Building Cafe Corner via Bricklink

[timmyc1983]

YAY, finally all done (almost). Still a couple of pieces missing from dodgy bricklink orders (and/or my dodgy maths) but it's built now i just need to wait for the orders for the interior to come and i'll be a very happy chappy

As you can see, the windows on the top story are red instead of white, as i already had the red ones and didn't want to pay $25 per window and i settled for the panels with the side supports, which you can barely tell the difference. I managed to pick up the dark blue arch cheaply (had minor play wear) and i got light bley door that opens the other way for cheap too (again light play wear on the glass) but all in all i'm pleased with it and pleased with the way the red windows look

hope everyone else can be a successful as me in their Cafe Corner hunt!!

[PsyKater]

I managed to buy an used but original CC with all original pieces in used but as new condition for a very reasonable price. I think it was cheaper than actual bricklinking it. It is rare, but sometimes patience pays off. I respect all your efforts to bricklink the set very much, as I do not know if I had the will to bring it to an end.

[broomhandle]

Cool.

I'm same I missed the green grocer, and have been thinking of building that one from new bricks...

Anybody done that one?

Edited March 22, 2013 by broomhandle

[eurotrash]

YAY, finally all done (almost). Still a couple of pieces missing from dodgy bricklink orders (and/or my dodgy maths) but it's built now i just need to wait for the orders for the interior to come and i'll be a very happy chappy

Congratulations timmyc1983! It looks fantastic.

[Andy D]

Cool.

I'm same I missed the green grocer, and have been thinking of building that one from new bricks...

Anybody done that one?

I BL'ed a GG. A couple of years ago. At the time it cost me more to buy parts than a set, but now I think BL would be more cost effective way to get a GG.

I seem to remember substituting some more expensive parts for close matches, not a bad wy o go unless you happen to want an exact and not a close mth.

Good luck, fun project.

Andy D

[TheLegoDr]

Good job completing this project!

I have so many other things on my plate that who knows when I will finish CC and GG. I ended up tearing up my Modded CC that I started so I could build a different modular for the contest last summer. I may get back into it sometime though.

Since I simply display the sets and don't open them or look at them other than the front facade, I am actually going to not build the GG in full sand green, except for the front. As awesome as the back is with the fire escape ladder system, I will probably omit that to save some time/money, especially since I won't see it.

I'm amazed to hear those top windows were so expensive. I recall buying them last summer in white for $0.40 or something. I know they were cheap, but no idea how much exactly. Now the front gated door and the blue are definitely hard to find/expensive, but I think I will end up changing all of that somehow.

I end up adding the lattice to the windows or glass panes to windows that need it instead of these open air gaps. For whatever reason, I think my little figures shouldn't have to freeze, which is just plain silly.

[broomhandle]

Yeah I might be cheaper to find a great deal On one....

These are aducative I need the theater now.

I chose not to get the fire station and the city hall, they don't fit in with the rest.

I BL'ed a GG. A couple of years ago. At the time it cost me more to buy parts than a set, but now I think BL would be more cost effective way to get a GG.

I seem to remember substituting some more expensive parts for close matches, not a bad wy o go unless you happen to want an exact and not a close mth.

Good luck, fun project.

Andy D

[Cian]

I end up adding the lattice to the windows or glass panes to windows that need it instead of these open air gaps. For whatever reason, I think my little figures shouldn't have to freeze, which is just plain silly.

Best way I found to deal with that:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?P=60593 + http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?P=60602

These work out a fraction of the price of the support-less panels and look better than using the supported panels. They appeared in 2009, hence why they used the panels on CC and the "train" windows in GG

GG is much cheaper to get 100% right from the usual display angles than CC, but CC will still look close enough.

[TheLegoDr]

Yeah, that is what I did. I filled in all of the windows with actual windows where I could, and then I use the lattice in the rounded windows whenever they are needed.

Thanks to this thread I put in a few orders last night. I only needed a handful of pieces to actually finish my CC build, so I ordered most of them last night. Hopefully I can get around to building it.

[Cian]

Finally got around to ordering the parts from CS. The sand green grooved bricks are not in stock and are marked as out of production despite the ordering system having them green ticked and getting a confirmation email about it... This puts the price up quite considerably if you have to Bricklink these.

Unless you can find two cheap Diagon Alley's (hah!), these are about $1 a piece on Bricklink in any quantity. Can sub 6 or 7 of them for solid 1x2's which are a fraction of the price. The rest of them are very very visible...

Edited March 27, 2013 by Cian

[domdubya]

Can't believe I shunned these models when they were available. So now I'm biting the bullet and Bricklinking Café Corner. I've got about £120 in the project so far and am going to wait until those orders arrive before continuing. I went the Lego replacement parts route first and received a mail with a quote from them. This has got a few of the pricier parts out of the way! I have just begrudgingly paid £0.73 each for 36 X of the red slope on Bricklink but it was kind of important for me to keep that colour right. I'll be drawing the line with the doors and trying to get something as similar as possible. Dark blue arch etc....undecided. For the crazily priced windows I'll be following the advice on here and using 60598 and 60608. I can't wait to see the final model.....there's something very satisfying albeit expensive about doing it this way.

I now own 2 X Fire Brigade and have Grand Emporium on the way. Pet Shop next. I'll be trying not to miss any in future.

[brickgrrl]

Oh my word! Those white windows are going for HOW much? (I've got a MOC worth more than I thought, I guess...)

But I've got to ask - unless you're an absolute purist, what is wrong with this item as a substitute? It's just a mold variant, right?

Edited May 6, 2013 by brickgrrl

[LEGO Guy Bri]

I don't know how you'd feel about painting them white with a made for plastic paint. I did on grated slopes, on the front and rear of this car. I did this before these pieces were available in white of course. I used a few coats of a regular oil-based spay paint. It wasn't really for plastic, but unless you look at it closely and see a very subtle texture, you'd probably never tell it was once lime green

[timmyc1983]

Oh my word! Those white windows are going for HOW much? (I've got a MOC worth more than I thought, I guess...)

But I've got to ask - unless you're an absolute purist, what is wrong with this item as a substitute? It's just a mold variant, right?

I have just this week replaced the red solid stud windows i had in mine with white hollow studs and it looks great, you can barely notice a difference and they are much cheaper!!

Happy building!

[Cian]

Oh my word! Those white windows are going for HOW much? (I've got a MOC worth more than I thought, I guess...)

But I've got to ask - unless you're an absolute purist, what is wrong with this item as a substitute? It's just a mold variant, right?

Takes a different inner part, see above for the suggestion I received and took (using two 2x3 panes in that frame rather than the 4x3 the proper frame uses)

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

Hey everyone,

This is my 2nd post on eurobricks after being a long time lurker of the forum along with a bunch of other lego sites. So hello to one and all!

With that being said, I am in the process of bricklinking parts for the Cafe Corner, Green Grocer and Market Street at the same time! A little background on myself, my professional field is government/politics, so when I found out (by chance) about the Modular Town Hall this past December, I HAD to have it and decided that it was enough to get me out of my Dark Ages that lasted about 15 years. Fast forward to January of 2013 when Amazon had a great deal on the Town Hall, Fire Brigade and the Grand Emporium. Needless to say, I bought them all and I was hooked! Since then, the wife got me the Pet Shop for my birthday and I have been waiting on the Palace Theater as it's brand new.

Anyways...

To keep track of what I was buying, and to help save on shipping and the like, I created an excel spreadsheet of the 3 sets pieces and have been buying the same pieces for all 3 sets at the same time. Some of the bricklink stores offer discounts when you buy piece X in bulk. (As we all know.) To further keep track, I have all 3 of the buildings separated by colors in containers to help keep everything organized while I continue to assemble the pieces need to complete the modular series up to this years model.

I started bricklinking the parts around February of this year and I am currently 505 pieces away from having everything (including the extra pieces) and ready to start. While the cost has been very high, and trust me when I say I appreciate some of the short cuts I have been seeing others make, I am a completist when it comes to these and prepared myself to spend the cash. All in all, I have prob spent around 1500 bucks or so to get to where I am with another 500 bucks (at least) to finish. I still need to get those wonderfully expensive Dark Blue Archs, 1x4 Dark Blue Bricks and a bunch of the Sand Green parts, which will set me back about 250 alone.

Anyways, I am looking forward to contributing with everyone!

Cheers!

[SwissBrick]

Hey everyone,

This is my 2nd post on eurobricks after being a long time lurker of the forum along with a bunch of other lego sites. So hello to one and all!

With that being said, I am in the process of bricklinking parts for the Cafe Corner, Green Grocer and Market Street at the same time! A little background on myself, my professional field is government/politics, so when I found out (by chance) about the Modular Town Hall this past December, I HAD to have it and decided that it was enough to get me out of my Dark Ages that lasted about 15 years. Fast forward to January of 2013 when Amazon had a great deal on the Town Hall, Fire Brigade and the Grand Emporium. Needless to say, I bought them all and I was hooked! Since then, the wife got me the Pet Shop for my birthday and I have been waiting on the Palace Theater as it's brand new.

Anyways...

To keep track of what I was buying, and to help save on shipping and the like, I created an excel spreadsheet of the 3 sets pieces and have been buying the same pieces for all 3 sets at the same time. Some of the bricklink stores offer discounts when you buy piece X in bulk. (As we all know.) To further keep track, I have all 3 of the buildings separated by colors in containers to help keep everything organized while I continue to assemble the pieces need to complete the modular series up to this years model.

I started bricklinking the parts around February of this year and I am currently 505 pieces away from having everything (including the extra pieces) and ready to start. While the cost has been very high, and trust me when I say I appreciate some of the short cuts I have been seeing others make, I am a completist when it comes to these and prepared myself to spend the cash. All in all, I have prob spent around 1500 bucks or so to get to where I am with another 500 bucks (at least) to finish. I still need to get those wonderfully expensive Dark Blue Archs, 1x4 Dark Blue Bricks and a bunch of the Sand Green parts, which will set me back about 250 alone.

Anyways, I am looking forward to contributing with everyone!

Cheers!

Hi Jersey Brick Guy,

same here, kind of same prof. situation, beware... Once you get all of them and have to wait an entire year for a new modular, take into consideration that you have already bought the BrickCityDepot models instructions, you end up bricklinking trees...

But hey, we now have Kristel making instructions, youhou, safe for the next couple of months...

Anyhow, welcome on EB!

KR,

SwissBrick

Edited June 11, 2013 by SwissBrick

[TheLegoDr]

Bricklinking will certainly be cheaper in the long run vs misb or opened boxed versions, but a lot of that goes towards the instructions and box.

Granted I haven't built three large retired modulars simultaneously before, so I can't attest to the actual costs, but those numbers seem really high. Especially since you don't have a lot of the expensive pieces already. How much is shipping eating away at your budget? Sometimes spending a little more for certain pieces can cut down on shipping costs. I'd also recommend pick a brick in the LEGO store if you can. Sometimes they have much needed pieces in large quantities. Naturally the rarer pieces won't be there, but I've found sidewalk tiles and light bley bricks available, so that would help cut down the cost some.

Best of luck to you there. You should post pictures of your layout when you're done.

I'm still working on CC and will eventually get around to the other two. But everytime I start to think I want to build CC, a different project comes up and I use the pieces for that instead. But then again, I'm not a purist when it comes to retired sets so I plan on changing a lot of the interior and not seen parts of the buildings and leave the external front facade alone.

Edit: SwissBrick-Thanks for posting that link to Kristel's page for instructions. I didn't know she did that. I've always admired her work.

Edited June 14, 2013 by TheLegoDr

[timmyc1983]

Bricklinking will certainly be cheaper in the long run vs misb or opened boxed versions, but a lot of that goes towards the instructions and box.

Granted I haven't built three large retired modulars simultaneously before, so I can't attest to the actual costs, but those numbers seem really high. Especially since you don't have a lot of the expensive pieces already. How much is shipping eating away at your budget? Sometimes spending a little more for certain pieces can cut down on shipping costs. I'd also recommend pick a brick in the LEGO store if you can. Sometimes they have much needed pieces in large quantities. Naturally the rarer pieces won't be there, but I've found sidewalk tiles and light bley bricks available, so that would help cut down the cost some.

...snip....

Yes I agree, LegoDr, that does seem extremely high! I finished my CC for around the $500, but that in itself I believe was very high for a couple of reasons (1. My inexperience using BL 2. Living in Australia postage from EU and US is expensive and no PaB walls here!!) and I have just finished collecting all of the bricks for my GG (the last 3 packages are on their way to me as I type) which cost me around $400 incl postage but with the sand green 1 x 8 bricks subbed for sand green 1 x 4s.....

Soo, to compare, even if I say it's cost me $900 for CC and GG incl postage, that still puts your average much higher, and I assume (given your user name) that you live in the US, your postage cost should be way down compared to mine... I think I would have spent well over $200 in postage between the two of them.... AND you still have expensive parts to buy.....

Anyway, I guess if you prepared yourself to spend the money it's all good!! It's funny how us AFOLs returning from our dark ages have to get these modulars into our layouts, I don't why i find it funny but I do it's like a right of passage hehe

So in conclusion: all the best Jersey Brick Guy, and i look forward to seeing your layout here when you have those last 505 pieces

Happy building

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

Hi Jersey Brick Guy,

same here, kind of same prof. situation, beware... Once you get all of them and have to wait an entire year for a new modular, take into consideration that you have already bought the BrickCityDepot models instructions, you end up bricklinking trees...

But hey, we now have Kristel making instructions, youhou, safe for the next couple of months...

Anyhow, welcome on EB!

KR,

SwissBrick

Thank you for the welcome! I have already been checking out the different sets instructions. I have to admit that the embassy set really has my eye for something fun to do outside of the official sets. I'd also like to do some more townhouses, maybe use the model from the one with the pet shop but with different colors. Does anyone know if they have a part breakdown for just the townhouse? I'd hate to go through it page by page to find out someone else already did it.

Bricklinking will certainly be cheaper in the long run vs misb or opened boxed versions, but a lot of that goes towards the instructions and box.

Granted I haven't built three large retired modulars simultaneously before, so I can't attest to the actual costs, but those numbers seem really high. Especially since you don't have a lot of the expensive pieces already. How much is shipping eating away at your budget? Sometimes spending a little more for certain pieces can cut down on shipping costs. I'd also recommend pick a brick in the LEGO store if you can. Sometimes they have much needed pieces in large quantities. Naturally the rarer pieces won't be there, but I've found sidewalk tiles and light bley bricks available, so that would help cut down the cost some.

Best of luck to you there. You should post pictures of your layout when you're done.

I'm still working on CC and will eventually get around to the other two. But everytime I start to think I want to build CC, a different project comes up and I use the pieces for that instead. But then again, I'm not a purist when it comes to retired sets so I plan on changing a lot of the interior and not seen parts of the buildings and leave the external front facade alone.

Edit: SwissBrick-Thanks for posting that link to Kristel's page for instructions. I didn't know she did that. I've always admired her work.

Thanks! After reading what you said, I went back through my previous orders on bricklink and came up with the proper total being (as of 6/18) $901.89. I am happy to report that I am only missing 349 pieces now. (10182-1 | 103 Pieces) (10185-1 | 183 Pieces) (10190-1 | 63 Pieces) My previous total had included some earlier orders on random pieces that I bought to complete some that had gone missing with some of my sets growing up and also 3 of the first Christmas Village sets that I fell in love with when I saw them. (Those were pricey for sure.) The $901.89 also includes all the shipping costs. The real expensive parts that I have left now are the Dark Blue arches (6), the light bluish gray glass doors (3), Sand Green 1x8 Brick (50) and the Sand Green 1x2 Modified with Groove Bricks (56).

Everything else is really just more odds and ends than anything else. I've been trying to buy in bulk as much as possible to save on the shipping and have been trying to keep the orders to $50 a shot. I know those arches are going to cost me $84.00 without shipping, and the sand green stuff around $70.00 or so. I also saw the light bluish gray doors going for $40.00 each, which is just outrageous. In hindsight, I am happy that I am doing it this way, while it's taking a bit longer and I have nothing to show for them yet, I feel the price savings will take care of it. I have got some decent deals on some pieces, and I know I overpaid a bit for some, but the ability to buy 300+ pieces at once was worth the extra $5.00 for me.

Yes I agree, LegoDr, that does seem extremely high! I finished my CC for around the $500, but that in itself I believe was very high for a couple of reasons (1. My inexperience using BL 2. Living in Australia postage from EU and US is expensive and no PaB walls here!!) and I have just finished collecting all of the bricks for my GG (the last 3 packages are on their way to me as I type) which cost me around $400 incl postage but with the sand green 1 x 8 bricks subbed for sand green 1 x 4s.....

Soo, to compare, even if I say it's cost me $900 for CC and GG incl postage, that still puts your average much higher, and I assume (given your user name) that you live in the US, your postage cost should be way down compared to mine... I think I would have spent well over $200 in postage between the two of them.... AND you still have expensive parts to buy.....

Anyway, I guess if you prepared yourself to spend the money it's all good!! It's funny how us AFOLs returning from our dark ages have to get these modulars into our layouts, I don't why i find it funny but I do it's like a right of passage hehe

So in conclusion: all the best Jersey Brick Guy, and i look forward to seeing your layout here when you have those last 505 pieces

Happy building

Thank you! I have been playing paintball for the last 16 years. With that sport, I am used to paying $50.00 - $80.00 PER case of paintballs and spending $1200 - $1500 on paintball markers, so this has been relative cheap compared to it. Couple those prices with the cost of travel, hotel, beer/food on the road, and I was doing $300 - $400 a weekend! (And I was playing at least 15 times a year.) I do live in the US, so the shipping has been cheaper for me, and I've tried to stay within the US with my orders, but sometimes there are just better deals across the ocean.

Lego surely has hit a huge market with these things, since returning I have purchased almost all the 2012 and 2013 Superhero sets (with a few of the cheaper ones left to buy.)

Cheers everyone!

[TomLego]

Like you, I was late getting started with the modulars. Heck, I was late to Lego.....period. FYI, since I also missed the first three, I went the on line auction route and ended up paying a total of $2190 for CC, MS and GG. All complete. Only thing missing is the box for MS. CC and MS were previously assembled, GG was new in the box.

I envy/respect you for having the patience to source the individual components through BL. Good luck with it and keep us posted.

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

Thanks TomLego! At this point, the thrill of looking for a bricklink store that has the most pieces I need is eating up a lot of down time while it's the slow season at my office. Just today I was able to find 2 stores that had a total of 110 pieces that I needed between them. Total spent was about $80.00, but that was going to be expected with some of the Black Door Frame 1x4x6 Type 1's (they seem to average around $2.00 each), and 56 of the Sand Green Brick, Modified 1x2 with Grooves (those cost $44.80 alone).

I still have to get the 1x8 Sand Green Bricks, the Dark Blue arches and the Light Bluish Gray Doors which seem to be the big cost items left. Everything else is like 1 of this, or 2 of that. Really random odds and ends at this point that is going to cost more in shipping. One thing I do want to rant about is the price for the Cherries/Limes!! The cheapest I have found them for is $0.13 each!!!! That's borderline highway robbery for such a small piece!

I am happy that I have all the Medium Blue, Dark Red and Dark Green pieces purchased. Having growing up with the standard lego colors, I must admit that I love these colors! They allow you to do so much with them!

Regardless, time to take a break from bricklink until my 3 orders arrive. I don't like to have to many orders outstanding at a time.

Cheers!

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

I hate to bump this thread again with my own reply, but I seem to have adopted it as my update progress thread!

I have been left with little orders here and there, luckily I have JUST figured out how to use Bricklinks multi-item list of wanted items. This would of saved me a lot of time and money I am sure. (Growing pains of getting back into LEGO.) I am now left with 96 pieces for all 3 modulars. 50 of these are the Sand Green 1 x 8 bricks. I have been reading some other posts about others in the same situation, and I think I am going to be going down the road of using 100 Sand Green 1 x 4 bricks in their place. While this will make the item not 100% accurate, the $120.00 price difference on these parts alone makes up for it. Maybe if TLG decides to re-release the brick in the future, but for now, this will have to do.

EDIT

I just purchased the 100 Sand Green 1 x 4 Bricks. So I am now 46 pieces away from finishing my 3 modular project! For those keeping track at home, I need the following: (10182-1 | 18 Pieces) (10185-1 | 7 Pieces) (10190-1 | 21 Pieces)

It is so close, I can almost taste it!! I just have to wait for 7 orders to come in. I am a hawk with what I ordered and checking it against my list. Some of my bricklink orders have been short, but I have been able to stay on top of it.

[Legogal]

Wow, yall are so brave trying to bricklink the huge modulars like GG and CC! Ohmygod! That is so much work that it makes my head ache!

I have learned to buy the darn modulars I want when they come out. Then if they do go on sale somewhere, I try to pick up a second one. That way I can modify the second one and still have one original, used, set. It works. BUt then I don't buy every set in the themes I collect.

I wonder what it takes to get them to reissue a wildly popular set? Has it ever been done?

Good luck!

[eurotrash]

I wonder what it takes to get them to reissue a wildly popular set? Has it ever been done?

I guess that comes up as a topic from time to time. Here's the most recent thread

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=82569

But I think the general consensus was that it wouldn't happen.

Me? I'm still contemplating BL'ing the CC, but every time I start isolating the bricks from my current spares to reduce the BL orders that I'd have to place I get distracted and build a modular MOC. Of course, that's not a bad thing, but I'm beginning to realize just how big a commitment it is to BL the CC. I applaud anyone who has the gumption to do it.... and the idea of BLing the first three concurrently just blows my mind!