LEPIN brings out Monster Fighters HAUNTED HOUSE (16007)

[crossmr]

For reference this set (the lepin star wars speeder linked in one of the messages) is about 6.72 USD in china itself. Keep in mind that their main market is China, and aliexpress sellers often inflate the prices. The amount they add on for shipping is often excessive. I've also been lucky enough to buy many sets on the street here in Korea, where they ship them in in bulk and don't have an inflated price. I paid about $8 USD for this set on the street, with a box here in Korea. Mine was fine, no problems with her weapon or arm.

As far as these companies go, there are a couple things to keep in mind: A lot of their focus (outside star wars) is on sets which aren't made anymore. So in that regards they're more likely hurting the secondary lego market, not the actual company itself.

Also with their primary market being China, Lego itself is prohibitively expensive there. The real lego one is about 7.5x the price of the Lepin one. Lepin is at least giving them a decent produce for a decent price. Some of those other Chinese companies are providing some really sketchy stuff. plastic that smells like it'll give you cancer, and other horrible things.

Also think about "Enlighten" they were famous for knocking off legos stuff. They used to copy pirate sets and train sets. Great source for train sets long ago. Too bad they're actually gone now.

Starting last year, after building itself up on copying lego, they started their own original lines. They've completely redesigned their entire offering and honestly, their designs are pretty cool. I have several of the new ones, and they give Lego a run for their money.

In a few years when Lepin can afford designers and has experience you might see them do the same thing.

Edited September 11, 2016 by crossmr

[grum64]

You know, there's a third option besides buying aftermarket sets outside your price range and buying cheap illegal knock-offs. It's called "being a grown-up and knowing you don't always get everything you want". There are plenty of LEGO sets out there that are affordably priced and offer just as much value or more than similar-priced sets of the past.

It's true that LEGO doesn't have any kind of monopoly on ABS plastics. However, if you think all ABS is chemically identical you're sorely mistaken — not only are there several different formulations of plastic that fall under the category of "ABS", but the possibility of impurities exists, which is part of why the LEGO Group takes great care in screening their raw materials. Also, LEGO and LEPIN alike use several different materials besides ABS. What about the rubber they use for tires, or the inks they use for printing, or the adhesives they use for stickers, or the metal they use for train axles?

Toy companies in Europe and the Americas face constantly evolving safety regulations, and the LEGO Group has a reputation for remaining on the cutting edge of toy safety — there's a reason that only two of their products have ever been recalled for safety reasons. The LEGO Group's own internal safety standards are often actually stricter than legally mandated safety standards in the countries where they operate. Can LEPIN make that claim? We don't know. They are a brand founded on deception, and as such without analysis from an outside regulatory agency, it's impossible to know whether they adhere to any kind of reliable safety standards.

Thank you very much for explaining my point far more eloquently than I ever could

[Sebiron]

Go and buy your overpriced UCS sets for thousands of euro if you are rich. I will buy my UCS Falcon for 170€.

LEPIN and other brands uses ABS. In Germany (where I live) our carmaker uses the same plastic in their luxury cars like Mercedes S-class etc.

Every plastic can be toxic if you eat or burn them, LEGO too. So beware...

And oils...

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?init=quick&q=digger318%20lepin%20oil&tas=0.731524940594062

[masterX244]

And oils...

https://www.facebook...731524940594062

Possible to get a summary of the posts there? Some people avoid facebook completely and it isnt that useful for long time referencing

[dr_spock]

Facebook says: "No results found for your query."

[grum64]

Possible to get a summary of the posts there? Some people avoid facebook completely and it isnt that useful for long time referencing

Being one of those people who avoid Facebook at ALL costs I'd appreciate a summary please. Thank you.

[kungpo]

From Facebook:

I have been hearing some concerns with lepin bricks, apparently it has been giving people itchy skin.

I do not know if this is the plastic or the oils they use for the molding process. I did not notice it when building the ninjago temple or the 2 star wars sets but I have seen more and more people online mention it.

So I do feel the need to mention it and warn people.

And of cos ask anyone if they have experienced and irritation or itchiness from any of the knockoff brands and wonder if this is dangerous long term.

Keep the kids safe!

Thanks!

[Sebiron]

Ha yes sorry, thanks kungpo ^^

[grum64]

From Facebook:

I have been hearing some concerns with lepin bricks, apparently it has been giving people itchy skin.

I do not know if this is the plastic or the oils they use for the molding process. I did not notice it when building the ninjago temple or the 2 star wars sets but I have seen more and more people online mention it.

So I do feel the need to mention it and warn people.

And of cos ask anyone if they have experienced and irritation or itchiness from any of the knockoff brands and wonder if this is dangerous long term.

Keep the kids safe!

Thanks!

This is exactly why I won't buy knock off sets, I don't care how cheap they might be. There's nothing on this Earth that's worth risking your health or the health of your loved ones for. Nothing.

[Florian_Wayne]

In my town in Germany we have the popular "Auto & Technikmuseum Sinsheim" which show original tanks from WW2 or the famous AirFrance Concorde http://sinsheim.tech...ry/151/1293.jpg

They have their own big toy shop and you can buy chinese brands like BanBao, Decool (one company with LEPIN), SY etc...

They sell it legal and you only can sell things in Germany, if there are tested and harmless.

Yes, Lepin and other brands dosn't have the very hight plastic quality like LEGO, but there are all other than toxic if you do not eat them or burn and smoke it.

Sorry, it's not easy for me to tell in english

Oh, and we have one of the highest requirements of the world for toys. Not like in Asia or USA where things are only tested when people get sick.

Edited September 11, 2016 by Florian_Wayne

[grum64]

In my town in Germany we have the popular "Auto & Technikmuseum Sinsheim" which show original tanks from WW2 or the famous AirFrance Concorde http://sinsheim.tech...ry/151/1293.jpg

They have their own big toy shop and you can buy chinese brands like BanBao, Decool (one company with LEPIN), SY etc...

They sell it legal and you only can sell things in Germany, if there are tested and harmless.

Yes, Lepin and other brands dosn't have the very hight plastic quality like LEGO, but there are all other than toxic if you do not eat them or burn and smoke it.

Sorry, it's not easy for me to tell in english

Oh, and we have one of the highest requirements of the world for toys. Not like in Asia or USA where things are only tested when people get sick.

I'm sorry but due to the way I build and concern for my Grandchildrens health I still wouldn't risk it.

No need to apologise for your English. It's very good.

Edited September 11, 2016 by grum64

[Sebiron]

In my town in Germany we have the popular "Auto & Technikmuseum Sinsheim" which show original tanks from WW2 or the famous AirFrance Concorde http://sinsheim.tech...ry/151/1293.jpg

They have their own big toy shop and you can buy chinese brands like BanBao, Decool (one company with LEPIN), SY etc...

They sell it legal and you only can sell things in Germany, if there are tested and harmless.

Yes, Lepin and other brands dosn't have the very hight plastic quality like LEGO, but there are all other than toxic if you do not eat them or burn and smoke it.

Sorry, it's not easy for me to tell in english

Oh, and we have one of the highest requirements of the world for toys. Not like in Asia or USA where things are only tested when people get sick.

You say SY is OK for Germany ?

Wow !

Their inks get very easily off, kids who play with those figs or printed brick parts have the danger to eat ink if they lick fingers after playing.

But maybe SY use eatable ink ?

Sorry my english sucks too

Edited September 11, 2016 by Sebiron

[crossmr]

This is exactly why I won't buy knock off sets, I don't care how cheap they might be. There's nothing on this Earth that's worth risking your health or the health of your loved ones for. Nothing.

As one of the replies says, it sounds like propaganda.

I've handled some truly awful chinese bricks in my time, and never once had any kind of "itchy" skin.

I've never noticed any kind of residue on the bricks or anything else. The only proof you have is some vague rumor, but given the popularity of these bricks on some of the facebook pages, where Lepin is actually talked about, I've never seen a single person who actually bought these bricks ever say they've had "itchy skin".

[Captain Pirate Man]

I had a thought today while eating some cereal. I was eating generic cheerios, you know cheerios that are made by a different company. The ones that I was eating were Kroger brand. They are not called Cheerios because they don't have the copyright to call them cheerios. They were instead called Toasted O's, but are exactly the same as Cheerios except half the price.

But that got me thinking about the Lego knockoff situation, and in all honesty how is that any different? Now using the image of copyrighted words and images, like Rey from Star Wars or Jack Sparrow. Now that is clearly in violation of copyright law. But making a generic copy of ANY Lego sets I don't see how is really any different than eating generic Cheerios.

I can only speak for Americans, but over here we have generic versions of so many things. So much so that most people don't even bat an eye at them. I am just wondering how this is really any different? Yes Lepin using SW images in the box is clearly crossing a line, but if they repackaged the set, but kept everything the same... How is that any different from eating "off brand" Cheerios?

I am asking this as a genuine question, not to be snarky.

[Ltfalcon]

It's a free world, if you like it buy it, if you don't then don't.

[dr_spock]

It is possible some people may be allergic to the release agent used in the injection molding process. It could be a rare allergy like a mango allergy. Some times fresh new LEGO tires come with greasy oily film on them too. You can wash off with warm soapy water. Come to think of it, washing your toys before playing might not be a bad idea. I wash my store bought new clothes before wearing.

I have bought generic Rice Krispies ® to make marshmellow squares. I used a food grade release agent in the mold. It helps to get the squares out of the mold. There are some health risks eating that release agent depending on whose science study you read. If it leads to disease, then it is taking the big pharma company brand drug or the generic drug depending on what your health insurance plan is willing to pay. If there is no generic version, then you could be in trouble if the sole drug manufacturer decides to raise the price of the brand version by several hundred percent like those EpiPens recently in the USA. Not good if you're that guy with allergy to the Lepin release agent.

If you really want to be super safe, it would be best to send a sample to your own trusted laboratory to be tested before you put it in your mouth. It may be too late by the time you hear of the food recall on the TV news. Some times a bad batch may make it pass the safety testing people or they only test a small random sample. Companies do get fined for stuff like bad hamburger meat. China takes it one step further and execute. Consumers in China are no different in wanting safe products like everybody else.

[Robianco]

I've seen several videos on YouTube with people doing home tests on various bootleg minifig parts and bricks, especially for traces of lead in the paint or the plastic and nothing has ever shown up.

From what I've seen of bootleg bricks the quality isn't quite there to be a completely viable alternative to Lego's very high brick and build quality, even if you put aside the obvious copyright infringements.

I still find it amusing that Sebiron is very vocal in his disdain for bootlegs after quite a while of buying and collecting them and still has SY bootleg figures in his collection photo. That Doctor Strange head is a unique giveaway. With regards to print on bootlegs some of them do have ink that will come away relatively easily... and some that don't. I've also brasso'd off Lego ink and it's immediately harder wearing but also has different levels of robustness. Some come away much easier than others.

I think dr_spock makes a very good and valid point above. For all people's image of China and the issues that some toys have had in the past their consumers still want to be protected by the same standards that the rest of us hold dear. I'm sure the people that head up Blue Bell Ice Cream are thankful the US don't have the same strict laws regarding the tainting of food products that cause death. China's relaxed attitude towards copyright infringement is something different entirely.

[kungpo]

I'm tempted to get something to see what the quality is like - but ordering from China feels a bit tedious. Anyone had any success so far buying something from AliExpress?

[Robianco]

I'm tempted to get something to see what the quality is like - but ordering from China feels a bit tedious. Anyone had any success so far buying something from AliExpress?

I've never had an issue buying from AliExpress. Sometimes shipping can take a while... but I've also had things arrive in around 8 days. It's more frustrating if the item isn't available yet but isn't listed as pre-order. I've not ordered a set though... so not sure how they arrive etc.

[Captain Pirate Man]

Has anyone from the US ever had any problems with Aliexpress?

[Adamskii]

I'm tempted to get something to see what the quality is like - but ordering from China feels a bit tedious. Anyone had any success so far buying something from AliExpress?

I have 2 Clone Modulars bought on ALiexpress. Both arrived within 3 weeks. I did pay for stores using DHL as a postage offer though. I registered as a customer instead of a guest and now am accumulating frequent buyer points ( I have $8 already - small amount but nearly a Rei speeder). The quality by comparison is about 9 out of 10. out of 50 studs on a plate, 2 or 3 will have dimples. Any crystal parts will have an cloudiness, glass panes seem better, but bricks/plates are not so clear. All moving parts fit amazingly well, including turntables, hinge bricks, doors, with little slop. Clutch power is slightly more than Lego, It can be tight and your fingers can hurt after a large session of modular assembly. The stickers have amazingly good registration, and the stock paper is reasonably good quality.

The shock of buying on Aliexpress is you don't get the box advertised - you get a cardboard cube box that has all the parts squeezed in tight. This is how its is assumed you will buy and if you want the box, you will pay ALLOT more and have to jump through hoops to get them to understand that. Hence the variable postage prices. As with Ebay, some of the products cost very little but have very high postage , when added together they nearly always balance out to being around the same price. For example, Green grocer Clone is with postage about $65 US, but some places selling for 35 plus 30 postage, while others are 65 with "Free" postage.

The downside to that is postage damage - the base plates Lepin do are like normal plate thickness, not baseplate. One of my boxes the baseplate had a bent corner from postage mishandling, didn't matter I dumped it anyways, and used an old Lego base plate. It must be noted that the tile patterns fit very well on Lego baseplate, testament to fit and size compatibility. No gaps or tight fits.

Comparing Lepin and Lego brick by brick - I could seriously tip all the bricks from the sets I bought into my normal Lego collection and it would be all but impossible to tell them apart, to extract them the only way to tell them apart would be to literally inspect each for the word Lego on the studs. The color match is extremely close.

I do not collect minifigs as Such and don't loose sleep over them. However you do have to assemble them from scratch. Also anything that is a tool comes on a sprue that you have to break off. Upside is I have a dozens of Star Wars style Weapons left over from the Green Grocer Clone..

My clone Kits were bought for budget reasons, I would never afford a real Green Grocer or Town Hall. I bought them on ALiexpress delived to my door for $150 compared to maybe $1500 plus for the genuine thing. Now my Modular collection is complete. And I have had AFOL friends come look at my finished set and they have not picked up that it was 2 clones in the line. These are not play toys, they are shelf dust collectors.

The only real issue I have with Lepin is 2 things. 1 - the instructions can be very hard to read - the colour of the bricks in the instructions can be hard to understand eg yellow, orange, flesh, sand, and grey, black, dk green can be confusing. However If you have built any star wars Lego kits you can have the same thing anyways. The other issue is missing parts. From Green Grocer clone, I was missing all the 6 x 1 plates (about 15) in light grey, the white window shutters, and 6 black ladder elements from the fire escape. I had all these in spares anyways so wasn't an issue, once again Lego and Lepin blended seamlessly. I did however have about 20 tile plates in 6x1, and 8 or so 8 x 1 tile plates left over along with a bunch of other bricks. The Town Hall clone, was not missing a single piece, and had a number of left overs. Even If I spend $20 on Bricklink to get a few spares, I am still about a thousand dollars better off than If I got the Lego one from an after market scalper.

Lepin come in bags that are not numbered or aligned with any steps. Imaging doing the Lepin Super star destroyer like that. If you buy a Lepin kit be advised one of the reasons its cheap is it is a disorganized mess to get started!

I have the "Nemerald Night" on the way, Another kit I could never afford, and now will fit nicely into my collection. If they sold the carriages on their own, well, imagine $25 a carriage.

I Hope this adds to the conversation. I Don't plan on buying anything from Lepin that is in the current Lego catalogue. I collect Lego. But where I have missed something and the price has skyrocketed by the Lego investors, And a cheap viable alternative is available. then I will absolutely consider it. In Australia we miss out on allot of kits simply because they sell out very quick - and the shops do deals with Lego to have exclusive content - for example the Modulars are ONLY sold at 1 shop chain for the first 12 months as exclusive and they set the price accordingly. then they sell out in a heartbeat and hard to get becomes impossible. Shipping to Australia is very expensive often nearing $50 - $100 extra. Even If I want to buy Lego collectable kits, it isn't on the shelves to pick up and grab! It not just about money, but availability.

[Florian_Wayne]

Next please

(all LEPIN)

[Captain Pirate Man]

I have 2 Clone Modulars bought on ALiexpress. Both arrived within 3 weeks. I did pay for stores using DHL as a postage offer though. I registered as a customer instead of a guest and now am accumulating frequent buyer points ( I have $8 already - small amount but nearly a Rei speeder). The quality by comparison is about 9 out of 10. out of 50 studs on a plate, 2 or 3 will have dimples. Any crystal parts will have an cloudiness, glass panes seem better, but bricks/plates are not so clear. All moving parts fit amazingly well, including turntables, hinge bricks, doors, with little slop. Clutch power is slightly more than Lego, It can be tight and your fingers can hurt after a large session of modular assembly. The stickers have amazingly good registration, and the stock paper is reasonably good quality.

The shock of buying on Aliexpress is you don't get the box advertised - you get a cardboard cube box that has all the parts squeezed in tight. This is how its is assumed you will buy and if you want the box, you will pay ALLOT more and have to jump through hoops to get them to understand that. Hence the variable postage prices. As with Ebay, some of the products cost very little but have very high postage , when added together they nearly always balance out to being around the same price. For example, Green grocer Clone is with postage about $65 US, but some places selling for 35 plus 30 postage, while others are 65 with "Free" postage.

The downside to that is postage damage - the base plates Lepin do are like normal plate thickness, not baseplate. One of my boxes the baseplate had a bent corner from postage mishandling, didn't matter I dumped it anyways, and used an old Lego base plate. It must be noted that the tile patterns fit very well on Lego baseplate, testament to fit and size compatibility. No gaps or tight fits.

Comparing Lepin and Lego brick by brick - I could seriously tip all the bricks from the sets I bought into my normal Lego collection and it would be all but impossible to tell them apart, to extract them the only way to tell them apart would be to literally inspect each for the word Lego on the studs. The color match is extremely close.

I do not collect minifigs as Such and don't loose sleep over them. However you do have to assemble them from scratch. Also anything that is a tool comes on a sprue that you have to break off. Upside is I have a dozens of Star Wars style Weapons left over from the Green Grocer Clone..

My clone Kits were bought for budget reasons, I would never afford a real Green Grocer or Town Hall. I bought them on ALiexpress delived to my door for $150 compared to maybe $1500 plus for the genuine thing. Now my Modular collection is complete. And I have had AFOL friends come look at my finished set and they have not picked up that it was 2 clones in the line. These are not play toys, they are shelf dust collectors.

The only real issue I have with Lepin is 2 things. 1 - the instructions can be very hard to read - the colour of the bricks in the instructions can be hard to understand eg yellow, orange, flesh, sand, and grey, black, dk green can be confusing. However If you have built any star wars Lego kits you can have the same thing anyways. The other issue is missing parts. From Green Grocer clone, I was missing all the 6 x 1 plates (about 15) in light grey, the white window shutters, and 6 black ladder elements from the fire escape. I had all these in spares anyways so wasn't an issue, once again Lego and Lepin blended seamlessly. I did however have about 20 tile plates in 6x1, and 8 or so 8 x 1 tile plates left over along with a bunch of other bricks. The Town Hall clone, was not missing a single piece, and had a number of left overs. Even If I spend $20 on Bricklink to get a few spares, I am still about a thousand dollars better off than If I got the Lego one from an after market scalper.

Lepin come in bags that are not numbered or aligned with any steps. Imaging doing the Lepin Super star destroyer like that. If you buy a Lepin kit be advised one of the reasons its cheap is it is a disorganized mess to get started!

I have the "Nemerald Night" on the way, Another kit I could never afford, and now will fit nicely into my collection. If they sold the carriages on their own, well, imagine $25 a carriage.

I Hope this adds to the conversation. I Don't plan on buying anything from Lepin that is in the current Lego catalogue. I collect Lego. But where I have missed something and the price has skyrocketed by the Lego investors, And a cheap viable alternative is available. then I will absolutely consider it. In Australia we miss out on allot of kits simply because they sell out very quick - and the shops do deals with Lego to have exclusive content - for example the Modulars are ONLY sold at 1 shop chain for the first 12 months as exclusive and they set the price accordingly. then they sell out in a heartbeat and hard to get becomes impossible. Shipping to Australia is very expensive often nearing $50 - $100 extra. Even If I want to buy Lego collectable kits, it isn't on the shelves to pick up and grab! It not just about money, but availability.

Thanks for this.

I pretty much share your sentiments, I am probably going to get some of the modulars that are no longer carried by Lego. Obviously they will have no value in the future like the authentic ones do, but that's not my main objective anyways. Sets like the Town Hall I would LOVE to have in my city, but are just plain out of my budget to own. Like you, I only plan on buying sets that are retired, if I can get the real deal affordably, then thats what I'm going to do.

Sets that I do have my eye on are Green Grocer, Town Hall, Fire Birgade, Cafe Corner, and The Black Pearl. I might be able to buy ALL of these for the price of 1 of these on the after market.

I am worried about the minifigs. I tend to be VERY picky about mixing fake minifigs in with real ones. They will have to be quality for me to consider it.

[Robianco]

Are any of the minifigs in the modulars exclusive? Wouldn't it be relatively easy and inexpensive to just BL a group of the modular minifigs to populate the town?

[kungpo]

I've never had an issue buying from AliExpress. Sometimes shipping can take a while... but I've also had things arrive in around 8 days. It's more frustrating if the item isn't available yet but isn't listed as pre-order. I've not ordered a set though... so not sure how they arrive etc.

Good to know - any recommended sellers? As I'm missing the GC from my modulars collection I think I will get one of those as I'm not quite ready to spend £1K on the real deal. And perhaps another UCS Falcon so I can put my genuine one away.

I have 2 Clone Modulars bought on ALiexpress. Both arrived within 3 weeks. I did pay for stores using DHL as a postage offer though. I registered as a customer instead of a guest and now am accumulating frequent buyer points ( I have $8 already - small amount but nearly a Rei speeder). The quality by comparison is about 9 out of 10. out of 50 studs on a plate, 2 or 3 will have dimples. Any crystal parts will have an cloudiness, glass panes seem better, but bricks/plates are not so clear. All moving parts fit amazingly well, including turntables, hinge bricks, doors, with little slop. Clutch power is slightly more than Lego, It can be tight and your fingers can hurt after a large session of modular assembly. The stickers have amazingly good registration, and the stock paper is reasonably good quality.

The shock of buying on Aliexpress is you don't get the box advertised - you get a cardboard cube box that has all the parts squeezed in tight. This is how its is assumed you will buy and if you want the box, you will pay ALLOT more and have to jump through hoops to get them to understand that. Hence the variable postage prices. As with Ebay, some of the products cost very little but have very high postage , when added together they nearly always balance out to being around the same price. For example, Green grocer Clone is with postage about $65 US, but some places selling for 35 plus 30 postage, while others are 65 with "Free" postage.

The downside to that is postage damage - the base plates Lepin do are like normal plate thickness, not baseplate. One of my boxes the baseplate had a bent corner from postage mishandling, didn't matter I dumped it anyways, and used an old Lego base plate. It must be noted that the tile patterns fit very well on Lego baseplate, testament to fit and size compatibility. No gaps or tight fits.

Comparing Lepin and Lego brick by brick - I could seriously tip all the bricks from the sets I bought into my normal Lego collection and it would be all but impossible to tell them apart, to extract them the only way to tell them apart would be to literally inspect each for the word Lego on the studs. The color match is extremely close.

I do not collect minifigs as Such and don't loose sleep over them. However you do have to assemble them from scratch. Also anything that is a tool comes on a sprue that you have to break off. Upside is I have a dozens of Star Wars style Weapons left over from the Green Grocer Clone..

My clone Kits were bought for budget reasons, I would never afford a real Green Grocer or Town Hall. I bought them on ALiexpress delived to my door for $150 compared to maybe $1500 plus for the genuine thing. Now my Modular collection is complete. And I have had AFOL friends come look at my finished set and they have not picked up that it was 2 clones in the line. These are not play toys, they are shelf dust collectors.

The only real issue I have with Lepin is 2 things. 1 - the instructions can be very hard to read - the colour of the bricks in the instructions can be hard to understand eg yellow, orange, flesh, sand, and grey, black, dk green can be confusing. However If you have built any star wars Lego kits you can have the same thing anyways. The other issue is missing parts. From Green Grocer clone, I was missing all the 6 x 1 plates (about 15) in light grey, the white window shutters, and 6 black ladder elements from the fire escape. I had all these in spares anyways so wasn't an issue, once again Lego and Lepin blended seamlessly. I did however have about 20 tile plates in 6x1, and 8 or so 8 x 1 tile plates left over along with a bunch of other bricks. The Town Hall clone, was not missing a single piece, and had a number of left overs. Even If I spend $20 on Bricklink to get a few spares, I am still about a thousand dollars better off than If I got the Lego one from an after market scalper.

Lepin come in bags that are not numbered or aligned with any steps. Imaging doing the Lepin Super star destroyer like that. If you buy a Lepin kit be advised one of the reasons its cheap is it is a disorganized mess to get started!

I have the "Nemerald Night" on the way, Another kit I could never afford, and now will fit nicely into my collection. If they sold the carriages on their own, well, imagine $25 a carriage.

I Hope this adds to the conversation. I Don't plan on buying anything from Lepin that is in the current Lego catalogue. I collect Lego. But where I have missed something and the price has skyrocketed by the Lego investors, And a cheap viable alternative is available. then I will absolutely consider it. In Australia we miss out on allot of kits simply because they sell out very quick - and the shops do deals with Lego to have exclusive content - for example the Modulars are ONLY sold at 1 shop chain for the first 12 months as exclusive and they set the price accordingly. then they sell out in a heartbeat and hard to get becomes impossible. Shipping to Australia is very expensive often nearing $50 - $100 extra. Even If I want to buy Lego collectable kits, it isn't on the shelves to pick up and grab! It not just about money, but availability.

Thank you - that's really useful and nice to get a balanced view.