Set Review - #76417-1: Gringotts Wizarding Bank - Harry Potter

I’m embarrassed to say how long I’ve had this set waiting to build it. I finally got it together and now here’s the review. This is set #76417-1: Gringotts Wizarding Bank. It was released on 1 September 2023 and contains 4,803 pieces. It retails for $429.99 which works out to $0.09 per piece. This one connects with #75978-1: Diagon Alley which was released back in 2020 and is now retired. The difference is this set has the building and then the section underneath where the vaults are located.

The front of the box shows the full set with a Gringotts logo and the 18+ branding on the bottom. The back shows some of the play features as well as set dimensions and how the set looks with the Diagon Alley set. The top of the box shows all of the minifigures.

The set contains 31 numbered parts bags with one or two bags per number. There is one bag with the track, a box with the dragon wings, a dark gray base plate, and the instruction books in two paperboard envelopes.

The set contains four instruction books and then three sticker sheets. There are a lot of stickers which stinks, but they do add some nice detail. I would have preferred more printed pieces, but I can’t imagine the cost for printing all of these.

The first two bags start the underground vault area. You build one T section and then a second and put them together to make the vault area which also works as a stand to hold the bank building.

Bags three and four continue the first part of the stand which includes the first vault. This vault belongs to Bellatrix Lestrange. It has a fun function where you can store a number of cups and have them fall out when you grab one to replicate what happens when they go into the vault to look for the horcrux.

Bag five finishes the first stand and bag six starts the second stand section.

Bag seven continues the second stand and by bag eight, the two are connected together as a full stand.

Bag nine includes Harry’s vault from the first movie where he can get funds and then the vault with the Sorcerer’s Stone in it. There’s also the waterfall from the last movie where they go under it and it gets rid of spells.

The picture below adds the rails.

Bag 10 wraps up the vault area with doors on the vaults and some additional details like the bell device to scare the dragon. This section is more of a play feature, but isn’t as great as a display piece due to size and that it doesn’t look like the movie. The good part is that it can be easily separated if you just want to display or connect it to Diagon Alley.

Bags 11 and 12 build the dragon that guards the vault. It is built to have some places where minifigures can hold on so you can recreate the escape from the vaults like the three characters did in the last movie.

Build 13 starts the bank and adds the early Hagrid and Harry minifigures from the first movie. Bag 14 continues the build by adding in more of the flooring.

Bag 15 adds more to the frame of the building to include where the goblin desks will be. It also has a few hidden items to include a frog and some gold pieces.

Bag 16 starts to build up the walls. The walls use mostly headlight bricks as tiles will be connected later to create the outer wall design. Also there is a door that doesn’t open. It along with a lot of the other doors and windows added later to the set are just stickers. This bag also comes with a guard minifigure.

Bag 17 adds another wall and the front entrance. The front entrance has a different design where it looks like the front columns are angled to hold up the roof. They really aren’t structural pieces, but it’s a an interesting design to make it look that way. My kiddo put the sticker on so there is a gap if you center them. We didn’t discuss trying to line the stickers up closer so there wouldn’t be as much of a gap.

Bag 18 finishes up the back wall section of the bank.

Bag 19 adds a wall that connects to the back of the bank and extends out into Diagon Alley. There’s an opening for minifigures to pass under to get to the rest of the shops. This bag comes with a goblin minifigure.

Bag 20 adds in the desks where the goblins work to include the main desk made famous in the last book and pair of movies. You can see the larger windows which are more sticker pieces. I appreciate the design, but it’s a bit overboard on the stickers. It’s hard to see, but there are clear tiles on the floor to show where the dragon breaks through the glass to leave.

Bag 21 adds one of the stores outside of the bank.

Bag 22 builds the bank higher with more windows covered in stickers. This bag comes with another goblin minifigure.

Bag 23 adds a bit of the ceiling to the bank and then a balcony on the top of the entrance. It uses the same design as the ground floor with the supports angled.

Bag 24 continues to build the bank walls to match the front section height.

Bag 25 adds some height to the building next door to the bank with some more sticker usage. It also includes a death eater minifigure

Bag 26 adds a small work area on the upper level with a desk, some pictures on the wall and some gold stacked on the floor. The opposite side has more gold stacks and a treasure chest.

Bags 27 and 28 add another layer to the bank. Bag 28 adds another balcony with the same angled columns as the other two layers on the front. It also adds another security guard minifigure.

Bag 29 attaches the white tiling to the outside of the upper floor on both sides.

Bag 30 adds the top to the small building next to the bank and then a top office above the balconies.

Bag 31 finishes the build with a roof above the bank, a dome above the balcony area, some clear sections where there are broken areas where the dragon broke out. The last goblin comes with this bag.

There are also a few smaller things to include an owl carrying a letter, a flag outside of the small outer building, some items for sale outside of the small outer building, and some lamps on the walls

The set contains 13 minifigures. From the top, left to right, two guards, a goblin, Hermione, Ron and Harry (from the last movies), and then the bottom row, a death eater, four goblins (to include Grip Hook), and then Harry and Hagrid from the first movie.

The set also comes with three gold tile coins that the instructions say to add to set #76391-1: Hogwarts Icons.

Here are some photos of the final set. It’s cool that it has the option to have the bank on top of the vaults area and then to remove the bank and have it separate. I enjoyed the build and there are some great pieces so a bonus there. In terms of price, it is just under $0.10 per piece so not too bad. There are a mix of small and large pieces so I think it’s reasonably priced. I’d recommend it… if it was still around. As mentioned, it apparently retired in the US, but will be available in other countries a bit longer.

Here’s the bank attached to #75978-1: Diagon Alley. The connection between the builds looks great to me. I’m glad that they used the modular connections to make sure this could happen. What do you think?

Happy building!

Set Review - #40802-1: Luna Lovegood & Thestral Figures - Brickheadz

More Harry Potter themed Brick Headz sets! Continuing with the packs of two, this one is #40802-1: Luna Lovegood & Thestral Figures. It was released on 1 September 2025 in the US for $19.99. It contains 292 pieces which works out to $0.068 per piece. It’s the standard box design with the numbers on the bottom of the front. Thestral is 279 and Luna is 280. The back gives another view and shows that you can take off the plate at the base from the figure.

The box contains five parts bags numbered one through five. There are two instruction booklets that were jammed in with the parts bags in my set.

Bags one and two build Luna Lovegood as she appeared in The fifth movie (“Order of the Phoenix”). There’s a scene where she is hanging out in the woods with the Thestrals and Harry stops by. She explains to him what Thestrals are and tries to feed an apple to the baby Thestral. Also, she isn’t wearing any shoes which explains the skin toned color used for her legs/feet. Nothing extraordinary about this build. Her sweater is printed along with her top. Also, I like how they did the bag that she is carrying with the tiles placed at an angle instead of using more prints.

Bags three, four, and five build the Thestral. I’m not sure if this is supposed to be the baby or the adult from that scene. It captures the wings and tail and while hard to see in the picture, the four legs. It’s actually propped up on two clear 2x2 bricks as if it were jumping or flying. The eyes use the glow in the dark plastic seen in other sets, but have the white printing to match the standard Brick Headz eyes.

Here are the figures fully built from the front and side. Similar to other Brick Headz sets, if you are a Harry Potter fan or if you have to have all of the Brick Headz, pick these up. If not, pass. The pricing isn’t too bad, but they are LEGO exclusives so you have to hope they go on discount before retirement if you want a better deal.

Happy building!

Another LEGO Shop @ Home Shipping Fail - Late Night Delivery

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#221 - Harry Potter™

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

#222 - Hermione Granger™

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

#223 Stag Patronus™

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

#224 - Dementor™

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

#225 - Sirius Black™

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Durmstrang Ship

Pegasus and Beauxbatons’ Carriage

Architect of Hogwarts

Whomping Willow

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Draco Malfoy minifigure comes with this bag.

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

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

The Hermione minifigure comes in this bag.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are your thoughts on this one?

Happy building!