Brickmania Kit PT 109 Review
Yes, I did break the bank and purchased this set at Brickfair VA in 2019. I think I walked past the set at least a dozen times at the show. Finally, I decided it was now or never. I knew the set was not going to be restocked any time soon. It was near the end of its print run. They only had two copies at the stand. At a retail price of about 2000 dollars, it was the most I had ever spent for any Lego or Lego Market build. The only question is was it worth it?
Everything about this set was as close to Lego excellence as it could get. The instruction manual was easy to read and follow. The box was durable and well packaged. The colors in the instruction manual were crisp and distinct.
This was a complicated build. I worked on it on and off for six months. There were times, I had to step away from it not out of frustration, but because the unique design began to fill my imagination. It propelled me to do more reading about the PT 109 and its gallant crew. When I would return to the build, I soon discovered new techniques. The building techniques were all legal. They were just new solutions. For example the keel of the ship is a separate build that you build upside down. It is loosely attached to the hull with a few brick modified.
As you can see, Brickmania went all in on the design of this set. Lego Pirate ships never have a detailed keel. Lego ships tend to have a flat bottom so the ship can be played with and moved over a smooth surface. It was just nice to see the ship's keel as part of the overall build. It rests on a brick built stand.
Brickmania has all printed pieces in this set. As my viewers know, I abhor stickers. If I were the CEO of Lego I would ban all stickers in sets regardless of price point. I digress, but you get the point. The brick built stand is very durable. The seamless design allows the ship to rest on it without having pieces get dislodged.
The ship is an accurate mini figure scale replica of the actual PT boat. This must have presented a challenge for the design team as it is difficult to find any actual PT Boats that survived the war and the last 70 years. Somehow, Brickmania did it. They resurrected the PT 109 out of Lego. I wonder if Dan Siskin walked out to the shore and like Yoda made the PT 109 rise out of the ocean depths. So, he could study it.
The kit comes with all the officers and crew of the PT 109. Every mini figure has ultra detailed printing right down to JFK's chinny chin chin. When I was in the Navy, I used to hate wearing those dungarees!
So, was this set worth it? For me it was. I am an amateur historian and I have spent years studying this time period. Ten years ago, I had even started writing a book about the natives that helped rescue Kennedy and the crew. Though I never finished the book, this set rekindled my passion for the time period. I am getting off tangent. The bottom line is this: This is the largest mini figure naval vessel that could be produced in a Brickmania kit. Look, we all love the USS Missouri that is mini fig scaled. A build that large is impossible to offer in a kit. Could you imagine the price tag and storage problems? This one is affordable and is just as detailed as the USS Missouri. 2000 dollars is a fair price to build a piece of history out of Lego. Brickmania gets a Bo Derek 10 for this amazing design!
Yes, I did break the bank and purchased this set at Brickfair VA in 2019. I think I walked past the set at least a dozen times at the show. Finally, I decided it was now or never. I knew the set was not going to be restocked any time soon. It was near the end of its print run. They only had two copies at the stand. At a retail price of about 2000 dollars, it was the most I had ever spent for any Lego or Lego Market build. The only question is was it worth it?
Everything about this set was as close to Lego excellence as it could get. The instruction manual was easy to read and follow. The box was durable and well packaged. The colors in the instruction manual were crisp and distinct.
This was a complicated build. I worked on it on and off for six months. There were times, I had to step away from it not out of frustration, but because the unique design began to fill my imagination. It propelled me to do more reading about the PT 109 and its gallant crew. When I would return to the build, I soon discovered new techniques. The building techniques were all legal. They were just new solutions. For example the keel of the ship is a separate build that you build upside down. It is loosely attached to the hull with a few brick modified.
As you can see, Brickmania went all in on the design of this set. Lego Pirate ships never have a detailed keel. Lego ships tend to have a flat bottom so the ship can be played with and moved over a smooth surface. It was just nice to see the ship's keel as part of the overall build. It rests on a brick built stand.
Brickmania has all printed pieces in this set. As my viewers know, I abhor stickers. If I were the CEO of Lego I would ban all stickers in sets regardless of price point. I digress, but you get the point. The brick built stand is very durable. The seamless design allows the ship to rest on it without having pieces get dislodged.
The ship is an accurate mini figure scale replica of the actual PT boat. This must have presented a challenge for the design team as it is difficult to find any actual PT Boats that survived the war and the last 70 years. Somehow, Brickmania did it. They resurrected the PT 109 out of Lego. I wonder if Dan Siskin walked out to the shore and like Yoda made the PT 109 rise out of the ocean depths. So, he could study it.
The kit comes with all the officers and crew of the PT 109. Every mini figure has ultra detailed printing right down to JFK's chinny chin chin. When I was in the Navy, I used to hate wearing those dungarees!
So, was this set worth it? For me it was. I am an amateur historian and I have spent years studying this time period. Ten years ago, I had even started writing a book about the natives that helped rescue Kennedy and the crew. Though I never finished the book, this set rekindled my passion for the time period. I am getting off tangent. The bottom line is this: This is the largest mini figure naval vessel that could be produced in a Brickmania kit. Look, we all love the USS Missouri that is mini fig scaled. A build that large is impossible to offer in a kit. Could you imagine the price tag and storage problems? This one is affordable and is just as detailed as the USS Missouri. 2000 dollars is a fair price to build a piece of history out of Lego. Brickmania gets a Bo Derek 10 for this amazing design!
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