BrickFair New England (AKA Massachusetts) happened a few weeks ago, and hoo boy was there much going on! I easily doubled the amount of sets in my "to be built" pile--and didn't pay for any of them! That's the power of playing games and volunteering. I also met a few new people that will be good to see again at BFVA. Plenty of inspiring MOCs and fun ideas. But what really stood out was meeting all the LEGO Group folks that came to visit from Enfield, CT, which is pretty close by. I met a few p
I've had my Bionicle pieces stored in bags for years now, and the canisters they came in are taking up space. Does anyone want them? Let's say $1 each plus shipping. Message me. -CF
I've heard a few other members talk about this important milestone, and at BrickFair VA this year I realized I had accomplished the same thing: Over half of my life has been on BZPower. How ridiculous is that?!?! For the amount of time I've been alive, more than half of that time has been deeply invested in the discussion of a particular LEGO theme, connecting with others who share that passion, meeting them, keeping in touch, and caring for everyone that has made an impression. Half. Of. My.
Baltimore Comic Con happened last weekend, and I went with 55555 to join in comic merriment, find some deals on comics, and meet Bionicle comic artists Stuart Sayger and Pop Mhan. We succeeded in all three. When it comes to the comics, I found some deals on Skottie Young variant covers! I didn't think I'd be able to afford the Young variant for Doctor Strange, but it was only $3.33! I also got Charles Soule to sign the She-Hulk variant, which was an awesome run and ended too soon. And whe
Number of sets obtained for little to no money: 8 (give or take) Number of half-filled gallon bags holding free/cheap parts: 5 Number of free assorted Zamor obtained: 221 Amount of money made at the yard sale: More than I expected, honestly. And then I spent 2/3 of it that same night! Number of photos taken: 365 Average cost per meal: $10 (Breakfast cereal is your friend) Amount of MOCs brought: Lost count. At least 12. Times I won Fibbage: 1 Times I absolutely lost it playing Qu
I've been doing Bionicle-themed mosaics ever since I collaborated with xccj and Nukaya back in 2010. At that point we had a handful of members on our side, mailing in pieces even if they weren't attending BrickFair. We've since made a few more mosaics via collaboration, but a constant has been the base I've displayed them on. In 2010 it was two plywood boards that would fit 3 baseplates by 3 baseplates. In 2011 it was combined and trimmed into a long 2x6 board: Then in 2013 it was
I seem to have accidentally amassed a small collection of LEGO big figs: It's an odd bunch, towering over minifigs. But man, they look so cool! It's almost enough to make me want Mungus, Dogshank, and a Wampa, though not enough to make me shell out the cash. But it might be a new addiction. -CF
Ever see tabloid headlines or hear a gossip news clip about some celebrity you normally would never hear of because they aren't in a band or movie? Somehow "celebrities" get all the press without having done anything to garner your attention? Yet somehow they get followed around and sometimes paid for all the focus. Now, I can just as easily ignore gossip as the next person who doesn't care, but sometimes things enter my field of vision. Which gets me thinking, why them? Who decided that this
Displaying LEGO is always tricky, because dust is very annoying. It's something I constantly worry about with my displays on my shelf, because it is so very annoying to remove. It just looks ugly on display. While my plan is to use model car cases for things like the DeLorean and Curiosity Rover, and some big clear cases for minifigs to grandstand on, I would rather have a few figs stand out. I have some cases, but that's still not good enough. Things can be touched easily, and I am always rotat
Remember quite a few years ago when Binkmeister did a Death Star Roll at BrickCon?* Let's do that again at BrickFair VA! Except it won't be someone's sacrificed Death Star set. We'll build a sphere out of Stay and Play bricks and find a slope somewhere to roll it down. Maybe put the finishing touches on it at Adult Swim when everyone is already riled up and ready to see something wild. Let's remember this post in July right as we're ready for BFVA. -CF *IDK if it was even his or at BrickC
It's still early enough in 2016 to reflect on 2015, so let's talk about great LEGO sets from last year. Specifically, I will be drawing from my own building experiences. Admittedly, regrettably, I still have a few 2015 sets unbuilt. I don't want to become the AFOL stereotype of having hordes of boxes of unbuilt sets. These are not yet built because I thought I'd review them and then I never did and then I realized that Jurassic World sets and Quicksilver's Avengers set would never be on store
LEGO sure has a great thing going on with the new Nexo Knights line. I've already bought $110 worth of sets, and I don't think I even spent that much on Chima and I certainly didn't on Ninjago. But these Knights are something different entirely: They've got the sci-fi aspect which I love mixed in with the Castle theme I respect and want to eventually build. Plus all the new parts look fantastic! I would have bought more Ninjago and Chima sets if I wanted their parts (I might get some steampunk n
And by "war" I mean running a Bionicle event by myself for 30 children. Unfortunately, I didn't get any leftover purple limbs. But I got plenty of trans-green and keetorange shells, which means I won't have to buy a second Protector of Jungle (though should BrickLink some of his swords). Of course, parting out this grab-bag of leftovers makes me think I need to sort out my Bionicle collection again before I actually put these to use. I've got a box full of scrapped MOCs to disassemble b
Way way way back (like two years) an AFOL made a Kickstarter project for LEGO trading cards, called STUDS, to showcase various renowned builders in the fandom and their MOCs, among other aspects like conventions, publications, and achievements. Through a few LEGO conventions I was able to collect a handful of cards from people who had contributed early and had their own card(s) or packs to sell. Fun stuff! They finally made them available to the public and I eagerly ordered some (splitting shipp
Working retail, I interact with a lot of people. More than I'd care to on a daily basis. And people, as a whole, seem to like to talk a lot. Again, more than I'd care to let my ears hear. So, the less words said the better, right? One thing that I really can not stand is the phrase "you know" when describing something. It's as bad as "like," "um," and "uh," when it comes to filler. Something involuntary to cause a pause when your brain can't quite put the right words in order in conversation.
Today I participated in a LUG display at a local museum's Halloween event (I went as The Eleventh Doctor, btw). It was plenty fun displaying MOCs and interacting with the public, as it always is. But there was something about the way people looked at the creations that seemed a little short-sighted: They couldn't reach their creativity past licensed themes. Example One: The Rancor. I displayed a six-module long Pharaoh's Labyrinth, including a hollow pyramid with a tomb and an excavation attac
Help! I can't choose what costumes to wear for Halloween celebrations! I'll be wearing one on Saturday for a Halloween LEGO event, and then I'll need two costumes for BrickFair public hours next week. I've got three options: Eleventh Doctor, Indiana Jones, and Jayne Cobb. Jayne works best for Saturday because I know I'll be more comfortable in a t-shirt. It works best overall because I have a trimmed/maintained beard, but I'll ignore that feature for the other two. But the Eleventh is also e
Great things come in pairs. (That's a thing, right?) This year has been a good year for doubles for me. Double Green Lantern sets in January (for this), double Jurassic World helicopters in July (one a gift!), and most recently double San Diego Comic Con Trans-Neon Green Skull Scorpio masks! Yes, they all looked super-cool at BrickFair (my second convention of the year, but that double might turn into a triple in October), so I checked eBay again and found a great deal on two! (I'll be sell
I currently have 7 Hot Dog Guy minifigs. Granted, six of them are sealed in the bag and in my BrickLink store, but still. Just imagine a whole lineup of Hot Dog guys in some sort of MOC. Craaaaaaziness. I also have 4 unicorns, all sealed. Oops, or yay? -CF
What a fantastic time! I miss you all. I love you all.* I say that ever year. But hey, there was merriment, there was fun, there was friendship, there was building, there was a bit of everything. I will definitely remember this year fondly like I do every year. And boy did I had a good time with everyone! Granted, I didn't get enough time with everyone, and I like to take my "everyone" in separate chunks, but putting everyone together in the same place really makes BrickFair feel like a LEGO C
This is a rant. It's about adults. Not adults like me, but adults much older than me who have some life experience and know what they're doing, and thus think nothing of the consequences on my psyche when conversing. Granted, I do know adults who have their life together--solid job, living on their own--but most of my complaints are coming because of even older adults. It's about conversation. And while I definitely dislike small talk, it's unavoidable. And while I'm learning how to ask small-
You know what's great about having a friend who is extremely adept at making trades and scouring ebay for deals? He knows just how to grab something rad online. A few days later and bam!--Toa Lhikan Hordika puts in my hands the Collector, one of San Diego Comic Con's exclusive LEGO minifigs last year! (A trade, of course.) He looks good with the team, and by team I'm including the proper Nova, of course. And Drax has his signature energy axe. (A second thanks goes to xccj for grabbing me Ro
