KRS-3284

I think the current color palette is fine. As many have pointed out, part of the fun and creative process of building LEGO is working within the possibilities and, yes, limitations of the current palette. One of the interesting things about colors is that they change depending on how you pair them with other colors, which adds another layer of creativity. For example, olive green may look different next to orange, earth blue, or dark red, respectively, and so on with every color. So, there are many interesting and satisfying choices. Some combinations may subdue a certain color and other combinations may bring out that color. What I do agree with too, though, is that it would be great to have more pieces available in more colors. This is also part of the fun of LEGO is when new sets get revealed there's always the possibility of recolours. If I were to pick a new color to add to the palette, I would add an off-white, perhaps something like eggshell or bone to give more options for architectural builds. Something between white and brick yellow or light nougat. Anyway, just my two cents.

Wow, thank you! I've admired your work for a long time, so I really appreciate that! Very kind words, thank you! And yes, those two gears alone cost me $16 CAD well worth it in the end tho! Btw, I love your MOC! I'm hoping to do a Wild West town sometime soon. Indeed haha! Hopefully they come back in that color sometime in the future!

Thank you! I'm currently working on the interior and will update the thread once that's done, although I haven't quite yet decided what I want to include. Thank you! Thank you for the comment, I'm glad you like it! Wow, I've long admired your work, so this means a lot! And yes, Italian churches were a huge reference point for the facade. Also, Mexican architecture is essentially Spanish architecture, which is a lot more eclectic than Italian, so yes it was interesting balancing them out. With the color choices too, a lot of it basically came down to what pieces were available to certain colours, like the shells, the round 3x3 corner slopes, and of course, the domed roof. Thank you for the feedback!

Wow, thank you! Yes, it was really fun to finally put those cacti in the build. Thank you so much!

Hi everyone! I've been a long time lurker here, and I am very proud to share my first ever MOC! This is a modular building inspired by Mexican and Italian architecture. I was originally inspired by the architecture from my home town in Mexico and I wanted to represent that here. Eventually, I mixed in a bit of Italian elements in the facade as well. I initially started with the water fountains (hence the name) incorporating the shell pieces. Next I designed the duomo using the hot air balloon panels which, thankfully, exist in dark orange. The color scheme is a very traditional Mexican palette. My absolute favourite part of this build, however, is the extremely rare Technic 12-tooth gear in green which is the perfect piece for a cactus. That was also the most expensive element in this model! So without further ado... As this is my first full MOC, I am completely open to suggestions. I can also answer any questions about the build. I am currently working on the interior, I have not yet decided on whether I want to make this into a cathedral or a library. I will update this when I have completed the interior. Cheers!

I don't mean to revive this thread, but I had an interesting experience at the Lego store today which I think is relevant to this discussion. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and we happen to have two Lego stores in the city, one which just opened this year actually. I went to one of the stores on Monday and I was surprised to find it well stocked with several sets which are sold out online and have been for months now (501st battle pack, Mos Eisley Cantina, Haunted Mansion, Modular buildings, Ideas Piano, Barracuda Bay). I immediately grabbed a few sets since this was literally the first time I have been able to find them (this was also my first time visiting the store since July). I spoke to one of the employees and he told me that apparently, Lego determines the quantities of sets that will go to brand stores months ahead of time (he said up to a year in advance), and allocates those quantities for shipment to specific stores. Today, I went to the other store in the city, and they were also fully stocked with all the same sets. So, it's an interesting insight into Lego's stock strategies. My take is that the low stock online is reflective of people shopping online due to the pandemic instead of shopping in person. Both malls had very low traffic, hardly anyone shopping.

Is it possible that this is just an unprecedented time in human history and it is affecting LEGO the way it is affecting all other industries, given that this worldwide pandemic has created ripple effects across the world economy? I mean, frankly, I'm surprised that LEGO has been able to continue releasing new products to begin with. LEGO has been smart to diversify and have production facilities all over the world, which has helped them keep up with demand to a certain extent. But it doesn't surprise me at all that we are seeing issues with demand. I think we should just be patient. In retrospect, a lacklustre Black Friday sale is a "first world problem". I too was excited for this year's Black Friday, given that last year's deals were phenomenal (at least here in Canada). But, a certain level of humility, gratitude, and patience are needed here. I highly doubt any these issues represent a lack of effort or organization on LEGO's part to deal with issues with demand. We should remind ourselves that the pandemic has created unforeseen problems that nine months ago no one in their right mind would have expected. Also, it seems that with more people having to stay home and looking for something to do with their time, interest has gone up tremendously in products like LEGO. So I would think that plays into this as well.

I think Force Ghosts are long overdue. I wouldn't mind it if they were made similar to Moaning Myrtle, using various blue hues to mimic the illusion of a ghostly appearance. I'm also wondering if this were to become a reality, whether LEGO would make detailed lightsaber hilts, similar to what they recently did with Gryffindor sword. I think this would be a nice way to make some of the characters that they would most likely be obligated to include (ie. ST characters, OT Luke) more valuable. For example, I wouldn't mind a Force Awakens Rey if she came with a detailed mold of Anakin's lightsaber. A detailed blaster for Han, or Chewie's crossbow, for example, would be great ways to incentivize getting some of the main characters. Just some thoughts.

You're absolutely right. I guess my fear is how much farther LEGO is willing to go. What if it were to create it's own movie studio? Or have it's own TV channel? Or start to buy up other brands, the way Disney has been doing for the last decade. Seeing LEGO buy Bricklink, for example, seems to be foreshadowing its potential for such things. I see LEGO potentially becoming like Disney, in a worst case scenario, i.e. becoming too power hungry. Thankfully, for now, it is privately owned and not subject to the demands of investors, for example. Hopefully, it can stay that way for decades to come.

I think we should keep in mind the "purpose" behind these collaborations. It seems LEGO is making a push to be seen as more than just a kid's toy, which I think is fantastic. To that end, I think these collaborations are great, they place LEGO at the forefront of other markets, makes it a more recognizable brand, and helps increase profits. More profits for LEGO is (arguably, I admit) a good thing for all of us. The problem I see too, however, is whether LEGO is approaching a point where it can become too big for its own good. LEGO has the potential to become a global power as a brand if it wanted to go in that direction, and it could quickly lose touch with its roots. I wouldn't want to see the day come when LEGO, like Disney, Marvel, or other such brands, is everywhere (e.g. on cereal boxes, as someone else pointed out). For now though, these collaborations seem harmless. I think we should be happy when LEGO is successful and prosperous. P.S. as a lover of designer and limited edition shoes, those Adidas shoes are horrendous. If they were going to do a collab, they should have at least done something attractive. I don't think this has much to do with LEGO, though, so I digress.

Hi all! This is my first ever post, so I’m excited to be here! I wanted to share something I’ve been working on for the last week or so. As many of you might be experiencing, COVID-19 has given me a bit more time to work on MOCing, which has been a fun experience. The first project I wanted to work on was modifying the head on the Statue of Liberty from 70840 Apocalypseburg. I love this set to death, it truly is one of my favorite sets of all time, but that face has always bothered the heck out of me. For me, it looks far too cartoony and happy, not at all close to the stoicism of Lady Liberty. I’ve always appreciated the cleverness of some of the techniques, and the quirkiness overall, but I wanted to change the look overall. This is the result. And here is how she looks on the set: Let me know what you think, I am certainly open to suggestions! I’m also happy to provide a tutorial, if anyone wants one. All the pieces came from the set itself plus the Ninjago Movie Dragon, so it wasn’t too difficult getting the sand green pieces.

Test post! Trying out attaching pictures . . . Test 2