Best LEGO Pirate theme of all time? A look at the 4 Juniors Pirates!

[PxChris]

Who else has a part of their collection that most folks in the community just looks at and shake their head in bewilderment? 

For me, that absolutely most silliest part of my collection has the be the 4 Juniors Pirates sets of 2004. I love my complete collection of these sets even though they are much maligned by most AFOLs due to their extreme juniorization and the Jack Stone style figures (the figures seem to be the biggest point of contention). I just find them to be fun little sets, and even the figures have a charm to them.

So here's a little look at the complete theme which consists of a total of 10 sets: 6 regular sets, 3 figure packs, and 1 polybag. I'm lucky enough to even have the boxes for most of the sets including sealed boxes for the figure packs and one other.

Here are the three boxed figure packs:

And then finally all of the boxes I have for the series and the instructions:

 

(This post is dedicated with love to our illustrious leader @Mister Phes whom I know just absolutely loathes these sets! )

Edited February 5, 2024 by PxChris

[Murdoch17]

@PxChris You have to get @Jim to delete the photos at the bottom. They (along with all the other photos in the thread) apparently are uploaded directly to EB instead of being hosted elsewhere as EB says to, and as such are undeletable. It's a known bug and only EB Admins can do it.

Anyway, I had the ship and shipwreck sets at least. (I know I have all the figs) I still use the two map halves for my Adventurers, and I am planning on putting them and a bunch of other LEGO easter eggs in my own history museum MOC at some point.

Edited February 2, 2024 by Murdoch17

[Mister Phes]

8 hours ago, PxChris said:

This post is dedicated with love to our illustrious leader @Mister Phes whom I know just absolutely loathes these sets! )

These aren't Classic Pirates!

8 hours ago, PxChris said:

I have no idea why these minifigure images keep showing up on this post despite repeated attempts to edit the post and delete them!)

The forum is broken and it's ridiculously hard to delete them, even for administrators .

But I think I've managed.

[Captain Becker]

People often Dismiss this theme, but they miss the point that these were made for.
Young people, and play. Sure they arent as glorious as the older Pirates theme was, and its extremly simplified and larged, meant for younger audience. Many hate the oversized figures, and the sets, is that warranted? I think not. 

This theme was the first Pirate Legos that I got as a kid, they were the only pirate theme going at the time. Even I as a Kid thought they were simplistic, but they allowed play and imagination to run wild, and to customize it to your hearts content. Not to mention this theme brought us first ever Pirate ship that actually floated! Weird looking as it was, the set had its flaws, mainly the unstable masts that fell and broke constantly. 

Many think that Kreggs pirate boat, the tiny sloop was a horrendous ship. I Honestly dont think so! Its a decent desing taken how many parts it used, and yes! I modified it. I removed the back and made it a crows nest, the took the only shooting cannon from the bigger ship and put that to the bow of the ship. Took the flame part out and repalced it whit a transparent light brick to be a lanters, cause even I knew a open flame on a ship just isnt safe. I played whit that thing more than the big main ship. 

The white shark felt like a jackpot, a rarity! 
Sure you couldnt remove the hats and modify the Pirates, even though I did try. I still harbor these sets. Although packed away, I still fondly remember them. Not because how great they were, but how great of a palyvalue you got out of them, despite them being so few parts. Then the 2009 Pirates arrived, but thats a story for another time. 

But the main thing: This theme shouldnt be thrown aside and cast into the shadows, for simply being <insert that tiresome argument>. They are Pirate themed Legos, and important and integral part of Classical Pirate theme.

 

[karrit]

The builds are cute.  The figures are horrifying!

[Captain Becker]