Much like its predecessors, it's cute and charming enough, but I doubt it'll get me to spend £170

I mean, looks nice, but I was really hoping the speculative rumors about another medieval remake to go with the village had been true instead

Very pleased that this series of freebies is coming out. Still a long list of Lego Exclusives I want to get and I'm not really interested in the upcoming Ninjago ones. But these look rather good. Up next... Betting Shop, Off Licence and Pawnbroker!

@jkb said:
"Nice to see LEGO imitate chinese competition for a change X)"

This. Except this won't be a €10 set, but "free" if you spend a whole lot more....

That said, this one looks quite nice, at least from the front. Better than those houses of the world. The one thing that got me a bit puzzled though: that second "Florist" sign shown in that first picture. Why? And are those prints, or just clear backed stickers?

Unlike 40712, this one surely won't entice me to order stuff directly from Lego.

@fakespacesquid said:
""I don't have a good way to display them"
- You don't have...shelves?"

They are COVERED with vintage minifig-scale sets and MOCs. Modulars will make the center of my future town. Creator buildings and MOCs around those.

These are an odd scale between micro and minifig, sort of a mini if you will. Doesn't really fit in with the actual micro MOCs I have, and not with minifigs. So the displaying, in a logical manner, is tough.

@fakespacesquid said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"I'm sure that if these were regular retail releases, they'd fly off the shelf, because they look great. It would also be a nice way for folks to have modular style buildings without breaking the bank or having to devote a tonne of space to LEGO -- but to get these you do need to break the bank for either large sets or a lot of small once. Missed opportunity, I think."

"but to get these you do need to break the bank for either large sets or a lot of small once. Missed opportunity"
- My friend, that ***IS*** the opportunity. Lego could either make a $10-20 set, and get the profits from a $10-20 set. OR. They could make a $10-20 set, and require people to buy $150-250 worth of other sets, that they wouldn't have bought otherwise. It doesn't take an accountant to tell you which one is a smarter decision.
"

It's honestly not a set I, and many others like me, definitely want or need, at least not enough to splash 250 bucks over I wouldn't otherwise spend. Mostly because it isn't minifig scale. GWPs for me really only are extra incentives to buy sets that are on my list anyway and that I can't find at a reasonable discount elsewhere.

And it's not like GWPs are super rare anyway. You can get these on the after market for 20-30 bucks, if you'd really want them. I'd advise you to do so too, instead of buying big expensive sets just because of GWP FOMO. It would make your accountant happier as well.

@fakespacesquid said:
"Can we all agree to stop acting like GWPs are a bad business decision? Cuz they're a very good business decision. You don't need to love them, cuz a good business decision isn't always exactly what the customer wants. But it's just silly to say that TLG is missing out on profit by doing it this way. I assure you. They are not.
"

I never said this was a bad idea from a business perspective. I'm sure TLG knows perfectly well what they're doing, for the most part at least, but I think not offering sets like these at retail is a missed opportunity for customers.

It's very clear you're a huge LEGO fanboy who doesn't mind spending your hard-earned money on big LEGO sets, but a large portion of people who like the brand aren't, and they're unlikely to buy a highly priced set just to get a small GWP. They may not even be aware of GWPs like these, because not everybody knows about this stuff or visits sites like Brickset on a daily basis. Having sets like these at retail might, however, entice them to buy them.

Like this guy... ;-)

@lost_scotsman said:
"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD TLG JUST SELL THESE!!!
I'd buy multiple. I have no space to put Modular Buildings anymore and I'm not really into the interiors, they sit unseen behind the gorgeous facades. These at least go nicely on my bookcase and make great little bookends.
"

Agreed, they're great for on book shelves or cases. Not everybody has a LEGO room to accommodate an entire city.

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"I'm sure that if these were regular retail releases, they'd fly off the shelf, because they look great. It would also be a nice way for folks to have modular style buildings without breaking the bank or having to devote a tonne of space to LEGO -- but to get these you do need to break the bank for either large sets or a lot of small once. Missed opportunity, I think."

I cannot see them flying of the shelf at £25. Maybe at £20. Probably at £15 and definitely at £10. At 338 pieces, I imagine it would be £20.

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @fakespacesquid said:
""but to get these you do need to break the bank for either large sets or a lot of small once. Missed opportunity"
- My friend, that ***IS*** the opportunity. Lego could either make a $10-20 set, and get the profits from a $10-20 set. OR. They could make a $10-20 set, and require people to buy $150-250 worth of other sets, that they wouldn't have bought otherwise. It doesn't take an accountant to tell you which one is a smarter decision.
"

It's honestly not a set I, and many others like me, definitely want or need, at least not enough to splash 250 bucks over I wouldn't otherwise spend. Mostly because it isn't minifig scale. GWPs for me really only are extra incentives to buy sets that are on my list anyway and that I can't find at a reasonable discount elsewhere.

And it's not like GWPs are super rare anyway. You can get these on the after market for 20-30 bucks, if you'd really want them. I'd advise you to do so too, instead of buying big expensive sets just because of GWP FOMO. It would make your accountant happier as well.

@fakespacesquid said:
"Can we all agree to stop acting like GWPs are a bad business decision? Cuz they're a very good business decision. You don't need to love them, cuz a good business decision isn't always exactly what the customer wants. But it's just silly to say that TLG is missing out on profit by doing it this way. I assure you. They are not.
"

I never said this was a bad idea from a business perspective. I'm sure TLG knows perfectly well what they're doing, for the most part at least, but I think not offering sets like these at retail is a missed opportunity for customers.

It's very clear you're a huge LEGO fanboy who doesn't mind spending your hard-earned money on big LEGO sets, but a large portion of people who like the brand aren't, and they're unlikely to buy a highly priced set just to get a small GWP. They may not even be aware of GWPs like these, because not everybody knows about this stuff or visits sites like Brickset on a daily basis. Having sets like these at retail might, however, entice them to buy them.

Like this guy... ;-)"

I think the last GWP I got was the Easter Basket, which came with a $70 spend. Not sure where you got the idea that I splash out on big sets, just to get free tiny sets, but it's not correct. But a lot of people do, and that's why TLG does it this way.

And you're right, getting these on the aftermarket is very easy and often way cheaper! Another good reason for why complaints about GWPs don't make much sense.

You could also just go find the pieces and make it yourself! That's the one that I'd recommend the most, since you get a bit more ownership and creativity than just buying a box and following the instructions.

As for the reasoning of "some people might not know about it"... I have a hard time believing most people know about more than 50% of sets out there. Them not knowing about a couple more sets doesn't rub me the wrong way

Once again, a GWP that should've been a regular release set.

Hmm... this doesn't look much like Classic Space. Easy pass.

Sure, it's kinda cute. I do own HOTW 2 and 4, but that was only because it coincided with x2 points or other sale/GWP. Not going out of my way to get this.

This is truly the set that will make castle fans purchase 10332 on day one.
A bit weird that lego will launch both micro ninjago city and HotW 2.0, seems like a micro overdose.
Threshold has gotten lower but just like with the HotW lego will need 2 runs to sell them all.

@cody6268 enough people will just sell them just wait patiently

Instead of having GWP I'd rather see these sets offered as rewards for Insiders/VIP.... or better yet, just sell them directly to everyone.

But where is 40703 ? :\

@studless_terrain said:
"But where is 40703 ? :\"

Exactly what I was wondering

@studless_terrain said:
"But where is 40703 ? :\"

Has TLG actually announced it yet? Or are we still going off accidental reveals?

On the GWPs:

Lego has something called: Lego Exclusives. Only Lego can sell those (minus very rare exceptions). Buy these sets to get the GWPs that tickle your fancy - you won't find them anywhere else. Do not buy those set on day one - wait for a GWP you like.

On this set (and some others):

I do not like (at all) the new trend of miniature buildings. I think 'midi' scale is good for some SW large spaceships but that's about it. I'm not a fan of HOTW and this one (40680) but I can understand that some people would like them and find them easier to exhibit than some very large modulars. But it will be a real downside if Lego is shrinking everything (even if only for GWP) and starts to make 'baby' fig scale sets as a regular thing. Did you realise that 40712 has more parts than 920-2 (which it tries to recreate)? 920-2 WAS minifig scale and was/is spectacular - at the time and still to this day!

@Ridgeheart said:
"They don't sell any fauna here? Hmph. Florists."
Well, this *is* the first of a series, maybe there'll be a pet shop in there.

@WizardOfOss: The second sign has a different style; it's to allow for a bit of customization.

@dimc said:
"I mostly don't get the appeal of these."

They're limited editions.

@fakespacesquid said:
" @studless_terrain said:
"But where is 40703 ? :\"

Has TLG actually announced it yet? Or are we still going off accidental reveals?"

It was available in January for China and, apparently also at Billund at some point.. but it doesn't exist for the rest of the world

@studless_terrain said:
" @fakespacesquid said:
" @studless_terrain said:
"But where is 40703 ? :\"

Has TLG actually announced it yet? Or are we still going off accidental reveals?"

It was available in January for China and, apparently also at Billund at some point.. but it doesn't exist for the rest of the world"

Available? Cuz the set page says it hasn’t been released yet, no one has it marked as “Owned,” and the news article only says that it was revealed in China.

I think a lot of the GWP debate above misses a key point: that these specific midi-scale buildings have thus far been ONLY available as GWP sets. I think if these sorts of sets appeal to you, it’s reasonable to want them available as regular releases. I fully understand that the point of an enticing GWP is to make you buy other stuff to get it, but what if the GWP is the only thing you want? And as far as “LEGO wants you to buy from them and not another retailer”, they could just make them exclusively available through them? I’d wager these types of sets primarily appeal to adults, so they could absolutely target the “I would love to have Modular Buildings but don’t have enough room for them” market.

Anyway, I think these are cute, and though I wasn’t able to get the Houses of the World, I may see if I can get these shop ones.

@Starik20X7 said:
" I think a lot of the GWP debate above misses a key point: that these specific midi-scale buildings have thus far been ONLY available as GWP sets. I think if these sorts of sets appeal to you, it’s reasonable to want them available as regular releases. I fully understand that the point of an enticing GWP is to make you buy other stuff to get it, but what if the GWP is the only thing you want? And as far as “LEGO wants you to buy from them and not another retailer”, they could just make them exclusively available through them? I’d wager these types of sets primarily appeal to adults, so they could absolutely target the “I would love to have Modular Buildings but don’t have enough room for them” market.

Anyway, I think these are cute, and though I wasn’t able to get the Houses of the World, I may see if I can get these shop ones."

It's reasonable to want it, sure! I can't begrudge anyone that, my issue is when people act like TLG is making a bad marketing decision by doing it. People don't always like it when the MCU has quippy dialogue, but that's part of what made their movies pull in billions of $ so we can't act like it's a silly decision.

If someone were to be a devil's advocate, they could say that Lego *is* targeting that market by offering sets like this. "You don't want any of the other big sets? Ok, but you'll need to buy those to get the thing you do want." (And again, these sets wouldn't be impossible to recreate with pieces at home)

@fakespacesquid said:
" @Starik20X7 said:
" I think a lot of the GWP debate above misses a key point: that these specific midi-scale buildings have thus far been ONLY available as GWP sets. I think if these sorts of sets appeal to you, it’s reasonable to want them available as regular releases. I fully understand that the point of an enticing GWP is to make you buy other stuff to get it, but what if the GWP is the only thing you want? And as far as “LEGO wants you to buy from them and not another retailer”, they could just make them exclusively available through them? I’d wager these types of sets primarily appeal to adults, so they could absolutely target the “I would love to have Modular Buildings but don’t have enough room for them” market.

Anyway, I think these are cute, and though I wasn’t able to get the Houses of the World, I may see if I can get these shop ones."

It's reasonable to want it, sure! I can't begrudge anyone that, my issue is when people act like TLG is making a bad marketing decision by doing it. People don't always like it when the MCU has quippy dialogue, but that's part of what made their movies pull in billions of $ so we can't act like it's a silly decision.

If someone were to be a devil's advocate, they could say that Lego *is* targeting that market by offering sets like this. "You don't want any of the other big sets? Ok, but you'll need to buy those to get the thing you do want." (And again, these sets wouldn't be impossible to recreate with pieces at home)"

I just wish it could be both: "You can buy this set for $X, but if you spend $Y you get that set for free". It's also a bummer when there's a GWP you want, but all the big ticket items on your wishlist are either "out of stock" or "coming soon". Wish they'd always have the option to pre/back order to combat that.

@Starik20X7 said:
" @fakespacesquid said:
" @Starik20X7 said:
" I think a lot of the GWP debate above misses a key point: that these specific midi-scale buildings have thus far been ONLY available as GWP sets. I think if these sorts of sets appeal to you, it’s reasonable to want them available as regular releases. I fully understand that the point of an enticing GWP is to make you buy other stuff to get it, but what if the GWP is the only thing you want? And as far as “LEGO wants you to buy from them and not another retailer”, they could just make them exclusively available through them? I’d wager these types of sets primarily appeal to adults, so they could absolutely target the “I would love to have Modular Buildings but don’t have enough room for them” market.

Anyway, I think these are cute, and though I wasn’t able to get the Houses of the World, I may see if I can get these shop ones."

It's reasonable to want it, sure! I can't begrudge anyone that, my issue is when people act like TLG is making a bad marketing decision by doing it. People don't always like it when the MCU has quippy dialogue, but that's part of what made their movies pull in billions of $ so we can't act like it's a silly decision.

If someone were to be a devil's advocate, they could say that Lego *is* targeting that market by offering sets like this. "You don't want any of the other big sets? Ok, but you'll need to buy those to get the thing you do want." (And again, these sets wouldn't be impossible to recreate with pieces at home)"

I just wish it could be both: "You can buy this set for $X, but if you spend $Y you get that set for free". It's also a bummer when there's a GWP you want, but all the big ticket items on your wishlist are either "out of stock" or "coming soon". Wish they'd always have the option to pre/back order to combat that."

But that loops back into it, they're trying to push all the stuff that isn't out of stock. Pre-orders would totally defeat that

Modular city buildings after shrinkflation!

@person_that_uses_brickset said:
"No Star Wars mini figure polybag, no reason to make a purchase for it."

I genuinely can't tell if this is sarcasm or not

I hope Lego are fixing all the OUT OF STOCKS on their site so I can get these and other gwp’s. Struggling to find stuff to buy as it is. Taken me 4 months just to get a Cantina. And even then, it’s backordered.

I love this and would love to add it to my collection of the houses of the world. Might have to start spending again! ??

Where the heck is Mini Ninjago City?!

@fakespacesquid said:
[[ @Starik20X7 said:
[[ @fakespacesquid said:
[[ @Starik20X7 said:
[[ I think a lot of the GWP debate above misses a key point.... If someone were to be a devil's advocate, they could say that Lego *is* targeting that market by offering sets like this. "You don't want any of the other big sets? Ok, but you'll need to buy those to get the thing you do want." ...]]

I just wish it could be both....]]

Did someone say, 'Devil's Advocate'?
I'm here.

@WizardOfOss said:
" @jkb said:
"Nice to see LEGO imitate chinese competition for a change X)"

This. Except this won't be a €10 set, but "free" if you spend a whole lot more....

That said, this one looks quite nice, at least from the front. Better than those houses of the world. The one thing that got me a bit puzzled though: that second "Florist" sign shown in that first picture. Why? And are those prints, or just clear backed stickers?

Unlike 40712, this one surely won't entice me to order stuff directly from Lego."

I noticed what appear to be two different fonts for the same piece.

@Boettner_Builds said:
"Where the heck is Mini Ninjago City?!"

Lego insider rewards center. 2700 points