LEGO Factory Sets

Okay... if you haven't heard from Jake's web-site or LUGNET, there's three new sets coming out branded 'LEGO Factory'. Now, they're cool sets & a great source of rare/hard to find pieces. Initially, there were 10 MicroMOC sets designed by people in the LEGO community, using software LEGO wrote (for PC only). Theses 10 MicroMOC were selected as winners.

Now here's the problems I have with it. They're priced $40, $70, $130 respectively. Now, I'm an AFOL with limited money & I'm looking for a great value for my buck. On one hand, they do have some great pieces in hard to find colors, but on the other hand, sets are going on clearance. Another thing, I'd be willing to buy multiple sets if they were priced at around $10-$25; I'm only going to be able to afford one set at $40-70. Over time as money become available, I could buy a set here or there at the $10-$25 dollar range, but not many at the current price.

I've read Jake's comments about why they made 3 sets vs. 10 (or any number in between) -- a business & marketeering decision. With people (and businesses) tightening their belts, I think smaller cheaper sets would had been the ticket. I commend that Jake & his group got the sets to market.. but I'll comment more on this in the next BrickNebula podcast...

ILTCO/NMRA Setup

Took yesterday off to help our LEGO train club (COLTC) setup for NMRA -- lots of LEGO people there! Very impress with our display & with the other clubs' set up. With this setup, our club has a 4 table hill with multiple levels, a water fall, a few bridges, etc. -- very nice to look at.

Was tired when yesterday was done... long drive down, long drive back... got stuck in traffic on the way down, about 50 miles outside of Cincy... for about 30+ minutes. When I got to the Cinergy Center, couldn't find where the display was... on the opposite side of the building from where I was told to walk.

Set up went a lot faster. Our club is using folding tables that (1) weight about 1/2 as much as the wooden tables, (2) don't take any time at all to set up, (3) consistently the same height; don't have to futz with lining everything up. We also set up the display a little differently; take a table, put down the skyscrapper bases, add in the road plates, detail the ground level, put the table in it's proper place, finish adding the other segments of the skyscrapper, & repeat the process till the display is complete.

There was some difficulty squeezing one table in-between 2 other tables... off by just a little... had to take a bolt out from one of the wooden tables this display was joined next to.