Svelte

Really? Are they posted anywhere central? I've been following this thread and haven't seen them, and they aren't in individual review threads. If the other sets building instructions are available somewhere obvious that I've missed, please point me in the right direction. Thanks!

I think TLG realised they overpriced them in some regions, like Australia, and have changed strategy for 09. The 2008 ones were priced at $AUD5.99 but the 2009 new ones are listed at $AUD4.99. One dollar doesn't seem like much but the psychological difference between the two price points was probably enough to discourage buyers. I know I didn't pick up many as they seemed too close in price to the smaller sets of 'proper' lines but without value. Have any other regions had a price drop? I agree though that a couple of Pirates and one City one seems like an odd combination.

Looks like a great parts pack. I did consider getting this one when it was cheap but went for Mr Steggles instead for the green/ brown landscaping parts. I really liked the aesthetics of the main model, and it seemed to have neat functionality compared to a lot of System sets which look good but don't do an awful lot (I'm looking at you, Star Wars!). It's very interesting to see the Belville figs in scale with something other than a shiny pink pleasure palace and I agree, they could have marketed it differently to appeal to a different audience. I'm not sure I want to encourage yet another line to become vehicle-based though

Nope - don't have it (yet) But I've posted the Indy ones in the Indy 09 thread.

Indy instructions are up: Shanghai Chase: http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildin...ons/4549710.pdf Fight for the flying Wing: http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildin...ons/4549712.pdf

Shipwreck Hideout: http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildin...ons/4550197.pdf

Yay! Thanks to everyone who voted for me and congrats to the other winners and all the entrants! This was one of the best-run comps I've ever been a part of! I don't have any Islander figs in my collection so I'm looking forward to my prize. Bring on PTV 2009!

Including postage, it was more than the Taj, less than the Death Star I think I did OK though, it was via ebay and the seller listed as 'lego vestas' rather than with set number which may have lost her a few bidders. She also underestimated international postage to the tune of GBP 40 if the ParcelPost label was anything to go by but she didn't ask for the extra. I did think about bricklinking the parts but buying from lots of different sellers and then paying the shipping to Australia (not to mention time/ effort quotient) didn't seem justified compared to just buying the damn thing outright!

I got Monster Dino from K-Mart Chatswood for $75 probably coming up to a year ago... It clearanced quickly. Actually, most expensive set per piece has to be the new Bionicle line, as Mr Mandalorian has pointed out. Eg Berix 8975 - 15 pieces for $AUD10? That is worse than 4999!

natelite, I did manage to combine orders, by the time they told me I could they'd done it and my orders had shipped To stick to topic, I was going to forage around to see if any 09 stuff had come in but now I can't leave the house in case DHL arrives! Got enough Mail Vans there? Maybe you could send a flotilla around with my order! But since you insist on taunting us with your haul on Brickshelf - especially the tantalising glimpse of 10193 - I'll taunt you back by showing you what I spent the morning building: Bwahahahahah!

I ordered on Xmas Day and no sign of my order yet! Boo! Actually, as suggested by Sinner, I did contact S@H about combining orders once the sale started and the sales rep replied that orders over $AUD800 are automatically shipped via the Express method. This may account for your speedy delivery, natelite. Worth knowing in future. I'm sceptical though as I've ordered Express in the past and my order status says Standard. Once you go Express, it's hard to go back - sob! It's addictive

The horse *is* too big! I never noticed that either. I like the Lego cow's medium size better. As for design - we have yet to have a good look at the black and white version in the big Farm set.

It's strongly rumoured... but probably not in the format above with the house and power functions, which is a shame Time will tell

Definitely Shanghai Chase. The minifigs are amazing and versatile and will find a myriad of uses. Both the vehicles are fantastic and wonderfully detailed and brickbuilt (wait til you see the rear of the tan/ white car!) and would fit in seamlessly in any number of streetscapes, cities or historical MOCs. I love the luxury feel of Indy's vehicle yet the sinister black van is adaptable and well-built too. One of my favourite of the 09 Jan releases, definitely. Race for the Stolen Treasure is OK, but the vehicles are a bit bley-ey and samey compared to Shanghai Chase. The horse mould is looking a bit simple next to the brick-built trucks, and the ark is not even an ark. I'm more of a civilian builder; military heads probably feel differently.

That shield piece is beautiful Bionicle 09 is looking good for people who like interesting parts.

More expensive than the Taj, but cheaper than a Death Star - definitely worth it

It's actually the effect of the reduced VAT, as they say on S@H. Other online retailers have made the same adjustments.

I think the last few years have seen a vast improvement in set design in the last two years, and the great new construction sets reflect that with their sophisticated builds and brick-built detail. Sometimes the memory cheats. If you go back and look at a lot of sets from the Classic era of the 80s, you may find they are smaller than you remember and often have fewer bricks than modern sets. Lego also seems to have scaled down as well, so we are somewhere between the very small sets of the 80s and the overlarge vehicles such as the 2005 dump truck and crane vehicle. However realism seems to be more of a concern as well these days, if you compare the large new construction site to its smaller (and a bit more random) 2005 cousin.

1. SlyOwl 2. Hinckley 3. Phred 4. Captain Green Hair

Mine too... a common problem I think. As for the set itself - I was looking forward to it, liked the look of it, didn't even mind the giant wing piece However - the application of the stickers on the wing really destroyed a lot of the enjoyment of building this set. With the isometric viewpoint provided in the instructions and the lack of studs on the wing piece to act as a measuring guide, it's almost impossible to apply them with any sort of accuracy. The box art doesn't help, again due to the angle of photography and the way other pieces overlap. I found it incredibly frustrating. I don't normally mind stickers (I don't like them, but accept them as a fact of life) but these were by far the worst I've come across in a Lego set. What's the point of having a nice set if there's no clear way to add the necessary detail? Even an overhead diagram of all of them applied would have helped enormously. Bizarrely, the stickers on the sheet are numbered like the Exo-Force ones but no such numbers are in the instructions. As I say, I am not anti-sticker by any means but these were horrendous and negatively affected my appreciation of the set.

8402 - the blurry green blob in the background. Otherwise known as this piece:

Where did rumours about no CC style this year start? I thought it was always planned as a series of three - that's what Jamie Berard said. Market Street (although not exactly CC) is also the only Factory set not to have been clearanced, so I assumed they were selling well. We normally don't get pics until just before the March/ Easter release anyway - Lego didn't preannounce Green Grocer, it just appeared on S@H! Return of the fruit tree! Yay! The Creator house is a bit weird. Not as nice as the tan Town House or the Beach House. Red roof tiles and those horrible shutters - hmm. The scale is also a bit wrong looking.

The folder is not yet public - can you post links to individual images?

1 - 29. Exotrator - The Pirates of San Pedro Gorgeous build and colours with loads of clever detailing, like the bell tower, the wonderful tile roofs and the clever slope of the wall. I am a sucker for dark green foliage as well and everything here looks tasteful and well-done, and the colour blending (tan/ dark tan, blue/ medium blue) is subtle and naturalistic. The diorama is clear and the action clearly tense. A close competition, but this was the winner for me. One sure test of its greatness was that I could immediately identify lots of techniques I was going to imitate 2- 32. SirNadroj - The Pillaging of Neptune's Noggin Lagoon What more could possibly be said than hasn't been covered in the entry thread itself? This MOC is in a class of its own in terms of detail, scope and clever and original building techniques, but it doesn't quite translate its glory into the 'Large' format of PTV itself as there is almost too much going on. The eye cannot find contentment where it rests! The entry pic hardly shows the MOC to its full advantage, but it may be that something this size is impossible to encapsulate well in a single photograph. 3 - 20. AL FREDDO - The Atrocity Island There were lots of excellent contenders, but Al Freddo's entry is visually distinct from many of the other looting scenes depicted. The expression is may be a little more stark than other entrants in its simplicity of form, but I really like the bold visual drama of island, blood, and rock. The little palm huts are cite too A very original and striking entry.

The Attack Shuttle isn't yet available for any non US country. Not all sets do become available all at the same time, sometimes - and there are glitches, like some of the new Pirate sets not being available to Oz even though they are for other non-US countries and all ship from the same European distribution centre. Basically there are two Lego distribution centre - the North American one which ships to Canada and the US, and the European one which covers the rest of the world. They are often not synced exactly which is why some stuff appears at different times on each site. I would expect the Shuttle would become available soon, and I would think it would be in stores by the second week of Jan anyway.