Indiana Jones Has Nothing on These Treasure Raiders!
Written: Apr 02 '07 (Updated Apr 25 '08)
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Pros: Awesome plastic mummy storage case, five figures.
Cons: Practically impossible to find.
The Bottom Line: Nicholas Cage and Harrison Ford can't hold a candle to Dr. Kilroy and his merry Adventurer mates.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Lego Treasure Raiders |
Released in 1997 and then again in 1998, the Treasure Raiders set was a great find for me. Especially the version that comes with the incredible plastic mummy shaped storage case. I purchased this online for twenty dollars, a price that is close to the original suggested retail price when it was being made by Lego. So why would someone pay so much for a set with only 192 pieces? Moreover, a set that contains 95% common pieces [things that can be found in other sets]? Well, if you are a collector of anything, be it stamps, coins, plates, spoons or key chains, you know what goes into the collecting process. Anything that has a different number, comes with anything extra or is from another country is something that you have to get your hands on.
Lego Treasure Raiders 5909
If you are into Egyptian things or construction sets than consider this something that you have to try and track down. Not only does it have some very cool figures but two working vehicles and a small land scene that can be set up a couple different ways. This is an excellent way to add to an existing scene or be able to switch things up a little if you have regular Adventurer sets. One thing that you do have to know is that certain sets come packaged with a plastic mummy storage case that's about six and a half inches high. It's not the greatest looking thing but I like it and it was a nice perk to get with the set. If you have any of the Bionicle sets that come packaged in the plastic cases, this is along the same lines but in a really cool gold color and with some nice detail to the head. You can use this to store the pieces in or as a display item. It comes packaged inside the box so the pieces are not in it when you get it.
In my opinion this is an add on set; sure, you can build the plane and cargo vehicle and have some fun with them but the real adventure is when you add the figures and vehicles to a larger scene. If you were to take away the elements that are Egyptian then you could add this to any Adventurer set, but to do that would mean losing some of the real charm of what this set has to offer. It isn’t as big as some of the others but it is a nice thing to grab if you come across it. Since it was discontinued in early 2001, I have been looking for one and was really lucky to find one online. I did feel a slight twinge of guilt when I bought it, I doubt the person knew it's true value. I could have turned around and sold it for two or three times when I paid for it but I knew that it would take me a long time to come across another set that was MIB [mint, in box].
The Vehicles
If you are into this series the plane that is in this set might seem a little familiar, it is a branch off of the Bi-Wing Baron but has a completely different color scheme to it. This, in my opinion, is the hardest thing to build in the set because there are tiers to the wings that have to be placed dead on accurate or you are going to have to rip it apart and start over. Some of the nice points of the plane are the side stenciled pieces, tail fin detail, one person cockpit and single front propeller. The cargo car in this set isn't anything special but it has those awesome chunky treaded wheels that go great in sand. You can fit, with some maneuvering, four figures inside it but it does take some patience. What I like most about the vehicle is that it doesn't look like it sticks out; the brown and black colors that were used for it help it blend in with everything else. The two vehicles are scaled correctly so they look great if you have them next to each other. The only negative I have to say about the plane is that there are only two wheels so when it is in a parked position, the back end is on the ground. If you have extra wheels and brackets you can add them to the back end to make it look a little more even.
The Figures
There are a total of five figures in this set; that in and of itself is always an argument amongst Lego fanatics because some don't consider a skeleton an actual figure. In this case it is a skeleton that gets placed inside one of the ultra cool sarcophagus cases. The one that comes with this set is sandstone brown, a nice step up from the basic black on that comes with the other Lego Adventurer sets. The amount of detail on the top of the case is amazing but it is the same as what you get with the black case except it is more noticeable since it is a lighter color. The Adventurer figures are all dressed well; they all have a lot of detail to them and come with some great accessories like a magnifying glass, digging tools, movie camera, backpacks, crates and weapons. Johnny Thunder and Dr. Kilroy look great but it's Pippin Reed that steals the show. With her trademarked red lipstick and squinty eyes, she is determined to find the treasure before the looters. One small thing about the figures, they all have different types of hats. If you are into Lego sets you know that getting a lot of accessories is nice but when they are all different, it's even nicer.
The Series
Officially there are nine sets in this series but there are about twenty more in the Adventurer theme that have very close relation with it. Technically, this is a sub-set or mini-set in the Adventurer series and if that sounds a little confusing, consider that some of the sets went by different names in different countries. While it was called Treasure Raiders in the United States, elsewhere it was called Raiders of The Treasure, Desert Expedition and simply Raiders. The set number is also a little confusing; there are three set numbers for this, 5948 [European version], 5909 [with mummy storage case] and 2879 [Desert Expedition]
5909 - Treasure Raiders
5918 - Scorpion Tracker
5919 - Treasure Tomb
5928 - Bi-Wing Baron
5938 - Oasis Ambush
5958 - Mummy's Tomb
5978 - Sphinx Secret Surprise
5988 - Pharaoh's Forbidden Ruins
2996 - The Lost Tomb
1183 - Egyptian Mummy
5381 - Adventurer's Accessories
5988 - Pharaoh's Forbidden Ruins
3020 - Raft of Johnse
3021 - King Pharaoh The Third
3022 - Plane of Hurrykain
3023 - Slyboot's Car
The Bottom Line
It goes without saying that if you see this anywhere and it is under $30.00, you should get it if you are into Lego sets, the Adventurer series or anything to do with Egyptian history. The plastic storage case is only available with this set so make sure that if you are ordering it from someone online that you are going to get this exact set number or you may end up with one of the others that don't have the case. I am really happy that I was able to get my hands on this and that it was exactly as the person described. Now I only have about 400 more sets to find, buy and receive to be able to completely clear my ever-growing Lego wish list!
Name: Treasure Raiders
Set Number: 5909
Theme: Adventurers / Egypt
Piece Count: 192
Age Recommendation: 7 - 11
Build Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Price: $19.99
As always, thanks for the visit…
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2007 Freak369
Other Adventurer sets
Johnny Thunder
Johnny Thunder and Baby Dino
River Raft
Sam Sinister And Baby T
Dr. Lightning's Car
Adventurers Pen
Jungle Surprise
Island Racer
Research Glider
Egyptian Mummy
Oasis Ambush
Amazon Ancient Ruins
The Lost Tomb
Thanks to mary_tara for adding this to the database!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 20.00
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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