Lego Maniacs of the world, unite! The Minifigures are arriving!
Now I myself, Toy Buyin' Ryan, am a self-professed Lego Maniac; my childhood was largely devoted to obsessions with Lego, waiting for new Lego sets, building Lego cities, destroying said Lego cities ("Oh no! The dragons have invaded Lego Town! Send in the Lego fire department to contain the fires, and drive them off with the Spyrius space-robots!" ...the Spyrius reference is really dating me...), and then building them again.
Now I happen to have grown-up (I mean, sort of...) and landed one of the greatest jobs on the planet, namely Lego Buyer for Mastermind Toys. In my day I have seen some cool Lego come and go (Star Wars + Lego... greatest combo since PB and J??? I think so), but we have something arriving at Mastermind Toys this week that has got to be one of the COOLEST Lego things I have EVER SEEN!
Here's the scoop: they're called "Lego Minifigures," and they are a collection of crazy-cool, totally unique, and totally brand-new minifigures that you cant get in any set! Each one comes in its own little mystery bag, and they have cool gear and pieces that come with them... all for just $2.95 each. The first series (there will be more releases later this year!) has 16 different unique minifigures that will totally blow your mind!
We're not talking minifigs like "the police officer" or "the knight"... no no no, my friends, those would be boring and not nearly special enough. How about I tease you with some of my favourites from series 1:
- The Lego Caveman! Complete with caveman club!
- The Lego Wrestler! Nacho Libre!
- The Lego Crash Test Dummy! Perfect for my crash-filled Lego cities!
...and Toy Buyin' Ryan's absolute favourite...
- The Lego Zombie!!! A zombie?!? made of Lego?!?! Be still my beating heart!!!
Like I said, each one comes in its own mystery pack, so you never know which cool figure you're going to get (but trust me, there are no "duds"... they are all very cool!) There are 16 to collect from Series 1, and these would make FANTASTIC loot bag additions, special little treats, or just fun gifts!
Take it from a Bona-Fide Lego Maniac: this is the coolest thing in Legoland since the birth of the brick!
-- Toy Buyin' Ryan
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****THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!*****
Every year, around late summer, Lego comes out with amazing, NEW cool sets that make awesome models, are tons of fun and are great for ages 2 (Duplo) to 100 (not that I know of a 100 year old who plays with Lego, but you never know!) There are kits for boys and girls alike ranging anywhere from STAR WARS to ATLANTIS to TOY STORY to POWER MINERS, and everyone has their favorite.
NOW, as you may have read in Toy Buyin' Ryan's post, this summer Mastermind Toys is among only THREE retailers in Canada who are getting the NEWEST Lego sets almost 4 months before anyone else!!! And as you might have also seen in TBR's blog, the new Lego Sets are SO COOL and include a whole new series: World Racers!!!
To celebrate this event, we want one of our devoted fans to win one of the NEWEST Lego Sets! The winner of this exciting contest will get to pick ONE from the THREE new Lego sets listed below!:
SPACE POLICE LUNAR LIMO - A really cool addition (and the newest nemesis) to the notorious SPACE POLICE
WORLD RACER JUNGLE BOATS - Part of the awesome NEWEST series from Lego!
POWER MINERS CLAW CATCHER - Use the Claw Catcher to pick up the Pesky Lava Monsters!
HOW TO ENTER THIS GREAT CONTEST:
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!***
Leave a SEPARATE comment for each action taken at the end of this blog post telling us one of the following (PLEASE NOTE: EACH action counts as an entry for a total of 5 DIFFERENT comments)! When you leave a comment make sure that you enter your email address so that we can contact you if you win! (Your email will not be displayed publicly, nor will it be used for anything other than this contest!)
- "Like" (Fan) us on our Facebook Page (and comment here telling us you are a fan)
- Follow us on Twitter (and comment here telling us you Follow us on Twitter)
- Subscribe to our eUpdates(and comment here telling us you are a subscriber)
- Subscribe to the Mastermind Toys YouTube Channel (and comment here telling us you are a subscriber)
- Leave a comment telling us which Lego set you would choose and why!
THE SCOOP
- Entrants MUST be 18 or older
- Contest entrants must live within Canada or the Contiguous United States of America
- Delivery of prize is limited to shipping within Canada and the Contiguous United States of America by regular parcel post
- The winner will be chosen using Random.org, a random number generating website
- Upon determining the winner, we will notify the winner by email. The winner will have 72 hours to respond. If we do not hear from the winner at that time, a new winner's name will be drawn.
Thanks for Entering and GOOD LUCK! :)
--Lisa the Toy Whiz
OK Lego maniacs,
it is a VERY special time for you!
If you are a true blue Lego maniac (you know who you are; entire shelving units devoted to Lego creations, broken vacuums from Lego pieces, a Lego metropolis pitting brave knights against space invaders monitored by an ever-vigilant city police squad....), then you know that Lego always releases a whole line of new sets in the late summer every year. Now what you may not know is that a select few retailers get EARLY access to some of these new sets... and this year Mastermind Toys is one of them!
So we are very excited to announce that we have brand new Lego sets, about 30 in total, arriving RIGHT NOW to our stores and to MastermindToys.com!
Here's a rundown of the new sets!
Power Min
ers, Atlantis and Space Police Sets
These themes are all getting brand new sets, all of which are very cool. The highlight for me is the Lunar Limo Space Police Set... it's like a bad guy's big black car... IN SPACE. Awesome.
New Kingdoms Knights Theme
Castles! Good knights! Black knights! Horses! Catapults! Some of you Lego maniacs have probably been ITCHING for a return to classic Lego knights sets... itch no more!!
New World
Racers Theme
You're going to love this... this is a brand new theme from Lego that pits all sorts of crazy racing/battling contraptions against one another for wild world-wide races! Each set comes with two different vehicles filled with crazy characters that race one another. Boats, cars, motor-bikes and more race accross desert, snow, swamps... you name it! A very cool new line.
New Lego Airport Theme
The Lego Airport has arrived! Planes, tanker trucks and more... awesome awesome awesome!
And new Duplo and Creator Sets
The selection is rounded-out with some classic new additions to these themes, including a giant crocodile Creator set!
So check out all of these cool new sets in-store and online, and remeber that Mastermind Toys has them first!!
--Toy Buyin' Ryan
Lego always comes out with pretty cool products -- but Lego Mindstorm NXT 2.0 really takes the cake. It combines Lego and robotics in one product -- what could be better? If you have a budding engineer in your home, this is a great toy to foster their creativity and computer skills. It is recommended for kids aged 10+. The NXT 2.0 set comes with everything you need to construct several different kinds of robots -- except the computer.
What is included is the following:
- One NXT -- a 32 bit micro processor with 4 input ports and three output ports, matrix display, USB and bluetooth, and a speaker,
- Two Touch sensors which react to touch or release so that you can make the robot walk
- Three interactive servo motors for precise control of the robot. A built-in rotation sensor can measure one degree steps,
- One Ultrasonic sensor which measures distance, movements and objects,
- 619 Lego pieces including wheels, belts, and regular Lego bricks,
- PC/MAC software and construction guide,
- test pad,
- USB cable,
- 7x6 wire cables
In addition, Lego has developed a community for Mindstorms users where you can share designs, upload and download sounds and images, and videos of your creations. There are more robot designs to download from this site as well.
If you want to see an interesting use of Lego Mindstorms, Battlebricks.com creators invented an automatic toilet flusher with the first generation of Lego Mindstorms....something our house could use!
--Cathy the Toy Mom
Lego always releases a few new sets just before its big launch of its 2010 line. We have 12 new Lego sets in stock for your Lego lovers and I would be remiss if I didn't highlight the brand new line of Lego characters based on one of my all-time favourite movies (adult or child) from TOY STORY! Ahead of the much anticipated Toy Story 3, and with Lego's new deal with Disney, two Toy Story Lego sets have just been released. Without further ado, below is a brief description of what's currently available online and in our stores:
Woody and Buzz to the Rescue is a 91 piece set which includes Woody and Buzz mini figures, a car with a "pull-back" motor to make it go, with the rocket that attaches to Buzz's back. What could be more fun?
Construct-a-Buzz contains 201 pieces as well as the three-eyed alien figure. Construct Buzz to help him defeat his enemy, Zurg. His visor opens and shuts, and his arm is loaded with "flick missile laser cannons."
For the Star Wars buffs in your life, Lego has introduced the Rebel Trooper Army Pack and the Snow Trooper Army Pack ($14.95 Cdn each) each complete with collectable mini figurines and a vehicle to assemble.
Ben 10 Alien Characters Ben transforms into each of the these characters. Based on the TV series Ben 10 Alien seen on Cartoon Network in the US and Teletoon in Canada. All characters come with glow in the dark eyes and are recommended for ages 5 and up. Available characters are Swampfire, Chromastone, Jet Ray and Big Chill ($19.95 Cdn each).
Lego has introduce a new line based on the Lost City of Atlantis. Scary tentacled sea monsters (Squidpeople and Mantapeople) guard the gold key that opens the gates to the lost city! For some interactive fun, Lego has set up an underwater search online where you can read about what the explorer Artimus Rhodes experienced in his quest to find the lost city -- if you can find his diary! Current available sets include Monster Crab Clash (68 pieces, $9.95 Cdn), Wreck Raider (64 pieces, $12.95 Cdn), and the Gateway of the Squid (353 pieces, $54.95 Cdn). Each set comes with a collectable key.
There are two new Space Police sets available. The Smash N Grab (188 pieces, $26.95) -- where the evil and greedy Squidtron uses his ultimate ram-raid vehicle with the heavy lifting crane and two flick fire missiles to keep the Space Police at bay while he steals an Asteroid ATM, and the new Raid VPR (69 pieces, $12.95) -- a super fast space plane built for the Space Police that can catch up and fire on anything Squidtron or other evil aliens throw in their way!
Deep in the centre of earth, where the magma and lava flow freely, the Power Miners are at work. Magma Mech (183 pieces, $26.95) has a titanium scissor claw arm that can catch lava monsters. The Fire Blaster (67 pieces, $12.95), jumps over streams of molten lava, and comes equipped with a dynamite launcher for getting rid of any obstructions in the vehicle's path.
-- Posted by Cathy the Toy Mom.
Like Toy-Buyin' Ryan, I too am a big fan of Lego. I couldn't wait for my kids to stop putting little pieces into their mouths just so "they" could start buying the big kid Lego sets. When Lego introduced the Knight's Kingdom, I put the Castle on my Christmas list -- only my middle son put it on his too -- he got it (I think there might have been a waffle iron under the tree for me that year). The two of us spent most of Boxing Day putting the castle together. We collected accessories for the set for two years and now my daughter has inherited the entire thing and "we" get to put it together again.
In our family, we tend build Lego "the right way" the first time, following the instructions to the letter and admiring the end result. But as any fan knows, that's just the beginning. Lego is such a great toy because when you get tired of its "suggested" use, you can create your own buildings or things or vehicles.
If you want to see some real Lego creativity, check out Nathan Sawaya's website. He uses Lego in ways that go light years beyond the little square house with two windows and peaked roof that I usually build. He has a touring exhibition of his work, unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be coming to the Toronto area any time soon.
In the meantime, Mastermind has received some pretty great new additions to popular Lego lines, and a complete new line
of Space Police as well.
- Space Police is a new line of Lego incorporating the traditional "good guys and aliens" versus "bad guys and aliens" into new machines and space ships. Take the "Space Police Container Heist" -- a flying truck with a stolen police laser gun that pops out of the back. It's driven by a bad guy named "Snake" and it's up to the Space Police to get back the stolen goods!
- Agents 2.0: Is the second release of the popular Secret Agents line. Agents Aerial Defense, and Agents 4-Wheel Pursuit sets allow you to finally catch Dr. Inferno's rampaging robot by air or by land before it causes irreversible damage!
- The ever-popular Indiana Jones Lego set has some new scenarios from your favourite Indy movies. From the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, recreate the Venice Canal Chase where Indy and Elsa battle two guardians of the grail, set comes with two boats and a collapsing bridge! Or, battle two guards in The Temple of Doom and escape using old rail cars.
- Lego Star Wars. I would be irresponsible if I didn't mention the new Lego Star Wars items that have come out this fall. Help Anakin Skywalker battle a
longside the Republic in his Y-wing Star Fighter! His fighter ship fires missiles when R2D2 is pulled backwards. Using the Separtist Shuttle Transport, help Nute Gunray "convince" Onoconda Farr battle on the Separatist side of things. The shuttle features retractable landing gear and sliding passenger compartment hatch.
-- Cathy the Toy mom
Hi Everyone,
Confession time: who's a nerd? *Ryan puts up his hand*
So I LOVE Star Wars Lego, because as far as I was concerned, putting together Lego and Star Wars was like combining pumpkin and pie. Well, I'm not sure that metaphor works exactly but pumpkin pie is amazing and so is Star Wars Lego. Working as a Toy Buyer at Mastermind Toys has been excellent, ESPECIALLY because I am the Lego buyer, and get sneak-peeks at all of the new Lego sets well before they come out! Now, I would love to share the exciting details with everyone (for example, I happen to know the entire lineup for 2010 Star Wars Lego already!), but with great power comes great responsibility... and for doing so I would probably be abruptly silenced by a Lego Darth Vader who would find my "lack of faith disturbing."
So what is a Lego Star Wars fan to do? I have the answer: there is a really cool site that I found as I was nerdily trolling the 'net for cool Lego minifigures (the term "grown man" applies to me in the loosest sense). It's called "From Bricks to Bothans" (www.fbtb.net) and it is devoted entirely to Star Wars Lego. These guys get early pics of all the new sets, run great contests, and generally have a lot of cool info overall on the topic. I highly recommend this site for anyone who knows what it is to buy multiples of a single set to build your Clone Trooper army!
So be sure to check them out, and check out all of the latest Fall 2009 Star Wars Lego that are available now at MastermindToys.com! My personal favourites:
The Battle of Endor Set 8038: lots of Lego Ewoks. Hilarious.
Echo Base 7749: Snow Troopers!
Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser 8039: This would be my daily-driver if I lived in a galaxy far, far away.
-- Toy Buyin' Ryan