I am an epic fan of this set.

The build is very simple by today's standards, so demanding in detail. The trans yellow parts are awesome. The tracking station seems a little pointless except for the huge dish you get with it.

Playability is huge.The minifigs may not have anyone to shoot but there's plenty of moon stuff that is fun. I still have a copy of the 1980s magazine with a recommended rebuild of this set. I haven't be able to bring myself to yet. This biggest of early classic space is infinitely entertaining on it's own, though I admit, I would love an LL924.

Value for money is getting worse and worse as the original set remains rare and demand from us old timers remains high. Sunburn and fatigue are doubtless taking their toll on the remainders.

Pros -

It's Epic.

It's swooshable.

It's way better than all the re-released Star Wars tat.

Cons -

Lacks detail (everything did back then).

The locking mechanism (a flat tile) for the cargo doors is a bit lame now.

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.

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

It was my favourite 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 favourite with my 6yo 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.

In 1979, seeing this in a Lego Catalogue or on a toyshop shelf would unleash any child's inner Benny. You either had this set, or you wanted it. I sadly was in the latter category, this set's price tag at the time put it out of reach. Until yesterday, when I finally held one of these in my hands for the first time and can call it my own. And it certainly did not disappoint.

This set graces the cover of Great Lego Sets: A Visual History and could be considered Lego's greatest ever set. It was the flagship set that launched one of Lego's most fondly remembered themes, Legoland Space.

The spacecraft itself is just magnificient. It has a large footprint but at the same time was not too massive to be held comfortably in a young pair of hands. It's undercarriage, built up with lots of good old fashioned light grey plates and wing pieces, makes the whole structure very sturdy, and it is surprisingly light. The practicality of the design is just as good as it's aesthetics.

The build was an elaborate one for it's day, but quite straightforward. Also the instructions for this set contain something very unusual for the time, but very common today. Most of the steps in the instruction booklet have a list of parts used in that step. Very helpful for that large expanse of light grey that makes up the underside of the ship!

The playability of the set was enhanced with the addition of a landing pad alongside a crater baseplate, with a small but functional booth type building and radar dish. A small simple buggy is also included as a payload for the back of the spacecraft, which the four space minifig crew can use to explore the distant worlds where they land.

Having been lucky enough to experience first time around what is now affectionately referred to as 'Classic Space' it has taken some 30+ years for me to secure a truly fine boxed example of this legend from Bricklink!

Impossibly detailed following a defined, intricate build, larger than its physical dimensions, this is true finess in practical hardware, utter beauty and looking at the wonderful minifigs on board - defines limitless adventure opportunities.

You simply get it all in one set, from landing strip and moon craters, moon base, pilots and technicians all fortunate enough to be part of this set and indeed the ship that has defined an entire theme from its inception... clean, crisp and faultless.

So, some 30+ years later, was it worth the wait? I've not been able to stop looking at it and proudly swooshing it around my house after the majestic build - that says it all!!

Triple 'A' - how do you follow a legend..?