Legogal

Still waiting to see how the TRU bankruptcy filing affects their LEGO inventory. I was in TRU today in Cary, NC, and their inventory looked pretty much the same as before; it could be a long while before the inventory shrinks much. The supply chain has to be quite long for many sets, and this will take some time to work through the system. What I have noticed in recent months is that TRU has had fewer LEGO themes on sale. Today the only offer was a free Ninjago movie ticket with a $40. construction set purchase, whatever that means. These leveraged buyouts are a pain in the big behind and often place retailers and manufacturers in a deep black hole. In Target and Walmart I am noticing much smaller inventory of LEGO. Our Walmart is down to about half of what it stocked a year ago. My advice is to go ahead and buy what you need for the holidays because it may not be in stock much longer. Keep your receipt handy for exchange if the price should fall. And remember that many stores now have time limits on returns. (About two years ago I began returning new sets that we decided not to build or were extras....before the return policies were significantly tightened up.) Back to the original thread, as folks age, they have to think more about retirement and how they will survive. This could mean less spending on toys like LEGO because many AFOLs are not wealthy by any means. Many are just scraping buy, and may be downsizing when they lose their jobs. And they may be purchasing fewer LEGO for their children and grandkids, which could be a major blow to LEGO sales because grandparents purchase a ton of LEGO. In major US cities on either coast, real estate prices are now so high that young adults have been priced out of the market, and are not able to afford living space large enough for a huge LEGO collection. My kids don't want me giving large gifts to my only grandchild because they have a small home and no room for more toys. So I get the 5USD tiny classic sets in basic colors. Not sure they ever will have room for the many Friends' sets I hope to give my granddaughter in a few years. This has stopped most of my LEGO purchases because I have more than enough LEGO for me.

As AFOL's, we will always be a small part of LEGO target markets and our recommendations will be for products that interest adults. There is no way we can know or understand why or how much a child will want or like a LEGO set. Yes, we have our personal preferences for sets/themes we enjoy and collect, but this is entirely subjective. We only can post observations about where LEGO may be having problems, but will probably never know the real source of the problems. LEGO may not even figure that out on their own using mind-blowing amounts of data that only they will see. My guess is that they have too many product lines, which confuse the buyers of LEGO both adults and children. Walking in a LEGO store overwhelms many of us adults causing us to leave with money in our pockets and no or little LEGO in a yellow bag. There are too many themes for us to look at in one visit to a store, and we can't make a comfortable decision about what to buy. I'm not certain, but it may be easier for many children to pick a set or two and head to the register; often we adults like to compare sets before selecting one or two. Does anyone else feel overwhelmed by so many themes and different products in the LEGO stores?

The design is so different from the other Creator sets that come to mind; this makes it quite attractive. A fishing store fits in all over the world....at least until we run out of fish, which sounds as if it could happen SOON. We need buildings besides typical stores/offices and homes. Sand green has always been a favorite color making this set rank right up there with the best. A non-leaky roof would appeal more to me, but that can easily be fixed. Congrats on a first class review! This makes it easy to evaluate whether or not to purchase a set and to understand the build and parts going into it. Thanks!

DITTO! Wow! The pastel colors set the peaceful mood, and the details of the design just pull you in...making you want to visit the place. To create this in micro scale is amazing as well. It took a while to notice the hairpieces as trees, but they do add to the ambiance because trees exist in many colors other than green. (It would be fun to see an entire village in this scale and color palette. While I adore the scale of ToysRUS' old Bricktober sets of four buildings, this is much easier on the eyes and certainly more attractive fitting into the landscape of most of Planet Earth.)

Wow! This is first class, DD! Love the way the music tied in with the motion. Not sure how you made it, but please keep up the fantastic work. It is a blast watching the parts move around on their own. Is it magic behind the motion? And they way you assembled each mini build was fascinating. Could you persuade the LEGO I buy to just jump out of the box and self-assemble like yours? It makes my mind seem a bit fuzzy trying to figure all of this out, so I will leave the details to you. Way to go, woman!

Wow! Thanks for the excellent reviews of all four. These are a wonderful set of small builds, especially the hibiscus. And they represent the culture of some lovely folks. When you decide to visit Legoland Malaysia, just across the border from Singapore, make sure you add on at least a few days in Malaysia. I flew to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore and enjoyed five days seeing some outstanding places that I will never forget! Don't miss the Royal Selangor factory and museum and the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia as well as riding up to Petronas Towers on a clear night. The City of Wonders should be a series so that there are small sets for each major city. This increases understanding of other cultures, which is something this world badly needs. And it would encourage folks to travel abroad more and see how others live. You will see many requests for which LEGO set is available only in _________, and there rarely is a set that represents a city. (LEGO might be surprised at how well these small sets would sell. Look at the number sold of the Statue of Liberty polybag offered in NYC at the old ToysRUs at Times Square.) The hibiscus set looks especially inviting and should be on my desk to remind me of fun times in Malaysia!

Wow! Lots of cool figs in this Ninjago set. And your review is full of the usual clear photos and imaginative shots with their 'friends!" Can't believe you continue to spew out these fantastic reviews of CMS figs! Thanks from the Gang of AFOL's...

It seems that earlier torsos were maybe thicker and shinier in finish and rarely spotted with age like the newer CMS torsos. Maybe because they had a harder finish, not a soft matte one that looks like it absorbs everything around it. Am I just dreaming, or has anyone else noted this change? The newer built but not played wth torsos definitely do not look new when viewed two years later. Many of my 10-20 year old plain torsos look newer than the newer CMS torsos.

During the past week while inspecting all of my Collectible Minifigure Series figures built once and stored in containers, it appears that the quality of the plain torso finish compares poorly with that of earlier (pre-CMS) torsos. The newer figure finish is more of a matte surface, not as smooth and shiny as earlier torsos. And the newer ones seem to have more annoying spots on them several years after they were built. Has anyone compared plain, unprinted CMS torsos with earlier ones and noticed this? I have tried buffing the spots out of the CMS torsos, but the finish is not as uniform and shiny as many of the pre-CMS torsos, which seem to retain their shiny, unspotted finish even twenty or more years later. It is disappointing to say the least if this is a common problem with CMS torsos because we expect them retain their new, shiny look if they are not played with and put away right after they are built. (It is difficult to get decent photos to compare the finish of pre-CMS with CMS torsos.) Your experience with this issue?

Interiors? Love the exterior! Especially the colors. We need more sets from Asia, and this looks typical of buildings there. Way to go!

Sooooo imaginative! Congrats on the fine collaboration!

This is so calm with a very clean and peaceful design. The lighting sets the mood. Quite lovely! Congratulations on an outstanding build!

Wow! Love your mini apartment building colors and design. As we all run out of space, building a mini-scale city looks like one viable solution. The row of buildings above is a great example of the variety you can achieve in a mini. I am keeping most of my minis and disposing of the larger models because of space limitations. And the minis are just so darn cute! Especially the art deco ones. Thanks for your photos!

What a lovely model of an important LEGO icon! We really need this set! Way to co CopnDoc!

Fantastic review as usual! Thanks, Fangy! While the other series have made me eager to purchase new figs with each release, this series does little for me. There are a few accessories worth collecting, but the figs leave me a bit cold. Not sure why, but I will pass on this series.

EIGHT DAYS???? That takes my breath away! It would take a miracle to build this EIGHT DAYS! It is suitable for this cathedral. And reminds me of "The Way," the Martin Sheen film about the long hike to the cathedral. I can't imagine what your brick rooms look like. Do you have a warehouse with a working forklift to access your bricks? That is a ton of bricks. How many elves work 24/7 sorting so you can find that little tiny thingy you need to complete something like this? What a lovely design. I bet it killed you to glue it; glad you built a second one. OMG! I think that we can say that you have effectively won the world championship for LEGO speed building. Here's to the Champ!

Wow! Older houses only came in red and white...at least it seemed. I got so tired of building them with my 3-5 year son in the early 90's that I just stopped building. Period. When they came out with more color choices, especially for the dad gum roof, I went crazy and started building "not red and white" houses. Your windmill looks sufficiently vintage; can't wait to see the rest of the build. After so many years of "not red and white" houses, it is different to see one. Can't wait to see the rest of your village.

Holy crapoli! What a fine lot of dines....OMG! All the little nieces and nephews are gonna go bonkers when they see these photos. And the big folks, too. It was wonderful seeing a setting for each type because that makes them more real looking. Congrats on so many fine builds!

Wow, Pepp! Nice use of the big banana! Very cool! Had a fine time with White Fang and Kim in Raleigh today with a fun stop at our Lego Store. (They don't have one in Singapore.)

WOW! This sounds like so much fun! The photos were enlightening. Car museums can be delightful. Thanks for sharing your story so we could experience a bit of what you did while there. And a big congratulations on building such a fine model. So glad your father could make the trip with you. WOW! This sounds like so much fun! The photos were enlightening. Car museums can be delightful. Thanks for sharing your story so we could experience a bit of what you did while there. And a big congratulations on building such a fine model. So glad your father could make the trip with you.

Wow! Those three builds are really sweet and capture the holiday spirit so well! This contest is one of the best!

Wow! Incredible figs representing so many stages of Bowie's performance life. I had no idea he had sung about so many characters. The way you posed the limbs was quite special and says so much. Even without a real face on top. And your choice of pieces was perfect. It takes a while to appreciate so many wild figs posted at once, but is worth the time. Flickr is perfect for showing off each fig. Wow, Zowie!

This is a lot to take in at once, but seems to do the job quite well. It seems typical of many building clusters in cities all over the world. Unrelated businesses share buildings often separated only by a stairwell or door. Folks run into each other while making their stops at the bakery, florist, music store, dentist, etc. This ties everyone into a sense of community as they see the shop owners interact with other customers and try to meet their needs. These shopowners and their employees link folks together and sometimes are the only ones speaking to those who live alone. This set seems to bring folks closer together, which is a good thing in today's rough world. It makes a minifig/person feel right at home. My personal favorites are the reminders of previous modulars and the lovely tile photos providing a sense of modular history. The modulars have always been right up there on my list of favorite sets; this one upholds that tradition with class and warmth. Thanks for a lovely review with so much detail shown in the excellent photos. It looks like you had a great time building the set.

Red, I have enjoyed looking at this build several times and can't select a favorite part because it is all so well designed. The exterior rocks with so many eye-catching spots. It makes me want to spend a day in the garden just watching things grow. The interior seems to fit with space for all kinds of relaxed activities. Cooking, reading, listening to music, and gazing out the windows while not worrying about anything outside. It seems to be a relaxing lifestyle not crammed with too many gadgets into too small of a space. The houses just invite you to come in and live in peace and quiet regardless of what is happening in the cruel, outside world. Nothing I would change as you have hit another home run as we say in the U.S. Homes are important, and you have provided a place for us AFOL's to live. Thanks for welcoming us to your hood!

Looks like Santa had a stroke after spending all that time stuck upside down in the fireplace and then landing on his head. He should have retired years ago. My condolences to Ms. Claus and all of their elves..such a sweet family dedicated to endless giving.