Tyberious Funk

I have quite a few Enlighten sets, and generally the build quality is very good. Reportedly, their pirate stuff is a bit lower standard (particularly the clutch power of some of the bricks). But at 9 euro, it's pretty hard to complain.

What's the quality of their figures like? Judging by the pictures, the plastic seems pretty decent, but the quality of the prints maybe a bit weak.

Anyone seen these from Dargo: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Dargo-867-Star-Wars-Minifigure-The-Force-Awakens-Kylo-Ren-BB-8-8pcs-lot-Building-Block/1357357_32535420305.html The first wave from The Force Awakens? Hopefully SY or Decool can come up with something soon.

I've noted this previously in this thread with Decool figures. I accidentally broke my Winter Solider figure trying to force a standard lego hand into his arm socket :( Could it be that Dargo are using the same molds?

What's the general consensus on the quality of the Dargo stuff? I've generally avoiding even looking at their figures... but there are a couple that really interest me, like Doctor Fate, Black Adam, Killer Croc, the Red Hood, the Atom, Kick megablocks... maybe a few others. I'm mostly a DC guy, so wave after wave of Iron Man variations don't really do much for me!

These are awesome. Are they Hulk/Thing bigfigs with some kind of sculpting material added on?

Is it my imagination, or do the base plates say "Wang World" ???

I've posted this in a previous thread, but I'll repeat it here... Lego in Australia is expensive, and often difficult to find (unless your interest is limited to mostly mainstream stuff). And to compound the issue, a lot of online retailers will actively geoblock Australians from purchasing Lego, so that's not an avenue for us. Even when it's possible to buy Lego online, the cost of shipping typically outweighs the potential cost savings. And the whole issue is compounded even further when the Aussie dollar isn't doing so well (like now). Dedicated AFOL are always keeping track of local retailers to keep an eye on products in stock, and taking note of any sales. So there are two issues for me. Firstly, I have plenty of other expensive hobbies, so I'm not inclined to blow a lot of cash on Lego (no matter how much I might appreciate some of the sets). And secondly, I just don't have the time to be a dedicated bargain hunter like some of my fellow Australians. So I typically limit myself to the smaller, cheaper sets (say, sub $20). The beauty of the bootleg stuff is that I can buy sets of minifigs (which I love) at a cost that is typically less than A$2 per figure, delivered. And the only "bargain hunting" I have to do, is a quick search on AliExpress. The "purest" in me doesn't like bootleg stuff. But the "realist" side of me sees the practical benefits. And I've started to replace a few dodgy parts from some of my bootlegs, with some genuine lego parts. So the line between bootleg and lego is getting blurry.

Looks like Digger has got a lot of work on his hands in the next couple of weeks.

Has anyone seen anything about the new Tribes and Castles line from SY? Some shots were posted earlier in the thread, that looked like they came from some kind of toy fair. They looked like complete, ready-to-sell products -- not just concepts. But I haven't come across anything on Ali Express. One of the problems with buying stuff from AE, is that it comes without the box or catalogue. I don't care about the box... but if SY have a new catalogue, I'd love to see it.

If Decool has stopped producing super hero figures, that's sad. But as long as they are still in business, and still producing products, there's a chance they'll go back to super heroes at some point. From what I understand, a lot of these Chinese manufacturers get a "Cease and Desist" order due to potential copyright issues... and they basically lay low for a while, hope that any legal issues disappear and then go back into production a few months later (sometimes under a new brand name).

Just a quick question / statement on the relative "compatibility" of some of these bootlegs... The black hand on my Decool Winter Soldier was a bit loose, so I decided to replace it. I grabbed a spare black hand I had lying around... pretty sure it's one of the numerous spares that SY send. I tried shoving it in the arm socket, and it caused the arm to split down the mould join. Mental note... Decool arms and SY hands are definitely not compatible. Anyone have any other warnings?

I can't say I have a lot of sympathy for them. You want to buy a set because you think it might be worth a little more money in the future... fine, that's your choice. But people that are basically hoarding sets as speculative investments -- IMHO, they are damaging the hobby. If bootleggers are cutting into their margins, then good.

It's disappointing for sure. But at least there are plenty of vendors on AliExpress... and I can't see them disappearing anytime soon. I imagine the eBay vendors have stopped selling because there have been complaints filled. They usually lay low for a little while, and then start selling again.

Hmm... judging by the listing here; http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ausini-Pirate-Series-Pirate-Ship-No-N27405-Building-Blocks-Sets-132pcs-Educational-DIY-Self-locking-Bricks/1560883784.html Looks like the dragons come from Ausini.