Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[RichardGoring]

46 minutes ago, Maple said:

Just keep looking for the ones you want, they are cheap because the boxes are destroyed. I just saw a Bookstore for $140ish. I bought the Daily Bugle for $225 because it looked like it was ran over by a truck. The Dr. Strange Apartment I got for $145 because one of the bags had a hole in it so it was listed as 'incomplete'. It was missing ONE 1x3 grey plate, no big deal. Just keep looking.

Also I'm in the USA and these sets are store returns because Amazon is just slapping the shipping label to the box and they are in rough shape. If in other countries you might have less returns.

Are you finding these on eBay, locally, or somewhere else? I might need first refusal on anything you pass up on these prices!

[Maple]

5 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

Are you finding these on eBay, locally, or somewhere else? I might need first refusal on anything you pass up on these prices!

All eBay. You can save searches. Just search whatever modular you want and check daily. They go quick so you have to be lucky too. 

I do the same with City sets as the USA prices are just insanity. Just remember you will not be getting a box. If the box matters to you then by from LEGO.

Not really any tricks, just be lucky and not in a rush. I was never going to buy the Marvel modulars, but I saw they listed, offered even less and got lucky. I think one of the tricks might be to look for 'incomplete' sets. Like I care if it's missing a 1x3 plate when I'm saving $100+. 

[RichardGoring]

56 minutes ago, Maple said:

All eBay. You can save searches. Just search whatever modular you want and check daily. They go quick so you have to be lucky too. 

I do the same with City sets as the USA prices are just insanity. Just remember you will not be getting a box. If the box matters to you then by from LEGO.

Not really any tricks, just be lucky and not in a rush. I was never going to buy the Marvel modulars, but I saw they listed, offered even less and got lucky. I think one of the tricks might be to look for 'incomplete' sets. Like I care if it's missing a 1x3 plate when I'm saving $100+. 

I'll give it a go. I also don't care for boxes.

[BrickFit26]

Thanks @Maple

Meanwhile, an update, Brick Clicker in one of his latest videos about retiring sets said 3 modulars are retiring. He said it's the Book Shop, Assembly Square and Police Station. I'm surprised it's 3.

Edited February 17, 2023 by BrickFit26

[jonahtron]

Don't know if this interview with Jamie was missed from last month but it has a whole load of photos of Anderson's WIP Jazz club designs. Whilst I do wish we'd gotten a huge sax sign, I think the final version of the JC was the best iteration. I love the facade of the yellow building in some of his sketches, and am glad he didn't go with sand green.

https://brickarchitect.com/2023/interview-backstage-tour-of-10312-jazz-club-with-jamie-berard/

upload free image

 

 

[Maple]

On 2/14/2023 at 7:01 PM, BrickFit26 said:

Thanks @Maple

Meanwhile, an update, Brick Clicker in one of his latest videos about retiring sets said 3 modulars are retiring. He said it's the Book Shop, Assembly Square and Police Station. I'm surprised it's 3.

Also try Best Buy. Not a ton of modulars but they have 'open box' lego for 25-40% off. I just bought the 007 car for $14. Literally just search 'open box lego'.

I saw that it's three, which is interesting. However the list also doesn't have one retiring next year. So the three over three years would make sense. It's still interesting that the police station didn't get a price hike. Maybe LEGO was going to retire it in 2022 and changed their minds.

8 hours ago, jonahtron said:

Don't know if this interview with Jamie was missed from last month but it has a whole load of photos of Anderson's WIP Jazz club designs. Whilst I do wish we'd gotten a huge sax sign, I think the final version of the JC was the best iteration. I love the facade of the yellow building in some of his sketches, and am glad he didn't go with sand green.

https://brickarchitect.com/2023/interview-backstage-tour-of-10312-jazz-club-with-jamie-berard/

upload free image

 

 

I don't know. I like the angled roof and I like the curved front. If they went with either of those it bring more depth. Right now it's too flat. Front is flat, top is flat. I think the angled roof would have worked out nicely and been different.

[DeanLearner]

9 hours ago, jonahtron said:

Don't know if this interview with Jamie was missed from last month but it has a whole load of photos of Anderson's WIP Jazz club designs. Whilst I do wish we'd gotten a huge sax sign, I think the final version of the JC was the best iteration. I love the facade of the yellow building in some of his sketches, and am glad he didn't go with sand green.

https://brickarchitect.com/2023/interview-backstage-tour-of-10312-jazz-club-with-jamie-berard/

upload free image

 

 

Thanks for the link. I really like Brick Architect; I think Tom generally has some of the most insightful analysis of sets.

Really interesting to see some of the precursor designs. I like the shapes in the design above, though you can see how the Neo Classical look isn’t really the best fit for a jazz club. Interesting that olive green was recurring part of the initial designs, and that the medium azure was a later addition.

I’m a little bit sad that they didn’t follow through on the neon sign though. Could have looked stunning in something like trans dark pink (or even better if Lego still did some of the fluorescent trans colours).

[BrickFit26]

9 hours ago, Maple said:

Also try Best Buy. Not a ton of modulars but they have 'open box' lego for 25-40% off. I just bought the 007 car for $14. Literally just search 'open box lego'.

I saw that it's three, which is interesting. However the list also doesn't have one retiring next year. So the three over three years would make sense. It's still interesting that the police station didn't get a price hike. Maybe LEGO was going to retire it in 2022 and changed their minds.

I'll check out Best Buy too. Police Station hasn't been around as much as Book Shop. I thought it would stick around longer.

18 hours ago, jonahtron said:

Don't know if this interview with Jamie was missed from last month but it has a whole load of photos of Anderson's WIP Jazz club designs. Whilst I do wish we'd gotten a huge sax sign, I think the final version of the JC was the best iteration. I love the facade of the yellow building in some of his sketches, and am glad he didn't go with sand green.

https://brickarchitect.com/2023/interview-backstage-tour-of-10312-jazz-club-with-jamie-berard/

upload free image

 

 

Another good interview. I love seeing all the different stages of the modular design. I wish they'd share more like this like they also did with the Boutique Hotel. It's interesting to see what could have been.

[Rick]

I really like the brick-built signs. The saxophone and pizza signs could really have been the eyecatchers of the set. I also like both facades a lot. Especially the jazz club building is a bit bland by comparison.

[franzal]

Allthough the facade (middle window) of the blue Jazz club-development version looks a bit bland to me, I really like 

- the saxophone sign (might build it, if I ever buy the Jazz club)

- the water damage on the pavement and

- the blue trash and the barrels as tables in front of the pizzeria. You really find these things here in Germany in front of some "to go"-pizza stands. 

 

I also like the idea to to something different than a flat roof, as (in my feeling!) nearly every modular had a flat roof...

[A_Forest_of_Lego]

I love the saxophone sign, too bad they didn't keep it. But maybe I would have chosen a different color than pink.

[Agent 86]

Wow … I really like that initial design. The two neon signs are great, especially the saxophone. The colours, the rooflines (especially on the jazz club), the extra floor on the pizzeria, etc. 

[RichardGoring]

I like the concept roof, but it reminds me of an opera house, and the rest of the facade doesn't match. It would be great for them to do something more ornate in the future though.

[Maple]

13 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

I like the concept roof, but it reminds me of an opera house, and the rest of the facade doesn't match. It would be great for them to do something more ornate in the future though.

Funny as the opera house I always picture (Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut) has a flat roof. LEGO just needs to stop making flat box like modulars like the police station and jazz club, it's getting old.

And eBay people, there were two hotels listed last night, one for $190 new and one for $150 'incomplete' (but 99%) they went quick, you need to stay on your toes. I tried $120 for the incomplete but got rejected. (I already have it unbuilt in it's box.)

Edited February 21, 2023 by Maple

[AFOLguy1970]

That brick built sax really seems like a missed opportunity.  The only thing I can think of is maybe it had something to do with the parts budget.  The pizza sign is also nice.  Simple, but nice.  

[BrickFit26]

Thay pizza sign would have been a nice addition to the final design.

[Legodt]

On 1/12/2023 at 2:17 PM, jonahtron said:

Here you go, I'm not sure if this is what you meant. It looks a bit like a converted police station to me.

Thanks again for this rendering.  Here is how my Jazz Club turned out, in dark blue, tan, and dark bluish gray.  I also added a level.

 

 

[Lion King]

I ordered Jazz Club in order to get the GWP Moving Truck set. Can’t wait! 

 

[Murdoch17]

@Legodt Those Jazz Club modifications are awesome! Keep up the good work!

[Withacee]

On 3/1/2023 at 3:45 AM, Legodt said:

Here is how my Jazz Club turned out, in dark blue, tan, and dark bluish gray.  I also added a level.

This looks lovely! Great improvement on the original, as far as I am concerned.
Keep clicking those bricks together.

[ReplicaOfLife]

On 2/18/2023 at 9:26 AM, jonahtron said:

Don't know if this interview with Jamie was missed from last month but it has a whole load of photos of Anderson's WIP Jazz club designs. Whilst I do wish we'd gotten a huge sax sign, I think the final version of the JC was the best iteration. I love the facade of the yellow building in some of his sketches, and am glad he didn't go with sand green.

https://brickarchitect.com/2023/interview-backstage-tour-of-10312-jazz-club-with-jamie-berard/

 

Thanks for that link, would've missed it.

Sad to see that I prefer almost all of the early design sketches they shared to the final design.

 

Also interesting to see Jamie say "When you go to a half base plate it gets fairly tight for adult hands " with regards to 16-wide buildings, seeing as they have no problem at all creating even tighter spaces within the small buildings or even just facades they tend to tack on to the 32-wide modulars nowadays. Like the donut shop in the PS, Art Gallery in the Hotel, pretty much everything in the Detective's Office, or the Pizza-shop-half of the Jazz Club...

[Rick]

1 hour ago, ReplicaOfLife said:

Also interesting to see Jamie say "When you go to a half base plate it gets fairly tight for adult hands " with regards to 16-wide buildings, seeing as they have no problem at all creating even tighter spaces within the small buildings or even just facades they tend to tack on to the 32-wide modulars nowadays. Like the donut shop in the PS, Art Gallery in the Hotel, pretty much everything in the Detective's Office, or the Pizza-shop-half of the Jazz Club...

They used lower interior walls for the donut shop in the Police Station. That would not be possible with 16-wide buildings as you would be dealing with outer walls. 

[OccamsRazor]

On 3/5/2023 at 8:43 PM, Rick said:

They used lower interior walls for the donut shop in the Police Station. That would not be possible with 16-wide buildings as you would be dealing with outer walls. 

That's true, but they could always do what they did with the Bookshop set, and have part of the back wall be removable.

On 3/1/2023 at 10:45 AM, Legodt said:

Thanks again for this rendering.  Here is how my Jazz Club turned out, in dark blue, tan, and dark bluish gray.  I also added a level.

 

 

I realize that you recolored the middle floor of the BH - did you not like the light nougat?

[Legodt]

For BH, I wanted to add a level and some of the light nougat pieces were not available at the time.  Also, I generally prefer to use tan for most of my buildings.  I'm thinking of adding another level to BH, so that it will rise above the other modulars near by.

[OccamsRazor]

I see, that makes sense. 

I agree that the BH needs some heightening. I'm planning on making the bottom floor taller by one brick, and adding one more middle floor. I was debating between doing both middle floors in tan VS light nougat, or just adding one floor in tan so there would be one tan and one light nougat floor. Might experiment with the colorful option.