Review: 40487 Sailboat Adventure
Posted by Huw,40487 Sailboat Adventure is based on the winner of last year's LEGO Ideas Build that holiday contest by yc_solo entitled Sailing Ship Adventure, and as we discovered when it was revealed last week, the finished model is very similar to his original submission.
It's currently the gift with purchase at LEGO.com during August.
Two minifigures are included, both equipped with life vests.
Both are attired in archetypal sailors' outfits which I suppose suits the subject-matter, although I don't think anyone actually wears such clothes nowadays, do they?
The female torso debuted during 2017, and I believe the male's is new in this set.
The striped patterns continue onto the backs.
This design of dolphin was introduced in 60153 Fun at the Beach during 2017, but the sand blue version is new this year. It first appeared in series 21 collectable minifigures 71029 Paddle Surfer.
The 'splash' behind them looks suitably dynamic.
The vessel itself is about 29cm long and 26cm high. It's initially constructed upon the patch of water, but that can be removed once built should you wish to display it without.
A few of the sand yellow parts used to construct the hull are new in that colour, and some, such as the 3x8x2 curved shells at the front and back, have been re-introduced with a new element number, having last been seen in 2017, in a Star Wars set.
The craft is named Eloise, after fan designer Yan Chevalier's daughter.
The sails are brick-built using 1x2x3 and 1x4x3 bricks (not panels), and 1x6x5 slopes. There was discussion concerning their accuracy when it was revealed: there should not be a boom under the (front) headsail, only under the mainsail. It could be removed, but it would leave the headsail a bit fragile and prone to breaking at the bottom.
There's a door at the back of the cabin, but nothing inside and because it's only 2-wide, a minifigure can't easily fit in it.
Minor inaccuracies notwithstanding, this is a delightful and attractive set, and very faithful to the fan designer's original submission. He must be very happy with it.
The GWP threshold to obtain it is high, but you're likely to be spending that anyway on the August releases, right?
40487 Sailboat Adventure is free with purchases exceeding £200/$200/€200 at LEGO.com during August while stocks last, so shop now »
Thanks to LEGO for providing the set for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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69 comments on this article
It said at the cash register at my local Lego store retail value is €25
Still not available here
My lego budget just doesn’t exist for this month due to other expenses that came up.
Really bummed about this one being a 200$ threshold. More often, I wish they would just sell these kinds of things separately but I suppose I understand why they do it. This is a proper “pocket money” sized set that I wish they would actually sell in the ideas line. I do grow tired of everything being hideously expensive and large just for the sake of it when amazing sets can be produced and sold for around what this is worth (I imagine about 25$ or so).
I’ll try and chase this one down on bricklink or something in the future if I still really want it.
Nice review! Quick question about the boat's build though - is it fairly stable with the water base removed or does that hold it fully together? Thinking of bunging it in my Ninjago City layout on its own without that section...
It won't fall apart without the water, but it won't balance and stay upright (easily) either, but if you're mounting it on a baseplate that won't be a problem.
Swap the black headsail boom elements for white...problem solved.
Cute model but a $200 GWP threshold is too rich for my blood at the moment. Congrats to the designer!
Could you replace the front boom with white parts to disguise it a bit?
I really like this set, but I think I'll have to pick it up on eBay. I don't have the space to spend £200 right now!
I'm all for equal opportunities, but it really is time that Lego redeployed their colourblind sticker maker.
Great free gift apart from the dodgy sticker though!
Can a picture be added of the removed cabin? It seems to be intended to be removed. It should also be possible to put a minifigure in it sideways.
It's a very elegant little set though.
@Huw said:
"It won't fall apart without the water, but it won't balance and stay upright (easily) either, but if you're mounting it on a baseplate that won't be a problem."
Ta for the info Huw - was planning on just resting the boat on trans-blue tiles but methinks I'll pop a few plates underneath to anchor it in place, just in case!
I thought it was for the whole of August? It seems the promotion is now only till the 3rd August. :(
The $200 threshold is high. I suppose it's fine I keep a few high dollar Lego sets on my Wanted list just for this type of thing.
Otherwise the set is adorable. When I first saw it a few days ago I thought it was a Creator 3-in-1 set, which is a compliment. I love 3-in-1.
Set gets an 'A' grade from me.
@Duckstar said:
"I thought it was for the whole of August? It seems the promotion is now only till the 3rd August. :("
It does say VIP Early Access 1st-3rd so maybe it opens up after that. (Although I can't imagine that anyone using the website wouldn't be a 'VIP')
Yes, VIPs only 1-3rd then everyone for the remainder of the month. Surely everyone reading this is a VIP, right?
I'm not planning on purchasing anything from Lego at the moment so I hope this will be relatively cheap on Bricklink
That's a huge barrier to entry. Methinks this GWP craze is getting out of hand. Especially if the set is only worth around €25....
Some online independent retailers in Asia already selling this for approx $40.
Save me the hassle of meeting that $200 threshold.
:facepalm: Used VIP points on my purchase and missed it by 3 cents!!!
I personally don’t really have a problem with the $200 threshold because if they have awesome GWP like this once or twice a year, I’m buying more than enough big D2C sets to get them. Though I recognize not everyone is in the same boat.
It’s more annoying that I have to guess and plan for this by purposely not buying some things I want when they are released, and then hoping they are in stock when a good GWP pops up. Also need to find out about the GWP in the first place (thanks Brickset!).
I’m not sure what a better system would be. Maybe if you could also get it with VIP points. I suppose with something this good it will always go fast, though.
I suppose from LEGO’s perspective someone who was going to spend the $200 anyway isn’t really the target market. They want the GWP to encourage people to spend more.
@CaptainMutant said:
"That's a huge barrier to entry. Methinks this GWP craze is getting out of hand. Especially if the set is only worth around €25...."
Yes, definitely getting out of hand and so I like the build but I won't be getting it. I've made a few purchases in the past primarily motivated for the GWP, however if this continues I'm seriously considering refraining myself from such practice and if the build is truly interesting getting the pieces from other sources. There's been other GWPs in the past which didn't sell out presumably for the spending threshold used, and LEGO had to run further promotions for them (e.g., the Dickens set). I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case with the boat and perhaps motivates LEGO to reconsider the trend to increase the spending amount.
The minimum buy is $265 in Canada (I assume Australia is just as bad if not worse). But I wanted those dolphins. So, to get them, I also got 3 elephants, 4 lions, 6 monkeys, 1 African eagle, 1 crocodile and a scorpion. I am constantly asking(bitching) Lego for more "system" animals so might as well encourage them when they do produce some - maybe they'll continue...(we now need giraffe, zebra (should be easy- a painted white horse), rhino, hippo, warthog and a return of the ostrich and flamingo - meerkats would be nice too!). The price per part is horrendous though - that said those elephants have quite a bit of plastic in them.
I wonder why they decided to put a white lion in 60307 - there is apparently only 3 left alive outside of captivity. Good for awareness but not reflecting what is seen in a safari. (the 4+ set of the range has a 'regular' (i.e. brown mane and tan colour) lion).
Edit: Just checked on Bricklink, those 3 elephants are now valued at US$75 for the lot. (male: $32, female: $31, baby: $12)
I absolutely made a $200+ order today specifically because of this set offer. When I saw it I knew I needed it and it 100% made my decision to buy some things in a bundle I knew I would buy eventually, but the Sailboat sealed the decision to buy today. If Lego offers limited time beauties like this one how can I refuse?
I think £200 is an O.K. threshold for a nice little FREE bonus. I don't get all this must have entitlement. It's a nice little gift as a thank you for buying, or an encouragement to buy. Don't want £200 worth of Lego sets at the moment? No problem... it's Lego... build the boat yourself!
I wonder who's been outraged by being forced to spend £20,000 for the free tank of petrol that came with their car!
@bricks4everyone said:
" @CaptainMutant said:
"That's a huge barrier to entry. Methinks this GWP craze is getting out of hand. Especially if the set is only worth around €25...."
There's been other GWPs in the past which didn't sell out presumably for the spending threshold used, and LEGO had to run further promotions for them (e.g., the Dickens set)."
Whaaat? LEGO always give one christmas promotional set during summer. Dickens had 150$ purchase in November and sold out fast because it's great set.
@sjr60 said:
"I think £200 is an O.K. threshold for a nice little FREE bonus. I don't get all this must have entitlement. It's a nice little gift as a thank you for buying, or an encouragement to buy. Don't want £200 worth of Lego sets at the moment? No problem... it's Lego... build the boat yourself!
I wonder who's been outraged by being forced to spend £20,000 for the free tank of petrol that came with their car!"
I agree; the threshold might seem high but if the price of the set is US$25 as someone above suggested, this represents a saving a little above 10% plus you get the 5% Lego points. All in all, it's a fair deal. And you get dolphins! Who does not like dolphins?
@Huw said:
"Yes, VIPs only 1-3rd then everyone for the remainder of the month. Surely everyone reading this is a VIP, right?"
We all think we are. :o)
@MainBricker said:
"If you want this set you have to buy £200 of other Lego."
Oh no... Lego have stopped selling individual bricks? That's a bit of a shocker!
@christopher94 said:
"My lego budget just doesn’t exist for this month due to other expenses that came up.
Really bummed about this one being a 200$ threshold. More often, I wish they would just sell these kinds of things separately but I suppose I understand why they do it. This is a proper “pocket money” sized set that I wish they would actually sell in the ideas line. I do grow tired of everything being hideously expensive and large just for the sake of it when amazing sets can be produced and sold for around what this is worth (I imagine about 25$ or so).
I’ll try and chase this one down on bricklink or something in the future if I still really want it. "
I agree, it's been since June that I have bought a LEGO set due to un measured expenses.
If this ever turns up at normal retail or even a specialty shop, for around $25/30, I will not hesitate to snatch it up. Lovely little build
I've been waiting patiently for the new ninjago dragons sets to drop, the orange tabbies, and also picked up a couple newly released minecraft sets i expect to sell out quickly to reach the $200 threshold. I got my freebie. As I always say, "if it's free is for me!"
Good review! $200 is indeed pretty steep for a minimum purchase, but luckily for me the new Super Mario and Ninjago sets I planned on getting this month anyway will easily add up to reach that threshold. And thematically it ought to pair relatively well with those aquatic-themed Ninjago sets!
The new male sailor torso makes me want to believe another "STranger Things" set in the Scoops Ahoy ice cream set is in the pipeline....then i realize the colors are off LOL
How long has that life vest piece been around? Much more realistic than the one that I was used to seeing (granted the last time I got a set with the slightest nautical component was in the mid - late 1990s.
@bricks4everyone said:
" @CaptainMutant said:
"That's a huge barrier to entry. Methinks this GWP craze is getting out of hand. Especially if the set is only worth around €25...."
Yes, definitely getting out of hand and so I like the build but I won't be getting it. I've made a few purchases in the past primarily motivated for the GWP, however if this continues I'm seriously considering refraining myself from such practice and if the build is truly interesting getting the pieces from other sources. There's been other GWPs in the past which didn't sell out presumably for the spending threshold used, and LEGO had to run further promotions for them (e.g., the Dickens set). I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case with the boat and perhaps motivates LEGO to reconsider the trend to increase the spending amount."
Of the approx 28 gwps so far this year, 14 have been small polybags for $40 purchases; 10 mid-size gwps for $60-$100 purchases; only 4 large gwps for purchases over $100.
I am not seeing the upward trend you are claiming, just a jagged line.
I was meaning to by one of the dozens or so bigger sets on my to-buy list this month anyway. Opted for the typewriter, which easily got me passt the threshold. Not sure this is a good thing :) But I'll surely take the boat!
I do think this is a very nice set. It is great that it is so similar to the fan design! The proposed figures would have been extra nice, especially if with the captains hat.
It just occurred to me! A boat this size reminds me of a poem...if the original figures were included it would have been especially appropriate...
It's easy to grin,
when your ship comes in,
and you've got the stock market beat.
But the man worthwhile,
is the man who can smile,
when his shorts are too tight in the seat.
I don’t know about you but that new torso piece looks like it could be used for “scoops ahoy”.
New stranger things star court mall set!!!?????
@HOBBES said: "The minimum buy is $265 in Canada (I assume Australia is just as bad if not worse)."
I think in Australia it's closer to $300.
I understand how the whole "gift with purchase" thing works, but I still find it a little frustrating that most of the time, the GWP are better than the sets you have to buy to get it. I'd be happy just to buy it as a set.
Asking for $265 CAD for that GWP is insulting for both the fans and designer. It's not a licensed set, so I don't understand where did they come up with this threshold from....
For a set it's nice, but no way I'm going to force spend that much just to get it. Nice try Lego, nice try.
Gripes about the $200 buy-in on this are unfounded. It’s a higher quality + higher piece count set than most GWPs. Also it’s an Ideas set, which is an adult-leaning theme…many if not most of whom are accustomed to spending in the hundreds at least once in awhile (and regardless of GWPs).
That’s all beside the fact that nothing’s requiring TLG to offer GWPs in the first place. There were plenty of $100+ dollar sets long before the expectation of these was a thing, and we put our money down for them. Extra parts or figs, or a few dollars off w/VIP points are awesome bonuses that take the edge off costs-wise. But if you’re a person who’s into buying + building LEGO well into your earning years, odds are you’ve accepted it can be an expensive hobby.
It’s also worth noting that higher-dollar sets often stay around (i.e., do not get retired) for several years. This means, at least for myself, that I’ll generally always have a backlog of sets I want to buy that will hit whatever dollar amount required for a GWP when the opportunity arises (and budget allows). These are sets I would/will buy at some point anyway, so I have no issue just waiting to see what’s available when a good GWP pops up and pulling the trigger — usually cashing in some points while I’m at it.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who does it this way. But these sorts of complaints about GWPs have never made sense to me. Maybe people just want to complain!?
This round, if anyone’s curious, I was happy to realize the Sailboat Adventure aligned with the release of new Mandalorian sets….didn’t take long to hit $200 ;)
@deathmoth:
I think the complaints have more to do with the fact that these often nice GWP sets are not available to purchase on their own. There have been plenty of excellent GWP sets that I did not acquire since I either did not have enough in the budget at the time to meet the limit or there simply weren't enough sets that I actually wanted to purchase during the window of that specific GWP to meet the limit. There are probably plenty of people that are willing to spend $20-30 for a sailboat set but cannot spend/do not want $200+ of the current available sets in August. Sure the GWP sets may be built with individual bricks that you can buy as sjr60 has mentioned but this is not as convenient as actually just being able to purchase the entire set on its own (and potentially rather expensive if certain individual components are exclusive/rare).
@deathmoth said:
"Gripes about the $200 buy-in on this are unfounded. It’s a higher quality + higher piece count set than most GWPs. Also it’s an Ideas set, which is an adult-leaning theme…many if not most of whom are accustomed to spending in the hundreds at least once in awhile (and regardless of GWPs).
That’s all beside the fact that nothing’s requiring TLG to offer GWPs in the first place. There were plenty of $100+ dollar sets long before the expectation of these was a thing, and we put our money down for them. Extra parts or figs, or a few dollars off w/VIP points are awesome bonuses that take the edge off costs-wise. But if you’re a person who’s into buying + building LEGO well into your earning years, odds are you’ve accepted it can be an expensive hobby.
It’s also worth noting that higher-dollar sets often stay around (i.e., do not get retired) for several years. This means, at least for myself, that I’ll generally always have a backlog of sets I want to buy that will hit whatever dollar amount required for a GWP when the opportunity arises (and budget allows). These are sets I would/will buy at some point anyway, so I have no issue just waiting to see what’s available when a good GWP pops up and pulling the trigger — usually cashing in some points while I’m at it.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who does it this way. But these sorts of complaints about GWPs have never made sense to me. Maybe people just want to complain!?
This round, if anyone’s curious, I was happy to realize the Sailboat Adventure aligned with the release of new Mandalorian sets….didn’t take long to hit $200 ;)"
You say that because you had a +$200 you wanted to get today, but I'm sure you have a line as well, if the threshold was +$500, would you say the same ?
Regardless, I'm not a fan of the GWP idea, it would've been better to just be able to purchase it by itself OR get it for free when buying X amount during a promotional period. I don't like it when companies are fabricating a product's availability or making something which is mass produced seems like it's "limited". August batch for me doesn't have anything I must get today, let alone for $250 CAD, so I'll skip the sail boat. Is it a big deal ? No, but I hope it's not a permanent change. Previous Idea GWP sets had a much lower threshold.
Even 30628, which a licensed GWP with similar piece count was just $75 threshold.
We're all fans here, but no need to justify everything Lego is doing just because it's Lego :)
@The_Toniboeh said:
"I'm not planning on purchasing anything from Lego at the moment so I hope this will be relatively cheap on Bricklink "
Same here. Official LEGO RRPs nowadays are so massively overpriced on most interesting sets that I wait for discounts on Amazon etc. For the amount I save that way I can easily get such GWPs on eBay or Bricklink. Not that I am very interested in this particular GWP to begin with.
My big rub about the $200 requirement was that I had pre-ordered three kits which weren’t charged to my card until August 1st when they shipped. So when I add those along with the one I bought on August 1st I was well over the $200 for the day but they only count the one kit I bought that day, not the $200 worth of pre-orders.
@Mlauzon34 said:
"My big rub about the $200 requirement was that I had pre-ordered three kits which weren’t charged to my card until August 1st when they shipped. So when I add those along with the one I bought on August 1st I was well over the $200 for the day but they only count the one kit I bought that day, not the $200 worth of pre-orders."
If you contact customer service they’ll probably give you the GWP. It’s not ideal having to go through that hassle. But it’s nice they are willing to accommodate at least.
P.S. Talking of GWPs, Amelia Earhart Tribute is available for 1500 VIP points for anyone who wants it.
I would have liked this but my partner decided to order £60 of Lego Saturday night and bought me the new camper yesterday for £150 so despite spending over the threshold, we missed out due to haste...
The “weathervane” boom under the jib is an easy fix (just make it white). Lowering the boom on the mainsail so the boat doesn’t capsize in the slightest breeze might be trickier.
Looks like a fun little build, which is right up my alley. Unfortunately my wallet is still hemorrhaging from my Daily Bugle purchase, so I'll be sitting out this month. For those of you that get the sailboat, enjoy your adventure!
While it is accurate to refer to the foremost sail as a “headsail”, I’ve only ever heard them referred to as a “jib”, to differentiate it from the other type of Bermuda rig headsail, which is a spinnaker (looks like a cross between a job and a hot air balloon).
@sjr60:
If it makes you feel better, think of it as a wooden hull, in which case it is common for the name to be carved, engraved, burnt, or even sandblasted into a wooden plank that is then attached to the hull. Contrasting colors are a popular option in these situations, though generally it would be much higher contrast.
My preference is that they solve this by just switching everything to clear stickers. No background color means no mismatched background color. But it seems some AFOLs can’t figure out how to wash their hands before applying stickers, or are too weak to press them down firmly, and think they look terrible when badly applied.
@rahlmaclaren:
GWPs are triggered by how much your order totals (excluding sales tax in regions that use that format). How you pay for it doesn’t make a difference. Sometimes they hold you firm to the penny, others you can be one penny short, and others will even forgive a full dollar.
@PurpleDave said:
" @sjr60 :
If it makes you feel better, think of it as ........"
No. I'll think of it as what it is... atrocious colour matching again (fortunately on an unneeded sticker)
@PurpleDave said:
" @rahlmaclaren:
GWPs are triggered by how much your order totals (excluding sales tax in regions that use that format). How you pay for it doesn’t make a difference. Sometimes they hold you firm to the penny, others you can be one penny short, and others will even forgive a full dollar."
About a year ago, I was told by a LEGO store employee that they are required to be sticklers for most licensed GWP sets, so if a Star Wars GWP threshold is $100, you must spend at least $100.00 to qualify. However, for non-licensed GWP sets they can be more relaxed, meaning a $100 GWP threshold might be triggered with a $99.99 purchase, for example.
@sjr60:
Well, for that matter, it should be possible to duplicate the build with a different color scheme, fixing the nautical nightmares at the same time, skipping the spending threshold, and avoid even owning the sticker.
@ForestMenOfEndor:
I heard my info from an employee at the local LEGO store, who only knew that _some_ required you to spend the full amount, while others had relaxed thresholds that ranged from $0.01 to $1. She’s not an AFOL, so the only insight I was given as to why they would do this is that something like the mini Gingerbread House may have had a $100 spend, with the WV Gingerbread House running $99.99, in which case they would likely make sure buying the big one would qualify you for the small one. I assume this would be because it just wouldn’t be worth fielding all the irate phone calls from people who ended up missing out because they didn’t spend the extra penny.
Licensed stuff wasn’t part of our discussion, but that’s worth investigating. Again, though, if they pair up a GWP with a new set, and it’s not exclusive to buying that set, people will burn their ears off if they miss out by that little. I suppose one easy cheat for stuff like May 4th is to just make sure the threshold is well below the price of the new release, like $100 vs $249.99.
@danieltheo said:
"I would have liked this but my partner decided to order £60 of Lego Saturday night and bought me the new camper yesterday for £150 so despite spending over the threshold, we missed out due to haste..."
I’ve had great luck emailing customer service with narrow misses like that…
@christopher94 said:
"My lego budget just doesn’t exist for this month due to other expenses that came up.
Really bummed about this one being a 200$ threshold. More often, I wish they would just sell these kinds of things separately but I suppose I understand why they do it. This is a proper “pocket money” sized set that I wish they would actually sell in the ideas line. I do grow tired of everything being hideously expensive and large just for the sake of it when amazing sets can be produced and sold for around what this is worth (I imagine about 25$ or so).
I’ll try and chase this one down on bricklink or something in the future if I still really want it. "
I won't need or want this GWP set... how do we connect? I will sell & ship to you! I am in MD.
I get that. On the other hand too, though, only offering lackluster models as GWPs wouldn’t exactly solve anything…A high quality set as a high threshold add-on seems to align well to me. Also, the quality + exclusivity of good GWPs allows for those less interested and mainly in it for their primary purchases to resell those at a good grey market value. Not talking scalpers here, just making them available at a reasonable price for those who do want to purchase them separately…which is what happens all the time. It’s another reason I don’t think there’s a great argument for TLG to just sell them separately — certainly not from their perspective.
All that being said, I do think there’s an opportunity here for TLG to be doing more with VIP points by making these sets available as rewards (at the same time as their being offered as GWPs). This might be a middle ground solution, at least offering a third way of getting those sets outside the threshold purchase or grey markets.
@sjr60 :
When did Amelia get posted? I’m pretty sure I dredged the VIP Rewards list before placing my order, and there wasn’t anything new.
I really like this GWP!
Threshold in Australia is a high $270!
New Disney Frozen Ice Palace is out now, for $350 - a ridiculous 21c per part, but a stunning looking display piece that will look great with our Disney Castle - and which I look forward to building with my daughters.
I rarely spend full RRP, nor buy from LEGO.com these days, but this is not going to be a set that’s widely released or heavily discounted, certainly in Australia.
$15 off thanks to VIP points, and another $22.50 off my next order thanks to the VIP points earned with this purchase.
GWP Sailing Boat probably worth around $50 here (I’ve seen one selling for $75 already!!), and based on other similar-sized GWP’s.
So, I justify to myself the $87 of discounts / free set, and rationalise the price of the Ice Palace to only be around $263 …. A MUCH better price and around 25% off RRP!
Order placed!
Now I just need to figure out how to explain this to my wife, when the large box arrives in a couple days!!…..
:)
@sjr60 said:
"P.S. Talking of GWPs, Amelia Earhart Tribute is available for 1500 VIP points for anyone who wants it."
Not in Australia it’s not!
Such a pity, I’ve got enough points after my purchase on 1st Aug!
:(
@PurpleDave said:
" @sjr60 :
When did Amelia get posted? I’m pretty sure I dredged the VIP Rewards list before placing my order, and there wasn’t anything new."
Yesterday.... Sold out now. May have just been Europe. Presumably the Belgium warehouse had a few leftovers.
@sjr60:
No, right after I posted I hopped on and claimed a code, so it was NA also. But I did check right before placing my sailboat order, and I didn’t see anything new. Like the vintage car and the sailboat, I wanted a second copy of Amelia to tinker with. I’d like to see if I can improve the landing gear, for one, but I want to keep one of each model stock. The problem was that I only grabbed one copy of the plane at the time because I didn’t yet realize that her 7-seater plane is almost perfectly in scale with the height of a minifig (sounds wildly absurd, but the math really does work out).
@PurpleDave said:
"Like the vintage car and the sailboat, I wanted a second copy of Amelia to tinker with."
Yes, already had a couple of Amelias and 5 vintage cars to do that with! Just waiting for the VW T2 delivery to arrive to see what can be done with the wonky headlights and the wrong looking vertical A Pillars (I like everything behind the front wheels!)
@sjr60:
I haven’t had time to really figure out how much I want to change with the car, but I got one right after midnight, and I had one sitting in a cart the next day, but when I went to place the order 1.5-2 hours later, it was sold out. I still wanted the MBoM, so I went ahead and placed the order anyways, and headed out to sit with our club’s display. Another member was there, and he’d told me over the phone that he was thinking of grabbing another car, so I informed him that he’d waited too late when I got there. We ended up splitting an order of four cars from Bricklink...and then a month or two later a fourth car arrived in a box by itself. Apparently they had more than the system showed, and they were able to send them out to orders that should have qualified if the stock had been correct.
Amelia I only tried to get one copy. Like many, many others, I assumed that this tiny little plane would need to be scaled up at least 1.5-2x to make it accurate to minifig-scale, but then I was looking up old photos of Amelia standing by, on, or in the plane, and realized it was a lot closer than anyone gave it credit for. So I ran the numbers, and it’s only off by a fraction of a stud over the entire length of the body. By that time the promo was either over, or they’d run out, so I missed my chance.
The boat was a different story. I worked for someone who made small wooden boats (I think the smallest was 7.5’ long with a 3.5’ beam), and even built my own 11.5’ sampan, so this one mattered a little more than the previous two. Fortunately, I hadn’t yet snagged my second boat, so that was a timely tip that gets me both a second boat and a second plane.
Now we just need a spaceship...
@PurpleDave said:
"Now we just need a spaceship..."
I'm personally very much looking forward to the USS Cardboard, whenever that might turn up!
@lemish34
It's disingenuous to count both previous VIP points and VIP points obtained from this purchase as both being discounts. Realistically you should only be attributing the VIP points earned with this set as a discount (5%) on top of the GWP.
If you, for example, make a purchase of a $200 set; you will have a $22.50 discount from previous VIP points and $10 for this purchase. This falsely inflates the amount of money you save actually. Also, it will be even moreso inflated if you use your VIP points for anything other than money vouchers.
With all this in mind, it's best to look at what your bank statements say (charge for the purchase, sell of GWP, x% cash back, etc.) and compare that to the MSRP+tax.
@Ottozone:
I agree...to a degree. On paper, absolutely the $15 was a discount earned on a previous purchase, where this purchase earns $22.50+GWP. In reality, many AFOLs bank their points and only spend them on big releases. They cheerfully forego using these discounts on regular purchases, and mentally marry them to the purchases that they would otherwise have a hard time justifying. So, it’s clearly important to some people that they count the discounts both coming and going against the purchases that fall outside their comfort zone.
@PurpleDave
That's fair. I'm much more limited by $$$ than many other AFOLs (uni). As such, I wait till a sufficient discount before gunning down the Lego set I yearn most. This often entails selling great GWPs.
"Both are attired in archetypal sailors' outfits which I suppose suits the subject-matter, although I don't think anyone actually wears such clothes nowadays, do they?"
Yes, rich people in New England wear these sorts of clothes when they go sailing or yachting.
I built a copy last night. Problems I see include the jib being attached down the entire length of the mast, having a boom along the lower edge, and having some sort of loose rope (not sure if it’s a sheet, a line, or what) attached to the forward corner. The mainsail sits too high above the deck, and would make this prone to capsizing. Ideally, there should be stays from the top of the mast to the bow, the stern, and both gunwales. The anchor should be closer to the bow, and there should not be loose chain draped behind it. I have no idea why they hung a throwable life preserver off the stern. There should probably be a U-shaped bench around the tiller so you can actually sit down. The woman should be rotated counter-clockwise just a bit so she can hold the tiller with her right hand, allowing her to face forward and see where the boat is going rather than where it’s been. That’s not a Star Trek phaser that the man is holding.
I liked the upgrade to a “brass” rail on the gunwale, the portholes on the cabin, and the general shape of the hull. I think I can work with what’s there, though.
@illennium:
Toddlers sometimes get dressed like this by their parents, too.