It Has Arrived! - #10256 - Taj Mahal

(see Part II of the review HERE)

The Taj Mahal was re-released on cyber Monday (27 November 2017) and I was awake at 5 AM to place my order.  While some may not be excited about it because it decreases the value of their new-in-sealed-box 10189 Taj Mahal from 2008, I am certainly glad to see 10256 out there and I hope to see even more in the future.  Maybe the Green Grocer or Market Street or even the Cafe Corner could be next?  This is just me speculating and wishing so don't go starting rumors.  I don't have any insider knowledge here.  With the re-release of the Millennium Falcon (#75192) as well this year, it makes me wonder if this will become a trend.

My plan is to do a review of 10256, but I expect it to take a while since it is so big. The set is 5,923 pieces (one more than 10189... it includes a piece separator).  At $369.99 in the US, it works out to $0.062 per piece which is a good deal in my books (it had better be for that amount).  I had a lot of VIP points and a gift card so I ended up paying $4.24 for my set (YAY!).

The set came in the box pictured below. I'm glad it did because this box took the brunt of the damage that came through the outside shipping box.  My 10256 box was pretty well intact when I took it out.  This is not the first set to have this shell box.  I reviewed the Porsche 911 GT3 RS #42056 and it had a similar box.  Also the NASA Apollo Saturn V #21309 has this protective box now.  The original one I reviewed did not, but I ordered some for my BrickLInk store and they have the protective outer shell box.

The picture above shows a label on the bottom left.  I zoomed in and took a picture of it.  It shows that the set was produced in Mexico which, I'm not an expert, but I'm betting most US sets are from the LEGO factory there.  The other interesting thing I noted was the production date of 22 September 2017.  Considering a 2 December 2017 release in the US (okay, so VIPs could order on cyber Monday 27 November), that's pretty impressive that they can make them and have them ready to go in two months.  I'm curious to know the dates on other sets out there.  What was the production range?  And what is confidential about this?  Or is it that they didn't release it right away?

Here is the box to include the front and the back.  Nothing too out of the ordinary here.  I'm looking forward to cracking it open and starting the build.

Set Review - #10259 - Winter Village Station

In this politically correct world that we live in, you can't call it Christmas, but that's what this set and the theme that it belongs to is all about.  The Winter Village Station is part of a the Winter Village line that started a few years back.  It's listed under the Creator Expert theme, but really could be considered its own theme.  This set was released in the US on 1 October 2017 and is meant to go with last years set the Winter Holiday Train (#10254-1).  This set contains 902 pieces.  It retails for $79.99 in the US which works out to $0.089 per piece.  This isn't too bad and these sets often don't go on sale too often, but you can wait to see if Amazon or LEGO Shop@Home does a sale on them at some point.  

I'm a big fan of this theme although I didn't like the Winter Holiday Train as a LEGO Train fan.  I was hoping LEGO would release a train along the line of the Emerald Night or the Maersk Train.  This set seems better to let's see how it goes...

Here is the box.  Nothing out of the ordinary here.  It shows what the set looks like with the Winter Holiday Train on the back.  It might work for advertising, but it doesn't work for me.

The contents are 9 bags split into 2 sets.  It also includes 2 instruction booklets that are sealed up along with a small sheet of stickers.  The set adds 4 pieces of straight track as well.

The first part of the first set of bags includes the track, a level crossing, 2 trees, and 2 street lamps with wreaths on them.  There isn't anything too out of the ordinary from this part of the build.

The second part of the build is the bus.  This vehicle falls in line with the style of other vehicles seen in previous Winter Village sets like the postal vehicle in 10222 Winter Village Post Office and the snow plow in 10229 Winter Village Cottage.  The top is removed easily to insert passengers and there are 3 seats for passengers and a seat for the driver.  As you can see, there is space on top for luggage storage or in this case some colorful presents.  While I like the design and look of the vehicle, the child minifigures don't fit well in this vehicle to include the boy that comes with this set.  Kids stand while riding I guess.

The second set of bags finishes up the set with the construction of the station itself.  It's not a bad looking design and the build uses some creative techniques to come up with the details so I can't complain there.  It does use a fair number of stickers that I dislike placing on though.  I also am not a fan in general of how the Winter Village theme only has the fronts of buildings, but not the backs.  While I understand this is for the play factor, I still prefer to have a full up building for a display.  In the past I have bought 2 Winter Village sets and put the 2 halves together, but I think I need to try and create the other half of the building on my own as a challenge.

This view of the station has some good detail to include a newspaper rack, a clock tower, and the window opens up to where a passenger can order a coffee from the barista.

The inside of the station is rather sparse, but it has some details.  On the right you see the ticket counter with the sticker that lists the train schedule.  The station master has one extra ticket that he can give out which thankfully is a printed 1x2 tile.  The barista has a small station to work at and make some beverages for passengers.  There's also a small Christmas tree up in the attic area that you could probably use as a decoration elsewhere in the set.

This picture shows the walkway and station platform.  I like how the guide chain is set up.  Using microphones to attach the chains is a pretty genius idea.  This view also shows the clock tower a little closer and the floor and structure underneath.  It's a pretty simple design, but it has a good look to it in my opinion.

This set comes with 5 minifigures.  There's a bus driver, a boy, an older woman, the station master, and the barista.  They are a good bunch and I think they go well with the set.

Why should you buy this set?  If you're a fan of the Winter Village line, then you'll definitely want it to keep up with the theme.  Also, if you're a train fan, it's a good addition to any LEGO train display.  As I mentioned, I would prefer it to be a complete building versus the half, but I'm up to the challenge of finishing off the back on my own.  At under $0.10 a piece, it's priced good.  These sets don't typically go on sale, so look for a chance to get double VIP points or to get one of the free gifts with a purchase

Set Review - #21310 - Old Fishing Store - LEGO Ideas

It took me too long to build this and then do the post.  Sorry...

Set #21310, the Old Fishing Store, was released on 2 September 2017 in the US.  The price is $149.99 in the US and with 2019 pieces it works out to be $0.073 per piece.  It is set number 18 in the LEGO Ideas line so let's get right to it.

Here is the box.  It's about the same size as the #21309 NASA Saturn V Rocket box.

Next up are the parts.  There are 7 sets of bags, a tan 36x36 stud base plate, an instruction book in plastic wrap, and some stickers.  While I'm not a huge fan of stickers, they weren't too bad to apply to the set.

The minifigs are all in the first set of bags.  There are 4 of them which includes 2 men, a woman, and a boy.  The 2 toned legs are something I don't recall seeing elsewhere.  I presume it is supposed to be that they are wearing boots.

The first set of bags for the build starts the base of the store.  Nothing too out of the ordinary.  A lot of brick stacking which included a number of 2x4 bricks which you don't see too often these days.  The hidden spider web is a fun touch.

The second set of bags puts in the floors to include the floor boards with printed textures on them.  I like how some of them are staggered and there are different colors used.  The tiles inside the store are a great color too.  Especially with the dark green that is used.

The third set of bags adds the start of the walls.  I'm a huge fan of the siding color choice.  The technique of angling tiles to show that they are starting to fall off as you would expect in an older wooden building near the sea is a great touch.  Anyway, this set of bags starts the details of the store and an office is built too with a desk, chair, and light with a newspaper.

The fourth part of the build just about completes the first floor of the set except for some of the details inside the store and the outer details.  It also includes the fencing around the deck outside.

The fifth set of bags completes most of the details of the store, starts to build up the roof, and completes some of the outer details to include some cases of lobster and fish.  You can see the store has fishing equipment, scuba diving equipment, some nets, and a few other items.  Yeah, a few of the items are dynamite.  I'm not sure why they'd be selling that at a store like this... who fishes with dynamite?

The sixth set of bags finishes the sidings and the roof.  The roof is creatively built with different colors of bricks, tiles, and printed tiles.  You can also see the addition of some seagulls.

The final set of bags completes the build.  The last detail is the watch tower about the office.  It includes a ladder to climb up, a telescope to look out, a flag, and a fun crab attached to the fencing around the deck of the tower.

My take on this set... it's a great build and you should get it.  It has lots of great pieces and uses some great building techniques.  At around 7 cents a piece it's not a bad deal despite the $150 price.  It's hard to say if a set like this will ever be discounted so look for opportunities to get double VIP points or one of the cool freebies LEGO gives out with purchases.  Typically the Ideas sets are around for a year or possibly a bit longer so get yours now before you have to pay a higher price on the secondary market.

A Museum Made of Bricks

I'm always impressed when I see larger MOCs build by the fan community up close and personal.  For one reason, I don't have the pieces on hand to do anything like them and also, I'm just not that talented of a builder (yet).  I was glad to see a replica of the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama up close and personal.  

You can read about the builder and some more details here.  If you don't want to pay to go into the museum (it' a children's museum and it's awesome for adults and kids), don't worry because the MOC is on display in the lobby.  It was unveiled in March of 2017, but it appears that it will be a permanent item at the museum.  

Here's the front of the museum.  The recreation of the cylindrical front of the building is very impressive.  It's always neat to see how people turn rectangles and squares into curves.  I didn't take an overarching shot so you can't get a full perspective for how big it is.  

Here are the details of the model.

Here are some closer shots of the front of the museum.

Here are some of the Easter Eggs they placed in the model.  There are some of the vehicles from the movie Cars, Stormtroopers chasing Han Solo, and a few other fun items.  The cross sectional build for this part is good and they did a pretty good job covering some of the details like the IMAX theater.

Here is the other side of the building where a Mindstorms character is walking down the street.

Just a few pics and a short write up.  It is definitely worth the visit and you don't have to pay to walk into the lobby to see it.  If you happen to be in Birmingham, AL definitely make a point of stopping.  There's a LEGO brand store 13 miles away so another bonus to being there.

If you've seen the MOC, what do you think?  Let me know.

Set Review - #21309 - NASA Apollo Saturn V - LEGO Ideas

The seventeenth LEGO Ideas set (has it been that many already) was released in the USA on 2 June 2017.  The NASA Apollo Saturn V has 1,969 pieces (after the year 1969 when the USA reached the moon).  Priced at $199.99 it works out to be $0.061 per piece (which is great).  It has been sold out multiple times since it was released.  I'm lucky to have snagged one before it was sold out again.  Onto the set review...

Here is the box.  The front shows the completed set with the NASA logo.  The back shows the different stages of the rocket along with a pictorial timeline from launch to moon landing.  

The set contains 12 parts bags and a thick instruction booklet.  Like other Ideas sets, the instruction booklet has information about the set design process and the Apollo Saturn V itself.  

Bag 1 starts off with the S-1C Stage (I had to go to the instruction booklet... I didn't actually know that off the top of my nugget).  For those of you who aren't space buffs, that's the bottom stage of the Saturn 5 with the giant rockets that lift the whole thing off the launch pad.  The use of SNOT techniques starts off with this stage.  It's pretty impressive that they didn't have to use all giant BURPs.  This part was probably the most fragile of the build.  It fell apart multiple times during the build.  Thankfully it held together and the rest of the build was pretty solid after that.  

Bag 2 added more to the S-1C stage.  One of the best parts of this build (in my opinion) was the printed bricks (curved slopes).  I couldn't imagine having to apply stickers to this entire set in all of the places it would have been required.  The printed curved slopes definitely make the set look more realistic and make it look sharper.

Bag 3 continues with the stage and making the outside round.  Besides curved slopes that say "U - S - A" there are also American flag curved slopes.

Bag 4 continues to round out the S-1C stage.

Bag 5 finalizes the rounding out of the stage.  The use of 1x2 white grill tiles to make it rounded is an interesting building technique.  That part gets a bit repetitive, but it helps add realism to the actual rocket.

Bag 6 adds the 5 F-1 engines with the use of the barrel pieces.  If you look at this set you can see where a brown version was used as a look out post for a Pirates set.  Interesting use of the same piece in black for a rocket.

Bag 7 is the S-II stage.  The build starts off the same way as the last stage with an inner shell.

Bag 8 continues on the S-II stage.  I am a huge fan of the 1x6 white printed tiles.  Thank you LEGO for not using stickers here.  

Build 9 finishes out the outer shell of the stage.  4 steps to finish out each side.  

Bag 10 completes the stage and the picture here shows it attached to the S-1C stage.

Bag 11 is the S-IVB stage.  You can see the J-2 engine in the picture of it alone and then the other picture is of it attached to the rest of the model.  It's definitely getting tall and harder to photograph (for a non-pro like me).

Bag 12 has numerous items.  Pictured here is the Lunar Module on the surface of the moon along with 4 astronaut figures.  It's pretty impressive the amount of detail the builder crammed in despite the size.  The 1x2 printed American flag tile is great that it is not a sticker, but I can see myself losing it someday based on how it is attached.  

Huge fan of the use of the gold colored pieces!

Here is the Command Service Module after landing in the ocean.  It has the flotation raft and balloons out (are those the technical terms?).  This part is a simple build and once again I'm glad there are not stickers. 

The last part is the instrument unit (on the bottom, but it's the top in the picture), The covering for the lunar module, service module, and command module, and then the tip called the launch escape system.  This part of the build was pretty easy, but the instruction booklet does a good job of showing how the actual rocket was set up.

Here's the full rocket (only I'm a bad photographer so you miss the very tip).  It comes with 3 stands so you can set the rocket on its side.  This also allows you to take the stages apart and display them separately.  To be fair, the design is sturdy enough that you can set it down on the bottom stage and it will not come apart (unless you knock it on the floor).

The verdict... AWESOME!  I highly recommend this set.  It was a great build with some nice detail and interesting building techniques.  The types of pieces used are pretty good too if you would want to take it apart.  The no stickers is a real bonus too.  The downside... it went on sale in the US, was sold out, was back in stock, and has been sold out for over a month again as of the posting of this review.  LEGO has not said whether they will add more to inventory or if it is done.  If you haven't purchased one and you want one, pick it up before it sells out again.  I'm glad I caught it when I did.  If LEGO doesn't release additional inventory, my guess is this set will jump up pretty quick on the secondary market.  

Set Review - #71019 - The LEGO Ninjago Movie Collectible Minifigures

The LEGO Ninjago Movie comes out on 22 September 2017.  Numerous set announcements have come out with sets based on the movie and you can see the trailer here.  With this movie as like the LEGO Batman and The LEGO Movie, there is another set of Collectible Minifigures.  Released on 1 August 2017, the Ninjago Movie has 20 unique minifigures.  They are $3.99 at retail price and you can order up to 40 from LEGO Shop @ Home.  Since the movie isn't out, I can't comment on any of the characters in terms of their roles in the movie, but here is what I think of the minifigures.  

Zane - First up on the left is Zane.  In that sweater, he looks like he could win an ugly sweater contest.  

Lloyd Garmadon is next in the middle. I like the bowl and spoon although the spoon is pretty big compared to the bowl.

GPL Tech -  This character is great!  The huge glasses and lab coat, laptop, and coffee mug.  Nice!

Jay Walker - The selfie stick is a nice touch.

Misako - Has there been a character with that color orange hair yet?

Shark Army General #1 - I'm curious to see the movie to find out what this character is about. 

Gong & Guitar Rocker - Is LEGO running out of ideas.  How many rockers have we had in the past?  Let's see, we've got the Rock Star from Series 12, the Monster Rocker from Series 14, and Glam Metal Batman from The LEGO Batman Movie.  I think they need to start coming up with some other ideas.

N-POP Girl - The Uni-Kitty shirt is nice.  I almost missed it at first.  Her hair, while a different color, is the same as Nurse Harley Quinn from The LEGO Batman Movie.  Her skirt/tutu looks familiar too.  

Cole - I don't remember the last time I saw an old school stereo like that.

Master Wu - This is a great character.  I like the hat and the box of corn flakes.  

Sushi Chef - Now I'm going to have to make a sushi restaurant.  The little rolls are a nice addition to the figure.

Lloyd - This series comes with 2 Lloyds.  This figure has a hair piece and then a mask piece.

Garmadon, Flashback Garmadon, Volcano Garmadon: The 2 torsos are a first for any of the collectible minifigure series releases as far as I know.  I like the taller figure design.  I wonder if we'll see this method more often in the future?

Shark Army Great White, Shark Army Angler, and Shark Army Octopus are some different characters for sure.  The octopus is the first time I've seen one of the LEGO guns that shoots a 1x1 round tile piece.

Spinjitzu Training Nya and Kai Kendo are the last 2 to make 20.  We've had one similar which is back in series 15, the Kendo Fighter.  

Overall, should you buy this series.  To be fair, LEGO has me addicted and I have this strong urge to collect all if the figures in every set they release.  Also to be fair, I run a store and sell the extras so if I get a figure I don't want, I put it up on Bricklink.  If you are addicted like me, run out and grab them.  If not, there are a few figures that are fun, but to me nothing over the top.  Maybe my mind will change once I see the movie.

Site update - 5 Aug 2017

Sorry it's been a while since an update.  Between changes at work and home along with filling BrickLink orders, I haven't had a chance to post anything in a while.  

I have received set 21309, the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V, and plan to do a review.  I will post it soon.  

As for progress towards supporting Brick Dreams, we're at just under $70.  Thank you all for your support of this great cause.

I've received a bunch of Batman Movie and Series 17 Collectible Minifigures that I'll be adding to the store soon.  I haven't ordered any of the Ninjago movie minifigs yet, but intend to soon.  

Thanks for following and happy building!

Set Review - #75168 - Yoda's Jedi Starfighter - Star Wars

Continuing on reviews of the 2017 Star Wars sets, here is another set, #75168, Yoda's Jedi Starfighter.  It is from the Clone Wars cartoon so not from any of the movies and it looks somewhat similar to #75038 Jedi Interceptor and #75135 Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor.  Back to this set... This one was released on 17 February 2017 in the US and retails for $24.99.  I picked it up from Amazon.com for $19.99.  At 262 pieces retail is $0.095 per piece.  For the sale price it works out to $0.076 per piece.  Either way, not too bad for a licensed Star Wars set.  

The box is fairly small and has the standard displays on the front and back.  I enjoy the "Master your Force" slogan on the back in English, French, and Spanish.  

Contents are 3 parts bags, a small sticker sheet, and the instructions.  For this review, I didn't apply the stickers.

The first bag contains Yoda and a green light saber.  This is the same Yoda figure as found in #75142 Homing Spider Droid.  The build involves a lot of Technic pieces which makes it slightly more challenging then the standard Star Wars set build.  I am also a fan of the use of all of the dark green parts.  

Bag 2 contains a R2-D2 figure which is the same as the one found in #75136 Droid Escape Pod.  The difference from others being that he has a lavender colored light on his top versus a red colored one on some of the previous figure version.  This bag completes the cockpit with the opening and closing hatch as shown in the picture.  It also uses more great dark green pieces.

The last bag completes the set.  As per most Star Wars ships, there is a spot for the droid.  Also it is shown with Yoda in place.  No place to store his light saber (I guess he would have it off inside) and no controls to maneuver the ship.  The wingtips use some more Technic pieces to attach the wings  

Overall, I'll be honest, I started off thinking it would be terrible.  $20 down the drain..  Actually not so much.  It was a fun build mixing the standard building technics and use of Technic pieces.  I was quite impressed actually.  It was a fun build that pushed over the edge slightly, but nothing I couldn't handle.  The minifigures are great too so no complaints here.  Pick it up and maybe even on sale at Amazon.com or elsewhere.

Set Review - #75171 - Battle on Scarif - Star Wars

It's time to look at another one of the Rogue One Star Wars sets.  I realize this one has been out since 7 February 2017, but I waited to pick it up from Amazon.com for 20% off.  Why pay full price right?

So it's time to look at the Battle of Takodana... I mean the Battle of Scarif (#75171).  Given the new Disney movie trend, it will be interesting to see if the Last Jedi movie has another battle scene set when it comes out too.  To me, it seems like these sets are very similar.  They both include doorways with moving parts, some hidden things, a few plants, and a few minifigures.  Okay, rant over.  Let's get into the review.

#75171 includes 419 pieces and 4 minifigures.  Retail price in the US is $49.99 or $0.119 per piece which is somewhat standard for the Star Wars theme.  I picked it up on Amazon.com for 20% off ($39.99 or $0.095 per piece).  It will be interesting to see what this set does in terms of price after a while as the Battle of Takodana set made it to around 40% off on Amazon.com and at Walmart during it's span on the retail shelves.

Here is the box.  Standard presentation on the front and back.  

Contents are three numbered parts bags, an instruction booklet (badly folded), and a folded sticker sheet.  Included with the parts is a brick separator in bag #1.

Bag 1 contains Cassian Andor and starts the main door at the landing pad on Scarif.  For this review, I decided not to use the stickers in the event I choose to use the pieces for something else later on.  As for the build itself, there are a number of play features included.  The door can be moved to be opened or closed and that is the main part of this bag and can be seen in the pictures below.  The build techniques are pretty simple so far and the pieces are pretty standard.

Bag 2 includes Jyn with hair and then her helmet so she can go into the Imperial facilities disguised as a member of the Imperial Ground Crew.  Some play features on this one include two 2x2 stud boxes where you can press down some Technic pieces and it pops out the 4x6 light grey plate nearby (as seen on the box).  Also, it has a slide out part where 2 additional blasters are stored as you can see in the second picture.

The third and final bag finishes up the build.  It also includes 2 identical Scarif Storm Troopers. Before I move on, I think the marketing scheme Disney is using is to create new facilities for each movie so there can be a new set of Storm Troopers for them to market.  Really?  Why can't there just be one Storm Trooper everywhere.  Why do they need a tan outfit for Scarif and then the greenish outfit for Endor, and it's okay to go to Tatooine in what I would refer to the standard Storm Trooper garb?  So if you collect Storm Troopers, the Scarif version is only in this set so far so go out and buy it today!  

As for the final build, besides expanding on the battle area, it also includes some foliage another orange storage container (as found in #75152 Imperial Assault Hovertank) with some Imperial binoculars (again, I'm sure there is a technical name that I am not aware of), and the large palm like tree and antenna topple over.  Oh boy!  Or maybe "Oh boy?"

Okay, bottom line, the set seems too much like #75139 (in my opinion).  While there are some decent parts that you can use elsewhere, I'm not sure it is worth the price of the set to get these parts.  The real reason to get this set are the minifigures (like most Star Wars sets).  All 4 of these minifigs can only be found in this set.  My advice is to grab it for 20% off on Amazon.com now or to wait until closer to Christmas time where Amazon may decide to increase the savings.  

That was my unimpressed review, what are your thoughts.  Let me know in the comments or you can email me.

Set Review - #75169 - Star Wars - Duel on Naboo

Continuing on my Star Wars set reviews, here is another set from the winter 2017 release line.  The Duel on Naboo (#75169) was released in the US on 17 February 2017.  The cost is $24.99 in the US for 208 pieces.  This works out to $0.12 per piece.  I waited for the set to go on sale at Amazon.com for $19.99 so I got it at $0.096 per piece.  The set contains 3 minifigures.  Since it is based on Episode 1, it includes Darth Maul, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Qui-Gon Jinn.  Onto the build...  First up the obligatory pictures of the box to include the front and back.

The contents are 3 numbered bags, the instruction booklet, a sticker sheet with one sticker, and 2 larger plates not in bags.

Bag 1 contains Qui-Gon Jinn with a green light saber.  It starts the base that includes the giant shaft that Darth Maul falls down after he is killed.

Bag 2 includes Obi-Wan with a blue light saber, continues with the shaft build, and starts on the walkway.  It also starts with a simple Technic mechanism to work the force field that opens and closes during the fight scene.

Bag 3 finishes it up and includes Darth Maul with his dual sided light saber.  I didn't throw the sticker on in the event I wanted to use the pieces for something else.  You can see how pulling the Technic piece out closes the field and then pushing it back in opens it again.  Other than that, it is a pretty simple set.  The building techniques aren't really out of the ordinary and the pieces aren't really that exciting.  Overall, buy this set is you want the minifigures.  Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn last appeared in the Sith Infiltrator #75096 in 2015.  The younger Obi-Wan was in Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor (75135) from 2016 so it was very recent.  Definitely wait for the set to be on sale.  As of the writing of this post (22 June 2017), it is 16% off on Amazon.com.