I don't want to jump the gun, but I have some news about both the latest LEGO Pharaoh's Quest magnet set and, potentially, future magnet sets.
I just opened magnet set #853168 and the minfigures are glued to the bases. Not only that, the torsos are glued to the legs! The only parts that will come off are the heads, hair, hats, and accessories. Darren, a reader, had asked me about this earlier, but I dismissed it as previous magnet sets were not set up this way. It sounds like Darren was right.
I then called the US LEGO Customer Service line. They said this was the first instance they had heard about this for the Pharaoh's Quest line; however, there were rumors of considering this for future licensed sets.
So although this is coming from LEGO Customer Service, I'm considering this a 'rumor' until we know for certain. The associate I talked to stated there was talk of the 2011 licensed magnet sets not allowing you to remove the minifigs. Are licensing partners upset that people were buying magnet sets over play sets? Who knows, but this is important news to consider when buying these products in the future.
If official word is released regarding this development, I will let you know. In the meantime, I'll be taking my magnet sets back to the store after the weekend.
