I have been feeling sentimental about certain Lego sets in the last few weeks.
I think this is primarily because there are so many new Lego sets coming out right about now that I am beginning to realise I may have missed the boat in purchasing some Lego sets that seemed so common a few months ago but are now nowhere to be seen.
One such set is the Lego Star Wars AT-AT, set 8129.
The AT-AT holds such an iconic place in the Star Wars universe (of which I am a big fan) and makes an amazing entrance into one of my favorite movies of all time. Sure it is gray all over (as are many of the SW sets) and looks a little gangly, but for fans of The Empire Strikes Back it remains an intimidating and awe-inspiring vehicle.
Lego AT-AT Walker
I had owned the original AT-AT from 2003 (4483) but sold it for some reason I really can’t remember right now and if I did remember I am sure would not make any sense whatsoever…
It was a beautiful model and while it is easy to romanticize about the first version of each Lego set, it was certainly larger than the 2010 release by a few hundred pieces and seems more solid somehow.
However it is very hard to come by for under $300, even in used condition.
The next AT-AT to be released by Lego was the motorized version, which is one of those models that you have to see to believe.
If someone had suggested to me that you could design this type of model, package it as a toy that kids build themselves and then make it walk using batteries and a small motor I would have taken on the Empire myself to prove them wrong – thankfully it didn’t come to that.
Check this out….
Lego Star Wars AT-AT Walker (8129)
The set I decided to add to my collection was the latest version of the AT-AT walker, which came out in 2010. The set was an exclusive, limited edition model so was only available in certain stores.
In the US that meant Toys R Us while in Australia I think it was exclusive to KMart. As it was only allocated to certain stores it came with a higher price tag, coming in at $109 US for 815 pieces which is quite expensive (another reason why I might not have picked it up when it was first released).
As I am avid Star Wars and Lego fan, the AT-AT is one of the sets I felt was missing from my collection so decided to hunt it down.
Needless to say I couldn’t find it for sale in any store – not Amazon (US/France/Spain/UK/Italy) or any of the other places I follow religiously. Those places that were selling new Mint In Sealed Box sets were asking over $200 which was beyond my price range.
I managed to find a set on ebay over the weekend for $130. It had been built once by an adult collector then disassembled and came with all pieces, minfigures, instructions and even the box.
Shipping to Australia from the US was cheap and so I bought it and ended up having a great interaction with the seller.
I’m looking forward to building it with my kids and am quite happy that I finally have this iconic set back in my collection.
If you are after the Lego AT-AT for yourself, your , just check the feedback! Are there other Lego sets you wished you had picked up while they were still on the store shelves? I know there are dozens I missed 🙂
Lego At-AT Gallery
