AUSINI #26701 - RACING

852 pieces at ZAR 329.99, the set represents good value for money and offers plenty of playability. Some nice detail with lots of accessories and 6 mini-characters making up the pit crew and drivers. The mini-characters are all identical and not much effort was made here. Some interesting building techniques on the cars, with the overall design a bit disappointing. 

LEGO® #60012 - 4x4 & DIVE BOAT

Great little set from the coast guard series consisting of 128 pieces and includes two minifigs. A little pricey though at ZAR 1.41 per brick. A fun build, with nice detailing on the completed model. Do note that there are a fair amount of stickers.

MINIFIGS & FAKE LEGO

Call it what you want fake, bootleg, knock-off, etc. it must be noted that there are some quality products coming out of China, including genuine Lego®. Yes there will be argument saying Lego® is only made in Denmark; when last did you look at the box...

Two random boxes taken off the shelf, even the Starwars stuff has components manufactured in China! It is also interesting to note that Enlighten has been around since 1963 and produces quality bricks and provides value for money. Yes caution is needed when looking at compatible options as there are some really poor copies out there. Some will argue that the sets are old designs & lack originality, however this is a great source of blocks and ultimately the fun comes from your own designs & creativity.

Now for a real bug-bear, we enjoy the mini-figs and the excitement of grabbing packets of the collectable sets, feeling around attempting to identify what character is inside, make a selection and go pay, hoping not to get duplicates. 

Starting out collecting the minifigs were around ZAR 24.00 now with the latest ones retailing for ZAR 34.99 we are a little hesitant to buy and end up with duplicates and incomplete sets. Take series 12, we were after a couple of the lifeguard and not one. Surely people would be more inclined to buy more minifigs knowing what they are getting?

 We have noticed more and more manufacturers (JLB, Sheng Yuan, Lele, Bozhi...)  making copies at a reasonable price (available online from around ZAR 11.00).

An advantage is that some of the items available include military sets.

We found the following at a store in Durban, unfortunatley they had sold out and could only get the one.

Good quality plastic, nice detailed printing and a few accesories at ZAR 15.00.

LEGO® CITY #60074 - BULLDOZER

Part of the City range of sets, the new bulldozer is awesome and provided a great build. With great detail and playability we are pleased to have found this on special in a local toy store. The set consists of 384 pieces (ZAR 299.00 = 0.78 per brick) with two included minifigures.

Inclusion of the female construction worker and her sledge-hammer adds a nice touch. Accessories include a wheelbarrow, tnt, warning sign & jack-hammer with a partialy built structure that is designed to break apart easily.

Bulldozer ready to be transported on our MOC heavy load truck.

BACK ON TRACK

It was always our intention to post daily on this blog and pursue our interst in Lego® and compatible bricks. We however did not want this to simply become a copy paste and reference to other posts on the web which has proved difficult for numerous reasons. Firstly it has proved a challange to find quality compatible bricks locally and finding original sets we want at prices we can afford.

However sitting down to build again after over a months abscence, the excitement & amazement was back - surprising how it takes just one model.

Some of the Toys R Us stores here in Natal are now stocking compatible bricks at a reasonable price, unfortunately the majority seems to be Ban Bao which has clear compatibility problems due to height difference of the studs.

(Lego® on left / BanBao on right)

(Lego® on top / BanBao on bottom)

We have though managed to find a couple of Enlighten sets amongst the mix. There are some good compatible brick options out there and it is unfortunate that not the best option is making its way into our local market.