LEGO Nostalgia

Norfair wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

I just ordered this: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/m... - Medieval Blacksmith Ideas set.

They’ve really got me over the barrel with the nostalgia lately.

I sat on it wondering if I should get it for a few hours and it's already sold out.

I hesitated for about an hour. It seems like a smallish set for $150, and I tend to get a little frustrated with the modular buildings I’ve made. I caved because how often do they make new castle sets now?

4450 pieces 332nd Clone Trooper

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June 2017.

Bubblefuzz wrote:

We went to Legoland and all I got was this lousy awesome keychain...

IMAGE(http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah300/nmtbullocks/170602_Legoland_0032_WEB_zpsqvokua6e.jpg)

It's been a tough couple years for Harley, but still hanging in there....

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/5Dkui35.jpg)

Blind_Evil wrote:
Norfair wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

I just ordered this: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/m... - Medieval Blacksmith Ideas set.

They’ve really got me over the barrel with the nostalgia lately.

I sat on it wondering if I should get it for a few hours and it's already sold out.

I hesitated for about an hour. It seems like a smallish set for $150, and I tend to get a little frustrated with the modular buildings I’ve made. I caved because how often do they make new castle sets now?

I finished up the blacksmith house build last night. It’s a gorgeous set, and a really fulfilling build, so I have no regrets. It might be one of my favorite sets ever. There’s just so much thoughtful attention to detail. It’s also the first modular building I’ve had that didn’t feel fragile.

I have three sets in the hopper still awaiting construction. The bonsai tree, the surf house, and the Jeep Wrangler. I bought the Jeep partially to get ahold of the bonus flower/chocolate box set for my wife for V-day, which is cute if a bit small. I also ordered the metal VIP brick keychain, which is bigger than i would have preferred. I’d have liked if it were just the size of the actual brick.

I don't think I've seen the Bonsai Tree in stock since the day it released. It's my #1 wanted set, and I keep checking back to see if it's back in stock and it never is.

I also ordered the new X-wing and TIE-fighter sets when they were on backorder. I finally got the TIE-fighter set this week, the X-wing hasn't shipped yet and it's been over a month.

I do really like the TIE-fighter set. It's actually the only regular TIE-fighter I've ever owned in Lego (I bought the set with Darth Vader's TIE-fighter in 1999). I'm tempted to buy another set and rebuild it as a TIE-Interceptor because that's apparently a thing that people like to do with every TIE-fighter set.

I got my wife the flower bouquet for Valentine's day. She wants to build it together, so I'm looking forward to it. I also stumbled across a birthday card with a set to make a couple of roses in it, so I crossed out birth and wrote in Valentine's, so we have that to build too.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/L77ZOLN.jpg)
Which to make first, I don't know.

Thinking of doing a custom on the bonsai. I seen some pretty good ones.

Tscott wrote:

I don't think I've seen the Bonsai Tree in stock since the day it released. It's my #1 wanted set, and I keep checking back to see if it's back in stock and it never is.

Baron Of Hell wrote:

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Which to make first, I don't know.

Thinking of doing a custom on the bonsai. I seen some pretty good ones.

BURN lol

Ha ha
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The only problem I had with the bonsai set was with some of the instructions. I couldn't tell what I was look at because it was brown on brown.

The batmobile controls are terrible. The set is discontinued and I don't think it is worth the inflated price, At the original price it might be worth it for the power functions,

Looks good! I even masked up and ventured into my local target today to see if they had the bonsai tree, but no luck. But My X-wing finally shipped and should be arriving tomorrow. So at least there’s that.

Tscott wrote:

I don't think I've seen the Bonsai Tree in stock since the day it released. It's my #1 wanted set, and I keep checking back to see if it's back in stock and it never is.

If it makes you feel any better I started this one on Tuesday and haven’t gotten back to it because it’s an underwhelming build. These artsy ones and architecture sets tend to be boring builds but pretty display pieces, in my experience.

22 Years between buying my first Lego X-Wing and my second.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/HozXulY.jpg)

I honestly like the old one better. (We have the pieces for it but I think we lost the instructions.)

Tscott wrote:

22 Years between buying my first Lego X-Wing and my second.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/HozXulY.jpg)

I'm surprised that while the two sets look different, I wouldn't say one is clearly a better X-wing model than the other. I would have expected more progress over 20 years, given general improvements/expansion in the blocks available, not to mention how many different version of the x-wing have been made.

Cronox wrote:
Tscott wrote:

22 Years between buying my first Lego X-Wing and my second.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/HozXulY.jpg)

I'm surprised that while the two sets look different, I wouldn't say one is clearly a better X-wing model than the other. I would have expected more progress over 20 years, given general improvements/expansion in the blocks available, not to mention how many different version of the x-wing have been made.

I've been saying this. Lego sets have gotten worse in the last ten years. Lego seems to be getting cheap.

I dunno, there have been some great Technic and Ideas sets. Of course, I'm AFOL so I don't even mess with most of the sets. You could be right. But every year I can find a few quite satisfying complicated sets. Although I guess I am gravitating to the high end, now that I think about it...

Robear wrote:

I dunno, there have been some great Technic and Ideas sets. Of course, I'm AFOL so I don't even mess with most of the sets. You could be right. But every year I can find a few quite satisfying complicated sets. Although I guess I am gravitating to the high end, now that I think about it...

I guess I should be more specific that it seems focused on some of the mass media licensed sets. So Marvel, Star Wars, etc. Maybe it's actually a Disney thing.
You are right that there are still some really neat sets.

Yeah, can't really comment on those... sorry.

The standard, Target and Walmart sets are absolutely in the "do more with less" phase due to natural things like inflation. (Star Wars now being owned by Disney may have an influence on it as so many Star Wars toys are absolute junk now.) Parents want to be able to spend as little as possible on things, right? So, a $60 XWing isn't going to look as good as a then-$60 XWing from 2007 or whenever. It's like Doritos, the bag is still the same size and the cost is the same, but you're getting fewer Doritos in that bag.

While I agree the last few years have been full of expensive licenses sets I would really disagree that there is no difference in regards to past sets or that the new sets are worse.

In the x-wing pic above, that is actually the newest x-wing set which has less pieces and costs less then the x-wing sets from the last few years. More pieces in these sets actually allows much more detail. Check out the progression of the Slave -1 since its 1st iteration.

I don't buy all the Star Wars stuff any more and have spread out my Lego love but I really enjoy a lot of what lego has to offer.

I'm not trying to just dump on Lego. I'm just not a fan of how they updated some of their sets for things that are the same base item, but a new color. So the X-wings and Tie fighters and some of the Marvel stuff.
Also I still wish they had longer run sets for some items or there was a way to get out of print ones for a price between original retail and ebay prices.

I prefer the newer XWing, myself, but I actually think the $150 sets have suffered the most tbh. There seemed to have been a sweet spot for a lot of sets in the mid 2010's and now, well...

lunchbox12682 wrote:

I'm just not a fan of how they updated some of their sets for things that are the same base item, but a new color. So the X-wings and Tie fighters and some of the Marvel stuff.

The churn is real.

Really, it's mostly the Star Wars sets I'm frequently underwhelmed by. Ninjago and Hidden Sides were both more fascinating. It's like the outside of Star Wars sets get more detail, but the sets themselves are less interesting. Again, I think it's largely a licensing and price-point thing. Or the existence of AMAZING looking high end products. Damn you, UCS. Damn you.

Regardless, I think we can all agree that the OG Millenium Falcon is the most beautiful Lego ever created. Yeah, that's sarcasm.

Are there good space/sci-fi sets that are not branded for decent prices? I have a lot of nostalgia for blacktron, m-tron, etc.

Not for scifi, no, but there are numerous space shuttle/rocket sets. I do hope they bring back Space Police...one day.

ISS is a good set for the price, though it's not quite Blacktron or anything.

I would go to rebrickable and look for sets you can build. They sell instructions for all types of stuff there. Also there is a website out there that has Lego instructions for all those old sets so you can build those. I'll try to remember it.

Here we go - https://www.brickfactory.info/index....

Tscott wrote:

22 Years between buying my first Lego X-Wing and my second.

Do either of them support locking S-foils in attack formation?

Quintin_Stone wrote:
Tscott wrote:

22 Years between buying my first Lego X-Wing and my second.

Do either of them support locking S-foils in attack formation?

The last 3 or 4 iterations do.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
Tscott wrote:

22 Years between buying my first Lego X-Wing and my second.

Do either of them support locking S-foils in attack formation?

Yes. The original just used the ratcheted hinge pieces that lock at certain angles. They can be pretty stiff and sometimes the back section wants to break apart when adjusting them. The newest one uses a technic build that's pretty clever and works well.

Most of the offical x-wing sets that came out between these two used a mechanism to separate the wings, and rubber bands to snap them back in place when you undid the mechanism. I didn't like that the rubber bands were very visible in the back and the prices were $70-90 depending on the set, so that's why I didn't get any new ones until now.

The current one is only $50 and is only slightly scaled down and only slightly less detailed. Affordable and no rubber bands, so it was a must buy for me.

Like others have said, I definitely wouldn't say Lego currently sucks. They have a great 18+ line for adult collectors. They've got good sets for children and some good mid-sized sets that work as both toys and display pieces- like this x-wing.

Part of the problem with long term collectors is it is hard to get excited about re-releases of sets they already have and it's hard for a line like Star Wars to come out with anything as new and original and iconic as what they've been putting out the last twenty years. But also there is always new fans that want those sets because they weren't collecting 5-10 years ago, so Lego keeps updating and re-releasing.

The lean on licensed sets is because Lego's patent ran out.

Mixolyde wrote:

Are there good space/sci-fi sets that are not branded for decent prices? I have a lot of nostalgia for blacktron, m-tron, etc.

I miss Galaxy Squad from 5 or 6 years back, that was great stuff.