Summer has barely started that we find already on eBay the much overrated R2-D2 in snowman mode (Snowman) which will be delivered in the next Advent calendar: LEGO Star Wars 9509 Advent Calendar 2012.

Available between 10 and 20 €, this droid still looks a bit tart with its two carrots ... But as this will certainly be the only opportunity to get this version, it will absolutely be necessary to offer yourself (or to be offered ) this set to make sure you have a complete collection of astromech droids ...

If you are allergic to carrots, you can always treat yourself to the totally white version below pompously called prototype and currently offered by a german seller for € 7 ...

We dare to hope that LEGO will have learned the lessons of the failure of its previous MMOG LEGO Universe, whose final shutdown took place on January 31, 2012 ... (see this article)

And it would be better if that was the case, because today's announcement may leave many observers skeptical that the manufacturer has not convinced many with its first foray into the online gaming industry.

This time, it is the developer Funcom (Anarchy Online, Dreamfall) who sticks to it and who has just signed an agreement with LEGO to create a new massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) based on the line of collectible minifigs that we are eagerly awaiting Series 8. 

Be careful though, according to the official press release, it smacks of online play via facebook or via the mini-site dedicated to these series of collectable minifigs and we can deduce that the target will remain very young.

Suddenly, LEGO is taking much less risk with a game that will be distributed via the online channels (read social networks) currently most popular (...available to consumers in their online channels...) and whose universe will be more accessible (...maximum accessibility...), implied watered down and simplistic.

So I withdraw my comparison with the gas factory that was LEGO Universe and I just understood that all this ramdam concerns a game in the sauce Cityville which was not even worth these few lines ...

See the official press release at Funcom.

Superb realization that this micro Helicarrier proposed by Jack Marquez aka Ewok in Disguise (but where do they get their nicknames ...).

I put here a top view that you can compare with the capture below from the movie The Avengers, but Jack Marquez offers several other shots to discover this MOC from every angle on his flickr gallery.

Obviously, the micro format does not allow a level of detail comparable with the model from which this machine is inspired, but the distinctive signs are there and the general physiognomy is respected.

Hopefully this first MOC will inspire other artists and that we will quickly see some realizations in larger formats arriving on flickr, LEGO not having seen fit to reproduce this flying machine and having been satisfied with an interior for which it takes a lot of imagination in the set 6868 Hulk's Helicarrier Breakout (47.92 € on amazon.es).

(Thanks to Arnaud for his email)

Let's talk a bit about the things that annoy (sometimes) and that relate (often) with this site which will allow you to assess as accurately as possible the theoretical value of your collection and which will guide you in your LEGO investments: I am obviously talking about Brickpicker.com. For those who are not yet familiar with this site, the goal is simple: Inform you in real time about the value of your sets, the possibilities of resale and capital gains, market trends, increases and decreases, opportunities to be seized, etc ...

As with the stock exchange or the gold market, LEGOs are treated more as a source of profit than as an exciting toy. The discussions that take place on the site's forum may shock more than a disinterested collector, but they bring their share of interesting information on this hobby which can also become a business, the two are not incompatible.
We discuss the quality of the boxes produced by LEGO, their ability to withstand time, the interest of storing boxes from the LEGO Lord of the Rings range for future resale, etc ...

Brickpicker.com also provides tools for quoting sets with the sales volumes recorded in recent months, the evolution of the average resale price on the internet, the ranking of best sellers on eBay, etc ...

The blog part offers some interesting articles on storage methods for example, on the reasons for insuring your collection against theft / fire / flood / attack of Godzilla, or on how to generate substantial profits from end-of-life ranges .

What to think of such a site? If you are allergic to the idea of ​​making a profit buying and reselling LEGOs in a market where supply and demand are on the rise, go your way. You will be shocked to see that LEGO is being treated like any raw material for profit. If you want to educate yourself on the future investment aspect of LEGO sets by looking out of the corner of your eye at your 10197 UCS Millennium Falcon, this site is for you. If you want to make a lot of money speculating on LEGO ranges, you probably already know Brickpicker.com...

Actual availability of the UK-exclusive collectible minifig series: 8909 Team GB LEGO Minifigures and Brickset does not hide his enthusiasm for this mini-series of 9 minifigs with the image of the British Olympic team.

The range is already available in Great Britain from stores not respecting the official launch date of July 1.
We are told that only the female judoka is screen-printed on the back with the continuity of the belt, that the number of the sprinter's bib actually corresponds to the year in which the last Olympic Games were held in Great Britain (1948 ), that some parts are delivered in new colors and that the cavalier bomb is a new part.

In view of the photos, it must be recognized that these minifigs are very successful. The athletes' outfits are superb and the level of detail is exceptional.

For us collectors outside of Great Britain, we still have to wait for the series to appear on bricklink, the most impatient can already turn to eBay or the complete series is trading around 45 €.