Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[BirdOPrey5]

The Town Hall and Fire Brigade were available much more recently than Cafe Corner and you can buy them on the secondary market for a small fraction of what an unopened CC goes for. There would be no real benefit to re-releasing either of those at this time.

[temes]

The Town Hall and Fire Brigade were available much more recently than Cafe Corner and you can buy them on the secondary market for a small fraction of what an unopened CC goes for. There would be no real benefit to re-releasing either of those at this time.

I agree, I recently paid 2x the original price for new sealed FB. Although it was expensive, I felt that the price was somewhat reasonable. However, the prices of CC & GG are way too much to even consider purchasing them... and to be honest, I don't even like GG that much, but slightly updated re-release of CC with interior would be awesome.

[curiusgeorge]

The Town Hall and Fire Brigade were available much more recently than Cafe Corner and you can buy them on the secondary market for a small fraction of what an unopened CC goes for. There would be no real benefit to re-releasing either of those at this time.

The benefit would be I'd be paying retail instead or 2 times retail or more. :) I'd buy a CC if they re-released it, but there's no way I'd pay the current market price of a CC as it stands now. Town Hall, Fire Brigade and Grand Emporium are borderline for me at current market prices, I'll probably bricklink them instead and make adjustments where needed to save cost.

Gotta draw the line somewhere I guess.

[telaruhn]

Got the PR for Christmas, and put it together that day. As my first modular, I have to say I'm really impressed with all the details and the mini-builds required to make those details, such as the white pillars and the dumpster on the first floor, the front window assemblies on the second floor and the decorative croissant-shell-things on the roof. I also LOVE all the olive green, to the point where I'm almost considering getting another PR so I have some basic olive green bricks to build with as well as other really nice parts.

In the future, I plan to also get the DO, BB, and possibly the PS if it's still for sale. I'm not really a fan of the PS in particular, but I want smaller baseplates so I can try to make my own modular building... And I figured I would start with a smaller building for my first go :)

Edited December 30, 2015 by telaruhn

[sebitsena]

Personally I think lego shouldn't re-release cafe corner a lot of people would be very unhappy as they have these older sets as an investment and re-releasing old sets will only lower the price of the older ones.

Buying a Lego set to sell it later at a higher price is pure speculation. So, it is the same game as playing the stock market ... you can win and you can lose your money ;)

I don't think Lego cares about it ^^

[Hobbun]

Personally I think lego shouldn't re-release cafe corner a lot of people would be very unhappy as they have these older sets as an investment and re-releasing old sets will only lower the price of the older ones.

I really doubt most LEGO fans/collectors purchase sets just so they can hold onto them sealed (or at least in NM condition) and sell them later at a higher price.

I I know there are some that do this, but I don't consider those that buy extra sets, just so they can scalp them years later, as ALOF (stressing 'fan'). Some may disagree with me on this, and that's fine, but it's just my opinion on the matter.

As for TLG themselves, I don't see them 'not' re-releasing a set later on just to avoid it from lowering the value of the older sets. TLG will look at it new profit for themselves if they feel there is a large enough userbase to purchase the re-released set. I doubt they would even think about how it would affect the price of the original sets.

Myself, I would like to see a re-release of the older sets as I wouldn't mind being able to collect all of them. I would only buy CC and Market Street if they redid the insides, as I hear they are quite sparse comparatively to the newer sets. But I wouldn't mind seeing a re-release of at least GG, Fire Brigade or Town Hall.

[Pedilego]

I really doubt most LEGO fans/collectors purchase sets just so they can hold onto them sealed (or at least in NM condition) and sell them later at a higher price.

I I know there are some that do this, but I don't consider those that buy extra sets, just so they can scalp them years later, as ALOF (stressing 'fan'). Some may disagree with me on this, and that's fine, but it's just my opinion on the matter.

As for TLG themselves, I don't see them 'not' re-releasing a set later on just to avoid it from lowering the value of the older sets. TLG will look at it new profit for themselves if they feel there is a large enough userbase to purchase the re-released set. I doubt they would even think about how it would affect the price of the original sets.

Myself, I would like to see a re-release of the older sets as I wouldn't mind being able to collect all of them. I would only buy CC and Market Street if they redid the insides, as I hear they are quite sparse comparatively to the newer sets. But I wouldn't mind seeing a re-release of at least GG, Fire Brigade or Town Hall.

Investors aside, one of the things that makes Lego an attractive hobby is that the sets appreciate so if you're patient you could get your money back or better if needed/wanted. Further, those that did shell out $700 would be a bit disappointed that (a) they could've just waited and (b) they won't get a new modular if it comes in place of a new set. Basically, the only people that win are those that are interested in collecting all the modulars but haven't acquired Cafe Corner. Relative to the amount of people who already have it, you're upsetting the majority of modular fans. As happened with the Toy Shop...

That said, personally, as somebody who paid for a Cafe Corner: It was easily the worst build in my mind. Especially the second floor. It could use an upgrade. If 1. an updated Cafe Corner was released WITH a new modular rather than in place of one AND 2. the original stayed above $500 so I could have the updated version and $300 in my pocket, I'd be ok with it.

[BlockLogo]

As for TLG themselves, I don't see them 'not' re-releasing a set later on just to avoid it from lowering the value of the older sets. TLG will look at it new profit for themselves if they feel there is a large enough userbase to purchase the re-released set. I doubt they would even think about how it would affect the price of the original sets.

I don't think they would ignore that. I would think that Lego as a company is very aware of the collectability of its products, and even caters to that in some ways with exclusives and such.

[Hobbun]

I don't think they would ignore that. I would think that Lego as a company is very aware of the collectability of its products, and even caters to that in some ways with exclusives and such.

I think I worded my reply a bit incorrectly. I do agree that TLG does look at the collectibility of their product, as with exclusives like you mentioned. However, I don't believe, if they felt they would make good money for a re-release of Cafe Corner, that it would prevent them from re-releasing it because it would lower the price of the current prices of third party sellers. TLG doesn't make money from those inflated prices on retired sets, but they would make money from a re-release.

But like Pedilego made reference to, I could see TLG making updates to the re-release where it would possibly keep the price for the original set at a somewhat higher price.

I'll be honest, though. The prices on these older sets get to ridiculous levels just because they are no longer made. Does someone really need to inflate the price of selling their set to $1000+ that they only paid $150? Heck, these sets aren't even new anymore, and I'm paying 8x the price?

Sure, I understand the concept of supply and demand, but they are only increasing the price because they can, and I've always hated that. It's not like these items are being auctioned. And it's not like they are losing money if they sell it for $400. And this applies to anything older and ridiculously overpriced, not just LEGO.

But this a discussion for another time and place.

[8BrickMario]

While starting the second floor of my new Palace Cinema, I discovered that one of the rectangular plates was mis-molded, with one edge being warped. Off to the parts baskets to find a replacement...

[sithewok]

Out of curiosity, when do we think we will begin to get some rumors regarding the next Modular? (I know I'm being very impatient... Just curious as to the timing of when info usually starts circulating.)

Personally, I'm hoping for a library, book store, or music store. I imagine a museum is on the short list, but since I am mocing one of those, I'm less excited in that prospect.

[Lego Conductor]

Library, Hospital, School House or a Police Station would all be welcomed!

[BlockLogo]

It will be quite a while before we hear anything. I'm hoping for a clinic or a dentist's office.

A library, hospital, or school modular building seem very unlikely with the size of the three most recent sets.

[AFOLguy1970]

It will be quite a while before we hear anything. I'm hoping for a clinic or a dentist's office.

A library, hospital, or school modular building seem very unlikely with the size of the three most recent sets.

Translated to the modulars of today, I would expect:

Library=small book shop

hospital=an individual doctor's practice with a waiting room, a file cabinet, and the office. Maybe a residence above the ground floor

school=just one classroom with 6 desks (think Palace Cinema) and maybe a principals office, lunchroom with one or two tables, and a small play area outside

[tafkatb]

The Parisian Restaurant and Detective's Office were both rumored as far back as July of the previous year, but it wasn't until late September of last year that news of a bank surfaced. So you can probably expect to wait at least another four or five months, most likely longer, before hearing anything reliable for 2017.

[Lego Conductor]

The last two modulars had 2 business in one. Detectives Office has a pool hall and Brick Bank has a Laundromat. A School House with a Library would be an interesting concept.

Or instead of a true Hospital maybe a Medical Bldg with 3 business: Doctor, Dentist and Pharmacy. As Tragic Banjo said many months of speculation ahead!

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

I can see more of a Doctors office than a Hospital to be honest. You can get away with a doctors office fitting on 1 32x32 baseplate, not so much with a hospital.

[Herky]

Banjo beat me to it, but right, not til July or even September...release of CC again? No way, TLG is not into that anymore, they have to put at least 2 businesses into the build and drive up the piece count unnecessarily. The CC was just fine, it was pure simple build and done the way that was fine for the time. Didn't need a story, just a Lego model of a building. If it was re-released, it would need to be a hotel with a flower shop in it and a bakery attached out back. Disappointed in the bank, 2 levels, and due to the laundry, not big enough, but that is the way the line is going I guess.

[Firebird]

I hope for just a normal shop, to keep the shopping street theme going. Or perhaps a dentist and a shop (DE/PS style).

One request though: please, please, please not another corner building!!

[Actor Builder]

One request though: please, please, please not another corner building!!

If the pattern DOES NOT continue, you'll be safe until 2020.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Actor Builder

[CM4Sci]

If the pattern continues, you'll be safe until 2020.

In my mind I thought, "ha, that's a long time" and then I realized "oh that's 4 years away."

Time is going by too fast!

[Rick]

If the pattern continues, you'll be safe until 2020.

You mean 2019. 2017 and 2018 should be straight buildings.

[AnnaBuildsLego]

The recent modulars have had the trend of combining two businesses/buildings, and having some kind of humorous storyline involved with the buildings (the "treats Prohibition" in Detective Office, and "money laundering" in Brick Bank).

Applying that as a rule for the direction TLG wants to go in with future modulars, how about a dentist's office next to a sweet shop?

[Actor Builder]

You mean 2019. 2017 and 2018 should be straight buildings.

You're right...In my twisted mind I thought that for every corner there were three straight buildings.

How did I get that bamboozled?

Maybe I'm dying.

[BrickOn]

The recent modulars have had the trend of combining two businesses/buildings, and having some kind of humorous storyline involved with the buildings (the "treats Prohibition" in Detective Office, and "money laundering" in Brick Bank).

Applying that as a rule for the direction TLG wants to go in with future modulars, how about a dentist's office next to a sweet shop?

That sounds like more of a cautionary tale than a potential play feature... I'd like something medical but I wonder if it would be harder to sell the Dentist to someone who isn't already on the modular bandwagon.

I'd like to see a bookshop or a library, potential play feature maybe a rotating bookshelf that leads you somewhere else in the build, perhaps a bit too scooby-doo? I guess a hidden speakeasy is out of the question.

A hospital would be cool, although I think the play features could be interesting, some kind of mix up with the newborn babies? An insurance scam, with whiplash fabrication (no not that one)?

A 50s diner/mechanic car workshop (grease inspired) with a little bit in love story for interest, would definitely have curb appeal and there is lots of potential for the interior detail in a diner.