Space78

The space figure is not very exciting other than if you like the space print. All of the parts to make a white spaceman are still available on pick a brick, so no need to get the set just for the minifigure - unless you want the face print.

The tinted windscreens are OK, they are just too dark for me. Instead of adding to the visual effect of the set, I think they take away because the "trans-black" is just too dark to easily see what's behind the screen. Lego is also using these a bit deceptively. The pictures on the boxes and the website have much lighter (almost clear) windscreens, so they don't really represent what is actually in the set.

I very much doubt this. I don't think anything in the City line is or ever has been targeted toward adults. Not that I have an in-depth understanding of the City line over the years, but if you've looked at the sets over the years, it's pretty clear they are kid's sets. I think Lego makes pretty clear which of their sets are targeted to adults.

I agree. Not considering something as Castle or Pirates theme just because it's marked by Lego as a Creator 3 in 1 set doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but to each their own. I don't care what marketing line Lego decides to put a set in. It's what the set is a model of that matters.

Source?

I think it's very difficult to compare "Space" theme to other Lego themes. Space is a fantasy theme, so the imagination is the limit as to what might be a "space" set. In comparison, Castle, Pirates, etc. are set in specific times/places in history. In that sense, a Pirates set from 1989 does not "look" different from the current Pirates offering. Same for Castle. Space has a lot of "sub-themes" if you will: CS, Blacktron, Futuron, M-Tron, etc. etc. It gets to the point where one set might look out of place next to another set if they are from different eras of space sets. The space sub-themes generally had a consistency to their look. Oh, I didn't think there was any question that the current City Space sets are in fact Lego space sets. Is that not the case? To me, it feels like they've just started another space "sub-theme." It's not a "re-make" of any previous space theme as far as I can tell.

For PIrates theme, there is also the current set 31109 Pirate Ship in the Creator 3 in 1 line.

Agree, I would not characterize the lack of another CS set this year as being "mistreated." I just think the CS fan group must be much smaller, thus less demand for CS sets from Lego's perspective than some of the other "classic" themes. "Castle" has Lion Knight's Castle (still an active set), but also got the Creator 3 in 1 Castle, which is also current, and a nice "entry" level castle set in and of itself. A lady falconer was also offered in the Castle style in last year's CMF series. Then, the Majisto GWP during (the very high sales volume) pre-Black Friday Insider's weekend, and Black Friday weekend, so I suspect a lot of those sets were made. Castle has also had at least one set in each of the four rounds of the Bricklink Designer program. The castle in round 1 sold out in less than 24 hours. So, I'd say Castle theme is doing very well after having been retired as a theme for some time, and clearly the demand is there. In comparison CS got the Galaxy Explorer 10497, the Blacktron Invader GWP at two different times last year, and a brown spaceman with blue space baby as a 2024 CMF. So far this year we had a very short lived micro-version of CS sets as a GWP, and we are seeing a pink space baby in a 2024 CMF series, but.... nothing else as far as I'm aware. At this point, I'm not expecting anything either, unless something makes it through a future Bricklink Designer program round. Given how fast the micro-space GWP sold out, it leads me to believe Lego does not expect much demand for CS-themed sets. Yes, there is a new City Space sub-theme this year, and some cross-theme sets to go along with that. It will be interesting to see is if there are new City Space sets in 2025. It's a nice current line, but as a CS fan, it doesn't do much for me. But that's true of most of the "modern" non-licensed Lego themes. I believe Blocks magazine did a study of Lego sets over the past decades comparing numbers of licensed and non-licensed sets. If I recall right, currently 80% of Lego's sets are from a licensed theme. That does not leave much room for anything else.

I'd say that's where I'm at too. For me the Classic Space theme is so cool and nostalgic, that I can't get excited about anything outside CS. I don't even care for Blacktron, M-Tron, Space police, etc. So, the recent Galaxy Explorer was super cool and why I ended up with 7 sets. But, beyond that, I'm not really buying anything new. I did buy a couple of the new Space sets, more out of curiosity. I was very impressed by the Interstellar Spaceship (60430), but have no plans to buy anything else.

These statements make it obvious you have basically zero knowledge of Lego Train or Castle themes. Agree

Huh? Trains pre-date all of the classic themes - going back to the 1960's. I suppose you could argue there was not an "official" theme named Trains, but they really never fit under another theme, so that makes them at least a "category" in my book. And Castle was one of the original themes in 1978, so not sure what you mean by Castle not being a "Lego-theme"?

Agree. I'm starting to think there is just much less community interest in "classic space" than some of the other classic themes such as Castle and Trains. I say this after looking at the Bricklink designer program finalists. There have been space themed submissions, but none have made it to finalist after four rounds. In comparison, each round of finalists has had at least one Castle and averaged one Train themed set. Maybe this is bad logic, but it just seems the Castle and Train AFOL communities are either much larger or more active, at least on the Bricklink Designer program.

Yeah, any guesses at what the price of that set will be? I was thinking in the $300-$400 (US) range.

Nice, seems like "train" themed sets are only trailing "castle" themed sets for number of sets making it to Bricklink designer finals. It's making me wonder if this is the only way we are going to get new train items from Lego (other than the one passenger and one freight kid's sets that seem to be evergreen). I just picked up 4558 Metroliner and 4547 Club Car. It makes me really wish Lego would do something like that again. Something a bit realistic, yet not the high-end Orient Express style. I mean, they continually have a freight and a passenger set in the line. Why can't they look a bit more realistic, or modeled off of something more real-life? The Santa Fe, BNSF, TTX, and Maersk sets were great, and not that complicated.

Ah, great insight! That explains a lot about this set that otherwise seemed very odd trying to fit it into my picture of "typical" space sets.

Agree the description seems odd and in no way reflects a "classic" or throwback spaceship. Also agree this might be a variant of the "everyone is awesome" theme. I can't see this being a set for kids. Who would want "49 minifig heads" to swap into two space minifigures included in the set? Maybe the "frame" being mentioned is a display frame to store the heads?

Any pictures or more info on this one anywhere?

I don't think there is any point to replying to rants by "legoturtle", because that's all they are. In multiple posts over months I've noticed the same theme from them: I want "space" and I want it now, and everything else is no good. Not worth me even typing this, really.

Yeah, I could see that one being a GWP, At 250 pieces, it would probably be a higher threshold like $150-175. I have to say, I just build the Micro Rocket Launchpad GWP (40712), and I was a bit underwhelmed. I think it seemed much better in concept and in the picture on the box, than it was once built. It's a nice little set, but I will not be seeking out another on the secondary market. So, if Lego made the Micro Rail Command Center as a GWP, I'm concerned it might be similarly underwhelming "in person."

Thanks for sharing, i did not know about that contest either, or i would have cast some votes. Some interesting concepts and models in there, for sure. Wonder if Lego will make one or more of these. It will be interesting to find out!

Are you referring to the Lego astronaut plush figures sold through Target a few years back? They came in white, pink, red, and blue. They can be bought on the secondary market for about $25 each. The white one tends to be the least expensive and the blue one the most expensive. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=lego+target+astronaut+plush&_sacat=0&_odkw=lego+spaceman+plush&_osacat=0

Yeah, the alien in the space suit and the quarter domes are the gems of this set, IMO. By the way, does the science lab have a set number that's been revealed?

You're right, it does look a bit minimalist, but maybe there's more not in this picture? At first I did not realize that center structure was a rock, but I suspect you are right. However, the black "vines" coming out of it seem a bit creepy to me. If that's a rock structure, what are those black vines with "flowers" and pink frogs on them? Seems odd to me.

I think people are missing the point of this survey. All the items presented are "Licensed" items: these were not Lego products, but products that somehow represent Lego but are produced by another company. Plushes are a good example. Lego does not produce them, they are a representation of a Lego product made by another company that Lego authorizes (licenses) to do so. I don't think this was in any way market research for Lego products (i.e. sets, minifigs, etc.) And yes, no one is required to do the survey, and I think it is fairly clear these will be licensed products intended for the U.S./U.K. market.

Looks like 40712 Micro Rocket Launchpad is selling at around $60 (and up) on the secondary market in the U.S. It will be interesting to see if that goes up since Lego sold out so fast.