You are currently browsing the The Brothers Brick weblog archives for November, 2009.
A new builder going by SPACE, TIME, & REALITY has posted a microscale version of the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo.
The technique used for the round capsule windows is excellent, while the mix of light and dark windows adds interest.
Via twee affect.
BrickForge has just released a huge new batch of minifig accessories, starting with headgear printed to add realism to the helmets and berets. The new medium-blue helmets are printed with “UN” and the dark green berets are printed with a military badge
Other new items include:
See photos of all the new items in the BrickForge Store.
Hi All,
TLG want to hear from you again about AFOL/TFOL matters.
The LEGO Group Wants to Hear From You!
As Adult or Teenage Fans of LEGO, you bring an important perspective to the LEGO Group. We respect your creativity and passion for the LEGO brand.Since December 2008, we have done quarterly online surveys to learn more about the needs and wishes of global AFOL (defined as ages 20+) and TFOL (defined as ages 13-19) communities. For your information, we have listed the key findings from the latest survey in July 2009 below. Now we ask you to take the survey again. It include some of the same questions, but also a set of new questions for you.
Please take a few moments to complete this short online survey to let us know your opinion about the LEGO Group.
You might notice that the link refers to the LEGO Kids Inner Circle; this is because Satmetrix, which hosts that site, is also supporting our efforts to track AFOL/TFOL opinions. Rest assured that this survey is for AFOL’s and TFOLs only.
Here are some of the key findings from the July 2009 survey:
- The survey was completed by 4800 AFOLs and TFOLs. 32% of respondents were TFOLs, 68% was AFOLs. When asked about likeliness to recommend LEGO products and services to friends and family, AFOLs are (consistent with the previous surveys) more likely to recommend than TFOLs. When asked what the LEGO Group can do to improve willingness to recommend, most frequent answers center around request for products and benefit/recognition programs targeted specifically to AFOLs and TFOLs.
- In this survey we asked some questions specifically about BrickJournal. The reason for this is that the LEGO Group has been providing start up support for taking BrickJournal to a printed Magazine and together with Joe Meno and his publisher Tomorrows, we are interested in getting feedback from the AFOL/TFOL community. Here’s what we learned:
- High awareness among adults, but there is work to be done with teens! BrickJournal has 70% awareness among AFOL’s, but less than half of TFOL’s have heard of it.
- Of those aware of BrickJournal, however, only 20% have acquired a printed copy.
- On a scale of 1-4, with 4 the high score, readers gave BrickJournal an average score 3.13. Only 14% of fans gave it a score less than 3.
- BrickJournal has some ways to go before being truly international. For those who did not purchase a copy of BrickJournal, almost half cited how difficult it is to get as the top reason for not buying a copy yet.
Thank you,
The LEGO Community Team
Jarek has decided to build his own take on the vehicles in the Space Police set Hyperspeed Pursuit.
Here’s the police cruiser, which I think is an excellent revision. I especially like the distribution of black and white, perfect for a futuristic take on a cruiser.
Don’t forget to check out his take on the Skull Twins’ car as well.
This truck by Brickshelf user Ultimate-Design doesn’t need fancy techniques or extraneous details to make it a good model. The simple and standard studs-up approach combined with using tiles and curved slopes to cover the studs make this an elegantly designed creation.
Thanks for the tip Mac!
SlyOwl busts out of the starting gate with this entry for the Colossal Castle Contest. Packed with all sort of fun olde time carnival action, the dark of side the fair is revealed in the depths below the midway.
The Lee Family has been knocking out some pretty fun creations lately. My personal favorites are the Celtic mosaics, but you should check out the portrait of the Dalai Lama as well.
Bruce interviewed Craig Lee recently and has posted part of the conversation on the front page of Classic Castle.
Alex Thyroid has managed to come through with a great execution on an idea that I’m sure has been eating a lot of mecha builders up. I know I’ve wanted to use these airplane doors as mecha legs for awhile, but never managed to put brick to brick and make one happen.
Let’s face it, you have to buy a lot of airplane sets to get enough doors to do anything with. Then once you have them, you have to deal with the crappy connection points these things offer. Kudos to this builder for a job well done, and one more for using half of a minifig trike in the same creation.
Amber Arts is relatively new to the hobby as a builder, but she’s quickly proving to have a great eye. Her entry into Classic-Castle‘s Colossal Castle Contest VII is simply exquisite:
I don’t know why, but I’ve been on a real dark-bley building kick lately. That means I seem to just keep adding creations to the Iron Mountain Legion’s arsenal, which is starting to turn into a largish group. This time, it’s another dual-rotored helicopter. I just love this configuration, even if the blades don’t mesh.
Some may say that building all in one, neutral, color is “easy” and perhaps a “cop-out” to avoid having to think about color I say that while this may be the case, it still looks good. It also makes sticker usage come to the forefront, as that’s where most of the contrasting color (mostly white in this case) comes from. There is a little bit of yellow and blue on this sucker, but apparently none of the photos are of that side of the chopper.
It also turns out that trying to photograph something with even a tiny bit of yellow on it against a yellow backdrop is a disaster.
Sometimes a model shows a lot of dedication to a cause that is worthy of blogging. In this case Matt Hamann (jaster) has carefully and cunningly connected every piece of scrap machinery in his gondola and attached it all to the base. He has no bar with clips left. That, dear readers, is dedication to a cause.
Sometimes a brick is not just a brick, it is the brick. Jason Heltebridle (Moctagon Jones) has a picture of a brand new brick with a single stud on the side. I realise the same effect can be achieved with a 1×1 technic brick and quarter pin but this new part will align properly and not swing.
I’m passing some information along about the LEGO VIP program. I must apologise profusely for taking so long to blog this information. It came right in the middle of a very busy patch of my life and I then completely forgot it.
It also came as a PDF which made life much more difficult. I’ve converted the PDF pages to images and uploaded them to flickr. It comes in UK, US and German forms.
And from the FAQ:
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I join the LEGO VIP Program?
To join the LEGO VIP Program, visit your nearest LEGO Store and see a LEGO Store Associate to pick up a card. To complete your registration, you must go online to VIP.LEGO.com and submit your member profile. You can find a complete list of LEGO Stores at stores.LEGO.com
- How do I collect points with my LEGO VIP Card?
When you are ready to make a purchase at the LEGO Store, hand your VIP Card to the cashier. Your points will be instantly added to your card as a part of your purchase transaction, and you can view the points you’ve earned at the bottom of your receipt.
- What about my current paper loyalty card?
If you own a loyalty card with valid stamps on it, just bring it in store and exchange it for a new LEGO VIP Card. We will transfer all of your spend amount across so you won’t lose out, plus we’ll still give you the 25 bonus points for signing up.
- How do I check my points balance?
There’s a points statement at the bottom of your receipt, which will tell you how many points you have earned on that transaction, and what your current total balance is. You can check your balance by visiting VIP.LEGO.com and selecting the ‘My VIP’ tab.
- How do I add family members to my LEGO VIP Membership?
If a family member is over 13 years old and resides at the same postal address, you can add them to your LEGO VIP Account. To do this, your family member must first join up in store and collect their own unique LEGO VIP Card. They can then ask a Store associate to create a ‘shared membership’. If you already have both cards, you can also create the
shared membership by contacting our Consumer Services department. It is important to note that all members within a Shared Membership can earn and redeem points from the same points account. LEGO is not responsible for any points redeemed without shared member approval.- What happens if I need to return items to the LEGO Store?
If you return the item with your receipt you can exchange it for another product or refund. We will require your VIP Card to adjust the balance accordingly. For more information on the LEGO Store return policy, please consult your purchase receipt or a Store Associate.
- What if I change my address?
If you move, please let us know! You can email our Customer Services Department, and include your old address, new address and VIP Card number.
- What if I have lost my LEGO VIP Card?
If your card is lost or stolen, please contact a LEGO Store Associate for a replacement card. The lost card will be deactivated and your points balance will be transferred across to the new card. LEGO is not responsible for any points redeemed on a lost or stolen card.
- Do my points ever expire?
Yes, if your card is left inactive for a consecutive period of 24 months, we will reset your points balance. Before this happens, LEGO will notify you via email.
It looks like Angus MacLane is at it again. This time, he’s built Luigi from the Pixar film Cars. This LEGO rendition is just as funny and cute as the original.
I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise when someone who works at Pixar builds something from their movies. What continues to be impressive is how great Angus’s models end up being.
The NS 1800 (link in Dutch) is a common sight on railways in the Netherlands and I’ve seen various LEGO versions of it and its predecessor throughout the years. This one by Danden is a particularly fine 6-wide specimen and, even better, beautifully photographed for our viewing pleasure. And I have to give extra credit for managing to line those cheese slopes up so perfectly.
Thanks to Carl Greatrix for pointing me to this beauty.