It always surprises me how on any given day in Minifig Nation you might have a wave of news hit you out of the blue. Let's get to it...
It looks like BrickTW has now posted their new arms designs to their BrickLink store. Some real stand-outs for me are the Quin Long shield and their various arrow designs that can be held in the minifig's hand. The body wear is available as well. Only the new head gear to go and then the whole, new line-up will be ready to order. Expect the full line up by early next week.
Hazel has been updating the status of the new Amazing Armory website via Flickr. There are still a few more details that need to addressed before it goes live, but rest assured, we will let you know once it does. Website or no, we've already told you that FireStar Toys has a supply of the new Hazel Fantasy guns. I have also heard that by tonight, US/Canadian customers can start to order product from United Armory! I believe it's Pedro's goal to have the items on the store either later tonight or tomorrow.
In other AMA related news, check-out these prototype pictures of the new shields with paint! These are absolutely amazing...no pun intended. When Hazel said he wanted to up the bar in minifig custom items, he wasn't kidding.
Although not new news itself, I thought I would post this pic of the Tiny Tactical watches (which I've not done before). Nicely detailed items that can give your fig that 'extra' touch. You can see more about these on the Tiny Tactical BrickLink store.
A couple of bits on the site and the store. I've added a page tab now for 'Customization Tutorials' (you can see it in the blue bar at the top). These are links to various articles and tutorials on minifig customization techniques. I was always concerned that these got lost in the sidebar, but now they live on their own page for the world to see. As I say on the page, if you have tutorials you know of or would like to submit a tutorial to the site (hint, hint) I would be more than happy to host it. As I view this site to be a resource of the entire LEGO minifigure community, if you have suggestions or comments, please drop me a line (uglyduck.bricklink@gmail.com).
Some people ask me, "Why is the site called The Ugly Duckling at BrickLink?" Well, a little over a year ago I opened a store on said site focused on selling LEGO minifigures. That led to Facebook, and then, finally, starting this blog. So it really all started with the store. Speaking of the store, I have dropped my international shipping rate to $3.00 USD (originally $3.25). I have a sense this was a barrier for some potential international customers. If you haven't taken a look at the store, please take the time for a quick peek. We have several Series 2 Collectible Minifigures for $2.99 USD, including accessories and stands. There are also a few Star Wars and Harry Potter items available. Shipping is flat rate when using USPS First Class, so you can buy all you want and the shipping fee stays the same.
That's all for now, citizens, enjoy your weekend. More news as it happens...
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