Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge

Amazon Runs Steam Rollers Over Packages with LEGO® Sets Inside

Back in November 2020, I caught a sale on Amazon.com for set #75946-1: Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge. I placed the order in late November and it showed up in mid-January 2021. Yay shipping delays! When I got the package, I didn’t know it had a LEGO set in it. It was in a padded envelope. Really? And then I opened it up and it looked like this…

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And if you can’t tell how it looks like someone stepped on it after putting it in a printing press…

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So frustrating! I ordered a new set, not a smashed set. That last time I received a smashed set in a padded envelope, I returned the last it. Of course the one I received in return was also beat up in a padded envelope. Go figure…

I can’t put something like this in my Bricklink store without heavily discounting it. Do I break it apart for pieces? What if I was giving this as a gift? I’m sure the response is “Well, you’re just going to open it up and build it anyways. Who cares about the packaging?”

I CARE!!! Amazon, please stop putting LEGO sets in padded envelopes!

So what can you do about it? I’m pretty sure Amazon isn’t going to listen and it is cheaper for them to ship in envelopes instead of boxes. I think your options are to order more than one of a specific set, hope it comes from the same fulfillment warehouse, and hope it forces them to put a larger box versus bag. Or just stop ordering from Amazon.com. None of those are ideal situations. What if I don’t want more than one of a set? Amazon.com is a great place for sales on LEGO sets and I want to keep finding sets on sale.

I’m sure lots of people have received damaged sets. Does anyone have any good tips on how to get around it? Please post them in the comments or send me an email at store@bricksforbricks.com.

In the meantime, happy building!

Set Review - #75946-1: Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge

This should be it for the 2019 Harry Potter serts. #75946-1: Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge was released on 1 July 2019. It retails for $29.99 in the US. At 265 pieces, it works out to be $0.113/piece which seems a bit steep to me. Let’s dig into this one to see if it is really worth it.

The front of the box shows the built set in animated action. I think it would be better if the design was all brick built, but I figure they have to split out the bricks to show what you actually get in the set. The back shows some of the play features to include the tent opening and the movement of the dragon.

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The contents are 2 numbered parts bags, a small sticker sheet, the instruction booklet, and the dragon’s wings.

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The first bag builds Harry, Fleur, and the dragon itself. Given the scale of the set, I think the dragon was done quite well. The details and coloring are fairly close to what you see in the movie and thankfully it was not just a giant BURP that you attach to the wings.

The second bag finishes up the set with the tent used by the Triwizard Champions and then the chain to hold down the dragon that is guarding the golden egg.

The tent is a very simple build and doesn’t have much exciting to it. The stickers go inside the tent.

The egg and the holder are rather plain. From a play standpoint, it meets the mark, but it could also go well as a part of a larger MOC recreating the scene from the book/movie.

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This set comes with 4 minifigures. They are the 4 Triwizard Champions… Harry, Viktor, Cedric, and Fleur. They are all in their uniforms for the dragon challenge. I think this is the first time they have appeared in these outfits, but I’m not sure. Each one has wands and Harry has his broom.

Overall, this set doesn’t have much to it. The price is a bit steep in my opinion for what you get even with the 20% off sale from Amazon.com. If you’re looking to pick this one up, definitely wait for a sale. The dragon is a pretty cool, but beyond that, the set lacks anything exciting. However, it could be a good start to a larger MOC if you are looking to re-create the scene from the movie/book.

What are your thoughts on this one?

Happy building!