Modular building question...

[Deefuzz]

Great job!! Frankly your Green Grocer looks nicer to me than the original

Yeah I like that a lot. I wonder how much an alternate colored Green Grocer like that would cost to build?

[DaddyWhale]

Well as I said it's one of those parts that was just changed slightly and when they do that TLG often just slowly phase in the new part as their stocks deplete, so it's possible whomever first did an inventory of it did get that part and then others got the newer one so it was added as an alternate. Or possibly the original inventory was slightly off and the difference in part not noticed, it's always tricky to be sure with pieces like this in sets around the time the parts change.

I think they used their remaining supply on the Pet Shop, and when they were spent they started using the new style 2x3 panels. I tried ordering the old style panels at the same time as I ordered the dark red 1x2x3 slopes right after the Pet Shop was released, and they sent me the new style panels saying they were the new equivalent parts.

I really have to say Jaime Berard did us a huge service by including these parts in the Pet Shop, as it made my life so much easier when it came to buying the parts for these sets.

A quick update. I got home and checked these parts on my Pet Shop. You guys are absolutely right. It's not the same part as in Cafe Corner! Thank you for the info!

Yeah I like that a lot. I wonder how much an alternate colored Green Grocer like that would cost to build?

I agree. Even as a new set, straight from LEGO, this would cost a pretty penny. I'm guessing $250 or more. But it's worth every cent!

[Vindicare]

I think I am going to have to "part hunt" from Bricklink for my CC and MS in a week or 2.

I already planned on using tan arches for the MS and Blue one for CC. Plus, I think I will have to use 2x2x3 Dark Red Slopes for the roof of CC.

I hadn't realized the panels were so expensive, I will probably have to replace those with the new style, as well. Glad I saw this thread!!

The other pieces, that I will have to do something about is the railings on MS. I was thinking of using, part # 30056, 4 of those in Medium Blue to match the second and third floors of MS. The other colors this piece comes in, that I think would like good on MS are Black and Blue. But, there is White avalible too, but, those pieces, can get a little pricey also. Still not sure what color I will with here. Medium Blue to match the floors, or White to match the railings on the original?!

If I think about it, I will post something here when I get them finished.

Jamie

I'd stick with white. It looks better and breaks up the blue a bit.

[Ayden]

Purchase the available ones and hold on to em for a while. once they are discontinued, sell em for double and purchase the older ones. =D

[mrklaw]

Purchase the available ones and hold on to em for a while. once they are discontinued, sell em for double and purchase the older ones. =D

assuming you want to build one too, you'd need to buy two of each. Now you're getting expensive. And by the time they get valuable enough, CC etc might be a million dollars :P

[slovakiasteph]

I don't want to takeover this thread, but I do have a question about the GG I bricklinked. The set of lights in the doorway won't stay in the technic brick like they're meant to... they're very loose and have no connection at all. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?

Edited January 21, 2012 by slovakiasteph

[cimddwc]

slovakiasteph, I think you're using Technic bricks where you're supposed to use headlight bricks.

[L@go]

A picture would really help, but I think cimddwc is right - as far as I can tell from the instructions there aren't any lights attached to Technic bricks anywhere...

[slovakiasteph]

Agh, I meant GG... just realized I typed CC (will edit the original question). Green grocer. You use the sextant-type piece, with a 1x1 round plate attached, and that's supposed to stay in the hole in the technic brick. But mine doesn't.

[Nebsirob]

I suppose, it is about step 36 in the 1st book.

However, only the lower 1x1s are technic-bricks, slovakiasteph.

As cimddwc wrote, the lamps attach to headlights.

[slovakiasteph]

I suppose, it is about step 36 in the 1st book.

However, only the lower 1x1s are technic-bricks, slovakiasteph.

As cimddwc wrote, the lamps attach to headlights.

Thanks... those fit fine, but I was talking about step 41, where the lower half of the lamp attaches to the technic bricks below the headlight bricks. I can't imagine what I must be doing wrong that they don't fit.

[Nebsirob]

Oops, my bad.

Have you tried to attach just the round plates? Do they hold on without the rest?

Edited January 21, 2012 by Nebsirob

[Legogal]

It is sad when they close out these fantastic modular sets. I try to buy one when they first arrive, and then another when they get marked down or I have a discount from a Lego conference or something. That way I have one to build and a spare to modify with different colors in the future.

It is even sadder to see the prices sellers want for these sets on eBay. Maybe forum members should recommend to Lego that they keep these sets in stock longer so that folks have a greater amount of time to buy them. Often we can't afford or do not like a set when it first comes out, but grow to love it as time passes. This would allow us to buy one later if our mind or wallet changed, which it often does.

This happened to us with the 4954 house, which we somehow overlooked when it was available from Lego. I gave up trying to find it at a reasonable price, and received the set as a gift from my future daughter in law while we were traveling in Korea. She had found it in her college town of Qingdao, China, and thought I might enjoy it not knowing that I had been looking for one for over 6 months!

Good luck finding the modular sets....there are some used ones on eBay that are not quite as expensive as the new ones. The main problems with the used sets tend to be a lot of scratches, teeth marks or faded bricks even if all of the parts are accounted for. So do ask the seller if these conditions exist. Good Luck!!!

[slovakiasteph]

Oops, my bad.

Have you tried to attach just the round plates? Do they hold on without the rest?

Well, I just tried a variety of options... even the found plates don't hold by themselves. I guess the technic bricks are worn because when I tried putting the pieces on other bricks, they held. I'm just surprised as I've never had pieces not hold together because of age, so I was sure I was doing something wrong!

Thanks for the help!

[Vindicare]

It is sad when they close out these fantastic modular sets. I try to buy one when they first arrive, and then another when they get marked down or I have a discount from a Lego conference or something. That way I have one to build and a spare to modify with different colors in the future.

It is even sadder to see the prices sellers want for these sets on eBay. Maybe forum members should recommend to Lego that they keep these sets in stock longer so that folks have a greater amount of time to buy them. Often we can't afford or do not like a set when it first comes out, but grow to love it as time passes. This would allow us to buy one later if our mind or wallet changed, which it often does.

This happened to us with the 4954 house, which we somehow overlooked when it was available from Lego. I gave up trying to find it at a reasonable price, and received the set as a gift from my future daughter in law while we were traveling in Korea. She had found it in her college town of Qingdao, China, and thought I might enjoy it not knowing that I had been looking for one for over 6 months!

Good luck finding the modular sets....there are some used ones on eBay that are not quite as expensive as the new ones. The main problems with the used sets tend to be a lot of scratches, teeth marks or faded bricks even if all of the parts are accounted for. So do ask the seller if these conditions exist. Good Luck!!!

IDK about this, 2 years seems like plenty of time to buy a set. Each modular has had that about that amount of shelf life. Of course, that doesn't mean much if you came out of your Dark Age in '09 when was about the time when CC went off the market. Well, that's a bit of a moot point, only because nothing would get retired in that case. There's always going to be somebody to come out of their own LEGO coma, the unfortunate side effect to that is, you miss out on sets.