Bricks Supporting the Australian Bushfires - Your Chance to Help!

If you haven’t been watching the news or reading the news online, there is a massive fire burning in Australia. This is their summertime (for us northern hemisphere folks in the cold) so it is hot and dry which has not helped. The damage and destruction have been pretty awful and it is still ongoing.

Sometimes you see things like this and think how awful it is, but then you move on with your life since the news you are reading about is happening very far from you. Well some members of the LEGO Fan Community in Australia are trying to make a difference. Thanks to the BrickBlogger.com for sharing the post that alerted me of this effort.

Here’s what you need to know…

Jay’s Brick Blog is a LEGO Recognized Fan Media site run by an AFOL in Australia. Jay and some of his fellow Aussies have reached into their collections to hold a raffle. For each dollar you donate to support the Red Cross through his link, you get one chance to win some pretty cool sets. Not all are available internationally, but that’s okay. It’s awesome to see AFOLs getting together to do some good around the world.

If you’d like to support Jay’s effort, you can go to his Blog here to donate.

The raffle will be held on 12 January 2019 so support now if you want to be a part of the raffle.

If you’re not sure about giving to someone you don’t know in another country, Jay also posted a link to the Red Cross so you can donate to them directly.

Thank you Jay and fellow AFOLs for giving!

Set Review - #40337-1: Mini Gingerbread House - Creator - Limited Edition

I’m a little late on this one, but I wanted to catch this set before it was too late. #40337-1: Mini Gingerbread House was a gift with qualifying purchase from LEGO in December 2019. It contains 499 pieces and is a mini build of #10267-1: Gingerbread House from the Creator Expert line.

The front of the box shows the set in front of a winter scene. It also has a red ribbon with a “Limited Edition” marking on it. The back of the box shows set #10267-1. I guess it’s so you can compare the two. Or maybe they needed some advertising space?

The contents are six parts bags, 2 instruction booklets, and a sticker sheet with one sticker on it. The parts bags are labeled one through three with three number ones, one number two, and two number threes.

As expected with any mini build, the pieces are rather small. As you can see, most are tiles or plates and most are 1x1 or 1x2. There are very few bricks as compared to plates and tiles. The 2019 sticker goes well on the set and helps to make it a true limited edition for the year. I’m actually a fan of this one. Probably because it is larger and there is only one sticker.

The bag labeled number two completes the first floor and you can see most of the details from #10267-1 miniaturized in this set. I think the designers did a great job at capturing the main details while still making it somewhat realistic. As you can expect, they didn’t build the internals of the house since there is not a lot of room. The back is instead just closed off as a wall with no details. I’m okay with this choice versus adding in extra details as you will probably just display the front of this set anyways.

The third set of bags finishes off the set. Overall it’s a fun build. I actually built it with my 5-year old and she did a pretty good job at getting it right. I had to guide in a bunch of spots, but she managed to get the hang of the SNOT techniques used on the roof pieces.

Overall, I think LEGO did a nice job with this set. Sadly, you’ll have to look on the secondary market for this one now. Usually these sets go for $25 to $30. Do they go higher? On some occasions in the past, LEGO has done a Christmas in July promotion where they have brought back Christmas sets the following July as a gift with purchase. No telling whether that will happen in 2020, but if you missed out, pay attention to in the summertime to see if that deal returns.

What do you think of this set? Did you get it with a purchase and was it worth it?

In the meantime, happy building!

Set Review - #75947-1: Hagrid's Hut Buckbeak's Rescue - Harry Potter

It’s 2020 and I’m still working my way through the 2019 sets. With a goal of getting sets of sale, I usually wait to purchase so I don’t buy at full price. #75947-1: Hagrid’s Hut Buckbeak’s Rescue was released on 1 July 2019 in the US for $59.99. With 496 pieces, it works out to be $0.121/piece. This is a bit high, but I picked it up for 20% off at Amazon.com in the US so it made it a bit more affordable.

Onto the review…

The box is pretty standard with the front showing the set while the back shows the play features. One note you’ll see is this one has a light brick which is not normal for most Harry Potter sets.

The contents include 3 parts bags, a small bag with Buckbeak, an instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet. The instructions and the sticker sheet were shoved into the box and they were pretty beat up. Despite the folded up stickers, I was able to apply the stickers without showing any of the damage permanently. Of note, the first bag includes a piece separator.

The first bags start construction on the main part of the hut. It builds up the initial wall along with some of the interior furniture. The outer wall looks a little too squared off in my opinion. I’m not sure how I would re-design it, but I think it would be better looking if it look like a stone hut versus having squared off blocks in it. The sticker on the front door helps with the details some, but I’m never a big fan of stickers.

The interior so far has a chair, a candle, and a container that holds a shovel and umbrella.

The second bag finishes the first part of the hut. I like how the roof is built to match how it is portrayed in the movie. I also think it would have been better if the whole building was built versus just half, but I’m sure it is for the play factor and price point.

The interior is fun with a table and chairs, a sack, some utensils hanging from the ceiling, and a broom. I haven’t done the research to see how accurate it is as compared to the movie, but it seems like it is close from my limited memory of what the hut looks like in the movie.

The light brick is added here and shines down on an egg in the fireplace area. Not sure if he is supposed to be warming it to eat or if he’s warming it to incubate it. Either way, I think the light brick is unnecessary in this set. I’d rather remove that part/expense and add some additional detail to the set.

The third bag finishes off the set. It adds a second room that looks similar to the first room only is slightly smaller. There is a doorway to pass from the larger part of the hut to the smaller room. The exterior of this part of the hut looks similar. The interior has a desk with a candle and a copy of the Daily Prophet newspaper as a 2x2 tile. It also contains a chest with a brown frog inside and a spider crawling around on the ceiling.

Externally, there is a small pumpkin patch with pumpkins growing on vines. There is also a chain to attach Buckbeak to as seen in the movie “The Prisoner of Azkaban.” For a simple pumpkin patch, I think it looks good with some larger pumpkins and some smaller ones still growing.

This set comes with six minifigures. According to Brickset, from left to right and top to bottom there are the following:
Executioner - Walden MacNair: The movie does not give his name. Maybe the book does? Either way I think they captured this character who plays a small part in this book/movie well. The large ax like tool that he has matches what is used in the movie well.
Rubeus Hagrid: This character is similar to other LEGO versions and again he carries a lantern.
Minster of Magic - Cornelius Fudge: I think they got this one right. I am a fan of the hat.
Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter are all mid-size minifigures. They have the smaller legs, but not the tiny ones that do not pivot. The outfits seem to match the movie outfits well and they each have 2 facial expressions and a wand.

For Potter fans, the Buckbeak figure is the bonus for the set. I think LEGO captured the likeness of the character well. The head can move up and down and you can angle the wings. There are studs on top of Buckbeak as well which allow minifigures to sit on top for a ride.

Overall, this set was middle of the road for me. It wasn’t bad, but not something I would go rush to buy at full price. The 20% off helped and even more would have been better. I’m curious as to how much the light brick adds to the price of the set.

For Potter fans you do get 6 minifigures as well as Buckbeak so that’s not too bad.

As a builder, I would have preferred a little more detail to the outside of the hut and potentially the full hut versus just part. Although half the set is a good start for those who want to build the rest on their own.

What are your thoughts on this one? How would you change this set?

Happy building!

Set Review - #10267-1: Gingerbread House - Creator Expert - Winter Village

LEGO has a few lines where they repeat the theme at specific times each year. The Winter Village is one of those themes with 2019’s set being released on 1 October 2019. #10267-1: Gingerbread House retails for $99.99 in the US. It contains 1,247 pieces which works out to be $0.068/piece. As of late, LEGO has been discounting these sets at their end of life time period which is usually after 3 years (but not always). You can look for deals at other retailers too so be on the lookout!

Here’s the box. The front of the box shows the full set while the back of the box shows the back of the set and some of the play features. The box also notes that you get a light brick with the set which seems to be pretty standard for the Winter Village buildings.

The contents are 10 parts bags. The bags are labeled 1 though 5 and there are 2 bags each. You also get a 16x16 white plate. Additionally, there is a sealed package with the instructions and a small sticker sheet. The instructions contain 2 booklets. The first is for the first set of bags and includes everything not attached to the gingerbread house. The second is the build for the house.

I was glad to see a small sticker sheet with only 3 stickers on it. The stickers were also decent sized so I’m glad I didn’t have to put stickers on 1x1 or 1x2 tiles. This set gets the detail by using bricks and printing. Yay!

The first 2 bags build everything not connected to the house. There is a small Christmas tree which has some similarities to last year’s set (#10263-1: Winter Village Fire Station). I like the star on top and the piece they used to create it is pretty cool. I’m not sure if it is new or not, but I hope to see it again.

The two minifigures are in this bag too. From what I recall, the gingerbread man first appeared back in the Series 11 Collectible Minifigures set. Is that from 2013? Now we get two different versions. The male version has a mustache and the female has a skirt on. There is also a 1x2 tile for the baby. Along with the baby is a bottle about the size of the baby and you build a small carriage with cookie wheels to push the baby around in.

There is a snow blower which is cleverly designed and it looks like it could be candy made.

The second set of bags starts the actual gingerbread house. The floor has some great tiling work. I’m also a big fan of the translucent, sparkled 1x1 bricks for the windows. I always like the 1x2 or 1x4 bricks with the brick texture on them. No complaints thus far in the build.

The third set of bags finishes up the first floor of the house. The fireplace reaches through the front of the house and into the first floor. I’m not sure I’m a fan of this, but I’m guessing it is so you can show the light brick on the inside and the outside. The inside has some good details to include a little kitchen, some furniture, and some decorations. Given the small space, I think the designers did a good job at making sure it was detailed without going overkill on details.

The fourth set of bags builds up the second floor. The use of white tiles and bricks to make the roofs look frosted is cool along with the 1x1 round tiles to make is seem like there are candies as well. You can see the bathtub and the start of the bathroom on the interior of the second floor in this bag too.

The fifth set of bags finishes off the house. The roof is completed and the upstairs details are completed. I’m a fan of the multiple slopes on the roof versus just one slope. The use of many angles makes it look more like a house.

The interior details include a lamp, a bed, the crib, the rest of the bathroom, and the toilet. Again, great use of parts to maintain the candy feel while adding details.

Here’s the final picture with everything from the set. Overall, I like this set and I think it was worth the price they set on it. It was a good build with some interesting techniques and some great pieces. The minifigures are fun and this set fits well within the Winter Village sub-theme.

Downsides to the set… I would prefer the full building versus just a half. I realize it would drive up the price or cut down on the detailing, but the builds limit how you can display the sets. Everything has to face one direction or you have to build your thoughts for the rest of the set on your own.

If you’re a fan of the Winter Village sub-theme, I recommend picking this set up. Look for opportunities to get it on sale or to get double VIP points or other bonuses if it is not on sale.

Happy building!

Set Review - #40367-1: Lady Liberty - Brickheadz

It’s been a while since I picked up a Brickheadz set to build. LEGO was producing these things like crazy for a while and they’ve dialed it back quite a bit. Most of them are now not part of licensed themes which I think I prefer. Set #40367-1: Lady Liberty was released on 12 June 2019 in the US for $9.99. It contains 153 pieces which works out to be $0.065 per piece. I got it from LEGO during their Black Friday sale for $7.99.

Onto the review…

The box shows the set on the front and then the back shows some Statue of Liberty versions from around the world to include Paris and in Japan.

The set contains 4 small, unnumbered parts bags, an instruction booklet, and a 6x6 black plate for the base.

Given the size the the build, it didn’t make sense to break the build up so here’s the final set. The build definitely fits the style of Brickheadz while still capturing the likeness of the Statue of Liberty. The right arm with the torch is tucked in close versus being raised up like the actual statue. Also the face and eyes match other Brickheadz.

There is some detail to capture the likeness of the Statue of Liberty, but not a ton. What would you expect in such a small set? The crown looks a bit odd in my opinion. The view on the front of the box looks okay, but from the top down it looks a bit rough. Another note, there is not base to the statue like in the actual statue, but as they call this “Lady Liberty” it should be expected that it is just Lady Liberty and not the base.

Overall, it’s not a bad set. If you’re a Brickheadz fan, I’d definitely pick this one up. For non-Brickheadz fans, it’s up to you. One of my reasons is below…

Okay so I thought it was fun how LEGO has two different representations of the same item. One is a bit more realistic, but they both still capture the same thing. They even have the same torch flame piece. I need to build some kind of stand for the Brickheadz version though.

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!

Merry Christmas! - Set Review - #40338-1: Christmas Tree

Every year before Christmas, LEGO has put out some special edition holiday themed sets that are typically free with a purchase of up to a specific amount. This year one of them was #40338-1: Christmas Tree. It contains 392 pieces and right now you have to look for them on the secondary market as they are not available anymore.

The box front shows the full set while the back shows that the model is a bit over 8.5 inches high, it spins, and you can remove some of the pieces on the bottom.

The set contains 2 parts bags and an instruction booklet.

The first bag builds the base of the tree and the bottom layer branches. You can see the Technic parts sticking up. The tree is stationary while the bottom part with the trains rotates. It also contains 3 gift boxes that can be displayed at the base of the tree.

The final build… The branches are complete. The top of the tree is attached to the base and rotates the base. The bottom 3/4 of the tree or so is stationary. You can see in the pictures that there are 2 “trains” at the base of the tree. One is blue and one is yellow.

Overall this was a good build. I built this one with my 5-year old and it went okay. I had to help some, but she managed to put it together. We had fun and maybe we’ll leave this one out as a decoration for a few weeks.

What were your thoughts on this one?

Happy building!

Set Review - #71025-1: Series 19 Collectible Minifigures - How to Buy These Things

Okay, so you’re not even thinking about Series 19 anymore. They were released back on the 1st of September 2019 and the new series is about to be released in a few days. So why post a review of this series now when they are sold out on LEGO.com? Well this set of 16 minifigures retailed for $3.99 per pack in the US. The next set coming out in a few days is going to be $4.99 per pack. What?!?!?! They were originally $2.99 per pack. The $1 increase… okay. But $5 a minifigure? My wallet can’t justify that.

How can you get around these prices? Well, our friends at the big retailers like Amazon.com have been running discounts. Amazon.com sold Series 19 minifigures for $2.99 throughout its shelf life. The original limit was around 30 minifigures. During the Cyber Monday rush, the minifigures were at a limit of 3 on Amazon.com so that doesn’t help much. We’ll see if that sticks. Meanwhile on LEGO Shop @ Home, the minifigures were discounted to $3.19 each on Black Friday and with double VIP points, that wasn’t so bad.

So what’s the take away? Buying these things on the release date is going to continue to be expensive and not worth it. LEGO and its major retailers understand that and will continue to run sales to move inventory. With the ceiling about to be $4.99/pack, I expect the discounts to change so they can bring in more profit.

The bottom line…

LEGO, without a discount, I will no longer be buying the collectible minifigures. So expect more late set reviews from me as I wait to pick them up on clearance.

What are your thoughts? Will you buy at the new high price or will you wait for sales?

Oh… the set review… I thought series 19 was great. I prefer the original series versus the licensed themes so this one was great. Some of them weren’t my favorite of all time, but I think they are trying to appear to a large audience base and this series did the trick. My pictures are below…

Happy building!

Programmer

Rugby Player

Bear Costume Guy

Jungle Explorer

Gardener

Galactic Bounty Hunter

Fright Knight

Dog Sitter

Fox Costume Girl

Video Game Champ

Mummy Queen

Shower Guy

Mountain Biker

Monkey King

Pizza Costume Guy

Fire Fighter

Set Review - #75957-1: The Knight Bus - Harry Potter

Here’s another 2019 released Harry Potter set. This one is the Knight Bus from the book “The Prisoner of Azkaban.” This set was released on 1 July 2019 in the US and retails for $39.99. It contains 403 pieces and has 3 minifigures. This makes the set run at $0.099/piece. I picked the set up at a 20% off discount through Amazon.com in the US. As of today (mid-December 2019), the set is still 20% off.

This is not the first LEGO version of this set. Previous versions are (links to Brickset.com):
#4866-1 (2011)
#4755-1 (2004)

It’s interesting to see how the set has evolved through the years. Let’s dig into version 3…

It’s the standard box with the full set on the front and the back showing the play features.

The set contains 3 parts bags, an instruction booklet, and a small sticker sheet.

The first bag starts off the first level of the bus. I like the purple color and the abundance of purple pieces. If anything, the purple pieces can be used for other MOCs as I know they don’t show up in a ton of sets. This bag contains Harry, the Knight Bus conductor, and the shrunken head with the Jamaican accent (in the movie). It also includes Harry’s trunk and then 2 printed 1x2 tiles. One is a letter and the other is a… um… I’m not sure. Potter fans, help me out here!

Bag two finishes the first layer and builds the second layer. There are a lot more purple pieces to include more window frames which could be good in a future building MOC or passenger train MOCs. Given the scale, I think the chandelier was done well and I like how it is movable as portrayed in the movie. Some of the stickers get applied here. They are for the most part larger and I don’t mind them as they add some key details to the set while keeping the price down versus printed parts. The right side of the bus is built with a hinge so that you can open it up for play access. While I’m not a huge fan of this, I see why they did this versus having the second layer removable so you can get to the first layer. I don’t think it would make as much sense with the chandelier located where it is and the low amount of details on the second layer (one seat).

The final bag finishes the bus off. I includes the driver (Ernie) as the last minifigure. It also finishes off the third level of the bus. Lastly, you build one of the beds. Re-watching the movie clip where the Knight Bus is shown shows that there are 3 beds on the first level which move around as the bus drives. One of the beds has someone sleeping in it in the movie. The set only contains one bed for scale and the designers built it so that it can move around some in one direction so that’s good.

This bag contains a 2x2 printed tile for the Daily Prophet newspaper. Beyond that, the third level does not contain much detail, but I don’t recall seeing on the top in the movie so it might not matter although it does seem like wasted space in the set.

The third level disconnects from the lower part of the bus and then it has a top that comes off too for access.

The minifigures are Ernie (the driver), Stan (the conductor), and Harry). I think they did a good job capturing all three and I think Ernie’s look matches the movie character rather well.

Here’s the final set. Too be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed with this set. I like the purple parts and I think they did a good job with the minifigures, but that’s about it. The shape of the bus looks better than older versions, but it still looks like they could have done a bit more with details on the top layer and maybe a door to get on the bus.

I recommend only getting this set if you can get it on sale and if you’re a big Potter fan. Or maybe if you want the purple pieces for a MOC. Otherwise, there isn’t too much overly exciting here.

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!