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Testro posted:I bought the Emerald Night the other week too, but I'm trying to resist the temptation to rip into it just yet (I powered through Grand Emporium this last week). I hadn't really had much interest in trains until I saw it for sale - and look at it...how can you not want it?! I have the Emerald Night and I love it. It took a long time to build, but it was well worth it.
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Jul 30, 2011 21:01
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Pagan posted:I have the Emerald Night and I love it. It took a long time to build, but it was well worth it. I'm hoping when my son gets older he may be into the train thing so we can build the trains and tracks and some towns I think it would be a lot of fun.
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Jul 31, 2011 03:55
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What is everyone's favorite way to grow their Lego collection? I'm looking to do so myself. I'll go over the methods I know:
Anything I'm missing? Anything I'm doing wrong? One question I have is, if I were to use Bricklink to buy bulk of random pieces I feel like I need more of, what is your favorite store for this? Who has a large selection with good prices? It always seems like a store will have great pricing on half the poo poo, and the other half is really high.
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Jul 31, 2011 06:17
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Where's 'Impulse buy because the SA thread is filled with pictures of a new set'?
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Jul 31, 2011 06:24
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Re: Flea Markets/Yard Sales A lot of thrift stores will have a plastic baggie crammed full of Legos for $1-2, that's the way to do it on the cheap. You'll get a few knock-offs in there sometimes, but it's still worth it. People just drop off a cardboard box full of bricks, so the Goodwill or Salvation Army folks have to put it in something that is a little more, uh, non-mess-making. You can also just browse CraigsList, or, if you're gung ho, post an ad that you're buying Legos for $X/lb. or what have you. I've never had luck doing yard sales, because they're so random. See if you can find out about community or family yard sales, where you're at least visiting more than one seller, and have better chances of finding something like Legos. Little by Little I personally never spend more than $9 on any one set, although I'll occasionally buy a neat set (some green coupe, an AT-ST walker) for close to $20. Buy the little baggie sets in TRU or at the register in Target - Target in particular has the little Army Man jeep from Toy Story, and those are great pieces for $3-4. Those sets really add up, and provide a lot of variety in your collection. Discount Stores Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and the like are good for having Lego sets on sale. I recently saw a big Spongebob set for $15-20, and they always have the smaller sets as well. Five Below carries a lot of the smaller sets also. These stores usually have decent sets for pretty low prices, and they're still sealed in box. Collector's Stores In the last few years, Legos have become the staple of many comic book stores. The prices are probably going to be comparable to some places online, but at least you can see what you're buying before you commit, I suppose.
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Jul 31, 2011 06:35
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It seems like I've hit every thrift store in the area, and I've never seen Lego. Or, any Lego worth buying. The discount stores, too.
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Jul 31, 2011 06:47
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I picked up a couple of sets from Borders, of all places. Also some S2 and S4 minifigs. My collection is still in its fledgling stages though, after my old stuff was all sold sometime while I was away at college. 
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Jul 31, 2011 07:22
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I've had one good Craigslist buy (a bunch of late 80s/90s-era space sets), and a couple more attempts that didn't go anywhere because the sellers never replied. A few additions have been from friends and family--they've gotten wind of my rediscovered interest in Lego and have given me the collections their now-grown kids had. It's generally not much, about the same size as the collection I had as a kid, which was only a couple thousand pieces. It's kind of ridiculous that now I can easily walk out of Toys R Us with more pieces than I ever had as a kid. Now most of what I expand the collection with is just buying retail sets. I build a handful of them--the Pet Store and other modular buildings are all displayed on a shelf, as are the flagship sets from the various space lines. A few I've assembled, and then disassembled, like the Alien Conquest line (the mobile HQ stays assembled!). Since my display space is quite limited, I just can't have too many assembled sets around. A lot of the sets I buy just go straight into boxes. Today, I filled up a Space Centre box and the Toy Story Trash Compactor Escape with loose pieces from disassembled sets and just-purchased stuff. They'll go into my sort bin once I find one, along with a big shopping bag I have filled with even more loose pieces. I do try to contain my "Buy new sets for the pieces" shopping to sales, but I've still spent waaaay too much money the past few years on Lego. I need like a solid month off work and broken internet to get this poo poo sorted. And more space.
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Jul 31, 2011 08:51
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Revol posted:
Revol posted:
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Jul 31, 2011 10:43
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Pyroclastic posted:It's kind of ridiculous that now I can easily walk out of Toys R Us with more pieces than I ever had as a kid. I'm still stuck in 'sets to assemble' mentality - and once I've built something, although I intend to MOC with it, I can't bring myself to take the models down.
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Jul 31, 2011 15:52
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I certainly had a sizable collection when I was a kid, but I never got many 'big' sets. I remember for one, I always wanted to get a big pirate ship. But as an adult, I've gotten a $100 Technic set and three big Star Wars sets that I would have killed for when I was a kid. I'm so loving pissed that they didn't have Star Wars Lego when I was a kid.
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Jul 31, 2011 16:25
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Revol posted:I certainly had a sizable collection when I was a kid, but I never got many 'big' sets. I remember for one, I always wanted to get a big pirate ship. But as an adult, I've gotten a $100 Technic set and three big Star Wars sets that I would have killed for when I was a kid. The largest sets I got as a kid were Ice Station Odyssey, Sonar Transmitting Cruiser, and the 1990 Space Shuttle: 337, 345, and 392 pieces respectively. I believe all three were Christmas gifts from my aunt. I've bought myself sets that I would have wistfully circled in the Lego catalogs and given to my mom as a kid. Hell, now I have multiples of some of those very sets, like the Mega Core Magnetizer. In general, sets these days are larger. Lines generally range from 15 pieces for the impulse sets to 1100 for the biggest sets. Ice Planet ranged from 18 to 412, Blacktron from 29 to 562, or 19 to 779 for '79-'86 Castle. The themes didn't get their first 1000+ piece set until '91 (ignoring the USS Constitution, which was over 1000 parts in '79, but wasn't part of a theme, and the sets intended for education).
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Jul 31, 2011 18:48
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Bricklink and Ebay might be great, but nothing, NOTHING beats finding that one lot at a yard sale for next to nothing. I got three huge tupperware bins full of Legos, including Lego Mindstorms and pretty much every Star Wars one at the time, for about 90 dollars. Easily 120+ pounds of Legos for less than a buck a pound. Mom was the queen of yard saling back when I was a kid, and got me a 40 pound bin full of Legos for my birthday one year. Sure they were used and from yard sales, but the drat thing had thousands upon thousands of pieces and a shoebox full of instructions, and had the Model Team Big Rig, Mach II Red Bird Rig, Mega Core Magnetizer, Ice Planet Station, Spyrius Robot, King's Castle, and a shitload more in it, way better than a couple new in box sets.
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Jul 31, 2011 19:18
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Back from the flea market, and it was a bust. There was one toy seller with Lego, but they were selling them by the piece, and for huge markups. They also sold minifigs for $4 (Star Wars were $6). When I found this guy, I had to get 'em, though. Yeah, he's dirt cheap on Bricklink, but I've never had this old of a 'fig before.
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Jul 31, 2011 19:52
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^^ Captain Invictus, that's pretty amazing. I bought a used bulk lot from a friend of a friend of a friend a little while back. It took ages to sort, but for £25 I got around 25lbs of Lego, and another 15-20lbs of Megabloks, plus some other misc junk. There are quite a few minifigs (including a couple of Fabuland ones, I think) but no instructions. A lot of the Lego is in poor shape, but it's been interesting to sift through and I think I can make use of a bunch of it. Although cataloguing it looks like it's going to be a pain in the arse.  People seem a bit more savvy about selling Lego second hand these days. I look on gumtree occasionally but bargains aren't really there to be found - probably partly due to people putting up requests every few days (so it's clear it's in demand) and partly due to the inflated 'Buy it Now' sellers on eBay. I guess it's a timeless and expensive toy as well, so everyone saves it for their children or grandchildren. Testro fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Jul 31, 2011 |
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Jul 31, 2011 19:56
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Revol posted:Yeah, he's dirt cheap on Bricklink, but I've never had this old of a 'fig before.
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Jul 31, 2011 21:05
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FreakyZoid posted:I might be wrong, but that doesn't look like the right helmet for that era of space figs. I remember the strap bit being much thinner. You're right. With the thicker strap and the quality of the paint, that's not actually vintage. See this re-release: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunechaser/2512509559/ e: Here's a similar set with the yellow spaceman. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ltdemartinet/3568393868/ And here's an actual, poorly treated '78 spaceman http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantasticthings/2987297684/in/photostream/ Saint Sputnik fucked around with this message at 21:34 on Jul 31, 2011 |
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Jul 31, 2011 21:26
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Saint Sputnik posted:You're right. With the thicker strap and the quality of the paint, that's not actually vintage. See this re-release: The re-release classic space figs use the standard helmets meant to have visors. They don't make the old helmets at all anymore. If you look closely in those pictures you can tell it's a new style helmet. There were thin and thick chinstrap variants on the old helmet so, yes, it probably is old. Here's a comparison with the new helmet type on the right and the old helmet variants on the left: 
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Jul 31, 2011 21:41
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I actually pieced the guy together from inside the bin. There were two of those torsos, I picked the cleaner one. It had no head, so I put one on myself. And the helmet was floating around by itself too. It's part number 193b2, identified from Shupp's picture. The first helmet was only around for a year or two; this one ten years after that. Also, the big identifiers of the rereleases is the planet in the logo.  The old guy has a fairly white, if not faintly yellow globe.  On the reissue, it's dark gold.
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Jul 31, 2011 23:32
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Revol posted:
Actually the originals were that gold color as well, but it wore off really easily. 'Gold intact' is a major selling point for the original space figures. Your guy looks pretty good for his years, especially the chin strap. Those things are terribly fragile.
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Jul 31, 2011 23:38
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Shuppiluliumas posted:I think that's part of the post-apocalyptic layout I'm involved with for BrickFair this year. 10x10 baseplates of a flooded city. Should be cool. Please take a ton of pictures as this will surely be awesome.
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Jul 31, 2011 23:54
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Dear AFOL goons, I have decided to go to brick con in Seattle this year. (long story short... I need something to look forward to and something to aim for, and I always said i'd attend a lego convention while in the US) So, a couple of questions for you... Firstly, throw some MOC ideas my way so I can try to create something awesome to take with me and show. I'm thinking small-ish, no bigger than 32x32. (Most of my collection is in the UK, although i'm prepared to buy) Secondly, I've never been to any conventions before, is it wise to do this on my own our should I find a friend to join me? (Obviously, i'd like to, but i'm wondering quite how important it would be) Thirdly, how would I best transport an MOC from Orlando to Seattle? And last, what should I actually expect when there!? Any tips on places to stay, eat, other things to see while there will be greatly appreciated. I've never been anywhere other than FL in America, yet. Thanks in advance!
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Aug 1, 2011 00:02
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Meh. On a whim I picked up one of those KRE-O Transformers figures, the small Bumblebee one. He looked a lot better on the picture on the box. It's not a total waste of money, but...eh. Also, I'm super annoyed that it doesn't find a way to use and hide the head in car form. I know they can't transform but it'd be nice if they designed a way to tuck the head in the middle or something.
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Aug 1, 2011 01:48
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SubbyMinx posted:Dear AFOL goons, Keep in mind the themes for BrickCon this year. http://afol.brickcon.org/content/brickcon-2011-themes-collaborative-builds Something microscale sounds like it'd be good. quote:Secondly, I've never been to any conventions before, is it wise to do this on my own our should I find a friend to join me? (Obviously, i'd like to, but i'm wondering quite how important it would be) Honestly, there's not a lot to do compared to other conventions like PAX or Comic-con. There's a lot of socializing with the other AFOLs. The schedule for this year's isn't completely filled in yet. quote:Thirdly, how would I best transport an MOC from Orlando to Seattle? Depends on the MOC. They mention in the FAQ that you can actually ship it to BrickCon if it's too big or fragile for an airline. If you're only making a 32x32 microscale building or something, it'd probably pack for a plane pretty well. If you go crazy and make a SHIP, you'd probably want to either drive or ship it. quote:And last, what should I actually expect when there!? Lots and lots of awesome MOCs, some fun games & competitions, drafts, some sellers (like BrickArms or minifig collectors, with usually overpriced vintage sets and one big seller that sells the current assortment and usually has some bulk bins and minifig assembly stations; Lego itself wasn't there last year), and the Lego Store Trip, where everyone makes a pilgrimage to the Lego Store after-hours and we take turns buying stuff for 50% off. During the Public Exhibition hours, it's fun watching the kids and parents alike gape at the MOCs. quote:Any tips on places to stay, eat, other things to see while there will be greatly appreciated. I've never been anywhere other than FL in America, yet. The convention is in Seattle Center, so it's a ways from downtown, but there are several restaurants in the area, and the Science Center (mostly for kids, but can still be fun for adults), Space Needle, and a real IMAX Theater are right there. There are several hotels within a few blocks. I don't live in Seattle proper and only go up there occasionally, so I'm not really familiar with it.
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Aug 1, 2011 04:49
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Pyroclastic posted:Lego Store Trip, where everyone makes a pilgrimage to the Lego Store after-hours and we take turns buying stuff for 50% off. This doesn't happen anymore, AFAIK. It didn't happen at Brickworld this year and it won't happen at BrickFair, either. There's too many events for them to divide the damaged goods between anymore, or so they say. It's been replaced with a tiered discount on everything up to 30%, if you spend $250 or more. It's not bad and, for me at least, I kind of like not having an entire evening taken up with waiting in a line. It seems like Lego Kidsfests are still going to do them for the AFOLs who participate, though, because they have on-site stores and don't want to bring the leftovers back with them after the event is over.
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Aug 1, 2011 07:04
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Shuppiluliumas posted:This doesn't happen anymore, AFAIK. It didn't happen at Brickworld this year and it won't happen at BrickFair, either. There's too many events for them to divide the damaged goods between anymore, or so they say. It's been replaced with a tiered discount on everything up to 30%, if you spend $250 or more. It's not bad and, for me at least, I kind of like not having an entire evening taken up with waiting in a line. It seems like Lego Kidsfests are still going to do them for the AFOLs who participate, though, because they have on-site stores and don't want to bring the leftovers back with them after the event is over. I thought it was only the local Lego store that provided the discounted/damaged sets. Though, looking back, that was a lot of sets for just the Bellevue location... I looked closer at the AFOL FAQ on the BrickCon page, though: Brick-Con posted:Will there be transportation available for the Friday night LEGO® Store Visit? Well, that's kinda annoying. I've only been able to do it once.
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Aug 1, 2011 07:13
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Pyroclastic posted:I thought it was only the local Lego store that provided the discounted/damaged sets. Though, looking back, that was a lot of sets for just the Bellevue location... Yeah, in the past one Lego Store would do the damaged box sale, but the tiered discount usually applies at every store in the area during the entire weekend of the show, which is a bit more convenient.
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Aug 1, 2011 16:03
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Several years ago I O.K'ed my dad giving away our huge tub of LEGO stash - a lot of 70's to 80's bricks and even more Technic. I've regretted it ever since. Now, with a kid on the way and a girlfriend that actually enjoys building, I've started amassing a new collection. This was triggered by the GF buying me this on a spur one day: Just buying whatever we can afford (which is not much) whenever we're near a toy shop. I got this while shopping for groceries:  And today I sperged just a little.    So did the girlfriend:  We had a great time building all those just now  When our son's old enough we're taking a trip to the original LEGOLAND in Billund. With the world's largest LEGO shop I fear for my wallet...
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Aug 1, 2011 18:26
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Series 6? Hi-res pictures from the original source, here Discussion on Eurobricks The closeups show them to be pretty legit looking, at least to me. 
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Aug 1, 2011 23:37
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Oh good another skateboarder!!!111
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Aug 1, 2011 23:52
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I can see people going nuts over the genies vapor tail for tentacle legs in MOCs or whatever.
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Aug 2, 2011 00:11
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Her lower dress part is on backwards. But who cares because MINOTAUR.
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Aug 2, 2011 00:12
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Saint Sputnik posted:Oh good another skateboarder!!!111 Goth chick who happens to have a skateboard Tell you what, I don't collect minifigs, but that minotaur is loving METAL. I would actually buy that, and with those horns it should be easy to feel for. Hope these are real.
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Aug 2, 2011 00:16
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If that is just an elaborate hoax I will poo poo myself to death. God, that butcher. He has muttonchops 
Flavor Bear fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Aug 2, 2011 |
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Aug 2, 2011 00:16
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Lady Liberty, Minotaur, Space Girl, Alien, and Butcher get all of my monies. Leprechaun and Genie aren't bad though.
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Aug 2, 2011 00:22
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Fatkraken posted:Goth chick who happens to have a skateboard The horns will probably be separate from the cow head piece, they look to be the same curved horns that came with the cows in Medieval Market Village. Feeling for that bulky cow headpiece should be easy enough on its own, though. These are WAY too well-done to be a hoax, IMO. The headpiece on Lady Liberty there is immaculately sculpted and all the printing looks crisp as gently caress.
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Aug 2, 2011 00:23
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Yeah, I don't think it is a hoax after looking at the closeups. The Brave Heart guy's sword has the little inventory number stamps on it.
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Aug 2, 2011 00:25
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Flavor Bear posted:If that is just an elaborate hoax I will poo poo myself to death. Reminds me of Hillary Briss http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/images/2005/06/01/vasey_02_400x267.jpg
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Aug 2, 2011 00:30
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I might have to include myself in the 100s of AFOLs who are going to make a mini-scale vignette of the NYC skyline with the Liberty minifig.
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Aug 2, 2011 00:43
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Flavor Bear posted:Yeah, I don't think it is a hoax after looking at the closeups. Yeah, it looks like all the accessories are official. It would be one hell of a hoax if it was one. Pretty excited about these. I gotta say, though, they're getting a lot of mileage out of that ray gun. e: I found a larger image of space girl. I think she's my favorite: 
Shuppiluliumas fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Aug 2, 2011 |
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Aug 2, 2011 00:45
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