It's LEGO Jim, but not as we know it.....

OK, so I lied - it's actually not LEGO at all - but I still think it's cool so I get to blog about it.....

I stumbled upon Gentle Giant LEGO Star Wars maquettes a couple of years back and immediately fell in love with them. For the uninitiated, they're a series of limited edition, large-scale metal models of LEGO Star Wars Minifigs. My favourite is probably Boba Fett (pics below - click to enlarge) although really I like them all.

Just to give you an idea of scale, I've posed the maquette next to the original LEGO minifig which inspired it in the picture below.

The maquettes come in 3 or 4 pieces depending on the particular figure. In the case of Boba Fett the torso, stand and blaster come as one molded piece, and the "LEGO Star Wars" plaque and head attach via magnets. The detachable head can even be posed to some extent.

I'm aware that these maquettes aren't everybody's cup of tea - some people just don't "get it", others don't like the way that the legs and arms are bent in an 'unnatural' way for a minifig. I however think they look great, and consider them to be an amusing homage to what seems to be an increasingly significant revenue generator for the LEGO company - Star Wars minifigs. I've previously blogged about the burgeoning popularity of the LEGO minifig, and nowhere is this more true than for the Star Wars minifig which seems to be able to shift as many sets as the actual model in the box, if not more in some cases.

"Are you lookin' at me....?"

Other maquettes in the range include Darth Vader (pic below), Luke Skywalker in his orange flight suit, a standard Stormtrooper, and a Blackhole Stormtrooper (click the links to check out CopMike's photo reviews of these guys on Eurobricks). Just to drive collectors into an even greater frenzy, some of the Stormtroopers are a Limited Edition Limited Edition (!) because the box contains Han Solo's head in addition to the standard Stormtrooper head, both of which attach with magnets (but not, of course, at the same time...).

The main problem with these guys is trying to get hold of them. Given that (1) they potentially appeal to fans of both LEGO and Star Wars, and (2) they were made in relatively small numbers, most of them sold out in double quick time and can now only only be bought from resellers at eye-watering prices. The Luke Skywalker maquette can be had for less than the others as there are more in circulation, but the rest (particularly the Blackhole Stormtrooper) cost a fortune now. If however you're feeling like treating yourself, eBay's probably your best bet.

If you want to read more about the Boba Fett maquette and see a ton more pictures, feel free check out my Boba Fett maquette review on Eurobricks.

Thinking about it, it's been a few years since Gentle Giant released these LEGO Star Wars maquettes. It's not as if there's a shortage of subject matter, given that there are literally hundreds of LEGO Star Wars minifigs to choose from. So how about it, Gentle Giant ? The fans are waiting.....

Exclusives are Rubbish

OK, time for a bit of a moan.

As a LEGO Star Wars collector, I get really irritated when new LEGO Star Wars sets or items are released which I'm prevented from getting at a reasonable price merely by an accident of geography. It's just not right.

So far this year, I can think of at least 5 LEGO Star Wars items which up until now have only been made available, or will only be made available, to people attending certain events overseas or living in certain countries. There were the Clone Wars Edition Cube Dudes (only available at this year's San Diego Comic Con), the Bounty Hunter Cube Dudes (only available at Fan Celebration V), the white Boba Fett minifig that I blogged about recently and a couple of Brickmaster sets (Set 20016 mini Imperial Shuttle and the yet-to-be-released Set 20018 mini AT-AT) only available to folks in the U.S. via a Brickmaster subscription.

The very cool Bounty Hunter Cube Dude Set.....but you can't have one....    

I'm really hoping that the Brickmaster sets and the white Boba Fett will appear on this side of the pond at some point, but the Cube Dudes are I believe all gone, so it's a case of paying over the odds on Ebay or Bricklink or just doing without. It's frustrating knowing that these interesting and desirable pieces of the LEGO Star Wars jigsaw are out there, but also knowing that I need to jump through hoops and cough up lots of cash in order to ensure that I can add them to my collection.

This isn't a new phenomenon - just check out the resale prices of the 64-piece 2008 Brickmaster exclusive mini Clone Turbo Tank if you want to see the kind of pain that collectors outside the U.S. have to endure, and there are numerous other examples of desirable LEGO Star Wars exclusives which give collectors sleepless nights. Chrome gold C-3PO minifig, anyone ? We should certainly be grateful for the existence of Ebay and Bricklink which at least mean that these rare items are attainable - I have Ebay to thank for my shiny gold C-3PO. It's just a pity you need a second mortgage to afford them !

Huw on Brickset reported yesterday that Brickmaster will be winding down at the end of this year. While that's a big shame for U.S. subscribers, it's one less source of 'exclusive' sets which aren't available to the rest of us. It's demise also raises the possibility that whatever replaces it might be a global rather than U.S.-only initiative which would be fairer, although I'm not holding my breath.

So I'll end with a plea to the LEGO company (who are obviously not reading this, but please just humour me anyway) : I implore you to stop producing limited edition LEGO Star Wars items for the chosen few. It benefits nobody except the Ebay scalpers and puts me in a bad mood.

Anticipation

One of the most noticeable things about the online LEGO community is the sheer amount of time and energy spent speculating feverishly about which new sets we'll be able to get our eager hands on in the future (see for instance Eurobricks' LEGO Star Wars 2011 Pictures & Rumors), and also the excitement that surrounds the news of new set launches. This is, to be fair, in part fuelled by the ability of the LEGO company to keep a secret right up until the point that they're good and ready to make an announcement. Naming no names, I can think of a few other companies who could learn a thing or two from them.......

Anyway, if you can't beat 'em then join 'em, so here are the 3 confirmed sets that I'm most looking forward to right now :


1. Tower Bridge

Just look at this beauty ! Designed by LEGO legend Jamie Berard, at 4287 pieces it'll be the third largest LEGO set ever, and it's due to arrive in October 2010, so not long to wait. Given it's size (about a meter in length), there is the very real question of where on earth I'll be able to display it, but I'll worry about that when the time comes.....


2. White Boba Fett Minifigure

OK, so this one's a bit of a cheat as there are already a few floating about, but most of us have yet to have the opportunity to get one. Only so far given away at a couple of LEGO-related events overseas, I'm really hoping that there may be some kind of event or giveaway in the UK. Otherwise it's off to Ebay to get well and truly scalped........ :-(

3. Obi Wan's Jedi Starfighter

I love Ultimate Collectors' Series (UCS) sets. They're generally huge, detailed and with fewer design compromises than other sets. When the magnificent UCS Imperial Shuttle was announced a while back, I thought that it might be our one and only dose of Star Wars UCS goodness for the year, but no - the LEGO company has another UCS model in store for us in 2010. We are truly blessed ! The UCS Jedi Starfighter will be with us in November.

So time to start saving the pennies, people.....