jonwil

I am liking the advent calendar. I can finally get an Infinity Gauntlet and all the stones as well as those energy effect pieces in trans-blue (which I can always use more of for various things) plus the fig selection isn't that bad (Iron Man ugly sweater is cool for example)

A tavern won't happen for obvious reasons.

These look good, I will be picking a few up for sure (even though I don't have Disney Plus and have never seen any of the TV shows they go to).

Pics of the S2 Band Mates are on brickset.com.

Currently building this set and I like it. Is this the first time LEGO has ever included something representing a computer mouse in a set?

Cheers will never happen for obvious reasons.

Checking the instructions online it looks like I have all the parts for the drum kit on the pirate ship including the HP wands being used as drum sticks. And checking Bricklink it looks like I own all the guitars in their database (in all the known colors including the B&P-only tan acoustic guitar). I have both colors of keytar, the violin, the violin case and even the round stickered sign piece lute from that one Elves set. I think the only stringed instruments I am missing are the Duplo guitar (because I don't do Duplo) and some stuff from that Dreamworks movie that's kinda music themed and that I refuse to speak the name of (or own any of the parts/sets from) because of how bad it is unless there is something missing from the BL database (i.e. a stickered part that hasn't been added yet) or a part that isn't comming up under a search for "guitar" or "violin".

Picked up the big boom box today (having decided that 50% off was a price I could live with even just as a parts pack). Great set and a fun build as well. Lots of nice parts (I think the axe guitar might be one of my favorite new-for-2021 LEGO pieces due to how much I love electric guitars and how much I love using big giant axes in video games) Having bought the Boom Box today (and picked up both the axe guitar and the black guitar with the very dark grey wavy print) and already having the anchor guitar from the Pirate Beat Box, the pink and white striped guitar from the Mermaid Beat Box, the saxophone from previous sets and also the Saxophonist blind box, the Tambourine from the Genie blind box, the green keytar from the Alien blind box, the violin from the CMF violinist and the white guitar from LEGO Bricks & Pieces (as part of piecing together the Steamboat Willie set)I think I got all the musical instruments that appear in the Vidiyo line except the green maracas from the Llama beat box (which are available on LEGO Bricks & Pieces and will probably be in my next order). Anyone know of any instruments I missed or any new instruments in the Series 2 blind boxes?

I agree that they should make more use of new molds instead of making those expensive molds just for one set. That said, I think the only normal animal molds (i.e. not Friends or Duplo or Minecraft or whatever) that are new for 2021 and appeared in a single set only are the baby elephant and the sheep. The monkey mold appeared in the polybag, the quad bike set, the set with the big helicopter and the camp set. The new dog appeared in both the house and the big set with the car wash The dog harness appeared in the big set with the car wash and was also going to appear in the canceled crooks hideout set. The big lion appeared in the 4+ set and the camp set. The lion cub appeared in the 4+ set and the camp set. The big elephant appeared in the set with the big helicopter and the camp set. I think that's all the new normal animals for 2021 so far.

If I am ordering enough from B&P that I am at or close to the threshold, I will just throw some cheap item (like the Vidiyo blind box I threw in with my last order) to get the free shipping.

Aparently its a retailer exclusive.

The fact is that LEGO has limits on its production capacity. If It simply let people order as many Castles as they want and then sold 50k of them, what other set(s) do they make less of to make room for all of those castles? And what do they tell retailers who now can't get as much of whatever set(s) LEGO is making less of as they would have?

You could do the chef from Ratatouille. Or the emotion characters from Inside Out. Or Moana in minifig (as opposed to minidoll) form. Or more TRON characters. Or the pilot from Tail Spin. Or Bonkers Bobcat. Or even Phineas and Ferb (they seem to be pretty popular and you have room for both the evil mad scientist and Perry the Platypus as well)

How many of these licensed Ideas projects get to 10k because of people out there who like whatever the license is but where those same people wouldn't buy the set if it was actually made.

I think the best hope for buildings from Ideas is for things that are totally different to what LEGO is producing or might produce. Like the Old Fishing Store and the Blacksmith.