Brickmania Blog

Brickmania is running another hashtag social media giveaway event for the entire month! We often receive questions about how it works, and have decided to make a FAQ to answer general questions. This hashtag is the same as last months (May 2017), and all entries from last month will be counted and retroactive into this giveaway all month long.

How do I enter the giveaway?

• On Facebook, share one of our posts to your timeline and insert the hashtag #

  #battleoffrancebricks into the post. Alternatively, make a post on your timeline/wall with the hashtag#battleoffrancebricks. Note: Unless your Facebook account is set to public, we cannot see a private post on your wall. Additionally, using the hashtag as a comment in one of our posts, does not count. Continued spamming of the hashtag in the same post can disqualify you.

• On Twitter, tweet using the hashtag #battleoffrancebricks. Alternatively, retweet one of our posts and use the hashtag #battleoffrancebricks in your share.
• On Instagram, make a new image or take a picture and use the hashtag #battleoffrancebricks. Note, unless your profile/image is public, the post cannot be seen by anyone but you. Keep in mind that spamming/using the hashtag as a comment on one of our images not only does not qualify for an entry, but repeated use can result in disqualification.

Can I enter more than once?

• Yes, you can enter as many times as you like! It can raise the chance of becoming that week’s winner significantly.

Why does commenting on posts not count?

• Something that we have learned from past events is that people often comment on our own posts through Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag. This does not count, and repeated use will result in complete disqualification.
• The purpose of running a hashtag giveaway is to share our content to new people; commenting on Brickmania posts does not share our brand, products, name, etc

What do I get if I win? How will I know if I won?

• Each week, Brickmania staff will compile a list of everyone who has entered to that point in the month (it is retroactive, so if you entered on January 3rd, later in the month, it will still count)
• A winner will be selected for each week randomly from one of the three social media networks we are doing the giveaway on. The winner will be contacted through that platform’s Direct Messaging system (it is important that if you want to enter, make sure you have a way to directly communicate with us)
• When the winner is selected, they will receive a gift or gifts (these can be kits, figures, BrickArms, etc)
• Brickmania staff picks the gifts that are given out; this is not up for debate. If you enter looking for something specific and are upset after winning your gift, we have the right to send your gift off to someone else or donate it to charity
• Upon selecting a winner, Brickmania staff will produce one post per social media platform announcing the winner to the world through Facebook and Twitter!

Why do we run this monthly event?

• Brickmania runs these giveaways as a way to connect the community and get involved with our fans
• We do this out of kindness and fun! All we ask is you share our hashtag around and you instantly get entered into the giveaway and have a fair chance at winning!

*These rules can be changed at any time, and Brickmania reserves the right to change and tweak things if needed

Special Offer:

Buy the Panzer IV Ausf D by June 5 and get free shipping on your entire order*

*Within the USA free shipping means delivery by the United States Postal Service using First Class Mail (packages up to 8 ounces) and Priority Mail (packages over 8 ounces). Select Countries: Free Economy Mail delivery (4-8 weeks) is also being offered to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

About the Panzer IV Ausf D:

The Panzer IV was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during WWII. It was the most widely manufactured German tank, with some 8,500 units built. The first mass-produced version of the Panzer IV was the Ausf. A in 1936. It was powered by Maybach’s HL 108TR which produced 250 PS and used the SGR 75 transmission with five forward gears and one reverse, achieving a maximum road speed of 19.26 mph. The Panzer IV was originally intended to be used only on a limited scale, so initially Krupp was the sole manufacturer. Production ramped up year after year during WWII, reaching its height in 1944 with 3,125 Ausf. H-J variants manufactured.

The Panzer IV was the only German tank to remain in both production and combat throughout WWII, and measured over the entire war it comprised 30% of the Wehrmacht’s total tank strength. It is estimated that combat against Soviet forces accounted for 6,153 Panzer IVs, or about 75% of all Panzer IV losses during the war. Following WWII, numerous countries bought remaining supplies of Panzer IV tanks for their own armies.

Specifications:

• Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/bow machine-gunner)
• Armor: Hull front – 80 mm; Hull side – 30 mm; Hull rear – 20 mm; Hull roof and floor: 10 mm
• Main armament: 7.5 cm (2.95 in) KwK 40 L/48 main gun (87 rounds)
• Secondary armament: 2 x 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns (3,150 rounds)
• Engine: Maybach HL 120 TRM 12-cylinder gasoline engine
• Operational range: 120 mi
• Speed: 24-26 mph maximum; 16 mph maximum sustained road speed; 9.9 mph off-road

Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit:

The Panzer IV Ausf D comes with the following features:

• Articulated 1.5 wide Brickmania TrackLinks®
• Fully rotating turret with posable main gun
• Three opening hatches and a retractable antenna
• Custom printed Panzer Commander minifigure and WW2 German insignia Bricks
• Includes a MG34 Machine Gun from BrickArms®
• 1/35 scale to match other Brickmania models.
• Includes 603 genuine new-condition LEGO® bricks, Brickmania Track Links† and BrickArms® elements
• Intermediate Skill Level (4-6 years of experience with LEGO is recommended)

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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This WWI French Infantry with Lebel Rifle minifigure features exclusive custom-printed artwork designed by Lando!

LEGO and the LEGO Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or these products.

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Add our official Panzer III Micro-tank to your arsenal for our Micro Brick Battle tabletop game. This kit includes the parts and instructions to build the game piece, as well as an exclusive Panzer III Micro-tank collectible game card for our upcoming Bricks of War card game.

Special Offer:

Buy the PT-109 by May 29 and get free shipping on your entire order*

*Within the USA free shipping means delivery by the United States Postal Service using First Class Mail (packages up to 8 ounces) and Priority Mail (packages over 8 ounces). Select Countries: Free Economy Mail delivery (4-8 weeks) is also being offered to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

About the PT-109 Elco 80′ Motor Torpedo Boat:

The PT-109 was a Motor Torpedo boat last commanded by Lieutenant, Junior Grade John F. Kennedy in the Pacific Theater during WWII.  PT-109 belonged to the PT-103 class, hundreds of which were completed between 1942 and 1945. It was transported from the Norfolk Navy Yard to the South Pacific in August 1942, and arrived at the Soloman Islands in late 1942. PT-109 participated in combat operations around Guadalcanal between December 1942 and February 1943, when the Japanese withdrew from the island.

PT-109 participated in many night time patrols against the “Tokyo Express,” which was the name given to the naval vessels that brought supplies to the Japanese troops on Guadalcanal. On one such patrol, around 2am on August 2, 1943, PT-109 was motionless in the water, with idling engines to avoid detection of her wake by Japanese aircraft. Out of the nearly pitch black darkness suddenly appeared the looming bow of the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. Unable to gain enough speed to avoid collision, PT-109 was struck midship, sawing the smaller PT-boat in two and rupturing the fuel tanks containing hundreds of gallons of highly-flammable 100 octane aviation gasoline. The collision resulted in a spectacular explosion and fireball prompting nearby witnesses to believe the entire crew of PT-109 was lost. All nearby American forces withdrew from the area without searching for survivors.

Miraculously, eleven of the thirteen crewmen survived the explosion, although several were severely wounded. Trapped deep inside enemy territory, PT-109’s skipper, LTJG John F. Kennedy, faced the nearly impossible task of saving his crew from both the enemy and the elements. For several days, the survivors hid from the Japanese by day on nearby deserted island, which Kennedy foraged for supplies and searched for friendly forces by night. After six days Kennedy was able to send word of PT-109’s survivors to his home base, via message carved into a coconut husk. This was carried by a pair of Solomon Island native scouts, who paddled a dugout canoe some forty miles to the American base. This would become one of the most famous survival tales of World War II and helped propel John F Kennedy into the national spotlight.

Specifications:

• Displacement: 56 tons (full load)
• Length: 80 ft overall
• Propulsion: Three 12-cylinder Packard gasoline engines 1500 hp each; three shafts
• Speed: 41 knots (47 mph)
• Endurance: 12 hours (6 hours at top speed)
• Complement: 3 officers, 14 enlisted men
• Armament: 4 x 21-inch torpedo tubes, 20 mm cannon aft, 4 x M2 .50cal .5” (12.7 mm) machine guns (2×2), 37 mm anti-tank gun mounted forward
• Armor: gunboat deck house protected against rifle bullets and splinter

Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit:

The PT-109 Elco 80′ Motor Torpedo Boat comes with the following features:

• Faithfully built following historic plans of the actual PT-109 in 1/35 scale
• Removable hatches and deck reveal fully detailed interior compartments
• Thirteen custom printed mini figures, including LTJG John F Kennedy
• Includes display stand with PT-109 data plate
• Numerous custom printed elements included throughout the model
• Never-before-released M2 aircraft machine guns hand-crafted by BrickArms’ Will Chapman
• 1/35 scale to match other Brickmania models
• Includes 4,125 genuine new-condition LEGO® bricks and BrickArms® elements
• Master Skill Level (8-10 years of experience with LEGO is recommended)

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition, re-purposed LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete full-color printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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Lando has just finished up these custom-printed Lt. JG “Jack” figures! These are premium Brickmania figures and feature artwork designed by our very own Lando. Order today through our website!

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Special Offer:

Buy the Somua S35 by May 29 and get free shipping on your entire order*

*Within the USA free shipping means delivery by the United States Postal Service using First Class Mail (packages up to 8 ounces) and Priority Mail (packages over 8 ounces). Select Countries: Free Economy Mail delivery (4-8 weeks) is also being offered to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

About the Somua S35:

The Somua was a French Cavalry tank used during WWII, built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armored divisions of the Cavalry. It was a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armor and armament to its French and foreign competitors. It was constructed from well-sloped, mainly cast, armor sections that made it expensive to produce and time-consuming to maintain.

During the German invasion of May 1940, the Somua S35 proved itself to be a tactically effective type, but this was negated by the French command’s strategic mistakes in deploying Cavalry armored divisions. After the defeat of France in June 1940, production was limited to about 440. Captured Somua S35s were used by the Axis powers, some of them on the Eastern Front.

Specifications:

• Weight: 19.5 tons
• Crew: 3 (driver, radio operator/purveyor, commander/gunner)
• Armor: 47 mm (hull front), 42 mm (turret front), 40 mm (hull sides and turret sides), 20 mm (top)
• Main armament: 47 mm SA 35 gun
• Secondary armament: 7.5 mm Miltrailleuse mle 1931 optionally coaxial
• Engine: SOMUA V-8 petrol
• Operational range: 130 km (off-road), 230 km (on-road)
• Speed: 25.3 mph, 20.0 mph (off-road)

Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit:

The Somua S35 comes with the following features:

• Custom-printed WWII French Tank Commander
• Four custom-printed elements
• Opening commander’s hatch
• Opening tank crewman’s hatch
• Two removable upper hull locations
• Working gun elevation
• Fits tank crewman (driver/radio operator)
• Designed by Yitzy Kasowitz
• 1/35 scale to match other Brickmania models.
• Includes 468 genuine new-condition LEGO® bricks and BrickArms® elements
• Intermediate Skill Level (4-6 years of experience with LEGO is recommended)

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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Brickmania is offering a 15% off sale for memorial week starting today, when you use the coupon code REMEMBER17 at checkout! This code applies to our retail locations as well. This sale ends at midnight on Monday, May 29, so quickly get in on these savings.

*Cannot be used on elite membership purchases
*Cannot be used on vintage LEGO kits from retail stores
*Can be used in retail locations

Operation Barbarossa was the code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. Launched on June 22, 1941, it was just the beginning of the most epic and costly battles in human history.

Recreated in this book with LEGO® bricks are many of the most important fighting vehicles of this first phase of the war on the Eastern Front. The wide open plains of Ukraine and Russia were ideal tank country, with which most of the battles were waged.

This book contains complete full-color, step-by-step building instructions for 13 German and Russian military models from WWII. Instructions in this volume are: 

• Panzer II ausf C Light Tank
• Panzer 38(t) Light Tank
• Panzer III ausf H Medium Tank
• Panzer IV ausf E Medium Tank
• SdKfz 10 Half Track Prime Mover
• PaK 36 3.7cm Anti-Tank Gun
• T-26 Model 1939 Light Tank
• BT-7 Cavalry Tank
• T34/76 Medium Tank
• KV-1 Heavy Tank
• KV-2 152mm Self-Propelled Gun
• Gaz MM Light Truck
• 53-K Anti-Tank Gun, Model 1937

Bonus Extras:

• Printed on heavy-weight glossy paper and has a special lay-flat spiral wire binding
• Also included is a vinyl sticker sheet with vehicle insignia and uniforms for 20 figures
• Each model includes both visual and text parts lists to help locate all of the parts needed to build your model
• Beautiful full-color photographs throughout the book, filled with ideas for displaying your models

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