This Week In Your Plastic Crack, Action Figures and Toy Collection 26 26

[Buzzetta]

Sooo.... thoughts?

Lego 75257 - Rise of Skywalker: Millennium Falcon

So you are wondering whether or not this is worth picking up for $160 USD

(Spoiler Alert: I picked it up without the box, and just the bagged pieces for $125 free shipping + 10% eBay bucks incentive)

I like this version a lot as it fixes quite a few problems from the 2015 iteration from Force Awakens.  You can compare in the pics.  The Force Awakens version is the one with the rectangular radar dish and purple dual hyperdrive versus the Rise of Skywalker version that has a singular blue hyperdrive off to the side and the circular radar dish. 

TFA: 1,329 Pieces

TROS: 1,351 Pieces

The slight increases in parts count packs a wallop, I can guarantee that. There is a difference between throwing in lots of small parts and making the build more complex and that is what the 2019 model actually does.  This is a tighter, more accurately constructed ship than they have done before at the system scale. 

Some Specs from LEGO

• LEGO® Star Wars™ Millennium Falcon model external features include a rotating top and bottom gun turrets (bottom turret fits 2 minifigures), 2 spring-loaded shooters, a lowering ramp and an opening cockpit with space for 2 minifigures.
• Interior details include a cargo area with 2 containers, navigation computer with rotating chair, couch and Dejarik hologame table, galley, bunk, hidden smuggling compartment and a hyperdrive with repair tools.
• Weapons include Chewbacca’s stud-firing bowcaster, Finn’s blaster and Lando’s blaster.
• Starship measures over 5” (14cm) high, 17” (44cm) long and 12” (32cm) wide.

What I like on the 2019 version: 

• The upper shell is configured differently closing the gaps that all other iterations have suffered from.  This is a scaled down version of the $800 model in relation to construction and design. 
• The gunner ports have more substance.
• It is definitely sturdier.
• The ship is aligned.  The throughway from the main part of the vessel is more aligned with the cockpit.
• Guns are a big improvement 
• I like how the torpedoes are still hidden in the ship and you click them from inside the holes in the mandibles. 

What I do not like on the 2019 version: 

• There are still some unforgivable ugly gaps where the upper right shell meets the gantry way 
• Despite the tighter alignment.  I cannot figure out a way to make the throughway passable from the main body to the cockpit without severely destabilizing the Falcon
• The ship needs to be raised a brick and / or the ramp needs to be one stud shorter in order to allow a more believable passageway from boarding ramp to the main body.
• Cargo holds? Non existent. 
• The downfall of the ship being sturdier is that I will have to become VERY creative when it comes to modifications.  
• It's 2019 create a slightly larger version that is smaller than the $800 version that allows for passageway to the cockpit.  Not even the $800 allows for such a passageway. eyeroll... 

Is it worth an upgrade?  If you do not have one already, then I recommend it but not at the price point that Lego has it at $160 + Tax.  There are many people who must have outright stole it and are selling it at a less than retail markup because this ship has NOT been on sale at Walmart, Amazon, Target or Lego.   I got mine for $125 Free Shipping on a 10% eBay incentive day.  If you have the Force Awakens version then if you can keep both than do so.  If you can sell it for the price you paid for it then why not.  I recently sold my Slave 1 from 2010 because I came into the Slave 1 from 2019.  It did not make sense to keep both and it was a decent enough upgrade for the price I paid between selling one and buying the other.  That is kind of the same thing here. 

Future Plans? 

• It needs an interior. 
• I want to fill in some gaps.
• I want to create a passageway somehow from the main hull to the gunner port.  A passageway will have to be figured out on one of the sides that does not interfere with the technic beam holding the smuggler compartment together. 
• I want to section off the living quarters. 
• I want to create a cargo hold. 
• It needs another landing gear.  It should have five and not four. 
• If possible I am thinking of making the landing gears foldable in that they would fold up, perhaps on a sliding upward mechanism with technic bricks.  There is no room for them to retract. 

I had won 30lbs of bricks from Goodwill in an eBay listing this summer and most were Star Wars pieces... so let's see what I can do with some of that first. 

"Official Reviews" 

https://brickset.com/article/46376/review-75257-millennium-falcon

https://www.brothers-brick.com/2019/11/04/lego-star-wars-75257-millennium-falcon-from-the-rise-of-skywalker-review/

 

Pics to show trouble spots and comparison with the Force Awakens version.   Rise of Skywalker is on the left, Force Awakens is on the right. 

 

Any questions, ask away. 

 

[Buzzetta]

Soooo...  (I am doing this by the way since every now and then someone asks me how to do modify sets)

It's Lego it's really not that hard.  If you don't like what you see, then take it apart and and try again.   I legitimately watched two episodes of Jack Ryan Season 2 as I hunted for the right combination of parts in some areas. 

How to improve the Lego Falcon... Step one and two... 

For this set the golden rule for me is not to take away any original parts from the set. Anything that I do I want to be able to take away at a moments notice if I needed to pack up the set and archive it in a bin somewhere. That way if I ever wanted to sell it in order to trade up, everything is already there. 

So... here we go. 

The first fix I needed to do was to fill in the gaps of the frame.  If you notice by the circles I used 1x2 inverted slope bricks on the port and starboard side of the vessel. Those are the upper two yellow circled areas... More on that in a second.   The lower fix was easy using two more of the 1x2 inverted slopes and a 1x3.  Those really eliminated a lot of the gaps in the shell area of the falcon. 

The port and starboard sides though needed a bit more of a fix.  I did not like how floppy the back shells came away.   Move the ship, and they flop upward.  So... placing a 4x8 gray plate on either side gives the back shells something to bump into and allows space for that 1x2 inverted brick to attach itself.  I then placed the original 'wing' plates right over it.  This made sure that no interior space was taken up and the exterior shape of the ship's shell also goes unchanged.  

So... gaps fixed and shell stays in place when the ship is moved.  The rear shells stay locked due to 1/16 of an inch difference.  Pleasant surprise that worked very well. 

 

 

 

The next fix was easy.  It needed a forward storage unit. I unpinned and lifted up the mandibles to turn the two sloping bricks to the side then framed it across using 1x1 bricks and a clasping grip to hold another tool, and a container door.  I plated up the gap underneath so nothing falls through and used smooth grates so a small container can slide in and out.  For this container I figured that they are still smuggling hyperdrive fuel / crystals like they were in solo.  I used 'L shaped' plates on the corners to make sure nothing falls apart.   On the other side I used a gray 1x1 headlight holder instead of a basic 1x1 so that i could attach a 1x1 printed lever piece I found in the goodwill / ebay lot.

 

 

 

[Parabellum]

This thing is huge!

 

[Brandon Shepherd]

6 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

Soooo...  (I am doing this by the way since every now and then someone asks me how to do modify sets)

It's Lego it's really not that hard.  If you don't like what you see, then take it apart and and try again.   I legitimately watched two episodes of Jack Ryan Season 2 as I hunted for the right combination of parts in some areas. 

How to improve the Lego Falcon... Step one and two... 

For this set the golden rule for me is not to take away any original parts from the set. Anything that I do I want to be able to take away at a moments notice if I needed to pack up the set and archive it in a bin somewhere. That way if I ever wanted to sell it in order to trade up, everything is already there. 

So... here we go. 

The first fix I needed to do was to fill in the gaps of the frame.  If you notice by the circles I used 1x2 inverted slope bricks on the port and starboard side of the vessel. Those are the upper two yellow circled areas... More on that in a second.   The lower fix was easy using two more of the 1x2 inverted slopes and a 1x3.  Those really eliminated a lot of the gaps in the shell area of the falcon. 

The port and starboard sides though needed a bit more of a fix.  I did not like how floppy the back shells came away.   Move the ship, and they flop upward.  So... placing a 4x8 gray plate on either side gives the back shells something to bump into and allows space for that 1x2 inverted brick to attach itself.  I then placed the original 'wing' plates right over it.  This made sure that no interior space was taken up and the exterior shape of the ship's shell also goes unchanged.  

So... gaps fixed and shell stays in place when the ship is moved.  The rear shells stay locked due to 1/16 of an inch difference.  Pleasant surprise that worked very well. 

 

 

 

The next fix was easy.  It needed a forward storage unit. I unpinned and lifted up the mandibles to turn the two sloping bricks to the side then framed it across using 1x1 bricks and a clasping grip to hold another tool, and a container door.  I plated up the gap underneath so nothing falls through and used smooth grates so a small container can slide in and out.  For this container I figured that they are still smuggling hyperdrive fuel / crystals like they were in solo.  I used 'L shaped' plates on the corners to make sure nothing falls apart.   On the other side I used a gray 1x1 headlight holder instead of a basic 1x1 so that i could attach a 1x1 printed lever piece I found in the goodwill / ebay lot.

 

 

 

Do you have the Kessel Run Millennium Falcon?

Thank you for putting up your comparison. I had a chance to get the 2004 Millennium Falcon at Target for $50 and I’ve been kicking myself since. Or was it 2003?

[Buzzetta]

22 minutes ago, Brandon Shepherd said:

Do you have the Kessel Run Millennium Falcon?

Thank you for putting up your comparison. I had a chance to get the 2004 Millennium Falcon at Target for $50 and I’ve been kicking myself since. Or was it 2003?

The 2004 Falcon was a nice design in theory but it was not sturdy by any stretch of the imagination.  The critical design flaw was the boarding ramp that would raise and lower through a technic mechanism when you pushed a section of the ship.  In theory it was nice but the problem was that the mechanism kept disengaging causing you to unassemble portions of the ship to repair it.   The saucer section on the top of that was also very loosely designed and extremely floppy with a lot of gaps.  

I wound up selling it in 2015 to justify the purchase of the Force Awakens version.   This current version is possibly the best version in the system scale since the inception of the iine. 

[followtheleader]

On 12/23/2019 at 3:05 PM, followtheleader said:

Thanks, appreciated.  

I enjoy it too, purchased many of them. 

This one is a little different beast.  You can often use reason by removing accessories for vehicles/figures that you were provided.  But the accessories go far beyond those provided.  

I'm starting to see that a lot of these are from Marx sets.  Doesn't look like many are actually marked Marx on the bottom.  Almost threw one of the copters away as it didn't look Marx-ish enough.  I'll post some pics later.  

Patrick

And just like that, nearly all Joe vehicles and figures are gone. 

Kept one vehicle, a couple JimmyCrackKorn figures, and a ton of accessories. 

Hoping to start going thru the military figures soon.  A lot of cowboy/indian figures. Definitely looking like some Iwo Jima for my set, so that's promising. 

Some figs have an insane hand.  Almost looks like an alien shape. But I'm guessing it was to be sturdy enough to hold a weapon.  

Patrick

[miraclemet]

Considering the Lego talk I thought I'd post this Christmas present for my daughter *cough* and me *cough*

Ive heard it's a complicated build based on the "upside down" design. Can't wait to work on it over the next few days and find out.

[ADAMANTIUM]

4 minutes ago, miraclemet said:

Considering the Lego talk I thought I'd post this Christmas present for my daughter *cough* and me *cough*

Ive heard it's a complicated build based on the "upside down" design. Can't wait to work on it over the next few days and find out.

That looks interesting!

 

[followtheleader]

16 hours ago, followtheleader said:

And just like that, nearly all Joe vehicles and figures are gone. 

Kept one vehicle, a couple JimmyCrackKorn figures, and a ton of accessories. 

Hoping to start going thru the military figures soon.  A lot of cowboy/indian figures. Definitely looking like some Iwo Jima for my set, so that's promising. 

Some figs have an insane hand.  Almost looks like an alien shape. But I'm guessing it was to be sturdy enough to hold a weapon.  

Patrick

Pics that I promised (few examples of each).  Tried to group into similarities as much as possible. 

Tan guys definitely don't look like Iwo Jima (bummer!).  Looks like a coloration variation of the standard green. Pretty solid detail. 

Darker green versions.  

Grey versions.  Didn't get as many of these. 

Creepy hand versions. Clearly intended to hold weapons.  Dude on the end must have been overworked.  Guy in red looks VERY similar to the guys in green, but he is slightly larger and you'll notice he has actual heeled boots. 

These guys are older and definitely larger. Super simple with little detail. 

Light blue guys are large too.  

This group is odd.  Not sure what they are supposed to be.  Presidents?  Military leaders?  Those hands are wrong. Different colorations are coolio. 

Probably see a couple in the back.  Sitting positions with a pole comin' out the seat. 

Last group looks all space age.  Probably fuel guys though. 

Any info would be greatly appreciated. 

Patrick

[wombat]

5 hours ago, miraclemet said:

Considering the Lego talk I thought I'd post this Christmas present for my daughter *cough* and me *cough*

Ive heard it's a complicated build based on the "upside down" design. Can't wait to work on it over the next few days and find out.

My daughter got the same. 

 

 

[followtheleader]

21 hours ago, followtheleader said:

 

After some research, looks like my Pics 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 were all manufactured by MPC.  Bummer, likely out the door. 

Pic 7 figures are apparently called ringhands.  Companies were effective (i.e. cheap) so they were made to hold different things like a weapon for a soldier or hoe for farmer.  

Pic 5 appears to be older and manufactured by Ajax.  Likely hang on to those. 

Still not sure about Pic 6, but not too worried as I don't have many of those. 

Surprised and disappointed about the space guys (Pic 8).  Dime a dozen. 

Patrick

 

[Mr. Spider-Woman]

On 12/25/2019 at 4:05 PM, followtheleader said:

Last group looks all space age.  Probably fuel guys though. 

I’m almost positive I have one or two of these but know nothing about them. They came from my dad, so they’re probably from the mid-1960s.

[STORMSHADOW_80]

I picked up a few more Joes from the original owner collection I’ve been chipping away at. Although Flash I finally broke my online shopping hiatus and got him sent to me. I only need a few more of the original 16. Zap, Clutch, & Steeler. I was glad to find the trouble bubble complete and in nice shape 

[STORMSHADOW_80]

40 min drive this morning. So worth it! I can’t believed I scored all these 

[ADAMANTIUM]

@STORMSHADOW_80 GOOOAL!   

[srezvan]

I pick up the pre-movie LOTR figures whenever I see them.

I love the original MUSCLEs, and these have been the only new ones that have interested me.

 

[Buzzetta]

4 hours ago, STORMSHADOW_80 said:

40 min drive this morning. So worth it! I can’t believed I scored all these 

Ya just don't see this stuff in NY anymore... amazing 

[Brandon Shepherd]

Beep Boop Beep!

[archiecomicscollector]

My set of Archie ReAction Figures by Super7 finally arrived! I hope there is enough interest in this series, as I'd love to see classic Katy Keene, Josie and the Pussycats, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch figures. 

 

[999ghosts]

Carbonized edition just arrived.