Lego

[SPhilli911]

I think 8207 was my first ever Technic set. I got it when I was 9 or 10 I think. It was like $10 back then. I'm sure I still have it around somewhere.

Nice! 8207 is one that I vaguely remember having as a kid, in fact I bet I can still find pieces for it at my parent's house. Managed to get this one brand new for only $20 USD, figured why not grab it anyways.

 

[sesselpupser]

OK, I really have to stop buying Lego for a while, I decided to basically swap my habit of buying games for a habit buying Lego but I've already spent about a fifth of what I spent on games last year (which includes the £460 I spent on a Steam Deck) on Lego and it's only two thirds of the way through January. But I'm already eyeing up £90 worth of two 600+ piece Creator planes.

I said before I was fighting the urge to become a collector but I've since decided I want to collect Creator vehicle sets, I mean I've already got four so I'm well on the way, right? They're cheap, colourful, there aren't any stickers (mostly), no rare parts so easy to get replacements for - obviously thinking in terms of the carnage that'll happen when I start to hand them over to my son, the Star Wars sets will probably be many, many years down the line after all and they're what I have the most of.

Unless I start collecting MicroFighters? I mean, I have already got four...

 

[Awong124]

I'm kind of lucky that there really aren't that many sets each year that I would actually want. But 2 or 3 big sets a year still adds up.

 

[Jump_Ace]

I'm kind of lucky that there really aren't that many sets each year that I would actually want. But 2 or 3 big sets a year still adds up.

Yeah thats about where I've been for the past 20-ish years or so, but it adds up over time I'll eventually need to move my arcade cabinet upstairs to fit in another two shelving units in my office/mancave.


Jerome

 

[sesselpupser]

My OCD side really doesn't mind not having enough space to display everything when they can be bagged neatly instead... Bottom left bag is about 4/5ths of a 75050 B-Wing, looking forward to that one. And bottom right was a free with purchase Easter gift, a not-minifig (legs don't move?) dressed as a chicken on rollerskates with a quarterpipe. Really odd, that one.

I don't think I have enough bigger bags left to take anything else apart now though so I better find some space I guess!

 

[SPhilli911]

OK, I really have to stop buying Lego for a while...

This is what I say to myself quite a lot, but it never works

I have accumulated collected close to 300 sets to date and maybe 75% of them in the last 3-4 years thanks to a combination of rediscovering my childhood joy of Lego as well as some friends and family also going crazy into Lego so it's a group addiction.

Still, though, this year I am cutting it down significantly because I have run out of space a while back. I am no longer buying Technic sets and I am going to be a whole lot more picky on anything else.

 

[sesselpupser]

This is what I say to myself quite a lot, but it never works

I lasted 3 days. Spotted a Classic set (if you can call it a set) in a shop I go in maybe on a monthly basis on Saturday and resolved to buy it when I next go. Then I had to go back yesterday, so I bought it anyway. Apart from collecting specific sets I would also like to start a generic stockpile and that seemed like an OK way to go! In my defence it was a small 270 piece one but now I'm looking at what you get in the much larger ones...

 

[Aerocoupe]

Thanks to watching some videos on YouTube I've become intrigued by some of Lego's older themes, and decided to grab some for myself.

This Rapid Rider from Rock Raiders is the first of the bunch, and I really like it. Wasn't super into the way the main build looked, so I went for one of the hovering alt builds on the back. It leaves quite a few additional parts from the main build, so I took the opportunity to make a mild MOC to use them up. Only needed to bring in 2 additional parts not from the original kit (a trans orange stud and a 1x2 yellow brick to mount the bucket more securely), but otherwise I'm pleased with how it turned out. Can't decide if I like it with or without the sled piece, but it's an easy change to make.

(Original alt build suggestion for reference)

Also currently in the process of building the NES set I got for Christmas.

Mostly enjoying it, though I will say I'm glad to be past what I think is the most Technic-heavy part of the build. Also neat to see all of the wild colors used for the internals (likely to make bricks easier to spot in the directions).

 

[SPhilli911]

Very cool, I had a few Rock Raiders as a kid! The NES is a fun build, but I somehow messed up the part that allows the cartridge to pop up and down, so mine is stuck down. Been meaning to fix that.

 

[Jump_Ace]

Thanks to watching some videos on YouTube I've become intrigued by some of Lego's older themes, and decided to grab some for myself.
View attachment 1225563View attachment 1225564View attachment 1225565
This Rapid Rider from Rock Raiders is the first of the bunch, and I really like it. Wasn't super into the way the main build looked, so I went for one of the hovering alt builds on the back. It leaves quite a few additional parts from the main build, so I took the opportunity to make a mild MOC to use them up. Only needed to bring in 2 additional parts not from the original kit (a trans orange stud and a 1x2 yellow brick to mount the bucket more securely), but otherwise I'm pleased with how it turned out. Can't decide if I like it with or without the sled piece, but it's an easy change to make.
View attachment 1225566
(Original alt build suggestion for reference)

Also currently in the process of building the NES set I got for Christmas.
View attachment 1225567
Mostly enjoying it, though I will say I'm glad to be past what I think is the most Technic-heavy part of the build. Also neat to see all of the wild colors used for the internals (likely to make bricks easier to spot in the directions).

I remember making my own NES about 9 years ago in Stud.io and I wondered how they tackled the cart holder. Mine has a couple shocks in it, so it just bounces back up IIRC.



Jerome

 

[Aerocoupe]

I remember making my own NES about 9 years ago in Stud.io and I wondered how they tackled the cart holder. Mine has a couple shocks in it, so it just bounces back up IIRC.



Jerome

The cart loader in the official model is handled in a pretty simple way. There's a Technic slide-pin on the right hand side of the tray that moves down the track with gravity, and a couple of single-stud bricks that act as a catch to keep it down. There's enough room above the catch for the pin to clear when pressed down again, so it makes for a nice smooth action; two shock pieces are attached to the lower hinge too which gives it a more natural feel.

Anyway, finished the console portion a few minutes ago.

Overall really like the detail put into the set, and the final half after getting the cart loader together was enjoyable since more of the console itself was coming together. Only nags I have are the stickers used for the cartridge instead of printed pieces and the rubber line used for the controller cable is already attracting cat hair. My favorite part was the little World 1-2 easter egg hidden under the right section of the shell; was a nice "aha" moment when I realized what all of the teal and green bricks were being used for.

Shame it's hidden, but a cool addition nonetheless.

 

[sesselpupser]

I really have to stop buying Lego for a while

Yeah, I didn't stop. Since I posted this I've bought two Classic sets to part out aka dump into a bigger box, a Tuk Tuk, Pinata, two large cups from the Leicester Square Lego store's brick wall, three custom-made minifigs including an absolutely PERFECT replica of my son (and much less accurate representations of his parents) and the only 31039 Blue Power Jet I could find on Bricklink at what I assume was at least a 100% mark up, definitely a purchase I didn't exactly make with my head (and whiskey was involved, though I doubt it was a factor.)

I also went up in my parents' loft and found a 6161 brick box FULL of old minifigs, minifig accessories, an Indiana Jones-pattern cloth tent which I think is worth a few quid and two of those slightly creepy Technic figures from the early '90s, including one that could pass as brand new that looks like Freddie Mercury:

This was literally the first result on Google for "freddie mercury lego technic".

I need to go through them and work out how many complete minifigs I have and if any of them are especially rare, although I doubt any of them are because I never get lucky like that but there's a third party Lego shop nearby that I might take them to.

I also found four 48x48 grey baseplates but they're pretty warped and I can't think of anything suitably large to un-warp them if I heat them up, I'll think of something though. And yet more bricks, so I've got a small number of a wide variety now which isn't much use to anyone...

Anyway, I need to find a suitable piece of silicon to install Lego Studio 2.0 on because I've got a couple of ideas for MOCs, all vaguely educational, all involving mechanical elements way beyond my understanding, but I'll either work them out or give up and move on I suppose.

 

[Aerocoupe]

Yeah, I didn't stop. Since I posted this I've bought two Classic sets to part out aka dump into a bigger box, a Tuk Tuk, Pinata, two large cups from the Leicester Square Lego store's brick wall, three custom-made minifigs including an absolutely PERFECT replica of my son (and much less accurate representations of his parents) and the only 31039 Blue Power Jet I could find on Bricklink at what I assume was at least a 100% mark up, definitely a purchase I didn't exactly make with my head (and whiskey was involved, though I doubt it was a factor.)

I also went up in my parents' loft and found a 6161 brick box FULL of old minifigs, minifig accessories, an Indiana Jones-pattern cloth tent which I think is worth a few quid and two of those slightly creepy Technic figures from the early '90s, including one that could pass as brand new that looks like Freddie Mercury:

This was literally the first result on Google for "freddie mercury lego technic".

I need to go through them and work out how many complete minifigs I have and if any of them are especially rare, although I doubt any of them are because I never get lucky like that but there's a third party Lego shop nearby that I might take them to.

I also found four 48x48 grey baseplates but they're pretty warped and I can't think of anything suitably large to un-warp them if I heat them up, I'll think of something though. And yet more bricks, so I've got a small number of a wide variety now which isn't much use to anyone...

Anyway, I need to find a suitable piece of silicon to install Lego Studio 2.0 on because I've got a couple of ideas for MOCs, all vaguely educational, all involving mechanical elements way beyond my understanding, but I'll either work them out or give up and move on I suppose.

Mini figs don't necessarily need to be rare to have value. Doing a quick Ebay search those "Technic Guys" can fetch about $10-$15 USD apiece if they're in good shape, which is decent as far as individual figures go. If you have any of the original Star Wars or Harry Potter figures those might be worth a bit simply due to nostalgia/evergreen nature of the properties they're attached to.

 

[sesselpupser]

If you have any of the original Star Wars or Harry Potter figures

I wish, they're mostly these robot-looking guys with translucent red and green heads, I have no idea which theme they're from so hunting them down is going to be fun!

Edit: heads up if you also have a large, random assortment of minifigs, the BrickMonkey app scans the torso and shows you minifigs that use that torso from Bricklink along with the corresponding components it originally came with, accessories included. I guess I'll be making another spreadsheet later.

 

[sesselpupser]

My most recent arrivals, sort of - I've had Propeller Adventures a while but the missing piece just arrived. Speaking of missing pieces, the jet came with a broken piece which is why I built the 1st alt instead and the B-Wing's top wing is backwards because I built it from used pieces and was sent the wrong plate, so I have to wait for the right parts to build both of these properly. The size and detail of that heli are impressive given how many of the 600-ish pieces aren't in it!

I've already maxed out my budget for this month, I was at the Lego store again last night (really wish they hadn't put it so close to where I work) and picked up three more cups because they had some good stuff in and it was pay day, then was £2 short of free shipping on an Amazon order so I added a £9 set to save £5...

Want to get this next:


Oh and I finally figured out how to get the MGS4 Gekko to stand cup. I mean up.


It's technically Lego, right?

 

[Roo]

Some days at work I'm constantly rushed. Go here, get that, go there, go, go, go, barely time to go to the toilet, let alone eat anything.

Other days, I'm able to build a Batwing on company time.

 

[Aerocoupe]

Began my first journey of piecing a build together from Bricklink. Decided on the small transport truck that was a side build in the Rock Raiders HQ set, since the piece count was relatively small and the parts are fairly common/cheap. I have 99% of the core pieces needed to make the general model, but I'm missing the correct colors (namely the signature dark turquoise components). It's very brown at the moment, but I'll likely spring for the remaining pieces once pay day rolls around again.

Also found this guy on a local Facebook listing, and couldn't pass it up for a decent price. Would've preferred to buy it disassembled (building is half the fun, right?), but I'll take what I can get.

The Granite Grinder has a pretty cool swiveling Technic mechanism to allow the legs to shuffle forward without feeling unbalanced like a ball and socket or joint setup can, though it does give up flexibility. And it's got a chrome codpiece, so it has that going for it too.

 

[sesselpupser]

Past me really needs to shut up.



Decided to build the jet using the broken clip anyway, needed to measure it for a hangar MOC I've got rattling around in my brain, I love having it on my desk but it's absolutely massive!

Then I saw the Tallneck at a decent discount (£67 down from £80) so swooped on it. And two Muppets collectable minifigs because I saw them and decided to make them mine through the process of purchasing. Can't say I'll buy any more, but I wouldn't mind finding somewhere that sells the not-Muppets collectables because my current minifig collection (which is definitely not a "collection" collection) is too limited to sci-fi and a handful of not-sci-fi.

 

[SPhilli911]

Wanted the Harry Potter Diagon Alley set a while, so when it finally came back in stock I grabbed it.

This will be my second largest set by piece count, the Hogwarts Castle being the largest. Can't wait for it to arrive.

 

[Touring Mars]

Wanted the Harry Potter Diagon Alley set a while, so when it finally came back in stock I grabbed it.

This will be my second largest set by piece count, the Hogwarts Castle being the largest. Can't wait for it to arrive.

View attachment 1231593

I've never been into anything Harry Potter related, but that looks amazing! (and expensive...)

 

[SPhilli911]

I've never been into anything Harry Potter related, but that looks amazing! (and expensive...)

I'm not really a Harry Potter far myself, just like building interesting sets no matter the theme, especially large sets.

It was a little expensive.

 

[lilcat89]

I'm patiently waiting for the new speed champions sets to drop. I might pick up a couple more in the process, but Lego has goten expensive!

 

[SPhilli911]

This other Harry Potter set caught my eye at a local Lego shop I most definitely don't visit very frequently. 😉

Super fun to build as it had some very clever techniques. Going to have to find space to display it.

 

[sesselpupser]

Had to be done

 

[Awong124]

This other Harry Potter set caught my eye at a local Lego shop I most definitely don't visit very frequently. 😉

Super fun to build as it had some very clever techniques. Going to have to find space to display it.
View attachment 1232887

I just noticed whatever that red and yellow thing is supposed to be at the bottom looks like a box of McDonald's fries.

 

[SPhilli911]

I just noticed whatever that red and yellow thing is supposed to be at the bottom looks like a box of McDonald's fries.

Hahaha that is exactly what my sister said when I showed her. It's meant to be part of a scarf or something with the house colors. The set came with other colors to use, but the fries are the default build colors.

 

[Roo]

Last autumn I bought two Speed Champions Ferrari 512Ms, one for me, one as a birthday present for my nephew. Come his birthday someone else beat me to it and it was too late to return it, so tonight I built it as a test livery/plain body version.

Which is a fancy way of saying I left the stickers off.

 

[Aerocoupe]

Last autumn I bought two Speed Champions Ferrari 512Ms, one for me, one as a birthday present for my nephew. Come his birthday someone else beat me to it and it was too late to return it, so tonight I built it as a test livery/plain body version.

Which is a fancy way of saying I left the stickers off.

View attachment 1236714

View attachment 1236715

Nice; the 512M is one of my favorite Speed Champions sets they've put out. I've been pretty picky on which ones I've picked up since some shapes/silhouettes don't translate to Lego very well (looking at you, 812 Competitizione), but the 512 was executed fantastically IMO. Wish they would do more wedge-shaped cars for that line.

Anyway, I spent my Friday evening chipping away at my backlog of Life on Mars sets.

Really dig the color schemes Lego used for this theme, with the Sand versions of each primary color acting as an accent. Between the two, my favorite is the red one (officially named the "Recon Mech RP"), though they both show their age in construction techniques; the upper cockpit/arm assembly attach to the legs through a frictionless Technic pin, which makes them prone to spinning around sloppily. The flamethrower end of the red mech's arm is particularly fragile, as it's a slide piece covering a cross-shaped pin with the neon green cone doing double duty keeping the slide in place and being the attachment point of the dishes/flame pieces that make up the business end. Might try and figure out a more secure method of attachment later.

Also (mostly) finished parting together this little guy. It's a small flying craft that was a side build in the flagship Aerotube Hangar set; since I have neither room nor interest in getting the full set, I picked up the handful of parts online. I've made some minor mods, like substituting the gray slope in the cockpit with sand purple ones and adding a vent to the top, but otherwise it's mostly as it should be. Shame that this was the only vehicle to see Sand Purple pieces before the color was dropped along with the theme, but ah well. Completing it has made me think about putting together a condensed version of the platform it would've attached to on the full set so it doesn't look so lonely, but I've yet to complete any design or plans for that.

The larger vehicle sets are next on my list, and they have some rather...interesting combiner suggestions in the instructions.

Spoiler: Quality Combiner Models

 

[sesselpupser]

Got this guy, 31011 Aviation Adventures, new and sealed in the box for a change (haven't bought a new retired set before.) I thought it'd be a ~1 hour build like the blue jet but it was more like 2 and a half, not looking forward to taking it apart.


Brick separator for scale, it's pretty big for a single prop plane that seats minifigs.

All in all, a really fun build and a good-looking model, a few things I don't like (pretty much the entire rudder and the scale/proportions are a bit off.) As the first new retired set I've bought it felt a bit wrong opening it, but it is "just" a Creator 3-in-1 so not like a super rare collector's item or anything.

Got a couple more sets coming, another new retired one and one fairly old one that's used. I've also bought six Muppets minifigs and the panda 3-in-1 polybag just because I was there, they were there and I bought them. I did get two Miss Piggys though, I only really want Animal, Kermit and Gonzo but I feel like as I've got five out of twelve I should just finish off the collection. Damn, this is how they get you, huh...

 

[SPhilli911]

Whilst waiting for the new Speed Champions to arrive in the mail I built the Fast and Furious R34. Looks pretty decent, I enjoyed it.

Also, how do you all feel about instruction manuals? I for one think they're a pain to store and would not mind one bit if Lego dropped them in favor of digital manuals, but offer them in physical form for those who want them.

I have 3 boxes full (3rd not pictured below) and they weigh a ton and a half. I'm contemplating selling them off or giving them away.