RichardGoring

Good luck with it. Hope that it goes well and that you recover quickly. For many adults the idea of having something cool to display, combined with a nostalgia for LEGO, but also a lack of space, means you need to go taller and more substantial than traditional playsets. I wonder if having something to fill a Zoom background is also a driver. Plus, for many adults looking at stuff like this, the difference between $50 and $100 or $200 isn't that big. So LEGO chooses to maximize revenue and generate more PR from funky sets. (Clearly many struggle with even $20, but, sadly, LEGO isn't really targeting them and it's probably not what they would consider buying anyway). I'm with you. Happy not to be a completionist and pick the things I like, but pleased for others who enjoy the variety.

Yes, I've always had GWP added to the cart if I'm 1c below the threshold. I wasn't so much trying to defend LEGO as justify it. They're a private company and can do what they want. And we're not entitled to a GWP, but can equally go elsewhere, especially when most sets can, after a while, be had at a discount from other retailers. And there are other manufacturers. But I agree that the inconsistency is irritating, and that it's not ideal to change things so much, or be unpredictable from a customer satisfaction perspective.

While I agree that in a comparison it's crazy, but LEGO has a stock shortage and loads of customers wanting to buy stuff. From a short-term monetary position this strategy gets them the most money for the least cost. Whether that impacts long-term brand perception or customer loyalty, I don't know. It may also stop people getting loads of the GWP meaning others don't get it at all, which is somewhat easy to do if you're going to buy a load of 18+ sets anyway, most of which are over $200. And possibly the threshold was set when they thought it was to release with the Boutique Hotel at $200?

Sounds good. Another high threshold though. Erik there be enough in stock to get one? 18 items in my wishlist and most are out of stock...

Went into a Henry Bear's toy store earlier. They had loads of first wave VIDIYO Beat Boxes, but rather than reduce them, they were all priced at $5 above RRP ($25). I suspect they will stay there for a while.

Yes, it's clearly not sold well. But it's a decent set. They just got the pricing and/or production levels wrong. I hope they don't end internal suggestions. Otherwise we wouldn't have had the modular buildings or fairground collection, amongst others.

I've just finished the Seinfeld floor to make a five storey version of the SitComplex apartment block by LegoArtisan. LEGO MOC SitComplex - The Jeffersons by LegoArtisan | Rebrickable - Build with LEGO He's just released another floor for it, taking the total to 11. Each floor is unique and either a totally original creation, or based heavily on a LEGO sitcom set. I may add Queer Eye as a sixth floor, but I suspect that will be it for me.

It's a fair opinion, but many would disagree. You know that already though. The F40, McLaren F1, Bugatti Veyron could all lay claim to that title too. And more will in the future. For me, the key is how it compared to other cars of the time. If it is a Ferrari, I hope it's a road car, not a super specialist race car. It will almost certainly be red too, which will look good in the sequence. Would they dare to go yellow? Probably wouldn't work too well next to the Sian if they did. Although I agree with @kbalage in his video saying it would be great to have a different take in the next model. Something else cool that's not gearbox focused, as good as they are.

The app continues to be poor, and once again demonstrates that trying to buy into something app-based won't hold it's value, as the app will die in a relatively short period of time. It's such as a shame, as the actual LEGO part of this was terrific. They just spoilt it with an expensive app (which was terrible) and expensive music license (which was frustratingly limited). I've just opened the series 2 figures I got and my five year old enjoys doing a few songs with them. Better build the stage sets before it's too late to use them with it at all. She will probably have a bit of fun. And then it's onto MOC a full punk pirate ship!

Not that it helps much, but my Pick a Brick order from Jan 11 shipped today. Bricks & Pieces still processing, same as everyone else.

I'd love the 1950s diner, Exploratorium, or Mountain View Observatory. If none of those make it, I'd likely go for Train Station: Studgate or Modular Construction Site. I really like the Winter Chalet, but it's scale is more in line with the Home Alone house than the winter village series.

I'm in ahead of the game (I hope) and ordered stuff for my Christmas Village 2022 in January, to make sure that it arrives on time.

I have a few found appreciation for just how sturdy and detailed the 71043 Hogwarts Castle is, having spent ages this weekend taking it apart. Wow, that's one tough set. With So. Many. Pieces!

Lovely MOD of the Boutique Hotel using two sets. An extra middle floor, double sized art gallery, pool, and cool lighting. https://zusammengebaut.com/lego-news-beleuchtetes-hotel-blumen-139132/ (It's not mine).

Well, if you want to point out something so clearly obvious and easy then you make the whole thing a farce, don't you.

Absolutely. They can be. You just don't know until you have them. At which point it's too late. Hence the value of a known brand.

Oh, and while I think about it, LEGO customer service is amazing. Yes, their website is poor, product launches can be confusing, and GWP availability can be painful. But once you choose a product from them, you are really, really well looked after.

It's worth noting that you have to be careful when it comes to non-LEGO bricks. There are plenty of compatible products out there from real brands = Cobi, MegaContrux etc that have their own designs and quality assurance/testing, plus produce pieces that are of good quality. I would consider these genuine brands. The 'knock off' brands are ones that are non-descript. Many (but certainly not all) take LEGO or AFOL designs, with no agreement or licensing, which is pretty shady. But critically they can also be much lower quality. And because there isn't a brand to support it, it's really hard for the consumer to know, until the product arrives, whether the part quality is as good as LEGO or another known brand product. And that's the problem with generic products in a non-regulated industry, and why brands are so important. But other than that, your point stands, and there are lots of great products out there that are less expensive than LEGO. Although personally I will stick with LEGO, at least for now, as they produce more than enough for me.

Love it! Great work.

I'm not convinced that many here will be happy with the changes. Reading Brickset, while they are merging them, it all still feels like two completely different services. Each service will have it's own fulfillment centres, so it will still take a while for at least the Bricks and Pieces orders to arrive. However, the actual change under the rebrand appears to be that there will be a minimum spend for each type of service to avoid handling fees. And now that they are merged, with the 'best seller/PAB' pieces also be available from 'standard/Bricks and Pieces'? Because if not, you'll be forced to either buy more from one/both services to meet the minimum threshold, or pay fees that will likely make it significantly more expensive.

It's not all new. Many are standard parts to finish off MOCs, and about 200 to replace the bus in my Winter Village train station. Won't be as exciting as your order, but I will love it! Takes. So. Long!

They're all 3in1. Should be good!

Redid my order from earlier. Took another hour, but 500+ parts will be on their way faster to me than you can read the complete works of Shakespeare, Tolkien, and Tolstoy. Minus kittens

That worked for individual pieces, but it was during check out that there was a problem, and the cart was emptied. Oh well. I will have to wait for my kittens and squirrels.

I've just spent an hour adding parts to a Bricks and Pieces order. All in the cart. All fine. Then 'something less than awesome happened' and it's all lost. Sigh.