When I asked the question ‘What’s next for LEGO Super Mario?’ last month, I had no idea what sort of response we would have. The sets had just hit the market, and people were still exploring what the system is capable of. However, that didn’t stop people from submitting over 20 entries. some were created digitally, some were created with Super Mario elements that they already had, and some were put together using their own bricks!
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It’s coming up to the tail end of the year, and we have just had the official announcement that this year’s ‘Winter Village’ set – the seasonal Creator Expert model – is the Elf Club house. Last year, we had the whimsical Gingerbread House, and this year, we continue our journey into the fanciful with our journey to the Elf Club House. A place for Santa’s helper’s to go and hang out when not busy in Sant’s workshop.
I was fortunate to be sent a copy of the set to review, and I’d like to share my impressions with you. I will occasionally drift towards the way that the experience is different to previous Winter Village sets, but I will cover that in greater depth in a few weeks time.
The box adopts the increasingly familiar 18+ design style: along the bottom inch of the box, we have the strip of elements in relief – this time in white – declaring the set number, 1197 elements and a recommended age of 18+.
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Is it just me, or does the Christmas holiday season feel like it is starting earlier and earlier every year? Or do we just want 2020 to be over, already?
In the tradition of Santa’s Workshop, and the Gingerbread House, the LEGO Group today unveiled the 2020 Winter Village Collection set: Elf Club House. This set has 1197 pieces, four mini figures (with 6 faces), a reindeer, and is priced at $AUD149.99/USD99.99/ €94.99 /£84.99. It goes on sale 23rd September, at LEGO Branded retailers to VIPs, and October 1 to non VIP Shoppers..
This year’s set was designed by Chris McVeigh, who came to the LEGO Group in 2019, after many years as a prominent AFOL designer.
Read on for the press release, and more images.
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Images have leaked over the last few weeks, but today, you can preorder the latest LEGO Star Wars Scultpure: The Child. Unless you are in Australia, where preordering doesnt really work. This set will become available globally on Mando Monday…October 30th, just in time for series 2 of The Mandalorian to start screening on Disney+.
Read on for more details…
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It’s the Third Saturday in September: 81 years ago this week, Batman made his debut in Detective Comics #27. A year ago, we got our first official glimpse of the LEGO Batmobile, based on the 1989 movie, directed by Tim Buron, and starring Michael Keaton. Of course, this was not the only attention grabbing vehicle of Batman’s in that movie.
Its not just the car: The Batwing made a pretty impressive entrance in that film too, up until the moment that the Joker stopped it with a comedically outside handgun. And now it’s going to be released as a LEGO Set!
Coming on 21st October (for VIPs) and 1st of November more generally at LEGO Branded retail, the set has 2,363 pieces, 3 minifigures, and has a RRP of £179.99, €199.99, $199.99,
With an ominous silhouette, the final model has a wingspan of 58cm and is designed to support being wall mounted.
LEGO Group to invest up to US$400 million over three years
to accelerate sustainability efforts
Over the last few years, we have heard about several sustainable initiatives that the LEGO Group has launched: Plant elements from Plants; Searches for non petrochemical based plastics for LEGO elements; improving the carbon offset through the development of offshore wind farms in Scandavavia, as well as roof top solar panels in China. Today, we are excited to hear about the LEGO Group’s Endeavour to eliminate single use plastics. Now, LEGO bricks are predominantly multiple use plastic.
But there remain the single use plastic bags in packaging: inside every box, helping to keep the elements wrangled while they wait to be build into something marvelous. Hiding, waiting until we have need of them. Often concealing themselves in the furthest corners of these bags.
And to that end, the Group have been looking at paper alternatives to these single use plastic bags, in the next few years, as well as making the product more sustainable through reducing waste, keeping LEGO Bricks in action for longer through the Replay program and and inpsiring kids to learn about sustainability through play.
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When I first saw the images of the new 60271 LEGO® City Main Square, I was pretty nonplussed. My first response to a casual view was along the lines of “… another quad bike police chase, another helicopter, a new tram, a recycled limousine, some landscape and a couple of buildings. And they are asking $AUD275/$USD199.99 for this?” Please understand, I actually thought in terms of the currency conversion
” Meh.”
“And the characters have names now. What?? In the past decade, LEGO City has been the last stronghold of the anonymous minifigure!” Some of the characters might reappear, but I’ve never had anyone tell me what to call them before.
But after closer examination, there are aspects of this set which are worthy of further attention: drawing on some of the characters and situations seen in the animated series LEGO City Adventures, this is one of the largest LEGO City sets ever produced.
It is being marketed heavily as a set for the family to Build Together. As such, it is aimed a a variety of ages, not just something to leave your adventurous 8 year old to work on by themselves. As such, while some builds may feel overly simple (Aimed at a 6 year old), some represent building styles not seen in LEGO City for many years.
Come with me on a tour through the Main Square of LEGO City. You might not enjoy all that you see, but you might discover some things that leave you pleasantly surprised.
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And the collaborations keep on coming: What a year it has been for LEGO® – every wants to come and play with them: Nintendo, IKEA, Adidas
(I blinked and missed that announcement) and now LEVI’S – yes the long lived manufacturers of the classic 501 denim jeans have joined with LEGO to produce a range of clothing which you can customise to suit your self.
The Key is a flexible 6×6 plate, which is ideal for attaching small tiles – such as the LEGO DOTs – to. This will give you the opportunity too express your self with LEGO – not quite wearing your heart on your sleeve, but if you are passionate about LEGO products, you can wear your heart on your … jeans, denim jacket, head and windcheater. In fact, there is aspecial packet of LEGO x LEVI’S DOTS supplied with each garment that comes with the flexible patch. While the patch is flexible, it is probably not entirely appropriate to rely on larger elements staying in place, but using the DOTs will probably prove to be reasonably resilient…unless you put them through the wash.
The range will go on sale in Australia on October 1st, and be available from LEVI’s Stores, LEVIS.com.au and Glue stores in Australia; Levi’s stores, levis.co.nz and LOADED stores in New Zealand..
Here is a quick run down on the range:
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Over the last couple of years, we have started to see two different lines developing in ‘Things that used to be called Ultimate collector Series’ – Direct to Consumer, highly detailed, Star Wars sets, with lots of detail: True UCS sets – such as the Millennium Falcon, Imperial Star Destroyer, Awing Fighter and so forth, and the Master Builder Series: Essentially a large, detailed playset – First seen last year with Betrayal at Cloud City, with origins a few years earlier in the Attack on Hoth, this year we move to Tatooine, and that first wretched Hive of scum and villainy: Mos Eisley, and more importantly, the Cantina.
With 3187 pieces, a jaw dropping 21 minifigures, and a recommended retail price of $AUD529.99/ £319.99/€349.99/$USD349.99 this is the most detailed version of the iconic location seen to date.
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Recently, the LEGO House ran a series of presentations, touring the history collection, as live streams. Guided by one of the Corporate Historians, these streams were attended by thousands. This has left myself, and a couple of colleagues on the LEGO Ambassadors Network wondering: Would a Fan Event dedicated to LEGO History appeal to people? And if so, how should we make it work?
In conjunction with OldBricks.it, we are putting out a pilot survey, to see what people would want in such an event. If you wish, we will put you on the mailing list for further information, so that you will be kept up to date with our progress. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete. You can find the form here.
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