Random set of the day: Gator Landing

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Gator Landing

Gator Landing

©1996 LEGO Group

Today's random set is 6563 Gator Landing, released during 1996. It's one of 24 Town sets produced that year. It contains 233 pieces and 3 minifigs, and its retail price was US$27.5.

It's owned by 1,706 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $145.00, or eBay.


31 comments on this article

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By in Canada,

No matter how rich you are you can’t stop a gator.

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By in New Zealand,

It’s from the land down-under!

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By in United States,

Did that plane just drop a gator in to take care of these criminals? That's hardcore!

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By in Sweden,

Very good playset. 3 vehicles, a gator, 3 minifigs, and the bridge piece which is so cool to play on. I loved this set as a child.

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By in United States,

I don't miss that old suspension bridge piece. As cool as it looked, its size combined with the soft plastic it was molded from made it tend to warp and not stay stuck onto studs that well.

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By in United States,

Such a great looking set - a balance of vehicles and buildings, a unique environment, and enough accessories for all kinds of play. I'll keep this one on my radar!

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By in United States,

@MeisterDad said:
"No matter how rich you are you can’t stop a gator."

Great year and a nice set, but I've never heard a better one-sentence description!

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By in United States,

OK when I saw the notification I legit thought it said Gator Land, and I was thinking, "screw Disneyland! I'm going to Gator Land this summer!"

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By in United States,

@MCLegoboy said:
"Did that plane just drop a gator in to take care of these criminals? That's hardcore!"

No. It’s not Gator Dropping. It’s Gator Landing. That gator just came in for a professional-level water landing. Too bad you missed it. It was truly a sight to behold.

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By in United States,

An all-timer for me. I got it early in my "I buy LEGO with all my disposable income" childhood years--and it was on the older side (it was 1998) so I was glad to get it. My brother had 6444 Outback Airstrip, so this helped salve my envy, since it had a similar setting and vibe--and also came with a plane, though I would remain jealous of his having wheels.

The three figs here: Hawk, Hydro, and Teddy (as I would call them) were "the millionaires"--i.e. my richest Town figs, since they had ever dollar bill and most of the gold coins in my Town, and who but a millionaire would be floating/driving/flying around with that much hard cash? Left unanswered--and unasked--is why three millionaires were living in a swamp. One thing that prevented me asking the question is that they were also clearly wealthy because this was close to the only non-Freestyle set in my Town collection that HAD real estate, never mind if it was prime real estate or not.

As an adult, I can't help but think that I was clearly missing the obvious: these are clearly three criminals meeting up in a swamp for a hand-off. "Hydro" (the cowboy-hatted fella in green) is even on the wanted poster in the contemporaneously-released 6598 Metro PD Station.

Whether I missed the obvious or not, this was a great set: vehicles from the height great 90s Town (before the Fall), a fun play set. It was my first crocodile too, I think.

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By in New Zealand,

What’s with all the money? Is there some sort of illegal business going on?

Gator smuggling perhaps?

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By in United States,

Popular leather jacket the guy’s wearing in this set. Same jacket from the Random Minifig of yesterday’s, lol. Maybe they were inspired by Michael Jackson’s jacket from the Bad album cover.

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By in Australia,

So, like, is the alligator landing the plane? That would be impressive.

Years before Lego City was overrun by criminals and law-breakers, gee, this set seems to imply that these three gentlemen (and their pet alligator. I guess they have to get rid of bodies somehow, right?) were up to no good.

Are they counterfeiting or laundering money? Is it a smuggling operation? Maybe there's a wildlife trading syndicate (and the alligator is less part of the criminals, and more part of the crime).

With Lego, you decide!

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By in United States,

@RaiderOfTheLostBrick said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"It’s from the land down-under!
"

We don't get gators here. Crocs yes, but no gators.
"

We get gators where I live! Which isn’t in Australia at all, so your statement is still correct.

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By in United States,

This needs to be an episode of the Ridiculous Crime podcast.

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By in Poland,

I bought it used sometime in the second half of 00s. It has a few pieces missing, but still it was one of my favorite sets. So much play value and *only* 233 pieces. The only thing that would improve this set for me is a baseplate, but it's a great set nonetheless. One of the reasons I miss the 90s Lego despite the fact I wasn't even born then.

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By in Canada,

Interesting, the sets debut coincides with it being added to the site (according to 'sets' part of the site update).

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By in United Kingdom,

Looks more like gator swimming from the picture

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By in Germany,

Ah yes the drug smuggler line of Lego sets

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By in Netherlands,

Lovely set. To me one of the most 90s sets there are.

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By in United States,

This one kinda goes with set 1687. Same color scheme of black, red, and yellow. Also some shady stuff happening with briefcases of money.

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By in United States,

Car, boat, plane, building, LURP, rope bridge, articulated animal, spiky bush, chrome parts, three minifigs, $27.

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By in United States,

Drug trade?

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By in United States,

@Lyichir said:
"I don't miss that old suspension bridge piece. As cool as it looked, its size combined with the soft plastic it was molded from made it tend to warp and not stay stuck onto studs that well."

I used a clever SNOT technique to reverse the polarity of the studs in a MOC that I built to invert this piece as the undergirding for a bridge. NPU

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By in United States,

@Mica86:
The green one is more of a submersible than a hovercraft. And the fanboat isn't really a hovercraft either. I don't think I've ever seen a pontoon-style fanboat, though.

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By in United States,

I love this mid-90's era of town sets. I didn't have this particular one, but had several like it.

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By in Spain,

233 pieces a complete playset

With 600 pieces from the this year Adventure sets you don't get something as complete

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By in New Zealand,

@Phoenixio said:
"Very good playset. 3 vehicles, a gator, 3 minifigs, and the bridge piece which is so cool to play on. I loved this set as a child."

….And no guns.

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