Buying used Lego sets… You can frequently purchased Lego sets used for at least a 30% discount from retail. That’s a nice discount on any Lego set, but the savings becomes more significant for very large sets that can cost 400$ or more, and these large sets are rarely discounted in stores. Older sets which have been discontinued sell for a huge premium if they are unopened, so purchasing it used may be your only option. Also think about whether or not the set has stickers. I prefer not to apply stickers, so you might want to confirm that they were not applied, or confirm they were applied correctly before buying a set. I purchased a used Death Star set this weekend for a nice discount from MSRP, but the set came pre-assembled. I’ve described my process for breaking the model down and preparing to build it again. My first step was to disassemble the model. I recommend doing this while your paying attention to something else like a TV show or movie, as I don’t want to spoil the fun of building the model by seeing the building techniques up front.
To save time and effort, I sorted the pieces by color into 1 gallon ziplock bags as I disassembled the model. (Sorry I didn’t take any photos halfway through the dis-assembly.) After disassembling and sorting by color, I had 3 gallons of light gray bricks, 1 gallon of dark grey and several quart-sized bags containing accent colors. I’m planning to finish my 30-day challenge before rebuilding the Death Star, so I will set my many bags of bricks aside for now. Yes, you can save money by purchasing a used set in great condition, but it may take around 1 hour for each 1000 pieces to disassemble the model and sort everything well enough to make re-assembly easy. Make sure the savings are worth the time commitment. (In this case I disassembled the model while watching TV, so I definitely think it was worth the savings.) project time: 2 hours to dismantle and sort by color, 2 hours to sort each color into logical groups of bricks. (TBD to re-assemble using the instructions.)
Today’s post is part of my Lego Architecture Studio 30-day Challenge…SAN DIEGO, July 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON -- LEGO Systems, Inc. today unveiled details of everything that contributes to its largest San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) presence ever. The LEGO® booth will welcome show attendees with life-sized LEGO models, sneak peeks of 2015 LEGO building sets, photo-opps and content demos. Additionally, fans will have a chance to win limited edition minifigures each day and exclusive SDCC LEGO sets will be sold in the company's booth shop. The family-friendly booth will feature thousands of LEGO bricks for attendees to build and take home their own brick-based heroes. The LEGO excitement can be found at booth #2829 of the San Diego Convention Center, July 24-27. "This is our fourteenth year at San Diego Comic-Con and each year we see stronger enthusiasm coming from a growing audience of fans of all ages," said Michael McNally, senior brand relations director, LEGO Systems, Inc. "We're thrilled to deliver a family friendly brand experience, punctuated by custom life-sized models, play opportunities, exclusives, collectibles and sneak peeks, that lets children and adult collectors celebrate their passion for properties and LEGO play together in one place."
LEGO Star Wars™ To commemorate the 15th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, the company will unveil a show-stopping showcase of every LEGO Star Wars minifigure ever created – over 500 in total—that is sure to make fans drool. A remote-controlled LEGO Chopper life-sized model, based on the new Star Wars Rebels series, will roam the booth throughout the weekend. Other activities include the unveiling of a 2015 LEGO Star Wars set and a limited edition exclusive version of the LEGO Star Wars Ghost with a Chopper minifigure that will be on sale for show attendees beginning Thursday morning. LEGO Super Heroes: DC Comics™ This year marks the 75th anniversary of BATMAN™, and LEGO Systems celebrates the milestone with a new life-sized model of the Batcycle™ from the Batman Classic TV Series, complete with sidecar, made entirely out of LEGO bricks. Two LEGO Super Heroes: DC Comics sets launching in 2015 will be unveiled, including an 1,800 piece Tumbler, and one of the company's exclusive minifigure raffle items will feature an iconic DC Comics character.
Throughout the show, a limited number of exclusive Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile™ LEGO sets will be on sale. LEGO Super Heroes: MARVEL The new feature film Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters August 1st and to honor the event and its newest film-inspired building sets, LEGO Systems will display a custom-built life-sized LEGO version of Groot and Rocket Raccoon. An SDCC exclusive LEGO set, Rocket Raccoon's Warbird, will be sold and an exclusive minifigure of The Collector from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will be up for grabs to lucky fans as part of a raffle. LEGO THE HOBBIT™ In anticipation of this December's theatrical release of THE HOBBIT: The Battle of the Five Armies, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), LEGO Systems will unveil one of the new LEGO THE HOBBIT sets that is slated to hit store shelves in October. A large-scale model of Smaug, built entirely from LEGO bricks and featuring custom light features to simulate the dragon's fire-breathing ability, will be displayed in the Warner Bros. booth #4545.
On Thursday, July 24, fans will also have a chance to win a LEGO THE HOBBIT minifigure. THE LEGO MOVIE Fans of the first LEGO theatrical film will instantly recognize a new 8-foot tall LEGO model presiding over the booth as Lord Business. A LEGO set based on THE LEGO MOVIE launching in January 2015, will be unveiled and on Sunday, fans will have a chance to win an exclusive LEGO Unikitty, as well as attend a panel discussion focused on the film and its toys. LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™ To honor the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film, a life-sized LEGO model of Shredder will be on display, along with LEGO sets based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series and feature film. LEGO Mixels™LEGO Mixels™, an original property created in conjunction with Cartoon Network made up of animated shorts, virtual app gaming and collectible construction toys, was first unveiled at SDCC 2013. The fun continues as the fourth wave of quirky characters, launching in 2015, will be unveiled.
New Mixels content for 2015 will also include new shorts, specials and a game. LEGO NINJAGO and LEGO LEGENDS OF CHIMA™ Two of the biggest original LEGO properties will be represented in two separate panels on Sunday, inviting children and families to learn more about the stories, products lines and the television series that currently air on Cartoon Network. LEGO Information Three SDCC exclusive LEGO sets will be on sale in the shop area of LEGO booth #2829. Each set is limited to 1,000 pieces, and sales of each are capped at 250 per day. Four LEGO minifigures will be given away via raffle during the show. Fans can try their luck by visiting the Sails Terrace each day starting at 12:30 PM. For fans who are not attending SDCC, there is a chance to win one of the four minifigures via Twitter raffle by following @LEGO_Group. LEGO Systems, Inc. is the North American division of The LEGO Group, a privately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark, one of the world's leading manufacturers of creatively educational play materials for children.