usual ebay prices? such as(the top of my list of wanted sets) royal knights castle, set # 6090.

im coming on saturday, so again, will there still be a good range of stuff available first thing in the morning?

thanks. i know thats alot of questions... but it will be my firsy convention, so im a noobie

[Omicron]

so first 500... they mean to pay 50 bucks right? crap. i really hoped i'd get some extra freebies if i showed up early but i guess i read that wrong. the brickfair website should have more information on it!!

ive got another question relating to vendors. how much do the minifigures cost from different vendors? do they range in prices? heres a couple of examples...

nightwing(batman char.), the joker(batman again), episoded 3 clone trooper(green details), episode 2 clone, green ninja, classic space man(blue), Aang(the avatar), captain rex(clone trooper)

and same with sets. are they more expensive than usual ebay prices? such as(the top of my list of wanted sets) royal knights castle, set # 6090.

Vendor's prices differ greatly. Almost in comparison to Bricklink. But because this is a con, you will find great deals.

-Omi

[andy0002]

Vendor's prices differ greatly. Almost in comparison to Bricklink. But because this is a con, you will find great deals.

-Omi

i just searched my wishlist on bricklink, and dang!, those prices are insane!! like 30 to 70 dollars for the joker?? 24 to 50 dollars for the green ninja(okay i saw that one coming, on ebay about 6 months ago i was obsessed with find him and well... he was like 75 cheapest on ebay)

surprisingly starwars stuff is cheap on there. doesnt make much sense to me. i really hope your right, and ill find like the joker for under 10$. thats what im hoping for.

theres a store near where my grandmother lives that sells used toys. they have so much awesome minfigs. i was in there, looking overr the counter and found a big bowl full of figs. i asked him how much each was, and he said "pimp it out for 2 bucks a piece!". i was geeking out. seriously, my legs were shaking i found so much cool stuff in there. like 20 pirate, some cool space dudes from early 90's. i cleared him out of most of the figs, but he has horses and boats id still like to get. i'd be sooo happy if B.F. were like that, but i doubt it.

Bit of news...

Latest News: 7/20/2009

All vendor tables are sold out! As many of you recall last year's overcrowding, this year we rounded up the vendors together in one location. There's a finite number of tables, and they're all filled.

Vendors coming to BrickFair '09:

* Chuck Mangin

* BrickJournal

* BlockStock

* BrickArms

* Brickengraver

* Bella Deux

* Bricks w/o Mortar

* ME Models

* John Schaffer

* Brickmania

* LEGO Serious Play

* BrickCircuits

* Greg Hyland

If you're a vendor who missed out, I hope you still choose to join us for fun, even if not for business. We'll try to arrange more space for you at BrickFair '10.

do any of those people have websites?

Bit of news...

Latest News: 7/20/2009

All vendor tables are sold out! As many of you recall last year's overcrowding, this year we rounded up the vendors together in one location. There's a finite number of tables, and they're all filled.

Vendors coming to BrickFair '09:

* Chuck Mangin

* BrickJournal

* BlockStock

* BrickArms

* Brickengraver

* Bella Deux

* Bricks w/o Mortar

* ME Models

* John Schaffer

* Brickmania

* LEGO Serious Play

* BrickCircuits

* Greg Hyland

If you're a vendor who missed out, I hope you still choose to join us for fun, even if not for business. We'll try to arrange more space for you at BrickFair '10.

Do any of those people have online stores or aanything that we can look at? i like to have an idea of what i might find there. i found a couple.

-bella sells girly accesories(not for figures, for you)

-ME models sells custom town sets

-greg hyland sells custom figures and decals(there pretty nice, like a lime green speeder scout)

-brickengraver has a strange website i cant understand, but he sells custom figures that u can actually put ur own design on. i dont know how exactly that works(could use some help from anybody who's purchased from them before)

thats about all ive foudn out. I will research more tomarrow im tired.

[Omicron]

i just searched my wishlist on bricklink, and dang!, those prices are insane!! like 30 to 70 dollars for the joker?? 24 to 50 dollars for the green ninja(okay i saw that one coming, on ebay about 6 months ago i was obsessed with find him and well... he was like 75 cheapest on ebay)

Ok bad idea to use Bricklink as an example. :P. Most you would be paying for a Joker fig would be 10 bucks, depending.

do any of those people have websites?

I know Bricks W/O Mortar is a bricklink store. I have purchased from them before.

-Omi

[andy0002]

Ok bad idea to use Bricklink as an example. :P. Most you would be paying for a Joker fig would be 10 bucks, depending.

I know Bricks W/O Mortar is a bricklink store. I have purchased from them before.

-Omi

bricks w/o mortars store is "locked". what does that mean? whats the code?

out of the people on bricklink(not many), i cant say ill be doing alot of buying... none of those people sold minifigs... bricks w/o mortar says he sells sets but i dont know what kind. im a pirates fan, just so u know.

Edited August 9, 2009 by andy0002

[Omicron]

bricks w/o mortars store is "locked". what does that mean? whats the code?

It means the stored is closed for the time being, most likely they are preparing their inventory for Brickfair.

-Omi

[andy0002]

It means the stored is closed for the time being, most likely they are preparing their inventory for Brickfair.

-Omi

does that guy sell pirate sets? or star wars?

[Omicron]

does that guy sell pirate sets? or star wars?

Can't remember. Just have to wait and see. :P

Trust me, you will be able to find what you are looking for. I'm sure someone will be selling pirates and star wars.

-Omi

[CP5670]

There was a new update on the Brickfair site today. It says that the Potomac Mills store will have discounts for registrants, but that seems to be a fair distance away and I'm not really familiar with that location. Does anyone know if the Tysons Corner store will have the same discounts?