The dark side of the brick

Today's build was the 8098 Clone Turbo Tank which I finally got second hand from Ebay.  I was reasonably pleased with the condition of this one but managed to find 4 or 5 broken or seriously damanged pieces and another 10 or so missing.  Fortunately, I've managed to replace all the parts from my spares, though the replacement Ahsoka minifig (which the seller was clear was missing) is still in the post.   The build was pretty fun but not the best I've ever done.  The first section did the various extras - a mini AT scout walker, a gun rack and a command post.  The next section then did the main structure of the tank (including the wheels) and the final section did all the side panelling.  The finished tank looks pretty cool: In particular, I love the way that all of the extras can be stored securely inside - I don't recall seeing anything like the approach used here on any other set! This set also has two of the super-rare scala dishes which I want for a MOC.  [I was go

My Hermes delivery driver outdid himself just before Christmas and managed to deliver three Ebay purchases just before a well-earned break.  I'll get to the others in a bit - they still need to be cleaned and sorted (and one of them is definitely from someone who smokes like a chimney!).  The first, however, was the UCS Naboo Starfighter ( 10026 ) which I've been looking out for a decent copy of at a reasonable price for ages.   My copy of the Star Wars Complete Vehicles states that the chromium finish of Naboo vehicles originates in a need for "protection from harmful rays in the planet's upper atmosphere".  While no longer needed, royal craft retained the look as a symbol - and only royal craft can carry the "hand finished chromium treatment".   Regardless of the lore, chrome lego is pretty rare and its propensity to get scratched (how many chromed lightsaber handles have damage!) means that mint condition is a rarity.  But it looks incredible when you

Review: Lego Mos Eisley Cantina 75290 Having spent the last couple of weeks rebuilding sets I've had for a while, I've rewarded myself with a new build - I've picked the massive Mos Eisley Cantina set ( 75290 ) which I bought a few months back and has been taking up the shelf space I've earmarked for the original 2007 UCS Falcon when I get around to rebuilding that. There is no doubt that this is a great set, in my view.  The detail is incredible and the sheer scale of it is awesome.  Some facts: 3186 parts 21 minifigures including no less than 9 unique ones (Ponda Baba and Garindan are my two particular favourites) Polybags labelled 1-18 (though I counted 27 individual bags + 1 with large parts and the separate dewback) 408 page instruction manual It's taken me two days to build it, though I've not been bricking obsessively through that time.  That has, however, led to repeated earworms of Cantina/Copacabana song (probably showing my age again!). Did I like it

So... what's the fascination with Lego and Star Wars?  I loved both as a child and then fell out of love with both of them during the second half of the 1990s.   Lego was first: I just slowly switched from Lego to video games and my bass guitar and at some point in about 1995, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life and sold almost all of my Lego.  I had lots and it took some months to build and sell over 100 sets.   I kept just 4: the amazing technic Test Car ( 8865 ), the Alienator ( 6876 ) which was my favourite Blacktron set, the Twin Wing Spoiler ( 6828 ) which sat on a shelf and got badly sun damaged, and a single Town set ( 6675 ).  These went largely forgotten for the next 8 years of so while I spent far too long at university.   Meanwhile, George Lucas did his best to kill Star Wars by introducing Jar Jar Binks and a terrible "romance" between the infantile Ani and Padme.  I was so incensed by the decision to release the film in the US a whole month before