Bricking at the Library

I’m in the process of moving (again) so it has been a while since I have posted anything. Sorry for the delay. Just a quick one here…

I was at a local library recently and they had some LEGO sets on display. The library had a building club/group for kids to show up and free build. The area set up for this group had a large number of base plates attached to a wall. I counted 7 base plates high by 14 base plates long. That’s an impressive space. You can build long/tall builds that hang off the base plates, but you can make some cool 2-D pictures. Or maybe the challenge is to see how far off the base plates you can build until your build falls off the wall.

Nearby to the building area were some glass display cases with built sets inside. There were two with mainly Architecture themed sets. Most were skyline sets as you can see, but there were a few others as well. I think it was a simple, yet great display. The sets are smaller so you can put the numbers in that you see which I think helps. It also gives people the opportunity to try and identify the buildings and which cities they are from. I know my kiddo tried to pick out which ones she knew.

Next to the two smaller display cases with Architecture sets was a larger case with a bunch of different sets. The top had #10257-1: Carousel. Below it were a mix of Super Hero sets, a Harry Potter set, some BrickHeadz, and at the very bottom it looks like part of #21311-1: Voltron. It’s an eclectic collection, but it works. Hopefully it inspires some of the builders at the club the library holds.

The Library manager’s office had a copy of #31199: Iron Man from the Lego Art line on the wall. I wonder if that person is an AFOL? The manager wasn’t there so I didn’t get to ask.

Does your library have a Lego group? Do they have any sets on display? How did they do it?

Happy building!

Visiting an Open LEGO® Display in 2020 - Gartenschau - Kaiserslautern, Germany

The Gartenschau in Kaiserslautern was closed in early 2020 as COVID-19 first hit Germany. Thankfully, it re-opened and I finally was able to get there to see the updated LEGO® display. So we donned our masks and went in…

Before moving on, here are the links to the previous visits I’ve had to the Gartenschau:
2018, 2019 (part 1), 2019 (part 2)

Here’s the welcome sign. It says die große LEGO® ausstellung (the large LEGO® display) and it is hosted by Lauter Steine E.V. If you live locally, I believe it closes on 31 October and then re-opens in April.

The start of the display had a few cases with some MOCs. Some of the minifigures had masks added to them.

Next up, a large MOC of a 2x4 red brick. Then there was another case with a few MOCs and some sets.

In that case (shown above) were a few MOCs designed by Daniel Krentz. He was the designer of the #375 LEGO Classic Yellow Castle (shown below). Daniel passed away in 2016. There were a few MOCs from Daniel in the case purchased during a Fairy Bricks fundraiser.

The first picture looks like a Native American totem pole only out of bricks and in various build styles.

Next is a case with some train MOCs and some Formula 1 race car MOCs. The bottom has the VW Bus set with some VW MOC. Further down is a space shuttle.

There was no sign next to this one, but it looks like a recreation of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It’s a very impressive build!

I apologize for the reflection and lighting. The displays have plexiglass in front of them (smart move) and the lighting is not meant for cameras.

This MOC has been there previously and is a western US scene from the 1800s or so. I like the use of the wallpaper background incorporated with the brick background.

I wasn’t as big of a Castle fan as a kid so I’m not sure if these next pictures are sets or MOCs, but they are in the Castle theme.

I didn’t see a sign next to this one, but perhaps this is a MOC of an actual castle in Germany? The German flag is on top of the main structure so maybe.

This MOC was there last year and it’s a build of the electricity plant of the city of Kaiserslautern in 1894. I like the hot air balloon to mix things up a bit from the industrial look. I’m also a fan of the tall smoke stack they build. I’m curious if it is brick only or if there is a supporting structure inside.

Here’s an impressive build of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. If you look closely, you an see some fun details like Santa Claus.

Here is another Berlin landmark. The Reichstag where the German Parliament meets. I saw this build at a show last year. The new addition this time is the park nearby with the LEGO logo in brick flower form.

Here is a MOC of the Fruchthalle in Kaiserslautern. It’s a music venue for performances. The MOC is built from ~80,000 bricks. It took about a year to build and was built in 2016. I’ll let you read the description in German in the picture below.

I’m not sure if this MOC is new or just hasn’t been displayed in the past few years, but I found it to be the most impressive one there this year. The Frankfurt train station. First picture is the sign on the display letting you know what it is.

Here’s the full display… or at least most of it. I like how they added in the mirrors so you could see the trains. I didn’t get any close ups of the trains, but they had a mix of sets (the Disney train) and a few MOC trains.

A few more pictures of the station. I think the main building is impressive. The curve they were able to recreate in brick is really impressive.

Added into the scene were many of the modular buildings. I didn’t see the Cafe Corner or Green Grocer, but they have the City Hall and a few of the less recent buildings.

Nearby were a few buildings that are re-creations of actual buildings in the Frankfurt area.

I don’t know if this is of an actual train station or not. If you zoom in on the sign, Reiichelsheim (Odenwald) is an actual place. Not sure if they just wanted the sign on the station or not.

The large recreation of the brick fence behind the train station is cool!

I saw these MOCs of Venetian buildings last fall. You can see a few more pictures of them here.

A Ninjago scene.

The city scene has remained a constant over the past few years, but every year they make some changes and throw in some new things. Like last year, they have a fair, a rural area with farms, a European style city center walking area, and a more downtown/urban area. This year included more lights to include LEDs in the modular buildings, a subway type train route (the trains weren’t running while we were there), and a new train station to name a few.

I’m trying out a new (to me) web feature. You should be able to click an arrow or swipe on your phone/tablet to advance through the city scene pictures. Let me know in the comments if it doesn’t work.

I believe this scene was there in previous years. It’s a European style town/city next to hill/mountain. I’m going to guess Bavaria… maybe? The detailing on this one is very impressive and I like the colors too.

An imperial ship from the Pirate’s theme and then some recreations from JK Brickworks.

Some brick built birds which appear to be pretty close to scale. They are designed by Felix Jaensch. You can see his work here on Flickr.

The Dom…

Here’s the Cologne Cathedral again. It’s been there every year that I have visited and I still find it to be an incredible MOC.

Here’s the room dedicated to the space themes (should be able to click through the pictures). There are Ice Planet, M-Tron, Futuron, a large MOC of a ship, and some MOCs in the various space theme styles. This room is awesome! It makes me want to build some MOCs to add to them. I was a huge M-Tron fan and still have my sets.

Here are some architecture themed sets and MOCs. The Statue of Liberty (#21042-1), a MOC of Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), a version of the Taj Mahal, and a few churches.

Various MOCs on display.

Star Wars™ sets have to make an appearance. Here are a few of the UCS sets on display.

A tall brick skyscraper. The top is lit up with LEDs.

Here is the logo for SteinHelden.de. This is a store located on site and they have an online store (only ships within Germany). It loosely translates to “brick heroes” and the business is set up to employ the disabled. A number of the workers are in wheel chairs or have other disabilities. It’s a cool concept!

Here is a microscale representation of the city of Kaiserslautern. Specifically it is the Rathaus (City Hall) and the Pfaltztheater.

A larger scale version of the Burj Khalifa.

A large scene of ancient Egypt.

The western US circa 1800s.

Last display case with some modified sets to include some Ideas sets, the James Bond Car, and some Harry Potter sets. There are also some fighter jet and biplane MOCs on the bottom row.

Another awesome display this year. So glad I was able to visit despite all of the COVID-19 closures. Thanks to the team who puts this amazing exhibit on! Hope you enjoyed my picture tour.

Happy building!

What's on the Front of Your LEGO® Set?

I recently reviewed #60233-1: Donut Shop Opening and I commented that the box did not include the set name when I originally posted the review. I found that to be quite odd as the name of the set is always on the front.

Fast forward a few weeks and I received a shipment from Amazon.com in the US which included #75957-1: The Knight Bus. The box came with a sticker on the left side with the usual information I always see on sets. If you look at the second picture I posted, you can see what it normally looks like. It took me a bit to put it together, but the one on the left was not produced in LEGO’s North America factory. Apparently US sets have all of the information while sets in Europe do not have the name and piece count. Like the #60233-1: Donut Shop Opening set I purchased from Smyth’s in Germany, the set I received from Amazon.com was made elsewhere (Europe or Asia), a sticker was added to meet the US rules, and it was sold at Amazon.com. That must be how LEGO is trying to fix its supply chain with the Mexico factory shut down due to COVID-19.

I have a few sets here that I purchased at Smyth’s in Germany. I wanted to do a check to see if they all were like that. First off, some architecture Skyline sets…

For comparison, here are two versions below. The North America versions have the piece count and let you know that it is a building toy. Which if you’ve seen the first LEGO® Movie, you know that it is not a toy. It is “actually a highly sophisticated inter-locking brick system.”

Here’s #75276-1: StormtrooperTM Helmet purchased from Smyth’s in Germany. In looking it up, the North America version has the piece count and the abbreviation in Spanish. Then it says it is a “Building Set” in English, French, and Spanish.

One last one… this one was also purchased from Smyth’s in Germany and it is #10254-1: Winter Village Train. It looks very similar to the North America packaging per what I could see on Brickset.com. The North America version says “Ages/edades” above the 12+. This set picture has pieces abbreviated in English, German, Spanish, and… I’m not sure what “db” is. Anyone? The North America version just says “pcs/pzs.

So there you go… If you’re in the US, pay attention to any new sets you get to see what the packaging is like. Your set may have traveled a lot farther than you’d think. I haven’t done a deep dive of the instructions or any of the other markings. Has anyone else noticed any differences?

Happy building!

German LEGO Fans get Some Sweet Discounts on Amazon.de

One of my most popular posts is a conglomeration of various ways to save money buying new LEGO sets. You can see the post here. The post is focused on buying LEGO sets in the US, but what about outside of the US?

If you are new to my site, I am temporarily living in Germany for a few years as my non-LEGO job moved me here. With that, I’ve been able to see bricks across Europe. I have also been able to see some of the LEGO set deals here in Germany. I checked out Amazon.de recently (February 2020) to see what they had and here are some of the highlights

#21045-1: Trafalgar Square - Architecture
Currently 52,99€ versus the 79,99€ German retail price (34% off).
At the current exchange rate, that puts it at $57.87 versus the $79,99 retail price in the US.

#60233-1: Donut Shop Opening - CITY
Currently 54,90€ versus the 79,99€ German retail price (31% off).
At the current exchange rate, its $59.95 versus the $89.99 US retail price.

#75253-1: Droid Commander - Boost
Currently 139,00€ vs the 199,00€ German retail price (31% off).
$151.80 at the current exchange rate versus the US retail price of $199.99.

#42083-1: Bugatti Chiron - Technic
Currently 265,97€ versus the German retail price of 369,99€ (28% off).
That’s $290.46 at the current exchange rate versus the US retail price of $349.99.

And finally…
#42110-1: Land Rover Defender
Currently 139,00€ versus the German retail price of 179,00€ (23% off).
In US dollars that’s $151.80 versus $199.99 US retail price.

Why am I highlighting these? Well if you do a comparison of what’s on sale in the US, you won’t see any of these listed today. It’s interesting that these are on sale in Germany, but not elsewhere. Perhaps sales of these items are lower in Germany? Maybe Amazon.de has a lot of inventory to get rid of? It’s very interesting to see the differences and very tempting to dip in and take advantage of some of these sales I can’t get in the US.

What are your thoughts?

Happy building!

Set Review - #21046-1: Empire State Building - Architecture

A few weeks back I reviewed #21042-1: Statue of Liberty which was released back in 2018. I was so impressed that I picked up #21046-1: Empire State Building. This set was released on 2 August 2019 in the US. It retails for $129.99 in the US and with 1,767 pieces it works out to $0.074/piece. I found it locally for around $85 so be on the lookout for discounts.

Back in 2009, LEGO released #21002-1: Empire State Building (Brickset link). I have that set, but it is back in a storage container somewhere in the US so I won’t spend a lot of time talking about it other than mentioning that #21042-1 is being released 10 years later.

The Empire State Building has been a popular build out of LEGO bricks. A quick search just on YouTube shows numerous fan built models at much larger scales then this set. Take a look if you have a minute.

Here’s the box. The front shows the set while the back shows the set next to a picture of the real building. It also mentions the full set height at 21.5 inches.

The set contains 9 parts bags. They are numbered one through five with five being the only one that has a single bag. There is also an instruction booklet which provides some information on the building in the front as well as throughout the build.

The first set of bags builds the base of the building. It includes the standard printed black tile with the name of the building. It also has the streets around the building with some taxis driving around. The tiles are offset to have a small sidewalk and then you can see the first floor with the “glass” layer before the building is started. Bag 1 also starts the base structure of the building itself. The build has a lot of SNOT usage as you can see with a lot of studs pointed out.

The second set of bags completes the base levels of the building and then starts to build up. You can see how the structure continues to have numerous studs pointed out to help capture the outer portion of the building made with the 684 1x2 grill tiles included in the set.

There are some interesting techniques used in this build to include placing tiles vertically in-between studs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this technique used before, but I like the concept and will look to use it in the future.

The third set of bags starts to go vertical. You can see all of the 1x2 grills going into place. As a close up photo of the model, it doesn’t look that great as you can see all of the studs underneath. From further away it doesn’t matter as much so I’m not going to complain here.

Bag 4 really makes the building form into shape (and my camera didn’t know where to focus). It gets a bit repetitive so if you don’t like placing 1x2 grills or repeating sides, then this set may not be for you. I like how you can use LEGO bricks to make realistic looking models so I’m okay with the repetitive build.

Bag 5 finishes the set off. It adds the final details to the building and then the top. I like the use of the silver colored pieces on the top.

Overall, I like the set. It’s a realistic build and I think it will make a great display piece in a future brick cave for me. I’m glad I picked the set up at a discount. While it is a decent price per piece, a lot of the pieces are very small so it is to be expected. Definitely look to see if you can find it discounted like I did.

I hope LEGO puts out more sets similar to this one in the Architecture line. What are your thoughts?

Happy building!

Set Review - #21042-1: Statue of Liberty - Architecture

It has been a while since I reviewed an Architecture set.. #21042-1: Statue of Liberty was not even on my radar as a set I would be interested in. I stumbled across a review on the site Brick Architect by Tom Alphin and he persuaded me to give it a shot. The set was released in the US back on 2 June 2018. It goes for $119.99 in the US, but I found it locally for ~$90 so I can’t complain. The set contains 1,685 pieces so it works out to be $0.071/piece. Many of the pieces are smaller so this may be the reason for the lower price per piece ratio. Check around for discounts on this set or other details. Target has run a $10 off $50 or more LEGO purchase a few times and a few other places have discounted it as well. I have yet to see Amazon.com or Walmart put it on discount.

The front of the box shows the set while the back of the box shows the set next to a picture of the actual statue. It also gives the dimensions of the set.

Inside the box is a quote from Charles B. Rangel. I had to look up who that was so don’t feel bad if you have no clue either. He’s a politician from New York who served in the US House of Representatives from 1971 to 2017.

The contents of the set are an instruction booklet, three Technic elements, and 10 parts bags labeled one through five with two bags each.

The first bag builds the base of the model and starts the base of the statue. Like most Architecture sets, the base has black tiles around the outer edge with one of the tiles containing the printed name of the set.

The detailing uses a variety of textured pieces as well as some SNOT techniques. I like the design so far and am glad the designer included some colored pieces for the insides to help with piece placement.

The second set of bags continues with the base of the statue. If you’re not a fan of repetitive builds, then this set is not for you. Pretty much everything you do is “X4” in the instructions for each side. This didn’t bother me much as I get that the base of the model is a square and is the same on each side.

The third set of bags completes the base. Overall, I like the base and how it is constructed. It is solid, yet detailed and I think it captures the actual structure rather well.

This part of the build adds in the Technic parts. These parts help keep the statue sturdy and prevent it from getting toppled right over if you knock it too hard. You probably could get away without this piece, but I think it’s good to add in.

The fourth set of bags starts on the statue itself. You make a transition from the light tan color pieces to the green-ish colored pieces (what is the real color name?). The build starts with an inner structure that allows you to build most of the statue using SNOT.

I found working with the green color rather challenging. Selecting the right slope type piece was a challenge for me as three of them look very similar and it wasn’t always obvious which angle the instructions called for. I figured it out in the end, but it did involve re-building a few sections once I realized I build sections wrong.

I used to have a better place to take pictures and I haven’t replaced it after moving to Germany. I’ll get there…

Here’s the final model. Overall, I like it. I think the designers did a great job capturing the likeness of the statue in brick form. The build was challenging, yet fun for me and if you don’t like the model, the parts available for other MOCs are great in my opinion.

Some fans did not like the face and how it is just a tile. If you do an internet search, you can find a number of posts where people designed an actual face. JK Brickworks did a re-design of the face. It’s fairly simple and does not require a ton of extra pieces. The link includes a video where he shows you what he did. I’m okay with the face as designed, but I may try the re-design at some point.

In the end, I’m glad I purchased this set (and found it at a discount). I enjoyed the build and I like the final product. I’m not sure how much longer LEGO will keep it on the shelf, but it didn’t get caught in the latest round of set retirements for 2019 so there is still time to pick it up if you’re interested.

What are your thoughts?

Happy building!

LEGO Architecture in the News

Lego architects and super-fans on designing perfect miniature worlds

Published 27th August 2019 Written by Matthew Ponsford, CNN

A quick post this week… I found this article published on CNN.com which talks about LEGO and Architecture (click on the link above to read the article). It covers everything from the Architecture set line, to fan builds, to some projects people have undertaken in a larger scale. I would like a truck full of bricks on 2 tables to start building.

It’s a quick read with some good pictures so definitely check it out!

Set Review - #21037-1: LEGO® House - Architecture

Onto the second of the three LEGO® House exclusive sets I picked up while in Billund. This one is #21037-1: LEGO® House from the Architecture theme. It was released in 2017 and is still available today. The brief history behind this set is that #4000010-1: LEGO® House - Architecture available back in March 2014 was the first round. It was in all white and was released prior to the opening of the LEGO® House in Billund. This set was released after the LEGO® House opened.

This set has 774 pieces and retails for 449 DKK. I was at the LEGO® House for two days and I bought sets on each of the days (2 and then 1). I paid $67.19 and $67.27 when translated. I don’t think the US Dollar to Danish Kroner exchange rate fluctuates a great deal so my guess is you can expect to pay about the same amount. The sign at the store says you are limited to three sets per family. I bought three and didn’t try to scam the Brand Store there over by having my NLS buy some or buying without my VIP account.

Onto the review…

The box looks like a standard architecture set. The biggest difference is that this one is very colorful while most of the sets are usually full of grays, tans, and whites. It’s a nice change to have some color.

The contents are 6 parts bags, an instruction booklet, and four 6x12 dark gray plates. Like most architecture sets, the bags are not numbered. The instructions have a section about the LEGO® House, its development, information on the architecture firm, and some facts throughout the instructions.

Like most architecture sets, the bags aren’t numbered so there aren’t good break points for a review. I just picked a few points I thought to be useful to discuss the build.

The base of the building is completed at step 15. It’s just the dark gray plates with black plates underneath to hold them together. The edge is completed with black tiles to include one that is printed with the “LEGO® House” name on it.

Step 33 of the instructions completes the first layer of plates on the base. It is made up of light gray for the sidewalks and tan for the floor inside the LEGO® House. There are a few spots where there are no plates and then a few colored tiles for where the stepped portions of the house begin.

My next stopping point is the completion of the first floor or layer. The first floor includes some windows along with the yellow and blue steps on the two opposite ends of the building. The inside of the house includes a plant to represent one of the plants in the house and then the steps leading up into the house along with the tree of creativity. They don’t include all of the detail, but given the limited space, I can understand why.

Onto the second level… each of the sections fit in just so to create the various upper sections of the house. So far I’m impressed with the build and how it is arranged.

The top level with the masterpiece gallery is easily removable and does not attach with clutch to the other layers of the house. This feature is nice as you can view the “inside” of the house. The very top includes the 8 clear windows that look like the studs of a 2x4 brick.

Here’s the final build. I think they did a great job representing the LEGO® House given the scale of the architecture theme. I’m a big fan of this set and recommend picking it up if you are able to visit the LEGO® House. To be fair, I might be biased since I was actually there. I wonder if I would have the same opinions if I hadn’t actually been there.

Does anyone else have this one? What are your thoughts?

In the meantime, happy building!

Gartenschau Kaiserslautern, Germany - Back with Another Great LEGO Display in 2019

In case you missed it, I visited the Gartenschau in Kaiserslautern, Germany back in 2018. It just opened again for the season back on 1 April 2019 and I had the opportunity to go for a visit this past weekend. The ads for the park highlighted another big LEGO based display, but I wasn’t sure if it was just the same display from 2018 or not. I was pleasantly surprised that Lauter Steine eV put together another awesome display for 2019. There were some returning displays and items, but there were also some brand new ones. I was only able to get a few pictures, but I plan to go back soon and will post more. Here are a few highlights.

Some brick built, larger scale minifigures greet you as you walk in…

One of the new displays is of the Pfalztheater-Kaiserslautern (link should take you to a Google Images page for the theater).

There was a classic space focused display last year with a big monorail. While they still have pieces of classic space, there are some changes this year. There is a Ice Planet themed section. The light in the room makes it hard to take photos, but it does make the orange and white of the Ice Planet theme look pretty cool.

Some classic space and M-Tron sets.

I was a huge M-Tron fan as a kid. I had a bunch of the sets and thought the magnets were great. Here’s an awesome M-Tron space station.

Benny’s Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! (#70816-1) from the first LEGO Movie makes an appearance.

As a kid, I saved up and purchased the Mega Core Magnetizer (#6989-1). Still a great set!

The first case has some larger scale, brick built versions of various pieces along with the brick art underneath. The next picture is a working minifigure head designed out of bricks clock.

The next two picture are various architecture themed type sets. There are some actual LEGO sets mixed in, but many are fan built sets in the format of LEGO Architecture. There are also a few larger scale buildings.

I took a picture of this display and the sign that goes with it, but the sign that goes with it is all in German and I haven’t translated it yet. So enjoy the picture and I’ll update this post with info on this display once I translate what this is.

26 April 2019: Okay, I had time to use Google Translate… long story short, this is a model of a power plant built in Germany in 1894.

I included a picture of the info sheet so you can try and translate yourself, but this display is of a section of Kaiserslautern that is being re-developed. The buildings are models of what the final area will look like.

A returning display from 2018 is the Cologne Cathedral. I talked about it a bit more during my 2018 post. My family was able to visit Cologne in December 2018 for the Christmas Market. We got to see the cathedral while there. It is incredible on the outside and on the inside! If you are ever there, definitely check it out. Here is the picture I took of the LEGO brick built version and then a picture of the actual cathedral that I took from the nearby Christmas Market.

I visited with my kiddos so I had to rush through the displays and get the the play area that they have. I didn’t get the pictures that I wanted so I’ll have to go back (oh darn!). Last two I’ll post for now… one is an Elves themed display and the other is a cool looking building that I’ll need to get a picture of the sign and translate. Sorry.

I have never been to a LEGO Fan Convention, but I imagine that going through Gartenschau Kaiserslautern is what it’s like. A ton of cool displays to look at everywhere. Well done Lauter Steine eV! It’s another incredible display this year and they did a phenomenal job putting it all together! If you’re ever in the area, you definitely need to check it out.

Happy building!

Set Review - #21047-1 - Las Vegas - Architecture Skylines

LEGO released the Las Vegas Skyline as part of its Architecture series back on 2 September 2018. While I’m not a collector of every Architecture set, this one hit home with me because I lived in Las Vegas for 4 years. It retails in the US for $39.99 and with 501 pieces, that makes it $0.08 per piece. I picked it up at Amazon.com for 20% off or $31.99 so no complaints from me on price. I just had to wait for the set to be discounted.

Most of the sets in the Architecture Skyline series like #21039-1 Shanghai feature famous landmarks in the city, monuments, tall skyscrapers, or other key buildings. Las Vegas is the only one that features only resort casinos. I’m not sure what else they would put… the Hoover Dam? Or… that’s really it. So they selected a few of the casinos and given that there are so many in Vegas, they had to choose. They picked mainly from the Strip (except for one) and originally they were in order of appearance as your drive through the Strip or along I-15 that runs parallel to it. Unfortunately for LEGO, one of the casinos they choose was the Mandalay Bay Resort where in October 2017 a really awful thing happened there and a lot of innocent people lost their lives. When LEGO announced the set, there were a lot of comments about it being inappropriate to highlight this Resort after what had happened less than a year ago at the time. So they smartly delayed the set to redesign. Now the skyline is not in order, but it works.

Onto the review…

Here is the box. The front shows the completed set, the back shows the completed set with pictures of the actual buildings nearby.

The box has 5 unmarked bags and an instruction booklet. The instruction booklet has some facts about the city and the buildings in the beginning and then throughout the build. It also has a number of quotes to include the one I posted from the box.

If you’re bored, Google “Cinnamon Stomberger.” It’s not who you think it is…

Onto the build… The base is built first. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. Space for the buildings with a printed tile on the front.

To start the build, you make the Fremont Street Experience and the Stratosphere hotel. Fremont Street is in Downtown Las Vegas and not a part of the Strip. For those of you not familiar, the Strip is actually part of Unincorporated Clark County. So the city of Las Vegas gets mad that it doesn’t receive tax revenue from the Strip. When I was there they were promoting Downtown Las Vegas quite a bit because they got revenues there. At the time, downtown was pretty sketchy, but I hear it has improved. The Fremont Street Experience is much larger than what is in the set so it was scaled down substantially. I get what they tried to do, but it doesn’t to much for me. They should have added another of the better known casinos instead of an inadequate Fremont Street Experience model.

Next up is the Stratosphere which is on the northern end of the Strip. I lived in Vegas before smart phones were big so instead of GPS, we navigated around the city based on where the mountains were and the Stratosphere. I think they did a good job capturing it in a miniaturized LEGO form.

Next up on the east side of the Strip and still on the northern end is Encore which is part of Wynn Resorts. Encore is the second hotel which was built after the Wynn and it looks very similar. My guess is they choose Encore over Wynn to get the Wynn name out of the set given recent misconduct reporting on the company’s namesake CEO. Encore is a curved hotel which makes it a challenge to build at such a small scale. I think LEGO captured the color scheme good, but at such a small scale, adding in the curve makes the building look a lot less sleek than it actually is in real life.

The Luxor is on the southern end and west side of the Strip. The LEGO build has half of the hotel casino and then the sphinx out front. The head piece is pretty cool and they captured the obelisk out front too. The only thing I would have improved on would be the famous Luxor light on the top. They added in the red light on top of the Stratosphere and I think it would have been cool to show the Luxor light too.

The final building is the Bellagio. The Bellagio replaced Mandalay Bay in the set. Mandalay Bay is next to and further south of the Luxor on the south end of the Strip. The Bellagio is actually further north on the west side of Las Vegas Blvd. No big deal…. I think they did a good job capturing this casino and its famous fountains out front. If you have never been to Vegas, definitely YouTube the fountain show. It’s cool to see and even better in person. There is another tower to the left that they didn’t include called the Spa tower. I've spent the night there and got to watch the fountains from above. Pretty cool! The wings of the hotel are held up by some clips so the back of the hotel is ugly looking in this design, but as long as you stick to the front, you’re fine.

Last up is the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas: sign. I think this is the only time I’ve seen a Skyline set have a printed tile versus a build. I get why they did it, but I think it looks tacky. It also doesn’t look quite to scale given the pieces behind it.

Here’s the final set… I think the designers did a decent job capturing the city given the constraints, but I don’t agree with all of their choices. Fremont Street looks dull and the Encore loses out of its sleekness. Could they have added in Caesar’s Palace and its statues? Paris Las Vegas and the Eiffel Tower? Treasure Island and the pirate ship? The Mirage and the Volcano? MGM Grand and it’s awesome bright green color? NY NY? I realize you are limited to space so maybe the goal was to pick buildings where you didn’t have to put a lot of outside detail into the model to get across the resort you’re building.

My overall take is that I don’t think I would have picked this one up if it wasn’t on sale. Also, having lived there, I have a connection to the place too. As a touristy place, I’m sure selling a brick built version of the Strip goes over well to include at the LEGO Store that wasn’t there when I lived there. The build was alright and there are some decent pieces, but overall this one didn’t excite me.

What are your thoughts?