Lego City "Family Home" no.8403

Wuddup Collectors!

Want to sway myself away from the usual things i collect.. instead of the regular Star Wars and vinyl toys, i got my hands on something new this time. And that is Lego!

Yes, Lego. i wasn't too keen on legos when i was a child, but i've lately found them to be interesting. It started when i decided to collect Lego Minifigures (i'm currently collecting Series 3 and 4), and i thought why not get a big set of something for them to be housed in?

So i did. During my weekend out with my wife to the mall, i spotted this Lego City no.8403 "Family Home" set. As it was during the Jakarta Great Sale, this was discounted at 50% off. So i took this baby home and started building it.

The money spent is justifiable :) and at 50% off, it was in my opinion the best Lego steal ever!

This is how the box looks like:
Front


Back


I didn't build this right away, matter of fact it took me a few days to build it. Why so long? Just thought that i might wanna savour every brick i assemble together, that's all :) But if i wanna do this all at once, it might've taken me one day to finish.. so yeah, i prefered to take my time. FYI i spent roughly 2 hours/day to do a floor.

DAY 1

After opening the box, i found 4 separate packages inside (presumably for easy building), a set of "boards", and a manual/instruction book..



But what's Lego without the Minifigures? Lucky me they were generous enough to include 3 minifigures and a dog in the box :)



Pretty cool..

So i'll start with Package no.1, the ground floor part of the Family home. Top left corner portion of picture below is how i started, and bottom right corner portion is the finished article.



That was fun :)

DAY 2

Day 2 was all about gardening. As in to do the garden part of the Family Home. The garden was packaged neatly in Package no.2. Top left corner portion is how i started (picking up from where i left off in Day 1) and bottom left corner portion is the finished article, including minifigures.



Very nice. I like what I have so far :) Can't wait to build the 2 remaining floors. Let's get some of my Minifigures collection and see how they fit-in in this Family Home..



Nice..



..a bit cramped, but living conditions in the Family Home will improve once the other two floors are built.

DAY 3

After a couple of dayoffs from building the Family Home, I decided to finish level 2 and the roof at the same time. Couldn't wait until the whole thing is up, so here i go.

I opened Package no.3, which is the 2nd level of the house and started building it. Top left corner image is how i started, and the two bottom images are pics of the finished 2nd level (front view and back view).



Almost there! Let's not waste another day and get to the roof part, already! What roof? The one in Package no.4, of course :) Top left corner image is how i started, as usual, and the two bottom images are pics of the finished roof and how it is "planted" on the 2nd level.



AND VOILA!! Here's a look at the completed Lego City "Family Home" no.8403



The Minifigures are excited as well =D



To be honest, I don't know if i will ever buy another Lego set again.. I mean, sure i would love to. But it's bloody expensive and appear tiny. You have to spend quite an amount to get something of this size. I was lucky to have a very understanding wife who allowed me to get this in the first place. I was a bit luckier to get this at 50% off, also.

With the considerations above, i think i'll stick with collecting Star Wars :)

Thanks for reading and keep collecting. See you on my next post.

Regards,
Donny a.k.a Master DJ Yoda

Hasbro Star Wars 30th Anniversary Sith Infiltrator (Scimitar)

Wuddup Collectors!

Just got myself a brand new 2nd hand Star Wars 30th Anniversary Sith Infiltrator. Just found out from Wookieepedia that it is also called the Scimitar :)

According to Wookieepedia, "The Scimitar (or Sith Infiltrator) was a prototype stealth-ship used as the personal starship of Darth Maul, the Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious"

The ship first made its appearance at Eps.1: The Phantom Menace. Darth Maul flies the Sith Infiltrator to the planet Tatooine during his quest to find Queen Amidala. To kill her, of course :p

According to Jedi Master Saesee Tiin, "That ship is alive with the dark side, Master Yoda. I can feel it clinging to my robes. And worse, it still tempts me, calling me back with promises of fantastic journeys to the far reaches of the galaxy."

Built beneath the cloak field generator was a series of compartments containing various equipment for Darth Maul's missions including three DRK-1 Dark Eye probe droids, his speeder bike Bloodfin, several interrogation and security droids, spying equipment, torture devices, bombs and mines. Fortunately, the scaled-down collectible is less scarier than this.

Instead, you'll get equally exciting accessories like these upon purchase:

• Spring open wings (to be adapted by the legendary TIEs in a much later time)
• Opening cockpit
• Hidden weapons (spread open the "hood" and you'll get what i mean)
• Firing missiles
• Firing probe droids

Okay, okay enough yapping.. I leave you with pictures of the spacecraft so you can see the awesomeness for yourself :) For more, go to http://www.rebelscum.com/TACsithinfiltrator.asp and http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Scimitar











Btw as an added bonus, i got a Hasbro Star Wars 30th Anniversary Darth Maul with collector coin, still mint on carton as part of the package. Aaah.. the beauty of buying mint condition 2nd hand goods :)



That's it from me for now, keep on collecting until then :)

Regards,
Donny a.k.a Master DJ Yoda

Lego Minifigures

Wuddup collectors!

Been having the most wonderful time collecting Lego Minifigures lately :) Collecting this is like collecting vinyl toys, only cheaper and smaller. It's kind of the same.. they come in series - i collect series 3-4 because series 1-2 is already hard to get - and you can't see what you're buying because they come in that annoying "blind" format. There are 16 minifigures to collect from each series.

The difference between buying vinyl toys and Lego Minifigures is in the packages. Vinyl toys comes in blind boxes and Lego Minifigures comes in blind packages. So the risk of getting doubles of what you already have is smaller than if you buy vinyl toys in blind boxes. How so? See below:

How to identify what's inside the Lego Minifigures packages?

First of all, see Series 1 line up below and tell me what you see..

If you answered "they have cute accessories", you are correct :) Notice how they have different kinds of accessories like bows and arrows, laser gun, cowboy hat, ninja sword and even a skateboard.. grab a pack and try to feel their shapes. As silly as it sounds, you can actually feel the difference between those accessories. Be patient, and you can actually get what you’re actually looking for.

Master this, and you’ll get a bigger chance of getting what you want and avoid getting doubles. Easier said than done, sometimes.. but yeah, some of the accesories (especially helmets) can feel just the same. You'll either get a race car driver, a snow boarder, or an astronaut.

What do you get when you open a package?

First of all, this is what the packages would look like:

You'll get plenty from a small package, actually. Just like any Lego, the quality of each minifigure is outstandingly crafted. Including small details applied on the accessories. As an example, i will use the rapper from series 3.

Basically you'll get:

1. a black base

2. legs

3. torso

4. head

5. head accessory

6&7. hands accessory

What you'll get all depends on the minifigure character you're getting. Some have more and some have less accessories than others.

You'll also get a checklist like this with every package:





So there you go.. i've taught you how to get the minifigure you want, hopefully it can be useful :) I leave you with some of my collection, do comeback for more post on minifigures as i'm sure i'll be getting some more very soon.















You have to agree that they're all great to photograph, right?

That's it from me. Keep on collecting :)

Regards,
Donny a.k.a Master DJ Yoda

TC PIM buy 1 get 1 FREE Star Wars figures

Wuddup collectors!

I'm closing my blog attacks today by admitting to myself that yes, i have been royal on myself this month. June has been the longest month of the year so far for me, and what better way to cure headaches than by retail therapy - collector style!

One of the best places to shop for Star Wars figures for me lately has been Toys City Pondok Indah Mall, Jakarta. Why? Simple reason: BUY 1 GET & ANOTHER 1 FREE. I heard about it from a fellow collector and i knew i just had to prove this for myself.

Sure the line up doesn't do justice (that's why they're trying to get rid of 'em), but hey, if you can find some diamonds-in-the-rough then that would be sweeter, wouldn't it?

These are what i got during my 1st trip, i call this the Clone Wars Pirate Combo. On the left is Clone Wars Cad Bane, and on the right is Clone Wars Honda Ohnaka.



There's a catch, though. You're only allowed to get the free one from the same series as the first one you're getting. For example: you get a carded figure from the Clone Wars series, then you're free figure should be from the Clone Wars series as well.

These are what I got during my 2nd trip there. I call this the Jedi Legacy Combo. On the left is Legacy Collection Shaak Ti, and on the right is Legacy Collection Concept Art Ki Adi Mundi.



Great loots, in my opinion :)

If i come back there this weekend, would this promo still be available? I don't know. There are still some figures that i hope to get.. but i can't remember what else is available :)

HOWEVER, the best one i got is the one i didn't buy! Thanks to Master @tinojebod and the practice of fair-trade, i managed to get my hands on a brand spanking new and carded Clone Wars Young Boba Fett.



So what will I get next? I don't know, but i'll keep you posted for sure. Until then, keep on collectin'.

Regards,
Donny a.k.a Master DJ Yoda

Star Wars Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia (Hardcover) by DK Publishing

Wuddup collectors!

Every now and then, we need re-educate ourselves with new Star Wars materials. The Star Wars universe is vast. Very vast. Things happen between episodes, etc etc. A good example of the vastness of the Star Wars universe is The Clone Wars era.

The Clone Wars era, to sum it up, indicates an era between Episodes 3 and 4 where Anakin and Obi Wan were still great buddies fighting Separatists in various exciting adventures. Along the way viewers (this is a cartoon show, btw) gets introduced to characters such as Ahsoka Tano, Cad Bane, Honda Ohnaka, and Assajj Ventress. Who are they? They're characters that will never appear again in Episode 4 onwards - except for Count Dooku, in Episode 4 he got his head scissored between lightsabers :)

Anyways, the Clone Wars is an exciting era and worth collecting. If you're not familiar with the characters other than Anakin and Obi-wan, then now is a great time to pick up this book. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about Anakin, Rex, Ahsoka, Cad Bane, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Jabba and all your other favorite Star Wars Clone Wars characters. The Star Wars Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia will give you all the vital information from Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber skills to Ziro the Hutt's scheming, and everything in between.

Includes characters from Seasons 1 and 2 of the hit TV series, but better be quick fanboys.. It's up to season 3 now :)

The book is 200+ pages and bound in hardcover, very nice and premium.. great as a coffee table book or to display in a rack. I got mine from Periplus, Juanda Airport, Surabaya. Helluva long way from home, and I got bored waiting for my delayed flight.



Here's a Jpeg tour of what's inside that i borrowed off Amazon.com :)

Covers


Inside pages




Nice? Agree. If you see this book, grab it. It's great to collect if you're looking at collecting Star Wars items other than the vehicles and figures, and if you're a fan of the Clone Wars universe. It has nice drawings and very informative as well.

So get out there, pick up Star Wars literature & books and learn new things. That's it from me this time, see you on my next post. Until then, keep on collecting.

Regards,
Donny a.k.a Master DJ Yoda

Star Wars 30th Anniversary Saga AT-AP Walker

Wuddup collectors!

The All Terrain Attack Pod, or AT-AP, was first introduced (if i'm not wrong) in Episode 3, during the battle of Kashyyyk alongside Wookie fighters.

Here's a short explanation about the AT-AP that i borrowed from Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wikipedia: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/All_Terrain_Attack_Pod

"AT-AP artillery was used during the clone Wars in later conflicts, such as the Battle of Kashyyyk, where they helped defend the city of Kachirho. These walkers also participated in assaults on Separatist fortifications during the Outer Rim Sieges, on planets such as Saleucami and Felucia".

To sum it up, AT-APs are 3-legged crawlers with sniper cannons. Very awesome vehicle, and very good to own also as a collectible. The cabin can fit 2 + 1 ARF (Advanced Recon Force) Troopers, with one sitting on top acting as the gunner. The size? Tall and large. Great to showcase and the details are great to photograph.

I got mine at the Hasbro Star Wars sale at Toyzone, Kemang a while back for a very low cost. I was lucky :)

Enjoy the pictures below. If you see this on shop displays, grab one because it's absolutely worth it. Or grab more if you're thinking of making a battalion :)











Now, about the size.. as you can see it's quite tall compared to the 3,75" Scout Trooper next to it. If you count the Trooper sitting on the sniper cannon, it's even taller.



Alright then, that's it from me this time. Kindly wait for my next post, until then keep on collecting Star Wars :)

Regards,
Donny a.k.a Master DJ Yoda

Star Wars POTF Milennium Falcon

Wuddup collectors!

A few months ago i managed to get my hands on a 2nd hand pre-loved Star Wars POTF Milennium Falcon from Master Dre_Skywalker. I only had the chance to post an entry about it today, due to my hectic schedules hahahahahaha.

I was always a sucker of the Original Trilogy.. they have better characters and vehicles than Eps.1-3 and the Clone Wars Series.

The Falcon was my Hero with a capital H in Episode 4. The trench run scene.. that was legendary movie-making. Without help from Chewie and Han, Luke would've been done for :)

Regarding the Dre's Falcon, it was reasonably pricey and I had to drive to Bandung with my wife to pick it up. Might as well, we've been planning to get out of town but was only able to realize it then.. so why not also make it a trip to pick up this Vintage Masterpiece along the way?

Upon collection of item, the condition it was in was still in tiptop condition. Near mint. Dre definitely kept it in a safe and clean place. 100% sure i gotta have this, so i paid the man and he got on his way :)

Here are the pics, enjoy your revisited childhood :)













Below is the best part.. the living quarters where they play holographic chess, where Luke practiced his light saber skill for the first time, all can be done here - providing you have all the characters. The space is hell-cramped, though :)



Overall, one of the best Star Wars buys i've ever made as an adult. Truly worthy of the best place on the rack at home. Special thanks to @Dre_Skywalker for selling this to me and to let me buy this ahead of everyone else. Why you're selling this in the first place is still a mistery to me :)

That's it from me this time, see you on the next post. Until then, keep on collecting.

Regards,
Donny a.k.a Master Deejay Yoda