Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Kirton Bricks]

The Tree House has just come back in stock here in the UK - So hopefully will be back again elsewhere soon. Diner still out of stock.

[RichardGoring]

I panicked when I saw that the Tree House was listed as 'Sold Out' in the US, so bought in the UK and will collect it next time I visit. But now it's back to 'Temporarily Out of Stock' in the US again, so who knows. Would be both great and annoying if it becomes available in the US again.

[autolycus]

AS and the Roller Coaster have gone to Temporarily Out of Stock in the last week (from "Backorder in 60 days"). The pattern for July and August once distribution picked back up from the Mexico factory seemed to be that sets were In Stock, then Backorder with a date, then Backorder within 60 days, then TOOS, and then would just shop back in stock. They didn't seem to go from TOOS to Backorder. I hope we're close to getting these Creator Expert sets back in stock soon.

[Agent 86]

In their review of the Bookshop (https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-creator-expert-10270-bookshop-review/), Brick Fanatics brought up an interesting point about what the re-branding from Creator Expert to 18+ could mean for future Modulars. I presume that the lead-time for the development of the Modulars is greater than for the recent re-branding (i.e. the next one or two Modulars probably won't be impacted by the re-branding, because they would have already been designed and green-lit for production with the Creator Expert label in mind). The recent Fairground Collection (Haunted House) and Winter Villager (Elf Clubhouse) releases don't seem to have been impacted by the re-brand, except in terms of their packaging.

But, it's interesting to think about whether the apparent move to appeal to AFOLs will result in any changes. Will the focus on "storyline" and "playability" decrease? Will the focus change to "display value" with bigger, more ornate facades / exteriors taking precedence over heavily detailed interiors? Will the interiors actually be big enough and not so cluttered to accommodate adult hands? Will we see any change in the types of buildings (i.e. those which may appeal to more adult sensibilities)? Or perhaps everything will stay the same, except Modulars will come in black boxes?

[Friscorays]

I'll go with "everything will stay the same, except Modulars will come in black boxes."

[Robert8]

LMAO if the modular comes with Mayor Corn Cob and that crap

[Vindicare]

4 hours ago, Agent 86 said:

In their review of the Bookshop (https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-creator-expert-10270-bookshop-review/), Brick Fanatics brought up an interesting point about what the re-branding from Creator Expert to 18+ could mean for future Modulars. I presume that the lead-time for the development of the Modulars is greater than for the recent re-branding (i.e. the next one or two Modulars probably won't be impacted by the re-branding, because they would have already been designed and green-lit for production with the Creator Expert label in mind). The recent Fairground Collection (Haunted House) and Winter Villager (Elf Clubhouse) releases don't seem to have been impacted by the re-brand, except in terms of their packaging.

But, it's interesting to think about whether the apparent move to appeal to AFOLs will result in any changes. Will the focus on "storyline" and "playability" decrease? Will the focus change to "display value" with bigger, more ornate facades / exteriors taking precedence over heavily detailed interiors? Will the interiors actually be big enough and not so cluttered to accommodate adult hands? Will we see any change in the types of buildings (i.e. those which may appeal to more adult sensibilities)? Or perhaps everything will stay the same, except Modulars will come in black boxes?

 But the planning for the box change could easily affect this upcoming Modular, as they both were being “designed” at the same time I imagine. I don’t see anything changing though. It seems most AFOLs like the interiors, so I don’t see them going anywhere. Story doesn’t affect the set at all, so no reason to get rid of that. Building types...I would also say no, because I don’t think there’s much of a change in the target audience. Detective’s Office, after all, had a “bar” in it.

[AFOLguy1970]

It would be interesting to see what the sales and customer feedback has been regarding the Bookshop.  I really liked it and felt like it was more of a return to visual appeal on the exterior.  There did not seem to be any type of intrusive storyline--just some interesting parts such as the Moby Brick book, the chameleon, the bird's nest, and a few other things.  I really enjoyed the split build and ability to detach and rearrange the buildings like the Pet Shop.  Many people felt like it was a definite improvement over the Corner Garage in terms of price and visual appeal.  

I think Bookshop is a step in the right direction, at least for my personal tastes.  It was older, looked good on the outside, and did not have too many parts dedicated to the storyline like the DO and BB.  

[JintaiZ]

I didn't mind the change in 2018, but starting in 2019, modulars are getting less and less detailed. Why Jamie's not designing them is a mystery, because we all know he's still working for TLG.

13 hours ago, Agent 86 said:

In their review of the Bookshop (https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-creator-expert-10270-bookshop-review/), Brick Fanatics brought up an interesting point about what the re-branding from Creator Expert to 18+ could mean for future Modulars. I presume that the lead-time for the development of the Modulars is greater than for the recent re-branding (i.e. the next one or two Modulars probably won't be impacted by the re-branding, because they would have already been designed and green-lit for production with the Creator Expert label in mind). The recent Fairground Collection (Haunted House) and Winter Villager (Elf Clubhouse) releases don't seem to have been impacted by the re-brand, except in terms of their packaging.

But, it's interesting to think about whether the apparent move to appeal to AFOLs will result in any changes. Will the focus on "storyline" and "playability" decrease? Will the focus change to "display value" with bigger, more ornate facades / exteriors taking precedence over heavily detailed interiors? Will the interiors actually be big enough and not so cluttered to accommodate adult hands? Will we see any change in the types of buildings (i.e. those which may appeal to more adult sensibilities)? Or perhaps everything will stay the same, except Modulars will come in black boxes?

Could be, but modular Diagon Alley is still 16+

[TeriXeri]

No way to know the direction of the theme until the next set, Gingerbread House was 12+ but Elf Clubhouse was 18+.

Saturn V IDEAS was 14+, and I wonder if the re-release with the new set number has an 18+ box.

Edited September 24, 2020 by TeriXeri

[ReplicaOfLife]

Imho, in terms of concept, the three latest modular buildings were a major step forward from the story-ridden stupidity of Detective's Office and Brick Bank (that doesn't save Corner Garage from being a boring set, but at least it was ONE building, a big one at that, and didn't have weird play features). All three basically were believable (as far as that concept will go with Lego sets) buildings, with no pieces wasted to accomodate an unwanted storyline, and no conceptual inadequacies like stairways being shared between buildings, fake facades or being able to access the upper floors of one building only by going through others (as in Assembly Square, which otherwise was a big step forward, too).

So let's hope that Lego for once doesn't screw things up and just continues on the path they're on.

 

 

[JintaiZ]

On ‎9‎/‎24‎/‎2020 at 8:37 AM, AFOLguy1970 said:

It would be interesting to see what the sales and customer feedback has been regarding the Bookshop.  I really liked it and felt like it was more of a return to visual appeal on the exterior.  There did not seem to be any type of intrusive storyline--just some interesting parts such as the Moby Brick book, the chameleon, the bird's nest, and a few other things.  I really enjoyed the split build and ability to detach and rearrange the buildings like the Pet Shop.  Many people felt like it was a definite improvement over the Corner Garage in terms of price and visual appeal.  

I think Bookshop is a step in the right direction, at least for my personal tastes.  It was older, looked good on the outside, and did not have too many parts dedicated to the storyline like the DO and BB.  

I actually feel like it's a missed opportunity...

The exterior was fine, but the interior could have been so much more detailed. That would justify their $180 price.

Jamie coming back into the modulars line would be a great opportunity.

20 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

No way to know the direction of the theme until the next set, Gingerbread House was 12+ but Elf Clubhouse was 18+.

Saturn V IDEAS was 14+, and I wonder if the re-release with the new set number has an 18+ box.

Perhaps it will be for Saturn V. I feel like Ship in a Bottle will stay 12+

Edited September 25, 2020 by JintaiZ

[Crookshanks]

I prefer when they focus on the exterior and not to much on the interior. I've build parisian and didn't like when so much focus was on the interior and going to sell the set later.

The bookshop looks really good, not to much focus on the interior and the exterior looks really good and I like that's two houses. I'm planing to buy the set. 

I don't like when they mix american and european style with the different modular. The dinner and garage is more american style and the bookshop is more european style. It's destroy the whole in a display. It have been better if they one of them.

I hope next house looks good and focus on the exterior and have the same european style and looks good beside the bookshop.

(Sorry for my crappy english)

[CopperTablet]

I liked Corner Garage.  I prefer larger buildings for Modular, perhaps the size of Grand Emporium.  Hyper-detailed interiors go unseen in displays.   Furthermore, one thing that kind of irks me about 10270 is that the townhouse has no middle floor to enable scaling if you wanted to make it taller.   It's not a bad set, by any means, and you should absolutely buy it.

[nesquik]

On 9/25/2020 at 2:51 PM, Crookshanks said:

I don't like when they mix american and european style with the different modular. The dinner and garage is more american style and the bookshop is more european style. It's destroy the whole in a display. It have been better if they one of them.

TLG has never said that the modular buildings should pertain to any particular demographic or age - just that they reflect timeless designs. May I suggest simply splitting your displays in US-style and EU-style? I've done this and it works very well.

[JintaiZ]

On ‎9‎/‎25‎/‎2020 at 1:42 PM, CopperTablet said:

I liked Corner Garage.  I prefer larger buildings for Modular, perhaps the size of Grand Emporium.  Hyper-detailed interiors go unseen in displays.   Furthermore, one thing that kind of irks me about 10270 is that the townhouse has no middle floor to enable scaling if you wanted to make it taller.   It's not a bad set, by any means, and you should absolutely buy it.

Actually... interiors oozes charm and coolness to me.

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I feel like the Corner Garage has way too many windows to appeal to me. Previous modulars all had detailed interiors (perhaps not 10182, but it was excusable as it was only the first modular).

Also, I feel like the Grand Emporium marked a step up for the modulars.

[Options]

Let’s look back at the last three modulars.  The diner.  Folks, ‘art deco’ it ain’t. Please reference the Chrysler building in NYC or some of the small South Beach boutique hotels for art deco.  At best, it’s 50’s kitsch and fits in comfortably with nothing else in the series.  The corner garage’s small building foot print with an out of proportion gas pump and incompatible ‘tenants’.  The bookstore. Small, looks like a 3 in 1 set.  For a good bookstore, look to the Barnes/Noble-Starbucks MOC that was eventually ripped off by a Chinese manufacturer. Might be too large for a Lego set in this series, but it really is outstanding.
 

European, American or other design. No preference.  Just make it a building of, for lack of a better term, ‘substance’.  

[koalayummies]

1 hour ago, Options said:

The diner.  Folks, ‘art deco’ it ain’t. Please reference the Chrysler building in NYC or some of the small South Beach boutique hotels for art deco.  At best, it’s 50’s kitsch and fits in comfortably with nothing else in the series.

It is a variety of Art Deco and if you don't like the classification then you've got a lot of work to do to change that. "In the late 1930s, a new variety of Art Deco architecture became common; it was called Streamline Moderne or simply Streamline, or, in France, the Style Paqueboat, or Ocean Liner style."

Its like saying that Philadelphia City Hall isn't Second Empire style because you're comparing it to The Palais Garnier or Marseille Cathedral. They're all the same architectural style despite looking very different.

[Itsdom]

It’s really interesting as I just enjoy building them all. Cityscapes today are a mix of styles and types. But I do really enjoy the interiors and storylines that the sets have. Seeing little hidden details floats my boat I guess. 

it’s also been really interesting to read how many different opinions there are - which is why it’s probably very difficult for LEGO to do everything for everyone. 
 

I do think the Parisian was the best one - which was also my favourite and first  

[JintaiZ]

6 minutes ago, Itsdom said:

It’s really interesting as I just enjoy building them all. Cityscapes today are a mix of styles and types. But I do really enjoy the interiors and storylines that the sets have. Seeing little hidden details floats my boat I guess. 

it’s also been really interesting to read how many different opinions there are - which is why it’s probably very difficult for LEGO to do everything for everyone. 
 

I do think the Parisian was the best one - which was also my favourite and first  

Parisian was legendary. It has changed the way modular buildings are and started the golden age.

Sadly, I believe modulars are not as great as they used to be...

[jonwil]

My favorite of the modulars is probably the Downtown Diner followed by the Detectives Office.

The Corner Garage would have been cool (and would have been added to my collection) except that I don't like the dark orange color they used.

 

[JintaiZ]

2 hours ago, jonwil said:

My favorite of the modulars is probably the Downtown Diner followed by the Detectives Office.

The Corner Garage would have been cool (and would have been added to my collection) except that I don't like the dark orange color they used.

 

Same here. Also wish Corner Garage was more detailed.

It kind of felt like a missed opportunity, as the interior isn't detailed compared to other modulars. However, it was on the right track.

[Myprecious]

I never bothered to buy the Corner Garage, maybe I’ll get it before it discontinues.  Luckily I didn’t fall asleep while building the Bookstore, it was close though.  I love the interior details of sets like the BB and DO.  The storyline details are like a little fun Easter Egg to me.  Parisian is still probably my favourite though.

[JintaiZ]

9 hours ago, Myprecious said:

I never bothered to buy the Corner Garage, maybe I’ll get it before it discontinues.  Luckily I didn’t fall asleep while building the Bookstore, it was close though.  I love the interior details of sets like the BB and DO.  The storyline details are like a little fun Easter Egg to me.  Parisian is still probably my favourite though.

Same here. Interiors are important because it oozes charm. I feel like the Corner Garage didn't take as long to complete as other modulars by Jamie...

[Vindicare]

On 9/27/2020 at 8:36 AM, Options said:

Let’s look back at the last three modulars.  The diner.  Folks, ‘art deco’ it ain’t. Please reference the Chrysler building in NYC or some of the small South Beach boutique hotels for art deco.  At best, it’s 50’s kitsch and fits in comfortably with nothing else in the series.  The corner garage’s small building foot print with an out of proportion gas pump and incompatible ‘tenants’.  The bookstore. Small, looks like a 3 in 1 set.  For a good bookstore, look to the Barnes/Noble-Starbucks MOC that was eventually ripped off by a Chinese manufacturer. Might be too large for a Lego set in this series, but it really is outstanding.
 

European, American or other design. No preference.  Just make it a building of, for lack of a better term, ‘substance’.  

The Diner fits in just fine, because towns have a mix of old & new buildings & design. Johnny Rockets is much the same. Out of proportion is something LEGO is known for....but the gas pump isn’t one of them. Comparing the 2500+ Bookshop to a 4000+ MOC is just dumb. The MOC doesn’t have criteria it needs to meet or a price in mind. The set is great. Not every building needs to, or should be one gigantic building, that makes for a boring skyline.