Another LEGO Shop @ Home Shipping Fail - Late Night Delivery

I placed a few orders during the recent Back to Hogwarts promotion LEGO ran at the beginning of September. I bought a few items to build and a few for the Bricks for Bricks Bricklink Store. My orders shipped at various times and as per usual, I received shipping notifications. So far so good.

One of the orders was shipped via a company called OnTrac. Huh? Who are they? I was nervous, but I hoped LEGO had everything under control. The package tracking showed daily movement on the path to my house until it looked like it would show up the next day.

So there I was… getting ready for bed a little after 10:00 PM when I saw the front of my house was brighter. I went to go look and there was a van in the driveway with its lights on and someone walking up the walkway. I flipped on the outside light and by the time I got outside, the person was already walking back and there was a box on my porch. A quick look revealed the shipper was LEGO so I assumed it was legit. I later opened the box and my order was there.

I was a bit perturbed by such a late night delivery and it definitely spooked my family to have someone show up that late unannounced. Everyone else (Fedex, UPS, USPS, Amazon) delivers during normal hours unless you pay for a rush delivery or a late night Uber/Doordash. So I decided to write to LEGO Customer Service. I often get positive responses from them so it was worth a shot. I sent a note, voiced my frustration, and asked them to not deliver so late at night as I didn’t need the set at 10:30 PM.

Well… LEGO responded by flicking it off to OnTrac. They said they were sorry, but I should take it up with OnTrac. It wasn’t their problem to deal with.

So I attempted to deal with OnTrac. I messed with the automated chat function until I gave up. It appears there is no way to send them feedback. OnTrac, if you’re reading this, please don’t deliver to my house after 10 PM or even 8 PM. I say 7 PM is the latest. Nothing that I order is that important that it has to be there that night. Let your employees stay home and enjoy time with their families. They don’t need to be out hauling boxes around. Thanks for understanding?

Has anyone else had this issue? Or is it just me?

Set Review - #40677-1: Prisoner of Azkaban™ Figures - BrickHeadz

We have another Brickheadz Harry Potter themed multi-figure set for 2024 after 2022’s #40560-1: Professors at Hogwarts™. This one is #40677-1: Prisoner of Azkaban™ Figures. It was released on 1 March 2024 for $49.99. It contains 697 pieces which works out to $0.072 per piece. This set has figures from the third book/movie to include another Harry and Hermione Brickheadz, but our first Sirius, a Patronus, and a Dementor.

The box is standard with the Brickheadz shown on the front and then in a different order on the back.

The box contains nine numbered parts bags and then an envelope with the instructions inside.

There is an instruction booklet for each Brickheadz figure as shown here.

#221 - Harry Potter™

First up is Harry. Nothing super out of the ordinary from other past Brickheadz. He has the printed scar, glasses, and black hair. His shirt has a mud stain and then some stripes on the sleeves. There’s also a 1x2 tile printed as a chocolate bar. He’s holding a wand which is made differently to include a part to clip on the end. Then you attach a translucent piece to make it look like he’s giving a patronus charm which is cool. Harry is on the standard base for a Brickheadz figure.

#222 - Hermione Granger™

Next up is Hermione. Other than the charm that is supposed to be a necklace which holds the time turner, there isn’t much different about her. It’s the standard Brickheadz build.

#223 Stag Patronus™

This one was a fun build. Between the light blue color and then the translucent blue pieces, it’s a cool design. Also it’s not your average shape of a person which is a nice change. The figure doesn’t balance well without the stand as the head is not centered so it’s a bit front heavy. It uses some different parts too which nice.

#224 - Dementor™

This one is different as it’s a magical creature instead of a person. The center of the figure is clear pieces which is not usual and then the face has a hole in the center which is different for Brickheadz. Instead of making hair, they recreated the cape/headscarf type thing the Dementor wears. It’s not the greatest of characters to re-create, but it’s cool to see something different besides the three main Harry Potter characters in different clothing.

#225 - Sirius Black™

Last up is Sirius. He comes in his prison garb and is pretty simple, but you can see Sirius in the look. I like the use of SNOT on the face and the studs pointing down for the beard. The shirt is printed for some more detail.

Overall, I wouldn’t get this set unless you are a Harry Potter fan or a Brickheadz collector. Nothing overly spectacular about this one. On a price per brick standpoint, it’s reasonably priced, but the pieces are all rather small so it doesn’t seem like you’re getting a lot for $50. I recommend waiting for a sale, double Insider Points, or a cool GWP before scooping this one up.

For fun, I lined up all of my built Harry Potter Brickheadz for a picture. I think I have a few more put away in a box somewhere. I’ll find them at some point and take another picture.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76419-1: Hogwarts Castle and Grounds - Harry Potter

How many different versions of Hogwarts Castle can LEGO come up with? We’ve had all of the minifigure scale modular sections and then #71043-1: Hogwarts Castle which is about half of the castle. On 1 September 2023, we got #76419-1: Hogwarts Castle and Grounds. This one contains 2,660 pieces and retails for $169.99 which works out to $0.064 per piece. This Hogwart’s set is the first one that has the full castle all in one set. It’s a much smaller scale than the others, but it works and still captures a bunch of details. Onto the review…

The box front shows the full set build. There’s a Harry Potter logo and the 18+ greebling on the bottom. The back of the box shows some of the details of the set and the other side of the set.

The set contains 22 numbered bags with one bag per number. There’s also a 16x16 black plate and then the instructions are in an envelope. There are two instruction books. The instructions start with some details on the set and the castle. Throughout the instructions, there are various notes about some of the sections of the castle.

Of note, I did find at least one error in the instructions where they listed the wrong piece and showed a different one being installed.

The build starts with some of the sections underground. Bag one builds the chamber of secrets and then the Devil’s Snare. Bag two builds the room where they chase the keys, the Wizard’s Chess board, and then the room where Harry meets Professor Quirrell and finds the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Bags three and four build out more of the base and some of the cliff sections around the castle. Of note, you get a 1x8 black tile with “Hogwart’s Castle” printed on it similar to how the Architecture sets are built.

Bag 5 continues to build out the base of the castle and more of the cliffs around the edges. Then bag 6 starts to build the top with a lot of olive green pieces for grass coloring and a bunch of jumper plates to hold future sections of the castle. There are also some light gray tiles as walking paths around the castle.

Bag seven builds the last underground section which I think is Snape’s potions library (maybe). Bag eight continues the base to include more of the cliff edge and a pathway made up with some sloped dark tan sloped pieces.

Bag nine adds more of the cliff section and some plates to build up on. Bag 10 adds in the boat house at the end of the dark tan path you build.

Bag 11 adds in a lot of the water pieces. I like the use of dark and light colored translucent blue tiles to make some different colored water. You also include a section in the bottom right which is where the Durmstrang Ship will go later on in the build.

Bag 12 starts the Great Hall. I like how this one is buildt separately and then added to the rest of the castle at an angle.

Bag 13 finishes up the Great Hall and adds it to the rest of the build. As mentioned, I like how it’s installed at an angle. You also add the bridge which works out okay, but the supports don’t quite touch the bottom so it looks a little odd if you look closely.

Bag 15 tops off the quad area and then the Headmaster’s Tower. Bag 16 builds another section of the castle. The instructions say that this area contains the girl’s lavatory area where Moaning Myrtle lives. I appreciate how some of the building techniques create the details and then there are some printed pieces mixed in. Thankfully, no stickers. YAY!

Bags 17 and 18 build the East Wing according to the instructions.

Bag 19 builds the astronomy tower which is the tallest point of the castle and is built using some SNOT techniques.

Bag 20 starts a corridor section that is completed in the next bag. More printed bricks again which is great.

Bag 21 finishes the corridor in this section of the castle and then adds in the greenhouses. It also adds in some walls and some gemstone and ice cream pieces as miniature trees and plants.

Bag 22 is the final bag in the set. It builds the Whomping Willow, the Durmstrang Ship, the Pegasus and Beauxbatons’ Carriage, and then finally the Architect of Hogwarts golden minifigure. The first three are all fun miniature builds and if you know the Potter world, you can easily pick up on what the builds are representing. The minifigure is a nice addition to the set and to the gold anniversary minifigures, but it really isn’t a known character. It’s fun that they came up with an idea of what the architect might look like, but I don’t see this minifigure as a must have collectible just based on it being a made up character. I guess it’s better than yet another Harry Potter minifigure.

Durmstrang Ship

Pegasus and Beauxbatons’ Carriage

Architect of Hogwarts

Whomping Willow

Here is the final build from a few different angles. Overall, it’s a great set. You can buy the various sets to piece together the castle or get the larger castle, or just get this one and be done (assuming you don’t collect minifigures). It’s great that you get the full castle and a bunch of details from the books in one set. The minifigure isn’t a standout to me, but it’s nice that they included one. The price per piece is good although the pieces are a bit smaller so you would hope that would be the case. If you’re a Harry Potter fan or enjoy Architecture themed sets, I highly recommend this one. Look for opportunities to grab this one with double Insiders points or great GWP offerings in the future.

Happy building!

Set Review: #76413-1 - Hogwart's: Room of Requirements - Harry Potter

Here’s a review for #76413-1: Hogwarts™: Room of Requirements. This one was released on 1 March 2023 and retails for $49.99 in the US. It contains 587 pieces which puts it at $0.085 per piece. I grabbed this one on sale from LEGO Shop @ Home with GWPs so even better. This is not the first venture into this section of the castle. This set focuses on a scene from the last book/movie “The Deathly Hallows”, but we had #75966-1 back in 2020 which was from “The Order of the Phoenix” book/movie which focuses on a separate scene in the room with a different purpose.

Nothing overly special about the box. It is pretty standard with how the front and back usually look for a Harry Potter themed set.

The set contains four numbered parts bags, and instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet. My sticker sheet was smashed into the box and had a pretty sharp crease in it. I was not happy with that, but thankfully, it didn’t wreck the overall look of the set when I was done putting it together.

Unlike most Harry Potter sets, the first bag actually starts with the top of the structure. You build a small roof section and then a larger one with a spire. The one with the spire has a space underneath the spire where a scroll is set for reading. I’m not sure what the reference is to in the movie exactly so it’s relevance in the set is unknown to me.

You get two minifigures in this bag. One is Harry and the other is “The Grey Lady” (Rowena Ravenclaw’s deceased daughter).

The second bag assembles the ground floor of the build. This is the entrance to the Room of Requirements. There is a door (with stickers that you put on both sides) and then the inside starts to build all of the various things that are stored in the room with two cases with cups in them.

There are some straight and curved tiles placed around the door frame on the inside of the room. These tiles have stickers. I had a challenging time putting the stickers on the 1x6 pieces and an even harder time trying to line up the curved stickers on the curved tiles.

The Draco Malfoy minifigure comes with this bag.

The third bag adds more to the room to make it taller. You also tack on a few more stickers for details. You see a number of Technic axle and pin holes throughout the build which will make more sense after the next bag.

On the outside of the build you put together some doors/wall pieces that slide back and forth so you can cover the door to the room similar to the movie. It’s not flush with the wall like in the movie, but it gets the job done considering the cost of the set and the space available for the build.

The Hermione minifigure comes in this bag.

The last bag wraps up the set with a lot of the various items inside the room of requirements to include boxes, books, a chair, a helmet, a record player, and the lost diadem that they are searching for in the movie/book.

The minifigure in this bag is Blaise Zabini who I don’t remember from any of the other movies, but it could just be me.

Lastly you build the fire dragon that Blaise casts in the Room. You can have the dragon as one long piece or you can split it up. The set comes with some extra Technic pins so you can connect the dragon to the various pin holes around the set. This is a fun play feature and I like how the designers added this one in.

5 minifigures in this set. All are exclusive so even if you thought you had all of the Harry Potter minifigures, there is yet another one. No major complaints here, but nothing super exciting.

Here’s the final build. Like the other sets, this one is modular and connects to the various Harry Potter sets to help you build out a full Hogwart’s Castle however you want to. The set has some good play features with the moveable doors in the front, the fire dragon that can be moved around, and some stuff to scatter around the room. You can also use your own pieces to add to the clutter in the room.

Overall, it’s not a bad set and the price per piece isn’t too bad. It’s gone on sale once so wait for another round of sales before you grab this one.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76420-1: Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake - Harry Potter

Another Harry Potter set…. This one is #76420-1: Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake. It was released on 1 March 2023 and it contains 349 pieces. It retails in the US for $44.99 which puts it at $0.129 per piece. I picked this one up on sale during the Back to Hogwarts event LEGO held for $5 off and with two GWP sets. It’s priced pretty high from a price per piece standpoint.

The box is pretty similar to most. The front shows the set apart with the above water section separated from the below water section. All of the minifigures are shown under water. It has the standard logos for Harry Potter sets. And the warning that the boat doesn’t float. The back shows some more play details for the set.

This set contains four numbered parts bags, an 8x16 plate, and the instruction booklet.

The first bag assembles the first section “above the water” for the set. This portion is just the structure for the upper level and then the stand where the characters jump into the water. There is a fairly simple Technic build that can be used to tip up a tile to have the characters “jump.” Additionally, this bag comes with a small row boat that fits one or two minifigures. The Harry Potter minifigure comes in this bag. His head is dual sided with the gills from eating the gillyweed. One side is smiling and the other is mad. His outfit is a red shirt with his house logo on the front and his last name printed on the back. He also comes with some skin colored fins to look like how his feet change into fins after eating the gillyweed. He also has a wand.

The second bag builds the upper level. This section comes with some great sand green colored pieces that look like they came from an Asian themed build. Inside the stand is a table with some mugs, a tea/coffee pot, and a container of sorts on the floor. There is a ladder piece to allow characters to climb up. The top of the structure has a printed clock tile piece. This piece is hooked to a Technic pin and then a ball on the back to spin the clock around. Viktor Krum comes as a minifigure in this bag. He has a face and hair piece and then you can spin his head to show a tongue that fits in with the shark piece to fit over his head.

The third bag starts the under water section of the build. It uses a few BURPs (or are they LURPs?) and then other dark blue and sand green pieces. You attach the chains to be where two of the figures are put under a spell to be rescued by the tournament participants. There are a few plants and then a crab and a fish as well. This bag contains Ron and Hermione along with one of the under water creatures (not sure of the official name). Ron and Hermione both have dual printed heads. One side is the underwater, asleep face and the other is the awake and smiling face.

The fourth bag finishes the build by completing the arch piece under water. It uses great colors to include sand green and teal. I like the use of the brick textured sand green pieces. This bag also comes with a mermaid minifigure. She has a dual printed head and comes with a trident. I forgot to throw her in this picture, but you’ll see her later.

Here are the minifigures. They are original to this set so a must buy if you collect Harry Potter minifigures. Otherwise, it’s just more Harry, Ron, and Hermione minifigures. Victor isn’t one you get often and the mermaid is also an original. Plus the shark part is cool. It’s disappointing they didn’t include Fleur and her sister. I’m sure that was due to cost and wanting to keep the price of the set at a specific level.

Here’s the final set. Overall, it’s a decent small build with some okay techniques besides just stacking bricks. You get some good piece colors and some unique minifigures so that’s a bonus as well. I do think the set is overpriced for what you are getting so look for opportunities to grab this one on sale or with GWPs. If it already went on sale once and it was just released in March, I’m pretty sure you’ll see it on sale again and it’s not even near the end of its shelf life.

Happy building!

Set Review - 2023 Harry Potter Brickheadz Sets - #40616-1, #40617-1, and #40618-1

Three Harry Potter themed Brickheadz sets were released for 2023 on 1 June. Instead of three separate reviews, I decided to combine them all into one. I don’t collect all of the Brickheadz sets, but I do get the ones that interest me. As a Harry Potter fan, I grabbed these during the LEGO “Back to Hogwarts” sale event. Overall, they are in line with the Brickheadz theme. If you aren’t a fan of them or of Harry Potter, don’t bother with these. If you are a fan, look for an opportunity to grab them. Maybe during a double VIP point event or if you can find them on sale somewhere.

The first one is #40616-1: Harry Potter and Cho Chang. These are Brickheadz numbers 207 and 208. The set contains 267 pieces and retails for $19.99 which works out to $0.074 per piece. The box front shows the two characters. The back (not pictured) shows the same and how you can place the characters on a plate as a base. The set comes with four parts bags numbered one and two. There are two instruction booklets included. One for each character.

Not too much to talk about for the build. They are the standard Brickheadz build. Both characters come with printed tiles for the eyes and front of the shirt. Harry has a printed tile for the scar on his forehead. Harry’s face is a fun build as you install some pieces that are not clipped in by stud connections. They just rest in place and then other pieces hold them there. A fun little technique. If you don’t like the characters, LEGO always puts a few interesting colored pieces in the center and then I’m a fan of the dark red and blue colors as you get a few of those as well.

Next up is #40617-1 - Draco Malfoy and Cedric Diggory. Draco is #209 and Cedric #210. This set also retails for $19.99 and contains 262 pieces. This works out to $0.076 per piece. Similar to the previous set, the box has the characters on the front and the numbers and names of each on the bottom of the front. Inside are four parts bags numbered one and two with two bags for each number. There is an instruction booklet for each character.

The builds for these are not super interesting. Their hair is slightly different, but beyond that and brick colors, these builds are pretty similar. I guess the goal was to get students from each house so students from two houses in the last set and then the last two houses here. One difference is Draco is holding a gold trophy cup so you do get that additional part. As I mentioned at the beginning, if you’re a Brickheadz collector or a Harry Potter fan, then go get this set. If not, I’d avoid this one as it’s not super exciting to build and doesn’t have a ton of unique pieces.

Last set is #40618-1 - Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks. Kingsley is #211 and Nymphadora is #212. This set also retails for $19.99 and contains 250 pieces. It has the lowest piece count of the three sets which puts it at $0.079 per piece. Still not bad, but the worst ratio of the three. As with the other two sets, similar box art and contents inside the box.

Of the three sets, I enjoyed building this one the most. Kingsley has his head cover which is a cool looking printed, sloped piece that goes all around his head. It’s obviously not completely round, but I like how they created that effect. Nymphadora uses a fun lighter colored purple for the hair which was a nice change to see a different color. Beyond these two bits, they still mostly follow the Brickheadz standard so you’re not getting much else super exciting. Like the other two sets, great for Brickheadz and Potter fans, not so much for everyone else. Thankfully, there is a ton of other sets out there you can pick up based on what you like so it’s not a big deal.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76402-1: Hogwart's: Dumbledore's Office - Harry Potter

As we approach the time period closer to Christmas, a lot of retailers are putting more items on sale to include LEGO sets. #76402-1: Hogwart’s: Dumbledore’s Office was released back on 1 June 2022 in the US for $79.99. It contains 654 pieces which works out to $0.122 per piece. I this this is too steep. I picked it up on sale for $64 at Walmart, which works out to a more reasonable $0.097 per piece. Keep waiting and maybe you’ll see it go on sale for even more as it should be retiring at the end of this year.

This set connects to other sets in the line in a modular fashion so if you’ve been collecting them all, you can add this one to the bunch. You get six minifigures in this set and three of the printed collectible tiles. I started the build with 14 of the 16 tiles and picked up one more. I’m still short one tile, but I’m not bothered by this.

The box is pretty standard with the full set on the front, Harry Potter logo, a minifigure line up, and pictures of the movie characters. The back shows some play details and the back of the set along with a note about the printed tiles. Maybe it’s just me, but the box feels kind of small for a $80 set. Onto the review…

The set contains five numbered parts bags. The instructions are bagged along with the stickers. There is also an 8x16 tan plate.

The first bag starts to build where the actual desk of Dumbledore goes. It builds a small platform and includes some clear pieces as two flask type items. This bag comes with a Harry Potter minifigure wearing the cloak of invisibility and holding a wand and lamp. It also comes with Dumbledore.

The second bag wraps up most of the office area. It builds up two book shelves, some props on the desk, and has a place for the sorting hat and a small Fawkes to sit on a perch. This bag comes with a Mr. Filch minifigure and his cat.

The third bag adds another level with the pensieve (bowl you can drop tears into to view memories). This doesn’t quite match the movie as the pensieve is actually in the office and not a level above. On top of this level is another level with the sword of Gryffindor. Again, the sword, when it’s in the office, is in the office and not on a separate floor. From the front, it’s a decent design with the elements you’d expect in a Hogwart’s type build. This bag comes with a Professor Snape minifigure.

The fourth bag builds the bottom layer of the set which is the library. This bag builds the floor and a book shelf. As part of the book shelf, you attach some books to leaf pieces on the outer wall. The leaf is attached to a tile that can slide in and out to make the book pop off the shelf. This is done twice.

The Madame Pince minifigure comes in this set. I had to look up who she is in the books/movies. Apparently she’s the librarian. Shows how much I know…

The fifth and final bag wraps up the build with completing the bottom floor. It adds a few desks in the library and sections of the library that are on plates connected by hinges to the rest of the build. You can fold them in or out depending on how you want to play with the set. A Hermione minifigure comes with this bag.

As mentioned at the beginning, the set comes with six minifigures. They are all pretty common except for Madame Pince so nothing to get too excited over. Harry does come with the cloak of invisibility, but you would already have it if you collected Series 1 of the Harry Potter minifigures (although that Harry is wearing pajamas in the CMF series).

Here’s the final build. I don’t have the other sets built to show the connection, but alone, I wasn’t too impressed by this set. The minifigures were just okay. You do get a few fun pieces like a small Fawkes and the sorting hat. If you’re looking to pick this one up to add to your castle, definitely don’t pay full retail price. Look for a sale or some good deal to cut down on the price.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76407-1: The Shrieking Shack & Whomping Willow - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I’m not sure why, but I’ve gotten into collecting the Harry Potter sets. I’ve never read the books, but I have seen the movies a few times. They used to be a bit more reasonable in price, but with the price increases last year, they seem over the top to me. This one is #76407-1: The Shrieking Shack & Whomping Willow. It was released on 7 May 2022 in the US for $89.99. With 777 pieces that works out to $0.116 per piece which is a bit high in my opinion. LEGO recently had it on sale for $72 and with two GWPs being offered at the same time, I couldn’t complain although $0.09 per piece isn’t the greatest either.

The good part is that my little guy is getting into LEGO and he enjoys building with me now. We built this one together… or maybe he built it and I supervised and applied stickers. We sat at our beat up kitchen table so the pictures aren’t the greatest, but it was easier than moving to take pictures as he wanted to build on his timeline and not my blog pictures.

Nothing spectacular about the box. If you’ve purchased a Harry Potter set in the past, you are familiar with how they look. Of note, the back includes a note that you get four Wizard Tiles in this set (Still? I wonder how long they will include them in sets?). All four of the tiles I got were duplicates. I have 14 of the 16, but I’m not rushing out to find the remaining two.

The set contains six numbered parts bags, an instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet.

Here are the stickers. There are a bunch, but they weren’t too bad. My daughter is a pro at putting them on and tackled most of them for us. She was good at applying the stickers on the curved surfaces and getting them to line up easily. I’m somewhat good at applying to flat tiles, but I’m not so good at curves.

Bag one builds a small fence section and then the area where the whomping willow will attach. This section has a rock piece set up so it can rotate along with a cloud. As shown on the box, when the moon comes out (3x3 round, glow in the dark tile), Professor Lupin turns into a werewolf. This is a fun play feature. This bag comes with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger minifigures… yet another set with the three main characters.

Bag two builds the whomping willow. It’s not an overly detailed build, but for the size and price point of the set, it gets the job done. #75953-1 - Hogwarts Whomping Willow from 2018 was the last time it appeared and I like this one better. This one is at an angle and there is a small gear in the back of the stand where you can make it rotate which adds to the playability of the set.

The Harry Potter minifigure comes with this bag in case you haven’t gotten a set with him in it before.

Bag three starts to build the shrieking shack. I wasn’t optimistic about this part of the build, but it actually wasn’t too bad. It’s not just stacking bricks to make a building, but instead offsetting bricks, using different colored pieces, adding in slopes and textured parts, and making it look like the old building that it is. Along with some of the white pieces to make it look like winter time, I can’t complain here.

This bag comes with Sirius Black and a dog which if you haven’t seen the movie or read the books, Sirius turns into a dog to hide.

Bag four finishes up the first floor. I will show the inside later, but the first floor has multiple boarded up windows, an interesting porch awning, the start of a chimney, and then on top, two pieces to allow rotation which was odd. My kiddo and I both were curious how these pieces would be used later in the build. Professor Lupin comes in this bag.

Bag five starts the second floor in a similar fashion as the first floor. It uses slopes, textured pieces, different colors, and tiles to create the old and abandoned effect.

The Peter Pettigrew minifigure is included here along with Scabbers, the rat belonging to Ron that ends up being Peter in hiding (spoiler alert?). I don’t think he appears often so this is a good addition to the set.

Build six finishes up the set. I like the way the roof was done with the slope, snow effect, and the two smaller windows on each side of the main window. The bottom of the second floor has round plates which connect to the turn table pieces on the top of the first floor. The second floor doesn’t spin. This instead allows you to connect the two floors so they are offset. This makes it look as if the second floor has shifted off of the first floor and is more crooked. A cool feature and interesting way to design this. The chimney is offset slightly as well which bugged my kiddo, but he understood after I explained it.

Here’s my picture of the inside. The designers did a good job decorating with a chair, piano, chest, table, and a few other items. The stickered tiles make up some busted blinds and damaged glass photos/paintings which adds to the scene.

Bag six comes with Professor Lupin as a werewolf. The molded head piece and werewolf legs are a nice touch.

While I think this set is overpriced, you have to admit that it’s not too bad to get seven minifigures and two animals. Plus the werewolf minifigure is something new.

Here’s the final build. Overall, I was more impressed than I thought I would be. It’s not a pretty looking set and to have LEGO put it on sale makes me think it isn’t selling well. I thought the build wasn’t bad and it captures the scene from the movie quite well considering the size and piece count. With seven minifigures and two animals, it’s not that bad. If you’re reading this close to when it posts, take advantage of the sale at LEGO or look for it on sale at one of the big retailers like Target, Walmart, or Amazon as it gets closer to Christmas. This one is scheduled to retire at the end of this year so don’t wait if you are interested. If' you’re not a Harry Potter fan, I’d stay away from this one unless you are looking for pieces or you want the werewolf minifigure parts for a MOC.

What are your thoughts on this one?

Happy building!

Set Review - #76408-1: 12 Grimmuald Place - Harry Potter

Here’s another late to the game 2022 Harry Potter set being reviewed in 2023. This one is #76408-1: 12 Grimmuald Place. It contains 1,083 pieces and retails for $119.99 in the US. It was released on 20 June 2022 in the US and the price per piece is $0.111. I picked this one up back in December 2022 and got some of the GWPs and double VIP points so it helped to make up for the higher price on this one.

I’m going to assume you’ve seen the movie already and you know about this building. The effect in the movie is cool how the building appears after the others separate and LEGO did a good job recreating the effect in brick form. .Also, like #76388-1: Hogsmead Village, this set could fit into a city scene pretty easily or with some slight modifications.

The front of the box shows the full set and how the buildings can be moved. It also shows the nine unique minifigures to the set. The logos on the box are the same as others. The back of the box shows more play features and the back side of the set.

The set contains seven numbered parts bags. The instructions are in a card board envelope for protection which is great. It also contains a long rubberized type piece which is used for listening by the Weasley twins.

The instructions are on white which helps to see them during the build process. Thanks LEGO!

There are stickers and some of them are bigger which I’m not a fan of. The bigger the sticker, the higher risk you have of air bubbles getting trapped underneath the stickers. Thankfully, I managed to assemble this one without too many issues.

The first bag starts the base of the building. It includes the steps to the buildings and then the slots which allow the buildings to slide around when 12 Grimmuald Place appears. It also includes a piece separator.

The minifigures in this bag include Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks. Both come with brooms. Nymphadora comes with red and light purple hair. Her face piece is two sided with one being the pig face and the other being her normal face. Both come with wands.

The second bag continues to build up the base and adds in the pieces that allow you to slide the buildings around. It also comes with a Kingsley Shacklebolt minfigure with a broom and wand.

Bag three builds up the first floor of the center structure. It’s a pretty simple build, but the detailing looks pretty good considering the small amount of pieces used. I’m not sure what the green frog hiding is for, but it’s a fun hidden item in the build. The inside of the build is the kitchen area of the house which is the main section of a number of scenes from the movies. It’s not the full kitchen, but they did a good job adding in details considering the space available. This bag comes with a Molly Weasley minifigure and a cat.

The fourth bag builds out the first floor for all three apartments. Each one looks fairly similar except the center one has gray coloring. The doors on numbers 11 and 13 don’t actually open either so it looks odd that only number 12 has a door knob. There are lamp posts on either side of the building and they are built differently than using the standard pole, clear minifigure head, and dish that you get from City sets.

This bag adds another arm for you to use when you transform the buildings. The minifigure in this set is Kreacher, the house elf.

Bags five and six build the second and third floors of numbers 12 and 13. Each one has the same design on the outside, just different colors. On the inside, there are different interiors which I’ll cover later. Fred and George come in these bags.

Bag seven finishes up the build with number 11 and adds in some other details on the other building structures.

The inside has numerous details across the buildings to include a piano room (a movie reference), the family tree room for the Black family, a few bedrooms, a room with skulls and one with a chair in it. Not a bad selection considering the size of the build.

The top of the building has chimneys and a TV antenna.

This bag comes with a Sirius Black minifigure.

This set comes with nine minifigures and they are all unique to this set. From left to right, top to bottom, they are:
Ron Weasley, George Weasley (pictured eyes closed), Fred Weasley, Kreacher, Molly Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Harry Potter, Sirius Black

If you are a big Potter LEGO fan, then this set will be a must for you just to get all the minifigures.

I did part of the build outside when there was a shadow so sorry the picture isn’t the greatest.

Here’s the final look at the set. I took pictures from both sides with all three buildings showing and then with number 12 in the back. It’s a cool function how they did this and a great play feature for the set.

Overall, it’s not a bad set. I enjoyed the build and like how you can use the buildings in a Potter scene/MOC or in a city scene/MOC. The pricing is a little steep. You do get some great minifigures, but it’s lacking on piece count overall. If you’re going to pick it up, definitely wait for a sale, double VIP points, or the ability to stack GWPs.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76403-1: The Ministry of Magic - Harry Potter

I’m still making my way through the 2022 Harry Potter sets. This one is #76403-1: The Ministry of Magic. It was released in the US on 20 June 2022 and contains 990 pieces. It retails for $99.99 in the US which works out to $0.101 per piece. I have yet to see this one go on sale, but I picked this one up before Christmas and got some of the deals being offered then (GWPs and double VIP points). We’ll have to see if this one goes on sale later in its shelf life as it is right on the 10 cents per piece mark and it would be great if it were lower. To be fair, you do get ten minifigures in this set which is a bonus.

The box looks pretty standard for a Harry Potter set. Full build on the front with standard logos. The back shows some play details and details of the build.

The set contains seven numbered parts bags, an instruction booklet, and some stickers.

My instructions came pre-folded so that was nice of them to pack them that way (or not). I do appreciate the lighter background on the instructions though. The sticker sheet isn’t too big and I managed to get them all on without wrecking any of them. I’m still not a fan of stickers, but I won’t complain much here.

The box shows that you build two “towers” or whatever they are called from the ministry. Bag one starts one of the towers with one floor. It builds the bottom floor which is part of the flue network. These are the fireplace looking areas where the wizards can transport in and out. The build has a mechanism so that you can rotate it to make it look like one of the minifigures transported into the ministry. I like the color of this build with the dark green, black, and gold. You get some good pieces here.

Bag one comes with two minifigures. Each one can be transformed into another if you rotate the head and put the other hair piece on. One is Mafalda Hopkirk who can become Hermione Granger and the other is Reg Cattermole who can become Ron Weasley. Hopefully you’ve seen the movie or read the book by now and you understand why the mnifigures were done this way.

The last part of this build is a phone booth. Another reference to the movie where Harry and Mr. Weasley use the phone booth as an elevator to enter into the ministry. It’s a pretty simple build and I like the printed window for the door.

Bag two builds the second layer of one of the towers and it nicely stacks on top of the first one. The outside is some windows separated by… I’m not sure what the pieces are called. They look like the playing pieces from the game “Battleship.” Anyways you stack them up and then place then between the windows to cover the gaps. On the inside of this section is a desk with some papers (tiles). This is a movie reference as well. The round plate with modified attachment is a bell I believe.

This build comes with Professor Dolores Umbridge who is holding the horcruxe and then Mary Cattermole who is on trial at the ministry. There is also a trans clear blue cat to represent Professor Umbridge’s patronous.

Bag three completes this tower with another level that looks similar to the previous level. The inside of this level is Professor Umbridge’s office which is pink like her outfit and full of cat decorations.

The minifigure is Albert Rumcon who turns into Harry Potter when you rotate the head and put the different hair piece on.

Bag four starts the second tower. The build is similar only this side has stacks of newspapers (printed tiles with textured bricks underneath). It also has a pipe that connects in the layer above. I’m not exactly sure what this is for.

This bag comes with a gold minifigure who is listed as the Ministry of Magic Statue. I don’t recall this from the movie, but it’s a little statue sitting in what I surmise is a pool of water.

The minifigure in this bag is Corban Yaxley. I recall the character from the movie, but I can’t tell you more about what he does or who he is. The minifigure looks pretty accurate compared to the movie character so no complaints there.

Bag five builds the second layer of this side of the tower. At this point, the build got repetitive and I hoped for something different. I understand why it was built this way as they want to reflect the scene in the movie, but having different tiles on the windows was about all that was different here. The inside is a bunch of… I’m not sure if this is the hall of memories that can be tipped over or what. The shelf rotates so they tip over like in the movie.

This bag comes with a Dementor minifigure.

Bag six tops off the second tower with a repeat of all the other sections. This one has an office. The minifigure in this bag is Arthur Weasley so maybe it’s his office? I’m not quite sure, but we do know he’s fascinated by muggles so the various muggle items in the office might mean it’s his space.

The last bag is number seven. It builds a connector between the two towers, tops off each tower, and adds some ministry logos. There’s also a small desk on top of this area which I don’t recall being there, but okay. There’s some trans clear green coming out of the top of each tower which is maybe from the flue network.

You build some interdepartmental mail which in the movie is letters that fly around. In brick version it’s LEGO triangles attached to clear antenna pieces held stationary by clear small radar dishes.

The minifigure in this bag is Pius Thicknesse. I failed my Harry Potter trivia quiz as I don’t know who he is or what he does in the movie.

10 minifigures in this set. I didn’t add the statue to the minifigure picture. If you’re a Harry Potter fan and collect the minifigures, you get some new ones in this set that haven’t been made before.

Here’s the final build and the insides of each side of the towers. Overall the build gets a bit repetitive, but you get some great pieces in good colors (especially if you like the dark green. There are a decent amount of gold pieces too. This set has a lot of random sections of the movie, but does not go into depth into one room or another. It would be a good set to start you on a MOC if you wanted to build out the ministry.

In terms of price, this one is on the border on being pricy. I definitely recommend waiting for a deal or maybe a sale near the end of it’s shelf life.

Overall, if you’re a Potter fan, you need to get this one to build up your minifigure collection and you’ll be pleased to build something outside of Hogwarts for once. If you’re not a Potter fan, this build might not thrill you with its repetitive sections. However you do get some good pieces for MOCs so no complaints there. What are your thoughts?

Happy building!