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This is true, but I don't think it's unreasonable for people to expect minifigures to be better when Lego has shown them they can do better, let alone when you couple that with price rises. Hogsmeade may indeed contain more unique prints, but minifigures hold a decent proportional value for a set, often in high disproportion to a set's overall brick count and Lego indeed markets minifigures as a selling point. They can hardly do this and then not expect people to be annoyed.

The minfigure quality is generally good, but Hogsmeade, ironically the most expensive set of the theme this year, has not lived up to many peoples' expectations in that department from what I've read. And I think because the minifigures of this theme have always been so bright and colourful and frankly, magical, that when you start to see the generic reusues creeping in more it really takes the shine off quicker. I don't want the theme to loose that magical feeling it had at the start due to clear cost cutting. Wishful and frivolous thinking as that may be. I'm generally someone who likes to have the newest version of a minifigure, but even I will be keeping my old Hagrid's Hut Fudge. The Ken Wheatley print captures his age far better I think and he gets his own unique torso plus leg printing. The generic faceprint used this time around is the epitome of boring. Speaking of generic, what do you all think of both Mr Dursley and now Slughorn getting the same bushy swept over hair this year instead of their previous comb overs? Seems like another way to just have one piece fits all from what I can see as the comb over piece hasn't been used in light grey for a couple of years and even longer in dark bluish grey. The bushy hairpiece on the other hand appears this year in a Friends and City set in light grey. This is the sort of minfigure decline I don't like (not everyone can, nor should they have to resort to BL in my opinion if they want to make their characters more accurate). I don't think the current hairpiece fits for either character, neither in style for Mr Dursley nor the style and amount of hair for Slughorn. I think the comb over in dark grey would have worked better if just one piece in one colour had to be used for both characters.

I would love to get another Ministry Of Magic set so we can get the remaining minifigures from that scene, Neville and Luna specifically, as Ron and Ginny can be made from old parts if necessary. They could easily do a small set based on the orb shattering scene I would have thought. Would it be too dark to get the white unicorn form the new Unicorn Castle set and display it with a Harry and cloaked, hooded figure? Asking for a friend. Knockturn Alley, or more specifically Borgin and Burkes, is still on my wishlist. Long have I expected that archway in DA to lead to somewhere. Along with @BrickMatit I would also like the Leaky Cauldron as another DA location yet to be done with Tom minifigure included. Either variant would do, although appearance wise POA Tom is technically more accurate. Like you, I think a Chamber Of Secrets next year is almost certain and I'm really expecting, and wanting, this to include the final house ghost The Bloody Baron. A new, and hopefully not watered down (no pun intended), version of Myrtle and a classroom accurate Lockhart would also be much appreciated for me. The Lockhart included in the last COS set was technically wearing his going down into the COS outfit, the silk tie at his neck being red and not cream. Minor difference I know, but for displaying all scenes purposes I would appreciate the variant. Although if I had to choose I would appreciate a Quidditch match fully green attire Lockhart version more. If another Quidditch set does come around soon, and I would have thought it was due, then I hope he finds his way in there. A Quidditch set could take the same place as say Privet Drive this year I would have thought. That or maybe another Horntail set. Considering the MBOM buildable figure this year included that new MBOM book piece, I'm expecting Flourish and Blotts to appear next year utilising the piece again, a bit like how I think the new Sorting Ceremony set might use the so far exclusive being sorted Harry version. Gringotts I think will probably be left as the last module, but when it does come around, a PS Griphook would be more appreciated to me than yet another DH version. I'm expecting the DADA classroom to appear as the interior Hogwarts module. Lupin's Classroom would probably be the most exciting although the Bricktober pack gave us a lovely Boggart Snape. The Prefects' bathroom with the lovely mermaid stained glass window needs to make an appearance one way I think. You can't have the most complete Hogwarts without that! Speaking of bathrooms I'm expecting the Girls' Bathroom to be in the COS module along with the Slytherin Common room, just like @BrickMatit. The writing on the wall would be very cool too. I could see them releasing another booknook and I can't help but think that the DA entrance would be perfect for this. And of course, there's got to be a buildable creature or two. We're getting a Pixie in January so the candidates are getting smaller, but they could maybe do the Horntail in the chibi or more detailed format again or maybe do Norbet instead. I'm sure Lego will continue to surprise us though, but overall I just hope the quality of minifigures doesn't continue to drop and we continue to great location sets.

True, but I was meaning for me personally as a predominantly minifigure collector. I'm not collecting the new Hogwarts as tempting as the Main Tower has been, so the GWP only held value for me in the minifigure it included, so now I don't have to make a purchase. Out of interest, what does everybody think of the Hogsmeade sign? For me it holds no value, as it is neither traditional Lego bricks nor does it look like anything particular, so in one way it seems like a very lame GWP for such a big purchase. On the other hand, I am grateful that Hogsmeade does not come with an exclusive and desirable set which makes me either need to purchase it or buy on the secondhand market. From other comments I've seen, other people too just think it will be good to sell it on and effectively get some money off Hogsmeade, so I'm not sure who the sign is really marketed at. I'm guessing it's just a chase exclusivity thing or a very small market of those who like Lego trinkets?

The leaked name is Hogwarts Castle: Sorting Hat Ceremony so it seems pretty certain it's a Hogwarts module. I'm not expecting much more than a plate with a stool that can be attached into the Great Hall just like the Duelling Club stage, and then McGonagall, the Sorting Hat and a student, probably Harry and reusing the face print from the Harry that came with the Sorting Hat buildable figure.

Is Neville's cardigan a reusued torso? Edit: Did a bit of Bricklink searching and found that Neville's torso is indeed a reuse of a torso print first used in 2023 for an old lady in the Christmas Alpine Lodge set. I am indeed grateful he does not have any exclusive parts as I have no desire to purchase either Hogsmeade or spend over £115 on Harry Potter Lego in order to get the GWP.

For me, not really. True, when I realised this theme was becoming more permanent and the amount of sets was increasing quickly, I did decide to mostly collect the minifigures because space was going to dictate how much I was going to be able to display and I don't like to keep sets just in storage, it just feels a waste to me. So that being said, I was never going to get every new set, but for the most part, for iconic location / vehicle sets if they feel like upgrades to me I would rather move my old sets on and upgrade to the new set. Privet Drive and the Knight Bus have both fallen under this category because both significant improvements, and as such I have purchased both. I general though, I would be tempted by so many more sets, specifically Star Wars, if it wasn't for the decrease in quality combined with price rises. That combo specifically has stopped me from getting back into collecting Lego Star Wars and really sucked the life out of my desire to collect the theme. Compared to the quality of sets and the attention to detail and care that went into minifigures even just a few years ago, the products being produced under that theme now no longer feel collectable for me. The designers I'm sure do the best they can under constraints given, but the overall products feel like half baked cash grabs. Harry Potter, on the other hand, has still retained its magic, but that feeling is starting to wane. If you had told me even a couple of years ago we would get a Hogsmeade D2C I would have said it would be a definite buy. Even if I didn't have the space to display it, I would have liked to have experienced the build, collected the minifigures and then moved on the build. Yet now, again, specifically due to the decrease in quality and price rise combo, it's going to be a no from me.

Is Neville's cardigan print in the ROR GWP a poor imitation of his Deathly Hallows cardigan (if it is meant to be, then the one in the Battle of Hogwarts set looks more accurate to me) or is it from another scene? It'd a nice print, but just doesn't seem very accurate to me for the DH cardigan.

Exactly. The discrepancy for me has now become too large and blatantly obvious. But unfortunately, the amount of us here who are now discussing the Lego sets but not buying them because we have seen the quality decline (design, volume and physical brick quality) in recent years does not eclipse the vast increase in the last few years of both serious and casual Lego buyers, so the likelihood of Lego changing their tactics is highly unlikely. I continue to enjoy discussing the sets with you all, but I buy a very small fraction of what I used to.

This. I was so looking forward to the reveal and on the surface it's a lovely set. Quaint, yet not dull, very displayable and a set I wouldn't have dreamed we would get a few years ago. But it doesn't take more than a few glances to realise how thin the buildings are. The Hog's Head and Zonko's are the only buildings that look similar to DA depth. I can understand why they've done a street because it might be seen as more of a complete display piece. However, I was picturing a Hogsmeade D2C as two maybe three buildings at most because, in line with the previous D2Cs, I was thinking each building would be a building not just a facade. Whereas this looks like three or four of the new modular DA buildings in terms of detail and volume, and yes the piece count and price is four times the piece count and price of one of those modulars so theoretically it works, but that doesn't change the fact that it feels like more like a Hogsmeade playset superpack than a Collectors' Edition. And that's totally fine, it's a lovely set, it just means than theoretically, they needed to give the D2C a bigger budget if we were going to get something just a little bit more substantial that feels more like a 'Collectors'' piece. The bigger problem to me is the price. I would get this set and be totally happy with the buildings being less substantial, but I won't when it's priced this high. Yes the ratio of stuff is in keeping with other sets in the theme, but then they are all getting too much. And looking beyond the value of the buildings in this set, the minifigures are a let down too. The leg printing on Aberforth is great, but realistically for a premium product and the outfits worn, Fudge, McGonagall and Draco could definitely use leg printing and this doesn't seem unreasonable when they have previously done so. Instead, Fudge is a reuse of Barty Crouch's torso so we're back to everyone who wears anything remotely similar looking the same and like they are in a uniform. No leg printing for his coat tails either when he got that in a playset a few years ago. McGonagall is a reusue of the version that came in the Flying Lesson set and the general consensus here seemed to be that it was a poor version of her in comparison to her other version with arm and skirt printing even for a playset. Again, her previous version from a playset at least got skirt printing, but more prominently, was more screen accurate than this version. Yes she takes her overcoat and hat off inside the Three Broomsticks, but her robes underneath have the buckle at her waist, not as a necklace. Draco is a reuse of the Malfoy Manor version and he wasn't even accurate then, let alone here with his reusued Old Man Marley torso and reversion to the Bruce Wayne face print with black eyebrows when we know they can do better and had a specific faceprint for him before with his light eyebrows and tired eyes. So that's a quarter of the minifigures that have blatantly been scrimped on. Lego has shown us they can do better, so either they don't want to do it because of cost or they simply don't have the manufacturing capacity to do so because they are instead making so many sets. Either way, it's a case of quantity over quality. I'm never going to feel satisfied with a product when it is clearly going backwards in areas, nevermind when it then costs more. And the fact is now I just won't pay it. In fact I've stopped paying it for some time now. I don't feel like I'm getting the quality or value anymore. It probably won't make a difference in grand scheme of things, but I am voting with my wallet, not just out of principle, but necessity and the fact that the noticeable downgrade in quality and volume of stuff in comparison to price in a company that continues to market themselves as the best and have bumper profits is fostering a dejected feeling. I want to love the set. And I do from a purely 'looking at it and getting Harry Potter / nostalgic' vibes. But the overall product in comparison with the price is just missing the mark for me. This is the second Harry Potter D2C now where I will only be buying some of the minifigures rather than the whole set, but the first one because the product does not feel worth the value. The Burrow I only got the minifigures because I have know where to put such a tall display piece. I want to support the product because I don't want the theme or the D2Cs to end, but not at the price of being extorted.

I hope they aren't the legs, because every other HBP minifigure has the trio with normal sized legs. In fact they change from midi legs to normal for OOTP so they're is absolutely no reason for midi legs here. Dual molded legs would be great, but otherwise standard sized legs is the minimum for this outfit. Then again, this is Lego ... Can't wait to see some more leaks. Hopefully something soon!

I have. It's a very neat compact build and personally I think it's a big step up from the last version due to the fact that it closes up. The only real problem I have with the roof is that they put leaf pieces on the roof for texture when neither the set or real location have mossy rooves from what I can see, but that's easily remedied by just removing them. I can also forgive the use of just plates for the roof, because the roof of Privet drive is very much just a mass of plain tiles and the studs do a good job of imitating that texture. Would black or brown stacked slopes look better? Probably. But I think the benefits of the compromise far make up for it. The stickers for the windows panes are also an absolute pain to apply, but they also makes the set look so much more like the real house than the last version as the diamond paned windows are a distinguishing feature of the house to me. The Lovegood House has a very unique shape so I don't think the roof could be done quite so simply apart from the protruding front of the second level which could be done simply with plates. Seeing what they have done with the past couple of iterations of The Burrow I would be more disappointed if they didn't manage to recreate the wonky angles of the building. I do think the build is going to be rather small, but then everything is downsizing lately and it can work I think depending on the quality of the build. Of course, feeling like you are getting a good amount for your money is another story.

We got out first minifigure list for The Burrow on 25th July 2024 and had our first blurry The Burrow picture leak on 31st July 2024 so hopefully soon!

I've seen the set name written as Hagrid and Harry's Privet Drive Escape and Hagrid and Harry's Privet Drive Motorcycle. I don't know which one is correct, but my initial thought when I saw the set leaks was it would be a Seven Potters set. Not that I'm against it being the arrival scene, but Lego has after all shown now that it's not adverse to DH sets nor even against hinting at Hedwig's demise. And a sidecar that seats a minifigure rather than one which you have to plop the baby Harry piece in the seat would be better functioning I would think. Either way, a Hagrid with googles will hopefully appear, but for Harry I'm just expecting a repeat of the version seen in Umbridge's Encounter.

Yes I think you're right. It's just as a community here we are noticing the change because of what we have become accustomed to in previous years. Reviewing a set when just released or at least extremely close to the release date so someone can literally order it there and then or order it soon so that they are still caught up in the initial hype or their desire for the product does make absolute sense. Case in point: I love the new 18+ 101 Dalmatian puppy set and if it had been available to order (not preorder) and for it to have turned up at my door within a few days of me seeing Tiago's review of the set a few weeks ago, I may have caved in to my rule of no more sets I have nowhere to display and bought it. Now three weeks later I still love the set, but my pragmatism is strongly objecting to the purchase. That being said, the fact there is so much coming out these days is also becoming a strong factor in putting me off purchases too ironically. When you know you will never be able to display all the castle sets or collect all the Disney or Star Wars you want and have places to put them, never mind the exorbitant and rising cost of it all, it can start to make you a lot more selective. I know it has me. Right now, we're not even in the days of Lego Pokemon. Too many options can become overwhelming.

Possibly, but the HP sets have been officially revealed for a month now and Swift Bricks for instance has posted an video showing her unboxing her big box of HP sets from LAN. I'm sure LAN members have the sets, although granted they could gave received them recently and not had time to review yet. But then all the Balrog reviews have come out from LAN around the same day even though that official reveal was later than the HP sets. I don't know, it just feels planned to me.

Hogsmeade train station was meant to retire last year and got extended until the end of this year, so maybe they extended it to keep a Hogwarts Express on shelves until the book nook release. If so, the book nook may be the only Hogwarts Express for the time being, poor substitute for a playset as it may be. The short cycle for the DA sets does baffle me. Like you say, the places will get less iconic so unless you have been collecting from the start they might not draw in new customers. Unless they think there is enough of a collectors base now that the sets will sell on minifigures and the theme alone. Maybe they are even starting to think that the less recognisable locations will do as well now or close too more iconic locations because those have been done so many times that a large proportion of customers have bought them enough times before. But all that aside, I can't help but think that if all the sets were on the shelves at the same time it would be a far bigger incentive for people to buy into them. Sure some people will just want one shop as a display or play piece, but a lot of people will want to collect the whole street and the ability to collect it in small pieces rather than pay out a huge amount in one go like with the D2C would I'm sure be very welcome to a lot of customers. I also get what you are saying about FOMO and the castle and I know I've had to resist buying things in this line because of it, but a lot of consumers aren't following leaks or EOL lines and will have no idea that the castle set they have just picked up won't ever be completed because they are too late to have grabbed this set or that set. I see people asking the question all the time on line as to how these new castle sets go together and do they go with the Chamber of Secrets from the last system etc. The constant changing of the castle is confusing to a lot of consumers from what I can see and some people don't even realise there has been a change in castle system let alone that they have missed certain sets until it's too late. So I think more than FOMO, Lego is just going with the lure of the theme and the pure consumerism for the product. I feel like they either can't or don't want to keep it all around for as long as the castle will take to complete so they will just keep releasing more sets and rely on the large fanbase of collectors and the large amount of one off purchases for sales. Speaking of castle, it does feel odd that with only three days until release date, nobody online has done a video review of the Main Tower set. I've seen other HP June sets reviewed, but so far the three biggest playsets (Tower, Privet Drive and QQS) haven't received any online video reviews from what I can tell. And I've only seen JB Spielwaren do video reviews of the smaller sets and the book nook. So I do I have to wonder what the embargo is on the reviews and if they have been told to wait until after the LOTR Balrog set has been given time, so as for it to not be competing for consumer attention with the HP sets of a similar price.

JB Spielwaren has reviews of Monster Book of Monsters, Fawkes, Hogwarts Express booknook and Herbology Class up on Youtube. Plus Privet Drive box was in the video of the booknook so they obviously have the sets and are just working their way through them.

I'm guessing it's this year's consolatory OT UCS. Lego probably knows full well that a lot of people are going to be priced out of the Death Star, but don't want to lose all that OT UCS market. So the AT-ST is a nice little set they can release the same year as the massive Death Star without it overshadowing the Death Star in terms of popularity and which they can produce at the same time. Anything larger (if they weren't already released) like an AT-AT, Sail Barge etc would be bigger and compete for funds and production space, plus the AT-ST doesn't require lots of minifigures, although I would argue a driver would be at least warranted. That's my slightly cynical take anyway. And, and this is a big And, could it be Lego know it will fit in with next year's MBS ... MBS Ewok Village for 2026. A girl can hope right?

Just watched Tiago's review of both the new set of two cheaper Dalmatian puppies and the 18+ puppy and honestly they are both great sets. The smaller puppies, whilst clearly outdone by the larger set in terms of accuracy, are still incredibly cute and highly playable. The TV build is the only thing that is a miss for me, because whilst I like the movie scene, the puppies are dwarfed by the television in the movie, whereas the television build in the set is tiny compared to them. Even the included bone is bigger than the television so that aspect just seems weird. The larger set is even better in my opinion. As I suspected the pose can be switched from standing to crouching by simply switching the back and front legs. But the set also comes with extra pieces so you can change the design of the puppy to have symmetrical colour ears or eye patches in either black or white depending on preference. There are also multiple stickers so you can choose which puppy name to go on the collar and pieces to make the collar either red or blue. Both the body design of the larger set and the fact that there are a cheaper and more expensive puppy options clearly mimic the previously released Simba builds and Tiago credits Marcos Bessa as the designer of these sets as well as the Simbas. That being said, it's a fantastic set to showcase Marcos' design skills, but it makes me sad all over again that he's no longer a Lego designer. I got back in to Lego with his Ewok Village set and have always loved his designs. Whilst I have no idea where I would put it and have been sticking exclusively to minifigure collecting, I am seriously tempted to buy the larger puppy.

According to the write up on the Lego website, the Hufflepuff jumper girl in the Advent Calendar is indeed meant to be Hannah Abbott so a bit annoying that they made her an exact duplicate of Daphne Greengrass, especially when Hannah is never shown wearing her hair in that swept over side parted style.

The thing is, I don't think the girl in the Hufflepuff sweater is even meant to be Daphne Greengrass which just makes it even more confusing. As much as they have used the exact same head and hair as Daphne in the Great Hall, Daphne should be in a Slytherin sweater, so I would guess if anything it's meant to be Hannah Abbott.

I believe it's meant to be a Grindylow.

On one hand I really don't like the AC because it means no more character variants from the actual film scenes. On the other hand, the prints are very cute and I know we'll never get these kind of sweaters which I'm sure would crop up in the magical world for some magical families. The Malfoys wouldn't be seen dead in them, but I feel like the Weasley family could wear them for Christmas (Charlie can be in Romania). Not sure I like that new haipiece for Cedric and I dislike even more the thought of having to change hairpieces one way or the other to make him consistent with his other minifigures. The characters themselves are also nothing new or special. For children though, opening this once a day and finding either a Christmas sweater character or a small magical creature or item build they can display, I'm sure it will be quite magical.

Last year it was 2nd May so hopefully not long now.