Review: 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training
Posted by CapnRex101,
Original Trilogy subjects are famously common across the LEGO Star Wars range. Dagobah has remained noticeably scarce though, despite the prominence of this planet. 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training should provide the definitive rendition of Yoda's adopted home.
The display-oriented Diorama Collection seems ideally suited to Dagobah and this creation achieves impressive accuracy. The proportions of the swamp have been necessarily adjusted, including numerous memorable details from the movie, within limited available space. Furthermore, some appealing minifigures are provided.
Summary
75330 Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama, 1,000 pieces.
£79.99 / $89.99 / €89.99 | 8.0p/9.0c/9.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Dagobah Jedi Training provides an almost faultless rendition of this classic sequence.
- Extraordinary accuracy and detail
- Creative construction methods
- Three impressive minifigures
- Fairly expensive
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
75208 Yoda's Hut featured an excellent Luke Skywalker minifigure, wearing his training attire from The Empire Strikes Back. This minifigure closely resembles its predecessor, although the creasing on his shirt has been adjusted. The printed belt and trouser pockets also deviate from the 2018 design, providing minor improvements.
Luke's double-sided head has been assigned a new part number, but appears identical to the previous design. His concentrating face, with closed eyes for using the Force, looks absolutely perfect. Yoda appears unchanged too, although his torso also features a different number in the instruction manual. Regardless, no changes were needed because the Jedi Master's worn robe looks marvellous.
The olive green head features realistic wrinkles, although the printed hair on the reverse lacks texture. Yoda carries a reddish brown 3L bar, depicting his gimer stick, while a blissl adorns his torso. Luke's lightsaber is not included, which is somewhat surprising, but understandable since the moment presented here focuses exclusively upon the Force.
R2-D2 might be the most exciting figure among these three, unusually! The famed Astromech droid rarely experiences substantial changes, so decorating the reverse of his cylindrical body feels significant. The design looks great, matching both the onscreen character and the panels across the front. I love the splattered mud as well, even though Artoo's struts seem too clean.
However, there is an obvious issue with R2-D2 here, as the dome printing is woefully askew. Similar problems have occurred consistently since 1999, so their repetition is frustrating. The issue is never universal though and will hopefully be relatively isolated on this occasion, since this design otherwise looks superb.
The Completed Model
Display value is evidently paramount across the new Diorama Collection and this rendition of the swamp surrounding Yoda's hut looks fantastic. While the colours are inevitably earthy, the vibrant trans-green of this swamp is striking and tan elements are reserved almost exclusively for the hut, ensuring the structure stands out within its organic surroundings.
The model measures 27cm across and comparisons have inevitably been drawn between this vignette and 75296 Darth Vader Meditation Chamber, given their shared characteristics. I think the black border looks great, avoiding the superfluous complexity which affected the Meditation Chamber, but including the same decorative metallic silver grille tiles around the edges.
LEGO has developed the Diorama Collection with consistent depths, so these models can be displayed together on relatively shallow shelves. Unfortunately, that does not extend to 75296 Darth Vader Meditation Chamber, which is two studs deeper than the new sets. The flat backs on each vignette are helpful though, enabling easy display.
Printed quotations also accompany each model and the scenes on Dagobah certainly provide ample material to draw upon. I think Yoda's famous comment regarding conviction when using the Force was most appropriate though. The neighbouring LEGO Star Wars branding adorns a 2x4 tile, also present across the burgeoning diorama series.
Yoda's hut has been represented twice before at minifigure-scale. However, those two designs focused upon play value, whereas this rendition prioritises accuracy. The resultant structure is exceptionally detailed and its rounded shape looks outstanding, recreating the hardened mud construction associated with Yoda's home.
The LEGO construction involves a collection of curved slopes and bows, avoiding the same shapes appearing too frequently. The integration of dark tan and olive green highlights looks wonderful, alongside a tiny plume of smoke. Additionally, the high window reflects the original building, while the window that R2-D2 peers through would be positioned behind the tree, so outside the scope of this model.
Another window is situated on the other side, nestling among tree roots. The distinct shape is cleverly recreated using tan wheel arch pieces, which have not appeared in this colour before. Furthermore, those tree roots are integrated beautifully, generally following the contours of the hut, but leaving some gaps to give the impression of natural growth.
The space inside is extremely cramped, barely accommodating two minifigures. Nevertheless, some details from the movies are present, including a cooking pot and Yoda's simple bed. The stove is perfectly positioned beside the chimney and features a few trans-red and trans-orange tiles, hidden behind the pot. Yoda's lightsaber, meanwhile, is stored in the rafters.
Gnarled trees provide an attractive backdrop for the scene, combining reddish brown and dark brown elements to good effect. I love the varied shaping between these trees, while the curved roots correspond exactly with the onscreen location. Relatively few leaves are included, but this also reflects Dagobah's presentation during the films.
Dark tan plates and tiles surround the hut, separating it from the swamp. Again, space is fairly limited, although there is ample room for the minifigures. You can even attach Luke Skywalker upside down, using a trans-clear 1x1 round plate with bar and matching accessory holder. The same interesting technique appeared in 75208 Yoda's Hut, four years ago.
Luke's accessories are kept outside the hut, including a portable generator and the lamp that Yoda memorably attempts to steal! This technology stands out to a surprising degree, as grey parts are otherwise restricted to the sunken X-wing. The plants surrounding the swamp appear excellent as well, featuring muted colours.
Nearly 200 trans-green 1x1 tiles comprise the swamp, alongside 1x1 plates. That blending of different textures is nice, including bubbling water around the exposed X-wing S-foil. However, even more effective are the various colours underneath these plates and tiles, giving a realistic illusion of deeper water further from the shore.
This building technique has previously appeared in 70620 NINJAGO City and its successors, featuring differing plates beneath the water. The effect here is relatively subtle because these trans-green elements are darker than the trans-light blue water from the NINJAGO City series. Assembling the 1x1 tiles is inherently repetitive, but I think the result warrants that complexity.
Luke Skywalker's X-wing starfighter famously crashes into the Dagobah swamp, leaving only wing tips visible above the surface. The S-foil is therefore included, featuring Luke's Red Five markings on a printed 1x3 tile. The laser cannon looks good too, although the vehicle crashes with its wings together, hence another laser cannon should be mounted underneath.
Overall
Luke Skywalker's training on Dagobah is probably my favourite sequence from throughout the Star Wars saga and 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training presents the scene beautifully. The swampy environment looks marvellous and features exceptional detail, while Yoda's hut achieves superb accuracy when compared with the source material, as anticipated.
The price of £69.99, $79.99 or €79.99 provoked concern when the set was revealed and does feel somewhat expensive, relative to its size. However, the quality of this design is outstanding and justifies the cost to some degree, given the remarkable density of details. I would therefore highly recommend 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training, particularly once discounted.
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62 comments on this article
I must say that I love this newer aesthetic of sets which is so reminiscent of MOCs that we as fans make. Can't wait to see something outside of the OT, I dunno, maybe the Prequels? *wink*
This set is perfect, I'll totally pick it up at some point!
Also, doesn't yoda lose his lightsaber in Episode III?
@Vasko said:
"I must say that I love this newer aesthetic of sets which is so reminiscent of MOCs that we as fans make. Can't wait to see something outside of the OT, I dunno, maybe the Prequels? *wink*"
I'd love to see the theed palace reactor shaft, a segment of the geonosis arena, and the shores of mustfar recreated with this level of care and attention to detail
Glad to see that this R2 has rear printing (like in the Trash Compactor). I can't believe it has taken 23 years to get to this point though.
I wonder how many more years before we get bendable short legs.
- Fairly expensive
Ridiculously expensive, like the rest of the SW theme this year, it is beyond any sort of tax explanation now. 1000 parts for $79.99, but most of the parts are 1x1 tiles and plates. It is almost like paying for a premium DOTS set.
Speaking of the set design and figures, they look fine. (bad printing on R2 aside)
@BulbaNerd4000 said:
"This set is perfect, I'll totally pick it up at some point!
Also, doesn't yoda lose his lightsaber in Episode III?"
Oh, THAT'S a whole internet discussion from last month....
Regarding pricing, I would highly recommend Jang's video on the subject.
Imho he is one of the most objective resources in terms of LEGO, always professional and as neutral as possible.
His reaction to the prices of these new sets speaks volumes to me!
https://youtu.be/NJrwAVwU_CQ
For the impatient, jump to about the 12:35 minute mark.
At 49 years old, I'm exactly the fan that wants this. This set depicts the pivotal moment of my childhood adoration for The Empire Strikes Back, and gladly pay for one I will. Yes.
I already have this set preordered, and this review just amped up my excitement considerably.
These new diorama sets are incredible! I’m so excited to see what else Lego does in this space.
Nice set, too expensive.
But please, people, stop with the SW tax. There is no such thing. These sets are outrageously expensive only because LEGO knows their target audience is willing to pay for them.
But not me.
Actually - personal story - this set + the Trench Run and the Thrash Compactor made me realize that collecting LEGO SW was not sustainable for me any longer. Despite the fact that I'm right in the targetted audience (45 yo SW LEGO collector). During the weekend, I reviewed all of my priorities and put all the sets that did not correspond to those priorities on my BL store. I already sold some and I'm pretty happy about myself.
If I had a harrowing near-death experience with a swamp monster, my dome would be askew as well. Also, the quote may have incorrect punctuation (though I don't know what the script says it is), continuing the trend of infamous inaccuracies!
This looks great! Semi-transparent bricks placed over differently coloured bricks to give the illusion of depth also appeared in the Chinese New Year set 80107 'Spring lantern festival'. That effect always looks excellent. This is too expensive for me as a casual Star Wars fan though.
My one complaint, aside from price, is the lack of space inside. I know it’s a diorama, but surely they could have expanded the space inside some to better accommodate the figures.
Should also come with a Darth Vader figure, but with Luke's face. Nice set, but I'm not yet sure I'll be collecting these.
I know a lot of people have been clamouring for a back-printed R2 for ages, so I'm happy for them, but for my own part I find it off-putting, at least in photos. Also, I'm happy that I've never gotten a wonky dome print, which always seems to happen to CapnRex.
@Brainslugged said:
"Glad to see that this R2 has rear printing (like in the Trash Compactor). I can't believe it has taken 23 years to get to this point though.
I wonder how many more years before we get bendable short legs."
They already did, take a look at some of the "younger" Harry Potter minifigures
@Iceranger22 said:
" @Brainslugged said:
"Glad to see that this R2 has rear printing (like in the Trash Compactor). I can't believe it has taken 23 years to get to this point though.
I wonder how many more years before we get bendable short legs."
They already did, take a look at some of the "younger" Harry Potter minifigures"
These are bendable mid-legs, not short legs. They are slightly taller than short legs.
"Nearly 200 trans-green 1x1 tiles comprise the swamp, alongside 1x1 plates. That blending of different textures is nice, including bubbling water around the exposed X-wing S-foil. However, even more effective are the various colours underneath these plates and tiles, giving a realistic illusion of deeper water further from the shore."
I met him in a swamp down in Dagobah
Where it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated soda
S-O-D-A soda
"The olive green head features realistic wrinkles, although the printed hair on the reverse lacks texture. Yoda carries a reddish brown 3L bar, depicting his gimer stick, while a blissl adorns his torso."
I saw a little runt sitting there on a log
I asked him his name and in a raspy voice, he said "Yoda"
Y-O-D-A Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
Well, I've been around, but I ain't never seen
A guy who looks like a Muppet, but he's wrinkled and green
Oh, my Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
"75208 Yoda's Hut featured an excellent Luke Skywalker minifigure, wearing his training attire from The Empire Strikes Back. This minifigure closely resembles its predecessor, although the creasing on his shirt has been adjusted. The printed belt and trouser pockets also deviate from the 2018 design, providing minor improvements. Luke's double-sided head has been assigned a new part number, but appears identical to the previous design. His concentrating face, with closed eyes for using the Force, looks absolutely perfect."
Well, I left home just a week before
And I've never ever been a Jedi before
But Obi Wan, he set me straight, of course
He said, "Go to Yoda and he'll show you the Force"
Well I'm not the kind that would argue with Ben
So it looks like I'm gonna start all over again
With my Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
"You can even attach Luke Skywalker upside down, using a trans-clear 1x1 round plate with bar and matching accessory holder. The same interesting technique appeared in 75208 Yoda's Hut, four years ago."
So I used the Force
I picked up a box
I lifted some rocks
While I stood on my head
Well, I won't forget what Yoda said
"The price of £69.99, $79.99 or €79.99 provoked concern when the set was revealed and does feel somewhat expensive, relative to its size. However, the quality of this design is outstanding and justifies the cost to some degree, given the remarkable density of details. I would therefore highly recommend 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training, particularly once discounted."
He said, "Luke, stay away from the darker side
And if you start to go astray, let the Force be your guide"
Oh, my Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
"I know Darth Vader's really got you annoyed
But remember, if you kill him, then you'll be unemployed"
Oh, my Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
Well, I heard my friends really got in a mess
So I'm gonna have to leave Yoda, I guess
But I know that I'll be coming back someday
I'll be playing this part till I'm old and grey
The long-term contract I had to sign
Says I'll be making these movies till the end of time
With my Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-Yoda
(ok this last part isn't really relevant I just thought I could thematically link the prices to the mention of Mark Hamill's contract)
@eiffel006 said:
"Nice set, too expensive.
But please, people, stop with the SW tax. There is no such thing. These sets are outrageously expensive only because LEGO knows their target audience is willing to pay for them.
But not me.
Actually - personal story - this set + the Trench Run and the Thrash Compactor made me realize that collecting LEGO SW was not sustainable for me any longer. Despite the fact that I'm right in the targetted audience (45 yo SW LEGO collector). During the weekend, I reviewed all of my priorities and put all the sets that did not correspond to those priorities on my BL store. I already sold some and I'm pretty happy about myself.
"
Thanks to Disney (tax) and the bad CAD exchange rate these 3 sets at regular cost after provincial/federal tax come to over 350 CAD....that's just ludicrous
@BulbaNerd4000 said:
"This set is perfect, I'll totally pick it up at some point!
Also, doesn't yoda lose his lightsaber in Episode III?"
It turns out that Yoda's RotS lightsaber was collected and destroyed by Palpatine (and Mas Amedda) in a public demonstration on Coruscant. The lightsaber made an unexpected reappearance in some recent media, though, which lead to some discourse online. In the end, it was revealed that Yoda had more than one lightsaber—which isn't super surprising considering that the dude was old as heck. :)
I'm super excited about this set. Environments are my favorite LEGO models, and we don't get a ton of them… especially with Star Wars which is so focused on ships. I really hope that this adult/vignette line carries on for some time. The meditation chamber is wonderful (albeit expensive for its display value) and I hope to get the trench run set as well. Sadly, the trash compactor is much less appealing than its three counterparts—both in price and display.
Even at the high price point this is still an amazing set. looks absolutely perfect to me for the scale. Most certainly will be added to the collection at some point........hopefully at a nice sale price to help me feel better about it. it would be hard to not buy this one since it will look fantastic on display. Anyone who passes on it because of the price will regret it down the road.
I didn't know this Artoo had back printing as well! That's cool!
If this somehow goes on a sale for 30% off, I'm sold. But $79.99 is a no go.
I’m buying the set for sure, the review is great. I’ve got a couple of minor crits when it comes to the minifigures here.
Artoo
1. Same gripe I’ll always have. I need that third leg.
2. Detail on the side legs, with dirt, would have really made this version pop.
Luuuuuuke
1. Missed an opportunity here. Should have been dirty. Could have set it farther apart from the last version in a big way.
Matter of fact, I feel like the Luke and Han should have been dirty in the Trash Compactor (maybe Leia too) and Luke shoulda got a wet hair piece. “It just let go of me and disappeared!!!”
The photo with the meditation chamber has me really wanting Imperials in this format. Scenes like the Death Star Meeting from Star Wars OG. Imagine all those minifigures, like Motti, Tagge and the rest, with Tarkin and Vader, in ONE SET.
An idea funk article about potential dio scenes would be SWEET!!
This set looks far too Minecraft for my tastes. Like. Way more Minecraft than any other Lego kit I've seen before (aside from the actual Minecraft sets!).
The price of some SW sets like this one or the trash compactor set are just getting ridiculous. I already have all the key SW characters plus a bunch of troopers and I don't need to have every single variation of torso or legs for every character, so price issue aside they don't interest me for the minifigures either. Easy pass.
Lego, you can charge whatever you want for your sets but please understand that there is a limit for everything and a high price and an outrageous price are two different things.
Wow, I've never seen a misprint that bad before on an R2. Will you contact Lego Customer Service for a replacement dome? Seems like that is the kind of thing they will easily swap out.
@TomKazutara said:
"Grey Filler Bricks ???
Not pink, azure, lime or bright light orange ??
Is that even Lego ?"
I know that people have their thoughts on this, but in case you weren't aware they do this so that referencing placed pieces while placing new pieces is as easy as possible. As someone with bad eyesight, it is EXTREMELY helpful in large sets. From my perspective, as long as they aren't showing in the final model, anyone who complains about them is being a bit ridiculous.
I'm surprised neither the reviewer, nor anybody in this comments section (as far as I've seen) has commented on the choice of colour for the swamp... Surely there were better options available- this makes the swamp look like toxic waste to me!
The attention to detail is great, but the inside should have more height like an igloo so that Yodi can stand and a mini-fig sit on the bed! With all that foliage why is there not a proper overhanging branch to hang Luke on as he looks like he is doing a 1 arm handstand?
Nice set, but where are the seagulls?
Nice set, but it is to expensive in Switzerland with 109,00 Fr
At the today exchange rate it shall be around 84,83 or 82,33 compared to the £ or € price.
For the price, this set is near the top of my list for worst set of the year.
@LegoSonicBoy said:
[[[[Nearly 200 trans-green 1x1 tiles comprise the swamp, alongside 1x1 plates. That blending of different textures is nice, including bubbling water around the exposed X-wing S-foil. However, even more effective are the various colours underneath these plates and tiles, giving a realistic illusion of deeper water further from the shore.]]
I met him in a swamp down in Dagobah
Where it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated soda]]
At least credit Weird Al Yankovic....
@TheBrickGuru24 said:
" @TomKazutara said:
"Grey Filler Bricks ???
Not pink, azure, lime or bright light orange ??
Is that even Lego ?"
I know that people have their thoughts on this, but in case you weren't aware they do this so that referencing placed pieces while placing new pieces is as easy as possible. As someone with bad eyesight, it is EXTREMELY helpful in large sets. From my perspective, as long as they aren't showing in the final model, anyone who complains about them is being a bit ridiculous."
I couldn't agree more!!!
I personally don't like that flat open back(
It’s a great set but that price is really not on, and that goes for the other two. Jang is spot on, even for Lego as a premium product, even with the target market in mind and ignoring the recent quality issues the only way I and I imagine many others will be getting these would be with a very significant discount. At least it is encouraging me to use the bricks I have already to do more scratch building.
I've waited 13 years (since the end of my dark ages) for LEGO to put back printing on R2-D2. Can't believe it actually happened, quite astonished since they really didn't seem to care for all those years even though it was such an ubiquitous minifigure and popular character.
Pricing is getting out of control for SW legos. Sheesh
Looks good beside the color for the water (It's almost completely opaque in the movie and would look better in trans black IMHO). I also like the subject matter, although the 2018 set was better in many ways.
@AustinPowers thank you for the link and timestamp. I've seldomly seen Jang that upset about price. And I agree. There's a point where even if the set uses enough parts to keep a decent price per piece, it's just not adding anything. And I think that in this case the huge amount of 1x1 parts (AGAIN, lego?) is just not doing enough.
But at the end of the day, nothing matters here. People who love the movie and have the money will buy it. I never would have anyway. Lego's going to get away with these prices again...
@bdc101 said:
"Pricing is getting out of control for SW legos. Sheesh"
Pricing is getting out of control for Everything.
I don't like that the front of the hut is floating above the ground. Also, from another review it's clear that Yoda can't lie down in his bed, as there's no room for the arm next to the wall.
@mickywrx said:
"At least credit Weird Al Yankovic...."
Yeah, you're probably right, since unlike my previous comments I quoted basically almost the entire song this time around.
(Not that anyone thought I was legitimately trying to pass any of those words as my own, I think pretty much everyone got the reference.)
Overall it looks really good. But that price and the similarities in the figures with the last version. Yes a little different but not worth that cost. Outside of the exclusive parts I’ll have to see if I have enough to build it myself and keep the cost down.
It looks nice but I will keep my 75208. This hut is a bit too small for the minifigures, and the set is way too expensive (almost 3 times more than 75208!)
Great review and a great set at a discounted price.
IDK, ive already got 75208 and i bricklinked SDCC2015-2...
I like that with the eschew printing on on R2 he now comes across as if he's judging Luke. "What the brick do you think you're doing boy?"
Anyway, this set looks as good as I expected it too, but it's far far too expensive.
@SinKiller_Nick said:
"Wow, I've never seen a misprint that bad before on an R2. Will you contact Lego Customer Service for a replacement dome? Seems like that is the kind of thing they will easily swap out.
"
Noooo, this missprint will have a value on the collector's market of $/€/whatevercurrency 1.000.000 ;)
The price per piece should exclude 1x1 plates, pips, and tiles, to give a true impression of the value for money. In this set nearly 200 trans green 1x1 pieces are used. Subtract that from the piece count and then re-do the maths. This set is tremendously expensive for what it is. A nice model and a lovely rendition of the scene. But pricey. That said, LEGO know that if you want it, you should buy it now. Waiting a few months will leave you in the manipulated scalpers market, likely paying double. Either way, it’s likely to sell out soon.
Or, you could do what Ole intended all those years ago … and build your own version. Much more fun!
My one real gripe about this set is that Luke’s hand should be on the ground, not 6” above it. The nipple tile should be two plates below the surface, and both parts should blend in with the ground.
@ao_ka:
Typically, odd lengths cost more than you’d expect. Typically, they also have higher resale values, because they also tend to be less common.
@Johnny__Thunder97:
Brown would have made more sense, but their trans-brown is more black than anything else. You could put reddish-brown and dark-brown underneath to see if that looks better, but that’s about the extent of where you can go in that direction.
@ambr:
Because he was doing a one-arm handstand in that scene?
@jsutton:
$79.99 / (1000 - 200) = $0.10/pc
Holy crap, you’re right! When you think about it that way it’s still exactly what people have been judging value of sets by for decades until it was repeatedly pointed out to them that they can’t do math every time they invoke “SW tax”! Whew! I wasn’t sure how I was going to get to sleep tonight, but that clears everything up.
I'll probably just mod the $30 version from a bit ago and BL the new R2
@Johnny__Thunder97 said:
"I'm surprised neither the reviewer, nor anybody in this comments section (as far as I've seen) has commented on the choice of colour for the swamp... Surely there were better options available- this makes the swamp look like toxic waste to me!"
It reminds me of a midwestern pond in July filled with algae and duck weed. All natural :)
@Astrobricks:
Dagobah didn’t have much in the way of natural lighting, though. If they made trans-olive-green or actual-trans-brown, those might have been better matches to the movie.
@Brainslugged said:
"Glad to see that this R2 has rear printing (like in the Trash Compactor). I can't believe it has taken 23 years to get to this point though."
Not one but two versions of R2 with back printing is an exciting development! Most of us agree, though, that these sets are priced too high. The cynic in me wonders if the back printing and C-3PO arm printing are enticements for minifig collectors to pay the retail price when we otherwise might just pass. LEGO could have just put the regular versions in these sets and not bat an eye, but I'm glad they didn't.
@lluisgib said:
"Noooo, this missprint will have a value on the collector's market of $/€/whatevercurrency 1.000.000 ;)"
It should be the opposite: a well printed R2 dome is worth much more than the overwhelming number of mis-printed ones!
Like many of you, I have 20+ R2's lying around from sets over the years. I can say I have one reasonably printed dome and the rest quite wobbly. Not one that I would consider "near perfect". So if you have one, cherish it :)
"
$79.99 / (1000 - 200) = $0.10/pc
"
I agree with you on this set. The Dagobah set is "reasonably" priced when you look at this way.
The trench run set runs afoul of the "amount of stuff you get" test IMO because part count isn't the only factor that should be used to judge price. There are no minifigures to bolster the asking price and there are a lot of small pieces with, what, just the turret being posable? That set is also physically quite small.
I figure - pun intended - the Trash Compactor set is price higher because of the minifigure contingent. I like to think that a minifigure is worth about $4 or $5 of the asking price, which in the past has worked out well for me when judging value. Since it has 6 minfigs, let's say that's $30 right there. So now you have approx 800 pieces for $60, which actually isn't too bad from part count alone. If you discount some number of small pieces, it might still work out to the magical 10 cents per piece and the set has the cool closing wall mechanism even if it is small like the trench run set.
Crap, I might have talked myself out of at least two of the sets being overpriced :) I still stand by the trench run set being too pricey.
BTW the "amount of stuff test" and the "minifigure value test" have been ingrained in me after years of watching Jang's review videos. I feel they are actually quite a reasonable way to judge the value of a LEGO set vs its retail price. YMMV.
@jsutton said:
"The price per piece should exclude 1x1 plates, pips, and tiles, to give a true impression of the value for money. In this set nearly 200 trans green 1x1 pieces are used. Subtract that from the piece count and then re-do the maths. This set is tremendously expensive for what it is. A nice model and a lovely rendition of the scene. But pricey. That said, LEGO know that if you want it, you should buy it now. Waiting a few months will leave you in the manipulated scalpers market, likely paying double. Either way, it’s likely to sell out soon.
Or, you could do what Ole intended all those years ago … and build your own version. Much more fun!"
So is it your contention that 1x1 plates and tiles should be free? Do you think TLG should just ship you a 50 lb. bag of them in every conceivable color if you give them a phone call, or what?
@Blondie_Wan said:
"So is it your contention that 1x1 plates and tiles should be free? Do you think TLG should just ship you a 50 lb. bag of them in every conceivable color if you give them a phone call, or what?"
Do you have any interest in buying 200 trans-green 1x1 tiles and 200 green 1x1 plates for $40?
Does anyone?
@bdc101 said:
" @Blondie_Wan said:
"So is it your contention that 1x1 plates and tiles should be free? Do you think TLG should just ship you a 50 lb. bag of them in every conceivable color if you give them a phone call, or what?"
Do you have any interest in buying 200 trans-green 1x1 tiles and 200 green 1x1 plates for $40?
Does anyone?"
Of course not, but since no one is selling those at that price it’s immaterial.
@jsutton said:
"The price per piece should exclude 1x1 plates, pips, and tiles, to give a true impression of the value for money. In this set nearly 200 trans green 1x1 pieces are used. Subtract that from the piece count and then re-do the maths. This set is tremendously expensive for what it is. A nice model and a lovely rendition of the scene. But pricey. That said, LEGO know that if you want it, you should buy it now. Waiting a few months will leave you in the manipulated scalpers market, likely paying double. Either way, it’s likely to sell out soon.
Or, you could do what Ole intended all those years ago … and build your own version. Much more fun!"
Not sure if you're intentionally trolling or just naturally good at it. You're simultaneously pushing two opposite ideas at once to emotionally excite people.
There is no hurry. Lego is getting better at handling inventory. All of the SW sets that were initially sold out (e.g., the Mando battle pack) have been available for long periods in all of the various Lego pipelines for discounted prices. The only time people miss an 'opportunity' is for GWP or when sets are discontinued- usually after lots of sales (for me, it was the Old Fishing Store :( (what was I thinking!?)). Of course, I used to call my Lego store the night before launch and reserve a copy of every new SW set. Oh, those were the days!
Others have shown the illogic of your statements regarding PPP (sadly without referencing quadratic or differential equations). I understand that you think small pieces shouldn't count. Yet, the designers have specifically enthused that this is precisely what is motivating them regarding the dioramas (See, BrothersBrick reviews). They are going for highly authentic looking sets regardless of piece limits and only considering the limited space AFOLs have. The only issue is whether we AFOLs like this or would we rather have the kids' sets.
For me, I like them all. But, the Trench Run seems less economical to me because there are no minifigs. I'm a minifig junkie and am salivating over the new droid prints. That said, I will probably wait for a discount/GWP for all of them.
I find it disingenuous that you are trying to tell us to simultaneously rush out and buy this set, and then hate ourselves/Lego for doing so. C'mon, this is Brickset. We're all just some version of nerdy AFOL here. Let's enjoy the stress-alleviating rustle of our plastic pieces and the positive, enlightening discussion we nerds need. Let's leave the trolling to social media.
@Blondie_Wan said:
" @bdc101 said:
" @Blondie_Wan said:
"So is it your contention that 1x1 plates and tiles should be free? Do you think TLG should just ship you a 50 lb. bag of them in every conceivable color if you give them a phone call, or what?"
Do you have any interest in buying 200 trans-green 1x1 tiles and 200 green 1x1 plates for $40?
Does anyone?"
Of course not, but since no one is selling those at that price it’s immaterial."
Sir, you are in a thread discussing how Lego is selling those pieces for those prices.
(pardon me, $32 -- the point still stands)