(Written by Legoboy)
Remember the LEGO Star Wars TC-14 that was available last year a special promotional minifigure? A lot of people were unhappy that they were not able to get one, and were trying to find them on the secondary market like Amazon, eBay and BrickLink. The news and excitement have kind of died down since then and the prices dropped, so if you are still looking for one right now it’s actually a good time to pick one up on eBay. 😉
The TC-14 is still one of the most unique LEGO Star Wars minifigures, and really one of the best LEGO minifigures of all time; it is chrome, it is printed beautifully, and the details are amazing – much more realistic than the first version of C-3PO. If you are a collector the TC-14 is a must addition to your protocol-droid collection.
I also missed out on the promotional offer last May so I decided pick up my LEGO Star Wars TC-14 on eBay a couple of months later. The parcel arrived in a few days with TC-14 in the original LEGO polybag. I was very excited, but when I unpacked TC-14 I noticed scratches on the torso and started to get concerned. But then I read other people’s reviews and found out that this was a common issue. Here are a couple of pictures by Huw from Brickset showing the micro-scratches:
Apparently this has something to do with the production process. The scratches are actually on the plastic, not on the chrome, but viewed from a certain angle they show up under the chrome layer. The chrome plating is beautiful and very well done though, and the scratched only show up when looked at very closely. I love how the minifig shines when hit by the light! 🙂
Another minor issue is that the chrome doesn’t cover all parts of TC-14. First of all the hands are not plated. The inside of the legs are light-gray, and also the inside of the arms and the shoulder area. This is because the arms are raised during chroming. Hopefully the chroming process will improve in the future eliminating this problem.
Anyhow the LEGO Star Wars TC-14 is an awesome minifigure and definitely a collectors’ item. I would love if LEGO would produce more chrome minifigures as they really do look awesome! Here is a great picture by HothBricks of C-3PO meeting TC-14 the first time. 😀
I believe the LEGO Star Wars TC-14 is also a good investment as it has been released only once and although prices are not that high right now, they can only go up as time passes (unless LEGO decides to do a re-release – which is always a risk with LEGO investments). Here is the link to the LEGO Star Wars TC-14 listings on eBay.
Anyhow, I hope this review helped you a bit to decide if you would like to add the LEGO Star Wars TC-14 to your minifigure collection. If you have any questions and comments please share them below! I’m a TFOL (Teen-Fan-of-LEGO) and this is my second article here at theBrickBlogger. You can read my first post here: LEGO and Violence – a Gray Area…
And you might also like to check out the LEGO Star Wars section for more news, reviews and discussions, or select from the following recent posts:
Chrome 3PO never had the scratches , it has chrome hands (which look amazing , by the way) and it doesn’t have the chrome inside 1 of the legs (kinda strange) and it doesn’t have chrome where the arms were originally (when they chromed it with the arms in an outward position). I am surprised that the new fig is lower quality than the old. My Chrome 3PO is for sale here : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Gold-C-3PO-Rare-Great-Condition-LEGO-Star-Wars-Chrome-Gold-C3PO-FIRM/251223977880?ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1&category=19009&cmd=ViewItem the only one cheaper has a big chunk taken out of the leg so mine is skyrocketing on views and watchers 🙂
I read that the TC-14 minifigure was made in China. For some reason Chinese-made minifigs have these fine lines or micro-scratches on the plastic. They are very fine and hardly visible, but they are there. Check out any of the collectible minifigures and compare them to a regular minifigure and you will see the difference. I don’t think it’s a big deal, but some people don’t like it.
In regards to the TC-14 I guess the chrome layer made the lines more visible. The previously released Chrome C-3PO was not made in China, so he doesn’t have this issue. Good luck with your eBay listing! 😉
BTW TobyMacBoy, I like your new Gravatar!
Thanks! I have always loved my AT-ST driver fig. My best friend really wants that set too.
Wow. I can’t believe how low the price of this is getting! You are so lucky to be able to review such a great set. Me, I’m just writing about last year’s STAP…
Wait, By which Legoboy do you mean to say this is? By Solid Brix Studios. I can never tell why this confused me, but… ehh. Anyways, very, very great article!
^^ Just a Legoboy, I’ve never heard of that Legoboy :p.
Cool
Nice article Legoboy! 😀
YAY! my striker class starfighter set comes today!
We just came from Lego Kidsfest 2016 in Charlotte, NC. We were given a TC-14 in the polybag. Didn’t know anything about it, so I let him open it. Didn’t know it was commanding those kind of prices, but he is having a ball playing with it. Also got a TC-4 in the polybag. We haven’t opened it yet. Should I let him open it?
Bill, those are two excellent minifigs! If you do need the money, TC-4 is currently worth about $15-$20 in new condition, whereas TC-14’s going price right now is about $30-$35. Personally I would just keep them. Life is short. It is best to play with LEGO. 😉