Bricklinking Modular Buildings

[Boettner Builds]

I think the GE would look pretty good with black windows to keep it on the cheap(ish).

[ezaida18]

Thanks for the tip. Any other parts that could due with a color replacement for GE? :P

[Poisso3]

I have reached the point where I need to order more bricks to finish the building. I'm thinking of expanding the store since I have removed the fire excape.

2016-03-09 07.24.11

2016-03-09 07.36.05 by Poisso3, on Flickr

[74bwilliam]

Are the masonry bricks just a 1:1 replacement of the 1x2 w/ groove? I've only got an incomplete GG set, not enough parts to try to build it yet. I'm thinking I'll order a bunch of them to build it out.

For my build, not exactly, as I wanted the brick profile aligned throughout the front, and wanted the windows outlined by 1x1 bricks. This meant moving bricks from their official locations. I ended up needing a few more beyond a 1x1 substitution.

[Chubbs]

For my build, not exactly, as I wanted the brick profile aligned throughout the front, and wanted the windows outlined by 1x1 bricks. This meant moving bricks from their official locations. I ended up needing a few more beyond a 1x1 substitution.

Do you have a picture of that? Sounds really good and sharp!

I think the GE would look pretty good with black windows to keep it on the cheap(ish).

Black is usually the easiest to substitute in...just want to make sure it would look okay with the other colours used in the set....or would the black windows require more colour substitutions.

[TheLegoDr]

Considering the awnings are also dark green you might want to change those, but dark green really stands out in that set. It makes the set, in my opinion. Black might work, I've never thought of that for that building. I do have a different tan building with black widow project going and it should look decent.

[Chubbs]

Considering the awnings are also dark green you might want to change those, but dark green really stands out in that set. It makes the set, in my opinion. Black might work, I've never thought of that for that building. I do have a different tan building with black widow project going and it should look decent.

I agree that the dark green really stands out and makes the set...reddish brown might work for the windows instead of black and then the dark green awnings could stay. No?

[BlockLogo]

This is so frustrating. I'm down to less than 50 bricks needed for the GG, split over 9 lots, and it looks like I will need at least 5 orders to fill them without overpaying or paying expensive shipping. They're mostly rarer parts like the white and blue arches, the inverted slopes for the curtains, the chalices, the printed viking tiles, window panes...

I was already itching to start on the CC after I was done, but these last orders for the GG are pissing me off. I might not bricklink another official modular after this.

[Sven F]

Why did you leave all the hard to get pieces last? I noticed many people do this.

I always obtain the rarest and most expensive first and then the rest is easy. This way I don't get stuck with a half finished project. You can always get light bluish grey bricks, they are in hundreds of sets so very little chance for them to become expensive or rarer. While certain parts can double in price within a very short time period.

Brickficiency is good for telling you what is rarest.

Of course you run the risk of paying top dollar for parts that get re-released in the meantime, but chances for this are far less than them becoming more expensive. It might be worth waiting a month or two if you want to start collecting near the end of the year just to see if any elements come back in sets for the upcoming year.

[BlockLogo]

I didn't save them for the end, it just happened that way. I started with the sand green and added whatever else I needed that that seller had available. My first 3 or 4 orders were pretty big because of that, and I was able to start actually building pretty soon, which I liked. Then I just placed orders when I was stuck because I was missing the parts for what I needed to keep building, plus anything else the seller had available.

This is my first go at bricklinking a large official set, so it might not be the most efficient way...

[Chubbs]

This is my first go at bricklinking a large official set, so it might not be the most efficient way...

Don't give up yet - mistakes get made and you learn from them the next time you BL a set.

[BlockLogo]

Just one GG order to go, For the expensive inverted dark red slopes for the curtains...

[Poisso3]

I have finally gotten to the point that I will need more bricks than I already have.

I also need to create the interior for the ground and 1st floors.

edited_1458228554601 by Poisso3, on Flickr

[goldengraham09]

I Bricklinked the Town hall, Im just about getting the last parts hopefully next week delivered.

As this was my first time ordering everything off of bricklink, i think i will leave a project like this for a while, concentrate on some custom things first and then properly organise a way to order things more efficiently.

the time i would go from the most expensive plus the highest qty first then work my way down and get all the lower things last.

i also changed the colour of my town hall so i saved a little bit more.

i think the next project in time would be either Green Grocer or Market Square after i have bought all the other modulars that are in stores. some saving to do for the next 4-5 months for me haha.

[Wodanis]

According to Lego Customer Service, there is no limit on the number of lots/elements you can order, but there is a 200 piece limit per lot/element (if you require more than 200 there is a form for a bulk order that needs to be filled out prior to the order). However it seems that people on here have been only able to order a total of 80 lots...I'm not sure if that's a browser/website issue or what exactly.

There is an upward threshold that orders containing more than 80 different types of parts the system would kick it out. I think the problem has been addressed though with TLG. A shortcut that was mentioned is true, to email the list of parts you want for an estimate and can make purchase without the system giving issues. TLG recently made changes to who and how much one can order through bulk. There is no price discount for purchasing in bulk unless you belong to an LUG and they do a bulk order as part of the LEGO Bulk programme.

[BlockLogo]

The instructions that are available online for modulars are pretty impossible to read for a colorblind fellow like me...

[Aegis1984]

The instructions that are available online for modulars are pretty impossible to read for a colorblind fellow like me...

I'll agree with you there. When I BL'd my Cafe Corner, I tried printing the PDF and that was just a waste of ink! I had to up the brightness on my monitor because the brown bricks blended in with the black and the bley too much, and one couldn't differentiate between the bricks as it looked like a gob of black on paper... And I have good eyesight!

[BlockLogo]

All right, my Green Grocer is done. Pretty happy with it overall, and with the substitutions I made, like masonry instead of grooved bricks, and 1x4 and 1x2 sand green bricks instead of 1x8s, to name a few. I'd like to flesh out the interior a little, maybe move TBBT in there, or expand one of the seasonal vignettes to go inside, and maybe update the store part with printed milk and OJ pieces and such, and adding some more little builds inspired by the Quick E Mart set, but those will be tiny side projects.

Not sure what to do next, but it needs to be a smaller/cheaper project than the Green Grocer. I'll wait on the Cafe Corner, but might start getting a few lots of essential parts along with orders for my next project.

I'm thinking Market Street, but just the one half with the actual residence, maybe with an extra floor. I really like the look of the building and it might be a good blueprint for more residential buildings in the same style but different colors.

I'm also considering Emmet's apartment from the Assembling Bricksburg thread, since it's larger than the Town Hall but might come out cheaper for me, or just extra floors for the Green Grocer and for the townhouses from the Pet Shop set, or a different color townhouse. I feel like MOC-ing something but have a lot to learn still, so I'm trying to modify some stuff I already have. Thoughts?

Edited March 29, 2016 by BlockLogo

[Chubbs]

Has anyone done the Townhouse in alternate colours? Blue? Pink? Purple? And have pictures of said build?

[BlockLogo]

There are some in alternate colors in the assembling bricksburg thread, yes.

[Sven F]

I'm finally done with the Grocer. subbed 1x8's for 1x4's and grooves for masonry.

If grooves ever make a comeback, i'll replace them.

If you are using masonry bricks, and you don't want a ghastly 1-brick wide untextured gap on the left end, you will have to modify the build slightly and use 57 of the 1x2 masonry bricks for the fascade, versus the 48 or so used with the grooves.

[BlockLogo]

If you are using masonry bricks, and you don't want a ghastly 1-brick wide untextured gap on the left end, you will have to modify the build slightly and use 57 of the 1x2 masonry bricks for the fascade, versus the 48 or so used with the grooves.

I have dat gap on the left end. I'll have to fix it. I hope I have enough masonry brick left over. How exactly did you do that? I don't have the build in front of me, so I can look at now. Maybe it will be pretty obvious...

Also, I substituted the blue arches for the awning for medium blue. Seemed silly to pay $2 for those, even if the blue looks a little better...

[Bizmarck]

Hello All,

I just finished the interior and got the food for the outside so I thought I would post a few more picks here of the finished product.

Here it is in overall, think it fits in quite nicely with the other buildings and you can see what it looks like with all the food in place etc.

Here we have the first floor

Here is the the second floor, note no walls for the bathroom as I wanted better access to play for my son, who dose not care about walls in any case ^^

And there you go, very happy the way it came out, worth the effort to get in my view.

[muffluvin]

Need your opinions. I am planning to build Cafe Corner, will be trying to use the bricks in my bulk lot which are mostly in the shades of gray.

Which facade is better?

This one uses a lot of the "gold bullion" from the Brick Bank.

This one uses the "BRICK" bricks.

I am not the creative type, just good at following instructions. So please forgive the lack of pizazz on these.

[Boettner Builds]

I like it with the "gold bullion". It gives the wall more depth. I do love me some "brick" bricks, but the added depth looks better, at least to me :)