Already have all the key chains, pens, magnets and other watches from the LEGO Star Wars merchandise line? Here are others announced for 2012 ....

On the menu, minifig-pens with retractable heads and watches a little less ugly than those already released in the past.

The new watches seem to have been the subject of an effort on the serigraphy of the dial which is a little less cartoonish than on the previous models. These new models should have an easier time attracting an adult clientele despite the classic bracelet a little too LEGO for my taste to be worn on a daily basis ...

As for the pens, we will have to wait to see more, but it seems that these are retractable models and that the body of the minifig acts as a stopper. Apparently a desk stand would also come with these pens.

I am an avid collector of LEGO Star Wars products, but I do not buy these merchandise for the simple reason that like magnets or key chains, the minifigure is hijacked and is no longer a full-fledged character benefiting from of all its features, but just a commercial argument to sell another product ....

I'll let you make up your own mind and if you have an opinion on the subject, feel free to post a comment ....

Did I ever tell you that I can't stand the so-called artistic photos of Stormtroopers any more? No doubt yes.

But that doesn't mean that I don't like LEGO photography, quite the contrary. I came across tonight the flickr gallery by Jim Walshe, a photography enthusiast and apparently LEGO enthusiast who produces very beautiful images.
These two pictures bear witness to this. The one featuring the Kaadu at the start of the ostrich race made me smile. That of the Vulture Droids of the set  30055 Droid Fighter convinced me that a beautiful photo can definitely enhance a set that at the start is nothing exceptional ....

Jim Walshe presents more photos on his flickr gallery and I hope he produces some more LEGO-themed ones in the future.

Click on the visuals to display them in large format.

And yes, there are some who have no luck ... Opening of the box of the day, and unpacking. The drama, a part is missing (Cone 1 x 1) while 4 more unused parts on this model are in the bag. and here I am stuck on the construction of this OG-9 Homing Spider Droid, a well-known actor of the Clone wars and that LEGO produced in the system range in 2008 with the set 7681 Separatist Spider Droid.  

So I replace the room with another found in the souk of my son's room to take the photo.

If any of you have any missing pieces, please let us know in the comments.

In the meantime, you can always console yourself with this uninteresting mini-set with the Midi-Scale version of Brickdoctor whose .lxf file can be downloaded at this address: 2011SWAdventDay4.lxf .

At the opening of the 3rd box of the Star Wars Advent Calendar, many are puzzled by the machine that comes out today ...

It is therefore a Mechno Chair seen in theEpisode I The Phantom Menace. This mechanized mobile projector displays the hologram of Darth Sidious that addresses the Viceroy Nute Gunray on Naboo.

Nothing too exciting, I just tinkered with a Darth Sidious with what I immediately had on hand (You will guess who owns the torso ...).

Attention, for the youngest, it is normal if you did not have the minifigure of the photo in this box, it is not there.

For reference, here is a capture of the relevant scene in theEpisode I..

Well, I can't resist the pleasure of posting you a snapshot of Nute Gunray's minifig from the second box of the Star Wars Advent Calendar, despite my promise yesterday ...

But as we never do like everyone else at Hoth Bricks (a little self-satisfaction does not hurt ...), I put on the left the minifig from the set of magnets 852844 released in 2010 and in which Nute Gunray was accompanied by Onaconda Farr and Chancellor Palpatine.

Even if it is not visible in the photo, there is no doubt that the minifigure of the calendar is of much better quality in terms of plastic: We can clearly see the light through the legs of that of the pack of magnets and this transparency is not as obvious on the minifigure of the calendar.

As for the screen printing, it is difficult to be affirmative, the screen printing being darker on the minifig of the magnet pack, but the various photos available on flickr of the Nute Gunray of the calendar confirm significant variations in the density of the screen printing depending on the copies.