BrickArms was featured in the current February 2010 issue of Wired Magazine as part of an article that highlight some of the successes of small scale production and manufacturing. You may be surprised to find out that Will, owner of BrickArms, now makes more income on a slow BrickArms day than he did before as a software engineer. You can read the feature on Eurobricks or click on the magazine cover below for the full article.
Kei (8thnote) created a set of Lego instruments over the past years for the Clickbrick Original Model Contest (sponsored by Japanese LEGO specialty store clickbrick). You can see more pictures of the individual instruments on Kei’s Brickshelf.
Joseph Kazmo, whom you may remember from his Star Wars advanced alts from way back, is finally building again after a lengthy building hiatus. This biomechanical centipede is the appetizer for a “mechanical fantasy theme that combines Medieval times with technology and wizardry.” I look forward to this theme with eager anticipation.
Sean Kenney was recently featured in a 30 minute documentary aired on Japan’s national public broadcasting organization, NHK. Click on the image below for the link to the video, where you can see Sean’s LEGO studio, his Times Square model, and watch him build his largest creation: a life-sized polar bear!
Brickset has high resolution images of the 16 upcoming collectible minifigs in June 2010. All of these figures feature unique printed parts and accessories that are already making fans go nuts. Currently there’s word that each pack contains one random figure for $2, which makes each purchase a surprise (or a disaster on your wallet if you’re on a scavenger hunt for your favorites).
Judging by the “series 1” label in the image below, we can expect more to come in the future.
This video that introduces the upcoming Hero Factory line in summer 2010 looks pretty cool with its dramatic animations, but I couldn’t help but notice that the narrator mentioned hero 10 times throughout the ~1 minute clip. I have a hunch I’ll be hearing this word a lot more than Bionicle in the months ahead.
The B-17 Flying Fortress by Alex Schranz (Orion Pax) is as beautiful as it is expensive having used rare metallic LEGO elements for the entire hull of the aircraft. I now have a newfound respect for what a combination of wealth and building skills can bring. Please excuse me as I go back to drooling over the model.
8091 Republic Swamp Speeder is among the first wave of Star Wars sets released in 2010. It’s a Toys R Us exclusive and is also available at LEGO stores and on LEGO Shop at Home. This limited edition set costs $29.99 for 176 pieces and 5 minifigures, including the unique Barriss Offee, about whom I only know that the name rhymes with coffee.
Overview:
The 0.1 price per piece ratio now seems like an ideal rather than the standard. At $30, you’re paying more than $0.17 per average piece from the set. But we’re still lucky in the US where it costs others €39.99 and £29.99 for the same product. If you’re buying it, you’re probably citing the unique Barriss fig as one of your top reasons. In case you want more reasons to buy or not buy the set, read on.
Building experience and play:
The Swamp Speeder is a simple and fun set to build. The only technique to note are the use of 1X2 dark red plates on the bottom to complement the curved contour of the front. The play value of this set is much better compared to its original version in 2005. The new version features a steering mechanism for the guns, which also pilots the wheels so both kids and AFOLs can push and navigate the speeder across their tabletops while making hovering noises and pew pews.
Parts and display
Without the four 1X3 dark bluish gray tiles, this set could have been released in the last decade as it employs no other 2010 mold. Yet even without new elements, the speeder is a great display item based on its efficient design and stickers that greatly enhance the model. It’s a worthy addition to your Star Wars display that may or may not be collecting dust on a neglected shelf.
Collectibility:
The “limited edition” marking on the box only means that the set is an exclusive to LEGO retail and another brand-name store (in this case Toys R Us). You probably don’t have the worry about the set going out of stock soon judging by the last time we reviewed a limited edition set (7752 Count Dooku’s Solar Sailer) and it’s still sitting comfortably on shelves a year later. On the contrary, there are inconspicuously marked exclusives such as 8092 Luke’s Landspeeder that could disappear completely within a few months. It’s one reason that the landspeeder is currently the hottest-selling set on US LEGO Shop at Home.
Resale value:
If you’re selling the figures on Bricklink, you’ll get between $15-20 for Barriss, but even so selling the rest of the figs will barely fetch the price you payed for the set as long as stores still carry it. While the clone trooper has a new and slightly different design and is currently exclusive to the Swamp Speeder, it may not remain that way for long as it is a common character. If you’re planning on hanging onto a copy of the set, it’s not a bad idea. While you may have to wait a while, the rewards of possessing an out of stock limited edition Star Wars set are significant. As for me, I’ll be buying a second copy at a later time to keep MISB.
Concluding remarks:
This is a set that appeals to fans of Barriss Offee, the swamp speeder, and collectors. Kids will have fun with the play features of this model while some AFOLs can find it as a good display item. As builders, you can get more parts from Bricklink than from this set, and even resellers may be tempted the same. If you’re sitting on the fence with 30 bucks, go buy Luke’s Landspeeder if you don’t already have it. It even comes with the droids you’re looking for.
For more pictures, see the full gallery on Brickshelf.
The official Finnish LEGO Atlantis website has pictures of some upcoming Atlantis vehicles, guardians, and characters in their interactive database. You can see them from Pate-keetongu on Flickr.
Michael Jasper puts a pun in his latest vignette. If you don’t know German, “bettel” means to beg. But in case you don’t find the word play amusing, I hope you’ll at least like the lamp.
As if you can’t already tell by the impish look he’s giving you. What I like the most about this creation by Ian Barreto is the way the head is sculpted into a perfect sphere from the various Bionicle parts, making a very fitting combo.
Cole Blaq built his name and lit it on fire! Without using light sources inside the sculpture, Cole used a gradient of bricks from the white core to the red rims and an overhead lamp to cast the glow. The effect amazingly realistic!
