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ChocolateFrogs

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Blog Entries posted by ChocolateFrogs

  2. ChocolateFrogs
    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 people from the social media team, chatted with an employee who handles LEGO Brand Retail Stores about what gets me into the store (like promotions), talked with Strategy Director Jack Clarke for about 20 minutes (and even showed him a few Space MOCs), went to panels by folks like Paul Striefler (AFOL liason) and Tim Courney (LEGO Ideas) Sara Moore (LEGO Rebrick), and attended a very special panel by LEGO CEO Bali Padda who just happened to be in the States this week and was able to spare about an hour on his way to the airport for a Q&A and meet and greet.
     
    While Danny is still holding my photo with Bali Padda for ransom, I was lucky enough to get his minifig business card:

     
    So I'm pretty pleased with my takeaway from BrickFair NE.
     
    -CF
  5. ChocolateFrogs
    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. Life.
     
    Thanks, everyone.
     
    Where would I be without BZPower? Without Bionicle? Probably not building with LEGO. Probably not traveling across the country to tour Pikes Place Market and hike the Cascade Mountains. Not visiting New York City multiple times.
     
    BZPower has always been about the people. From posting in the Forums chatting with strangers, to meeting them in real life and hanging out with internet friends. You all are what keep me coming back for more.
     
    And let's hope there isn't a point where half of my life hasn't been on BZPower. Or at least, without spending time with BZPower buddies.
     
    -CF
  6. ChocolateFrogs
    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 when I handed Louise Simonson the cover with Apocalypse on it, she exclaimed, "Now THAT's Apocalypse!" probably in reference in Fox's poor choices in limiting Oscar Isaac's potentially amazing movie performance this past summer. (Louise Simonson created Apocalypse in X-Factor #5 in 1986, which is a feat unto itself because for a woman to be in comics and to create an iconic comic villain back then was unprecedented.)
    The Supergirl art is by Mike Maihack, who is awesome.
     

     
    While I also found some great deals on comics and graphic novels (I jumped into the Valiant universe this weekend, buying some graphic novels from the Valiant booth which had some excellent salespeople to get me started), I also added some value to a comic I owned: Getting the first printing, first appearance of Spider-Gwen certified and quality rated by the Certified Guaranty Company. The 9.2 is Near Mint, and this particular issue will fetch me over $100 when/if I put it on eBay. I'm quite pleased with myself.
     

     
    Finally, I got to meet Stuart Sayger and visit with Pop Mhan again (met him last year). Sayger was awesome to chat with, and 55555 and I spent almost an hour interviewing him for BZPower (news story coming soon) and chatting about Bionicle and artwork. He's so cool, and really passionate not just about making comics but about being a part of Bionicle history! He and Mhan signed some comics for me, which may or may not be made available to members to obtain in the future. He was also selling prints, so I bought a few favorite comic characters drawn in his unique style.
    When I pulled out Bionicle V2 #5 and opened it up to the first page, where my Piraka Fusion creation was, I asked, "What can you tell me about this?"
    He said a kid built that, won a contest, and mailed it in to him to draw to appear as part of the story. I was that kid, I told him. And he flipped out!
    He was ecstatic to meet me, who built the model that appeared in the comic for a page. He started asking me about my building style and what I remember from the contest (this coming after questions about his art style and his memories from the Bionicle art job). And before we left, he said he wanted to get a picture of me with the comic! That pretty much made my weekend.
     
    Unfortunately I did not get to all the authors I wanted to visit to get comics signed. Which is ok, because the panels I attended instead were the real value of the convention experience. Deals and lines for autographs are other perks of the entrance fee. What is really important is to not set high expectations to get everything signed, but take the opportunities if presented. Right now my first thought is "don't bring anything to get signed next year" (which my back will appreciate), but I'm sure I'll have second opinions on that by then.
     
    Until then, I'll have to figure out how to show some of these off in my room!
     
    -CF
  7. ChocolateFrogs
    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 QuipLash: At least 12.
     
    Miles driven: About 181
     
    Number of memories made: 5
    (Just kidding. How can I count that?)
     
    -CF
  9. ChocolateFrogs
    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 trimmed again to fit a a single row of baseplates:
     

     
    And now at Scouting for Bricks, I've adjusted it again, hopefully for the final time. It now fits 2 by 2 segments of baseplates, so xccj and I could collaborate on a mosaic design I've wanted to do for a few years now, Kurahk:
     

    (It'll be at BrickFair VA too.)
     
    It's been weird seeing it shrink and change shape over these years, but it's happy to still be excited about making mosaics, even if I've taken a year off here and there (2013's mosaic was at BrickCon).
     
    What's next? Well, I've got a few clever mosaics in mind, so we'll see what I have the time and budget for.
     
    -CF
  10. ChocolateFrogs
    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
  11. ChocolateFrogs
    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 random person suddenly gets a bunch of money in exchange of being followed around and get their drama reported on?
     
    What if it was me? Or you? Or any other nerd in the world? How hilarious would that be? A TV crew is set up and arriving at your house, an editor is eagerly awaiting an article and pictures of every detail of your day, and blogs are going to dissect your every facial expression.
     
    Except if it was me, with the cameras lined up waiting for something to happen, they'd just see me sitting at my computer for an hour scrolling through facebook and youtube right before work. Then an 8 hour shift of fetch quests with a lunch break of reading comics. "Start some drama," a paparazzi says (at this point I'm as surprised as you are they're still here), so I call up some friends to play Risk or Catan later that night. Little do the reporters know that my friends will go back to being quite agreeable as soon as the game is cleaned up. Ha!
     
    Then it's back to sitting in front of my computer, or reading a book or watching TV, with a few glances at my phone for a silent conversation. And that's the day. I take the money allowing them to follow me around for a day, and they go back home rethinking the purpose of their career, with any luck.
     
    -CF
  12. ChocolateFrogs

    Dust Free

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    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 rotating out which minifigs get displayed.
     
    So I found these little things that came with Pokemon toys inside them. They're relatively cheap (or cheap enough) and look great.


    (Brickshelf)
     
    The pricey minifigs in the upper pictures deserve a bit of separation from the rest of my collection. The chrome Star Wars figs shouldn't ever be touched with bare fingers, and the two Comic Con figures have a nice sentimental value. (Their high monetary value also garners them some extra respect.) The TRU Force Friday brick could be moved elsewhere more visible, but it's big and bulky and doesn't quite deserve to be unintruded. It's a nice piece of history though.
     
    The Avengers in the lower pictures were a gift for a friend. She had a few of the "main six" from the movies, but needed a few more characters to complete her collection. I put them in the display case on some bases adhered with sticky tack, allowing for the mirrors to really show them off.
     
    I have one more case which needs filled. I can fit 5 figures without overshadowing anyone, so it's just a matter of who. Something special, something cool, and something I won't want to take out to use in a vignette. I've got a lot of figs to choose from, so I'll make it count.
     
    -CF
  13. ChocolateFrogs

    Death Star Roll II

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    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 BrickCon. Could have been at BrickFest PDX, and someone else's set. But then where did I hear about it if not on BZP or TBB?
  14. ChocolateFrogs

    Best Sets of 2015

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    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 shelves again after their initial run. But I doubt they'd make this list anyway.
     
    The list of my favorite sets stars off with General Grievous, who has a fantastic build and looks great on my shelf. That's saying something, because it's hard to be surprising with constraction sets nowadays, and because I like to think I cannibalize my sets pretty quickly after getting them if I'm in a building phase. But until I build a tan Bionicle MOC, Grievous is here to stay. People can argue about the price, but for the satisfaction of a 45 minute build that is quite intense, it's worth it.
     
    I also had the pleasure of building the Helicarrier with 55555 thanks to Toa Lhikan Hordika buying it and then we did a livestream to build it. Good times. It's huge, it's iconic, it has a great build. And I didn't pay for it but got to build it anyway; you'll have to ask TLH if it's worth the $350 plus motor pack. (I bet he'll say yes.)
     
    The Doctor Who LEGO Ideas is also worthy of a mention. It's got the minifigs, it has the TARDIS interior and exterior, and it's reasonably priced for a licensed set. Unfortunately it doesn't come in numbered baggies for staged building within the instructions, which means you are searching for parts a lot longer than expected.
     
    And finally, I can not forget the Millennium Falcon! It's iconic, has a great build, comes with great play features and hosts some great minifigs. I'll be keeping this displayed on my shelf for at least a year before realizing I need grey angled plates for something.
     
    These were my favorite. I build some more, but nothing as stand-out like these. I've already got my hands on a ton of 2016 sets however, some of which already look amazing, and some which can be criticized too. Now to find time to build some....
     
    -CF
  15. ChocolateFrogs
    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 ninja pirates this year), but the stuff the Nexo Knights has is getting me excited: The shield power-ups, the dark blue lightsaber hilts, the pyramid cheese slope, and the new 4x4 pointed slope brick to name a few.
     
    So I got slightly worried when I realized we'll be getting even more sets like these this summer, and next year and the year after and on until LEGO feels like stopping. So I'm going to need to rethink my budget with everything LEGO is putting out this year.
     
    Right now I'll just be integrating these Knights' torsos into space suits.
     
    -CF
  16. ChocolateFrogs

    Spoils of War

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    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 before some ideas are realized.
     
    -CF
  17. ChocolateFrogs
    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 shipping costs with a LUG friend and 55555). With some luck and a bit of trading I've got some cool stuff:
     

     
    On the back of the cards is a short bio of the creator/thing. My favorite is Paul Lee's LEGO Avengers card, which I'm showing off in the middle of a sheet. I also obtained 4 of Nathan Sawaya's cards. I've had a few things like Cajun's card and Norbert's card. After getting lucky and getting a signed card (by Bram Lambrecht, who I think was at BrickFest '06), I realized there were quite a few here I should have had signed when I first received them. Oh well.
     
    Some of these are just plain cool (Cole Blaq's Dragon, Mark Borlase's Hoth), some of them are from people I know personally (Dan Rubin's mech and Cajun's HR Giger), some I've met briefly (like meeting Megan Rothrock at NYCC for her LEGO Adventure Book we have at work), and others for other reasons either IRL or online.
     
    My goal is to put these on my wall like a poster to show off some cool LEGO art. (And I've got a few I'm still willing to trade, mostly in those last two pictures.) I'm quite happy with these additions to my LEGO collection.
     
    -CF
    (PS, Arpy is hidden in one of these cards!)
  18. ChocolateFrogs

    Filler Words

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    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.
     
    Whenever a customer (or even someone closer actually conversing) injects "you know" into their sentence when going into detail on something to better help me understand, my immediate thought is, "No, I don't know, that's why you're telling me."
     
    I'm not perfect either, but it's a habit I've broken pretty well. I've even winced when I said it recently.
     
    I just need a super-villain weapon that changes the brain waves of everyone across the world to be more precise with their language!
     
    -CF
  19. ChocolateFrogs
    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 attacked by a mummy army starting outside that to tell a little narrative before getting into all the dangerous rooms. This included The Doctor and TARDIS landing somewhere he'd rather not be, the Stargate and cast in a perfect Egyptian setting, and a Munchkin Level 8 Gazebo which few people noticed. The fourth room was more Munchkin Bricks minifigs attacking several monster-types. This included a Rancor. But as people saw the Stargate and the TARDIS, they noticed the Rancor as "Star Wars" instead of just "monster! AHHH!" to my dismay.
     
    Example Two: The Exuberant. I love showing off my SHIP because I put a lot of work into it, plus big things get attention. But among several original space MOCs, they suddenly see this big thing and immediately ask what it's from. Uhhh, my mind? It's not "from" anything you might have seen on TV, the movies, or a video game. (Unless you can spot the slight inspirational points I took from Stargate Atlantis' Aurora and Orion.) It's a microspace SHIP for LEGO's 1998 Exploriens space line, and I had complete creative freedom in building it.
     
    Example Three: Jurassic World. My Bubble Helmet Retronaut is the most fun I've had building Bionicle in years (because it's been years since I properly build Bionicle). Now, I'm not entirely jaded that people started mentioning the theme where I took his bubble helmet from, but there comes a point where it's not being inspiring as NPU and instead being a distraction for mentioning where parts are from. Luckily my Steampunk Sleigh didn't have that same problem, much.
     
    Bonus example: The LEGO Movie: I also had Emmet and Wyldstyle in peril in the Labyrinth, and kids were calling it "LEGO Dimensions" and "The LEGO Movie," to the point of asking why they're here instead of, say, the Wild West or the City. Note to self: No more off-hand nods to fun.
     
    At this point, I'm reconsidering how I want to display the Pharaoh's Labyrinth at BrickFair next week, if at all. I could parse it down to Stargate and TARDIS vignettes. Scratch the Munchkin Bricks and monsters. But there might be a better crowd there, as BrickFair VA was very promising in people enjoying those portions. I'm definitely staying away from things that might distract from the overall feel of building whatever you want, so the Rancor is out and I'll give the monster dungeon more narrative with less busyness. I think I'll replace the Rancor with this guy, and rubberband a Bionicle mask to the head.
     
    And hopefully something can be figured out for the public to appreciate genre-mashing.
     
    -CF
  20. ChocolateFrogs

    Costume Time!

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    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 easy because I can forgo the tweed jacket if bodyheat/internal temperature rises. But Indiana Jones is fun too, though I no longer have the whip. So I feel like the Doctor and Jayne costumes are more favorable for the events. Beard and all.
     
    Still, it's a tough choice. What do I want to cosplay right now?
     
    -CF
  21. ChocolateFrogs
    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 selling one off eventually.) Doubles, hurrah!
     
    I also got double Ultimate Spider-Man sets for a Superior Spider-Man:
     

     
    Admittedly, in the comics his chest webbing is black on a red background, but that's purism for you. And the Doctor Octopus lookalike legs need to be dark red, but those tiny details are forgotten about between comic book readings (plus LEGO doesn't make them). I guess TT Games did it better. (Oh, and the sets come with two 2x2 rotor stickers each, and I can use all four!)
     
    Furthermore, I got two of the Ant-Man ants! My manager wanted just the figs, so we worked out a deal on the set and now I have two ants (plus the rest of a full set), which means two pairs of those sweet, sweet bug wings. I've already got some things in mind.
    We'll see if anything else catches my eye, twice, the rest of this year.
     
    -CF
  22. ChocolateFrogs

    Hot Dog Army

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    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
  23. ChocolateFrogs
    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 Christmas. It's those moments that really make it special, even if it's 2 AM in a giant hotel room with a cool drink in hand.
     

     
    BrickFair highlights for me include my SHIP being nominated for two Brickees (though I didn't win), meeting set designer Marcos Bessa who made a ton of superhero sets like the Milano (and even took a picture holding it on the set of the actual ship) and is a big X-Men fan, seeing the LEGO Brickumentary for free (everyone should see it), and getting lots of good deals and free swag (bubble helmets!).
     

     
    I also walked around with a huge BrickBadge, as usual. This was my 11th year going to a LEGO convention, and my 12th convention under my belt. (And I might get to BrickFair NJ this October, making a third for this year.) My BrickBadge looked something like this all weekend:
     

     
    It's actually a great conversation starter! People always say "you've been doing this for a while!" or something, and then a few other bricks point out themes I'm active in that they should definitely check out. This year I made a tiny Pharaoh's Labyrinth vignette which I think really adds to the pizzazz.
     
    We should really just make this thing two weeks long. We could actually plan movie nights that don't start at midnight, take plenty of photos, build to our hearts' content, visit DC, sleep in, and tell each other our deepest darkest LEGO secrets.
     
    Until next time, play well!
     
     
    -CF
    *BrickFair theme tehe.jpg
  24. ChocolateFrogs
    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-talk-like questions that are actually meaningful, the same usual small talk queries are addressed to me whenever I meet new adults.
     
    The questions are simple: "What did you study in college?" and "What do you do?" (The latter meaning jobs and money, not in life in general in your free time. More on that later.) I understand that my answers are in my control. I'm living at home and underemployed. I believe in responsibility and accountability, and I hold myself to my societal shortcomings. Though adults are always kind in talking about the troubled economy and job market. But it falls to me. But what falls to them are the questions. Why ask things that remind me of my shortcomings?
     
    I understand it's easy, but even after that topic has been breached it remains the point of conversation. It's not like it's a lead in to other interests. Small talk like this would be so much better if we focused on, say, hobbies. "What do you do?" "Oh, I build LEGO creations and collect comic books." And there is so much conversation to be made going on from there. People are enthusiastic about their passions, and it allows the other person to continually ask questions and show/feign interest. And even if the job question has come up, my working in a bookstore is such a great lead for a deeper conversation about books. Everyone (mostly) reads! What isn't there to talk about in the world of books?
     
    Until such ends are met, I will just have to live with my problems, work harder in any job, and steer the conversation into something more favorable.
     
    Now, I know I have plenty of friends also living at home and not working in their field of study at school (if they even went to college). And I also have friends that are adulting better than I am either by making enough to move out yet remain underemployed or actually making a career out of their interests and studies. So I ask: What problems has everyone encountered? What have you done until better options came along? What kind of comments have been received; what kind of answers were given? And what is the best way to bear with the unbearable smalltalk?
     
    -CF
  25. ChocolateFrogs
    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 Rocket in his Ravagers outfit.)
     
    What is really cool about the Collector is the backing of the case unfolds to show a large image of him, scowling (the other side of his minifig head). Not that any sane LEGO collector would display this unless there was a safe way to do so, but it's a pretty neat bonus.
     

     
    But the exclusives don't stop there! I also have another benefactor: my manager who used to work at GameStop and snagged all kinds of extras for the LEGO video games. So now I have the exclusive Elrond figure and, better yet, Lex Luthor in power armor and, better yet, Plastic Man! Certainly exciting additions to my collection.
     
    What's next? Making a display case for all of these (and my other exclusives)!
     
    -CF
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