Svelte

Congrats! I eagerly await the registration of classictechnic.com

My bad with the HSD set I doubt King's Castle Siege will ever come back to stores here. It's interesting that they did another production run of it though for Europe since it was clearanced in the UK and many people seemed it hard to find. I'd say we're due for another heroes castle next year, so maybe it will remain current until then? TLG do seem to publicise this an awful lot, even 10193's instruction pages still have the 7094 silhouette as a watermark effect! It gets a lot of press for a set noone can find!

I never thought that the Indy theme would have the longevity of Star Wars. I never saw kids getting that into a series of movies, the first three of which were made years before they were born. Once the main locations and vehicles are exhausted, what's left? A third and final year seems most likely, unless sales are poor. Star Wars also has incredible diversity in vehicles, characters and locations, whereas Indy is sort of limited to a certain era. On the flipside... the Clone Wars TV series gave Star Wars a much-needed shot in the arm, and it is possible that a new Indy TV series could do the same (if such a thing were ever to be made). To be honest though, Star Wars seems the exceptional licence rather than the rule, in that its popularity seems steady rather than seeming to wane over time. Looking at the 09 sets, it seems that TLG has abandoned buildings (such as temples or ruins) in favour of more action, chase-based sets (Shanghai Chase, Venice, Temple of Doom, the plane set), so I don't think many of the ideas suggested around locations will happen (much as I'd personally love to see them). I would also rather the line go out on a high than drag on as mini sets or remakes a la this year's Spongebob sets.

7681 Separatist Spider Droid is back in stock at S@H.

Tough choice. If you put a gun to my head, I'd go for 7675 Actually, if you meant 7676, I'd choose that one. It's a great set with heaps of functions, a sturdy build, and great swooshability. 7094 is excellent as well, but it is better for MOCs.

Interesting topic, TheBrickster. I am currently working on a large scale project that I've been thinking about for at least 6 months. It started with an idea; then with some initial design sketches; it was on hold for a while, then I bought some sets that were suitable for breaking up for the project; and then some more so I had a good stock of bricks for what will be my largest MOC in all my years of Lego. However although the idea has been turning in my head for this long, it was only a few weeks ago I made some revised sketches and started the initial build. The act of putting brick on brick together then generates ideas itself as you discover unique and interesting combinations. I also find that my subconscious has been bubbling away as well as I find several of the bricklink orders I've placed in the last 6 months amazingly useful. Now I'm reaching the end I find inspiration is in the detail - the little touches that make a MOC unique. They often come to me when I'm thinking about something else unrelated - like seeing a building in the street, or the curve of a tree branch - or just randomly when I wake up in the morning or am having coffee before work. So really, my perfect MOC is the marriage of the ideal you have in your head with the practical translation into ABS forms, with all the surprises you give yourself along the way. The creation is in the discovery of what you can do, as well as the ideal you're working from. The other angle for me is playability. I like MOCs that do something - they have to have working lifts, giant lasers, hidden treasures, water-wheels, secret bomb-caches, spinning drills, and so on - whatever it is, it needs to be interactive in the sense that a minifig can influence and adapt to the world of that creation. (The flipside is that I can't stand MOCs that look beautiful but fall apart if you so much as breathe on them; maybe I'm just resentful as I'm naturally clumsy ). As for the limitation side of things... I sometimes find limitations to be helpful, rather than a hindrance. When you are limited in your materials, it forces you to really think about the design choices you make and focus on the essence of the project. This is maybe why I don't find apartment towers or those giant-sized Lego sculptures very impressive. There's a certain technical skill in designing, for example, a giant Toy Fair Indy fig via computer, but not that much *technique* if you know what I mean. This is why SirNadroj's stuff is so interesting - his projects aren't normally massive (although they're not tiny either) - it's his novel combinations of pieces and ideas that continually surprise. I don't like all the techniques he uses (rubber bands, for example) but I appreciate the experiments he makes in form, of stripping back the basic principle of the Lego system (connectivity) to its simplest expression. (He's also excellent at detail; I'm just thinking of his figural experiments here.) Of course, there is a balance between idea and reality, and you do need a minimum pool of bricks to get going. After 5 years of being out of my dark ages, I finally feel I have enough bricks to make whatever I want with. I tend to keep sets stored intact (once I break them apart, I find it almost impossible to find the time to put them back again) and buy multiples of sets as parts packs, supplemented by bricklink orders. Peeron/ bricklink is an enormous help as when I'm building I will suddenly think of a piece in a certain shape or colour that would be perfect, and I can easily search my available sets to dig out that piece from a specific set in my collection, and still be able to put it back when the MOC is broken down. (If this sounds organised, it really isn't; I have tubs of jumbled parts in sorted colours, sizes and types, but even the act of sifting through them suggests building possibilities that you may otherwise overlook. I will never be the type that has a storage box for 1x1 plates, 2x1 plates, 3x1 plates etc for example, as for me part of the experience is the sorting and sifting.) Anyway, essay finished for the moment! You will have to wait to find out what I've been doing... hopefully for not too much longer

If it hasn't shipped yet, call Customer Service tonight after 6pm EST. They may be able to add or combine the order. (I do find it kind of hilarious that when you call the freecall number you get that cheesy very English recorded voice to guide you through the options but the call centre staff are invariably European, who often sound kind of shocked that Australians are sufficiently civilised to have such things as 'Leg-go' this far south of the equator.) I don't think the Twilight will hang around too long at that price as the ebay sellers will order it by the truckload for resale, just like General Grievous.

You could do a really nice feature wall with that amount, once you talk the wife into it. Best of all, you can plug your collections directly into the wall via the technic holes. Think of all the display space you'd save! Or maybe a fringy door curtain for the more retro-minded? I bet there is someone out there in the world, somewhere, who has done this using ClikIts

7680 The Twilight is now half price at S@H for Europe/ rest of world. http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=7680

7680 The Twilight is now half price at S@H. http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=7680 It's not a bad set at all at that price and a good source of bley and dark bley plates.

Sandy, this is really impressive. Your stories are all great and I'm amazed by all the little MOCs you've built to illustrate the character stories. My favourites are Ferid's scene and the Victorian building (nice reworking of the Harry Potter parts which many MOCers seem to avoid). I chose to know more about a character each from the past, present (roughly) and the future. Once again you have given us some strong female characters which is always a plus. I wonder if Vanya's Leia bun is a self-conscious reference to a classic old movie (by that time)? Also, I'm not surprised that the ambulance managed to knock someone down seeing as they put a 50 zone right next to a pedestrian crossing! I am intrigued and really looking forward to Chapter 2!

Great work! I also like to make MOCs just from one set only (it helps me keep track of parts ) and this is a fine example. You've really captured the lines of the ship and the rotating stand is just brilliant. The side greebles are especially sweet.

That set is from the summer wave of City releases - so not before June at the earliest.

I chose 2 plates for the same reason: an opportunity to have things like puddles and to add some texture to the ground or pavement. However since dark bley has been banned from the approved paving colourss I fear I shall have nothing to add in any case

Are you from North America or elsewhere? There may be different holders coming from different production centres.

Unlike the Good Wizard set which had the very rare figure, I think most people could build this from parts without too many problems. All you'd need is maybe an Advent Calendar with a chef fig and a few extra pieces. Nothing here is uncommon at all. I know it's not the same as picking the set itself up from a store shelf, but at least it's extremely doable.

I see what you're saying... but if everyone in this poll votes for Cafe Corner characteristics, won't it just turn out that way? If it walks like a juckfozzer, talks like a juckfozzer, and squawks like a juckfozzer, in the end, isn't it simpler to call a juckfozzer a juckfozzer? (I can't speak for all the Aussies here; in my neighbourhood a 'juckfozzer' is a common type of aquatic bird ) EDIT: I notice that the title of this poll has already been sneakily changed while i made this post in order to make me look insane. Thanks admins!

In terms of aesthetics, I want: Tiled! Two plates high! Definitely following the Cafe Corner standard! (If you're on to a good thing, why mess with it?) However... Is it still a Classic Town build if we're following a CC modular standard? Classic Town has studded pathways... buildings sit one plate high... and generally the buildings are small and backless. So is this really a Classic Town community build or a Cafe Corner one? I'm sorry if my question is confusing or seemingly redundant... all the brickahol has gone straight to my head... Sweet, sweet brickahol

In Australia, the larger sets are often sold below RRP (Recommended Retail Price; stores aren't by law allowed to charge more than this amount, which is why I find it surprising that so many UK buyers mention a huge mark-up over S@H - they just can't do that here.) However I am impatient so generally if I want something on first release I will order it from S@H (Eg the new Farm sets, which won't be available here until April sometime). At the same time I will often stock up on sale items or other exclusives, whether it be sets or merchandise (hello, minifig head kitchen scale, one of which I actually need!) As Sinner says, the more you buy, the cheaper shipping is, so it is tempting to add more. Lego also has a new habit of releasing an exclusive via S@H and then upping the price significantly when they strike a deal to release that set as a special promotion in Australian stores. Before Xmas the VW set jumped in price on S@H 25% as it was released in a department store here and then put on 'sale' for its original RRP! The Taj Mahal also jumped 25% over the new year so I expect it will be in stores later this year. In cases like this, you actually save by ordering from S@H early, although it is impossible to pick just which exclusive sets will see the hike. I don't know if this happens anywhere in Europe or if it's just an Aussie thing but it is kind of annoying. On the upside, because Australia is a small market, the people who set the prices often take a while to notice when they make a mistake (which they seem to do quite regularly). Green Grocer was a bargain from S@H at 40% off the real price when it first came out and even the recent Vintage Minifig Collection 2 was AUD16.99 - almost half of what Vintage Minifig Collection 1 was priced at! I have noticed in Aus that some ebay sellers buy multiples of new releases from S@H and then sell the extras. Mail Vans and the small Mail Plane were going for silly prices in January last year, probably as they weren't getting a general release here in stores until April. I suspect that a lot of these sales are by AFOLs softening the blow of shipping costs by selling a few extras rather than profiteers, which is fine by me. I have found in other areas of sales that many ebay buyers distrust ordering from overseas, even from respected retailers, and would rather pay more to have a local middleman deliver direct from within the country for a higher price, so maybe that's part of it too.

Myer probably just brought in a limited quantity of Town Plan for the July sales, and it took that long to sell them. Most retailers only do get a certain amount of the (previously) exclusive or hard to find sets for the special big sales. The Eiffel tower didn't last nearly as long as Town Plan. I think DJs did restock Cafe Corner when Green Grocer came in, but that seemed to be the exception rather than the rule.

Now that they've gone from production, they'll no doubt shoot up in value. It's like the brown German mechanic head from the Flying Wing all over again! Like WhiteFang and probably many others, I tended to toss mine once I took the bands off, but if I find any I will put them aside for you.

Happy Birthday, guys! Enjoy whatever intimate apparel aversions and holographic medical assistance are granted to thee on this special day. Plus, cake.

None of the 09 sets released so far have the old holders - all the rubber bands and cloaks I've got this year came in the new cardboard sleeves. In fact, I think one of the early 09 Star Wars reviews on EB here was the first to note it... EDIT: Here it is, ReZourceman's review of the AAT from 22 Dec mentions the change. You know, I did think to mention this to you after seeing your Last Man entry but I obviously got distracted Probably for the best... a few more weeks of blissful ignorance... Interesting that they went back and did another production run of 7644 though - it must have hit clearance fairly soon afterwards. Now I know what you got in today's battered S@H delivery! I bought it cheap just before Xmas and it still had the old holder. Still, if purple can come back, anything can happen* *disclaimer: actually, I'm pretty sure the old holders are likely to be gone forever. I wonder, they must be cheapy cheap to pick up on bricklink though?

Good choice It's a great set. I bet the three remaining DJs ones will disappear shortly now

I usually search by set number; the database seems to reference those first, rather than theme or set name. I'm surprised as new sets don't normally appear on S@H mid-afternoon, Australian time - they seem to pop up overnight, like mushrooms