LEGO is keen to hear your views on their packing. Here’s a copy of their invite: We are a team of packaging designers belonging to the LEGO product development department. Our key mission is to design packaging that supports a strong LEGO product experience. We are conducting this survey among RLUGs/RLFMs since we know that you have a great deal of experience with our products and packaging! To achieve our mission it is important for us to get an understanding of how you perceive the LEGO packaging experience. Please complete the survey before March 6, 2017. Thank you in advance for your feedback – it is highly appreciated! The LEGO Packaging Experience Design Team I did a bunch of BrickLink orders last weekend for my contribution to the Eurobricks collaboration for Brickworld in Chicago in June. I can’t give you a sneak peak of that. However, it did remind me that I hadn’t yet uploaded the little MOC that I entered (unsuccessfully) for the event kit contest for the convention.
This MOC of a TV studio camera and lighting truss was inspired by the theme for Brickworld Chicago 2017 – “Lights, Camera, Action”. You can download the instructions from the Downloads page. Snaillad (Andrew Tate) has again shown us his exceptional design skills with the headquarters for the Astrid and Associates Architecture firm. The 1930’s building has been renovated inside and out to showcase the architectural firm’s skills. Judging by the results, I expect they will have plenty of new clients to keep them busy! My favourite detail on the outside is the way that the ground floor windows on the left have been framed by the arches, followed by the tall window above the entrance. The interior features a modern decor, with a funky meeting table and clever storage for all the architectural drawings. Head over to the Flickr album for more shots of this beautiful building. Thanks for the inspiration, Snaillad! Hope everyone gets to spend some quality time with their loved ones today!
I did a review of Heartlake Cupcake Cafe (41119) for Friends Bricks back in April 2016. At that time, I had a fairly clear vision of what the modular version would look like. It’s only taken 10 months to finally get around to turning the vision into an actual building! I’ve called this one Naomi’s Place, since Naomi runs the cafe. I loved the entrance for the Heartlake Cupcake Cafe, especially the stained glass window above the front door and the windows framed using the ornamental arches. This section of the building was 16 studs wide and was therefore a natural starting point for the conversion to a modular building. There was the matter of the gaps on the sides of the arches, but I filled those using a technique similar to that used by LEGO in the Winter Village Toy Shop (10199). I also loved the outdoor seating area and was able to incorporate a similar structure in the rooftop terrace. My daughter also decided that this was the perfect place for the rotating cake display.
So, while it lost the round windows, it didn’t lose the whole display! The ground floor and rooftop are furnished with the fittings from the official model. The first floor remain empty, but this could readily be converted to more seating (maybe move the couch there?) or the bakery / kitchen for the cafe. You can find more images of Naomi’s Place on flickr and you can download the instructions for the structure here. I don’t normally showcase other building scales, but I couldn’t go passed these Mini Modulars by de-marco. The level of detail that de-marco has captured in these four buildings is awe-worthy. My favourite is the bank, followed closely by the second from the left, which I’m guessing is a townhouse. Although small in scale, de-marco has made the bank look like a grand building with an imposing entrance. I also love the shop front on the bakery. Head over to the Flickr album for a closer look at these pint-sized perfections! Designed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of modular buildings by LEGO, Assembly Square (10255) stands out in terms of design, size and parts selection.
Let’s take a closer look why. Read the full review here. carebear has created stunning corner modular building to provide a garage, storage area and general workshop for his museum. The Garage features a striking facade and three fully furnished floors for parking museum vehicles, storing artefacts and museum staff to prepare, maintain and repair museum exhibits. One of my favourite details on this building is the way that the roof is done, especially the inclusion of the skylights and the use of the sloped grill pieces: The Garage is as beautifully done on the inside as it is on the outside, so make sure to check out the whole building in high-resolution on Brickshelf, and then head over to Eurobricks to join the conversation about this stunning building. Thanks for the inspiration carebear! Hope everyone has a very happy and prosperous 2017! Eliza (Elizabeth Nevermind) has hit all the high notes with the four storey Music Store. Dark Red and Dark Blusih Grey are one of my favourite combinations for modular buildings.
Eliza has taken this a step further, with depth in the facade created by the colour and texture variation in the brick work. I love the details on the cornices, especially the use of the bow and arrow pieces and the 1×2 Technic bricks on their side. Other details that caught my eye were the fire escape on the side of the building and the “Music” sign. On the inside, the ground floor of the Music Store has a range of instruments on display. My favourite details are the keyboards and the bongo drums. Head over to Eliza’s Flickr photostream to see more images of the impressive Music Store.RARE Lego sets are selling for as much as £3,800 – over TEN times their original price. Star Wars-themed set are among the most popular with a replica of the Taj Mahal and a cafe from ten years ago also much sought after. Some rare Lego sets are now going for TEN times their original asking price To attract the huge sums the sets must be boxed and in mint condition – so it’s well worth having a look in the loft and rifling round the garage just in case one might be lurking there.
The current highest-priced set on Amazon is the Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon which is selling for £3,800. It would have cost you just £342.49 to buy in 2007. A Cafe Corner set from the same year which was originally £89.99 is the next highest-priced at £2,128. While a 2005 Death Star II that was originally £249.99 is going for £1,917. JAMIE EAST AT THE MOVIES THEME PARK POT ARRESTS I WON'T LEGO OF DREAM According to Jeff Maciorowski, founder of Lego investing guide large sets and ones that have film tie-ins tend to give the best returns He explained: “Sets with 1,000 pieces or more, seem to exhibit strong returns on investment. “Licensed sets like Star Wars, Harry Potter and the DC Comics and Marvel Superheroes can appreciate very well after retirement and many contain valuable and highly collectible minifigures. “Minifigures are often called the currency of the LEGO world and are highly collectible and popular.
Some individual minifigures can sell for tens, if not hundreds of pounds.” But for those on a more limited budget profits can still be made. Jeff added: “Small sets and polybags can also show strong returns. Rare minifigures or small seasonal or holiday sets are solid choices.” The boom in Lego re-sale value comes as the toymaker hiked its prices at the beginning of the year because of the Brexit vote. From January 1 the firm upped prices by five percent. A letter from a top boss at the firm stated that the hike is “a direct result of the continued devaluing of the UK pound” and went on to say that the company may be forced to put up prices again in the “event of a further negative trend”. It means that a Star Wars Lego Death star set that previously went for £399 has gone up by £20. While a Doctor Who set went up by £2.49 from £49.99 to £52.48. The value of the pound has plummeted since the vote to leave the European Union last June.