Some observations re: the Advent Calendars

[Blondie-Wan]

I've gotten the City Advent Calendars for the last couple years as well as this one, but unlike in 2009, last year I was too busy and too constrained with space to actually open it up and enjoy it through December. This year I've gotten not only the City calendar but the Star Wars one as well, and since I missed out on enjoying last year's City calendar that year, I'm currently enjoying all three calendars together this year - City 2010, City 2011 and Star Wars 2011 - and a few things have struck me...

First, doing three of them at the same time I couldn't help but notice that TLG has put all the calendar dates in the same place. I'm not talking about simply having the same die-cut perforated squares to open; it's only natural that they'd do that, since there's no reason to remold the inner tray from one year to the next, and of course the doors open over the same spots in the tray each year. I mean that all four of the calendars I've gotten - City '09, '10 and '11 and SW '11 - use the same locations for the specific dates, despite there being no apparent reason for doing so and the fact that they all still have different box artwork under the flap (over all the doors) anyway.

Secondly, is it just me, or are the Advent Calendars getting a little more generous than usual with the spare parts? We all know there are certain elements TLG routinely offers spares of - 1x1 slopes ("cheese"), 1x1 round plates, small Technic pins, etc. - but I'm getting a lot more than the expected number in mine, particularly in the City ones. Day 2 for last year's calendar has a little boy wearing a ball cap and excitedly brandishing a (presumably toy) sword; mine came with an extra ball cap (!) and not one but two extra swords (!!), all in the baggie for just Day 2. This year's Day 2, featuring a small catapult for throwing snowballs (1x1 round bricks), included an extra 1x1 round brick "snowball" (maybe not an extra, but the instructional illustration shows only two, not the three I got) and an extra Technic pin - not one of the smaller ones that always have extras, but a large, 3-long one (a non-friction one, in tan). Day 4 from today's calendar, featuring a section of wall of the little police station, includes an extra 1x1 brick - a regular square one, not a round one like the "snowball" from two days ago. Can I continue to look forward to all these spares over the next three weeks?

I know the Advent Calendars would tend to have more spares than usual for a set since they use so many separate bags and the spares are generally one of each "spare" item per bag, but still (and no, this isn't a complaint, just an observation)...

[penguinz]

I chose not to buy the advent calendars from this year; but, as a general observation from past years, specifically from the '05-'07 City Advent Calendars as well as the Kingdoms Advent Calendar in '10, I did find lots of extras, such as in the Kingdom's Advent Calendar, several weapons that were not usually extras appeared as extras and swords came with two extras when only one was used, also one day had an extra pearl gold jumper plate and 2x1 roof end. I even found one day to give me an extra hair piece. The advent calendars will also do the same in respect to jewels, any jewels appearing will have extras, even though normal sets usually will not include them as extras. Advent calendars in recent years seem to generous with extra parts. Most of the extra parts do not vary from calendar to calendar and are legitimate extra parts.

[Miss Kyle]

Yeah, I noticed it, too. The Star Wars calendar leaves me with 2-4 spare parts every day, which is really generous. Maybe they do it because you would keep the calendar in a place like near your bed or in the kitchen or anywhere but on your average Lego building table, so pieces would more easily fall down and vanish from view Just judging from childhood memories here.

Funny side fact: I just opened my chocolate advent calendar and the chocolate dropped on the floor. Had to crouch under the desk and look for it. Q.E.D., I'd say.

Edited December 5, 2011 by Miss Kyle

[peddi0027]

included an extra 1x1 round brick "snowball" (maybe not an extra, but the instructional illustration shows only two, not the three I got) and an extra Technic pin - not one of the smaller ones that always have extras, but a large, 3-long one (a non-friction one, in tan). Day 4 from today's calendar, featuring a section of wall of the little police station, includes an extra 1x1 brick - a regular square one, not a round one like the "snowball" from two days ago.

I have got these spare parts as well!

[Bricksandparts]

I've gotten the City Advent Calendars for the last couple years as well as this one, but unlike in 2009, last year I was too busy and too constrained with space to actually open it up and enjoy it through December. This year I've gotten not only the City calendar but the Star Wars one as well, and since I missed out on enjoying last year's City calendar that year, I'm currently enjoying all three calendars together this year - City 2010, City 2011 and Star Wars 2011 - and a few things have struck me...

First, doing three of them at the same time I couldn't help but notice that TLG has put all the calendar dates in the same place. I'm not talking about simply having the same die-cut perforated squares to open; it's only natural that they'd do that, since there's no reason to remold the inner tray from one year to the next, and of course the doors open over the same spots in the tray each year. I mean that all four of the calendars I've gotten - City '09, '10 and '11 and SW '11 - use the same locations for the specific dates, despite there being no apparent reason for doing so and the fact that they all still have different box artwork under the flap (over all the doors) anyway.

Secondly, is it just me, or are the Advent Calendars getting a little more generous than usual with the spare parts? We all know there are certain elements TLG routinely offers spares of - 1x1 slopes ("cheese"), 1x1 round plates, small Technic pins, etc. - but I'm getting a lot more than the expected number in mine, particularly in the City ones. Day 2 for last year's calendar has a little boy wearing a ball cap and excitedly brandishing a (presumably toy) sword; mine came with an extra ball cap (!) and not one but two extra swords (!!), all in the baggie for just Day 2. This year's Day 2, featuring a small catapult for throwing snowballs (1x1 round bricks), included an extra 1x1 round brick "snowball" (maybe not an extra, but the instructional illustration shows only two, not the three I got) and an extra Technic pin - not one of the smaller ones that always have extras, but a large, 3-long one (a non-friction one, in tan). Day 4 from today's calendar, featuring a section of wall of the little police station, includes an extra 1x1 brick - a regular square one, not a round one like the "snowball" from two days ago. Can I continue to look forward to all these spares over the next three weeks?

I know the Advent Calendars would tend to have more spares than usual for a set since they use so many separate bags and the spares are generally one of each "spare" item per bag, but still (and no, this isn't a complaint, just an observation)...

I'm surprised, I don't normally hear EB members actually waiting each day to open the prizes. Most EB members just open them all up on the first day (or the day they bought it)

[Miss Kyle]

I'm surprised, I don't normally hear EB members actually waiting each day to open the prizes. Most EB members just open them all up on the first day (or the day they bought it)

Where's the fun in that? :D

[Blondie-Wan]

I'm surprised, I don't normally hear EB members actually waiting each day to open the prizes. Most EB members just open them all up on the first day (or the day they bought it)

Where's the fun in that? :D

Indeed!

It's actually a lot of fun having piled up a bunch of holiday LEGO sets and opening them up throughout the month in the leadup to Christmas (and should also give me more time to organize the "fun room" to be better able to accommodate the larger items before I put them together ). I began the month with fresh, unopened copies of the '10 and '11 City Advent Calendars and the '11 Star Wars one, all three Winter Village sets (I got the first two last year but didn't have the space in my previous apartment to put them together, so now I get to do all three back-to-back), and this year's matched pair of Holiday Sets ("1 of 2" and "2 of 2"), and a few days ago I added the Creator Wreath polybag; I might pick up one or two more of the latter, and/or one or two more of last year's Christmas Tree one to fill out the collection a little more. Every day until the 24th (or rather the 23rd, since my girlfriend and I will leave town that day to spend Christmas weekend at my parents' place), I get to put together at least three little LEGO models, and sometimes more than that.

After Christmas I'll absorb the elements from the calendars into the general parts assortment (so, more minifigures to add to my Cityfolk and Star Warriors, for example), but I enjoy having them set aside for the holidays until the time is right. I'm thinking of picking up a second SW calendar to save for next year, actually, the same way I wound up saving last year's City calendar for this one - I'd like to have more of some of the minifigures and such that are in the calendar, but I won't necessarily need to use them before Christmas 2012 anyway, so why not?

Back on topic... another extra regular 1x1 brick with yesterday's City model. Sweet!

Edited December 6, 2011 by Blondie-Wan

[Wardancer]

I can affirm that the kingdoms calendars are stuffed with extras. I did just notice this when I bought 9 this year for reselling them. It makes them even better for army building.

[IAmWillGibson]

Last year and this year I did the same thing: opened it through November. It made more sense to me, as then I'd have more time to enjoy the bits and pieces properly [December get's crazy] and let them breathe a bit before dismantling the Christmas display and probably absorbing most of these parts into the slush piles. Avoid my blog if you don't want spoilers.

[Zeya]

My girlfriend and I are going through the 2010 Kingdoms and the 2010 City calendars. We're doing one each day, just like good boys and girls, because Santa is watching!

My observations... I read reviews a while back for these, but long enough ago that I forgot half of it. What I've noticed is that they have a finely crafted layout for what you get on each day. Both calendars started with a minifig (as opposed to a small device or scene). The kingdoms one starts off with a blacksmith. Then you get a little anvil station for him the next day, and then a rack for him. And then they introduce a knight, and then a weapon cart for him... It's just laid out very nicely.

And each day of the month, we have a moment where someone goes "oh the advent calendar! it's time!" and then we rush over and count down together "one...two...three" and then rip open the little door on each of our calendars. It's fun. I like the advent calendar so much, I wish there were more of them! I want one for every month in the year, lol. Well that might be overkill.

I consider the 2011 calendars to be sub-par to previous years. The city one is all cops and robbers. And then if you're not into Star Wars you're SOL, but then again you can say the same about Kingdoms, etc. I wish I wasn't in my dark ages for the 2009 calendars.

Can't wait to see what they'll have for 2012! Hopefully a return to something more reasonable for the city calendar.

[clcwong]

Last year and this year I did the same thing: opened it through November. It made more sense to me, as then I'd have more time to enjoy the bits and pieces properly [December get's crazy] and let them breathe a bit before dismantling the Christmas display and probably absorbing most of these parts into the slush piles. Avoid my blog if you don't want spoilers.

Yea...I find out that each day after building and taking pictures, there is no time for them.

pbb play with them later on =]