Set Review - #76393-1: Harry Potter™ and Hermione Granger™ - Harry Potter

Continuing on with the 2021 Harry Potter line… Set #76393-1: Harry Potter™ and Hermione Granger™ was released 18 April 2021 in the US. It contains 1,673 pieces and retails at $119.99 in the US. That works out to $0.072 per piece.

This is something new for LEGO and the Harry Potter line and it’s been cool to see LEGO branch out a bit in this line. In 2020, we had #75979-1: Hedwig which was a larger scale model of Hedwig the owl with a crank to move his wings. This was repeated in 2021 with #76394-1: Fawkes, Dumbledore’s Phoenix. Now we also have some larger scale minifigures.

Looking at the box, the front shows our to large scale minifigures with Harry and Hermione. You can see on the front that their parts move similar to a normal scaled minifigure. Looking at the back, it demonstrates that the legs and arms can be moved and they can “sit.” Both figures come with a wand that can be removed. The dimensions are also listed on the back with Harry being 10.4 inches tall and 6.8 inches wide.

The contents are 12 parts bags numbered one through eight. There is a package with the two instruction booklets and then a package with Harry’s cape. For some reason Hermione doesn’t have a cape. I’m not sure why they did for Harry, but not for Hermione.

Of note, this build is a good family build or one to do with a friend. The Harry figure uses instruction booklet one with the bags numbered one through four. The Hermione figure has a separate booklet and uses the bags numbered five through eight. My family split it up. I built Harry while my kiddos found me the pieces. My NLS built Hermione.

The first bags build Harry’s torso. The outer picture doesn’t really capture the build as the inside has a lot of Technic pieces to achieve the angles of the body and to allow for the arms and legs to attach and pivot. It’s not super hard, but I can see why it is labeled as 10+ as you have to pay attention to where everything goes.

The second bags build both of his legs, his arms and hands, and his wand. The legs are mostly stacking bricks until you get to the attachment to the hips. The bottom is hollow, but you can still attach them to normal studs. The legs are built similar only opposite so you can get left and right. The arms are built in a similar fashion as well, but also in an opposite way. The arms pivot around and the hands spin like a minifigure too. The hands are built with a skin toned color that I can’t say I have seen often in sets.

The wand isn’t too sturdy if you handle it a lot, but it holds up as a display model. For fans, there is a small rod piece inside to be the wand’s “core.” This is a nice detail I think to make the Harry Potter fan base happy.

Bags three and four build Harry’s cranium. I opened them both up at the same time which probably wasn’t smart, but I managed. The head was a pretty challenging build with a lot of SNOT connections and slopes and curves to make his hair. As my NLS said, “does it matter if you don’t follow the directions and his hair is slightly off?” Well no, but you definitely have to pay attention to make sure everything connects. Harry’s face is printed along with his scar that is also printed on a curved piece. I went a little fast through the build and missed a key step that held together the main substructure of the cranium. I caught my mistake and it went better after that.

Harry has a round brick on the top of his torso. The head fits on top. You have to make sure it lines up just so, but after that it works okay and you can spin Harry’s head all the way around.

The fifth bag starts the build for Hermione. Her torso is very similar to build as Harry only a few of the colors inside are different.

Like the second set of bags, the sixth set of bags builds Hermione’s legs, arms, and her wand. The legs are also built the same way only she has some grey socks on her legs. The arms are also gray as she is not wearing the cape that Harry has. The arms and hands pivot the same way as Harry’s. The wand is built the same way as well and also has an inner core. It is just made of a different color than Harry’s wand.

Bags seven and eight build Hermione’s head and hair. The face piece is printed, but that’s it on the printed pieces. Still no stickers. YES! Here hair is pretty challenging if you follow the instructions to the letter as you need to make sure each curved tile, slope piece, and curved piece are placed the right way. While her head is also on a pivot, you can’t spin her head because her hair blocks her head from turning. Unlike a normal minifigure where you can pop off the hair piece, it isn’t as easy here. I don’t think this is a downside to the set, just merely pointing that out.

Here are the two characters sitting and then standing. Maybe navy blue wasn’t a good background for this photo. Sorry.

As my kiddo asked, where’s Ron? How come LEGO only built two of the three main characters? Will we see Ron in the future? Is this another ploy for LEGO to say “now you can build Ron on your own?” I don’t know. I’m sure the set would have been much more expensive with a third figure. Although sourcing all of the parts on your own probably isn’t cheap.

Back to the review, overall I thought this was a fun set. It worked out great to build as a family and it has some challenging parts for adults and easy parts for kids. My 7-year old built the wand and was able to help with parts of the torso and legs. Price-wise it’s not bad on a price per piece standpoint, but $120 might be out of reach for some. As a new concept, I like the idea of buildable minifigures. We’ll have to see if LEGO expands this to other themes like Star Wars, Ninjago, Marvel, or DC.

What were your thoughts on this one?

Happy building!

Set Review - #40420-1: Stuart, Gru, and Otto - Brickheadz - Minions

I think this is the most Brickheadz sets I’ve built in a year ever! #40420-1: Stuart, Gru, and Otto was released on 26 April 2021 in the US. It contains 244 pieces and retails for $19.99 in the US. This works out to 0.082 per piece. This set contains multiple Brickheadz figures like the last two Harry Potter Brickheadz sets I reviewed (#40495-1 and #40496-1). Like those two, there are varying sized figures versus them all being the same size.

The front of the box shows the three figures. Gru is #104, Stuart is #105, and Otto is #106. I’m not sure how they develop the numbering, but Gru is in the middle in the pictures while the two Minions are on the side. Not a big deal. Just looks odd to have the numbers out of order. The back shows the Brickheadz being attached to the base that you build. Then it shows set #40421-1: Belle Bottom, Kevin, and Bob. This is also the case on the back of one of the instruction booklets. Might as well use your products to advertise your products.

The set contains two parts bags and two instruction booklets.

The first bag builds Gru. It’s the younger Gru so not as tall and the nose isn’t as pointy. I think they captured his likeness well in Brickheadz form. He has on the jacket with scarf. Like each Brickheadz, there’s a printed tile on the front. His hair is mostly smooth with only a few studs showing on his left side. They also captured the tuft of hair sticking up on the back of his head. He sadly is not holding one of his clever weapons, but you could always build one of your own.

Next is Otto. I’m not familiar with this Minion. He’s either new to this movie or played smaller roles in the other movies and I didn’t pay attention. Otto is a pretty simple build. Not a lot of detail there except for the printed eyes , a printed tile for the pocket to his overalls, and some hands. He is holding a gold coin (must be tied to the movie somehow). His hair is just a 1x1 plate.

Stuart is built last. It’s a very similar build to Otto only slightly thinner. His hair is a printed 1x3 tile and he has the same printed pocket. Only one eye and he’s not holding anything.

Here are the three characters. I only recommend buying this one if you are a collector of Brickheadz or you like the Minions movies. Otherwise, not a lot of excitement in this set. The build was just your standard Brickheadz build and there aren’t a lot of exciting pieces. It’s about average in terms of price, but with any luck, you’ll sere this one on sale in the future.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76386-1: Hogwarts™: Polyjuice Potion Mistake - Harry Potter

I picked up another one of the 2021 Harry Potter themed sets. This one is the first I received of the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter LEGO sets. This one is #76386-1: Hogwarts™: Polyjuice Potion Mistake. It was released on 5 June 2021 in the US and retails for $19.99. With 217 pieces, it works out to $0.092 per piece so not too bad. This one comes with three minifigures plus a collectible gold minifigure plus two mystery printed tiles.

The front of the box shows the set built with the main characters making the potion. It also highlights the anniversary and shows the minifigures. The back shows some play features like usual and shows how the minifigures can be changed into the post potion drinking versions. It also highlights the mystery tiles.

This box has the perforated section on the back where you stick your finger through to open the box versus cutting the tape seals. The production of this box didn’t go well as there was no perforation. I had to find a sharp blade to make my own perforations. It was a bit of a struggle to get the box open, but I succeeded in the end.

The set comes with two parts bags, an instruction booklet, and some stickers.. My camera with the lighting doesn’t do real well, but the stickers are the mirrors for the bathroom. There are thankfully only three stickers and they weren’t too bad to put on other than the standard issues of trying to center them on a piece and making sure they are not crooked.

The first bag starts to assemble the bathroom. You get the back wall and then a stall with a toilet. Nothing too out of the ordinary here which is to be expected for a smaller set. My only complaint here is the door is too big to open and close all the way.. It hits one of the support columns if you try and swing it open/closed. I have it fully opened in the picture, but if you were to close it, it would only open up to the column. Not really a big issue, but hopefully there are other stalls the students can use.

Bag two goes pretty quickly. The build isn’t too challenging other than trying to get the silver mirror stickers centered on the two brick high 1x2s. The set is definitely made so that you can connect it to other/future sets so it is good to see the designers thought about that functionality. You also have a good start if you wanted to expand the bathroom out as there are a number of scenes from the books/movies that take place here.

Running through the minifigures you get the main three (Harry, Hermione, and Ron). They all come with wands and Hermione has her potion cup. Both have two faces, but Hermione’s only goes with her face. Harry and Ron have other faces that go with their transformed characters.

First picture is the three characters transformed. Crabbe and Goyle are the two characters that Harry and Ron transform to. Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen the movies… Hermione accidently gets cat hair and becomes a cat. You get different hair pieces for the two male characters and then a cat head for Hermione which is fun.

This set comes with the gold Harry figure. It’s a gimmick, but all the Potter fans will be all over it. This is the cheapest set in the line so I’m guessing it will be the most prevalent one to have. Then you get two printed 2x2 tiles. The back of the instructions lists the 16 that are out there. I apparently got Nicholas Flamel and Olympe Maxime. Oh boy! Or not… I don’t think I’ll be rushing to find all 16, but maybe others will.

Overall, not bad for a $20 set. Three minifigures that “transform” and then a bonus gold minifigure. Plus you get the play feature of being able to attach this set to others. I like what LEGO has done here with the ability to incorporate it into others. It’s a must buy if you’re a Potter fan and maybe later in the year, it will go on discount. For others who aren’t into the Potter line, I wouldn’t jump in, but that’s just me.

Happy building!

Set Review - #75308-1: R2-D2 - Star Wars

I’m not a huge Star Wars fan, but there are a few sets that come out every so often that I think are worth buying/building. I saw #75308-1: R2-D2 and decided to take the plunge. It retails for $199.99 in the US and with 2,314 pieces, it works out to be $0.086 per piece. This isn’t too bad considering it is a licensed product and usually the Star Wars sets are on the higher end of the price range. This one was released on 29 July 2021 in the US and went out of stock rather quickly. Since the initial surge of purchases on Shop @ Home, it seems to have been it stock regularly.

Onto the review… The box is very long which is somewhat deceiving as it makes you think R2-D2 is going to be larger when you are done building. To be fair, they do give the dimensions on the back. It’s 12.5 inches tall and 7.5 inches wide. The front of the set has a picture of the finished model. The top has the set name and some Star Wars branding (can’t forget the DIsney logo) along with a small picture of R2-D2 and C-3PO. The bottom of the set has the 18+ LEGO branding.

The back shows some of the play features of the set which there are actually quite a few considering it is a build meant for adults. The bottom of the back has a few screen shots of R2-D2 in the movies. I’m not smart enough to pick them all out. I think it’s #1, #4, and… I’m not sure…

The box contains nine parts bags and another box of parts bags. In total, there are 16 parts bags. They are numbered one through 13. There are also two larger Technic pieces, a sticker, and the instruction book..

The instructions are wrapped up nicely to protect them and not shoved into the box which is great. Thankfully there is only one sticker. It is the large sticker label for the set similar to many of the UCS type sets.

The instructions have a few pages of information about R2-D2, his roles in the movie, and some fun pictures of the movie models. It seems like a lot of material until you realize it is in English, Spanish, and French.

The build starts off with a mostly Technic internal structure. Bags one and two assemble the center leg portion. It is mostly Technic until you get to the actual “foot” if that’s what it’s called. If you aren’t a fan of Technic or into building with Technic, I could see where this part would turn off System builders. It is a challenging build and you have to really pat attention to what pin goes into what hole.

If you’re not a Technic fan, bag three doesn’t make your life any better. However, bag four builds the sides by his outer legs.

Bag five adds on the start to both of this side legs. It is mostly a System build, but there are some Technic elements to connect them to the Technic internal structure. At this point, R2-D2 is starting to look more like what you expect him to look like. As a note, the designers used different colored Technic pieces for a reason. Pay attention to the lime green and red as it helps you to figure out where things connect and what items goes on what side.

The sixth bag finishes off the System portions of both the outer legs. While the movie R2-D2 rolls around, this model does not have wheels incorporated. Just some rounded 2x2s to help you push it along a surface. I’m sure someone smart could modify it with wheels so he could roll better.

Bag seven adds more details to the outer legs. Bag eight starts to build his front paneling. You build his first functional pieces that move so he can help fix ships or do whatever he needs to do.

The ninth bag finishes up the front paneling. I think they did a great job re-creating his front side. The designers also used some interesting and different techniques to create the detail. I’m a fan.

Bag 10 builds his back side. Not a whole lot of detail there, but that’s okay. You can see the two white 1x1 small nose cones. These are attached to rods which push out some of R2-D2’s tool functions on the other side.

Bags 11 and 12 start on the rounded, rotating top of R2-D2. It’s a challenge to build something rounded out of squared parts, but I think the designers did a good job of capturing his likeness. They also captured his various lights and sensors and even have his periscope function and the place where Luke’s light sabre is stored.

Bag 13 wraps up the build and the top of R2-D2. I took the pictures showing the periscope type function and then the open slot where the light sabre goes. The functionality isn’t exactly how the movie version works, but I can understand the limitations. Not sure on the scaling either, but it gets the point across. I found it a bit of a challenge to hook the top onto there rest of the droid build. It’s hard to see where the hook on goes so I did my best to line it up through trial and error and eventually it snapped on.

Here are some pictures of the final build. I think the designers did a great job capturing the likeness of R2-D2. I never built the older version of the set so I can’t compare the two builds. The top part swivels around rather easily. I found the functionality for the center leg to be a bit clunky. I’m not sure if I built something wrong or if that’s just how it works. It doesn’t exactly swing out and It’s not quite level with a flat surface when it’s in tripod mode. Again, that could be user error.

No major complaints though. It was a challenging build at the beginning with the Technic parts connected to the System parts. You get a decent selection of parts for the MOC builders out there. In terms of size, it seems to be built about right. It’s big, but not overly gigantic where it is hard to find display space for it.

Here are a few pictures of the side and back so you can see from those angles.

Last up is the display sign, an R2-D2 minifigure, and a Lucas Films 50th Anniversary printed brick. I think I did okay putting the sticker on. It’s always a challenge for me to apply the larger stickers, to line them up straight, and to make sure there are no bubbles or folds in the process. The minifigure is a nice addition and the brick doesn’t do much for me, but I’m sure there are some big Star Wars fans out there who think it’s a great collector’s item.

Overall, I enjoyed the build and I like the final product. It’s a cool display piece with some functionality tied in. The $200 price point is not my ideal point, but I understand LEGO is trying to make a profit and suckers like me are willing to pay. I recommend waiting for a good gift with purchase deal or double VIP points to make the purchase a bit easier. I can see this one going out of stock in the lead up to Christmas so get it now or wait until they have the stock back next year.

Happy building!

Set Review - #40496-1: Voldemort, Nagini & Bellatrix - Brickheadz - Harry Potter

Onto the second of the two 2021 Harry Potter themed Brickheadz…

This one is #40496-1: Voldemort, Nagini, and Bellatrix. It was released on 5 June 2021 in the US and retails for $24.99. It contains 344 pieces and works out to $0.073 per piece. It must not be selling well because the rumor mill is saying the set will be retiring in December 2021. That’s a pretty short shelf life for a set. Interestingly, #40495-1 has about 120 more parts for the same price.

The box looks pretty similar to #40495-1. The front shows the three characters and highlights that Lord Voldemort is #143, Nagini is #144, and Bellatrix Lestrange is #145. The back shows the three characters again and then on the right shows that you can place each one on an included plate.

The set contains four parts bags with three instruction booklets. Bag 1 is Voldemort with the first booklet. Bag 2 is Nagini with the second booklet. Bags 3 and 4 are Bellatrix with the last booklet.

The first bag is Voldemort. Not a whole lot to this build since he’s bald and has few features on his head. There’s a small print for a his nose, he gets the two Brickheadz eyes and that’s about it. His shirt has a print like most other Brickheadz and he comes with a white wand.. While there isn’t much to the build, you do get a decent number of the dark green/forest green colored bricks considering the size of the set.

The second build is Nagini the snake. He doesn’t look as mean in Brickheadz form. The build is the smallest of the three, but I think they did a good job representing a snake considering the medium. The curled up bottom and then the head sticking up are very evident. Plus you get some dark green and sand green pieces.

Bellatrix is the last build and initially I wasn’t impressed. There didn’t seem to be much to her other than stacking bricks on top of each other. Then you get to her hair. If you watch the movies she is in, you’ll see that she has a pretty big, wild stash of hair. The use of 2x2 round plates does a good job emulating her mop and I like how they have it draped to the side, partially covering her face. She also has a printed front and a minifigure scale wand.

Here are the final builds of all three. Overall, nothing too special about this set. Definitely pick it up if you collect Brickheadz or if you’re a Potter fan. Otherwise, the fan base must not be as interested in the bad guys from the books/movies and they are going to retire it quickly. I’d rate this one middle of the road. No major complaints, but nothing to be overly excited about.

What are your thoughts?

Happy building!

Set Review - #76394-1: Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix - Harry Potter

Another set from the world of Harry Potter… This one is #76394-1: Fawkes, Dumbledore’s Phoenix. It is built in the same fashion as #75979-1: Hedwig from last year. Only, Hedwig wasn’t listed as “Harry’s Owl.” Maybe Fawkes is not as familiar of a character? Regardless this one was released on 18 April 2021 in the US. It contains 597 pieces and retails for $39.99 in the US. That works out to $0.067/piece which isn’t too bad.

Onto the review…

The front shows the full constructed set along with the minifigure Dumbledore and Fawkes on the bottom left. The bottom right has the three movie characters for branding. The back of the box highlights the functionality of the set. The top shows that the head turns and the dimensions of the set in inches and centimeters. Below that is a larger picture of Fawkes highlighting that you can turn a crank and the wings flap. Meanwhile, the minifigure scale Dumbledore and Fawkes can hang out underneath, feel the breeze and enjoy the shade.

The set contains four parts bags and an instruction booklet. To me, it almost felt a bit small for what it is, but at 33 pieces less than the Hedwig set, it’s about the same.

The build starts with the minifigure Dumbledore and Fawkes on a small base. Dumbledore comes with legs versus the robe he is often depicted with in other LEGO sets.

You then construct the base that Fawkes is connected to. It is a fairly simple build, but uses some SNOT techniques. I like how the 2x2 textured round bricks are positioned to look like a small pole for him to perch on. This build gives you a number of the gold colored bricks which is useful to those MOC builders out there looking to use the color. Also, similar to the Hedwig set, you get a 2x4 printed tile with “Fawkes” on it to put on the base. No stickers! YAY!

The second bag gives the Phoenix some basic structure. You build the main structure for the body of the bird, the start of the wing mechanisms, and then the attachment for the head. The build wasn’t too challenging for me as someone who builds sets regularly, but could be a challenge for kids with the Technic pieces mixed in. I thought the instructions described the process well to get me through it.

The third bag adds detailing to the left wing and some details to the right side. While I’m sure you could add to the details on your own, I think the designers came up with a good balance of detail while achieving the desired functionality. The red, orange, and darker orange/brownish color give Fawkes a good look.

The fourth bag wraps up the build. The right wing is built to mirror the left one. Then you add the tail and some additional details on the top of Fawkes. The next addition is his head. I thought this part of the build was very clever with the parts usage to achieve the design. The eyes are printed and the rest is just various pieces. Well done! The last part to mention is his feet and claws. They are a simple build, but you can almost wrap them around the pole so it looks like he is perching on the round 2x2 bricks.

Lastly, a picture with the wings up. I’m sure you can find a review video online somewhere if you want to see the full wing action.

Overall, I like the set. It has some useful pieces for MOC builders and should not disappoint Harry Potter fans with a minifigure, a small Fawkes, and then the larger build itself. The price point isn’t too bad although I’d always prefer to find it on sale. I have yet to see Hedwig on sale in the US, so I don’t expect this set to be on sale anytime soon. There may be some opportunities in the run up to Christmas time though so be on the lookout.

Happy building!

Set Review - #40495-1: Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid - Brickheadz - Harry Potter

I’m not a collector of all Brickheadz, but I do pick up a set here and there when it interests me. As a Harry Potter fan, the return of Harry Potter themed Brickheadz made me jump in. Congrats on the sale LEGO!

#40495-1: Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid was released on 5 June 2021 in the US. It contains 466 pieces and retails for $24.99. That works out to $0.054/piece which isn’t too bad.

The set portrays the figures as listed in the name. Hagrid is portrayed at what I would call the normal or standard scale Brickheadz size and then the three students are portrayed at a smaller scale. Let’s get into the review.

Both sides of the box show the Brickheadz only in a different order on each side. The front notes that these are Brickheadz numbers 139 through 142. It’s hard to believe they’ve made that many already.

The contents are five parts bags and four instruction booklets. Hagrid is first with two parts bags. Then Harry with one bag, Hermione with one bag, and then Ron with one bag.

The first bag is Hagrid. He is built in the standard Brickheadz fashion with an internal structure to allow for plates and tiles to face in each direction. I think they captured his likeness well in terms of his hair, face, and clothes. The only issue I have is I don’t think the scale is right. Hagrid is much taller than most of the adult characters portrayed in the movies and I think he should have been made to be taller. He is taller than the children, but not taller as an adult. Not a big deal, just a nitpick.

Hagrid comes with a minifigure scale umbrella. It looks tiny on the Brickheadz, but it gets the intent across.

Like many Brickheadz, it comes with a printed brick to add some detail. In this case it is his shirt. He has the standard Brickheadz eyes with the larger square and then the smaller square offset at an angle.

Bag two builds Harry. He is in his student uniform with a cape. The uniform has a printed brick for the collar. There is also a printed tile for his scar on his forehead. Harry has two 2x2 round tiles for eyes with the standard Brickheadz eye print along with some white and then black to show that he is wearing glasses. The glasses don’t attach to his ears (which don’t exist anyways), but it gets the point across.

I think they portray Harry well and I have no complaints. The only improvement I would make is on his right side towards the bottom, there is a stud with a hole that sticks out. I thought it looked out of place, but it can easily be covered up with a leftover tile from one of the other builds. Problem solved!

Bag three builds Hermione. She is similar in scale to Harry, has the same school uniform on, and has a minifigure scale wand in her hand. Not much to say about the Brickhead. I think it looks okay and portrays the character well.

The last bag builds Ron. Now that you’ve built Harry and Hermione, the process is pretty similar only with different colored hair. The only comment I’ll make is that it looks like he could use an extra tile on either side of the back of his head. I think the stud there looks out of place. Especially if you compare it to Hermione who has all slopes as hair on the sides.

So there are all four Brickheadz. The build goes quickly and if you’ve build Brickheadz before, then you are familiar with the pattern.

I would pick these up if you are a Brickheadz fan or a Harry Potter fan (or both). If you’re not one of the two, I would save your funds for another set. The build isn’t overly exciting and it’s not like you get a ton of great pieces. The pricing is decent, but later in their life, pay attention for sales. I could see a $5 off deal being run at Amazon.com.

What are your thoughts?

Happy building!

Set Review - #40516-1: Everyone is Awesome - 18+

This one is definitely something out of the ordinary for LEGO, but good to see. I’m not going to get into the background of this set, but instead will focus on the set itself. If you need some background, I recommend you check out the designer video here.

#40516-1: Everyone is Awesome was released in the US on 5 June 2021. It contains 346 pieces and 11 minifigs. At $34.99 in the US it works out to $0.101 per piece. This is on average for most sets, but you also need to factor in the 11 minifigures in this set.

The box has the 18+ branding with the set on the front and back at different angles. I thought the set would be a little wider given the size of the box, but the pictures on it accurately depict the size of the set. So don’t be fooled like I was.

The set contains 6 parts bags. The instruction booklet came wrapped in plastic. There were also 4 larger white plates included for the base. You also get a piece separator.

There aren’t logical steps to break up the build so I just picked a few spots to stop and take pictures. To start off, you build the base which is made up of white plates. The two layers of plates is really one and then the bottom is a framework just to hold it up. You then start to build the colored wall at the back of the base.

Continuing on, you add the tiles along with some 1x2 plates to the front of the base and then the back is a mix of 1x3 bricks and then 1x2 bricks along with a larger tan brick.

Here is the set with the back wall continuing to go higher. You can see how they build it up with the tan bricks in the center. The tan bricks also help to keep it structurally sound.

Here’s the full set minus the minifigures. The back wall is cool with the different colored stripes and then the curves at the top.

Here’s the final build with the minifigures along with a few others at different angles.. In my mind, the minifigures are the highlight of the set. I think it’s cool to have so many different ones in just a single color. This opens up a lot of possibilities for future builds or other things you can do. Just searching online has shown a lot of different things people have done in this theme.

I think this set is meant as a desk display piece or something like that. I don’t expect to use it as a display piece and will most likely use it for the minifigures. If you aren’t looking to get this as a display piece, then definitely look to get it for the minifigures. I have yet to see it on sale, but maybe as it gets a bit older, it will come down in price at other retailers. What are your thoughts on this one?

Happy building!

Set Review from the Past - #10226-1: Sopwith Camel

I returned to the US from Germany and received some of my LEGO sets that were in storage. I had some time and re-assembled a few. It’s not my traditional full up review where I show the box and parts bags, but I can show the final (dusty) product.

Set #10226-1: Sopwith Camel was released on 2 June 2021 in the US and it retired on 3 October 2014. It is actually the second version of this biplane with the first one being #3451-1 from 2001. The 2012 version had 883 pieces and retailed for $99.99 in the US. This worked out to $0.113/piece.

First picture is a top view of the model. At the time, the dark green/forest green color wasn’t used as much as it is now (in my opinion) so to have that much green was awesome. The big Royal Air Force roundels on each side of the wings stand out as well.

While this set is larger than minifigure scale, it does have some playability. There is a control stick in the cockpit that is attached to strings. With those controls, you can adjust the ailerons (move stick left/right) and elevator (move stick back/forward). The rudder on the tail is moveable, but must be done by hand.

This set had a few stickers. The set number is the aircraft identifier and then the name “Sopwith” is printed on a sticker on the tail.

The engine looks pretty impressive and the propeller spins (not automatic… you have to do it by hand). The use of the silver colored bricks is pretty cool. I find it interesting that LEGO included the two guns in the front and there wasn’t an uproar. I guess since it is historical, they could get away with it. Maybe like Pirates sets and the cannons on ships?

Here’s another view of the set. It’s a good looking model in my opinion and makes a great display piece along with some functionality. I may be biased as I work in the aerospace world, but I would love to see more like this. I was disappointed that some of the Boeing 737s in the Ideas competition that received 10K votes didn’t make it. We’ll see if the Sopwith returns after 10 years as an 18+ set. If it does, I recommend scooping it up. Not sure how much the old one is on the secondary markets, but my guess is not cheap.

What are your thoughts on this one? Does anyone else own it?

Happy building!

Set Review - #10278-1: Police Station - 18+ - Modular Buildings Collection

It’s an annual event for LEGO. They announce the modular building in the fall and it comes out in the January timeframe. Or at least that has been the recent way it has worked. This year’s set is a Police Station as the main piece with a small donut shop and news stand on either side. The set contains 2,923 pieces and 5 minifigures. The US retail price is $199.99 which works out to $0.068 per piece. This set came out on 2 January 2021 in the US and went out of stock rather quickly. I wasn’t able to get it until April and am just getting to the review now. Before I do that, here’s the link to the Designer Video if you’re interested.

The box is black with the 18+ graphics. While I like the 18+ graphics, I don’t like the black background. It makes the set seem dark and dreary in my opinion. The front shows the full up set with a logo in the upper left corner stating this set is part of the modular building collection. I like how they’ve finally acknowledged the subtheme in writing and hope it continues.

The back shows the set next to #10270-1: Bookshop. The two look pretty good together and you could easily picture seeing them on a real street. It also has a graphic of the building showing the dimensions of the model and then how the completed build is assembled in sections. On the bottom of the back are a few snap shots of inner details.

The box contains another parts box and then the bags numbered 1, 4 through 9, 13 and 14. Opening the separate box reveals the remaining parts bags. In total, there are 24 parts bags numbered 1 through 14, a grey 32x32 base plate, a grey 16x16 plate, two nougat 8x16 plates, and the instruction booklet. The instruction booklet is wrapped for protection which is prevents damage.

The instruction book contains one page of details about the set and designer.

Really LEGO? Only the best is good enough… except for these pages of instructions. Need to get quality control on these. $199 for smeared instructions. I don’t think so.

So if you missed it, LEGO announced it would be doing away with the black background instructions. Thank goodness. The dark brown pieces are very hard to see. At least the black pieces have white outlines, but the brown ones have black outlines. Unless you have the light just so, you can’t see the pieces!

I thought these computer models of the modular buildings all lined up looked pretty cool. Can you pick out all of the different modulars?

When will they do a re-release of the Green Grocer or Market Street?

Onto the build… Bags one and two assemble the base. While the donut shop starts immediately, the police station has a foundation and is raised up slightly. This allows the inclusion of steps and an attempt for a prisoner to tunnel out of the jail cell using the hidden spoon placed below the cell.

The news stand includes some papers with printed stories related to the set. Thankfully, no stickers!

The third bag almost completes the donut shop featuring a decent display of donuts available. I like the use of the collectible minifigure poseable piece (not sure the official name) to angle the donut display shelves) This bag also includes the donut shop worker with a coffee pot to carry around. Additional details include a water cooler for the police station, and furniture for the jail cell (toilet and bench).

The fourth bag adds in stairs to the police station. A new design is used and I am a fan of the SNOT techniques used. I’m glad it’s not just the big stair piece seen in other sets. A piece of furniture is added along with a window in the back and more of the wall sections. Over to the donut shop, there is a fun front façade with a stripped awning and the donut tiles.

Build five completes the front facade for both the police station and donut shop. The donut shop includes some vines that will eventually go up the whole building. The police station has doors, some lights, a sign and some SNOT work to create the architectural designs. It isn’t overly complicated, but it does look pretty sharp. This bag includes a police officer with a radio.

Bag six finishes up the news stand, the jail cell, the top of the walls for the first level, and adds some shrubs out front of the police station. The sidewalk gets a bench and a street lamp.

The bags numbered seven start the second floor. This floor has a base and then starts to build up the second floor of the police station to include a spot to take pictures of criminals. There is also a small apartment above the donut shop with a bed, dresser, and fire escape. To add to the story, the bed flips up to reveal a hole where the donut thief can try and reach down to get free treats.

The eighth bag continues to build up floor 2 with higher walls, and it just about finishes up the small apartment. There is a door out to the fire escape and then a window with decorations around it and some greenery. The police station side has some windows added in.

Build nine includes another level of steps similar to the previous floor. No railing so be careful on the way up! This floor contains two desks, a small plant, and an investigation map on the wall. Another police officer is included in this bag. This one has some handcuffs.

The tenth bag finishes up the front façade of the police station side. It is similar in design to the first floor only it has windows versus doors and dark blue shades over the windows. The plants that started by the donut shop continue their way up the building on the second floor.

Bag 11 tops off the donut shop and studio apartment. Then then starts the third level of the police station. The plants crawling up the side of the building continue onto the top in this build.

The twelfth bag adds more to the police station with the start of an interrogation room with some sort of recording device on the wall. There is also a small bathroom next to the room. I think this is this first official set with two bathrooms.

Through a door in the hallway leads to an evidence room. There are some gems, tools used by a crook, and a hat. The top of this small room comes off fairly easy for access.

This bag includes the female police chief minifigure sporting her warm beverage mug.

Build 13 finishes off the third floor with the finishing of the front façade. The corners of the police station match the lower floors and then there are columns added between the windows. There is a bird eating a donut on the window sill and there is a window air conditioner for the bathroom. You can’t see it in the picture, but there is also a table and 2 chairs in the interrogation room.

Bag 14 completes the roof. Above the apartment/donut shop is a small water tower. The police station roof has some toping off designs on the front. It includes a new piece that I have not seen before. Brickset.com calls it “Animal Head No. 15.” There is also an antenna which I assume is tied to the police radio system.

Pictured later, but added here is an ad on the side of the building. It’s for the laundromat from #10251-1: Brick Bank. This is a fun little reference to an earlier set. Thankfully, it is printed on and not a sticker.

Before wrapping this review up, there are 5 minifigures in this set. Modular sets used to have the old standard minifigure faces with just 2 dots for eyes and a line for a mouth. I think the facial expressions help to add some detail to the set. The police look stern while the donut shop employee looks pleasant. The last one I didn’t mention is the news stand worker. He comes with a news paper, a small over the shoulder bag, and a cap. He also had a device to try and fish for donuts from the apartment above the shop.

The set is built around a story with the police trying to find the donut thief while the donut thief keeps getting away. It’s a fun addition to the set I guess, but not overly exciting to me. My preference would be to have more bricks put into the building of additional detail into the set over adding bricks to keep up with a storyline. But that’s just my opinion…

To finish things up, here are a few shots of the completed set without the minifigures. You can get a good look at the two 6x6 tiles advertising the laundromat. You can also see the plants growing up the side of the building which is a cool build. Overall it’s a good looking building. It has some good build techniques and I think it mixes in well with some of the previous modulars. There are some good pieces for MOC builders too with a lot of sand green and the light purple-ish color of the donut shop. I will admit that this is not my favorite one that has ever been done, but probably not the worst either. To me, it’s somewhere in the middle.

The price of this one is a penny under $200 so not helpful there, but at least the price per piece isn’t too bad. If you’re into the modulars, look for double VIP point opportunities or cool gift with purchase opportunities. It is hard to get sales on these, so good luck there. I suspect this one will be out for at least another year plus so don’t panic if you haven’t found it in stock when you were looking.

Happy building!