It's been seven years since I last visited a Lego store, in Disneyland California. All I remember about it is that they had Mars Mission a month before it came out everywhere else. Since then, I have waited patiently, wondering if a store would ever be built close enough to visit regularly. Now the wait is over, and there is a Lego store practically on my doorstep: Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah.(Its location can be found here.)
The new store is smaller than the others I have seen, but it still has everything a Lego store should: walls full of boxes, sets in display cases, even tiny displays embedded in the walls, only visible through small holes. And, of course, the signature wall of pieces. The selection isn't great, but it's a pretty good deal if you find yourself in need of those particular bricks.
The walls full of different sets
The wall of bricks
This display contains large insects.
This one is a movie theater full of minifigures.
This one has butterflies in several colors.
I attended the grand opening on October 4th. there were so many people there, they handed out tickets and issued updates whenever another group was permitted inside. It was about an hour and a half wait, so we went hunting for series 11 minifigures (I found them at a different store and came away with seven: the Blacktron robot, the yeti, the climber, the tribal warrior, the barbarian, the scarecrow, and the welder), and then went out to dinner. By the time we got back, it was time to go inside. Inside, there were tables where anyone could build random stuff, and also a stand where custom minifigures can be made and purchased (also slim selection, but fun). I talked to an employee for a while, and he was impressed that I could give the name of any set he described (particularly space sets from 1988 on). Any in attendance could also witness and assist in the construction of an eight foot Hulk sculpture. It was about half finished when I went.
The custom minifigure table
One of several tables of random stuff
The sculpture is constructed of scaled-up bricks made of many smaller ones.
This is a scaled-down version of the monstrous sculpture.
All in all, I am very excited to have a Lego store so nearby, and I plan to go regularly. Happy building!
Today, I have taken the time to pay homage to one of my favorite Lego space factions: Blacktron. This faction covered two themes, one in the late eighties and another in the early nineties. The Blacktron have been defined as theives who steal technology from other factions, helping to secure their own domination. The first of the two themes, simply titled Blacktron but usually referred to as Blacktron I or BT1, revolutionized Lego space and has been named the first truly "themed" series of space sets. Blacktron I featured intimidating minifigures, sleek shapes, and interchangeably modular designs, all glued together by a striking color scheme of black, yellow, trans-red and trans-yellow.Many ideas pioneered by Blacktron I are still used today, such as smaller vehicles detaching from larger ones, etc. To this day, Blacktron I sets are very popular and therefore expensive and hard to come by. Regrettably, I do not own any as yet but I plan on collecting them all eventually. Pictured below are the Battrax, the Renegade, and the Message-Intercept Base, some of the most acclaimed Blacktron I sets.
The Renegade isn't huge by today's standards, at only 313 pieces,
but it's by all means a work of art.
The Battrax is a mean four-wheeled machine that is still
highly sought after today.
The Message Intercept Base features a dome that
can open using a mechanism similar to that of the
Futuron Cosmic Laser Launcher.
Blacktron returned in 1991 with Blacktron: Future Generation, which is usually referred to as Blacktron II or BT2. Unlike Blacktron I, its "sequel" had a color scheme of black, white, and trans-neon green, which added to the notion that it was an "upgrade" of Blacktron I. This newer series is often slandered as a set-by-set rehash of its predecessor, but I think this theme needs to be appreciated for what it is, not insulted for what it could have been. Blacktron II shared the idea of interchangeability, since some vehicles had futuristic, spheroid cockpits that were very similar and compatible with one another. Unfortunately, only four of the dozen sets had these cockpits, making the others incompatible. Blacktron II minifigures wore a new logo, a green letter B inside an octagon, emblazoned on their chests. While the new logo and design made the minifigures seem slightly less formidable (you can see their smiley faces through their visors), they still have a great design and excellent play value. Unlike Blacktron I, Over half of Blacktron II sits upon my shelves, hopefully to be joined eventually by the rest of both themes. Two of the most popular Blacktron II sets, the Aerial Intruder (I have that one) and the Spectral Starguider (I really need to get me one of those) are seen below.
The Spectral Starguider is impressively designed, including suspension, steering
and the ability to form an aircraft from the cockpit and the top-mounted engines.
The Aerial Intruder sported two spheroid cockpits
and a cargo ramp for deploying two buggies.
The Blacktron Intelligence Agency
The Blacktron Intelligence agency is a monstrous Blacktron I layout built by Brian Darrow in Indiana. The BIA was a massive undertaking, being under perpetual construction for almost a decade. At its peak, it included at least 78 trans-yellow quarter-dome panels,(worth 20-30 dollars each) and over 1600 minifigures from various themes (mostly Blacktron). It measured almost forty feet long and had over 245 feet of monorail track. Each one of those numbers is amazing, as the quarter-domes, vintage minifigures, and monorail tracks are all very expensive. I cannot go in-depth enough to do this project justice, so you can visit the creator's MOCpages site here for additional information and images. I have also included a video tour done by Joe Meno in 2007. It effectively captures the scope and grandeur of this amazing piece. Regrettably, the BIA no longer exists, as it was dismantled and auctioned off in chunks almost two years ago. This means I will never see it in person, but it has been immortalized on the internet. In fact, it has inspired me to build my own layout of epic proportions, which is already four years into the design process. It will likely be posted in the distant future.
Evidence of Blacktron
Both Blacktron themes were released in conjunction with a "civilian" theme and a Space Police theme. Unfortunately, with the release of Space Police III in 2009, there came no Blactron III. This does not mean there were no hints, however. The minifigure named Rench, who was included in the Raid VPR (5981) wears a modified BT1 uniform with a BT2 logo on it. The "Space Villain" minifig from Minifigures Series 3 also wears the Blacktron II logo, whilst his armor and weapons match the BT1 color scheme. Most interesting of all is the upcoming "Evil Mech" minifigure from the new Minifigures Series 11, which wears a Blacktron I logo (not the BT2 logo) on its armor. Be sure to look out for it upon its release. While it is uncertain as to whether there will ever be an actual Blacktron 3, we can always enjoy the classics.
