My first of two of my classic space sets. :)

Pros:

- Extremely beautiful set with amazing color scheme.

-Has 4 minigs.

-Even has a landing pad and small base.

-Has a small Rover and even room in the spaceship to store it.

Cons:

- You can't close the cockpit to the ship with the minifigs standing up.

-Imstructions aren't as easy to follow as ones today.

Overall a very good set and definitely worth it's original price but is very expensive now. Glad I got mine for extremely cheap!

I was given this set by my Mum and Dad when I was 7yo

It was my favorite set ever and I think still is. The hours I spent playing and rebuilding this set are impossible to add up.

It really is such a fantastic set that any and all AFOL should count as a must have.

My one has become a favorite with my now 8yo son now even amongst all his and my lego sets from the past to present. And this set sits front and center in my Space/Star Wars theme only Lego display cabinet.

Thanks Mum and Dad xoxo

p.s. If you can get one do it.

Building Experience

I got 2 of these in a huge box of old sets so it was easier to find all of the pieces as compared with say the Cosmic Fleet Voyager, and build time was significantly less. It's a unique build with more plates than I expected at the start and the time spent on the hull and moon base was less than I thought it would be. That being said, the build kept my interest and certainly would have warranted 5 stars back in the early 80s when this was produced.

Parts

This is the one category that I need to deduct a star. There are a lot of classic space elements like the gold windshields, radar dish, thrusters, and antenna. However I have a gripe with the flimsy blue and gray tail and side fin pieces. Several were broken and it's not just the age of the set. I recall having a lot of these break when I had my original copy back in the day. They require too much pressure to get them locked in place and the fin is too skinny.

Playability

The landing pad and base really add to the playability of this set. The ship itself is also probably the best looking classic spaceship; very aerodynamic and sleek looking. My only complaint would be the very small size of the base. This could have been doubled without adding much to the overall cost of the set and would have looked much better and allowed for better play.

Value for the money

$32 back in 1980 (equivalent of about $90 today) may have seemed like a lot for 4 figures and 300 pieces, but you also got two base plates and one of the best looking lego ships that would be available for decades. Considering that a used one goes for about $150 now, this would have been a great buy. Is it worth $150 today? As a collectible sure, but at about the same cost, it certainly can't hold up against something like 75105: Millennium Falcon

497/928- Galaxy Explorer

The LL928 "Explorer" starship is the stuff of LEGO legend, and while many love it just for its nostalgic value, I'm going to try to review it as I would any other set. So, is the Galaxy Explorer worth the nearly $250 most charge for it? How does it stack up to modern sets in terms of design and playability? Read on to find out

Instructions

The instructions are normal for a set of this time period. They feature simple, but still well-done, images of the parts and model. They're a bit hard to follow, but are still of a relatively high quality.

Minifigures

There are four minifigures in this set. The red space man, of which there are two, features a classic space logo on his torso, and that generic, smiling,unisex face. The two white space men are essentially the same, but with a white torso, legs, air tanks, and helmet.

Build

Building this model is hard. It took about 2 hours, which is a long time for a 340-part set, and this is mainly due to the instructions asking you to put around 10 parts on per step.

Completed

When completed, the set looks great. The ship is a little blocky by today's standards, but still sleek enough, and the moonbase is well done despite its small size. The famed baseplates are just as awesome as I expected, and it all just works.

Playability

The set has a good amount of stuff in it, and some basic play features, that make it a pretty good toy, as well as an awesome collector's item. The rear cargo bay opens, and the little rover can actually roll out, as opposed to today's "boarding ramps" that you have to shove a minifig up into. The moonbase has a lovely computer and communications dish to signal the rest of your fleet, and there is enough terrain around it for a minifig to explore. There is also a perfect amount of figs, because you have two to sit in the cockpit, one to sit on the rover in the cargo bay or on the terrain around the moonbase, and one to use the computers in the moonbase.

Parts

Lots of blue, grey, and trans yellow. There are some nice prints, and a trans-yellow plate.

Overall, this is both a great toy and a great display item.

The Galaxy Explorer is regarded by many as the paragon of Classic Space.

Instructions

Normal for a 70s or 80s set.

Minifigures

The set comes with two each of red and white spacemen

Build

This set is hard to build. The instructions ask you to put about ten bricks on per step, and I had to dismantle the ship twice to get it right.

Completed

Wow. This is a great-looking set. Even people who do not know what it is often remark upon how cool it looks. The ship itself is rather bulky, but still pretty sleek. The cockpit can seat two, or even three if you squeeze them in. The rear section fits the rover with a minifig on it. A really interesting subtle detail is that if you have a fig on the rover, it can be seen through the cargo bay windscreen.

The base is pretty nice too. The ship fits much better onto the landing pad than, say, the Galaxy Commander, and the base itself has all of those fancy printed computer bricks. The amount of figures included is also perfect for playability. You get two to pilot, one to drive the rover, and one to work in the base. Overall, everything about this set is totally perfect.

a review by InvisibleTimmy