If GBHQ were to be launched under creator expert, would you still buy

[TakeaBrick]

This post is kind of a thought experiment on the build quality of the set 75827 Ghostbusters Firehouse HQ

For the sake of discussion, let's say we take away the brandname of GB, change the licensed minifigs for the generic minifigs normally seen being included in the modular sets(e.g. some firefighters in this case), put the set under the creator expert line, same number of bricks and minifigs, same price, in this case, would you still buy the aformentioned set?

At the moment, I am still on fence about buying the set. If given the said restraints, I would definitely not buy it. And It makes me wonder if I truly love the build quality of the set. It stays accurate to the building in real life but it just kind of seems like to a lackluster set in LEGO form. I am not a big fan of GB but I have to admit that having the licensed GB minifigs is quiet a bonus. And I have no intention of being ripped off by buying just the minifigs at such a god-forbidden price.

I would love to hear your opinion on this. Would you still buy it given that??? For lego modular fans, I am pretty sure they will still buy cafe corner, green grocer, parisian restaurant, brick bank etc. at the same price even though no minifig is included in those sets....

[MAB]

I wouldn't buy for the same price, since the generic mini figures would not be worth as much as the licensed ones. Selling the licensed minifigs (and other parts) off can give a significant return for those that want it as a building but not as a GB building.

[wgemini]

I really like the building. It's big, it's realistic and the rooms are diversified. The PPP is 7.8c or 8.6c Canadian with 10 minifigs. And it weight a whopping 6416g (14.14 lbs) according to bricklink (I am still not sure I can trust that weight, can somebody who owns the set confirm just the model weight please), so that's 6.24c/g, better than almost all other sets.

I am new to Lego, so definitely not knowledgeable in part values, but to a amateur, it really doesn't look like a bad deal. Why all the hates?

Edited February 9, 2016 by wgemini

[Robianco]

I would say yes. It's PPP is very similar to the Parisian Restaurant for example and that's regarded very highly. The restaurant is a very different type of model but most of the modular sets are created with a certain type of architectural flair to make the build and the building interesting. That said the GBHQ is an accurate representation of that building so that needs to be taken into account. As value I'd say yes... but as with any build you have to take aesthetics into account. Would someone blindly buy a modular set if they didn't like the look of it just because it was a modular and they thought it had good resale value?

If you like the look of a set then buy it... as long as you can afford it. It's value or worth is relative. There's a lot of threads popping up about which things to buy based on investment value... If you're genuinely interested in Lego then just buy something you like. Resale value is secondary.

[wgemini]

GBHQ is cheaply priced in Canadian dollar for some reason. The equivalent US price is about 500 Cad based on the exchange rate, so that's a $100 discount in Canada from the get go (likely due to the sudden drop of Canadian dollar). Do Lego ever adjust price based on the exchange rate? I am in hurry to buy the set since it's brand new and can last 5 or more years, but I don't want to see a much more inflated price next year.

I do believe Lego sets are way over priced. 10697 had 1500 pieces and was only $40. That's 3c/p after tax (why didn't I buy 10 of them?) even if Lego didn't make any money. So resale value is important to lessen the pain a bit. I am not sure GBHQ would go on discount, much like the modulars.

[tafkatb]

Hell, I'd probably be more likely to buy it if it were an unlicensed Creator model.

[wgemini]

Also, given fire brigade is $450 CAD on bricklink, I suspect this one would have to do as a substitution. I also think I would have liked it more if it came with regular fire fighters and a fire engine.

[L E G O]

I wouldn't; it's the Ghostbusters nostalgia that sells it for me.

[xboxtravis7992]

I'd appreciate the details; but I would be shocked at the price tag. I'd then use my money on cheaper Modular Buildings; especially since the firehouse is not Modular compatible.

I still haven't bought the firehouse either and probably will not. I haven't seen Ghostbusters since I was a kid and my mom rented it on VHS tape. 80's movies such as Star Wars and Back to the Future hold more appeal to me than Ghostbusters. I'm a 90's (and 2000's) child not an 80's one; wake me up when Lego releases a UCS "Pinky and the Brain" set.

[dr_spock]

I would not for the same price.

A Pinky and the Brain set would be interesting:

"Geez, Brain, what are we going to do tonight?"

"The same thing we do every night, [Pinky], try and MOC with LEGO."

[Aanchir]

I would not, but that's partly because a) I already own the Fire Brigade, and b) I wouldn't buy a set that big and expensive unless it had a compelling reason for being that big and expensive.

But really, I think the Ghostbusters Firehouse is exceptional for what it is. So I don't think it's fair to ask "would you buy this set if it were something different?" If the Ghostbusters Firehouse weren't a likeness of a specific building in specific scenes of specific movies, it naturally wouldn't need to be nearly as large as it is. It could be made much smaller, like the Fire Brigade, instead of needing space for a such a massive car, a lab, etc. It wouldn't need to have differently colored inside and outside walls, It wouldn't need to have as many minifigures, and a lot of the money put into furnishing it as accurately as possible could be used more efficiently on more generic furniture. You could add non-Ghostbusters-specific play features like sliding garage doors. You could even position it differently on its base and remove the fire escape so you could connect it to other modular buildings on two sides. But these same changes that would make it a better value as a Creator Expert set (a smaller overall size, fewer rooms, fewer minifigures, more economical furnishings, same color inside and outside walls, sliding doors, different position on its base) would make it a worse value as a Ghostbusters set.

It's a lot like asking "would you buy Fire Brigade if it were a Ghostbusters set?" To which I think my answer would also be "probably not" — not because it would somehow be a worse build or display piece than it would be as a Creator Expert set, but because it would fail at being what it was intended to be.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Aanchir

[CM4Sci]

I wouldn't; it's the Ghostbusters nostalgia that sells it for me.

This. Without Ghostbusters it's just a boring red modular. With it, it's a nice red modular with awesome figures and a pretty neat box.

[BlueberryWaffles]

Yes. With plain minifigs, it still would be a Hook and Ladder 8 D2C. I would still buy it, and then modify the inside to look like the Ghostbusters Firehouse.

[wgemini]

I would not, but that's partly because a) I already own the Fire Brigade, and b) I wouldn't buy a set that big and expensive unless it had a compelling reason for being that big and expensive.

But really, I think the Ghostbusters Firehouse is exceptional for what it is. So I don't think it's fair to ask "would you buy this set if it were something different?" If the Ghostbusters Firehouse weren't a likeness of a specific building in specific scenes of specific movies, it naturally wouldn't need to be nearly as large as it is. It could be made much smaller, like the Fire Brigade, instead of needing space for a such a massive car, a lab, etc. It wouldn't need to have differently colored inside and outside walls, It wouldn't need to have as many minifigures, and a lot of the money put into furnishing it as accurately as possible could be used more efficiently on more generic furniture. You could add non-Ghostbusters-specific play features like sliding garage doors. You could even position it differently on its base and remove the fire escape so you could connect it to other modular buildings on two sides. But these same changes that would make it a better value as a Creator Expert set (a smaller overall size, fewer rooms, fewer minifigures, more economical furnishings, same color inside and outside walls, sliding doors, different position on its base) would make it a worse value as a Ghostbusters set.

It's a lot like asking "would you buy Fire Brigade if it were a Ghostbusters set?" To which I think my answer would also be "probably not" — not because it would somehow be a worse build or display piece than it would be as a Creator Expert set, but because it would fail at being what it was intended to be.

But even at the current size, it's at best at townhouse scale. A real firehouse in minifig scale would have been much bigger. I agree that the fire brigade is better looking, but it does feel incomplete without a chief's room or a bathroom.

[TakeaBrick]

Thanks for all the insights! Just so you know, I already have the original GB ideas ecto-1 set. The more I read the comments, The more I think, The more I am inclined to give up on the GBHQ set and just buy the new reboot ecto-1 instead and leave the remaining budget for other better sets. Though, it is still not the final decision. God, forgive me for being so hesitant when it comes to buying LEGO!!!

[Alternator]

If you start to consider the nature of the question you've asked this may help - because I think a non GB version of this set would never have been made by Lego.

• It's similar to a City Modular, but does not fit into that line because it's bigger and a Fire Station has already been done, and it's hugely priced out of line with the others
  
• In scale and price it starts to be more comparable to the occasional large buildings Lego release (Tower Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Taj Mahal etc)
  
• Except within that range it isn't really iconic enough, it's a cool older building, but its international claim to fame is that it was used as the GhostBusters HQ
  

Now with the above in mind, if Lego had gone ahead and made the set anyway (non GB) would you get it?

One of the most expensive sets they've made without clear reason to exist...

Personally I really want this set, I am a GB fan. But I am having to become very choosy about what other sets I get as a result due to pricing; there are a lot of other great sets Lego is putting out - so it will be a frustrating year in some regards.

[wgemini]

If you start to consider the nature of the question you've asked this may help - because I think a non GB version of this set would never have been made by Lego.

• It's similar to a City Modular, but does not fit into that line because it's bigger and a Fire Station has already been done, and it's hugely priced out of line with the others
  
• In scale and price it starts to be more comparable to the occasional large buildings Lego release (Tower Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Taj Mahal etc)
  
• Except within that range it isn't really iconic enough, it's a cool older building, but its international claim to fame is that it was used as the GhostBusters HQ
  

Now with the above in mind, if Lego had gone ahead and made the set anyway (non GB) would you get it?

One of the most expensive sets they've made without clear reason to exist...

Personally I really want this set, I am a GB fan. But I am having to become very choosy about what other sets I get as a result due to pricing; there are a lot of other great sets Lego is putting out - so it will be a frustrating year in some regards.

Given FB is over $400 right now, wouldn't this be a viable replacement? Also, a fire hall is suppose to be somewhat bigger than the other buildings. If anything, this is still too small to be a proper fire house.

[Boettner Builds]

I think this might also be an added comment: either you buy it now for the "reasonable" price, or pay WAY TOO MUCH later. The FB was not really worth the $150. I missed it and ended up paying $200 for a used one. After I finished building it I was left feeling "a beautiful facade but a worthless building..." On the other hand after building the GBHQ I felt a little more like "not a bad building, but over all pretty damn awesome". To date it's the single most expensive LEGO set I have ever bought, but I get an ear to ear grin EVERYTIME I look at it.

[Alternator]

Given FB is over $400 right now, wouldn't this be a viable replacement? Also, a fire hall is suppose to be somewhat bigger than the other buildings. If anything, this is still too small to be a proper fire house.

Absolutely I'd go this over the modular FS with the elevated prices (I have and like the modular FS mind you)... And If I can get this set I will probably add it to the modular city street.

I think part of it is pain threshold for the high price, it's a lot to spend on a set especially if you're iffy about it. Normally I would get a set i'm iffy about if it fits in a series I'm collecting, but if not then I'd skip it even if it has some wow factors to it.

So i ask myself, a Fire Station that is huge but isn't part of the City Modular lineup and is not going to be the start of a new line up, that is also double the price (in NZ) of a modular which are still coming out and already on the list to purchase.

The answer is I would be torn, because this set totally has that WoW factor, but what gets it over the line for me is the GB factor, otherwise I'm saving the money to put elsewhere because I already have to skip sets that I would like to get (simpsons, avengers carrier, Tie Fighter, etc). One thing I've noted is that TLG have afol's well covered with more sets than most of us could afford (again this could be an NZ thing).

As for sizing, I feel quite a few of the modular buildings feel cramped, but that's the nature of the beast unless you can afford to build bigger.

When I made my post about where such a set would fit in a Lego lineup, I started picturing a second even bigger City Modulars line... My bank balance and house space couldn't cope though sadly.

A side thought on investment prospects - this set might have something there (particularly on the GB side of the equation)... but how does that all work when there are more than enough sets available to meet demand and people are generally aware about Lego these days. TLG are more or less producing to the demand that exists with ever more new and compelling sets? I.e. Already the question is do you pay over the odds for the Modular FS or get the newly minted GB HQ...

P.s. Sorry for the brain dump, just thoughts swirling in my head.

[Andy D]

To me the GBHQ is just too large, if it were smaller, like this http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=116894&hl=

by PadrtBrickSplitter

I would be more likely to buy it. The current GBHQ is just too large.

Just MHO, YMMV

Andy D

Edited February 12, 2016 by Andy D

[BimmerBoy]

No, I would not buy this as a generic "firehouse" set if it cost the same as the GBHQ. It does not fit with the Modular line, and it would come with generic minifigs. The style (opens up via hinges) is similar to the Haunted House, but the HH is much cooler, has unique figs and ties in with a holiday (Halloween).

I adore the GBHQ and will get one eventually, but that's because of the movie tie-in and great minifigs and movie related details. The only thing a generic fire house version would have in its favor is the piece count. However, other sets in this piece count range are related to iconic movies or iconic buildings (UCS Millennium Falcon, Taj Mahal).

[Navy Trooper Fenson]

I would gladly buy the set, I am only not ordering it right now because the Modular Fire House is basically the same thing. I love my Firestation, it was my first Modular house but displaying them both feels too weird. They are just too similar. I couldn´t take the Firestation apart even though I reasoned that I could always do it back when I bought it because wine-red and grey pieces are so useful but it just feels wrong now. I thought about using the Ghostbusters HQ as a Fire Station as it is kinda superior on the facade but… no… Maybe I should rework the Modular to make it into a normal house for civilians. Ghostbusters feels much more natural for a fire station, isn´t it even big enough to store two fire trucks in the garage depending on the size?

The only real design flaw in my opinion is the GHQ opening up towards the side in that weird cutout way. They should have just made it a Modular (only having removable roof and levels, should be possible even with the 30L hose going through the entire structure) or have it open up normally in the middle like Simpsons and Haunted House. It has some lacking qualities like yellow pizzas again when they could have finally been updated or take-away boxes from Big Bang Theory fitting as well but it is well worth the price with the amount of rare parts in large quantities, good facade and exclusive minifigs that still can be sold for quite an amount to get some money back if you don´t care about the movie. I am normally the first person to call out Lego on laziness like the back being a tan/brown blob while the rest of the building has the nice SNOT facade, but it was kind of necessary, I prefer having a bigger building and having SNOT there would either warranted a smaller house or a longer baseplate. The size feels right and I think most people here display it with other Modulars, the tan side could easily be covered up by one of the other houses, maybe try to change some parts if your Modulars are too small.

I would say yes. It's PPP is very similar to the Parisian Restaurant for example and that's regarded very highly. The restaurant is a very different type of model but most of the modular sets are created with a certain type of architectural flair to make the build and the building interesting. That said the GBHQ is an accurate representation of that building so that needs to be taken into account. As value I'd say yes... but as with any build you have to take aesthetics into account. Would someone blindly buy a modular set if they didn't like the look of it just because it was a modular and they thought it had good resale value?

If you like the look of a set then buy it... as long as you can afford it. It's value or worth is relative. There's a lot of threads popping up about which things to buy based on investment value... If you're genuinely interested in Lego then just buy something you like. Resale value is secondary.

I bought the Palace Cinema not because I like the design but because it was a Cinema and I hope I could improve the design by replacing the roof with something more 50s style and generic. Modulars are always worth it even if you don´t really like the model as they give a big amount of useful pieces unlike Creator sets with their rainbow colored bricks that mostly lend themselves to filling.

Thanks for all the insights! Just so you know, I already have the original GB ideas ecto-1 set. The more I read the comments, The more I think, The more I am inclined to give up on the GBHQ set and just buy the new reboot ecto-1 instead and leave the remaining budget for other better sets. Though, it is still not the final decision. God, forgive me for being so hesitant when it comes to buying LEGO!!!

You consider buying the Reboot Ecto-1? I thought you called yourself a Ghostbusters fan.

[finnbricker]

I definitely would. And sort of did – I bought the set a couple of days ago and am now building. Since I've never even seen the movie and couldn't care less about it, I bought the set to complement my modular city. It will serve as a fire station and I'll try to fit a City fire engine on the ground floor. Preferably a 60002 if it fits through the doors.

Moreover, I will try to sell the GB related minifigs and ghosts online, keeping only the generic-looking minifigs.

Since the set should be part of my modular layout, I intend to add a 16x32 baseplate and a 8-wide narrow building behind the GBHQ, thus concealing the back wall and making it sit nicely in a modular city. This way it will fit nicely in a 64x32 area.

[BluesArchitect]

I would still buy this set!

But like someone said already why would Lego design such a large set without a purpose.

For the sake of being large? They have never done that.

Also consider this was never meant to be a modular set or be compatible though your never restricted from doing so.

Modulars have a specific design concept that other models do not have. They are meant to be expanded!

All modular sets have this expandability in mind and Lego greatly encourages buying multiple sets to do this.

Even though I would still buy the set without the GB stamp, I would never buy more than one because of the price!

Also anyone who complains that it doesn't have the stackable appeal of the modulars hasn't put on together.

Each level is capable of being removed.

I guess with some serious Mods it could be a expandable modular.

But again....it's a Ghostbuster set!