LEGO Shop at Home North America has flagged six more sets as ‘Retiring Soon’ on their website. Some of these sets have not been available for long, which makes such a quick retirement unusual. But nonetheless, the following sets will… LEGO is continuing their recent trend of announcing which sets are retiring soon, and one of the latest, most notable entries is set 10244 Fairground Mixer. This set is potentially the first in a longer-running fairground theme, and as such,… The LEGO Group has done collectors a big favor by revealing some of their upcoming retirements on the LEGO Shop at Home Europe website, and the list contains a number of interesting sets. Included in the list are: 10218 Pet Shop… LEGO 76042 The SHIELD Helicarrier is one of the largest sets currently produced by The LEGO Group. It was released relatively recently, but could it be retiring soon? Some might find that idea laughable, but there are valid reasons to… LEGO has released several Imperial Shuttle sets over the years, with the current 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium being the clear best, non-UCS model.
This set will be retiring later in 2016 and is potentially one of the best non-exclusive sets to… Many popular film and television series have found themselves adapted into LEGO models and minifigures nowadays. The first licensed theme was 1999’s LEGO Star Wars, and during its 25th season, we finally got LEGO versions of Fox’s long-running, animated sitcom, The… Back in May 2015, LEGO released their line of Jurassic World sets to coincide with the film’s theatrical release in June 2015. The film was, unsurprisingly, extremely popular (just like the original Jurassic Park) and is the fourth highest grossing film at… The LEGO Group unveiled one of their most anticipated new sets today, in the form of 10253 Big Ben. This model of the iconic London landmark is quite impressive, standing at over 23 inches (60 cm) tall and containing 4163… LEGO 10234 Sydney Opera House is the most recent entry into LEGO’s lineup of large creator expert landmark models (at least until the rumored Big Ben arrives later this year), but it could also be the next one to retire.…
The current lineup of LEGO Scooby Doo sets is perhaps an overlooked theme that may have hidden investment potential, with retirement lurking just around the corner. While Scooby Doo may not be as popular with kids today as it once… Volkswagen T1 Camper Vanproduct_label_list_price_accessibility 299 Reviews1234516144521FIND MORE PRODUCTS LIKE THISCarsCreatorVehiclesRoad trips will never be the same again with the iconic 1962 Volkswagen T1 Camper VanItem10220VIP PointsAges16+Pieces1334 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van Reviews - page 2Everytime I pass the VW Camper Lego model that's proudly displayed on my office shelf, I marvel at the spirit and meaning of this vehicle, and how well the model captures the essence of this iconic camper. The VW camper itself has legions of fans and to this day it kindles a nostalgia of the 60s for many people that lived through this transformational decade. Even though I was never a part of the 60s, both my father and mother were baby boomers, and the VW camper made both of them lifelong fans of Volkswagen.
40+ years later, this vehicle still represents the idealism and freedom of the 60s, and passion for this brand is bound to bring fans to a Lego model that fails to disappoint. The fundamental concept of Lego is simple: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The VW Camper model embodies this - while there is only one exclusive piece to the set (the cloth "tarp" surrounding the pop-up from the roof of the camper), few rare pieces, and no minifigs, the set itself still shines because of the final model. There are a few rare colors (light blue and maroon top the list) included in the set, but not enough to buy the set for them. The intelligent design, playful era-specific details, and accuracy of the components are what make this set shine instead of any rare piece of minifig. First, this can't be stressed enough - this set is NOT intended for play. The camper itself was likely selected among other vehicles to appeal to AFOLs, so the set was designed to be a display model, not a play model.
WIthin that context, the rich detail provided by the designer gives the model a depth not matched by many Lego sets past or present, and discovering this set's depth is really what makes the build experience unparalleled. For example, the interior details go beyond folding seats and a table: there is a wardrobe w/ functioning door, modeled drawers, a sink, a potted plant, and yes, even a lava lamp. The engine is nicely modeled as well, and placed in the correct location under the back-end of the camper. And with such a deceptively odd shaped exterior (it's almost bubble-like in the front) containing so much glass, the designer brilliantly solved the trickiest design challenges of the model. Through use of curved slope pieces and ingenious connection techniques (in some cases different ones right next to each other), the final design is accurate and beautiful. In a nod to the original VW camper design, the designer also used the most representative exterior color scheme - the red bottom with the white "V" top and the black tubing.
While some may have small quibbles with the black tubing, and the transition between the red and white coloring on the front, I believe the design is as seamless as one should expect of such a complex shape. The price per piece comes in less than $.10/piece, but since this set is comprised of a lot of small pieces, the price per piece isn't as meaningful as it is for other sets. Yet while the model size isn't huge, the detail and effort put into the design make this set a great value for your money. This set is NOT good for parting out. Very few exclusive pieces and no minifigs make this one of the poorest sets to part out. Even the iconic VW logo badge on the front of the car is actually a sticker (one of the only downsides to this model), so you can't even part out the badge unless you apply the sticker yourself. The VW Camper is part of a Large Scale Model line that includes some of the most sought after and popular sets on the secondary market. It's close cousin, the VW Beetle, has realized nearly a 300% gain over MSRP with a CAGR of 31%.
Most Lego enthusiasts know and lust after the Taj Mahal and Eiffel Tower sets that are both part of this theme. All in all, this line is probably the best performing theme Lego has ever released, and there's no reason the VW Camper will not follow suit. According to Lego S@H, the VW Camper is a Lego Exclusive. so it is not easy to find this set in brick and mortar retailers. , ) or through Lego S@H. The limited distribution channels serve to depress supply, and will likely raise post-EOL prices. This set is not exclusive to one retailer, so strategically targeting your online vendor with a discount credit card or points is likely your best bet to getting this set at a discount to MSRP. The box to this model is excellent. The front prominently displays the model, giving the buyer an accurate depiction of the exterior of the car. The back of the box also shows the model set with all doors (and the roof) open in front of a picturesque mountain scene, adjacent to photos depicting the functions of the van and one showing an image of the original camper van.
It doesn't have the alluring, loud colors of a typical children's set; instead the gray/blue background provides a subtle backdrop that allows the bold red, white and black Lego bricks of the model to righfully proclaim it the star of the show. Analyzing the performance of the VW Beetle, the VW Camper's close cousin, may provide some insight to how the camper will perform post-EOL. Both sets are VW vehicles, so both will likely pull from the same fan bases. Both sets have/had an identical MSRP, and both are/were relatively rare with the VW Camper currently marked as "Hard to Find" on Lego S@H. The one benefit the VW Camper has over its cousin is the loads of charm and exquisitie interior detailing it possesses as discussed in the Playability/Build Experience section. While the Beetle's charm comes from the exterior, the camper's charm exudes from both its exterior and interior details. That may drive post-retirement returns on the VW Camper even higher than the Beetle. For these reasons, using the Beetle's performance as a model for the camper's appreciation will likely provide a good forecast.
This set was designed to be a display piece, and there isn't a person who sees this model on my shelf that isn't immediately captivated by its accuracy and detail. Both the exterior and interior were designed to be inspected, prodded and poked. Consequently, the designer made accessing the details and charm within simple. Four doors on the camper open: the two front doors provide access to the driver cab, while the two doors that open on the right side of the van provide access to the living space. The roof over the back of the camper was also designed to be easily removed to show the back living space, and transparent "glass" bricks ring the entire vehicle to allow easy view and light to illuminate the interior. The roof over the driver side is very fragile and not intended for removal. The set is small enough to fit on a shelf, yet large enough to contain all of the design elements that give the camper its realism and charm. And the "cherry on the sundae" is the top roof compartment that extends up to simulate the original pop-up roof offered on the actual VW Camper.