Lego 10182 Cafe Corner--New Build Review!

[VintageLegoEra]

HI All,,,,,

Looks like i am totally enjoying my return back from Dark ages.....This is my first experience build with these Modular...They are total of nine and this is my Number 1 build ( rest are coming soon) :)....

Ohhh Man!!,,what a nice Modular, everything is great and............lets stop talking and go through the set :)

Here is the Set:

Note:

-When Opened The Sealed Box, Noticed i Bag Number 3 was completely cracked and the bricks were scattered in the box.

-Some of the poly sealed bags were having a small cut/crack.

- I inspected them carefully and no chance they were opened by anyone. It could be due to storage and age?

G. Floor: ( Sealed Bags 1 ):

2nd Floor: ( Sealed Bags 2 )

So Far a great fun building this, only had little difficulties with color ( Dark Red and Reddish Brown )...since i have colorblindness...heheheh....but with help of the wife,,things are managed..:)

Important Remark:

Well, i Noticed a confusing thing and i don't know whether it is true or wrong. This modular has white bricks , Well i noticed in only the white tiles 1x1 they are not purely white and they are off-white in color. The set was sealed and so do the poly bags so i dont think it was exchanged with other parts. The rest white parts are indeed white. Strange is onlt these 1x1 tiles having little different color.....AnyOne has same issue? please i need to know?

Thanks For watching and stay tune for the last part!

Regards

[Kayaderosseras]

Very interesting -- you don't see too many Café Corner reviews these days.

(Also interesting is how the browser automatically adds the accent over the e in café.)

[caoth]

Wow, the 1st modular set nowsaday. It costs no less than 2000$ on eBay or Amazon. What a hardcore player :)

[weeble1688]

If your set had been previously built/displayed and then repacked/sold to you, I would expect there to be some discoloration from UV light reacting to the flame retardant that LEGO elements include in their chemical makeup. Different pieces can and do react differently to the same level of UV light, which in my personal opinion means they were not all made with precisely the same level of flame retardant. I believe this is why my Classic Space blue 1x4 bricks are "sunburnt" more than other blue bricks right next to them on the same model and having the same amount of UV exposure.

However, since your bags appear to be factory-sealed, I would infer that not only is it the slight difference in flame retardant in the plastic in your white 1x1 tiles but the previous storage conditions of the entire boxed set. I know of another person for whom this occurs - even with factory-sealed packages from LEGO, his white elements are "sunburning" in their packaging in storage. He does not have sunlight in his build area (basement), and has had it checked for radon and other pollutants (as a safety measure for his family before his bricks, I'm sure). He has spoken to LEGO about it when ordering replacement parts, but has yet to receive a satisfactory answer.

If I were you, I would call LEGO and reqest replacement white 1x1 tiles and explain the circumstances as best you know them. Maybe hearing from more people who have had similar experiences will cause TLG to further investigate the possible root of these occurances. In any case, I would expect that they would replace your discolored tiles.

I hope this long post helps you and any others in your situation. By the way, happy building - it's a wonderful classic set!

[VintageLegoEra]

If your set had been previously built/displayed and then repacked/sold to you, I would expect there to be some discoloration from UV light reacting to the flame retardant that LEGO elements include in their chemical makeup. Different pieces can and do react differently to the same level of UV light, which in my personal opinion means they were not all made with precisely the same level of flame retardant. I believe this is why my Classic Space blue 1x4 bricks are "sunburnt" more than other blue bricks right next to them on the same model and having the same amount of UV exposure.

However, since your bags appear to be factory-sealed, I would infer that not only is it the slight difference in flame retardant in the plastic in your white 1x1 tiles but the previous storage conditions of the entire boxed set. I know of another person for whom this occurs - even with factory-sealed packages from LEGO, his white elements are "sunburning" in their packaging in storage. He does not have sunlight in his build area (basement), and has had it checked for radon and other pollutants (as a safety measure for his family before his bricks, I'm sure). He has spoken to LEGO about it when ordering replacement parts, but has yet to receive a satisfactory answer.

If I were you, I would call LEGO and reqest replacement white 1x1 tiles and explain the circumstances as best you know them. Maybe hearing from more people who have had similar experiences will cause TLG to further investigate the possible root of these occurances. In any case, I would expect that they would replace your discolored tiles.

I hope this long post helps you and any others in your situation. By the way, happy building - it's a wonderful classic set!

Thank you so much for this comprehensive answer. Surely I will do that.

But does this mean all the sets (NIB) from back then will suffer the same issue? Amd is there a proper technique in how to prevent this from happening?

Oh yea..I am enjoying every bit of it..:-)..I have a long journey with these modulars. .;-)

Also, i dont know how LEGO will respond to a set which has been made in 2007!..r they going to be on my side after i explain to them? or just they will say: it has been 7 years for this set???

Edited July 13, 2014 by VintageLegoEra

[Strelki]

There's nothing inside You should buy extra furniture

[cgarison]

Nice review of this set. I might build a model like it, but I don't think I will purchase a set considering the price of this model.

Thank you so much for this comprehensive answer. Surely I will do that.

But does this mean all the sets (NIB) from back then will suffer the same issue? And is there a proper technique in how to prevent this from happening?

First off, there are two distinct variations of the "white" color that is currently produced by TLG. In the case of most of the parts that I have are either one of these two shades of white or they show some aging which means the bricks begin to develop a light tan hue from the fire retardant in the plastic. In the case of your tiles, the 1X1 tiles could have come from a lot that had a different shade than the rest of the tiles which could explain the color variation. Yellow also has this variation of color as well in which we have two distinct shades for every part that is produced.

But.....

The guy mentioned above with all the white parts that have discolored in his basement came from the 2007 era of white. I also noticed that many of my 2007 era white pieces are more prone to this discoloration than the pieces that I had when I was little (35 years ago.) I think this has something to do with the new formula for white that came about in 2004 and the company has been working to correct any issues in the formula that took place over the last few years. If the discoloration of those tiles is that noticeable, then I would contact Lego and see what they can do to remedy the situation. In the case of the guy with the white brick in the basement that yellowed, the conditions in his house were darn near perfect for Lego storage so their is no explanation as to why this happened. I know he has talked to numerous Lego representative about the situation and they have failed to provide an explanation as to why this has occurred. OTOH, Lego also sent our sister clubs a box of LUG support "Play Brick" with magenta 1X2 45 degree slopes that had turned "pinkish tan" due to the heat of the florescent tubes in on a stores "Pick A Brick" wall. So heat is a definite factor in the discoloration of Lego parts, but for white that was made 6-8 years ago, these pieces can discolor without the influence of heat or UV light.

As far as "discoloration"

FWIW... I have a great deal of those discolored white bricks from the AFOL's basement and I plan to use them as the main building component in a project that I am planning. Hopefully those bricks will provide the perfect basis for me to build a MOC that looks like many of the rundown buildings in my local area. So there is a way to use brick that does not look perfect. You just need to build a project around the concept of discolored brick.

Best of luck with your issue on the tiles and I hope they are only the natural discoloration from the molding process and not the blighted bricks we have seen from circa 2007.

[Off the wall]

Thanks for the review. I plan on splurging within the next 60 days and buying one of these NIB. So, your review is very helpful. I've only been into Lego for about two years. However, I've collected Art Deco and machine age design objects that go back to the 30s and 40s. Many of them are plastic. And, collecting plastic has its hazards. The colors (especially catalin and to some degree plaskon) change through the years. UV, flame retardant chemicals, seems like there are several reasons for color changes. The older plastic from the thirties can be very thick and I've seen it crack just sitting on a shelf. I guess my experience over the past thirty years in collecting plastic items makes me a little less sensitive to coloration changes and differences. Of course if I bought a new set and there were color variations, I think I might bring it to TLGs attention. When I buy a CC that's been stored under unknown conditions for seven years, I'll probably be a little more understanding than I would be otherwise. Sort of caveat emptor on a set that old. Hopefully, it hasn't been shaken, dropped or stored in temperature extremes.

Again, thanks for the review.

[VintageLegoEra]

There's nothing inside You should buy extra furniture

how told you i didnr!! ;)

already bought parts necessary for the furniture before building this set...be patient and you will see it on time :)

Nice review of this set. I might build a model like it, but I don't think I will purchase a set considering the price of this model.

First off, there are two distinct variations of the "white" color that is currently produced by TLG. In the case of most of the parts that I have are either one of these two shades of white or they show some aging which means the bricks begin to develop a light tan hue from the fire retardant in the plastic. In the case of your tiles, the 1X1 tiles could have come from a lot that had a different shade than the rest of the tiles which could explain the color variation. Yellow also has this variation of color as well in which we have two distinct shades for every part that is produced.

But.....

The guy mentioned above with all the white parts that have discolored in his basement came from the 2007 era of white. I also noticed that many of my 2007 era white pieces are more prone to this discoloration than the pieces that I had when I was little (35 years ago.) I think this has something to do with the new formula for white that came about in 2004 and the company has been working to correct any issues in the formula that took place over the last few years. If the discoloration of those tiles is that noticeable, then I would contact Lego and see what they can do to remedy the situation. In the case of the guy with the white brick in the basement that yellowed, the conditions in his house were darn near perfect for Lego storage so their is no explanation as to why this happened. I know he has talked to numerous Lego representative about the situation and they have failed to provide an explanation as to why this has occurred. OTOH, Lego also sent our sister clubs a box of LUG support "Play Brick" with magenta 1X2 45 degree slopes that had turned "pinkish tan" due to the heat of the florescent tubes in on a stores "Pick A Brick" wall. So heat is a definite factor in the discoloration of Lego parts, but for white that was made 6-8 years ago, these pieces can discolor without the influence of heat or UV light.

As far as "discoloration"

FWIW... I have a great deal of those discolored white bricks from the AFOL's basement and I plan to use them as the main building component in a project that I am planning. Hopefully those bricks will provide the perfect basis for me to build a MOC that looks like many of the rundown buildings in my local area. So there is a way to use brick that does not look perfect. You just need to build a project around the concept of discolored brick.

Best of luck with your issue on the tiles and I hope they are only the natural discoloration from the molding process and not the blighted bricks we have seen from circa 2007.

Indeed as you said,,,the discolor is tilting to tan color,,not yellow and as i can see it is not due to some environment factors...so i believe it is the molding process container.

Also i have contacted LEGO about this and explained them the issue..

i have ordered some white tiles from BL and lets see how they will look like!

Edited July 13, 2014 by VintageLegoEra

[VintageLegoEra]

Thanks for the review. I plan on splurging within the next 60 days and buying one of these NIB. So, your review is very helpful. I've only been into Lego for about two years. However, I've collected Art Deco and machine age design objects that go back to the 30s and 40s. Many of them are plastic. And, collecting plastic has its hazards. The colors (especially catalin and to some degree plaskon) change through the years. UV, flame retardant chemicals, seems like there are several reasons for color changes. The older plastic from the thirties can be very thick and I've seen it crack just sitting on a shelf. I guess my experience over the past thirty years in collecting plastic items makes me a little less sensitive to coloration changes and differences. Of course if I bought a new set and there were color variations, I think I might bring it to TLGs attention. When I buy a CC that's been stored under unknown conditions for seven years, I'll probably be a little more understanding than I would be otherwise. Sort of caveat emptor on a set that old. Hopefully, it hasn't been shaken, dropped or stored in temperature extremes.

Again, thanks for the review.

True,,,and as for the set 7 years old with these little off-white color,, i am not that frustrated :)...if you look very close then you see difference,,otherwise it is fine....and i think it is normally the bricks goes out-of-color due to age...The set i have is really excellent. No cracks, damages and shakes or loose parts...only these type of color shades.

I am very sure now, there are 2 versions of these molds from Lego,,,

Edited July 13, 2014 by VintageLegoEra

[VintageLegoEra]

I have just completed the set....( indeed a great set! ) :)

Well, also i saw these off-white in the following parts as well:

- tiles 1x2 white

- Window Frame ( 4 are having these off-white and one is white )

- Some 1x2 Plate white

So i guess it is indeed a production variation otherwise they all should be off-white

[cgarison]

So i guess it is indeed a production variation otherwise they all should be off-white

Actually, Lego has different formulations for different pieces that they mold. Some pieces may be a bit "harder" than others depending on the shape. But it does not look like this is your issue as you have a couple of shade of the 1X2 plate and two shades of window frames. So I think this is indeed the natural variation in the parts that are molded.

If you have a nearby Lego store, check out the white pieces in a bin on the Pick-A-Brick wall. In the case of some 1X3 bricks that I bought in February of this year, their were two distinct shades of white of which I would call one a warmer, "tan" hue and the other a cooler, blueish hue. When building MOCs with a lot of white tiles and plates that are in conspicuous locations, I often have to sort through a large number of pieces just to get the ones that look like they should be close together on the piece that I am building. I have even redesigned sections of my MOC to hide off shades of white or have decided to go with other colors to separate out the differences in the shades.

Best of luck with getting the shades that you need from BL.

[VintageLegoEra]

Actually, Lego has different formulations for different pieces that they mold. Some pieces may be a bit "harder" than others depending on the shape. But it does not look like this is your issue as you have a couple of shade of the 1X2 plate and two shades of window frames. So I think this is indeed the natural variation in the parts that are molded.

If you have a nearby Lego store, check out the white pieces in a bin on the Pick-A-Brick wall. In the case of some 1X3 bricks that I bought in February of this year, their were two distinct shades of white of which I would call one a warmer, "tan" hue and the other a cooler, blueish hue. When building MOCs with a lot of white tiles and plates that are in conspicuous locations, I often have to sort through a large number of pieces just to get the ones that look like they should be close together on the piece that I am building. I have even redesigned sections of my MOC to hide off shades of white or have decided to go with other colors to separate out the differences in the shades.

Best of luck with getting the shades that you need from BL.

unfortunately, we dont have a LEGO Store...we have Toys R Us and they donr offer the Pick-A-Brick method.....

I am counting now on the parts ordered from BL,,,i bought new parts so if they do appear to be same, then it is a molding feature.....

Well, i did some search in net and i saw a set which has same color shades i have. I even went close on these photos and they just look same as mine. So LEGO did make these and it is not a result of heat/humidity otherwise all must have same color shade as i mentioned.

in this case, as u said, i need to find the exact sade that goes into my rest bricks/plates..

Thanks for the info.!

Regards

[Faefrost]

There is no perfect way to store Lego. The color change, particularly in white parts come from the flame retardants used in the plastic. Mostly Bromides of some type. The exact flame retardants used and the specific mixes change and evolve all of the time. In part because the underlying government regulations change. So different batches of plastic may have different mixes. But Lego does not differentiate by batch when they store parts in the warehouse. Parts of the same type all get mixed together. So color changes over time may occur differently even among the same parts in the same sets.

This is not unique to Lego. That "nicotine yellowing" that vintage computers and console video games get is the same thing. The Fire Retardant changes color within the plastic. Exposure to heat and UV light will speed this or make it worse, but nothing will stop it. Not even leaving a set sealed in its factory packaging.

[Off the wall]

There is no perfect way to store Lego. The color change, particularly in white parts come from the flame retardants used in the plastic.

Right you are. Imagine buying a 1930s catalin Art Deco radio in perfect condition. Several thousand dollars. You look at it one day and it's developed a hairline crack. No one touched it. Just part of the 'fun' of collecting plastic. All sorts of stuff can happen over time. Some of it can be mitigated, some of it is just plastic being plastic and you have to live with it.

[VintageLegoEra]

True u r all correct. It is my first time to know LEGO makes different molds results in different heat resistance parts. Glad to know this info. so I dont consider it a fault when buying anan old set and noticed the same!

[cgarison]

My biggest warning is to be very, very careful when trying to undo the yellowing by using one of the many "Retro Bright" formulas on the web. As each color of Lego as well as each part has a specific formula to generate the brick that has the best "play-ability," then you must also take into account that the results will vary by every piece that you try the formula to undo the plastic aging process. In the case of the white that has been produced since the new formula of ABS was introduced about 10 years ago, Retro Bright will trigger a nice "bloom" which turns your white brick into a very tan, antique white color. Also, RetroBright will affect the clutch factor on your bricks and make them harder to separate from one another.

[VintageLegoEra]

My biggest warning is to be very, very careful when trying to undo the yellowing by using one of the many "Retro Bright" formulas on the web. As each color of Lego as well as each part has a specific formula to generate the brick that has the best "play-ability," then you must also take into account that the results will vary by every piece that you try the formula to undo the plastic aging process. In the case of the white that has been produced since the new formula of ABS was introduced about 10 years ago, Retro Bright will trigger a nice "bloom" which turns your white brick into a very tan, antique white color. Also, RetroBright will affect the clutch factor on your bricks and make them harder to separate from one another.

Indeed...great tip...appreciated

[antp]

OTOH, Lego also sent our sister clubs a box of LUG support "Play Brick" with magenta 1X2 45 degree slopes that had turned "pinkish tan" due to the heat of the florescent tubes in on a stores "Pick A Brick" wall.

Was it really due to heat? Not a production problem?

In the Lego Store of Paris/Levallois in January 2013 there were such 1x2 magenta slopes available in the pick-a-brick wall. Many were quite discolored (turning to tan), but not all. When picking a few of these I tried to take only those that were still close to the original magenta. I thought back then that it was just a bad production lot, like they sometimes have color problems, and that they had put that lot in the pick-a-brick because it wasn't really useable for retail sets.

Edited July 14, 2014 by antp

[VintageLegoEra]

Back to the build,,,:)

Here is the 1s Floor attached to G. Floor:

Wow, the 1st modular set nowsaday. It costs no less than 2000$ on eBay or Amazon. What a hardcore player :)

It is always great to build these rather than throwing them in store ;)

2nd Floor ( 3rd Foor, what ever you call it )

And there it is! ( i didnt take the progress photos of this floor as i forget..lool )

-And Now coming to the Furniture ;)...Since this is a classic Hotel , i did a classic furniture as close as i can:

G. Floor:

1st Floor:

2nd Floor:

The Roof:

I Hope you enjoyed the Review and looking forward for your comments and suggestions especially for the furnitures cos this is my frst time i make a furnitures and install them in a modular.

And yeaa....stay tuned for next project

:)

FIN!

Edited July 14, 2014 by VintageLegoEra

[cgarison]

Nice furniture addition. Great review of the set.

[VintageLegoEra]

If you focus on the tile at the top of the Hotel tall sign, you will see how it is off-white...this is what i am taking about...

Nice furniture addition. Great review of the set.

Thanks Mate!...:)

[Off the wall]

Nice job. Thanks.

I bought one of these used. When I get the new one, I'm going to try and utilize the 8 x 8 empty area on the corner. Maybe change the stairs. Replace with a TH type elevator? Something to square up the back corner of the building.

[VintageLegoEra]

Nice job. Thanks.

I bought one of these used. When I get the new one, I'm going to try and utilize the 8 x 8 empty area on the corner. Maybe change the stairs. Replace with a TH type elevator? Something to square up the back corner of the building.

Thanks Mate!....this will be indeed a nice change....:)

[TheLegoDr]

Thanks for the review. Interesting seeing it fresh.

The set itself is iconic, but it is far from my favorite Modular. I never understood the color scheme. Red-brown with dark red and tan and dark blue? Very odd.

I think the furniture makes a nice addition to it all. That piano especially is neat.

So am I understanding the painter on the roof will be painting the building blue?? Bold choice.

As stated, older white pieces do change color at times. I tried the peroxide technique people have mentioned on some old Blacktron II torsos I bought used on ebay. They are sparkly white now, so that was really neat seeing the change. I left them out in the sunlight for about 8 hours one day, and 8 the next day, then rinsed them and dried them. Maybe that will work with these pieces too?