Svelte

Sorry for another post, I figured this deserved a separate one: S@H sale prices have tumbled again, with 30% off down to 50% or even 70% off for some sets. Eg: Y-Wing - $30 Fight for the Golden Tower - $24 Mobile Devastator - $39 Alien Mothership Assualt - $40 Nitro Muscle - $30 Ferrari 1:17 F430 - $40 Aero Booster - $12

Not at all; it was good to know that we still don't know Only because I remembered that you were said you were contacting BTTW a while ago but I hadn't seen you post anything. The UK prices are high though, and since we seem to more on the 2.5x range of the GBP Lego currency conversion for licensed sets so I'm fearing what our price will be. $70 for the Droid Gunship? $100AUD for Magna Guard, with 2 figs? $120 for V-Torrent, with 1? Mind = boggled. I'm guessing that the AT-TE will be $150 and the Republic Gunship at $180 in line with last year's prices for the high end sets and also because Lego knows that Australian consumers generally (not AFOLs) are extremely reluctant to pay more than $180 in store for a set. I think Volcano Base is pretty good value - 6 figs, 750 pieces. At $100 it's certainly better than anything else around that mark that's been released this year in System. $100 seems to be a weird pricepoint here anyway. Coastguard Boat and Tower? Laughable at $100. Peril in Peru? 600 pieces and all the figs bar one are repeats, although the brick selection is nice. Rogue Shadow? Less than 500 pieces. I don't even think Star Justice and Space Skulls are that amazing as listed at $100 retail (not the special Toyworld price for the latter) - especially with Space Skulls which has 90+ of its pieces those annoying little black click hinges that make up the legs. Troll Warship? Again, less than 500 pieces, though the Big W sale price was good. I guess the Mars Mission exclusive is the only other one that seems OK price wise although personally Volcano Base is more useful to me Anyhoo, apart from that, the Agents Swamp chase set is also pretty good at $30 - 2 dark green crocs and lots of plant pieces. Sorry - I love to rant about prices - only because I don't understand the logic behind TLG's pricing policy and indeed suspect there actually is none. It's like someone draws them out of a hat. If the price is low, we applaud. If it's too high, we grumble. But if we question why the Emperor has no clothes (or consistency) then we get generic email reassurances but nothing changes. On the other hand, if retailers take issue then the price adjusts - there's a reason why Myer revised the retail price of Town Plan down from $250 to $199 and then down to a sale price of $159 - and that's because they knew that's the threshold of what consumers would actually pay.

Thanks darth_legois. Annoying we still don't know the retail price for CW sets though.

Wait for 8637 Volcano Base! I'd expect a flood of trans orange on BL then - it has 19 1x1 bricks and 20+ of the small 1x2x1 slopes. A fantastic volcanic parts pack all round.

If you look at the sequence of pics, Bill and Mary go into the cinema just before the spaceship arrives and whisks them away, so my guess is that the movie is kind of boring so they're meandering into their own dreamland. The whole sequence with the castle especially seems to take the form of a dream . Of course, as noted, when they return home the house will probably have burned down AGAIN. Their chronic mental wanderings is probably what caused the initial fire - somebody left the iron on.... Another great review from TheBrickster, I didn't realise this set came with a TV and the wonderful sink piece.

File this under 'anti-sale' - Just noticed that Agents 8635 on Shop at Home has undergone a price rise from $129.99 to $149.99 So that will probably be the retail price here in September, just as bttw told you Darth_Legois. What's up with these chopping and changing prices recently?

I think since Aquaraiders is officially 'dead in the water', this is unlikely. As for the images.... I live in a country where there is no Lego retail store or Legoland, and where we get almost no Lego promotional material whatsoever, but I recently bricklinked some sets from the US, which had been packed inside a Legoland California bag which had a lot of classic figs printed on it, including Johnny Thunder, an old-style knight, forestman and a classic pirate. Maybe this bag dates back to the mid-90s - I wouldn't know - but even if it did, the official stores don't seem to feel the need to update their bags even though you can't buy anything featured on it! (Except maybe the Impulse wizard). I really like the bag, but to me it just seemed to be Lego using their back catalogue of 'classic' images for promotional purposes. Same with the comic - the appearance of these figs seems like a neat in-joke rather than a hint of things to come. Anyway, maybe the bag is really old but it seems new and unusued, and the sets I bought were just-released MISB so I assume they came in the same bag when the bricklink seller bought them. I'm sure if I'm wrong someone will let me know!

I think people are missing the point with these sets. These are not play models or AFOL collector items - they're souvenirs, designed as such and sold in places where people who are interested in architecture can pick them up, presumably at a modest price. Chicago is a peculiarly appropriate choice as well, as it has many unique buildings but also a strong culture of getting the public involved in discussions about architecture. For example, the Chicago Architecture Foundation is held up as a model worldwide of an organisation that gets members of the public excited about architecture, particularly through talks, tours and visits to the buildings involved. On that basis, the simple design and limited release are perfectly targeted for this launch. Personally I don't care for the designs, but the interesting thing about this line is that Lego has launched an entire subtheme - not just a Factory model - in conjunction with an AFOL

Thanks for posting all these pics, WhiteFang. I love those brick-built cows and the garden hedges are unique. I'm so jealous of all you guys in countries where you get to see such neat displays.

Should we wait to see if EB does appear, or just choose another site we visit?

Palm Tree Base The classic palm tree base - along with individual trunk pieces, top, and individual leaf pieces - to make a fully assembled palm tree. The trunk and leaf pieces are still in production but we haven't seen the base since the 10159 Legends Airport released in 2004. Pirates need treasure, and where better to hide treasure than some small abandoned island, marked by a palm tree? Indeed, nothing says Pirates like a well-executed treasure island. The 2 piece version produced for the Junior Pirates sets is too restrictive in terms of what you can do with it in terms of height and leaf arrangement and the sooner the moulds are broken on that one the better . Pirates needs palm trees that can climb for the sky, bunch together in a coconut grove, act as a home for a troop of monkeys, or use their foliage to conceal gems and riches.... or the bodies of their enemies

I'm sure if the shipments haven't come in yet, they will arrive very soon. Even with the embargo, somebody will break it first, like Target did with the Indy sets (and what seems to have happened with Woolworths in the UK). I think the Lego mag said August because they were rounding up from July 26. Ie, if they'd advertised July people would have been after them from July 1. I would be amazed if they weren't available somewhere before next Saturday.

Good idea. I've done that too. The other thing people do is scan them 1:1 so if need be, they can print them off later. To answer the topic question, I usually apply them if I think they (a) add to the set (b) I'm not planning to use that piece in something else. Eg I usually don't bother with Mars Mission sets, but I put all the stickers on Town Plan because they added an extra level of detail to the set, especially the cinema. I hate stickers over cockpit pieces though, and never apply them there if I can help it. It would also be nice to if an extra sticker sheet came with the new Republic Gunship, which included the panel detailing at the front of the ship, but without the awful monkey-thing all over it That's just me, though.

I agree with The BrickRat, if TLC wants to re-release they will need Vestas' permission, otherwise it would probably violate the 'exclusive' clause of their contract. That said, I would certainly buy this set if it was available. At the very least, it would be nice if they posted instructions so we can see how it's done.

He should do something about that receding hairline before it's too late! Seriously, why have they sculpted the front of the piece so high? It looks wrong to see the top of the minifig's round little head

8636 is the Deep Sea Quest (not an exclusive), 8637 is Volcano Base (exclusive) I don't know who it is supposed to be an exclusive to, the catalogue doesn't specify.

Yes they will! They're both listed in the June Oz/ NZ catalogue with a Sept release date. 8637 is listed as an exclusive in Australia but not 8636.

Nope, there are 3 figs on the 4999 box art but none have that torso.

Brickshelf pics seem to come and go. It does look good, but the size is bizarre. It must be taller than the City crane, surely, and that was already massive. I'm surprised someone hasn't started a thread ''Green BURPs = confirmation of Elflands theme in 2009?' thread yet If it is a promo, that means it doesn't get a release either at retail level or at Shop at Home either, doesn't it? (As opposed to an exclusive, say.)

I can't give you instructions, but it's flattering to be asked. If you look at the pics you can probably guess how most of it is done as it's not that complicated. If you have specific questions just ask. It was mainly built from the Sentai Fortress with a little bit of Spongebob (for the orange) and some other pieces thrown in. The platform itself was based on the pics of 4210 Coast Guard Platform - instructions are now up for this at the Lego instruction site, although mine came out slightly differently! Thanks for your interest, I look forward to your stop motion videos!

Duplo definitely has the best themes - farm, zoo, circus, supermarket! TLC should just take a few Duplo themes and translate them into system.

This was in Sydney, but I think it's supposed to be Australia wide as it was advertised in the second half of year catalogue and also on a page issued with the Club magazine. You may just have to check your local store.

For the extra 59 bucks you get approx 1400 more pieces so you probably made the right choice

Nice work Darth_Legois, I like how they're all lined up in the second post. The extra grill details and rearview mirros look good. When you get your 10184 you should make a 50s style car lot with flags, a little office and a shady car dealer!

Generally not, although as a special sale promotion Target has 3830 Bikini Bottom Express and 3831 Rocket Ride available now (although the sale starts 24 July for 20% off) and K-Mart briefly had the Krusty Krab set last year.