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[mrklaw]

Is it possible to use Lego speculation to fund your hobby?

eg you buy 2 of every set you're interested in. Build one, and store the other unopened until discontinued. Then sell it on for a decent premium.

In theory, after a few years requiring some investment, couldn't you get to a point where its self-sufficient?

 

[Shiv47]

Is it possible to use Lego speculation to fund your hobby?

eg you buy 2 of every set you're interested in. Build one, and store the other unopened until discontinued. Then sell it on for a decent premium.

In theory, after a few years requiring some investment, couldn't you get to a point where its self-sufficient?

As long as the market holds, I guess. I sold on my Eiffel Tower set for probably 4x what I paid for it. Didn't have two though.

Just picked up Robie House at the Lego Store the other day; should be a fun set. The designer mentioned in the booklet that he left the interior open so you can add your own lights, which is a nice touch.

 

[nicoga3000]

Is it possible to use Lego speculation to fund your hobby?

eg you buy 2 of every set you're interested in. Build one, and store the other unopened until discontinued. Then sell it on for a decent premium.

In theory, after a few years requiring some investment, couldn't you get to a point where its self-sufficient?

Certain sets, yes. Most of the UCS Star Wars stuff will net you a ridiculous profit. The same goes for the modular stuff - Green Grocer and Market Street are an example. It's not an immediate return, though. Keep that in mind.

 

[Mengy]

This thread needs more custom Lego creations! More creativity! Less kits put together per the instructions!!!

Here is one of my pride and joys. It is the Argo from Star Blazers (or Space Battleship Yamato for you hardcore anime fans). I put this together 20 years ago. Yep, that's right, this Lego model has been together for 20 years. It's moved from my mom's house to my ex-wife's apartment to my brother's house to my current house, and through it all it has never been taken apart. Star Blazers was and still is my favorite cartoon of all time. This is actually the fourth iteration of this model, I built three others in high school before I put this one together. My brother at one point had a Lego Andromeda from Star Blazers to go alongside it, as well as Desslock's command ship, but those have been "recycled" for a long time now. But my Argo still remains, and will most likely never be taken apart:

 

[rataven]

Have to say Town Hall isn't quite how I envisioned it. Was expecting it to run a little more closer to the town hall from the Town Plan set - that is, longer, rather than taller. But I suppose they'd like to keep the modular footprint the same across sets.

Otherwise, I'm not too bothered by it's similarity to Fire Brigade. Cafe Corner and Grand Emporium are also somewhat similar, though in their case, they make great bookends for the whole street.

But at nearly 500 pieces more than Pet Shop, I do wonder if Town Hall will be priced the same as previous sets in this line, or if it'll usher in an increase.

 

[nicoga3000]

Have to say Town Hall isn't quite how I envisioned it. Was expecting it to run a little more closer to the town hall from the Town Plan set - that is, longer, rather than taller. But I suppose they'd like to keep the modular footprint the same across sets.

Otherwise, I'm not too bothered by it's similarity to Fire Brigade. Cafe Corner and Grand Emporium are also somewhat similar, though in their case, they make great bookends for the whole street.

But at nearly 500 pieces more than Pet Shop, I do wonder if Town Hall will be priced the same as previous sets in this line, or if it'll usher in an increase.

It's being speculated that Town Hall will run closer to $180, but we'll see.

@Mengy That blue is SO vibrant - awesome work! I'm actually in the process of sorting all my LEGO at the moment, but then the MOC's will come! Awesome work though, I really can't express how wow'd I am at all that blue!

 

[MaizeRage25]

It's being speculated that Town Hall will run closer to $180, but we'll see.

@Mengy That blue is SO vibrant - awesome work! I'm actually in the process of sorting all my LEGO at the moment, but then the MOC's will come! Awesome work though, I really can't express how wow'd I am at all that blue!

$180 seems about right given the increase in piece count and size.

I'm also not too bothered by the resemeblence to the Fire Brigade, since FB is one of my favorites. The only thing that looks weird to me is the columns, which seem way out of scale given how wide they are. I'm really hoping for a nice interior and remain optimisitc that it will include an elevator as rumored/speculated.

 

[Crazymoogle]

The moment I saw that town hall set on the last page I immediately wondered if somebody would build a Delorean to go in the scene.

Of course people already have figured that part out.

 

[nicoga3000]

$180 seems about right given the increase in piece count and size.

I'm also not too bothered by the resemeblence to the Fire Brigade, since FB is one of my favorites. The only thing that looks weird to me is the columns, which seem way out of scale given how wide they are. I'm really hoping for a nice interior and remain optimisitc that it will include an elevator as rumored/speculated.

Woah, what? This would be amazing. And the columns look OK on the box, but one of the images make them seem huge in comparison to everything else, you're right. Hopefully that's a weird optical illusion. *crosses fingers*

 

[Mengy]

@Mengy That blue is SO vibrant - awesome work! I'm actually in the process of sorting all my LEGO at the moment, but then the MOC's will come! Awesome work though, I really can't express how wow'd I am at all that blue!

Thanks. Back then we didn't have the fancy colors that Lego bricks come in today. I would have loved to make the ship grey and red, but we had nowhere near enough grey bricks to build something that large, so blue it was. Actually, I should buy the bricks I need and make a new version of the ship in grey and red, with more detail and such. I should at least price it out and see what it would cost as a kit, LOL.

 

[nicoga3000]

Thanks. Back then we didn't have the fancy colors that Lego bricks come in today. I would have loved to make the ship grey and red, but we had nowhere near enough grey bricks to build something that large, so blue it was. Actually, I should buy the bricks I need and make a new version of the ship in grey and red, with more detail and such. I should at least price it out and see what it would cost as a kit, LOL.

Hell, you've got the pieces now and have a general idea of structure, so you could probably get a decent idea on Bricklink relatively quick. But honestly, I'd keep some of that blue and just do the deck/mast in gray. It looks awesome as it is.

 

[woodypop]

This thread needs more custom Lego creations! More creativity! Less kits put together per the instructions!!!

Here is one of my pride and joys. It is the Argo from Star Blazers (or Space Battleship Yamato for you hardcore anime fans). I put this together 20 years ago. Yep, that's right, this Lego model has been together for 20 years. It's moved from my mom's house to my ex-wife's apartment to my brother's house to my current house, and through it all it has never been taken apart. Star Blazers was and still is my favorite cartoon of all time. This is actually the fourth iteration of this model, I built three others in high school before I put this one together. My brother at one point had a Lego Andromeda from Star Blazers to go alongside it, as well as Desslock's command ship, but those have been "recycled" for a long time now. But my Argo still remains, and will most likely never be taken apart:

Very impressive work. I'm equally amazed by the model's life history. How old were you when you built it?

 

[Mengy]

Very impressive work. I'm equally amazed by the model's life history. How old were you when you built it?

I was a senior in high school, so it's been together since 1990. I was 18 years old. I guess it's actually closer to 21-1/2 years old, lol. My brother and I have built and taken apart many, many things out of Lego since then, but we have kept this one model together untouched. Well, a few pieces have been removed or knocked off while cleaning it, but they were always put back on right away. While i was in college my mom dreaded cleaning the Argo off for fear of breaking it, hah. So did my ex wife, she always made me dust it off.

 

[oracrest]

Looks great!

I agree, more custom creations would be awesome. Even little things.

 

[MaizeRage25]

Woah, what? This would be amazing. And the columns look OK on the box, but one of the images make them seem huge in comparison to everything else, you're right. Hopefully that's a weird optical illusion. *crosses fingers*

If you look at the backside there are no windows on the right hand side of the buliding. If there was a staircase you would still assume they would put windows in, right?

Also, there appears to be some type of trench running up that side of the back. This would presumably be the mechanism that allows you to lift/lower the elevator.

On the other hand, there appears to be a door with rooftop access right where the elevator shaft would be so I'm not sure how that would work.

Just speculation at this point.

 

[nicoga3000]

If you look at the backside there are no windows on the right hand side of the buliding. If there was a staircase you would still assume they would put windows in, right?

Also, there appears to be some type of trench running up that side of the back. This would presumably be the mechanism that allows you to lift/lower the elevator.

On the other hand, there appears to be a door with rooftop access right where the elevator shaft would be so I'm not sure how that would work.

Just speculation at this point.

Oh...interesting. I never really thought about it like that. To be honest, I think an elevator would make this model significantly more appealing, too. I'm hoping they'll release more photos later with better details. Until then, speculation is about all we've got!

 

[MaizeRage25]

Oh...interesting. I never really thought about it like that. To be honest, I think an elevator would make this model significantly more appealing, too. I'm hoping they'll release more photos later with better details. Until then, speculation is about all we've got!

The rumored release date out there is Feb 1, so might have an official release soon.

I'm really hoping for a good interior on this one to off-set a little bit of a boring exterior.

 

[nicoga3000]

The rumored release date out there is Feb 1, so might have an official release soon.

I'm really hoping for a good interior on this one to off-set a little bit of a boring exterior.

Really??? If that's the case, my wallet is going to be angry with me. I'm still a bit confused about the availability of the Mini Modulars and if they're VIP only/limited run or what. :| Because there's still those, the GE, Pet Shop, and now the Town Hall. I've also got a deal that I'm working out on a UCS Yoda sculpture. SO MUCH LEGO.

 

[Wolfe]

Glad to find this thread, I got back into Lego again after having tossed all my old stuff when I moved out of my parents place (regretful but whatever). So far I just have a handful of Star Wars sets but I recently picked up the Vic Viper ADU/Alien Conquest set and love it, really well designed.

Slowly working on building up my piece supply in the mean time.

 

[nicoga3000]

Glad to find this thread, I got back into Lego again after having tossed all my old stuff when I moved out of my parents place (regretful but whatever). So far I just have a handful of Star Wars sets but I recently picked up the Vic Viper ADU/Alien Conquest set and love it, really well designed.

Slowly working on building up my piece supply in the mean time.

I imagine a lot of us coming out of our Dark Ages have had that moment of regret. I sold a bunch of older stuff like a while ago (including a fucking UCS X-Wing...), but it's a forgive and forget sort of thing.

Welcome back to the world of LEGO!

 

[mrklaw]

how does VIP exclusive work if they're in stores? Do they refuse to sell them to you uniess you have a card?

 

[Chuckie]

I imagine a lot of us coming out of our Dark Ages have had that moment of regret. I sold a bunch of older stuff like a while ago (including a fucking UCS X-Wing...), but it's a forgive and forget sort of thing.

Welcome back to the world of LEGO!

All my Lego was actually in a huge box in my parents shed. It got fucking stolen... all of it :/

Now I only have an X-Wing left. (7140 appearantly )

 

[nicoga3000]

how does VIP exclusive work if they're in stores? Do they refuse to sell them to you uniess you have a card?

I'm not entirely sure, but I bet you could just sign up right there. I mean, if you aren't already a VIP, they offer to get you signed up anyways. Might as well be one since you get random coupons (once a month or so) and earn VIP Credit.

All my Lego was actually in a huge box in my parents shed. It got fucking stolen... all of it :/

Now I only have an X-Wing left. (7140 appearantly )

:| That's really fucking sad. I've had one thing stolen from me (my 40k Tau army, which I decided was a sign from above because I quit playing after that), but it's really a low blow when it happens.

 

[Chuckie]

:| That's really fucking sad. I've had one thing stolen from me (my 40k Tau army, which I decided was a sign from above because I quit playing after that), but it's really a low blow when it happens.

It is sad, and irreplacable too.

These modular sets are making me want to get back into the game. My wife is actually ok with this..... so maybe....soon

 

[MaizeRage25]

Really??? If that's the case, my wallet is going to be angry with me. I'm still a bit confused about the availability of the Mini Modulars and if they're VIP only/limited run or what. :| Because there's still those, the GE, Pet Shop, and now the Town Hall. I've also got a deal that I'm working out on a UCS Yoda sculpture. SO MUCH LEGO.

The Mini-Modulars are VIP-only. They are already available in Lego stores and should be available online starting Feb 1. I believe you just have to have a card to be a VIP member and it takes about 10 seconds to get one in-store.

It is sad, and irreplacable too.

These modular sets are making me want to get back into the game. My wife is actually ok with this..... so maybe....soon

You may want to hurry up and get the Fire Brigade. It will not be around much longer.

 

[Wolfe]

Given my love for the Star Wars sets I'm really interested in seeing what the LoTR sets look like. I was a big castle fan (that and space police were 2 of my favorite lines, this was back in the late 80's) but since I got back into it non of the fantasy related lines (castle/HP for example) really seemed to interest me much.

 

[rataven]

Since there seems to be a lot of modular fans here, some of you might like this blog. It mostly focuses on MOCs inspired by the modular series. I really love some of the street designs.

http://www.brick-town-talk.com/

how does VIP exclusive work if they're in stores? Do they refuse to sell them to you uniess you have a card?

They'll probably just ask that you sign up, as I suspect it's one way they're enticing more customers to become members. It's actually a pretty decent program though. Have been purchasing from Lego direct more often than Amazon as of late (which I think is what the program was going for).

 

[nicoga3000]

I've only been VIP for just over a year, but it's paid off. And yeah, rataven is right - the idea is to help "entice" you to purchase from LEGO vs other retailers. For some sets, it's not such a smart idea. For others, it's MUCH better to go through them (inflated prices for "low stock" online).

About the Minis, I'm more worried if they'll be limited run or not. I can't decide if I should grab those or GE first.

 

[Marty Chinn]

This thread needs more custom Lego creations! More creativity! Less kits put together per the instructions!!!

Here is one of my pride and joys. It is the Argo from Star Blazers (or Space Battleship Yamato for you hardcore anime fans). I put this together 20 years ago. Yep, that's right, this Lego model has been together for 20 years. It's moved from my mom's house to my ex-wife's apartment to my brother's house to my current house, and through it all it has never been taken apart. Star Blazers was and still is my favorite cartoon of all time. This is actually the fourth iteration of this model, I built three others in high school before I put this one together. My brother at one point had a Lego Andromeda from Star Blazers to go alongside it, as well as Desslock's command ship, but those have been "recycled" for a long time now. But my Argo still remains, and will most likely never be taken apart:

Nice, you even built it with a destroyed third bridge =)

I actually started one when I was like 6 or 7 but never got passed the wave motion engine. For some reason I was trying to build one with the internal engine too. I finished that but ran out of legos.

 

[rataven]

Given my love for the Star Wars sets I'm really interested in seeing what the LoTR sets look like. I was a big castle fan (that and space police were 2 of my favorite lines, this was back in the late 80's) but since I got back into it non of the fantasy related lines (castle/HP for example) really seemed to interest me much.

Some images for the LotR line have been making the rounds; you can check them out in this video. Not sure if they're real, as I don't believe Lego has released anything official yet, but they might give you an idea of what to expect.

It'll be interesting to see how this line does, since the theme is in a similar vein to their Castle/Kingdom line. But with HP eventually going out of production, it should earn sales from folks looking for familiar licensed themes. Plus, Lego Orcs.

 

[Sqorgar]

Given my love for the Star Wars sets I'm really interested in seeing what the LoTR sets look like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHf262UufYE

I was a big castle fan (that and space police were 2 of my favorite lines, this was back in the late 80's) but since I got back into it non of the fantasy related lines (castle/HP for example) really seemed to interest me much.

I was a huge fan of the new Kingdoms sets, and the series before that (with the Dwarves and Trolls). I'm actually a little upset that they are dumping them in favor of licensed sets. LEGO creates much more interesting themes without licenses (the dino sets now are way better than the officially licensed Jurassic Park stuff was). The LotR sets look okay, but it's not the same.

I'm now just content with the Heroica line, building my castles a bit smaller.

 

[Inspirius]

It's not bad at all. Obviously, it's more work than throwing everything in a tub or keeping sets separate in baggies, but I feel like the ability to instantly find whatever piece you are looking for in whatever color you are looking for far outweighs the minor effort it takes to sort during disassembly.

Of course, it took MONTHS to sort my LEGOs in the first place, and I did it by color at first which did not work out at all.


That's what I do, though I've only sorted half my LEGO collection and have found that it takes up a serious amount of space - nearly every bin and bucket here is filled so high I can barely close it:

I'm looking to pick up a storage system similar to this. Any clues on the best place to find this sort of thing? I've had a quick look on the ikea and B&Q websites but nothing jumps out.

I'm looking to store something like 15,000 bricks so something modular would be really neat.

Live in the UK if that helps/matters.

 

[Mengy]

Nice, you even built it with a destroyed third bridge =)

I actually started one when I was like 6 or 7 but never got passed the wave motion engine. For some reason I was trying to build one with the internal engine too. I finished that but ran out of legos.

Ah, a man who knows his Star Blazers!!! You know, thats a good point though. For many years the ship actually sat on it's bottom on top of a shelf, so I couldn't put the third bridge on it. But just recently I put it up where it is now, spanning the top of two book shelfs, so I had to build stands for it. I could actually put the third bridge on the bottom of the ship now...

Oh, and there is a wave motion engine buried inside of it, linked to a wave motion gun in the front of the ship. Maybe I'll tear the top off and take a few pics of it, lol.

 

[DrForester]

Long since destroyed, my favorite original creation was a 18" tall model of Shakespeare's Globe Theater. Was more square than round, but it had a removable wall so you could look at the stage. Has a backstage area and a pulley on the top to lower things. Built it for a high school project for Macbeth when we had to make a diorama. Then due to pride and laziness (mostly laziness) I just tossed it on a shelf in the closet when I was done. Was happy the next year when they assigned an identical project for Hamlet. Just changed out the stage figures.

 

[Wolfe]

Thanks for the youtube link, looks interesting.

I was a huge fan of the new Kingdoms sets, and the series before that (with the Dwarves and Trolls). I'm actually a little upset that they are dumping them in favor of licensed sets. LEGO creates much more interesting themes without licenses (the dino sets now are way better than the officially licensed Jurassic Park stuff was). The LotR sets look okay, but it's not the same.

I agree with you, and while not completely the same it's the way I feel about the current space police line up. It concentrates on the individual mini figs and their personalities/vehicles too much for me as I'd rather see stuff in the vein of Mtron/Blacktron again instead of something out of Men in Black.

 

[Chuckie]

I agree with you, and while not completely the same it's the way I feel about the current space police line up. It concentrates on the individual mini figs and their personalities/vehicles too much for me as I'd rather see stuff in the vein of Mtron/Blacktron again instead of something out of Men in Black.

Agreed. I've seen the whole evolution of the space characters (I'm fucking old)

I remember the first time seeing a yellow uniformed spaceman... and then blue and black... it was so awesome. The new helmets (with visor) were awesome too..and Blacktron was the ephitomy of cool. After that I kinda lost interest (more due to age tbh) and the new stuff doesn't do it for me.
Although those new aliens did make me laught. They are kinda funny.

 

[Seth C]

First Blacktron will always be the best space LEGO. The second version (when it became very white, wtf?) was lame.

 

[echoshifting]

I was a huge fan of the new Kingdoms sets, and the series before that (with the Dwarves and Trolls). I'm actually a little upset that they are dumping them in favor of licensed sets. LEGO creates much more interesting themes without licenses (the dino sets now are way better than the officially licensed Jurassic Park stuff was). The LotR sets look okay, but it's not the same.

I hear ya, as soon as I jumped in I started grabbing Kingoms sets. They are awesome. Isn't the Royal Joust new, though? That suggests to me they're still supporting the line...but then I haven't been doing this for very long, I dunno ;p

 

[nicoga3000]

I hear ya, as soon as I jumped in I started grabbing Kingoms sets. They are awesome. Isn't the Royal Joust new, though? That suggests to me they're still supporting the line...but then I haven't been doing this for very long, I dunno ;p

Royal Joust is brand new, so I would like to think they have plans to continue the line. I don't really do the Castle theme, but that's one of their most popular and classic lines to my understanding.

 

[mrklaw]

I'm looking to pick up a storage system similar to this. Any clues on the best place to find this sort of thing? I've had a quick look on the ikea and B&Q websites but nothing jumps out.

I'm looking to store something like 15,000 bricks so something modular would be really neat.

Live in the UK if that helps/matters.

We got some from staples. You can get a bunch of differently sized clear boxes like that, and also little trolleys that turn them into a chest of drawers on castors to wheel around. Only plastic, and a little flimsy, but very handy. and we use the smaller boxes for little technic bits (connectors etc)


this stuff - http://www.staples.co.uk/office-supplies/storage-archive-organisation/really-useful-tower-units

worth checking in-store, they have a bunch of different sizes.

 

[Wolfe]

First Blacktron will always be the best space LEGO. The second version (when it became very white, wtf?) was lame.

Yeah right on, I loved the blacktron figs when I was younger, just so cool looking with all black/blacked out visor.

 

[MaizeRage25]

Someone posted a picture of the back of the Town Hall box on Eurobricks. Looks like elevator is confirmed!

On my iPhone, but here is the link:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=59286&st=375

 

[nicoga3000]

Someone posted a picture of the back of the Town Hall box on Eurobricks. Looks like elevator is confirmed!

On my iPhone, but here is the link:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=59286&st=375

Well holy shit - how awesome is that. I hadn't been following that today, so I missed it. Thanks!

Pictures of my sorting!

This is my dining room table at the moment. This isn't all the containers (as you can tell in the other pics), but it's a start. I'm going to breaking a few them into more refined categories after I finish going through the boxed sets I still have (only two more, since I'll assemble and display Fire Brigade for now).



The shelf! There's a few containers here that are filled already, and a few that I only open for unique pieces (tires, foliage, etc).



Few random plastic bags. These will be sorted into those bead containers you can buy at a craft store eventually - crazy cold/snowy/windy tonight, so I'll go this weekend after the LEGO "convention" on the east side of Indy this weekend! Woo!




Oh, and of course this!



My fiance loves it, and we're getting married in December, so it's kind of awesome.

 

[sharbhund]

Someone posted an updated look at some of the Marvel minifigs on their website:

http://smashing-bricks.com/2012/01/13/lego-super-heroes-marvel-minifigures-sneak-peak/

 

[Dr Zhivago]

We got some from staples. You can get a bunch of differently sized clear boxes like that, and also little trolleys that turn them into a chest of drawers on castors to wheel around. Only plastic, and a little flimsy, but very handy. and we use the smaller boxes for little technic bits (connectors etc)


this stuff - http://www.staples.co.uk/office-supplies/storage-archive-organisation/really-useful-tower-units

worth checking in-store, they have a bunch of different sizes.

Yep, I use these plus some larger shoe-box sized ones for plates and bigger bricks.
I bought this last night :

The raptor is cool, but he's got no articulation unfortunately. Want the t-rex now

 

[Sqorgar]

Royal Joust is brand new, so I would like to think they have plans to continue the line.

They consider Castle (along with City and Space) to be one of their evergreen themes, but I can't imagine they'd have two competing fantasy themes running at the same time. It could be that they stripped the fantasy elements (Dwarves, Trolls, dragons) from Kingdoms to differentiate it from the upcoming LotR theme - Kingdoms is a more back-to-the-basics Castle theme. But still, Joust is all they have this year and it's an expensive, exclusive set. Last year, they had only a couple of meager offerings and no castle for the green knights

I've really got my hopes pinned on Heroica. The games seem to be doing really well, they are actually releasing more this year than last, and it would make an amazing Castle theme if LEGO ever decided to blow it up to minifig size.

 

[oneHeero]

Hey Gaf, I am very interested in starting a Lego addiction. I never really grew up on them but was always fascinated by Lego. I have a 8 mo old boy and a 5yr old girl so now is a good time to start a collection going

Any idea where to start? I live in Texas, what stores are best as a starter looking to have fun and eventually build a real collection and do MOCs in the long run. Target and Wal-Mart usually the best places to get fun sets? I'm not digging the license themed lego sets to much to be honest, but open to buying them.

I'd prefer something semi difficult, but whenever I look all I can find are Lego sets that go up to age 10 :\ Does that matter?

Treat me like a lego nub, what are the basics to getting started, where to buy, what kind of sets are in right now, etc.

I've been lurking in this thread forever and really want to start buying some.

 

[nicoga3000]

They consider Castle (along with City and Space) to be one of their evergreen themes, but I can't imagine they'd have two competing fantasy themes running at the same time. It could be that they stripped the fantasy elements (Dwarves, Trolls, dragons) from Kingdoms to differentiate it from the upcoming LotR theme - Kingdoms is a more back-to-the-basics Castle theme. But still, Joust is all they have this year and it's an expensive, exclusive set. Last year, they had only a couple of meager offerings and no castle for the green knights

I've really got my hopes pinned on Heroica. The games seem to be doing really well, they are actually releasing more this year than last, and it would make an amazing Castle theme if LEGO ever decided to blow it up to minifig size.

Yeah, that's true. LotR looks...interesting. I personally don't like the look of the sets at the moment, but we'll see.

Regarding Heroica, the game looks neat, but I don't have anyone to play it with. As such, I've not touched it. I LOVE the idea behind it and I appreciate how much support TLG is giving it. I just wish I had a way to try the thing, haha.

Hey Gaf, I am very interested in starting a Lego addiction. I never really grew up on them but was always fascinated by Lego. I have a 8 mo old boy and a 5yr old girl so now is a good time to start a collection going

Any idea where to start? I live in Texas, what stores are best as a starter looking to have fun and eventually build a real collection and do MOCs in the long run. Target and Wal-Mart usually the best places to get fun sets? I'm not digging the license themed lego sets to much to be honest, but open to buying them.

I'd prefer something semi difficult, but whenever I look all I can find are Lego sets that go up to age 10 :\ Does that matter?

Treat me like a lego nub, what are the basics to getting started, where to buy, what kind of sets are in right now, etc.

I've been lurking in this thread forever and really want to start buying some.

First, welcome to the best worst decision ever! Your wallet will hate you! <3

But really, hi! First off, where to purchase! Department stores are great since they run sales and stock more current stuff. It's especially nice if you have a large toy selection at said store. Always check prices online at the lego.com website first - that's the base price (B&M stores only, not online) that you should work with. Avoid Toys R'Us like the plague, unless they're running a BOGO 50% thing. Even then, be careful - they markup their LEGO $10-20 a set (sometimes more!).

lego.com lists a few stores in Texas, so check there. If you DO shop at a LEGO store, get the VIP card. VIP cards get you credit towards purchases - every $x gives you x points. Every 'y' points nets you $5 in VIP credit. It adds up!

Shopping online, lego.com is great, as is Amazon (for sales/discounts), but ALWAYS check lego.com or bricklink.com for the going price! There are sets that are still available at your local LEGO store for $150 that sell for $200 on Amazon. Be careful!

OK, so as for what route you want to go, the first would be deciding between Technic or standard brick. If you go Technic, the Unimog is a great start (albeit a bit pricey) as it provides a higher difficulty and a really great flagship model. If you go the standard brick route, you have SO many options...There are a lot of themes to choose from, and I can't really say anything except hop on the LEGO website and start browsing. Decide what models and themes catch your eye. From there, you can start building a collection and delving into what sort of sets and techniques interest you.

The one BIG thing you have to decide is your budget. More expensive sets are, typically, "more challenging" and more detailed. But really, the challenge from LEGO is what comes after you assemble and display your set - MOC'ing (My Own Creation)! Hit up mocpages.com sometime to see what some people create. If that sort of creativity interests you, a whole new world of LEGO opens up! Otherwise, you have to pick and choose the models based off the theme, price, and "displayability" that meets your standards.

Hope that helps as a base point! Once you've done a bit of research, I'm sure you can get even more refined answers from us that will point you in an even more right direction.

 

[Sqorgar]

Any idea where to start? I live in Texas, what stores are best as a starter looking to have fun and eventually build a real collection and do MOCs in the long run. Target and Wal-Mart usually the best places to get fun sets? I'm not digging the license themed lego sets to much to be honest, but open to buying them.

Toys R Us tends to have the best selection, by far, in my neck of the woods. Toys R Us also tends to raise the prices of all LEGO sets by 20%. However, they seem to be running LEGO deals all the time (never on Star Wars sets though), so if you visit TRU a lot, you can sometimes luck into a decent deal. When TRU isn't running a deal, though, I get my LEGO sets at Target.

The LEGO website is pretty decent, though I generally only use it for exclusive items. Shipping can be expensive. Amazon will do you no favors, since pretty much all toys on the site are grotesquely marked up.

I'd prefer something semi difficult, but whenever I look all I can find are Lego sets that go up to age 10 :\ Does that matter?

Probably the most involved sets are the modular town buildings (Cafe Corner, Green Grocer, Town Hall, etc). Those are great builds and look amazing put together, but you won't find them in any stores (except LEGO shops, should you be so lucky to have one nearby). They are also very expensive.

Regarding Heroica, the game looks neat, but I don't have anyone to play it with. As such, I've not touched it. I LOVE the idea behind it and I appreciate how much support TLG is giving it. I just wish I had a way to try the thing, haha.

The games themselves are overly simple - BUT they are cooperative, meaning you can play yourself without trouble by just playing more than one player. The bad guys just sort of stand there and wait for you to walk up and beat them. Personally, I think the games require a lot of house rules before it becomes fun - but the themes and pieces are so great that there's a lot of potential for expansion.

 

[ghostmind]

Helping my son build his various Ninjago sets has rekindled the LEGO fire for me. I've decided that in addition to the LOTR/Hobbit line, I'm going to pick up all the modular buildings (except the out of print ones - though I really want the Green Grocer) and the winter village ones for the holidays.