ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #21033 Chicago Skyline
Let’s take a quick look at the recently retired Chicago Skyline to see if you should find a copy to add to your collection before it’s too late.
Latest Stories
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #71043 Hogwarts Castle
“Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.” With 6020 pieces, you might need help if you try to build #71043 Hogwarts Castle—it is the second largest LEGO set to date! Let’s find out if the LEGO model lives up to the wonders of its cinematic counterpart.
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: Battery-powered LED Christmas Lights
Lighting your LEGO models doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Let’s start by trying the most economical option available: Battery-powered LED Christmas Lights.
2019—Year of the Exclusives?
LEGO has offered a couple exclusive sets at ComicCon for years, but there seems to be an explosion of regional exclusives right now. Let’s use the Brickheadz based on LEGO Movie 2 as a case study to try and figure out what’s going on.
Summer 2019 LEGO Architecture sets
The summer lineup will include two additions to LEGO Architecture Landmark series.
LEGO typically announces their Summer 2019 lineup at the Toy Fair event in Nuremberg, Germany. In last week’s event, they announced two additions to the LEGO Architecture series.
New Sets:
- #21045 Trafalgar Square, €79.99
- #21046 Empire State Building, €99.99
Both the 2009 and 2016 versions of the Empire State Building are around 15 cm (6″) tall.
This marks the third time that the Empire State Building will be featured in the Architecture series, having already appeared in #21002 Empire State Building, and as one of the buildings in #21028 New York City. The new version is described as between 30 and 40cm (over 1 foot) tall, which is significantly larger than either of the earlier versions.
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #40341 Sea Accessories
Last year, LEGO introduced the ‘xtra’ branding for small bags of accessories to add to your LEGO creations. The latest addition to the series has a nautical theme.
The set focuses on items you would find at sea or under the sea, rather than at the beach. It’s perfect for an undersea treasure hunt adventure! The set features four animals: a parrot, a shark, a fish, and a seashell which you can put a 1×1 round plate inside. You also get some nice minifigure accessories including a surfboard, flippers, oar, and harpoon. Lastly, you get two containers: a barrel, and a chest with lid.
#40341 Xtra Sea Accessories
The set was released on January 1st. It only advertises 24 pieces, and costs $3.99 (£3.99 / 3.99 €). That would have been a price-per-part of $0.16, but the bag contained an extra 8 pieces. That’s enough to build a second harpoon, and a more reasonable $0.12 per part; not too bad for an accessory pack which includes a few rare parts which have only been available in a couple sets.
I did notice that the Parrot (Part 27062 / Element 6178520) is multi-colored, with a unique mix of blue and yellow plastic. The parrot I received had a lot of of yellow, which I didn’t find appealing, because I know that in real life that the blue and yellow macaw (on which this bird is presumably modelled) has a consistent coloring with blue wings and back. (Because the bag is clear, you might be able to look for the perfect parrot in the store before purchasing the set.)
Compared with other LEGO sets, #40341 Sea Accessories deserves a “Good” (3/5 star) rating. It might be exactly what you need for your next LEGO creation.
The LEGO Group provided this set for the purposes of this review. The opinions in this article are strictly my own—providing sets for review does not guarantee a positive review. Photos by Christine Coste. Visit the About page for more info about our journalistic standards and affiliate programs.
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
The LEGO Movie far exceeded my expectations when it was released in 2014, appealing to audiences of all ages. Let’s find out if “The Second Part” recaptures the magic of the original, and see how well the newly released LEGO sets align with their on-screen versions.
Brick Architect’s Best of 2018
2018 was a big year here at Brick Architect. Let’s look at our top-rated sets for 2018, most visited articles for the year, and a glimpse into what’s planned for 2019.
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ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #21044 Paris Skyline
Does this cute microscale rendition of the City of Lights shine as brightly as the real thing? I hope so!
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #10263 Winter Village Fire Station
This year, residents of the growing Winter Village are a little safer thanks to a brand new Fire Station. Let’s find out if this set is hot enough to add to your collection.
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #10259 Winter Village Station
The Creator Expert Winter Village keeps growing! Now that it has a festive Winter Train, it needs a great Train Station. Let’s find out if this set is up to the task.
