Harry Potter Advent Calendar - Day 1
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendars possess a few major advantages over other LEGO Advent Calendars, with ample festive material to draw upon and likely a higher budget, based on the number of new pieces normally included.
These advantages should benefit 76438 LEGO Harry Potter 2024 Advent Calendar as much as its five precursors, so I have high expectations for this set...
The contents of this year's Advent Calendar are presumably focused on the Great Hall, as this memorable location serves as a backdrop for the minifigures and models. I love the Christmas decorations and the warm atmosphere of the room, although the two-dimensional tables seem odd, especially since the box cover suggests there are brick-built tables to come.
I mentioned that Harry Potter Advent Calendars normally contain lots of new elements and day one continues the trend, as we receive an exclusive Harry Potter minifigure to begin! The dark bluish grey jumper and Gryffindor scarf both look superb, although this costume is not based on a specific design from the films, unusually.
Nonetheless, it works well for the season and more variety in Hogwarts uniforms is welcome. Harry's tousled hair looks excellent, as usual, but his double-sided head could be better. This design is very common, appearing in 27 sets to date, so I wish the cheerful design from 76423 Hogwarts Express & Hogsmeade Station had returned instead.
A dark brown wand is included, alongside an interesting plaque with the Gryffindor crest. This printed 2x2 tile debuted in 76429 Talking Sorting Hat and the golden lion rampant looks lovely, although it is clear the model is not yet complete, with something to attach on top.
Overall - A unique Harry Potter minifigure is a fun way to start this Advent Calendar, even if the design is seemingly not inspired by the films.
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18 comments on this article
Kind of prefer a more generic torso design (well, as generic as something with a Gryffindor logo on it can be), just makes it a tad more reusable
I can't find this advent calendar anywhere. All the rest are in stock online or on heavy sale. This one is $66 on Amazon right now... really popular one?
I really like the minifigs in this calendar.
Harry
"Harry's tousled hair looks excellent, as usual, but his double-sided head could be better. This design is very common, appearing in 27 sets to date..." Three of which have been HP Advent Calendars other than this one, no less!
@gatorbug6 said:
"I can't find this advent calendar anywhere. All the rest are in stock online or on heavy sale. This one is $66 on Amazon right now... really popular one?"
Potentially, it could also be that advent calendars consistently go out of stock the nearer it gets to December. It's hard to find one in December at retail or lower generally speaking.
I love the jumper and scarf print on the top. It's nice to have fun different details.
Yer day one's wizard Harry!
I'm pretty sure there's a reason why Harry got such a generic torso. Also, is this the first time they've released an Advent Calendar where the photo of the flap interior doesn't show a single compartment that's already open?
@Brickalili:
In 2021, they debuted an Unsorted torso, with just a generic Hogwarts crest on a black tie, a plain sweater, and black robes. Unfortunately, you only got three of them, because Harry came in his hand-me-downs from before he ever left for Hogwarts.
@gatorbug6:
Costco never stocked it. I know of one Target that got them, but I never saw them in any stores near where I live. Meijer was hit or miss in my area. Walmart was the only chain that you could reliably find them at, without going online. Amazon did carry them, and was for a while the only source that had discounted them. I did end up being able to buy my two from Walmart online after Amazon sold out (what you're seeing there is resellers trying to flip them). They just weren't stocked as well as the other five. Possibly this is because they added a _sixth_ calendar this year, and retailers were only really prepared to stock five, but there's probably also a bit of the ol' controversy involved. Either purchasing agents declined to buy them for personal reasons, or because they had been convinced that the market is drying up. And sure, the FB movies appear to have been cut short, and the TV series is still a ways off, but the few HP calendars I saw were the first to sell out. Barnes & Noble still devotes an entire section to HP merch. There's still a fandom out there.
I had just decided to pick up a City calendar on discount, but when I went back to the store where I'd seen one, Disney and Marvel were the only ones they had left in stock.
What a surprise! It's HARRY POTTER!
@BaconKing said:
"Harry"
Osborne?
@PurpleDave
I remember one like that came in one of the very first HP sets, 4701. Was cool to see, they’ve got a very limited time frame to squeeze that design in!
Who else, to kick off the Harry Potter calendar, than The Boy Who Lived?
@Brickalili:
Oh, yeah, I wasn't thinking about the early HP sets. I just know that the modern torso first appeared in that HPAC, and has since popped up in at least one other set. And if you want to have a bunch of first-years approaching the castle on boats, that's the most appropriate torso to use.
'ARRY! What're ya doin' 'ere? People'll think yer up to no good!
@b2_O said:
" @BaconKing said:
"Harry"
Osborne?"
Wrong calendar.
@musix543 said:
" @gatorbug6 said:
"I can't find this advent calendar anywhere. All the rest are in stock online or on heavy sale. This one is $66 on Amazon right now... really popular one?"
Potentially, it could also be that advent calendars consistently go out of stock the nearer it gets to December. It's hard to find one in December at retail or lower generally speaking. "
Yeah, that is usual. 2023 was an anomaly. My Walmart had tons of all four ACs last year AFTER Christmas that they were discounted down to $9, including HP.
The HP calendars are excellent at providing parts and tiles with unique prints. This looks like we are off to another good start. Hoping to get the other three houses with printed crest tiles.
@MandalorianCandidate:
2019 wasn’t a slow year for HPAC at retail, too. I was reading the reviews, and liked it so much I went out and bought it in time to do triples for eight days. And then I liked that so much I scooped up ten more on deep discount before we closed our display at Detroit Symphony Orchestra, so that would have to have been no earlier than the 17th, and no later than the 19th.
But you’re right that last year was an anomaly. Walmart had the SWAC discounted almost as soon as it hit shelves.