Periodic table of LEGO colours still available
Posted by Huw,
The new improved version of WLWYB's popular periodic table of LEGO colours is still available and selling fast, so if you've not yet bought one, now would be a good time to do so.
Brickset readers can continue to enjoy a 10% discount on the retail price of €49.99 when using the code Brickset at checkout when purchasing at wlwyb.com.
If you're unfamiliar with the product, I have replicated our review of it after the break.
We reviewed the previous version back in 2021 and in terms of construction this one is much the same. The chart, which measures 300x400mm, consists of genuine LEGO pieces stuck onto a sheet of thick plastic card which is printed with information about the colours.
Version 2 of the chart featured 65 colours, this one has 75, and the boxes surrounding each one provide more information than before, including LEGO and BrickLink names and numbers, the number of sets containing the colour and the years of production.
The coloured square in the top left corner indicates whether it's a solid, glitter, transparent or other type, although that is largely obvious from the LEGO piece.
Luckily there's a key at the bottom which explains it all.
The current batch of 1,000 also has a holographic sticker in the bottom corner with a unique number written on it.
It's a vast improvement over version 2 both in terms of design and the information provided. The only thing that bothers me about it is the superfluous 'the' in the 'periodic table of the LEGO colours' title at the top, but that's probably subjective.
There are a few errors in the dates of introduction, which is frustrating, particularly as some have been carried over from v2.
If you don't know your bright yellowish green from your spring yellowish green then you could do worse than hang one of these in your LEGO room for reference.
It's available now from wlwyb.com and is priced at €49.99, but Brickset readers can enjoy a 10% discount by using the code Brickset at checkout.
Thanks to wlwtb for providing a sample to examine. All opinions expressed are my own.
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24 comments on this article
too expensive imho
does it include the new trans-black and the new orange?
It'd be nice to have one with the rarer colors. As a bricklink seller, I would be more interested in this if they:
* included all the colors
* Used an accurate solid fill of the color instead of the piece
* And maybe had a place to put your own pieces and fill it out yourself, like a quarter collector book
I am strangely compelled to build my own version using 2x2 samples for better visibility.
@R1_Drift said:
"does it include the new trans-black and the new orange?"
no.
@Wasthereonce said:
"It'd be nice to have one with the rarer colors. As a bricklink seller, I would be more interested in this if they:
* included all the colors
* Used an accurate solid fill of the color instead of the piece
* And maybe had a place to put your own pieces and fill it out yourself, like a quarter collector book"
I agree, and I love the idea of having a spot to fill in with your own pieces! That's a really smart idea, and would add a collection element to it.
I feel like this thing sits in a weird middle ground, where it's got too many gaps and errors to be an actual, useful reference. And it's just not visually interesting enough to be a decorative, conversation piece.
I wonder if they'd be better off ditching the "periodic table" metaphor completely, as it doesn't really make any sense in this context. Arrange the colors in a more traditional manner, by color / shade / brightness.
I bought one last year, it arrived with a giant crack in it, despite the shipping box looking pristine, so I emailed them and asked for a refund or replacement (ideally the latter).
They allegedly sent the replacement, but it’s been 7 months now and I haven’t received it, and they no longer respond to my support emails.
So, I can’t recommend ordering from WLWYB.
Why the different shape studs? I don't see it explained in the Key but I could be missing something.
@SinKiller_Nick said:
"Why the different shape studs? I don't see it explained in the Key but I could be missing something."
Not all colors were made into a singular part type.
The thing that bothers me about it is that it is not a periodic table. They've taken the shape of the periodic table of elements and stuffed LEGO colours into it, without actually considering relationships between colours.
Misreading the article made me realize I want a *Pedantic* Table of LEGO Colours. A version with a space for all the intentional colours, and extra room for some unintentional ones; like five different squares for Dark Red, for example.
So what was the number above? Was it 444 of 1000, 424 of 1000 or 4214 of 1000?
I think they should not indicate the number of sets using the colours because this makes the chart obsolete after half a year.
Would love to see it include closest Pantone and/or CMYK. But design is much nicer than the previous two. When comparing colors, having half your table be bright yellow is a distraction.
@HOBBES said:
"So what was the number above? Was it 444 of 1000, 424 of 1000 or 4214 of 1000?
I think they should not indicate the number of sets using the colours because this makes the chart obsolete after half a year."
It's clearly 42,4 of 1000. That leaves enaught space for more than 1000 numbered copies. ;D
Four Twofer Four of 1000? I wasn't prepared for this numbering with my public school education!
Maybe a color wheel would’ve been a better choice?
I have one hanging in my Lego home office setup. I like it. Nice addition to have on the wall.
@Wasthereonce said:
"It'd be nice to have one with the rarer colors. As a bricklink seller, I would be more interested in this if they:
* included all the colors
* Used an accurate solid fill of the color instead of the piece
* And maybe had a place to put your own pieces and fill it out yourself, like a quarter collector book"
You have some decent ideas.
I really appreciate the current design. I also understand why they don't have all the colors if availability/cost is prohibitive.
However, Lego fans can be quite completionist. We want a thorough resource. The rarer colors should be a highlight of this product rather than excluded. Provide a print of the excluded colors and that would also allow collectors to attach pieces as they are able to obtain them.
If they do that, I'm definitely getting Version 4.
I’d be all over this if it were more periodical and/or if I could read 1 pt font.
@yellowcastle said:
"I’d be all over this if it were more periodical and/or if I could read 1 pt font."
As there is no periodic order in the colours, any attempt to sort them that way is doomed to fall apart the moment one thinks any further than "haha cool!"
Just in defence of this item: I recently bought one and absolutely love it. I have the previous version and the black background is a massive improvement.
Periodicity: yeah, this table features none; it's a nice thing to look at, as any rainbow of colours is, and casual observers (and me) appreciate the similarity to the elemental table. It's a novelty rather than something Mendeleëv would have come up with, and if you get over that, you'll see its beauty. I am a 'fan' of chemistry, and pedantry, and if I can accept it as it is, anyone can!
I'm also an avid fan of LEGO (why else would I be here? :-) and like to have such a handy reference to the colours I'm likely to encounter. I am nothing of a completionist (and learned not too long ago that completionism is a fool's quest) so don't mind, or notice, the "missing" colours. Having said that, I was excited to see my first real-life piece of Maersk Blue LEGO!
In summary: it's called a periodic table because it looks a bit like one, and the naysayers should try to accept it for the useful novelty it is.
I'm surprised Brickset is hyping this AGAIN given all the issues with the current iteration that were pointed out last time (and again above). I really can't justify buying this.
@PDelahanty said:
"I'm surprised Brickset is hyping this AGAIN given all the issues with the current iteration that were pointed out last time (and again above). I really can't justify buying this."
The fact of the matter is that articles about it are still viewed thousands of times and people are still buying it with our discount code, so as long as that continues we'll 'hype' it again from time to time.
I've ordered the V3.0, 2023 and i really like it. I don't use it for exact reference or something similar. It's just a nice "picture" on the wall, a gimmick for AFOLs.
I've ordered in time for xmas '23 and WLWYB delivered as promised.