I finally completed my COVID-19 quarantine build and it took a lot longer than I planned. I think I’ve had the set for over a month now. It’s all good. I completed the 2,504 piece set released in the US on 2 January 2020 for $179.99 ($0.072/piece) and here’s my review.
It’s been out for a while, but here’s the designer video linked on YouTube in case you missed it.
The front of the box shows the set completed with some of the features inside like the ladder, the airplane toy, and the various minifigures. The back shows some of the details of the insides of the set and then what it looks like next to some of the other modulars. In my opinion, the 3 sets they show do not go together at all. #10264-1: Corner Garage and #10260-1: Downtown Diner seem to be different architectural genres and don’t look right next to the Bookshop. Not a big deal when you factor the set in by itself though. Moving on…
The set comes with 18 numbered parts bags numbered one through eight. There is one bag with some larger plates that is not numbered. There are two green base plates which are both 16x32 studs. The two instruction books are sealed in a plastic bag. No sticker sheet!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!
The bookshop is the first part of the build. The first set of bags starts with the ground floor to include the sidewalk outside and the flooring of the shop itself. I like the colors of the tiles and if anything they are good for use in other builds if you don’t like the set. This bag includes a boy minifigure in a scarf and hat with a toy airplane. As with most Creator Expert builds, you get a piece separator.
The second set of bags finishes the first floor and the book shop itself. It comes with a male minifigure holding a book titled “Moby Brick” and a flower. The bookshop has a used bookshop feel versus a more modern mega store type shop. I like the style used and the various methods of making it look like there are different books on the shelves. The only trouble I had was trying to tell apart the sand yellow 1x1 plates and the warm gold ones (had to look up the color names in Brickset). Or maybe those aren’t the colors I confused? Either way, later on in the build I had to re-build a bookshelf as I realized I used the wrong colors. Not a big deal, I just didn’t catch the mistake earlier.
The third set of bags builds the living room area of the upstairs apartment. There is a chair, a grandfather clock, a lamp, and a patio outside in the back where minifigures can enjoy beverages together. Nothing super interesting about this floor. I like the clock and chair builds, but there isn’t much else to the floor. Not a bad thing… just that’s it.
The fourth set of bags finishes the book shop with the top floor. The facade on the front is awesome. I like the use of colors with the brick red and light gray. Using tiles to complete the facade detailing really helps it stand out.
I think this is a change from other builds, but don’t quote me… this build does not remove the entire roof to get to the room below. Instead it removes just the back portion so you can get to the room. It’s a fun technique to use and it helps with the details versus a flat roof you can pull off. The room itself is simple with a bed and a chameleon in a tank area. Not a lot of space to add other furniture, a bathroom, or anything else. I get it. We’ll take it.
Next is the birch tree. This is the first time we’ve seen this technique used and I like the addition of the fall colored leaves. The bird in the nest is a new detail I have not seen before either. Along with the fencing at the bottom, I like this method. I’m not sure it is super realistic, but it fits into the LEGO world well.
Finally, this bag includes a female minifigure with a large amount of hair on top. I can’t imagine having to tame that amount of hair on top.
The fifth set of bags starts on the apartment next door. There is a crawl space under the apartment with some storage and a mouse trap. Out back is a miniature garden with a pumpkin and some other greenery. I like how the designer used the shield tile to make the stairs curve. This is the first time I think we’ve seen this done. The front also includes a lamp post and some flowers.
This set includes a male minifigure. He appears to be older with his gray hair and he has some facial hair along with a red plaid shirt.
The sixth bag finishes the first main floor of the apartment. I am a huge fan of what Brickset calls the light bluish green bricks and tiles. The white outlining with tiles and the windows go well with that color. The inside has a bunch of detail with a fireplace, a table with a tea setting, some furniture to store various items, and a window seat type area.
Much like the bookshop build, the stairs take up a bunch of space. Not sure how to get around this other than adding in elevators. Not a big complaint, but an observation.
I’m a big fan of the rounded window on the front. This is not the first time it has been done, but I like the way this one was done.
This set of bags comes with another female minifigure.
The seventh set of parts bags starts the second floor. Inside there is a larger bed and a small dresser or chest for storage. Outside, I am a fan of the printed house number on the triangle tile with the white triangle slopes as the outline. I also like the use of the circular type pieces in the dark blue over the top of the rounded windows on the floor below.
The eight set of bags finishes the set out with the roof and patio area. The roof and windows are great and the dark blue with the bluish green go together well. The chimney picks up again after not continuing from the first floor into the second floor (oh well). Once again, the room is smaller and there is a patio area for the minifigure to hang out on. Like the bookshop, the back comes off versus the whole roof. I think this works although I would have preferred three full floors versus a crawl space and two floors.
Here’s the final completed set. Overall I think the outside looks great. The inside doesn’t have a ton of detail, but for my purposes I usually have them either displayed or as part of a city scene so the inside isn’t as important. Also I could look to expand the inside or make the buildings taller. One of the joys of building with LEGO bricks!
I don’t have my #10243-1: Parisian Restaurant set with me, but I suspect this set would look great next to it. I can’t wait to some day be able to line up all my modulars next to each other. It should look pretty cool!
In terms of pricing, the modulars seem to keep creeping up in price, but thankfully the piece count has remained high. However, I will point out that this set contains a lot of smaller pieces so you’ll have to make the value assessment on your own. I do think LEGO has a strong fan base for these sets and they can continue to expect people to buy them if they keep them highly detailed and intricate. I took advantage of a Double VIP points sale as well as the free with purchase set #40370-1: Steam Engine so that made the purchase a bit easier. Typically these only go on sale at the end of their lifetime which will be a few years from now. Recently it has been over the Black Friday shopping weekend at a 20% off or so price and they go pretty quick.
In summary, keep these sets coming LEGO, but don’t jack the price up too high!
Happy building!
Wrap up