ereiamjh: Hello everybody!

ereiamjh

Just thought I'd introduce myself. I've been hanging around the site since late last year, having come out of my second dark age in quite a major way.

Basically, I started picking up Lego again when I was not far off 30, and Star Wars Lego first appeared. But I never really looked any further than the limited toyshop ranges, so thanks to the seemingly increasing focus on Star Wars prequels, I kind of lost interest.

After that, pretty much the only Lego I picked up was the stuff that came with the Mirror and then the Sun. This was kind of gradually drawing me back in, then I heard about the Star Wars Advent Calendar, and a Lego shop opened in Liverpool, so I went in to get said calendar, and it's been a slippery slope ever since I saw the magnificent Tower Bridge in the window.

I've now been trying to catch up on some of the stuff that won't be around for long, so we've (fortunately the other half's on board too) been spending a small fortune of late.

My main interests are things like Creator buildings, and Modulars - stuff that's clearly built with an eye on the adult market. As for the more child-oriented stuff, I love some of the Alien Conquest stuff (aliens rather than ADU) and the Atlantis subs (but not the weird fishy models). Both themes seem to have quite a cool retro vibe to them, which is presumably why they appeal to an oldy like me, but have not been so successful with the target market. Whereas, as someone who's been listening to Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds since about the age of 10, how could I possibly resist the AC Tripod?

Ninjago just baffles me. Fortunately the film "Electra" meant I had to rethink my policy that ninjas make anything good, so it softened the blow of the massively disappointing combination of ninjas and Lego.

LostInTranslation

Hello, and welcome on board!
Glad you've emerged from your second Dark Ages, hopefully there won't be a third!
Sounds like you have quite varied interests, so I'm sure there will continue to be themes that keep you hooked.

I agree about Ninjago, I liked some of the 'red' Dragon stuff but now it's just gone a bit too wacky for me (which is saying a lot, I usually like the fantastical stuff more than City).

Btw, did you buy the Tower Bridge? That's one set that has me on the fence of "to buy or not to buy?"

ereiamjh

Yep, the Tower Bridge (for me) and VW Camper (for the other half) were some of the first sets we got, as they were showing as hard to find. We've not made them up yet though, as we're working our way through smaller stuff first.

LostInTranslation

Nice!
FYI, when the Lego site lists something as Hard to find, it just means that they are not sold through (m)any other retailers (for instance Tower Bridge only sold by John Lewis as well as Lego, AFAIK). VW Camper only came out about 6 months ago, so unlikely to be disappearing soon. (I hope not anyway, as it's on my wishlist!)

ereiamjh

Ah, you live and learn.

So, is there any way of knowing when sets might disappear other than a combination of researching release dates and studying form for the series?

LostInTranslation

Not really. There is a really long thread about predictions on next sets to be discontinued, but sometimes people are still taken by surprise- for example, the recent Kingdoms sets that have now been discontinued.

I think it is easiest with the modulars to know when they will disappear, because of the order in which they were produced. Fire Brigade is the oldest currently available Modular, so should be next to go, then Grand Emporium, then Pet shop.
If you take a look at the thread I mentioned it will give you some idea of what people think is next for the chop. Death Star is always touted as being not long for this earth, so if you want that, maybe it should be high on your list of future purchases.

ereiamjh

Sure enough, a 2/3 complete Fire Station is sat on our dining table, and the Grand Emporium is next on our list.

Not fussed about the Death Star. It reminds me too much of the old largely cardboard ones they used to do for Star Wars figures back in the day. See this link to see why my view of the set is somewhat tainted.

anastasia

May as well pop in here and say hello too! I'm @ereiamjh 's other half. We have totally gone mad with buying Lego recently, but I've really fallen in love with so many sets.

I'm mostly into the modulars, Creator (especially houses), Harry Potter and Pharoah's Quest. I also love some POTC (QAR is gorgeous and I'll be getting the Black Pearl soon). I have also amassed some Cars Lego too! It's buildings that interest me the most. I don't like Ninjago but I will want to get the Fire Temple at some point as think that looks interesting.

Really looking forward to seeing what the LOTR sets will be like, but am mostly looking forward to seeing the Town Hall in the flesh when it comes out. I'm the one who has been working on the Fire Station, which I'm really loving. I may have to let hubby make the Grand Emporium though, when we get it. :(

Anyway, I'll stop hijacking your thread, just thought it was a good place to pop in and say hello!

LostInTranslation

Hi and welcome @anastasia! Surely what's his is yours, so you're entitled to a share of the thread :)

I think we have similar tastes - I so want the beautiful QAR but have spent so much of late I can't justify it even though it's only £66 at Tesco currently. Fire Temple I do have (favourite Ninjago set definitely), I have seen it at £55 somewhere recently, but can't remember where - sorry!

I've just built Fire Brigade and got Pet Shop to crack open soon, loving the modulars at the moment. Really want Town Hall when it's out but will need to save a bit for it :(

anastasia

You really have to get QAR. We got lucky and got it for £50 from Disney, I had no idea until I started building it how magnificent it is! It's worth the full retail price in my opinion.

We're trying to save at the moment for some of the more expensive sets. I've got a schedule of when I want to buy things so that we know what we're aiming for. Grand Emporium is next on the list, followed by Joust, Black Pearl and the Pet Shop. Hubby is a little concerned that I keep looking on ebay at the Cafe Corner. I won't be buying it but it's nice to keep an eye open jsut in case a cheap one pops up (unliekly I know).

princedraven

Welcome to both of you!

Sorry to be brief, but am at work. Just wanted to follow up LIT's earlier post:
Ninjago Fire Temple is £55 on Amazon at the moment, have to say I really like this set, the temple is great and its a really good looking dragon too.

Wanted to post ASAP as Amazon items change price pretty frequently.

Remember if you do purchase, clicking through to Amazon from Bricksets home page will mean that the owner (Huw) will get a small financial incentive which helps to maintain this great site.

Sorry once more to be brief sure we will talk more at a later date as we seem to have fairly simular tastes.

Jenni

Hi ereiamjh and anastasia,

I think we have similar tastes too. I just finished the Tower Bridge last night, now we just have to figure out where to put it :). I don't think my husband's giving up the shelf all his modulars are on, and it won't fit in the spaces my Architecture sets are in. Now that my daughter's moved herself from our good sized 2nd bedroom to the tiny 3rd there is talk of a LEGO room.

The Creator houses are my daughter's, as are the winter village buildings. Though she's become pretty much Friends focused lately. We've got some Harry Potter sets saved up for when she gets into the books in a few years.

I also think that AC was not entirely aimed at children (I don't know which version it was but we had the War of the Worlds on cassette tape when I was about 10), we've been collecting some of them in the post-Christmas sales but they'll have to wait for someone's birthday to be given and built. As is the QAR, Whitecap Bay (mermaids + 75% off was irresistible) and hopefully soon the Black Pearl. And some 9V trains. And some Paradisa. And all sorts of gender neutral vintage stuff I may not have bought if I knew Friends was coming. You're not the only ones coming out of the dark ages in a big way :).

Ninjago is unexciting except for the dragons, though of the new stuff I think Destiny's Bounty is pretty, we're really not the target market for them.

Don't give up on the Cafe Corner anastasia, I don't know what your definition of cheap is but I found the first 3 modulars at "reasonable" prices on eBay over a period of months. The Cafe Corner was pieced together and slightly modified but it's better than none at all. We're hoping to pick up the Town Hall when our very own LEGO store opens in March, it's all just too exciting :).

Anyhow, welcome! I'm glad you're here, I loved reading your posts on the BAM thread.

jenni

ereiamjh

(I don't know which version it was but we had the War of the Worlds on cassette tape when I was about 10)

If it's Richard Burton talking over a load of prog rock, that's the Jeff Wayne version. It features the Justin Hayward song "Forever Autumn" which has an interesting and relevant origin. It's apparently built up from a tune that was used in a TV ad for Lego.

I should probably point out that Anastasia and I's shared love of Lego doesn't extend to 70s prog rock albums. More's the pity.

ereiamjh

Oops!

ereiamjh

Jenni, this should confirm if Jeff Wayne's WotW was the one you listened to. It also includes the Lego ad story.

You can listen to a sample of the Lego jingle at Amazon. Since the jingle's only 30 seconds long, the sample is most of it.

Jenni

No, I think it was just talking, though 25 years later I can't be too sure. I just remember listening to it on the 10-12 hour road trips through rural Australia, there's really nothing to look at for long stretches and for a while I was banned from reading in the car.

When I saw the AC set with the news reporter the parallels with WotW (as I remember it at least) meant I had to add it to the collection. My husband's planning to incorporate AC into the modulars in an Alien Invasion of Main Street kind of thing. We'll see.

I can't join you on the progressive rock albums either sorry.

BTW Amazon really is selling a 30 second commercial soundtrack for 89p?

ereiamjh

Maybe your (completely wrong-headed obviously) dislike of prog rock has filtered out all the music. Or more likely, it could have been an audio book, or even a recording of the legendary Orson Welles broadcast. But at the end of the day I suppose what really matters is however you've enjoyed WotW, ALIEN TRIPODS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the idea of combining Modulars with AC. I might try that. And possibly see if I can make a Mindstorms theremin to provide the soundtrack.

Jenni

I didn't say dislike! Lack of exposure may be the problem (I was born in 1975 in a house with only classical music records). I'm just not very into music despite living in Nashville.

The theremin looks fun to build though. My inner physicist can appreciate that.