Pandora Posted January 14, 2013 Number – 41007 Name – Heartlake Pet Salon Theme – Town Subtheme - Friends Year – 2013 Minidolls – 2 Pieces – 242 Price – £29.99, $29.99, €32.99 Links: Brickset, Bricklink, Peeron not yet listed. Shop@Home. Information from LEGO shop@home: Pamper every pet at the Heartlake Pet Salon!Celebrate the grand opening of the Heartlake Pet Salon! Everyone's excited to check it out! Help Emma to shampoo her friend Joanna's pretty white poodle in the bubble bath, then trim and clip her on the rotating grooming table. Use the blow dryer and brushes to make her perfect! While Joanna is waiting for her puppy to be groomed, help her to shop for new pet food and lots of accessories in the salon's shop. Then fill up the water dish at the tap for the poodle to drink. With all of these accessories and functions, you can really pamper all of the pretty pets in Heartlake City! Includes Emma and Joanna mini-doll figures and a poodle. Includes Emma and Joanna mini-doll figures Features poodle, rotating grooming table, bath tub, birdhouses, shop counter, accessory stand, water dish and faucet Also includes purple hair accessories, grooming tools, pet food, decorated bottles and hanging packages with pet accessories Shop for everything your pet needs! Rotate the grooming table! Customize your model by moving the different elements around in the shop! LEGO® Friends pieces are fully compatible with all LEGO bricks Collect all of the LEGO Friends sets for a whole world of LEGO Friends fun! LEGO mini-dolls are LEGO figures made especially for the world of LEGO Friends that can be customized and combined in thousands of ways Measures over 4" (12cm) high, 5" (13cm) wide and 8" (22cm) long Ru unexpectedly brought this (and 41008: Heartlake City Pool) home for me just after Christmas, and despite 41008 looking like a great set, this was the one that grabbed my interest most out of the two. From the first look of the set I was interested in the fact that it was a shop with a large glass frontage, and that it seemed to have a whole lot of stuff in it, and I'm rather fond of stuff. So how does this set look out of the box, and how will this bode for the 2013 range of Friends sets? Read on to find out.. The Box As is traditional, we start with a look at the front of the box. Interestingly, the boxes for the new wave of Friends sets are ever so slightly different from the originals. Firstly, have a little look at the gaggle of Friends in the top right – they look a little more clingy, don’t they? If you compare that portrayal with one from an earlier box, there’s quite a noticeable difference. Unfortunately, I don’t really like this new portrayal; the girls seem simpering and .. a bit needy, really. The old portrayal was of much stronger more confident girls. Oh well, it’s one corner of the box. The rest of the box front has a picture of the entire set, arranged in a way that displays as many features as possible. The background is of a simple, pastel town, and there are some small insets to display a play feature, and the girls that are included. More on them later. The back of the box is another fiesta of shades of purple, but the pictures give you good views of the play features and the interior of the salon, so you really know what you’re getting before you buy. There’s an illustration of how to build a minidoll, and also an indication of what one might find inside the box. There’s the same picture of the 5 ‘core’ Friends as is on the front, but this time their names are overlayed to help forgetful parents, plus there is a large new picture of Emma in the top right. I’m sure they meant Emma to look sweet and friendly, but really she looks insecure and slightly worried. Maybe it’s just me, but the impression I get now is a far-cry from the strong and independent girls that were first introduced. The top of the box is pleasant in its simplicity, and essentially gives first-time buyers an idea of the size of the minidolls; a common feature on all LEGO boxes. The bottom of the box has all the required safety information in all the required languages, and you can also see the price sticker from the LEGO store. The interesting thing is the background colour, which is a lighter shade of lavender than has been used previously. The difference is subtle, but noticeable, and in fact the colour is more blue-tinged than that on the older boxes. I can imagine several people being entirely unfussed about this change, but to me this is a nicer colour, and slightly less girly. The right side of the box continues this colour, which contrasts nicely with the dark purple on the ellipsed corners. The declaration of where the components are made is clear, and bold, in case anyone’s concerned, and there’s a sweet little advert for the LEGOClub website. Just like the right side, TLG have also gone for a ‘less is more’ look for the left side of the box. There is some gentle detailing with the various swathes of pink and purple, and the nice, subtle Friends pattern, with a rather small inset picture of the set. It’s the same picture as on the front of the box, so it doesn’t add any information, so really it’s just there for aesthetics. And it works very nicely. The Box Contents As indicated on the back of the box, there are two numbered bags of LEGO parts inside. I was quite surprised by this, as it’s not a big set, and the parts could just as easily been bagged up without being sorted into sections. This sort of separation makes sense for modular buildings or sets built in a modular way, but it seems unnecessary for one little shop. It doesn’t matter much; if you’re a first time builder it makes sorting the pieces a tiny fraction easier, and if you just lump all the contents of the bags together from the start anyway, then it doesn’t matter one jot. Loose inside the box are also a pair of bright light blue plates, both of which are only seen in Friends sets, and only two other Friends sets,specifically 3061: City Park Café, and 3188: Heartlake Vet. Also loose, but in miraculously good condition, is the dreaded sticker sheet. The stickers look a bit unusual until they are actually applied to the set, and the poodle-with-kitten combo is slightly cutesy, especially with the hearts. The colour scheme is clearly Friends without including much pink, and they actually work well with the pieces. This set is the first set I have ever actually applied the stickers to; shocking, I know, but I hope you’ll see later how they actually do add something to the building. The Instructions There is just one instruction booklet, but you’d know that if you looked at the back of the box properly. The picture and graphics here are pretty much exactly the same as on the front of the box, but that’s ok. I don’t expect something new and different, I just want the instructions to be identifiable, and the nicest way to do that is with a picture of the set. Remarkably, like the sticker sheet, this was also in miraculously good condition. I think we’d all fall over in disbelief if there were a reasonably sized set aimed at children that didn’t have a picture of a Gagne-child on the back. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I much prefer this quite sweet girl to the obnoxious looking boy they have for other sets. I can even bear to show this picture in my review. Aside from that, basically: you can still win stuff. An absolutely charming addition inside the instruction booklet is a short comic strip Emma demonstrating how to build the set. Any set (and please remember folks that this isn’t limited to Friends) that has numbered bags has some sort of indication that you should build one bag at a time, because they’ve packed it that way. I love this new illustration – it gives exactly the same information as before but in a much more entertaining way. The other side shows the beginning of the build, and is reminiscent of many Town sets to me (assemble the minifigs; large plate plus bag #x makes such and such). Towards the back of the instruction booklet there’s the handy checklist for you to tick off your sets as you buy them, but there’s also a brand new illustration of Heartlake City. It doesn’t seem to be quite so obvious what the future releases might be, but maybe someone here will spot something? As always, they have included those most useful pages in the booklet, the inventory listing. If you click on the picture it should link to original high-res image, but even a glance here shows a good colour mix and variety of parts. I’ve also included this, which is a random page in the instructions. People like to see these, because it gives them an idea of the build. I also think this demonstrates that this, just like any other LEGO set, is not the kind of thing you can put together without instructions because it’s so simplistic and easy, because it’s actually not so simplistic and easy. I’ll probably comment more on this later, in fact I know I will. The Parts The contents of the first bag, as you can see (or not, as the case may be), are actually mostly white or trans clear. There’s a very interesting selection of pieces here. We’ll start with the rather small amount of pink. The magenta 1x3x2 curved top arches and 3x3x2 dome top pieces are new in this colour for this set, and only available in this set and the 6 magenta 1x4x1 1/3 curved bricks can only be found in this colour in 3939: Mia’s Bedroom, and you can only find one there. The bright pink 1x3x2 curved top bricks has only been seen in this colour before in 3061: City Park Café, so we’re off to an interesting start with the smallish amount of pink pieces. The light aqua 1x2x5 bricks haven’t been seen in this colour before, and there’s a rather good selection of dark blue pieces here too. The white and light bley pieces also have useful bits and bobs in them, including the white 1x4 SNOT brick and the always-useful light bley taps and 4x4 macaroni pieces. Next to the yellow pieces you can see a new shop sign, which is a completely new mould; we’ll look more closely at that shortly. The 4x4x6 trans clear curved panel can only be found in 3061: City Park Café, and the Star wars set 9526: Palpatine’s Arrest. Here’s a closer look at the shop sign. At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking that Fabuland was making a comeback, but actually this is ever so slightly different to the Fabuland sign (the red sign here) in that it is slightly smaller and has slightly less filigree. It’s nice to see this type of piece come back, though, and with some custom decals I can see this appearing in a few MOCs. In the second bag, the contents are more colourful, and the interest continues. It still manages to look quite pink, despite there not being that great a proportion of pink in the set (just perhaps more than in most non-Friends sets these days, that’s all) but there’s all sorts of accessories and a few printed parts here. Naturally there are also the Friends accessories, newly available in dark purple for this set, just as each colour of accessories has only appeared in one set each. Overall, I thought there were quite a few interesting parts, so I’ve put them all together here. I’ve mentioned quite a few pieces here already, but there are a few more worthy of note (and I’ve only included one of each part referenced in this picture). The 1x2x2/3 slopes for instance, in this set in bright pink, light aqua and medium lavender and these parts are pretty much exclusive to Friends sets with the exception of the light aqua, which can also be found in 8487: Flo’s V8 Café. You can also only find the 1x2x2 medium lavender brick in Friends sets, and the pearl gold taps are a Belville throwback that has reared up again in Friends, along with a guest appearance in 10229: Winter Village Cottage. The printed medium azure 1x1 round brick has only been seen in Friends sets, but then it is very much a Friends piece, and the printed cash register piece, despite being reminiscent of Fabuland, is also an exclusively Friends piece. We get another new Friend with this set, in the form of Joanna, who has a pretty patterned orange vest and magenta shorts, neither of which have been seen before, and thus they provide new outfit choices for Andrea and also Ella, Nicole, Sarah, Chloe and Kate. Emma has a new top in tasteful dark blue with pale pink and lilac flowers printed on it, and also has a printed necklace, too. The bright pink layered skirt has been seen before on Olivia in 3937: Olivia’s Speedboat, and on Sophie in 3188: Heartlake Vet so it’s the least exciting clothing part here. The poodle has sweet printed eyes, which are oddly blue (I didn’t think dogs had blue eyes). Its collar is pink with a little bone tag hanging from it, which is a cute little detail. It’s a very sweet-looking poodle, but it looks wily, like it knows something you don’t. Anyway, it’s also a very accurate representation of a poodle in LEGO form, which is what matters. Emma’s hair is… Emma’s hair; the hairstyle she usually wears, but Joanna has a brand new hair mould, and her hair is braided into plaits. Why haven’t we seen plaits in LEGO before now? I dunno, but surely now the mould is out there we’ll begin to see more of it. I really like this new mould, I think it looks great, and a new female hairpiece is always welcome. The back of the poodle lacks printing, which is probably for the best, really. The Build Now I think this is an interesting picture. This is here to illustrate just how far you get in the building process before you start adding any pink whatsoever. You’ve pretty much got the shop built, and some of the structure inside, and I think this really shows that actually the ‘pinkness’ of these sets is quite superficial. You could easily switch out the 8x16 and 16x16 bright light blue plate for some light bley ones to make a bland and non-girly basis for a shop if you wanted to. Round the back, you can see that there’s already quite a few bits and pieces placed inside the shop, as I mentioned, so it’s not as if you’ve only put up a few trans clear windows and then everything goes pink. And even from this point onwards, there’s still not that much pink or lavender. So when you do add all the other pieces (including the pink) this is what you create. You’ll notice I’ve even applied the stickers , which is something I very rarely do, but they allow the set to make more sense. There are some extra small builds that sit outside the shop that make it more interactive. They’re each about the size of a polybag set, perhaps slightly smaller. Both of these extra little builds are quite fun, without being too challenging. They strike me as good things for younger hands to be doing while the main build is being built, to keep them occupied and out of trouble. On the left we have a stand to display bones and accessories for pets. The stickers suddenly make sense; they are the price tags, and characters can roleplay picking out what they'd like and buying the actual pieces, rather than a representation of them. It's also a handy place to put the gazillions of purple accessories. On the right is quite obviously a bath, and we have that because this is a grooming salon as well as a pet store. I like the use of the 1x1 round plates to signify the hot and cold sides of the mixer tap, and the bath is about the right height to get most of the small Friends animals into with a Friends minidoll standing next to the bath. It's a fun little build and, like the display stand, it adds to the play features. So should we talk about the roof now? It's quite an extravagant structure, and you've seen how the building looks without it. It's very curvy and 1950s, and rather pink too, as I'm sure you've noticed. It does mean that this shop fits in with the aesthetics of 3061: City Park Café, and thus makes the Friends range cohesive, but it seems like a rather large addition of pink stuff on top of the shop. It's an interesting build, and it allows display of the new sign part, which I really like, but it seems a little excessive for a small high street shop. Anyway, the lovely thing is that you can see right inside the shop at what's going on inside, and there are some nice details outside too (aside from the extra builds above). There's a pink water bowl for the wily poodle to drink from, some pretty (and mercifully not exclusively pink) flowers, and another structure outside the right hand side of the set, which might be a birdhouse. Here's a better view of the birdhouse outside the salon, well, I assume it's a birdhouse, because it looks like one. It certainly looks like something that would be found for sale outside a pet shop, so it's a logical addition. The large windows allow an easy view into the shop to see what's going on inside, and you can glimpse a brush and comb ready for use. Once we get round the back of the shop, we can see all the added features inside. Like the other Friends sets, attention has been paid to the interior, to make it interactive and fun. After all, this wouldn't be a shop if it didn't have stuff in it; it'd just be a brightly coloured building. We can look at the various additions inside. So on the other side of the window where the presumed birdhouse was, we have a beauty station for pets. The two white 1x2 jumper plates are attached to a turntable, so a pet may be applied and spun for easy grooming. There are holders for the brush and comb on the grooming stand (which you could see through the window from the front of the shop), and a hairdryer and grooming shears (represented here by the feather piece) handily attached to the wall. In the foreground you can see a container that is built in order to contain the accessories. I like the fact that the container is constructed, as it illustrates again how these sets aren't just a pile of large, '<insert that tiresome argument>' pieces, but are building sets on a par with any other LEGO set of the same size. Also towards the back of the shop there is a cash register, complete with pink drawer and money. I have no idea what the trans red cheese wedge represents; maybe it's the chip and pin machine? You may also be able to just make out the top of a carrot top that sits in the lime green basket nest to the cash register. Maybe this is for impulse purchases of greenery to feed your pet? Or maybe this is someone's current purchase waiting to be rung up at the till? Looking at the back of the shop from the other angle, you can see that while the previous side was devoted to grooming, this side is devoted to sales. The addition of the stickers to these parts make this section bright and colourful and interesting. There is also a better appreciation of how bright the designers have made this set through the copious addition of windows, and it's great to be able to see in from all angles. Zooming in so that we can see better, there are some nice products for the Friends to buy for their pets. There are bags of dry dog and cat food, tins of (presumably) pet food, and dog collars and cat toys for sale on the wall. The 2x2 stickered tiles attached to the yellow 3x2 modified plates really do look like items one may see for sale on a rack in shops, and small as it is, I find this feature endearing. The fact that the holes in the modified plates allow then to be attached to headlamp bricks in the wall means that these items are easily removable, and could even be used as parts to play in another set. So here is the full set in all its gloriousness. Those large windows are just great, and there's so much to see inside. Wily poodle is made even more deceivingly innocent with the addition of a bow, and you can see the additional builds together with the main building to appreciate their context. A hitherto unmentioned feature is the outside tap on the left wall, which is unnecessary with the presence of the bathtub, so it's a nice extra feature. The bath tub, when shown in scale with the poodle, now seems rather grand and luxurious. Lucky poodle. There are so many details to appreciate, and the only area that I'm not so keen on is the roof. As with any set, there's a small number of leftover pieces, mostly 1x1 round plates, but I certainly don't object to extra LEGO, and I quite like having the extra flower and bone pieces, for instance. Conclusion Design: 8/10 I think this shop looks great, especially with the double-fronted, curved, floor-length, trans clear window panes. Having the doorway between the two looks great, and is reminiscent of independent high street shops, especially in Europe. I showed you how far you can get without adding the pink, which is very superficial, and actually doesn't necessarily add to the aesthetics of the shop. The pink parts do, however, make this set fit in well with the rest of the Friends sets and Heartlake city, so I can understand their addition. Having the stickered pieces hanging from the wall is a great design feature to me, but there are plenty to appreciate. Parts: 9/10 The new sign! I love it, and I really hope to see more of it. That and the fact that there are a good number of parts here in a new colour for that part. As one might expect, there are a good number of accessories, and these have cropped up in a new colour this time. A few printed pieces and some other useful bits and bob, and a good number of those lovely curved windows, and this smallish set actually has a high proportion of interesting pieces. Minifigs: 8/10 Another new Friend in the form of Joanna, and she seems nice. She's come with interesting clothes and a great new hairpiece, but... she's not male. We cry and wail for more males in Heartlake, even as shopkeepers, but it seems the idea is that the Friends themselves are running all the businesses in Heartlake. Maybe we're seeing them at all these businesses collecting their 'protection' money? Anyway, I digress, two minidolls is the right number for this set, and while Emma will always be Emma, it's great to see her with a new torso. Build: 9/10 I may have been more subtle in my previous Friends reviews, so I will make some points again. The build for this set is in no way easier than the build for any other Town or CREATOR set of a similar size. The building is absolutely the same, and definitely not easier. This set, like all the other Friends sets, is not dumbed down because it's for girls. It's a fun build, and it has some interesting processes, and anyone who says the build looks easy may well be right, but it's not easier than any other LEGO set of the same size. I enjoyed it just as much as building 7346: Seaside House, which was a set almost twice the size, with three builds. Playability: 9/10 Well, there are lots of accessories for a start, and the whole set has bags of roleplay potential. Most kids love playing shop, and that's completely covered with the cash register, the money and the items for sale. Add to that the whole pet salon part, where animals can be bathed and groomed and accessorised, then there's tons of playability. There may not be moving parts or dynamic action, but there's still plenty to play with. Price: 8/10 I think that £29.99 is a very fair price for the parts and build experience in this set. The price evaluation is often the most subjective part of any review, and you can try to objectivise it by listing price per piece, but if you don't want the pieces then the price doesn't matter. I like this set a lot, and if I didn't already have one, I'd feel comfortable paying this price for it. Overall 85% A pet shop isn't very girly, heck we have a Modular version already, but a pet grooming salon may well be considered to be on the pinker end of the spectrum. The grooming salon aspect of this set is done fully, and having the pet shop aspect of the set helps tone the 'girliness' down somewhat. There are some great parts here, especially for Town builders, and a brand new Friend (even if she is female) along with her new hairpiece and Emma's new torso, and another ton of Friends accessories along with other removable features. The shop looks mostly great, although I have some reservations about the roof structure, but the windows are truly lovely, and there's tons of stuff to build and play with. With the advent of all the collectible Friends animals, sets that integrate animals more will also help integrate these small satellite sets. This is a charming little shop, and a really lovely addition to Heartlake City. "Ella, I don't care how much money you have, you are not going to be able to fit your horse in that bath!" Thank you for reading, comments are always very welcome. High-Res pictures can be found on my flickr account. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rriggs Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) Towards the back of the instruction booklet there’s the handy checklist for you to tick off your sets as you buy them, but there’s also a brand new illustration of Heartlake City. It doesn’t seem to be quite so obvious what the future releases might be, but maybe someone here will spot something? I'm looking forward to the release of the downtown skyscrapers in the background... Great review! Cheers Rog Edited January 14, 2013 by rriggs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leela Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) Another excellent review, I couldn't wait for more Friends reviews I was really excited to hear about Pet Salon, I always love more buildings, and I'm not disappointed. Pets are so important in the Heartlake City so a pet salon is a must. It's great that you've shown the shop before pinkification, it looks so good there, an excellent basis for any other shop not only in Heartlake but in Lego City as well. I'm not very fond of the roof either, it's the only thing that I'd change, I don't really like the shape or the color. It's also a little weird to see just one pet in a pet salon set, but on the other hand there are so many other animals in other sets that it's good we're given only one. I don't like poodles in real life so once I get the set I'd rather keep turtles and squirrels in the bath tub I think the playability of the set is wonderful, I agree that most kids love playing shop, I love it too and I want to see more Friends shops in the future. I love the inside of the shop, I should be used to all the lovely details in Friends sets by now but I'm always pleasantly surprised by all the accessories. Joanna, thanks to her hairdo (I love plaits!) and outfit moves to the top of my fave Freinds characters, she's so cute. And that comic strip in the booklet is so adorable. Thanks for beautful pics and making me even more impatient to get this set. Edited January 14, 2013 by Leela Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daisy Posted January 15, 2013 Thank you so much for the review, that's a lot of work. I have been looking forward to your review of this set. My girls saw me reading it and insisted I read it outloud to them. I agree that the pink roof is a little odd. But I love the pet turntable play feature. I am sure we will be getting this set in April when some birthdays come around . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lightningtiger Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks 'Pandora' for the AWESOME review of a really cute set......I must buy one for my wife.....she loves pets and watches so many animal/pet rescue/vet shows on Animal Planet it's not funny ! You know what's real funny that shop design reminds me a little of something like someone's Target store ? I wonder when these hit Oz shores ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pellaeon Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks Pandora, great review and excellent photos! I have a few questions about Joanna's hair: Is the the typical rubber for Friends hair, and does it have the holes for bows? It looks like rubber, but I don't see the holes. How does it look on a regular minifig--could you take a photo or two when you get a chance? The hair doesn't extend too far down on the head, so I'm hoping it will look okay. I'm thinking of using the hair for Catwoman, especially if I can shove a pair of goggles on top of the hair. Thanks again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lordofdragonss Posted January 15, 2013 This set + the new colectable pets = tons of great fun! It will be great addition to the Animal clinic too! Thanks for that adorable review! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks for the in-depth and entertaining review. As you clearly illustrate, the stripped-down set makes a great generic shop. The curved windows are great elements and they really make all the interior details stand out nicely, even when viewed from the outside. It's also great to see the old 'Fabuland sign' revived again in a slightly smaller System scale. I hope this will make it's way into more sets and themes (perhaps the Modular Buildings one day). I'm not sure how much I actually like the use of the light-aqua bricks, but I guess there would be too much white otherwise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CopMike Posted January 15, 2013 Great review Pandora! I like the set. Nice design, colors and overall feel. Great to see a Fabuland designed sign again - that will be usefull. And I'd guess the trans-red cheese slope should be the credit card reader? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redhead1982 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Thanks for a great review, Pandora! I was looking forward to see one for this set, as it's my favourite in the first wave of 2013 sets. I like it more for the new colours/parts than for the design itself. It's very reminiscent of the Park Cafe, but the rounded windows are still a fantastic feature. Including side windows is a nice touch. Parts-wise, the new sign is fantastic, and I already have in mind few ideas of how to use it in my future builds. As I don't have any Fabuland signs, this one is a must. It would be nice to see it in other colours as well (maybe pearl light grey or flat silver). The roof is a bit off, but I like the domes in purplemagenta colour. Overall, these Friends sets keep introducing interesting parts and are worth getting them for MOCing. Edited January 15, 2013 by Redhead1982 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gryphon Ink Posted January 15, 2013 Nice review, Pandora! I like this set, even though it's very similar to the City Park Cafe. I had never seen the Fabuland sign piece, and the new version is great to have. The poodle is one of the cutest Friends animals and looks like it will go with the standard Lego dog without seeming too out of place. And Joanna is wonderful! I love her top, and the new hair, but most importantly this is only the second dark-skinned minidoll face. It was quite disappointing when I got the Butterfly Beauty Shop and found that the "new" character was just Andrea with different hair. Now we can have some variety. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LegoMyMamma Posted January 15, 2013 So glad you did find the time for this review, Pandora! As is standard, your photos are great and review details enlightening. It's always nice you add that inter-action concept at the end which makes me look forward to MOCing with this set even more! Thanks. Doesn't Joanna's hair piece look similar to the new female Engineer in the Horizon Express set? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maya Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks for the review! I already have this set, and I still enjoyed your review thoroughly with lots of clear photos and interesting observations! I couldn't figure out what the feather piece was for until I read this review! And I had been thinking this set needed a grooming shears badly! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks for the review! This is actually the only set from the current Friends line I'm planning on getting - aside from those cutesy little pet packs, if I find any. I believe that the "miniature house" outside of the pet salon is actually supposed to be one of those climbing pedestals for cats, though. Doesn't Joanna's hair piece look similar to the new female Engineer in the Horizon Express set? That's the "Princess Tamina" hairpiece that first surfaced in the Prince of Persia theme. Contrary to what the review said, Joanna's hairpiece is actually the second LEGO hairpiece with a plait. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted January 15, 2013 Thank you for the review. I like looking at some of the Friends sets for useful pieces for me or for fun play sets for my little one. I agree that pink isn't overboard here, so it's funny how people can be up in arms about it. And the pink is quite easily modifiable here. I like the shape of the roof, although a magenta roof would be rare anywhere other than Heartlake City. I agree about that sign. I do like that new shape. I'm sure it will be usable in many MOCs for a lot of people. I'm still debating on if I need one for my city layout or not. And I've never heard the word plait before. I had to look it up to see that it meant braid. I thought it would have been a certain type of braid or something, but I guess just braid in general. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoxYourBlox Posted January 15, 2013 Great review and photos; I especially liked the pointers about new/rare elements! As for the set, I like the color palette enough to use it in a future MOC. The shape of the building is interesting, and I agree that Friends sets aren't simplistic. However, I recently chose City Pool (as ugly as it is--see "A" below) over Pet Salon for my daughter because of the content. After introducing soon-to-be classic sets like Olivia's House, City Cafe, and Olivia's Treehouse, Lego seems to have gotten itself into a rut with (A) tan-walled, magenta-roofed buildings and/or (B) pets & salons -- as is the case here. I'll pass until "Summer School." ;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pandora Posted January 15, 2013 I'm looking forward to the release of the downtown skyscrapers in the background... Haha, me too! Thanks Rog! It's also a little weird to see just one pet in a pet salon set, but on the other hand there are so many other animals in other sets that it's good we're given only one. I don't like poodles in real life so once I get the set I'd rather keep turtles and squirrels in the bath tub Thanks for beautful pics and making me even more impatient to get this set. Thanks Leela, and yes, I think I'll be putting a turtle in the bathtub too! Thank you so much for the review, that's a lot of work. I have been looking forward to your review of this set. My girls saw me reading it and insisted I read it outloud to them. I agree that the pink roof is a little odd. But I love the pet turntable play feature. I am sure we will be getting this set in April when some birthdays come around . Thank you Daisy, I hope your girls enjoyed it too (and I'm glad I behaved myself with my language!) Thanks 'Pandora' for the AWESOME review of a really cute set......I must buy one for my wife.....she loves pets and watches so many animal/pet rescue/vet shows on Animal Planet it's not funny ! You know what's real funny that shop design reminds me a little of something like someone's Target store ? I wonder when these hit Oz shores ? Thanks LT, I hope they make it to Aus soon so your wife can get one. Thanks Pandora, great review and excellent photos! I have a few questions about Joanna's hair: Is the the typical rubber for Friends hair, and does it have the holes for bows? It looks like rubber, but I don't see the holes. How does it look on a regular minifig--could you take a photo or two when you get a chance? The hair doesn't extend too far down on the head, so I'm hoping it will look okay. I'm thinking of using the hair for Catwoman, especially if I can shove a pair of goggles on top of the hair. Thanks again! Thanks Pellaeon; yes Joanna's hair is the typical rubber for Friends hair, and it has only one hole for an accessory, which is on the back, not the top, unfortunately. I've taken another picture to illustrate for you: This set + the new colectable pets = tons of great fun! It will be great addition to the Animal clinic too! Thanks for that adorable review! Thanks Lordofdragonss, there's a lot of animal related parts here that can be mixed and matched with other sets, yes. Thanks for the in-depth and entertaining review. As you clearly illustrate, the stripped-down set makes a great generic shop. The curved windows are great elements and they really make all the interior details stand out nicely, even when viewed from the outside. It's also great to see the old 'Fabuland sign' revived again in a slightly smaller System scale. I hope this will make it's way into more sets and themes (perhaps the Modular Buildings one day). I'm not sure how much I actually like the use of the light-aqua bricks, but I guess there would be too much white otherwise. Thanks Rick. I think the light aqua bricks look best when the set hasn't had any pink or magenta added. I think I might blame any pitfalls of this set on the magenta roof! Great review Pandora! I like the set. Nice design, colors and overall feel. Great to see a Fabuland designed sign again - that will be usefull. And I'd guess the trans-red cheese slope should be the credit card reader? Seeing the new mould for the sign was hugely exciting, I must say, and I just happened to have a Fabuland sign nearby for comparison! Thanks CopMike! Parts-wise, the new sign is fantastic, and I already have in mind few ideas of how to use it in my future builds. As I don't have any Fabuland signs, this one is a must. It would be nice to see it in other colours as well (maybe pearl light grey or flat silver). I agree, and I'm hoping that now they have a new mould, they'll produce lots in a variety of colours. Thanks Redhead1982! Nice review, Pandora! I like this set, even though it's very similar to the City Park Cafe. I had never seen the Fabuland sign piece, and the new version is great to have. The poodle is one of the cutest Friends animals and looks like it will go with the standard Lego dog without seeming too out of place. And Joanna is wonderful! I love her top, and the new hair, but most importantly this is only the second dark-skinned minidoll face. It was quite disappointing when I got the Butterfly Beauty Shop and found that the "new" character was just Andrea with different hair. Now we can have some variety. There are some similarities with the Café, yes, but this has less of a 1950s vibe to me. That, and it feels more European and less American, so mixing up the architecture of Heartlake City a little. The poodle is quite cute, but I still maintain it's up to no good! Thanks for your comments Gryphon Ink. So glad you did find the time for this review, Pandora! As is standard, your photos are great and review details enlightening. It's always nice you add that inter-action concept at the end which makes me look forward to MOCing with this set even more! Thanks. Doesn't Joanna's hair piece look similar to the new female Engineer in the Horizon Express set? Thanks for the compliments LegoMyMamma, does that mean there's a new MOC in the pipeline? And yes, Joanna's hairpiece does look similar, but more on that below (and I've taken pics too! ) Thanks for the review! I already have this set, and I still enjoyed your review thoroughly with lots of clear photos and interesting observations! I couldn't figure out what the feather piece was for until I read this review! And I had been thinking this set needed a grooming shears badly! That's so funny Maya, thank you for confessing that! (And I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who mistakes things ) Thanks for the review! This is actually the only set from the current Friends line I'm planning on getting - aside from those cutesy little pet packs, if I find any. I believe that the "miniature house" outside of the pet salon is actually supposed to be one of those climbing pedestals for cats, though. That's the "Princess Tamina" hairpiece that first surfaced in the Prince of Persia theme. Contrary to what the review said, Joanna's hairpiece is actually the second LEGO hairpiece with a plait. Thanks Sandy, smartypants. I also thought the build outside might be one of those cat climby-things, but the holes of the technic bricks made me think birdhouse. And yes, you're right, this isn't the first plait (I remembered when I saw LegoMyMamma's comment) so here are some bonus pics for comparison: The 2010 hair looks pretty on Joanna, I think, but the Friends hair makes our Town girl look much older than before. Thank you for the review. I like looking at some of the Friends sets for useful pieces for me or for fun play sets for my little one. I agree that pink isn't overboard here, so it's funny how people can be up in arms about it. And the pink is quite easily modifiable here. I like the shape of the roof, although a magenta roof would be rare anywhere other than Heartlake City. I agree about that sign. I do like that new shape. I'm sure it will be usable in many MOCs for a lot of people. I'm still debating on if I need one for my city layout or not. And I've never heard the word plait before. I had to look it up to see that it meant braid. I thought it would have been a certain type of braid or something, but I guess just braid in general. Thanks TheLegoDr, I do think there are lots of useful pieces here, especially the sign, and yes, as you've already gathered 'plait' is the British version of 'braid'. Great review and photos; I especially liked the pointers about new/rare elements! As for the set, I like the color palette enough to use it in a future MOC. The shape of the building is interesting, and I agree that Friends sets aren't simplistic. However, I recently chose City Pool (as ugly as it is--see "A" below) over Pet Salon for my daughter because of the content. After introducing soon-to-be classic sets like Olivia's House, City Cafe, and Olivia's Treehouse, Lego seems to have gotten itself into a rut with (A) tan-walled, magenta-roofed buildings and/or (B) pets & salons -- as is the case here. I'll pass until "Summer School." ;) Thank you RoxYourBlox, I agree the shape of the building is one of my favourite features of the set, and the colour palette is unusual compared to some of the others. I too would like more than tan-walled magenta-roofed buildings, but as you mentioned, there's more to come in the summer wave. Addendum: I forgot to add a poll (silly me ) so please do add your votes at the top! Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kristel Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks, Pandora, for the awesome review. We have this set and its been an absolute hit with my daughter for playability. I agree that this is a great set all round, with just the design of the roof stopping it from being an outstanding set. Having said that, those magenta arches are going to make a nice awning in a modular building one day! I wonder when these hit Oz shores ? They were on the shelves at Myer in the first week of January ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferrik Posted January 15, 2013 Excellent review, Pandora! This set looks really nice with the glass front and the interesting roof. There are lots of great accesories in this set, like the brushes. This is a oustanding Friends set. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A Plastic Infinity Posted January 16, 2013 I will need to get this one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mechanic Posted January 16, 2013 (edited) Great rewiew! I like it! Good set. Edited January 16, 2013 by Mechanic Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jedikermit Posted January 16, 2013 You're almost convincing me to buy some of these... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
