Late to the modular game *update pg 3!*

[Aaryana]

I've recently started to really like the looks of the modular sets. I've never really considered them because I never had the space for them but I'm going to be buying a real house soon and will have a lot more space for Lego fun and displays. I did pick up the Monster Fighters Haunted House way back but never had room to put it together. I've recently started working on it and am having a lot of fun with it. I really, really want to have more to work on. So, my dilemma is... do I avoid getting into the modular sets because I have missed out on so many? I tend to be a bit of a completionist for certain things and I feel like this would be one of them. Is there any chance that there will be remakes of some of the older sets? The rerelease of the winter village toy shop gives me some hope, though maybe false hope. I love the idea of creating a large display with the modular buildings but I feel like I've missed out on some critical sets. I would be fine with remakes or new versions and wouldn't necessarily need the originals, but I feel like my display wouldn't be complete without Town Hall for example. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice for someone new to modular builds? I'd sure appreciate it! 

Edited March 19, 2017 by Aaryana

[LegoSjaak]

Only start with it when you have lots of spare cash... but when you buy yourself a new house soon, you'd better save the money for that... After you've settled, you could consider again stepping into modulars... i wouldn't do it now, if i were you!

[Tom Jurassic]

I started with Palace Cinema, and although I am working my way through them on each payday, I do miss not having Town Hall as that looked cool and I would bet that remakes are unlikely with such diversity of buildings still waiting to be made. I'd say we are most likely to get things like Assembly Square - sets which pull from others but do not directly remake them. That said, I am at the tender age of just about to hit adulthood, so I still live with my parents and don't have to worry about a house yet - something which I know is a big step so it may definitely be best saving for that, as LegoSjaak said! I wish you luck with moving out and hope that whatever you decide to do makes you happy! 

[Aaryana]

Financially, the current sets aren't really an issue. I've been on my own for 10 years and have a very solid job. That said, I don't pay scalper prices for stuff out of principle. I don't mind others who do, but I choose not to. So the issue for me is really whether I'll miss not having the older sets. And the longer I wait, the more behind I'll get. 

Do collections without buildings such as town hall or green grocer seem incomplete? Maybe it would help me to see pictures of others' collections, especially those who are also missing earlier sets. 

Edited January 12, 2017 by Aaryana

[SollX]

i think you do not need the older sets.

as beauttfull as they are, they are not the only thing that makes up a city
I started with petshop and the detective office. Now i also own palace cinema and parisian restaurant and i think my setup looks pretty cool as it is.

if they had a normal price i to would want to have GE FB and CC. but i don't mind not having them.

Edited January 12, 2017 by SollX

[Aaryana]

Thanks for sharing your pic! The pet shop is another I was interested in but I see it's gone now too. Does anyone know where it might still be available?

[Tavis75]

I've just got into the modular buildings myself after mostly collecting Star Wars prior to that and have to say they are the most fun builds I've done, though horribly addictive, I bought my first one at the end of November (Palace Cinema) and after getting the Detective's Office earlier this week I now have all the currently available ones apart from Assembly Square which I'll probably pick up next month, and was also pleased as I managed to find a Pet Shop still in stock at a local store.

They definitely look nice lined up as well and although I certainly miss not having the older ones I think I should be able to cope, also I figure if I do want some of those missing buildings I could always Bricklink them (with modifications\colour swaps to avoid the most expensive pieces).

As a build though, I think they are definitely worth it, a lot of sets based on SW or things like Tower Bridge seem to end up with lots of unavoidable repetition, whereas the Modular buildings feel like they've been designed to be a fun build with not too much repetition.

46 minutes ago, Aaryana said:

Thanks for sharing your pic! The pet shop is another I was interested in but I see it's gone now too. Does anyone know where it might still be available?

I don't know what country you're in, but in the UK I found one in stock for "Click and Collect" at a local Smyth's Toys just before Christmas, that sort of thing is probably your best bet though, I've found a few sets that are no longer available still in stores even when the company's website no longer lists them. i.e. Sydney Opera House is showing as completely unavailable for either collection or delivery from Toys R Us, but local branch still had a couple in stock last time I visited (one less after my visit though!).

[Aaryana]

I'm in the US and none of the local places seem to even have an in store search feature for it available. There are some reasonable prices on bricklink. I may look at going that route. I wonder if any Lego stores would have one as a return. 

[billybricks]

Actually, a guy on Brickset just put up his modular collection for sale this morning. A couple of the older ones he Bricklinked and made some substitutions, but the others he bought new, so if you want to contact him to see his prices for them used, that may be a way to go. I've dealt with him before, and he seems like a pretty upstanding seller with reasonable prices.

Also, I guess this is what finally got me to stop lurking and make a post on this forum. 

[Aaryana]

That's a thought. I wouldn't mind buying used so long as the set is complete. I don't need a box necessarily but I do want all the pieces and the instruction book. Good first post. I was also a lurker until recently. 

[gotoAndLego]

6 hours ago, Aaryana said:

Thanks for sharing your pic! The pet shop is another I was interested in but I see it's gone now too. Does anyone know where it might still be available?

You can still find them on eBay for regular price. Especially if, like me, you don't really care about the boxes or if it has previously been assembled. I just bought my third of that set and will sell the two pet shops as I was most interested in having a row of townhousees.

Edited January 12, 2017 by gotoAndLego

[deraven]

Here's the tactic I'd take if I were you:  buy 1 or more copies of each of the currently available modulars.  Build 'em if you feel like it and see what you think.  If you don't get around to it or decide that remaking or purchasing the older sets isn't something you want to do (and it would bother your completionist sensibilities), then sell the ones you bought.  As you can see, they tend to go up a good bit after they're retired, and even while they're still available you can get nearly full price for them... or you could just crack 'em open for parts.    At least that way you wouldn't miss out on any of the current ones and be kicking yourself about that if you do decide to take the plunge!

[Wesley D]

I must warn you: collecting modulars is indeed addictive!

I simply could not resist completing the whole series, although I don't own the original CC, MS and GG. You can save money by making some modifications and substitutions, so you don't have to pay those crazy prices. Making my version of the Town Hall wasn't easy and I ended up buying an original one.

[koalayummies]

1 hour ago, deraven said:

Here's the tactic I'd take if I were you:  buy 1 or more copies of each of the currently available modulars.  Build 'em if you feel like it and see what you think.  If you don't get around to it or decide that remaking or purchasing the older sets isn't something you want to do (and it would bother your completionist sensibilities), then sell the ones you bought.  As you can see, they tend to go up a good bit after they're retired

The OP already stated in so many words that they are against the scalpers. This tactic would result in becoming one of them, or part of the problem. 

[gotoAndLego]

Selling the set does not necessarily mean selling at an inflated price.

Edited January 12, 2017 by gotoAndLego

[TheLegoDr]

This late in the game, I'd recommend not getting into the modulars if you feel you are a completionist. If you want to build some nice sets and don't care about the previous releases, then definitely get into the new modulars. But if you feel you will be dissatisfied by not having a complete collection, it is cost prohibitive to get into it now. Yes, you can make modifications, but you will still spend a lot of money (more than actual modular prices) and they won't be the actual set, therefore you still would have a technically incomplete collection.

[Nemo57]

I bought the CC, I was almost collected via BL MS and GG and more to skip buying new modular buildings are not going to. The price paid for the missing items, is very conducive to this. Hoping to re-release these sets from the company Lego is possible, of course, but better still, buy, if possible.
We have assembled a complete collection of sets with the City Series 2005 inclusive, but only began collecting in 2012. And it was sometimes difficult to buy than the first modular buildings.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Nemo57

[koalayummies]

Don't worry about not having the old ones. Buying a house is much more important than having toys and there are plenty who don't have them all. Create some MOC instead, you might find like many have that it is much more rewarding than buying a design that thousands of others have. 

Edited January 12, 2017 by koalayummies

[broomhandle]

I say start with the oldest ones that will be gone soon, Paris and the Palace.

https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Parisian-Restaurant-10243

I started with the cafe, and took a break. and started again with the dep store. I missed on the city hall. it was too big...

I feel the newer ones have more detail, each one is cool. Also there are a lot of good MOC out there. that fit in nice. Get what you can while you can....

 

 

[Aaryana]

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone! I'm still super undecided but it's certainly nice to hear from others and to hear a wide array of opinions. 

I feel drawn to the pet shop set. I am looking into getting it to try out. I'm nervous about getting stuck with a counterfeit though when buying from the secondary market. 

[gotoAndLego]

BrickLink will be your safest bet then.

[carebear]

14 hours ago, koalayummies said:

Don't worry about not having the old ones. Buying a house is much more important than having toys and there are plenty who don't have them all. Create some MOC instead, you might find like many have that it is much more rewarding than buying a design that thousands of others have. 

- I totally Agree with Koalayummies

( MOC building is for me as well the most rewarding )

Goodluck to find your way

Greetings

[jus1973]

It is addictive this modular building lark.  I started with the DO, quickly followed by PC, and just joined by PR.  Now on the look out for BB.  I was hoping for a PS too, but now retired there's next to no chance living where I do, to get one.  As for the earlier models, there's quite a discussion elsewhere in this forum, that the earlier models are bigger and the two halves of the collection seem disjointed to a degree.  Looking at a couple of images I have to agree, so having just newer ones is fine for me.

I'd say buy what you like the look of. Who's to say who is right or wrong.

[just_one]

To my it wasnt the modular line that sold me...

I started collecting Marvel / DC minifigures (because i fell in love with lego from lego videogames) , bought a couple of bootleg ones (didnt knew the difference at the time) so i thought it would be a good complement to joint them to buy the first version of the arkham asylum (which btw i think is milles better than the new one!!) .

i REALLY loved building arkham asylum and then one day i saw the parisian restaurant and the rest is history...amazing amazing building.

As of today i have the Parisian Restaurant , Pet Shop , Cinema Palace , Detective´s Office and the new Assembly Square. i skipped the Brink Bank because i fell in love with the Assembly Square.

 

 

[Wesley D]

Just go for it! It would be a pity not to buy a modular because you missed the first ones. You might regret it!

You don't need the first ones (that are partly recycled into Assembly Square by the way) to appreciate your collection, that you even can supplement with your own MOCs if it interests you!