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[PalaceBrother]

The Christmas sets are becoming overwhelming. I really wish they didn't release so many small disconnected elements with each build. I'm not happy with this year's setup....probably going to get rid of many of the smaller elements.

I've already gotten to the point where I'm not opening the smaller sets. I think those CMFs are elves I hoped to do something with one day.

I think if I clear out the smaller elements (igloo, the three WV Market stands and some of the benches) it will be cleaner. Then we can start focusing on the important things.

 

[R-User!]

I find myself more excited for this than the Parisian Restaurant.

Different strokes, and all that.

"I knew I was in love with her the moment her box-front was posted on the Internet. Who knew that I'd love her more than her Parisian sister!"

"Such is the life of detective Ace Brickham... :/"

 

[PalaceBrother]

Ryuuroden! That shirt rack really is awesome. Love the LEGO shelves too. Is that four GEs?

 

[Ryuuroden]

Ryuuroden! That shirt rack really is awesome. Love the LEGO shelves too. Is that four GEs?

Yeah, it is at least 4 GE's. I think I got a 5th one but I did so for more spare parts for other builds.

 

[neonglow]

Success! I went to another TRU and they mentioned the promo for next week also but they let me buy 3.

If anyone needs help getting one, let me know.

 

[Chezzymann]

My Walmart finally has the series 2 mixels in stock lol, nabbed all three purple ones. Can't wait to make the wizard guy!

 

[MaizeRage25]

The Christmas sets are becoming overwhelming. I really wish they didn't release so many small disconnected elements with each build. I'm not happy with this year's setup....probably going to get rid of many of the smaller elements.



I've already gotten to the point where I'm not opening the smaller sets. I think those CMFs are elves I hoped to do something with one day.



I think if I clear out the smaller elements (igloo, the three WV Market stands and some of the benches) it will be cleaner. Then we can start focusing on the important things.

I feel the same way as you do. Not even planning on buying the set from this year.

Maybe you are right about just not displaying all the smaller builds...I will try that and see if I like it better.

Also, I love the Detective Office set. Curious to see if it is Jaime again or someone new. Do we know yet?

 

[Jeff Vader]

So I see where some of the stickers go on the Milano but what about the others?

 

[wetwired]

I feel the opposite. Due to the small size, there is plenty of variation. The brick texture would get old stretched over 32 studs. Also, having just placed a ton of figures across my modular street, I love the opportunity to use the street, the balconies and three separate rooftops in this for variety. In fact, I might need some superheroes to place around here.

Well you wouldn't carry the brick texture across all of it, you'd add more detailing, particularly on the corners which is currently lacking.

 

[21st century cowboy]

Got to say I'm not really feeling this Street modular. As I thought, for me personally, it looks too cluttered and the light blue really looks out of place. Where on earth do you see buildings that are light blue. If you're going to do a barbers it has to be red and white.


I was hoping for something more period that this.

 

[Tempy]

Some pics.

Winter sets:

Character Building HM Armored Forces Challenger II Tank

Pretty good quality bricks. Good, solid fit. No QA issues or sharp edges which plague Sluban/Cobi/etc stuff. The rubber tank thread is a bit lousy though. And tiles lack the groove to make it easier to pull off. Still, best non-LEGO tank I've put together.

 

[BentBricks]

Here is some pictures of the modified grand emporium I did a few years back:

Descriptions of the pictures as well as what floors they are on are on my flickr account. There are also additional photos there that I did not post here.

Flickr Album: Modified Grand Emporium

Awesome work. Love the details.

Success! I went to another TRU and they mentioned the promo for next week also but they let me buy 3.

If anyone needs help getting one, let me know.

Congrats! I stopped by one today and they don't have any. Customer Service was helpful and mentioned the only other two TRUs that are near my work have them. I'll try my luck tomorrow and if no luck, I'll hit up fellow GAFfers.

 

[Tempy]

Got to say I'm not really feeling this Street modular. As I thought, for me personally, it looks too cluttered and the light blue really looks out of place. Where on earth do you see buildings that are light blue. If you're going to do a barbers it has to be red and white.


I was hoping for something more period that this.

~

 

[ghostmind]

The Christmas sets are becoming overwhelming. I really wish they didn't release so many small disconnected elements with each build. I'm not happy with this year's setup....probably going to get rid of many of the smaller elements.

It has definitely become overwhelming, and unless they do something radically different next year, I think I've bought my last WV set.

Lasy year was already cluttered, so for this year, I'm thinking of just having Santa's Workshop, the first Holiday 2014 set, the big tree from the Toy Shop, and maybe the skating pond from the Bakery. I would love to fit the Cottage in as well, but it is pretty big.

 

[vicissitudes]

Ask and ye shall receive!

When I first heard it was going to be a "Detective Agency" my hopes were low, but wanted to give Lego the benefit of the doubt. After seeing this, my first reaction is...this is the worst modular I've seen. I thought it was a large Lego City set at first. I had to check several times to make sure it's actually a modular.

There's something about the exterior that seems really bland and basic. It's missing the "expert" flavor and sophistication of the other modulars, even the Town Hall and Cinema Palace. Maybe it'll grow on me...

 

[Ponn]

Ok awesome. So it looks like TRU will sell the polybags but they might be keeping them at the counter. So it would be prudent to call first then? Would they hold one at the counter for me if I ask them?

 

[leng jai]

First impressions of the new modular are awful. Looks like 3 different sets duct taped together, there's no cohesion. Pet Shop was a much better design.

 

[wetwired]

I'll get it anyway, I have all the others, No stopping now, I'm still holding our final opinions til I see more pics, especially the interior.

 

[Ryuuroden]

I am kind of mind boggled at all the hate going on about this new modular. I think it looks great and I like the old-town, blue collar look. It is totally something I would put a bunch of worn redbrick row-houses across the street and make a semi residential/ local commercial area. It also totally does have a period look to it. It reminds me of some of the shops I've seen in old factory towns in Pennsylvania.

 

[Ainaurdur]

I like that the set comes with the classic dame as well. Seems she hired the detective to find her cat? Hehe.

Still, so far the only modular I have is the Pet Shop. At one point I considered getting more, but other sets were at the top of my list. I have thought about selling the Pet Shop so that I don't fall into the temptation to get more of them as often happens around here.

Something about Detective's Office almost makes me want to go ahead and plan on getting it. I just don't know yet.

 

[PalaceBrother]

Trimmed the fat from our holiday display. Looks better...but need to convince my wife that more can be done.

Thinking of labeling my drawer of unused Christmas LEGO builds the Island of Misfit Toys.

 

[BomberMouse]

Despite not being split, I think it looks awesome. Certainly better than the boringfest that Townhall and Palace Cinema are.

 

[neonglow]

Ok awesome. So it looks like TRU will sell the polybags but they might be keeping them at the counter. So it would be prudent to call first then? Would they hold one at the counter for me if I ask them?

Check where they usually put polybags or the counter. If they have to check in the computer to get from the back room, your probably out off luck. There's a soft hold to keep them for next week.

 

[kitzkozan]

It has definitely become overwhelming, and unless they do something radically different next year, I think I've bought my last WV set.

Lasy year was already cluttered, so for this year, I'm thinking of just having Santa's Workshop, the first Holiday 2014 set, the big tree from the Toy Shop, and maybe the skating pond from the Bakery. I would love to fit the Cottage in as well, but it is pretty big.

I would really love to see a church, since I already saw some people make a winter village setting with a church MOC. :] For this year, I'll only have the santa workshop + winter market + both collector's miniset. I might eventually buy the cottage + toy shop + bakery next year to complete my WV and then I'll stop depending on what they release next year (a church or a train would persuade me to impulse buy lol).

That's eventually the problem with collecting Lego: the lack of space as the boxes + constructions will quickly take up ton of space.

 

[Jeff Vader]

Btw you guys were right about the Milano, it's the Quinjet of 2014.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Whoa, I needthese duses. Any photos of their combined form?

 

[a Master Ninja]

I know some people are holding out for Target's Black Friday deal:

But if you find a copy at your local Target now it's only $14.99, and you don't have to brave the crowds. Still a great deal considering you get the Bluray, the 3D Bluray, the DVD, the Digital Copy, and the Young Vitruvius minifigure.

 

[Chezzymann]

Totally getting these.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Ask and ye shall receive!

I know some people are holding out for Target's Black Friday deal:

But if you find a copy at your local Target now it's only $14.99, and you don't have to brave the crowds. Still a great deal considering you get the Bluray, the 3D Bluray, the DVD, the Digital Copy, and the Young Vitruvius minifigure.

Score! I already own the regular blu, but might go grab this now just for the figure and 3D version.

 

[Ryuuroden]

Also I posted it before but I got to post them all together now:

LEGO official set:

My MOC's (built in 2012)

I feel like a prophet

 

[woodypop]

Btw you guys were right about the Milano, it's the Quinjet of 2014.

Wait, what does this mean?! Is this a good or bad thing? (Should I be getting the Milano?)

 

[Ryuuroden]

Also apparently that roof facade in the new Modular is this piece:

which is a fist from Hero Factory.......that is hella creative man.

Also the Barber shop lights are Paint Roller brushes in black.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Also apparently that roof facade in the new Modular is this piece:

which is a fist from Hero Factory.......that is hella creative man.

Also the Barber shop lights are Paint Roller brushes in black.

I was thinking they were fists. I loved the use of the fists in the UCS B Wing

 

[BentBricks]

I feel the same way as you do. Not even planning on buying the set from this year.

Maybe you are right about just not displaying all the smaller builds...I will try that and see if I like it better.

Also, I love the Detective Office set. Curious to see if it is Jaime again or someone new. Do we know yet?

Some of those details and creative touches definitely hint at Jaime Berard or Marcos Bessa (does he do modulars?).

I am kind of mind boggled at all the hate going on about this new modular. I think it looks great and I like the old-town, blue collar look. It is totally something I would put a bunch of worn redbrick row-houses across the street and make a semi residential/ local commercial area. It also totally does have a period look to it. It reminds me of some of the shops I've seen in old factory towns in Pennsylvania.

I feel exactly the same (to each their own though). This is like those old urban neighborhoods where all the local stores are within walking distance of the apartments. A lot of the people walking around all know each other. I think of Brooklyn, New York or other major city neighborhood around that period when I see that modular.

I wonder if where people grew up affects people's opinion.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Looking at the windows being offset by jumper plates makes me think it is Jamie behind this one again. He really likes those jumper plates.

 

[SpaceShark]

I've been building some Lego with my 5-year-old son, who's just gotten into it recently, and it's given me the itch to get back into it myself.

I kept all my sets from my childhood to give to my kids (forward planning!), and while most of it is all mixed in together with heaps of pieces missing, I kept this set separate and I think it might be complete:

I'm going to go get it from my parent's house and try to build it! Hopefully I don't have too many pieces missing. Is Bricklink the easiest place to grab the odd missing piece? I'm in Australia, BTW.

After that, I'm eyeing off some new sets. Benny's Spaceship is mighty tempting, as is the Ultra Agents HQ, or the Star Wars AT-AT, or this crazy Technic 2-in-1 Plane and Hovercraft. I'll have lots of questions and need some recommendations, so I'm glad this thread exists!

This thread is fully getting me excited about Lego again BTW lol.

 

[anonymous_abc]

I will join the choir and also say the new modular looks bland and boring.

I've been building some Lego with my 5-year-old son, who's just gotten into it recently, and it's given me the itch to get back into it myself.

I kept all my sets from my childhood to give to my kids (forward planning!), and while most of it is all mixed in together with heaps of pieces missing, I kept this set separate and I think it might be complete:

Model Team was an awesome line back then.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

I've been building some Lego with my 5-year-old son, who's just gotten into it recently, and it's given me the itch to get back into it myself.

I kept all my sets from my childhood to give to my kids (forward planning!), and while most of it is all mixed in together with heaps of pieces missing, I kept this set separate and I think it might be complete:

I'm going to go get it from my parent's house and try to build it! Hopefully I don't have too many pieces missing. Is Bricklink the easiest place to grab the odd missing piece? I'm in Australia, BTW.

That set blew my mind as a kid when I got it. Over 1000 pieces!? It was insane. And nowadays something that big is commonplace. I expect a set that big from almost every line.

3000 piece sets are the elusive beasts now.

 

[BentBricks]

I've been building some Lego with my 5-year-old son, who's just gotten into it recently, and it's given me the itch to get back into it myself.

I kept all my sets from my childhood to give to my kids (forward planning!), and while most of it is all mixed in together with heaps of pieces missing, I kept this set separate and I think it might be complete:

I'm going to go get it from my parent's house and try to build it! Hopefully I don't have too many pieces missing. Is Bricklink the easiest place to grab the odd missing piece? I'm in Australia, BTW.

After that, I'm eyeing off some new sets. Benny's Spaceship is mighty tempting, as is the Ultra Agents HQ, or the Star Wars AT-AT, or this crazy Technic 2-in-1 Plane and Hovercraft. I'll have lots of questions and need some recommendations, so I'm glad this thread exists!

This thread is fully getting me excited about Lego again BTW lol.

I never saw that. That's impressive for a really old set. It must have been during my dark ages.

Bricklink is the the best place I think. There are newer sites that are trying to do the same thing (BrickOwl), but I think Bricklink easily has the largest inventory. eBay or auction sites are only good for large lots, whole sets, or minifigs. There are many Aussies here that I'm sure can answer that better.

 

[SpaceShark]

That set blew my mind as a kid when I got it. Over 1000 pieces!? It was insane. And nowadays something that big is commonplace. I expect a set that big from almost every line.

3000 piece sets are the elusive beasts now.

That's interesting, I didn't know it was 1000+ pieces. I haven'y built any Lego for a couple of decades, so I didn't really know how big these modern sets actually were, so this gives me a sense of scale.

I have a question in regards to the storage methods listed in the OP. Do people tend to split up their large sets? Do people buy something like Benny's Spaceship or a Modular set, build it, and when they break it down put all the pieces into their main storage, therefore not storing all the set pieces together? Does this make it hard to rebuild the set later? I mean, I guess it wouldn't if your storage is organised, but something about not storing a 3000+ piece set together seems kind of crazy, but then again I don't really know what I'm talking about!

I never saw that. That's impressive for a really old set. It must have been during my dark ages.

Bricklink is the the best place I think. There are newer sites that are trying to do the same thing (BrickOwl), but I think Bricklink easily has the largest inventory. eBay or auction sites are only good for large lots, whole sets, or minifigs. There are many Aussies here that I'm sure can answer that better.

Thanks! So even if I want a really small and odd amount of parts (3 red 1x1, 2 black 4x2 etc), Bricklink will still sell me that? I don't have to buy a 'minimum' pack of 50 or something?

 

[anonymous_abc]

That's interesting, I didn't know it was 1000+ pieces. I haven'y built any Lego for a couple of decades, so I didn't really know how big these modern sets actually were, so this gives me a sense of scale.

I have a question in regards to the storage methods listed in the OP. Do people tend to split up their large sets? Do people buy something like Benny's Spaceship or a Modular set, build it, and when they break it down put all the pieces into their main storage, therefore not storing all the set pieces together? Does this make it hard to rebuild the set later? I mean, I guess it wouldn't if your storage is organised, but something about not storing a 3000+ piece set together seems kind of crazy, but then again I don't really know what I'm talking about!

Well there is no golden rule, everyone will do it differently. But I think most people will break down sets and distribute the parts in their storage system in order to then use them to build something else.
I'm sure many people will however keep some sets apart from all others. I do it with my UCS Millennium Falcon.

Thanks! So even if I want a really small and odd amount of parts (3 red 1x1, 2 black 4x2 etc), Bricklink will still sell me that? I don't have to buy a 'minimum' pack of 50 or something?

It depends on the specific seller. Most don't have a min-buy amount, some do it can vary from nothing to 50€.
Even if they say they have a minimum amount they will often not make a fuss about it and sell regardless. It really depends on the individual store.

 

[SpaceShark]

Ah I see. I didn't realise it was a shopfront for individual sellers.

I just had a look and found a complete set for an old M:Tron spaceship I used to have, but lost a bunch of pieces. Oh man... so good. It's not even that expensive.

 

[neonglow]

That's interesting, I didn't know it was 1000+ pieces. I haven'y built any Lego for a couple of decades, so I didn't really know how big these modern sets actually were, so this gives me a sense of scale.

I have a question in regards to the storage methods listed in the OP. Do people tend to split up their large sets? Do people buy something like Benny's Spaceship or a Modular set, build it, and when they break it down put all the pieces into their main storage, therefore not storing all the set pieces together? Does this make it hard to rebuild the set later? I mean, I guess it wouldn't if your storage is organised, but something about not storing a 3000+ piece set together seems kind of crazy, but then again I don't really know what I'm talking about!


Thanks! So even if I want a really small and odd amount of parts (3 red 1x1, 2 black 4x2 etc), Bricklink will still sell me that? I don't have to buy a 'minimum' pack of 50 or something?

The only people that do that are people who MOC. After I'm done displaying a set, I will break it down into zip lock bags and put them back in their original box.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

I have a question in regards to the storage methods listed in the OP. Do people tend to split up their large sets? Do people buy something like Benny's Spaceship or a Modular set, build it, and when they break it down put all the pieces into their main storage, therefore not storing all the set pieces together? Does this make it hard to rebuild the set later? I mean, I guess it wouldn't if your storage is organised, but something about not storing a 3000+ piece set together seems kind of crazy, but then again I don't really know what I'm talking about!

If it is a set I intend to display again, I break it down and keep it separate. I take a set apart and organize the pieces according to similar sizes or styles, then ziploc them. I can then empty the bags later and have things somewhat organized to rebuild a bit quicker.

If it is something I don't intend to display again, or at least not for a very long time (like a year or more), I will disassemble and put the pieces into the grand collective of pieces to use them later for MOCing.

I just want wait to move so I can tear down Simpson's House and Sydney Opera House to add them to the collective.

 

[anonymous_abc]

Ah I see. I didn't realise it was a shopfront for individual sellers.

I just had a look and found a complete set for an old M:Tron spaceship I used to have, but lost a bunch of pieces. Oh man... so good. It's not even that expensive.

Bricklink can be very overwhelming when you get started with it. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Once you know what you are doing it's very powerful.

 

[21st century cowboy]

Apart from the palace cinema I've felt that the street modular line has had a very European look to it. This new set seems more American to me. Is this what people aren't liking about it? Not that it's American looking but that it isn't in keeping with the style?

 

[anonymous_abc]

Apart from the palace cinema I've felt that the street modular line has had a very European look to it. This new set seems more American to me. Is this what people aren't liking about it? Not that it's American looking but that it isn't in keeping with the style?

No, the Firebrigade was very American imho.

 

[21st century cowboy]

No, the Firebrigade was very American imho.

I should have said modern American. I agree the fire brigade is American but a 20s/30s style America.

I would have preferred the pool Hall and Detective Agency to be the entire build.

Maybe in person it will look better.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

I'll give you the Emporium but the PetShop also looked pretty american to me... I mean that left brown house looks like something straight out of San Francisco to me.

 

[Ryuuroden]

I should have said modern American. I agree the fire brigade is American but a 20s/30s style America.

I would have preferred the pool Hall and Detective Agency to be the entire build.

Maybe in person it will look better.

No, this is totally 20's/30's style american urban. Its just not your pretty part of town. There are even some prohibition references in the poolhall with them sneaking barrels of something in there.