creator expert

10275 Elf Club House Review

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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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Add the 10275 Elf Club House to Your Winter Village Collection

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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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In Search of La Dolce Vita, with Pasta, Wine and Some Very Bad Photoshop [Review: Nuova FIAT 500]

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In which a global pandemic interferes with the Italian holiday plans of my wife and I. So we take a virtual trip, with the aid of a LEGO® Creator Expert Fiat 500 and some very bad Photoshopping.

In a COVID-19 free parallel Universe, my wife and I are currently flying from Rome to Singapore. We have been away for two weeks, arriving in Milan, visiting Cinque Terre, and Venice along the way. Probably catching up with some friends in the Italian AFOL Community as well. After a few days in Rome, we are on our way home, well rested: our first holiday away together for 4 years or so.

Of course, we do not live in that universe. But we were planning to be in Italy this month: Ann and I booked our tickets last November, back when our world was a vastly different place.

Subsequently, the world has been dramatically changed by the effects of the coronavirus. COVID 19 was just starting to reach epidemic proportions in northern Italy the week that the Creator Expert 10271 Fiat 500 set was announced. The launch event at the Fiat factory was reduced to a live stream. Since then, much of the world has been in varying degrees of lockdown, and we are starting to come out the other side. So, while we are not able to travel from Australia to Italy, I thought we might take a virtual trip in search of La Dolce Vita – the sweet life – by constructing the Creator Expert 10271 Fiat 500, an icon of Italian design; and some bad photoshop involving our planned destinations. Along the way, I might have a bowl of pasta…

So, pour yourself a short black coffee, find a seat in the sun and read on…

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Building the Theatre of Dreams. Are My Dreams the Same as Yours? [Review Old Trafford 10272; LEGO House 21037]

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Earlier this year, the AFOL Engagement team sent me a copy of Old Trafford for review purposes. This felt pretty great. But I have a problem. I don’t really engage with soccer, or football…or any other team based sporting codes, for that matter. So, when confronted by a set that would have the potential to give a Manchester United Fan goosebumps, I was worried that I might be left cold. How could I possibly hope to recreate the passion of a die hard fan with an epic Creator Expert Set?

Apparently people like football. Or soccer, depending on where you are. Some of these people are LEGO Fans as well. LEGO have taken a punt on the fact that, probably, there are some Football fans out there who would not mind building an iconic stadium out of the plastic bricks they loved as children.

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Celebrating 110 years of Old Trafford – Iconic Stadium gets its own LEGO® set

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For the first time ever, Manchester United fans can now build and showcase a unique and authentic LEGO® model of the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

10272 Old Trafford – Manchester United, 3898 Parts,

US $299.99 – CA $349.99 – DE €269.99 – UK £249.99 – FR €269.99 – DK 2199DKK AUD $449.99

Available 16/1 for VIPs at LEGO.com, with general availability from 1st February.

Historically, I have not been much of a sportsball fan. To quote the LEGO Movie “Go, local Sports Team” However, when I was growing up, if I had not been aware of any other English football team, here in Australia, I knew that Manchester United existed. Manchester United’s fans are spread around the world, and are passionate in their love for the club.

This year is the 110th anniversary of the the opening of Manchester United’s home ground, the stadium at Old Trafford. It may have suffered significant damage while being bombed in the Second World War. Most of the stands might have been redesigned and rebuilt several times, but it remains the second largest stadium in Great Britain- second only to Wembley stadium, and certainly the largest stand used for regular home and away matches. (the largest recorded crowd at Old Trafford was 76,962, in March 1939. The current capacity of the ground is 75879, and so will need to be expanded once more if this record is to be broken.

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Check out the New Modular Bookshop 10270: You wouldn’t read about it.

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The Creator Expert Modular Buildings have been going from strength to strength over the last few years, since the controversial decision to move from the ‘Classic Smiley’ face to a style consistent with the contemporary LEGO Graphic design language. Last year we saw the corner garage, and today we see the announcement of the latest in this series: the 10270 Bookshop. Due for release on the 1st January, 2020; this set has 2504 pieces, is recommended for builders over 16 years of age, and will cost US $179.99–CA $199.99 –DE €159.99 –UK £149.99 – FR €159.99 – DK 1299DKK. This is $USD10 more than the Downtown diner, and as such is probably reasonable to assume that it will be similar to that set’s $AUD250 price tag. Give or Take.

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Something Sweet for the Winter Village: Announcement 10267 Gingerbread House.

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Ginger bread houses seem to have become a tradition at Christmas time. And this year, the Holiday themed Creator Expert set is seeking to bypass the Winter Village, and is instead taking a left turn toward fairy tales and make believe, and giving us a Gingerbread House with all the trimmings, but none of the calories.

10267 Gingerbread House: Ages 12+. 1477 pieces

US $99.99 – CA $139.99 – DE €89.99 – UK £84.99 – FR €94.99 – DK 799DKK –AUD $159.99

Available October 1 2019; September 18th for VIP Customers.

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Fly Me To The Moon [Review 10266]

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Fifty years ago this week, television sets around the planet echoed Neil Armstrong’s now famous words: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Myself? I was slightly less articulate. My best effort to date had been “Goo Goo, Gah. Mumum, Waaaaah” This was, however, age appropriate. Apparently I was in the same room as a television showing the broadcast. At the age of three and three quarter months, however, to say I was watching it would be a stretch of the imagination. By the time Apollo 12 was launched in November 1969, I was up to cruising around some furniture, and I was allegedly distracted from watching a moon landing in the attached photo.

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The Eagle Has Landed: Announcement/Official Images of 10266 Lunar Lander

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This  year, we celebrate 50 years since Apollo 11 took Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin to the surface of the moon.  Given the popularity of space themed sets, it is hardly a surprise that there have been a LEGO set released for the occasion.

LEGO have today announced the arrival of a new Creator Expert set, a take on the Lunar Lander. It will become generally available on June 1.

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News from the LEGO Ambassadors Network

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Another day where Too Many Things arrive in the inbox in Rapid Succession. These include a Star Wars Fan Event at the LEGO House, a Survey about LEGO stores and two new Ideas Contests (replacing what was once known as Rebrick). These have all arrived via the Ambassadors Network, an online community where recognised Fan Media, and Recognised LEGO User Groups Gather… read on for further details.

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