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Is it really that good? is the question I intend to answer from my point of view in this blog. Lego set 75060 depicting Slave I in UCS style has been jubilated on every Lego related forum, in every review. So, conscious of these reviews and opinions, is the build still going to be great? Can we believe the hype? If you're like me, you already know my answer because the first thing you did when clicking on this blog is scroll down to read my conclusion. For those who are not like me and want to read the whole article, I tried to write down my thoughts and feelings (immediately) after each step of the build. I won't tell all surprises and advanced building methods I encountered, as that would ruin the fun for you. This way I had to actively think about the build along the way. Some aspects of this blog will transcend the nature of a review, such as using an alternative to the set's stickers and my thoughts on future demand of this Lego set and its parts. REVIEW: SET DETAILSLego set: 75060Name: Slave ITheme: Star WarsParts: 1996Price: $199.99 Looking at the value of this set, at first glance it feels better priced than the 75095 Tie Fighter, a comparable Ultimate Collector Series model. But let's have a closer look, first at the pricing in the Netherlands. Here the Tie Fighter is priced €229.99 while the Slave I's MSRP is €199.99. While the Tie Fighter is 30 euros more expensive, it has 311 parts less than the Slave I. So unless you're a great Tie Fighter fan, if you live in the Netherlands and had to choose between these two UCS's, from a cost per piece-perspective the choice is easy: Slave I. But you shouldn't just look at piece count, other factors are also important (e.g. the Tie Fighter has lots of large plates). In the US, both UCS sets cost $199.99. The cost per piece for the Slave I is $0.10. With quite a few large and special pieces (which will be discussed later), this price is in principle good for a licensed set. And don't forget that there are 4 minifigures in this set. BOX CONTENTS There are 13 build sections, some consisting of more than one bag. Within the larger bags you'll find smaller bags containing small parts. The beautiful canopy and black info plate do not come bagged. Instruction manual plus sticker sheet: The instruction book contains some nice info on the 'real' ship, its design, its history and the Lego design. In that it resembles the booklets the Lego Architecture fans have gotten used to. There's even an interview with designer Hans Burkhard Schlömer about developing the model. Due to copyright reasons (and to give you a taste for more) I'll only show you a glimpse. THE BUILD STICKER SHEET The first thing you'll have to decide is what to do with the stickers (no less than 23! Didn't expect they were so many just by looking at the sheet). You have at least four options: Don't use the stickers. Apply them. Your set will look great but it will depreciate. If you want to sell it in the future, it's better to sell it with an intact sticker sheet. Furthermore, because of the lack of quality of these modern paper-stickers Lego produces, before too long the stickers will peel and/or crumble. This process cannot be undone, the stickers cannot be restored. Buy an original sticker sheet, e.g. on Bricklink. I usually do this when building larger / rarer sets, but 75060 sticker sheets are too expensive (for my taste) already. In Europe I can find a few for 12 euros a piece + shipping. In the US there's a Bricklinker who offers them for 10 bucks + shipping. Buy a reproduction sheet, keep the original. There are specialized companies who make these sheets in rather good quality. Make sure you have the reproduction sheet at home when starting the build. Reproduce the stickers yourself. I chose 5. Just copy the sticker sheet on a A4 or letter format white sticker sheet. You can buy those in office stores. After printing, you can 'laminate' the newly made sheet by applying a transparent glossy plastic sticky sheet. Forgot that step myself, unfortunately, so on the pics you'll see matte stickers. 'Laminating' serves to give the same glossy shine as the original stickers, as well as to protect the pigments. Anyway, after (optional) 'laminating' you can simply cut out the stickers using a ruler, sharp knife and hard cutting base (cutting mat or board). For curved cuts, try to use a cup as template. The result: Not perfect, but to me it's a good alternative to using the valuable sticker sheet. Here is the result (left: Original sticker sheet, right: The plate with reproduction sticker attached): Bag 1: Opening bag 1 I thought to myself "will it be really that good?" Everyone seems to be full of praise as to building this set. Is everyone simply repeating what others say? Let's find out if the build is as good as the end result looks. The start (Slave I's base) doesn’t contain too many surprises. I take note that several 2-wide-plates only rest on 1-wide plates or bricks. The result isn’t flimsy though. On the following pictures you'll see the build status after each step, plus the bags used, plus spare parts, plus a minifig completely unnecessarily posing in a completely random manner. I included that for those who are to any extent sensitive to this obscure playfulness used in all Lego reviews. Bag 2: Building the contents of (small) bag #2 brings a smile to my face. Diagonally extended… extended still… verticality brought horizontal, horizontality connected sideways... this is what advanced Lego building is all about! The second half of this sub-build is symmetrical to the first half, so I let my girlfriend have a go… she was equally amused. Bag 3: This nicely shows the techniques to get the smooth sloped red base in its designated form. The build stays enjoyable. Bag 4: This deals with the ‘top’ or ‘back’ side of the base. Great ‘ah!’-moment here. Some stickers have to be applied in this step. Bags 5: Starting these, the nature of the build changes dramatically. All you’ll see is technic bricks, pins, connectors, linkages, plates etc.: Building the connection section between aft and for bases. As with a good film script, the build process never loses pace, never gets boring. Some interesting building techniques are demonstrated while the underside is polished and finalized. Bag 6: Continuing the Lego Technic exercise, bag 6 introduces us to (two-faced) Han Solo (including a beautifully moulded carbonite block). Work is started on the interior construction, ending with another ‘aha’-moment. Lovely. And.. this thing is getting heavy. Bags 7: This is really 4 plastic bags and 1 small thick paper box. I recommend using a sharp knife to cut the tapes of the box if you're super-tidy and want to keep it in good shape. This step #7 brings us a very detailed Boba Fett-figure as well as both wings. If Lego wanted to make a set like this even better than it is now, one thing to mind would be the build order. Building two symmetrical wings in a row makes for a slightly repetitive experience. Why not begin the build (bag 1) with one wing and build the other (bag 7) now? Less logical but more fun. Anyway, the wings add to the surface of this vehicle. It's starting to look massive. To continue the fanboy-speech, the gravitation-driven automatic wing repositioning is very nicely done. Not sure what all the spare parts are for though (4x part 17-01, not used in the build). Boba Fett: Bag 13: For me now was the time to build the stand. Probably the least exciting part of set 75060, I like to save the best part till the end. Building the stand wasn't all too bad I guess... plus you get a storm trooper in this bag (probably as a surprise for those builders who thought they only had the stand to put together). Bag 8: To summarize this part of the build: stacking up. The 'inner walls' are constructed here. Meanwhile the nicely detailed cockpit is added. Ok I'll admit, to me this build can't go wrong anymore; I'm just loving every minute of it. Even this simple 'stacking up' has its charm, as I'm constantly thinking what all the side studs are going to be used for. Bag 9: Simply great... what can I say... you just have to build this thing yourself. My favorite part of the build so far. And what a great way to use part 4278756 (gear shifter)... at one point the designer is just showing off: But the result is lovely: Bags 10: The 'tail' structure and the top (including canopy) of Slave I are built together. The full size is now shown, quite impressive. Bag 11: Port side plating is made. These are three larger subassemblies which come together at the very end. Again, a very interesting and enjoyable build. Suddenly I realize I'm in the middle of having the best Lego build experience ever. Or not exactly in the middle... only one bag to go... unfortunately! The model is becoming very heavy by the way (1,68 kg now). Bag 12: Starboard side plating. As both sides are not symmetrical, the fractions of repetitiveness aren't at all annoying. The build is rounded off by the weaponry in Slave 1's tail. OPINION THE BUILD This experience has been a treat. A great looking Star Wars ship model has been converted into a highly realistic, fun to build, awe-inspiring Lego sculpture. If this wasn't the best build I ever experienced (including several modulars and the astounding Technic Mercedes-Benz Arocs) it is certainly in my top 3. While in my opinion this set does not have any real flaws (except perhaps the weakly manufactured sticker sheet), if the build order was amended and if there were less stickers to attend to, that would make it even better. To optimize your build experience I recommend starting with bags 11 and 13, then moving to bag 1 and from there keep to the designated build order. THE MODEL As everyone and their droid have already made clear, this model is a stunner. Have a look: Although this is not really a playset (try playing with it for 5 minutes without breaking off something), the Slave I has some nice play-like features. The side guns are retractable, the 'cargo door' can be opened and Han Solo can be attached on its inside. If you accidentally lose grip and Han is dropped inside, you don't have to take the ship apart or shake it. There's a hidden hatch on the bottom; if you open it Han is released. Furthermore, the wings are gravitationally actuated. If built with care, the wing movements are very smooth. The tail guns are positionable, as are the wing flaps. The cockpit canopy can be detached rather easily and Boba Fett's cockpit seat can be turned to either horizontal (land mode) or vertical (flight mode) position. Many people have already pointed out that this set is huge. It's always a bit difficult to assess a model's size from pictures alone. To give you an impression I photographed Slave I together with a train, a classic Lego city truck and Architecture's Lincoln Memorial. The latter can easily be shoved underneath the ship if put on the stand. Both train and truck are tiny in comparison to Slave I. The minifigures are nicely done. Han (the only minifigure with two face prints) comes with his sleeping bag; as said Boba Fett is well detailed and there's a Bespin Guard as well as a Stormtrooper. Boba and the guard are unique to this set. Boba's two guns can be stored on clips inside the cockpit. The stand is made in such way that the ship can be showcased either seen from the front or from the side (this is done by simply repositioning two 2x1 plates). I prefer the side view because that way the UCS information tile is better visible. Perhaps the front view is more impressive though. PARTS VALUE As discussed in the introduction I think this set has a good parts / price ratio. The current Bricklink part out value (incl. box and instructions) is $498.54 and there is little hope this number will ever go down. There are several special / rare parts in the set, such as: UNIQUE PARTS 4 dark green round corner bricks #95118. 6 dark red round corner bricks #95188. 2 dark red other round corner bricks #87559. 2 dark red yet other round corner bricks #58846. 1 sand green wedge 3x4x3/4 triple curved #93604. 2 sand green wedge plates 4x6 cut corners #32059. 1 transparent canopy #16477. The sticker set #75060stk01. RARE PARTS 4 dark green other round corner bricks #87559 (1 other set). 2 dark red wedge corner slopes #43708 (1 other set). 4 dark red 3x3x1 slopes #4161 (2 other sets). 2 dark red 10x1x1 slopes #85970 (2 other sets). 1 light bluish grey 10x10 inverted dish #50990b (2 other sets). 2 dark red 4x2x1 slopes #30363 (3 other sets). 1 carbonite box #87561pb01 (3 other sets). 15 sand green curved slopes without studs #15068 (3 other sets). 1 dark red 8x3x2 wedge open left #43708 (4 other sets). 1 dark red 8x3x2 wedge open right #41749 (4 other sets). 6 light bluish grey round corner plates #30565 (4 other sets). 4 yellow liftarm pieces #60484 (4 other sets). 2 dark red round corner plates #30565 (5 other sets). 2 dark bluish grey round corner bricks #88293 (5 other sets). 18 dark red 4x1x1 slopes #60477 (5 other sets). 2 light bluish grey mudguards #62361 (5 other sets). Probably I forgot a few. Also don't forget about what I mentioned about the minifigures. So if you are a collector and if you wanted to gather this set roaming the vaults of Bricklink in a few years from now I'd have to wish you luck. There are many unique and rare pieces around this set. Unless Lego will reuse these pieces in other sets (I don't see an extensive market for the enormous and very specific canopy part, to name an example) I think the parts value of this set will only go up. If you want this ship, buy it while it hasn't been retired. DESIRABILITY To me it is beyond any doubt that this set will be cherished by Lego collectors who own it, longed for by those who don't. Chances of a remake are thin I think. Would any designer dare to tackle remaking / improving a set this good? And even if it was to be remade, why not first do an updated Tie Interceptor (7181), Rebel Blockade Runner (10019), Naboo Starfighter (10026), Snowspeeder (10129), Imperial Star Destroyer (10030), Y-Wing (10134), Death Star II (10143), AT-ST (10174), Advanced Tie Fighter (10175), AT-AT (10178), Millennium Falcon (10179), Dropship / AT-OT (10195), Imperial Shuttle (10212), Obi-Wan's Starfighter (10215), Super Star Destroyer (10221) or B-Wing (10227)? My point is, so many UCS vehicles have been made during the last 15 years and Slave I was ignored until now; I don't see a swift remake coming. The only UCS-remake thus far is the X-Wing and it took Lego 13 years before it was executed. What are the chances of Lego wanting to remake an already almost perfectly modeled Slave I in 2028? When it will retire I have no idea. Could be swiftly (on Lego Shop at Home I saw quite a few 'out of stock' / 'available' changes the last couple of weeks) or it could take some time. Rumors about Slave I featuring in the upcoming Star Wars Rogue One movie (first anthology, 2016) and even a full Star Wars movie dedicated to Boba Fett (second anthology, presumably coming out 2018) may be reason for The Lego Group to keep this set around longer. Let's just say that If I were in charge of Lego I'd find it hard to retire a set this great and relevant to a feature film even if that film will be coming out in two years from now. I see two things possibly standing in the way of late (e.g. 2018) retirement: 1) license agreement ending; and/or 2) Boba Fett movie not being effectuated. According to some sources Disney has experienced difficulties in assigning a heroic role for the villain-like character Boba Fett actually is. In case set 75060 is retired before the Boba Fett movie comes out and if that movie will actually come out, these sets are bound to become even more desirable than they already will be otherwise. FINAL THOUGHTS Welcome, fast-scrolling reader, to this review! To give you the swift answer: yes the build is definitely that good. And the model looks great. Asymmetry makes it look more interesting. The finished Slave I is huge. And the box art is beautiful as well. The instructions contain interesting info and history sections. After its retirement this set will most probably become highly sought-after and its price will rise. In all, designer Hans Burkhard Schlömer did such a wonderful job that the creation of his disappointing newest model (UCS Hoth Base) is easily forgiven. Clearly as a designer you'll have to do what you can within the company's instructions and fortunately it seems that for the Slave I project Mr Burkhard Schlömer had carte blanche. I'll keep my conclusion simple. This set is a must-have for any Lego fan and any Star Wars fan. Get it while you can! Find it here on Amazon. View full blog article

I just wanted to thank Alpine and all the other mods for making this an amazing forum. Your work is not unnoticed, and it IS appreciated. Also to the newbs, its' amazing how many questions you might have already exist as a forum topic or a great blog. Be sure to SEARCH FIRST, then ask your questions. You'll be amazed and get much better answers in existing topics when the questions were first asked then if someone has to remember the points and counterpoints and summarize them. Thanks to everyone for making this a great place.

Progress

Finally, received my box. Thank you so much. Here are a couple of pics of my prize.

the next UCS Star Wars set! They've outdone themselves this time!

All the eBay Gift Card / is it a scam? chat has been moved to....the eBay "is this a scam?" thread!

You obviously have no clue as to why paypal fees have gone up over the past few years. There are many factors that cause the fees to go up and one of them is the millions of dollars they have to reimburse foolish people that are attemping to buy these to good to be true scams. Where do you think that money comes from? The scammer? So no sir I will not lighten up sorry not sorry. You are dead wrong if you think its no harm to anyone.

LOTR requires patience to read, patience to watch the movie and even more patience for sets to appreciate.

I couldn't imagine a world where people wouldn't spend $500 on this in a few years!

Trust me, I can be ruthless when you run afoul of my OCD, and I'm sitting at a laptop. I work for the government - it's in my job description to do anything but my real job, and goof off cleaning up threads.

Wow, another fantastic review Roy, really enjoyed reviewing this. You are making me eye up my box of this and build it for my office. "oh the torture" Maybe I will just grab one of Ed's, he will never know. AHAHAHAHAHA

That is some excellent team player mentality there.

Golf clap to all you people who go for these obvious scams just because paypal has your back! Thanks for contributing to the reason why paypal fees are becoming asinine! Bravo!!!

Deals are so thin, DD has resorted to being the shady opportunities forum discussion topic of the day.

Couple years back a guy did something similar with disney cards a bunch of people online were buying. In the end he was either stealing or some how discounting himself at a store and then reselling..can't remember. Either way disney tracked down the numbers of all those cards and voided them. Even some people that already booked their trips were on the hook for the portion they paid for with the gift cards. Point of the story is something seems wrong here and Today with every gift card transaction traced so well these could should up 0 balance any day after paying for them and lego won't do anything for you since it was bought second hand. I would stay away.

Check his feedback. Most of his Lego sales are exclusives discounted. It's obvious to me he's doing something illegal but people don't wanna believe that so maybe Lego just gives him the GC's for free & the exclusives for like half price & eBay, Paypal & the shipping companies don't charge him and...

Umm you do know this set comes with a TV

Wait. What? You don't have a television?

Someone posted it about it on Reddit, and the person who submitted it to LEGO Ideas showed up and is discussing it. Pretty interesting.

For every fool jumping on a scam because they think it is harmless, there are at least three more on the fence. I used to be one of those and very much appreciated the guidance of more experienced forum members here in helping me stay clear. Please leave the commentary as is.

Jeez. This thread currently reminds me of the Tumbler one from a couple weeks back. Hope I won't need to call The Cleaner ( @Alpinemaps ). He's very efficient (like Mr Wolf).

This is a very naive point of view.

There's quite a bit of debate in the Poe's Xwing topic in the Star Wars forum topic. Some of the reasons to think there's smoke (and thus fire): 1) there was some sort of windshield issue early on (September 2015) that made it hard to find 2) there were continued shortages throughout it's life so far. 3) It is out of stock at most online retailers and only available for backorder at Lego right now while the rest of the wave 1 is available just about everywhere. 4) it is out of stock in Retail locations in MANY (not all) parts of the US currently. If you check store trackers for Walmart & Target it's nowhere to be found in many places i've travelled like North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and others. 5) The new wave of 2016 summer sets has a new x-wing with Poe Some reasons to think there is no fire, just smoke. 1) It still has shelf stickers in stores even though it's sold out, just like Jurassic did. They don't reserve shelf space for product that isn't going to arrive. Shelf space is golden and good stores don't waste it. 2) You CAN still back order it at lego.com 3) it's only been out for 5 months so far. Even if it retired when the new sets come out, would it really last for LESS than a calendar year? Lots of folks took some of the signs above as reasons that Jurassic Park was gone, but it is clearly back in full force (minus one store exclusive set. Jurassic Park clearly isn't Star Wars, but could Poe's Xwing be a set that retires sooner than the rest of the wave? Who knows. I think its' an outstanding set, but perhaps only worth stockpiling at a discount. I wouldn't want to be caught without my target quantity, so place your bets accordingly.

Thank you guys for taking the time, if only a few seconds, to comment on this blog. I know it took me a lot of time to write it (much longer than I anticipated) and it's really nice to read your enthusiasm. It's a good idea to take one of Ed's. Even if he did find out, he'd probably forgive you if you offered him that you take it apart and have Ed do a rebuilt. Question is, which sticker option will you choose? (By the way I added a fifth option (simply don't apply the stickers) following up a comment on Reddit.) Double VIP points would be an excellent opportunity to get one. Even if it's out of stock then (it has been moving in and out of stock during the last couple of weeks, see this availability overview) you'll be able to order one and it will be shipped later. Thanks I always try to be less specific, detailed and elaborate but just can't do that somehow. I was somehow a bit anxious few people would read the blog because it has so many pictures and a lot of text, but fortunately there roam some long-readers on this board. Blog mission accomplished! Very nice to get this feedback. I recognize that sensation. Probably I'll do the same in a few months. Thanks Brenner. I forgot to mention that the review format was borrowed from @thoroakenfelder. Also he gave me some useful advice on the contents of this blog. I'm proud to have written a review in the Star Wars series. To all who read this: don't forget to take a look at these Star Wars review blogs: #75060 Slave I (click here) #75078 Imperial Troop Transport (click here) #75085 Hailfire Droid (click here) #75087 Anakin's Starfighter (click here) #75092 Naboo Starfighter (click here) #75094 Shuttle Tyderium (click here) #75100 Snowspeeder (click here) #75101 Tie Fighter (click here) #75102 Poe's X-Wing Fighter (click here) #75103 First Order Transporter (click here) #75109 Obi-Wan Kenobi action figure (click here) #75131 Resistance Trooper Battle Pack (click here) #75132 First Order Battle Back (click here) #75139 Battle on Takodana (click here) #75141 Resistance Troop Transporter (click here) Loads of information available, including opinions from an investment point of view. Regarding the Boba Fett figure, I agree it was very impressively done with prints on arms and all. Thanks for writing down your experience and opinion. I fully agree! Lol can imagine you couldn't wait. Same here... at one point I just thought "I'll just get this thing". Actually you can do what I did (ok not a 6 year old but my girlfriend). I built one half of the base sidewalls, admired what just happened, then let my girlfriend do the other half. Saved myself some repetitive building and got to see her reaction. ("huh? where does this now go?") priceless You can do the same with one wing and one side plating part.

Agree with dcdfan, the descriptions on AWD are very arbitrary and it seems they vary dramatically based on the judgment of whoever puts it in the system, so YMMV. My personal experience with AWD...I've purchased over 30 sets in various conditions and I have never received one with an open bag or previously built. Best experience -- Bought a mini cooper which had a perfect sealed box and if not for the AWD sticker by the barcode there'd be no way to tell. Worst experience -- Bought a Slave I which was missing the windsheild and the 8x32 lose plate. All the bags were there so most likely the inspector just didn't realize. Average experience -- The contents of the box are fine and new. The box itself is crushed and has been smothered in packaging tape. Personally I don't care about boxes so AWD has become the place for me to buy sets I build. My main advice is to know what to expect in the box, especially if you don't plan to build it immediately.

My haul from Legoland California the other day:

Not if The Cleaner has anything to say about it.

You do realize that both of them are moderators right? Lol and Rockefeller is 100% correct, one of the main reasons why PayPal fees continue to go up is because they have to reimburse people who think the money fairy will always cover whatever scam they decide to get themselves into because they think why not they'll always cover you right? That money doesn't come from thin air it costs someone something and FYI it isn't the scammer.

like this one...?

The best is when they ring up $0.03 items at a TRU Express. Their head spins over and over and over...

Picked up a Silver Centurion at Game Stop for free dollars.

As with the counterfeit sellers on eBay, all positive feedback shows is that the buyers got what they ordered. The gift cards could still be purchased with stolen credit card numbers, etc. It takes a month for phony charges to show up on someone's credit card bill, and even then not everyone notices. So it can take time for the actual victims to notice they've been scammed. Positive feedback profiles can also be built up as a buyer, or by selling lots of inexpensive items. If you can't think of a way to make the numbers work, then it's safe to assume they don't.

40 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, The Shard, & the Houses of Parliament by Rocco Buttliere All are built in 1:650 scale Check out his Flickr loads more pictures and other excellent builds on there

Forgot to share my other big purchase - it was time to replace my keychain.

I was at Target today and they restocked the Hailfire Droid. It's on sale in store for $15.99 through 2/27 according to the shelf tag I saw.

I have sold four complete sets from the streetview promo before Xmas. Couple on ebay for $99 shipped, one on Brick Classifieds for $89 shipped and one on kijiji locally for $65 cash. I had one left before this sweet little event. These have a better piece count and are bigger boxes than the '14 Bricktober sets and are pretty cool. Of course, now I have to compete with you lot to sell them, but it is still a good discount even if we undercut each other to $75 shipped

I disagree. I think 2X VIP is easier and same result.

Couple more parts arrived last night, however i can't really get any further without more of the foundation slope pieces. I guess i stumbled upon a bricklinker that takes a little extra time to get stuff out. However i had enough pieces to make 1 fence! (will need 3-4 more i think). With this 1 fence as my guideline; i was able to confirm that A: i do need to raise the inside of the paddock to be foundation-level, and B: i need to take a level off the fence. Otherwise any dino put behind is sort of dwarfed (as are the trees). So i've put a large order in for some extra green plates and some basic 2x4 bricks to go underneath and raise it up. Still waiting on some 2x4 white tiles to replace the caution 1x4 strips so i can put the "10,000 Volts" decals ontop of them. I wanted to put the fences on smaller plate pieces, however with the fence... posts? so close together it obstructed too much of the view inside. As such i will go with larger plates under the foundation. Each fence should ideally connect with each other with technic connectors to look as seamless as possible. I tested out some ways of connecting each fence at the bottom with hinges, but couldn't get it just right. So i'll likely keep the bottoms a bit loose (at least on the fence pieces that have to curve). Tonight i think i will finally tackle the Explorer. As i said before i don't actually have to design this myself or purchase the pieces as my SO purchased a custom kit for me a few months ago. However i think the scale might be too large for my build (543 pieces or something), if so i will see about building a smaller one. Even though the fences are not %100 movie accurate since i opted to go with black; i think it looks pretty good. I did test out dark grey/light grey and it didn't look as menacing. The black makes it look a bit creepier and imposing. More to come!

Bricktober sets are back on certain sets at tru.

I recommend checking the Maze Ideas creator YouTube channel: JK Brickworks. Besides the maze, JK creates several moving constructions with and without using motors - they're reminiscent of the old toys that worked with mechanical devices. The walking duck, the dancing penguin, the moon & cow escapement device are some examples. Also a cookie sugar coat printing device JK provides build instructions for all his constructions, so anyone could try at home building the mechanisms he presents in the videos. It's all very worthy of paying some attention. For me his creations expand the frontier of what can be done with Lego. They somewhat cross the Technic theme (the workings on the inside) with the Classic theme (the appearance on the outside). From the investing point of view, I would see this set as like the 21301 - Birds set, although with less potential as the theme in itself (mazes) doesn't drive an demand while the birds theme does. Imo the strongest point for the set is the exploration of the mechanical capabilities of Lego in applications other than those showed by the Technic line.

I put this together a few months ago. This might be the first set that I have put together and find myself wanting to take it apart... just to put it back together again. The build was THAT enjoyable for me!

There are some quirky ones that just won't work. I just move on to the next one.

Ok enough flaming I hope he understands now.......back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I can assure you that I am already doing that. I have been working at this for 5 years filtering out tons of different keywords for 12,000+ listings. Multiply that by 300,000+ listings every month and its not as straight forward as you think. Do you know how many people throw numbers and BS names in the listing titles. Its not easy handling stuff where you have a listing like "Zombies 9465 MISB 447/pcs with minifigures 2012" Or the people that put 10188/10179 Star Wars Han/Chewy, but then they put a price of $400, so then its hard to know if its 10188 but they were actually selling a used 10179 with missing pieces and all sorts of garbage and no indicator of new/used.

I have zero hoth sets, so a set like this could appeal to me (and it does a little) but you can't ignore the fundamental flaws with the design/contents/name of the set itself UCS or not. I read a great review of it on another LEGO website and it highlighted some significant flaws in a $250 set and thats where I think the anger and disappointment come into play. Most people accept that a $20, $30, $50 LEGO set will have it's limitations... people don't want a $250 set to have the same limitations. Because LEGO took a vacation and jammed those old sets together, you get things like: - a shield generator with 3 turbines instead of 4 - an assault with two baddies - a wampa cave that although cute doesn't match the lines of the model - a tauntaun feeding station that is where in the movies? - a watch tower that is where in the movies? - a gate with exposed gear mechanisms (yuck) You just can't ignore that no other Star Wars UCS set was this badly executed and this unoriginal.

I have to say, that the final outcome of the set was actually very impressive. It's full of detail and don't let the pictures fool you, it's actually a seriously huge set. It sits on a 32x48 stud base. 1 32x32, and a 16x32. Overall, I really feel you get your money worth out of it. It's not like the tower bridge where you have half the set as cheese slopes. You get tons of bricks, and plates, and bigger elements that add to the weight. I also love the fact that they double walled it so you don't have the mismatch of colors that you see in the modulars, and even the Simpsons House. My biggest gripe is the freaking back. The double walled 3 of the sides, but the back is single walled and just looks horrible IMO. It's really unfortunate too, because outside of the that, I had a lot of fun building it and watching the movie in the background. I would say, as a fan, I would get this set. If you aren't, I can see why some people think $350 is overpriced for an oversized 'modular' as it were. Oh yeah, one last observation, for those complaining about having to move stuff in order to put the Ecto inside, I understand your gripe, but once you put this thing together, you'll understand why they did it that way. In order to fit the ecto inside, they would have to add probably at least another 10 studs length wise, and a couple more width wise, and once you take into account the double walls, the piece count would explode and balloon out of control.

hahahahaha My wife hates flowers.

Busted open one of my 10240 Red-5 X-Wing's last night. Wanted to build before it went up in value too much. :-) Loved the first 5 bags, the latter ones get a little repetitive with the wings/engines, but what can you do. The cockpit stickers are absolutely one of the cruelest things Lego has ever done. I can see why it came with two of the same sticker sheet. I absolutely love it though, it is a brilliant model.