Username wrote:Most of those were rereleases and the Chess set really isn't a set.
Why wouldn't you consider the giant chess set to be a set? There's a snowball's chance in a supernova that a parent is going to buy that for their kid given the $200 price, so I can't see NOT counting it as a collector set. As a "Factory" set, sure-- but it's definitely a collector (IE AFOL-targeted) item. And I'm puzzled as to why you wouldn't think it would be a set. Perhaps if it included some non-LEGO elements like the picture frames, kitchen utensils, coin bank, etc. But it's 100% LEGO-- I don't even recall it being glued, although maybe the 2x2 tiles were glued to the board? I'm forgetting without it in front of me.
The re-releases (Guarded Inn and Black Falcon's Fortress) were definitely Collector sets, though-- in fact, that was pretty much the point. They weren't released for retail sale (hence the black-and-white box for the Guarded Inn to save money), and were only available online or via S@H. Definitely intended for collectors.
The 3739 Blacksmith Shop was an oddity. It again wasn't released for retail sale, but it WAS designed by a fan-- which means that it was really the
first LEGO Factory set. It was also "villager" themed, JUST like the MMV. The only real differences between the MMV and the Blacksmith Shop are the price point ($40 vs $100-- neither of which are out of range for kids' sets, unlike UCS sets or the Giant Chess Set) and the fact that the Blacksmith Shop was designed by an adult LEGO fan. So, in some regards, the Blacksmith Shop was even MORE of a "Factory/Collector" set than the MMV was. I can't see how in good conscience you could possibly NOT consider the Blacksmith Shop to be a "Factory/Collector" set.
Username wrote:Out of all of those, I would only consider the MMV to be a Factory/Collector set.
I could see taking the 10176 King's Castle off the list. Its place in being a collector set is only held on by the fact that it was touted as a quasi-re-release (it wasn't anywhere even close), it has a 10xxx set number (indicative of the "AFOL-targeted" sets), and it was never available retail. But realistically, it had about zero collector appeal. The KK2 emblem was only on the stickers, it bore little resemblance to any sets to be deemed a re-release, it didn't contain any really unique parts, and it wasn't "different" (like being a village set or something), it was just yet-another-castle. It might have been
intended as a collector set, but it missed the mark, if so.
If you simply want to stress how much more you love the MMV compared to the other sets, that's all well and good-- I agree that the MMV really hit the AFOL Castle "Collector" market square on the nose, compared to the others on the list which weren't as good comparatively. I certainly agree that the MMV is in a class all its own thanks to its quality.
DaveE