I missed out on that set and I'm really happy right now! :)
And it is "cheap"! 70€ is great.

Yeah, what? It's got a few new face prints a sort of updated building. Not overly impressed.

What a waste!

If they were going to re-release something why not the train first?

One extra minifig, all the rest (bar one) changed, new toys, a few different colours, and that's it. Oh well, it'll save me money this year.

Very lazy on Lego's part. I hope sales of it tank - it would serve them right. However, I suspect that those who weren't back into Lego 5 years or so ago will buy it in droves.

I'm actually glad they're re-releasing it. Of course, the completist in me might still look for the original version (the only Winter Village set I'm missing), but it will be a much softer want now.
I know LEGO ruled out re-releasing the early Modulars and UCS Falcon, but I for one would love it if they changed their mind. Anything to give flippers a hard time will make my day. :)

Huh. Well, I guess this will be my third year in a row of not buying a winter village set. It looks great, of course--the details are definitely an improvement over the original. But I have the original, and it's not enough of an improvement to warrant an $80 purchase. Too bad those flags will probably be pretty expensive.

Changes I've spotted:
Most of the minifigs have different outfits, they added an extra minifig, one of the skiers now has a snowboard, and the other's skis are updated.
The snowman is a little different and now holds a broom.
The jack-in-the-box had a color change, and the rest of the toys from 'under the tree' are different (instead of a robot, there is now a plane, boat, helicopter, and rocket).
All the wreaths have been updated.
The toy shop itself had some color changes. The awning looks more red, and the browns look lighter (although that could be just a difference in the pictures). The doorknob is now gold, and the 'streamers' below the wreath are now green instead of grey. The flag has some sort of wording or logo on it.
A box has been added to carry the wrapped gift in.

The changes are cool for anyone that doesn't have this set yet, but I'll stick with the one I have. Especially since some of those shirt printings are used in the other WV sets, keeping the old one helps show some variety around the village. But as was said, it's disappointing that there's not going to be a new set this year. There's still plenty of things they could make: a general store, a ski lodge, a cottage that looks more like a log cabin, a train station with a holiday themed train that can go around the village, etc.

I'm really happy with this decision as I missed out the first time around and have always wanted this set. If they are re-releasing this set, maybe there is hope for other discontinued sets such as the early modulars for example. Bit disappointing if you already have the set though, I've got a feeling this decision will be a love it or hate it situation.

Huge disappointment- WV was one of the things that brought me out of my dark ages so it's sad to see it pushed to the side like this. Guess I'm going to finally Christmas-up Diagon Alley to add to the village this year.

Interesting. I'm conflicted on this one. I only started collecting the WV sets after an impulse buy of Santa's Workshop last year. Loved it and vowed to pick up the rest. Since then I've been slowly adding to my collection (paid 160 euro for a MISB Cottage recently) but wow, some of the prices are just severe. Particularly the original Toy Shop. So much so that I was recently questioning whether I wanted to continue. Did I want that Airjitsu Temple or a relatively small old set.

So, while this saves me that dilemma; I'm now wondering about the future of the theme. Are they out of ideas already? Truth be told SW, wasn't exactly in keeping with the rest of the theme. I know I'd be annoyed if I was collecting from the start. I would like to see another bunch of "Legends" sets. I think the market is there for it this time. I know I'd love not to pay the prices of a Cafe Corner, but I don't want that at the expense of original sets.

Wait! I see something new that makes it all worth it!!

A BRICK SEPARATOR!

For our American friends, this is called sarcasm.

I did not see that coming...

...it gives me hope we will see a re-release of Cafe Corner and Green Grocer soon :)

Raw inflation makes $59.99 in 2009 dollars equal to about $67.00 in 2015 - but that's raw average; certain areas (such as petroleum based plastics, I'm sure) are increased in price by more than average inflation as well as their own increase in cost-to-produce.

I see the price being in line with current market.

I must admit that I am a little disappointed as I have managed to get a Used version of this and was looking forward to getting something new this year. I don't have the bakery or the post office and this makes me wonder if I should hang off to see if they are remade?

I guess I can spend the money on something for my Halloween display instead.

While I'm happy for all those who missed out the first time now being able to pick this up, I've been collecting this series from the start and to have a new release design passed over for a lazy re-release is very disappointing.

I'm not going to lie, this straight up angers me a little bit.

If they can update this a little bit and then re-release it, why not update the UCS Millennium Falcon a little bit and re-release it?

It's a moot point now though, because any UCS Falcon coming out now would be based on the new movies, but my point still holds.

Although the upcharge on this set is kind of ridiculous too. I don't see how they did enough to justify upping the price by $20.

I think wait till after Christmas and buy it cheap. There's a few minifigs that might be good, plus using the parts for a MOC Winter Village

At least it gives people a second chance for those who don't have it already...

I dont have this set so I'm glad to see this re-release.
And I hope that LEGO will re-release another rare and retired sets (Haunted House!)

Ah, given that I don't have the original and aftermarket prices are what they are, I actually don't mind (like some others here). But overall, it is a bit, well, unimaginative I guess.

6 years of inflation justifies the price increase.

Nothing justifies being lazy.

I really wanted them to re- release the Post Office. That mail delivery truck was so....awesome and vintage.

For the rest of us blokes who missed out, huzzah!

I really hope they dont keep re-releasing the old sets but I guess if they do I can get another cottage and mod it for my scene. Though I am going kick myself for buying the old sets (toy shop, post office and bakery) for aftermarket prices, @$120 each, if they re-release those.

Winter Villiage brought me out of my Dark Ages as well, so this is a disappointment for me.

I wonder if all the other things going on played a role in this decision? With a new Star Wars line, Scooby Doo and Lego Dimensions, perhaps they thought they'd be less of a market for a new WV set.

That will save us some cash this year then. Pretty weak to not produce a new WV set, just rehash an older one.

Mind you, that's what they've been doing with the advent calendars too the last few years isn't it?

I think it's great that they're bringing this back since I didn't get the old one and want that tree for years

As someone who missed it last time round, I'm pleased to see it.

It's certainly been amusing seeing the number of the original set appearing on ebay in the last few weeks as rumours circulated!

Very disappointed.

I don't have a strong opinion on re-releasing old sets. However, the WV sets are something that many Lego fans look forward to as summer ends and Christmas approaches. To dump an old set on us is just lazy on the part of Lego, and soul-crushing for all the Lego fans waiting anxiously for the new release.

It would be different, maybe even welcomed, if they re-released an old Star Wars or Modular set in the middle of June. But to give us an old WV set, it's like waiting all year for Christmas and then getting socks in your package. Very disappointing.

NOT the smartest move from Lego IMHO. It'll put off more people than it helps with the rehash since the set has minimal refresh in the minis and accents. It's least the 5+ AT AT and Falcons are different sizes or significant changes--the buildings are essentially untouched.-- at least make a mirror image or give variant build for original buyers of the series.

Frankly, it's a bit of a relief; these were getting expensive every year, and I still haven't built most of the ones I have got!

The green rings and the dark-green technic 'garlands' on the shop are a nice improvement, as is a proper teddy-bear. But the jack-in-the-box change is just so they can re-use the collectible minifig jester's hat. And the snowman still looks rubbish, just like every other attempt LEGO makes at a minifig-scale snowman.

Quite disappointing generally but at least this means those who missed out first time will get a second chance to get it without forking hundreds on eBay and Amazon.

As an owner of the original, at least this means I can save some good budget on the set this year.

Does this mean the bakery is coming next year though?

As an owner of the original 10199 toyshop, I don't mind getting this new version and mod a mirror image of the building to expand it.

Also welcomed are the new printed toyshop sign and caroling faces. And the new mini toy designs. And get more pine trees in a current set.

I had to check the date then as at first I thought it was an April fools.
I imagine some who missed the original will be pleased, but I'm disappointed. The new winter village set is something I look forward to each year. This isn't new.

...and that guy with the carrot still has nowhere to stick it!

The issue is not the re-release as much as it is the only WV set this year. That is annoying. Cafe Corner or Green Grocer updated would be great too, but not as the only modular of the year...
But on the other side of the argument, perhaps if this does well TLG will consider some more classic update/re-releases, or is a sign that they already have some other classics in the pipeline, working about three years ahead in planning. So I hope that everyone who didn't get it the first time around gets it now to encourage the prospects. I could use a UCS Falcon, an Eiffel Tower, a Taj Mahal, and a Grand Carousel at realistic prices!

Im happy with this!

What if this is a misdirect and they are actually doing another WV set?

They have no excuse not to re-release other sets now. They have said multiple times they wouldn't revisit old sets because they will attract a larger audience by making something new...which shows by this discussion.

I agree with everyone else about laziness on their part. But it also looks like a lot of people who own the original plan to buy this one anyway, so I doubt sales will plummet.

I don't see how they are out of ideas already though. That is very sad. There is still lots to do, but since they always have to have a "story" they probably limit themselves.

I do also agree about why not re-doing the Winter train??? That would have Winter Village fans AND train enthusiasts all over that.

This will be the first in the series I will not be purchasing.

This set "the old one" was my first and do not mind an update, even a small one.
Since then, I cant find the old one in the Storage.

I'm disappointed at the amount of whining about reissuing a fantastic set that is selling for 4 times the prices by resellers now. It's a good thing for LEGO to do this for all of the collectors who weren't able to purchase the set 6 years ago. In fact, even though I already own the original, I'll be getting this one anyway to show support and hope LEGO reissues other iconic sets like some of the old modulars not many were able to get. The parts can be used to MOC a different building and still be added to our complete villages.

Lego this is really really really not what you should be doing for multiple reasons.

1. It is not up to YOU Lego to decide what set is re-released. Its up to the fans, and that's US. It is just a lack of interest in the Lego fans and a lack of respect for the Lego fans and collectors. Lego shame on you.
2. Re-releasing sets of a series that only have like 6 sets shows an absolute lack of inspiration by your team Lego. I say fire your Winter-series team. You should have asked us if you had no more ideas. US!! the fans!!! Read this forum. Plenty of ideas. Again, no respecting the fans.
3. Lego you should think of all those die-hard fans who bought way to expensive sets they missed only because they love the theme so much. Have you even seen the prices of original sets on ebay? No you haven't. People worked there ..... off just to be able to complete a theme, just to be able to buy that one particular set. And what do you do Lego? You laugh at them in the face. In my face for instance. I'm one of those idiots who bought the original Winter Toy shop because I got out of my dark ages too late. If I had known that there would have been a re-release, it would have saved me a lot of money. Now I feel like a really big idiot.

So Lego, learn from this big mistake. I see only one way Lego can make this right again.
Release a NEW Winter set this year AND ask THE FANS what sets they would love to see re-released. Re-release 1 or 2 sets every year and you have a lot of happy fans who will love you for it.

I am thrilled to have a re-release of this set as I didn't get it the first time. I do have to agree though, why the price increase when the update is mainly with the mini-figures? Either way I will get it. Just wish it wasn't $99.99 CDN...sigh

I'm glad they brought it back. I only have some of the parts from the original Toyshop from grab bags (remember those?). I didn't start buying this series until the Post Office. I hope they release a new Bakery next season.

On the one hand I'm a little disappointed. I already have the original WVTS, so I probably won't buy this one. There just aren't enough new features to justify another purchase.

On the other hand, I'm somewhat happy about this. If it's a successful relaunch, TLG might consider an updated release of Cafe Corner, Green Grocer, etc.

Quite disappointing as I have really enjoyed the WV sets and thought that they had made a good job with providing quite a bit of variety - maybe this marks the end of the WV line - to be fair, I have seen quite a few of the WV sets shelfwarming in stores well into the next year.

And also a shame that I can't sell my own spare WV Toy Shop for a small fortune but hey ho :)

I will be really curious to see if there are loads of these on 50% off clearance after the holidays.

What a relief! I really don't need any more Lego and am complete with the Winter Village and little Christmas freebies. Next, please stop making new trains!

@ Paperballpark: your sarcasm was so obvious that even a moron would understand which makes your "for our American friends..." comment very insulting. What, you don't think Americans are clever enough to get your lame sense of humor?

Should've gotten this in 2009 when it was $20 dollars cheaper.

Since they're re-releasing this it makes me wonder if next year we'll have a brand new corner modular and then in 2017 they'll start re-releasing modulars, since next year's model would make it a complete square.

Even though this is a rerelease, I still see it selling well. Based on the comments here, there are quite a few people that missed out on this one, or may never had picked up any WV sets to begin with that may start doing so. And heck, its a holiday set so that will sell well at any of the Lego shops, since a lot of folks won't even realise or care that its a rerelease.

While I own the original, I like a few of the changes like the green instead of gray swags, the sign, and the updated carolers. I may have to hit BrickLink to pick up those and integrate into the original.

Really put off by the lack of acknowledgement for Jamie Berard, who designed the original 10199.

Well, I came back to Lego too late to have bought the original version, so it's not all disappointing for me. Maybe this is a jab at all the high priced resellers? Eh, I doubt that they are bothered by that.
I think they just have allocated most of their designers to all the 'new' themes.. They are all working on more Scoobie Dooze... (How's that for sarcasm?) haha.

I designed a train station, currently looking for support on Lego Ideas. Several people think it would make a great Winter Village set, if interested, take a look. Here is a link: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/107984

LEGO Shop have posted a very quick follow up after posting pictures on Facebook:

Hi everyone, thanks so much for sharing your feedback about this year's release in the Winter Village series. The Winter Village Toy Shop was a huge hit when it launched as the first set in the series back in 2009. We're excited to announce it's back.

Our designers have made several updates including adding some new printed details, additional bricks and elements along with a new minifigure.This 2015 version offers a great building experience to both those fans who have the original set, and those who may be new to the Winter Village series.

This is not an indication of any future re-release or set updates.

LEGO have trained us for the last few decades that they don't do re-issues otherwise we would have seen UCS Falcon or Cafe Corner released. When they have issued an updated model such as X-Wing or Millennium Falcon there have been considerable build modifications or updates to justify the release.

Something seems to have gone wrong here with either the design team, marketing or production, and we'll probably never know.

This absolutely breaks my heart. I am very happy for those that did not receive this set in 2009 and now have a chance to grab it. But I love Christmas, I love the winter village. This is the theme that I am most excited about seeing what is new. More than the new modulars, super heroes or anything else.

I love growing my holiday village and it is something I look forward to all year long. These sets have become a Christmas tradition for me and I am not trying to be dramatic but the holiday just won't be the same for me.

Okay, I have my own theory on why we are getting the toy shop again. Here it is;

TLG was killing off the WV line after Santa's workshop last year and it was revealed that "the workshop would be a great to complete your winter village layout." Due to overwhelming feedback to keep the line going they needed something to kick out in time for this year holiday season. The production time to develop a set was too long so they jumped on a high demand previous set and now we are getting the toy shop.

With that theory out there I like it and will likely get this one to go with my layout. Because you know all my minifigures need toys to play with in "mini-jusjeffville." It will help alleviate the one toy shop that doesn't produce enough handmade brick built Danish toys each year.

They should re-release the death star.

@Paperballpark: dunno about UK, but as far as continental Europe's concerned, it's more like six years of deflation. So if anything, they owe us a 20% price drop.

Mixed feelings about this. I picked up the original, used, for a decent price last year, so I feel no major compulsion to get this. It means I can put the the cost towards something else.

On the other hand, it seems a terrible waste of the release slot....

@JusJeff - I'll go along with that theory. It seems plausible.

I'd also go with a theory that perhaps they didn't have capacity to come up with a new set since they had quite a few new lines/themes this year: Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Elves, Pirates, etc. Althought I'm sure they've had that many new things in previous years.

Inflation does not justify a $20 price increase for this.

Also, am I the only person that prefers the old wreath design over the new pieces they're using for them?

@SithLord196 - I also like the old wreath design, it seems more 'Lego-ie' than the toilet seats

I am really happy about this. My first attempt at buying a WV set was the first Toy Shop from shop @home but somehow the set got lost in the mail and it must have been one of their last because they weren't able to send another so went for the Post Office instead.

And why are people complaining about the fact that TLG is releasing an update to one of their sets? It's not like they haven't done this before. How many Jabba's Barges or Sith Infiltrators or pirate ships, medieval castles, fire stations etc... has there been over the years? Yes so the changes are quite small but given that it's an improvement on the original (I like the newer carol singers for example) it's a bonus for those of us who haven't had a chance to get it the first time.

Now I'm curious to know what the bonus set(s) you get around October time will be this year.

By the way, I have the red passenger train from 2010 and it works well as part of the theme if you just leave out the platform.

It would be interesting to try to combine the two to make a larger toy shop.

In protest I will paint an actual toilet seat green, decorate it, and parade in front of my local Lego store on release day.

Haha, beat me to it on the 'toilet seat' wreaths..way too thin to look like a wreath, and matter of fact, I use the 'life preserver' as a toilet seat more than anything else... ;-) and a green toilet seat? Just like my parent's 1960's bathroom.. :-)

I couldn't be more thrilled! Being one that missed out on the first bunch of winter village sets since I didn't emerge from my dark age until 2013, I'm so happy to be able to get this set now. I hope they re-release all the others too because aftermarket prices on them are insane!

AFOLs are always asking TLG to re-release sets... and then complain when they actually do.

It looks like a nice update and a great opportunity for people to pick up something they they previously missed out on. If you actually look at the old set it's rather plain (especially the figs using stock or blank torsos etc).

So what else is on their re-release list? Hopefully Cafe Corner and Green Grocer for a start.

@farsidehobbes, that's pretty much my reasoning behind preferring the older wreath style as well. They look more like Lego, and they have a lot more character than the new ones do. Most wreaths I've seen aren't that smooth unless they're artificial.

My issue is Lego has said for years they wouldn't re-release collector style sets such as this, but have now done exactly the opposite. Plus I don't really agree with just adding a few pieces and upping the price by $20. There's no reason to not re-release the Taj Mahal or Millennium Falcon now, or even the Yoda sculpture.

@JusJeff's theory makes sense to me. The Market and Workshop were stretching the initial theme. What other ideas could they have done?

@Padraig - search "Christmas Village Model", disregard any that are obviously religious or alcohol serving buildings and you'll see there's still a huge amount of stuff they could have done!

What a shame, the Winter Village is one of the highlights of the year for me. Expanding the village along several window sills in the lounge has become a tradition in our house (well houses as we've been collecting this theme for longer than we have been living in our house!) but I guess we have come to an end this year as we already have a toy shop!

I suppose it could be retooled as something else but I'm very doubtful that I will buy it.

Sad times for me.

I think its fantastic. It's a great set. If you don't want it, don't buy it? I'm sure they don't expect everybody that already has it to go right out and get this one, but there clearly was demand deemed worthy of a re-issue, with sounds like some incremental improvements.

here here!

Dan.

Utter disappointment.
The issue isn't a re-release.
The issue is what looks like the utter lack of anything new in this theme.

I'm very happy for those that missed it the first round. This is a rare opportunity, so I really hope the angry people don't overshadow those that are happy to see it re-released.

For those that need something to add to your Christmas village this year, consider 31038 Changing Seasons.

http://brickset.com/sets/31038-1/Changing-Seasons

One of the alternate models is a cute little house decorate for Christmas. That's probably what I'll be getting instead of this with my very limited Lego budget.

I think this is fantastic news. It's a great set that I don't have and really want. :) happy days!

So in summary...

- If you have the set already and look forward to the tradition of building a new Winter Village Set with your family then you are disappointed.
- Else if you don't have the set already cause you missed it then you are over the moon to have the opportunity to pick it up brand new.
- Else you are probably pretty ambivalent.

It's a bit of a shame that they couldn't have done a) new set for the group 1 people and b) re-released the Toy Shop for group 2 people.

I am actually quite pleased Lego are re-releasing this as I missed out the first time around. I actually wish Lego would re-release more sought after collector sets to stop people charging ridiculous amounts on eBay for them.

Easy pass since we have the original. Was hoping to expand the village this year though. Oh well, I'll buy the kids the Star Wars and Friends Advent Calendars now instead.

I have no problem with Lego re-releasing this set for those that missed out, but what about those that already own it and look forward to expanding their village?! This is not fantastic, as others have mentioned, but very sad as it is most likely the demise of a great series! What really angers me is that made us wait, why the secrecy? Why didn't they unveil it with the others earlier this year? So disappointed....

This is pretty shoddy stuff from LEGO to be frank. As many have said above, it's not the re-issue (for those who missed out first time) that's the problem but the lack of new set for collectors in 2015. It was the WV theme that brought our family back into LEGO starting with 10199 but our loyalty over the years is apparently worth nothing. I certainly don't begrudge the 10199-missers their opportunity to get it, but LEGO have prioritised their needs over loyalists of several years standing.

We certainly won't be buying.

And we're sure there won't be another one this year?

Maybe they'll finally bring out a few smaller WV sets (like the 'specials' for orders over £X, just on standard release) to help ease the pain a bit.

The idea of releasing the set with an alt build set of instructions for those who already have the OG set was a great idea. Huw I feel a competition opportunity.....

I can't say that negative comments surprise me; only that there are so many of them.

From the company's perspective, I believe they're doing the right thing and putting the customer first. Unfortunately however, you can only please some of the people some of the time... Now that a re-release has finally occurred, it just so happens to be the wrong product category.

Well, ask yourselves - who is the target audience? Seasonal sets like these, in this price range and design, are aimed towards families who want some decoration at Christmas. Re-releasing a previous product gives families that are new to LEGO - or indeed missed the original opportunity - a chance to purchase a very nice model.

Not only this, but it's good recycling of design. If these products are sold only for a limited time, it makes perfect sense to go back and revisit models that worked, and to please new generations of builders. Also, no-one outside the company is aware of the circumstances in regards to scheduling the product design. It may be that the usual designers were busy with other work, and rightly, the winter series didn't take priority.

Whatever the answers, please stop with this whole "me me me" attitude and think about other customers.

Is that a printed shop sign hanging above the door that wasn't there in the previous set?

Hmmm, it does look that way. Now, it's time to get my cognitive dissonance on and convince myself that I need to buy the set because of that.

I can understand the disappointment of a lot of people who bought this set nine years ago but for those of us who have gotten back in the Lego more recently this is a great set. I am looking forward to all of the printed pieces, new faces, & a great looking Christmas tree.

I keep wondering, why do most of the winter scene sets come with George Lucas?

If you are upset at the release of this old set, make a comment on Lego's website to their customer service. I did. If enough people express their unhappiness, maybe Lego will get the message.

Lego is all about being Inventive. It looks like TLG cannot lead by example and has to rehash some old ideas.

For those saying, that this is good because they did not have the chance to own this set, I do not have all past Lego sets and I do not feel entitled to have all sets ever made. I am looking forward new and inventive sets.

Like many, I am utterly disappointed. I really hope that recreating old sets will not be a trend.

I'm looking over the WV sets in the database — we don't have any — and wondering which you rate the highest. If we were to start out with just one...?

To my eye, WV Market is the clear winner, though there's something about the (Lego) architecture of WV Cottage that really appeals to me, too.

So, how do you rate the sets in the WV line? What about playability, especially for the (soon-to-be) four-year old in the house? Should I be more interested in the Toy Shop?

It's a disappointment and hopefully not the end of their Winter Village series. Didn't see this coming at all.

I am happy this set is coming back. i got the old one for a christmas present but lost it while moving house. even though i highly wanted a new design i am not fussed

Not too much of a negative comment from me.

I'm looking forward to this set, as I never bought the original. At least it's been updated slightly, but I can see why so many people are upset by the rehash, and they have my sympathy - the only real difference from the front is that the wreaths and banners have changed colour. IMO, this looks better, but there isn't what you'd call a difference there - more of a "LEGO changed two details" thing on the front.

I'd say it isn't the greatest rehash, but at least it'll feel more classic to the collectors who haven't got the 10199.

On the other hand, I could easily be persuaded that a well-styled gingerbread house would be our perfect holiday ticket. IDEAS has a few in the running:
https://ideas.lego.com/discoversearch/q:gingerbread/s:most_supported

I'd go for Swan Dutchman's in a heartbeat.

To me the entire thing makes no sense.
I think for most that had any interest in a winter theme, and missed out on the toy shop the first time, still would have been completely happy to buy a brand new winter set.
In this scenario, Lego has managed to tick off the core base that have been actually purchasing these sets. It seems like an overall dumb move on their part.

I think re-releases make sense, but this was absolutely NOT the line to do it with, unless there is a new set to come.

I am mixed about this. I loved when they did the "legends" a few years back and re-released main street and a handful of others, but this looks more like laziness. I don't think that this is being done to punish re-sellers because there would be much more lucrative sets to do that with (carousel, Statue of Liberty, etc).

I'm happy to see them re-release this set, since I don't own the original. However, I don't want them to re-release the early modulars, since I already own them. I, like a lot of people I'm guessing, want to see them re-release the sets I don't own and not re-release the ones I do. Is that too much to ask?

@nesquik - it's not a "me, me, me attitude". LEGO could gave pleases both loyal and new WV collectors. They chose to ignore the faithful loyalists and only please the former.

I agree with the article except one thing - not feeloing sorry for the designer. Ok, he designed this 6 years ago so he might feel proud of some features he included, yet naming them as something ground breaking now gave a strenge impression. He should have clarified clearly that it's re-release and probably say something like 'when I designed this back in 2009, the biggest challenge was...' (and by the way, perfect 45 degree roof - seriously??). Though the way he is talking is misleading and the ton of self-praise on slightly modified details or new prints sounds sick :/

@ tamamahn: totally agree. New and old collectors of this theme would have been more than happy to purchase something new to add to their collection.

When I decided to collect the modular buildings I had missed Green Grocer and Cafe Corner. I have everything from Fire Brigade and newer. I don't feel the least bit bad about not having the early stuff. While I wouldn't mind it if TLG re-released those sets I look forward to expanding my collection with new releases each year.

As it is I'll be skipping the Toy Shop and any other future re-release. TLG are indeed alienating faithful collectors of this theme.

As I don't have the original, I'm not complaining ... if I did I'd be glad I could save some money :)

I'm pleased with this myself as I only started with the bakery, so missing the Toy Shop and Post Office. What I really want though is large white base plates to be issued by lego so we can tie in the theme in to better display together. There are so many minifigures now across all the sets, it's hard to keep them all in position and not have them falling over. I can't be the only one who would buy large white base plates!!

@Scaramanga: I see your point. I can consider myself done with this theme. Each holiday I can bring out my WV sets from storage and build it up.

Now I can use that money on other themes I am interested in. I feel kind of content now.

The realise of the winter set is the beginning of my Christmas build up, what a disappointment that Lego can't be bothered to bring out something new!

But a least my coffee table stays big enough for my christma village...

I guess we all can clamor for set re releases, then.

@osuharding1 - People are complaining because there is only ONE winter village set a year while there are dozens of star wars and other theme sets a year....major difference!

:( a recycled set... the first one i will skip in this theme.
Why? it's TOO identical to the 'original' set.

Your right @ninababina this is why all of us who have the original are felling let down with this re-release as it would't be so bad if this theme had multiple releases a year like other lines but as it only one release per year, I feel kind of cheated. Like others say might have been ok if they had also released a new WV set also. I fear WV is finished and @JusJeff theory is plausible as TLG have designs for themes like this lined up well in advance, so looks like a late idea to keep WV theme going!

I missed this one so im happy ,but i can understand the dissapointment umong others !

As one of what I'm sure are many, many post-LEGO Movie AFOL's, I'm absolutely thrilled this is being re-released. I'm convinced that their market research has shown that there is demand for this product. ALSO, is it just me, or is the "Winter Village" line already extinct? Isn't this more of a Creator Expert offering? Similar to Ferris Wheel and last year's "Santa's Workshop".

I don't collect much LEGO anymore, but this re-release does surprise me somewhat.

I used to collect the Doctor Who 5 inch action figure range from Character Options, and eventually, they also ran out of ideas and began rehashing previous releases with what they put down to "costs". I never expected LEGO to follow suit.

On the other hand it does kind of make sense. We have had a few different licenced Ideas and other themed sets (bttf, Ghostbusters, Doctor Who, Big Bang Theory, Scooby Doo, Simpsons, Jurassic World) this year. Does it make you wonder if LEGO have run out of funds for a few of the smaller themes? If this is the case, then it could mean re-hashes of old sets in future as well. Perhaps the non-licenced themes have not made as much money as they had hoped, therefore they couldn't justify the cost of producing a brand new set, so just rehashed the old one?

With this in mind, I am concerned for all non licenced themes from now on. Things like Architecture, Creator, basic blocks, juniors etc because they could possibly be suffering under the weight of the licenced stuff. I would be heartbroken to see the architecture line end, as it's possibly been one of the best themes in recent years. It's not all fictional stuff, but real life replicas of landmarks around the world.

Disney is another theme. I'm worried if because Disney now have Star Wars as well, if they are charging Lego more and more for the licence? If so, then it could be safe to assume that all smaller, non licenced themes could potentially disappear, which in itself would be heartbreaking. Mind you, the children of today would rather build what they've seen on TV as opposed to original stuff. It's really saddening but it's a true fact.

If I had bought this set at a marked up price from Ebay I would be fuming. I wonder if it will be around next year as well.

While I understand the disappointment people feel, some are reading way too much into this.

Well if my Theory is plausible the WV line will continue on next year with a new creative design with a full cycle to develop a new set. Fingers crossed WV Train and Depot, again fingers crossed.

@AlphaBravo, I jumped on this line of sets after my kids were born. Our traditional Christmas village (Glass/Porcelain) lasted until my son was able to climb up and pull down several pieces onto the hardwood floor, they didn't make it. I was getting into LEGO at the time and took the opportunity to garage sale the remaining pieces and replace with TLG WV sets. We look forward to Thanksgiving weekend every year to build the new WV set followed by the daily advent calendar builds up to Christmas.

We "PLAY" with our LEGO at our house so knowing that both kids won't get hurt by falling glass pieces provides some peace of mind for my wife and me. The WV sets are fun for the kids, they focus on the mini-toys and pretend the minifigures get to play with toys too. So getting another Toy Shop is a bonus, I get to enjoy building the set with the kids and then watch them play.

This'll be the 3rd year skipping WV for me, as well. I almost skipped the Cottage due to the price jump from the previous year, but alas, it was too good a set to pass up. Fortunately I started collecting this theme from the start, so no need to pick this one up. Not sure what's going on with the theme, and I hope they haven't run out of ideas yet! Obvious candidates for a new WV set would be a church or a train (or at least a train station), though I know not to expect a church out of Lego. Hopefully we'd get a new train--the 2006 one is already looking a bit dated.

Agree with what everyone else is saying. Price hike vs. 2009 is a bit steep, and sure wish they'd re-release UCS Falcon! And finally, I'm happy fo those who never got the original--by all means, pick this up. Toy Shop is a charming set with tons of excellent details.

@AlphaBravo
I prefer the Toy Shop and the Bakery as my favorites. The Market was the first one I skipped because it was mainly a collection of smaller models--which, if you'd been buying WV since the start, you already have plenty of. I was disappointed in the Market because I wanted another down-town shop, not more clutter. I don't really think of these as "playable" sets, they're more display models to go out with the rest of your Christmas decorations.

^ Javert24601, relax, LEGO probably won't change that much. Non-licensed themes cater to a different market. More generic sets like 'police car' don't have to be from 'that movie' to be popular. Off course, recognisability sells some set (some Star Wars sets might not be half as good as Space sets, but are sold because they are certain ships), but it can't replace in-house brands. City, Castle, Space, Pirates, creator (in one form or another) and the like will always persist. There have been many licenses at once for years, and I don't think this years saturation would explain this 'rerelease'. Also, Disney might have plenty of licenses, but it can't change LEGO's internal workings.

As for those missing a winter village set to build, 31038 CHANGING SEASONS is the perfect set. It's not an official WV set, but does that matter?

For those who already have it, see the previous point. You don't have to buy the new Toy shop if you want a set to add to your existing village.

Also, keep in mind that the two toy shops are still different sets! Your old toy shop is as authentic as it was the day you bought it.

For if you want a highly detailed set to build at christmas, does it have to be a WV set?

Ivan see people welcoming the prospect of having old sets re-released.
Howver these may be dangerous territory for lego. Bricklink has numerous sellers with numerous lots, that's a lot of sales that lego made.

If they continue to re-release sets this will have a knock on effect. Some would welcome the effect this would have & others wouldn't. But ask your selves would lego sell more product without re-lease or more? Why buy a set today when you know another 1 is around the corner. One major aspect of business is supply and demand, is this to far or to little.

in my experience people only want what they can't get, just look at amiibo's and what has happened, same thing occurred with TY beanies and sales of both have slumped.

Lego should continue with multitude of naboo starfighters etal but leave any ltd, hard to find, exclusives well alone.
of course you can't please everyone.

The Winter Village sets have been a tradition in my family since the first one came out. Build them over the holiday break together, add to the display of the older ones... this year? Not so good... there's no way we can or will justify buying something so similar to what we already have. I'm thinking our annual set will have to be the Christmas I-Rex Breakout, throw some antlers on that bad boy and call it festive. :P

Wow a new sign i'm getting this set.......NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!
come on lego al the good things you put out why doing this.
The only thing where this is good for is for the people who didn't get the old one. Lego if I can ask one question, I't has to be WHY????????
Oh and why is it 20 dollars more for some little tiny things?
The only re-relase was whit the sopwith-camel but that was a big difference.
P.S.:Sorry If I'm rude but this is really disappointing!!!

What an odd thing to rehash. I get that police sets and whatnot cycle through the same old stuff with some years apart since those sets are primarily for kids, but why go to the effort of slightly updating this? It's not like they can be all out of ideas for stuff you could do for the Winter Village theme either, just look at the yearly contests they do on Eurobricks. I can't imagine why they would think this could sell better instead of coming up with something completely new. All this does is turn off a decent chunk of people who otherwise would've surely bought another Winter Village set for their collection.

My boy, as am I, will be very disappointed. We get one WV set a year, but they don't mind giving us 25 SW sets a year - including yet more Millennium Falcons.

I'm starting to get really disappointed with decisions made in Billund. Thank heavens for the BBT and Wall-E Ideas sets.

BTW, if you want to reissue a set, REISSUE THE EMERALD NIGHT.

Well I'm happy. Wasn't in to Lego when the original came out so a cheap way to get the toy shop is great in my books! i can see why those who have it are annoyed, but for those who don't..... :-)

Sweet, I missed the original and balked at paying scalper prices.

While I do think LEGO kind of copped out with a theme where we don't traditionally see rereleases, I think this is a great option for people like me who didn't have a chance to get this set when it originally came out. Resellers choose what sets to buy at their own risk, just like any investment.

In regards to the actual set, I do like the updated wreaths and faces, but would have preferred to have the old style teddy bear, as it's more in the style of Creator Expert and looks like a traditional Christmas bear.

That's the thing, will they re-release other WV sets? I loved the early designs and that's why I bought them. Don't the other command a high price in the aftermarket too? Would be they consider updating the Bakery or Post Office at the very least?

As far as I'm concerned, this sets a precedent, so I've just tweeted them asking for a UCS Falcon re-release!

I missed out on 10199, so I am happy!!

The good thing is they are still giving us a way to get the classic Lego trees as with prior Winter Village sets. I was worried they did away with them after Santa's Workshop failed to give us any.

Woohoo, missed out on 10199 the first time round and now watching the BIN prices tumble on eBay. I will definitely buy this set and may even pick up the 10199 at a more affordable price.

To those who have stashed Cafe Corners and Market Street sets, 2017 will be the 10th anniversary of there release. Will there be a 10th anniversary rerelease or reworking. Something to keep in the back of the mind?

Minifig-wise, it's a vast improvement, but in every other respect, it's a bland rehash. The $20 price hike really doesn't make this look any better.

And yes, a holiday train would be fantastic. Would make more sense than a holiday carousel.

Like everybody else, I'm of two minds about this.

On the one hand, yeah, rereleasing old sets is great. It's just a shame they picked one that's, what, six years old? Why not rerelease the Holiday Train (there's been a far longer interval, and what Christmas village doesn't have a train?). Darn it, rerelease sets from the 90s. I loved the "Legends" line (it's how I got myself a Metroliner, after all).

And in a way, I'm quite happy. This has been an *expensive* year for Lego (with so many unskippable sets. All those awesome superhero sets, the new Ninjago sets, the Elves, the final Chima sets, the Speed Champions, some really cool minifig series, the list goes on). This saves me over $100 (which is what it would be in Australia. Probably a lot more than that). Honestly, I'm a little burnt out from buying Lego this year.

And on the other hand ... yeah, I'm disappointed. I loved the Winter Village. I look forward to the new addition to the village every year. More to the point ... why? Have they run out of ideas (there's only 6 sets in this line, and they're already out of fresh ideas)? Was Santa's workshop, last year, really the end of the line (but they're rereleasing older sets for a softer end)?

This does worry me about the longevity of the Winter Village, yes.

Having only recently fallen back in love with Lego, this is great news!

I'm hopeful that TLG will re-release the two WV sets I missed (the toy shop isn't one of them), but remain bummed that there still hasn't been a new Cloud City set since the 2003 original. Makes one wonder what the decision-making process on re-releasing sets is based on; how many Hoth Rebel Bases must one endure before the long-ignored Cloud City gets some attention?

Very disappointed with this news. If I knew TLG will be releasing this I would not have built mine from scratch.... and it's still not finished. Indeed, it is good news for those who did not get the original set earlier. If the design team were really out of time and ideas, it would have been better if no sets were released at all... and come back the following year with a bang. I'm sure many will understand that it takes time for good design. I agree with many comments about bringing back the Holiday Train. The WV is not complete without a train filled with presents! Also, other buildings such as a hot chocolate shop or dining restaurant (which, the Valentine's Day set could fit in) would be nice as well.

Did nobody else think this might have some kind of anniversary/special edition re-release thing? Toy companies have been known to re-release popular products for specific anniversaries. The Winter Village Theme has been going on for almost 6 years now, sounds to me that part of the reason for this move might have something to do with that.

Many people are complaining, some of it justified, in my opinion though I don't feel that we, the fans, should feel so damn entitled that we expect LEGO to cater to our every whim. We all recall the dark times, when LEGO was on the verge of collapse, LEGO re-released some sets back then too in an attempt to avoid total Bankruptcy, or so I would understand, correct me if I'm wrong.

LEGO has never been more popular, and with thousands more people in the world interested in this stuff, great to see them bring in something old that's new again to help celebrate the draw of LEGO.

Honestly, if all you care about is how much this might affect the resale value of older sets, you're not in this hobby for the right reasons. If, on the other hand, you feel that this is a huge let down because of family tradition. I feel the need to remind you that some families are just starting out, their children have come of age, and they haven't had the chance to start this tradition yet. Let them have this moment, it is rare indeed that you ever get the opportunity to buy a set from LEGO directly that is almost piece-for-piece the same as one seen previously. More often than not you're forced to spend ridiculous money on the secondary market just to pick something like this up after it's retired.

We may all feel entitled to new innovation from every set under the sun that LEGO constantly adds to their Themes. But sometimes we need to take a step back from that, lest we forget why we enjoy this brand in the first place. Others deserve to start up their new traditions and pass it on to future generations.

I for one will not pass up this opportunity, I will pick this set up finally and enjoy it, if I had the disposable income back in 2009 to get started on all these wonderful sets I would gladly have done so, now I have that chance again. I definitely plan on taking advantage of it, I can sympathize with you who already own it, in a way it might seem like a huge let down. However, one never knows what the future may bring. Perhaps their saving themselves now with a simple anniversary re-issue set so that next year they can put everything to shame with a Winter Ice Festival set like the Carnival Truck from a few years ago. Oh right, it's called a Fairground Mixer, my bad.

I'll just keep my fingers crossed for a Green Grocer rerelease...the only modular building I do not have. It may be lazy on the part of Lego not to make something new, but it gives other people a chance to get it and allows me to put that money towards other sets.

If they were going to re-release it, the least they could have done is also release a new set for those that want to continue the tradition of buying a NEW Winter set to add to their collection. The minor changes to this set are not a good reason for people that already have it to want to buy it again, some may, but I don't feel a majority will. LEGO, you may have gained some sales for those that want this set, but you lost even more sales by not issuing a new set.

My top sets I would like reissued are
1. UCS Millennium falcon
2. Grand Carousel now that we have the Ferris wheel and Fairground mixer
3. An updated Cafe Corner with detailed interior, how cool would that be?
4. Taj Mahal

I know Lego re-releasing or rehashing old sets can be frustrating if you already own the set and I'm not suggesting Lego re-release every set ever made but anything that stops so called investors from stock piling certain sought after collectable sets to sell at a huge mark up when they are discontinued has to be a good thing.

My wife will be very happy to this get, as we missed the original version.

I personally am a bit upset but do not forget that we can always add the new hoth echo base to protect our dear little Christmas Village from the Galactic Empire!

http://brickset.com/article/15703/our-first-look-at-the-ucs-hoth-echo-base

I sence a great deal of entitlement in the comments. Also some of the most teary comments argue that this isn't even a good economic step for LEGO, but they don't realize how many casual buyers LEGO has - those make up a majority and they might not even know it is a re-release and even if they knew, they simply won't care - why would they?

Honestly speaking - how many WV sets do you need? These six released by now are quite enough. They're taking a lot of space, time for building etc.
You have little Christmas sets - it's enough to refresh your buildings. It's like a Christmas tree - old ornaments with new additions.

I am happy they are re-releasing this set. On a personal level, because I was not out of my dark ages yet and have to start on any winter collection at all.

I understand that you would be very upset if you bought this set at a premium before this news came out. And understand the disappointment if you collect the sets every year, but I really surprised about how strong the reactions are. Lego brings out lots of police stations, fire stations, SW sets,... Okay, this set does not have a big change to it, but the original looked pretty perfect to me already, so glad they kept it similar.

Moreover, it's not only AFOL's who buy sets like these, I am sure there are kids out there that are happy with this set.

And maybe TLG wants to test the waters and see if a re-release would work (I am voting for Green Grocer and Horizon Express myself ;) )

Since I wasn't around in 2009 to get the first one, I'm thrilled to see it's back! Do we know the exact release date?

Happy that I will have the opportunity to get this one ! However, it would be nice if Lego released two winter sets (that way we can all have our Christmas cake and eat it too !). Although it would be more expensive for those of us who missed this set to get two sets, it would still be cheaper than getting this set on the grey market.

I am quit disappointed with this set. i was hoping for something like a little train station.

I'd rather had them re-release the Holiday Train again with a new design.

On the bright side now I can use the money for the The Force Awakens Tie-fighter and X-wing sets.

I can not express how disappointed I am in the LEGO Group and this decision. I am an avid AFOL and have put about $1300 into my LEGO Winter Village including all the official sets, the Holiday Train (which I motorized), plus 4 buildings of my own creation (a frozen custard shop, a train depot, a chapel, and my own house). Getting the new building and deciding what I want to create to go with the village are what begins my Holiday season. There are all kinds of other buildings they could do, so running out of ideas is just not an acceptable excuse. I don't have a problem with them re-releasing past sets, but don't take away something that has become a tradition for many families. I know I am not the only one.

Shame on you LEGO! This just strikes me as lazy, especially for a company that "cares so much about its customers."

This is absolutely awesome. While I like the colors better on the older set, I am still very happy about the release of this one. I never had the opportunity to buy the first set and would never cave in to the greedy price gougers on eBay charging $200+ for it so it's always been the one missing set of my winter village collection. I will be getting it on September 16 when its released for VIP members. Very excited! And quite satisfied with the price too. Excellent move, Lego!

Love the idea of updating with new elements (toilet seats) and re-releasing older sets/ideas that go for a small ransom on after market sites as new.

What downside is there? More people getting interested in a new theme and opportunity to purchase the sets. I know I'm interested after picking up Santas Workshop last year. To those who have it already, aren't you lucky you have an original! There is plenty of other sets to pick up this Autumn!

Now about that UCS Falcon...

The Winter Village theme ended in 2013 with the Winter Village Market. All of the sets before that had "Winter Village" in the name: Winter Village Toy Shop, Winter Village Bakery, Winter Village Post Office, and Winter Village Cottage. Then in 2014 came just Santa's Workshop.

I understand that TLG still marketed Santa's Workshop as a part of the Winter Village series, but it was set in the North Pole away from the "village". I think this set was a huge clue that TLG was done with the series.

Look at the numbers here on Brickset for the number of folks that own these sets. I know it's not the best and most unbiased sampling pool, but it does show that those owning these sets have drastically reduced in only six years.

Someone above mentioned the "casual" buyer. That's a much larger percent than the die hard fans. I think it's pretty safe to say that the child audience for LEGO products probably has a big change over in six years too. By releasing these sets that are only on market for a short amount of time, TLG is about to reach a larger new audience without having to spent as much time and money on development of a new set.

I had no use for the Santa's Workshop set. My mantle was filled with the others beautiful, and it is starting to take too much time during the busy holiday season to build all of them. I'm glad the original series seems to have ended. More money's for other sets without being tempted.

Anyone remember Allen @TheBrickFan's April Fools Joke? Well, now it could become a reality!

@zorzos
It's released September 16th for VIPs, and October 1st to the public.

@Legonizer I am trying to decide if your comment is more hypocritical or selfish? It's a tough call. I really hope it's sarcasm... as one Brit pointed out us stupid Americans do not know what it is...

I hope this is temporary and not the beginning of the end for the WV line.

But I have fallen behind in collecting these sets, so this is good for me personally since I can get the Market or the Workshop this year without falling further behind.

It was starting to become a tradition for my parents to give me a WV set for Christmas (despite me being very much an adult myself) and I think we'll all be sorry that this won't happen this year. I was fortunate enough to get the Toy Shop in the sale the first time round, but it's a lovely set so I'm pleased for everyone who's missed out in the past will be able to enjoy it.

I'll have to seriously consider if there IS a set I want for Christmas this year now, or if I pass on it - maybe it's a year for buying the pieces to build the holiday train instead. If there's a new set next year then I'll definitely be getting it, but otherwise this feels like the end of an era.

Thank you @Aegis2000, marked my calendar!

Why isn't anyone else asking for a Jango Fett Slave 1 re release?

I'm glad to see this set again. I have the older (2009 - 10199) version. It's my first and favorite winter village set. There are so many people who couldn't buy it, they can buy it now and I think it's great. :)

I feel like I should not bother making a comment, but everyone else is adding their two cents so I guess there is no harm in adding to cacophony. It's mostly people complaining, people complaining about the complaining, people whining about re-issues/rehashes, or people grateful they have the chance to buy something they missed out on.

Double-dipping happens ALL THE TIME with music and movie releases, so those holding onto 10199 as an investment get little sympathy. Why should your attempt at hogging inventory and profiteering matter? Seriously, it's an iconic season-specific set so it makes perfect sense.

What else is there really to release as far as a winter village goes? No one is offering up any ideas other than a different reissue (the Holiday Train). I personally was wanting the Winter Village Big Box Store Black Friday Edition that comes with 100 minifigures. As others have pointed out, there are PLENTY of other sets on which to spend your money.

^^^ What he said. Y'all miss the point. By re-releasing sets, it diminishes the secondary market. Somebody at LEGO got wise? Now let's see the return of the Emerald Night.

As a fan who only has 2 of the winter village sets, I'm just as happy with a re-release. I imagine that if I had all of them, I might be a bit disappointed - but every year I also think I'd like to build my own Winter Village Building, and so in that case I might decide to buy a duplicate and MOC an alternate build.

well like most people I'm happy and sad about this. Happy because I've not got the original set and now it wont cost me over £100 on ebay to get one, but I'm dissapointed theres no new winter set this year as I like collecting the series, just got to get the post office, maybe that will be next years release!

There's some pretty dramatic reactions here.

I think a lot of people forget that Lego's primary market is not us. While I can understand the disappointment of not adding a new set to your collection this year, there are no doubt many customers who did not buy the original toy shop for various reasons. Perhaps they didn't know it existed, they didn't know it was an ongoing theme, they didn't have kids who played with LEGO at the time, etc.

If you participate in a product-specific website, you are more passionate about that company than 90% of their customers and once in a while you need to keep that in mind.

Personally, this makes me very happy because I missed out on the original toy shop. If I owned it, I would be a bit disappointed but life goes on.

Well I've been a year behind since I started collecting the winter sets so it will be great to catch up this year.

I hope they will start to re-release sets, I always wondered why they do not grab that money bag called old sets. They do not live off the price on the secondary market - now they can for a bit. And let us all remember that Legends sets, like the guarded inn, happen to be re-released, so I am looking forward to seeing quite a few old sets again in the coming years. As someone who missed this one, not that I wasn't into lego back than, other reasons, I will get it for sure. And hopefully, if there are more fans like me that will buy this, this project inside the company will be a success, and they will continue with other sets and from other themes as well.

I was excited to hear that they were doing another toy shop hoping that it would be different than the last and maybe a little like a Christmas LEGO Store or something to go with the Santa Workshop and LEGO Christmas sets they gave away as bonuses last year. I have this one and whilst I was angered at first, lasted all of two seconds, I will probably buy this one as I always wanted another big tree for my village set and well being honest if you think about it, there is always more than one toy shop around or another branch of the same one. I would really like it if they had brought the holiday train back out as that is the only one I missed. I am pleased that those that were not able to get this first time around can get it now. Sickened as well for those that paid through the roof for it.

Short term solution for LEGO that has caused such a disturbance -- Give us an alternate build for this model.

Still creates the long term question: is LEGO going to start re-releasing other 'retired' sets with small variations/refreshes--dangerous precedent. Castle? Star Wars? Modulars? Agents? System? The debate would rage even hotter with the next re-release.

Rereleases are great and this is the right way to do it, no major changes but lots of small improvements.

I seriously doubt they will start doing more rereleases but the aftermarket is not a good thing for Lego. It funnels profits from its biggest customers into resellers hands (Big spenders on Lego have a yearly budget, the less they have to pay on the aftermarket the more they will spend on new sets myself included). They might decide to stick with this as it allows both savings in development costs and to claw back custom, its not like they care about sets they've already sold to resellers or the complaints of resellers who are in competition for sales.

I know I am the 115something to respond but...

I saw this as an opportunity so today I bought 31038 Changing Seasons.
I will build 1 or 2 of the models then save the Winter one for my Winter Village. You see, they already released this year's winter set.....

^And such a set (31038) could be bought possibly for $35 in November or December!

Guess the Winter Village series has officially jumped the shark.

As someone who owns the original, I would have much rather seen a new WV set. Or if they were doing a remake, the Christmas train would have been a much better option in my opinion. I guess since I won't be purchasing this set I'll have a year to buy the 2 I'm missing from the line.

its very disappointing to wait for a year to see an old set being repackage as a new set; does this mean we will be expecting bakery next year? For those who dont have it will be happy, but if they keep on reviving old sets, soon you will be the next one to get disappointed. IMHO, at least have more difference to appeal to both groups of people, add in a train station or a Christmas train will be more appealing

I don't have this set so happy to be able to get one at a reasonable price.. If Lego were getting stuck for Christmas ideas though they could of asked for Ideas from fans... ie.. The ideas site is there to take from.. Some good Christmas sets have been posted over the last year or two.. Can they really not think of another Christmas shop that's not The Toy Shop..

My goodness, TLG just keeps forcing me to save my money...

Good one! I'm considering to get this now since I didn't start with getting WV series from last year's Santa workshop, and the old sets are asking over $300 on eBay now, with this release its cheaper for me now.

TLG, please also re-release Creator Modular Cafe Corner with more interior stuffs!

^ Agree, please re-release some older modular buildings too!

I spent a fortune on Bricklinking a 99% accurate Cafe Corner this year, but I'd still welcome a re-release. Of all their retired sets, CC lack of interior really lends itself to an updated set. I'll take a Green Grocer while they're at it.

We've been getting these at a two year lag, so seeing as we already have this one, it will give us a chance to catch up a bit...

This will be followed by a rerelease of the lego holiday train, right? RIGHT?

Those who missed out 5 years ago will be happy. Those who already have the set will be upset.

I don't have the Holiday Train, so I wish that was the one they re-released. I already have all the other sets.

I'm a bit disappointed, but I would have preferred that if they re-release, they don't make any changes (improvements). It make us original owners feel cheated. I'm not about to repurchase this set again just to get a couple extra minifgures and a few printed pieces. It would have been better to re-release it without changes.

I would welcome a re-release of Cafe Corner, as I missed that one as well.

Well, gives me more time to build the sets I have! :) Last year I built the toy shop, bakery, post office, christmas market and some of the limited small WV sets. I didn't find enough spare time to build the cottage and Santa's Workshop, so those will keep me busy this year!

If Lego were to design a new Winter village set and just release the 2009 one in a 'Lego Legends' type wave, it would be fine. But this is just a shame on Lego's part.

Imagine if I were to take the Death Star, replace the main characters with newer versions, change the cannon for the Death Star Troopers one and plonk a 2x2 piece on top. Would that qualify as a set? I think not. So why does this?

Good point Nightwing. If Lego wants to re-release an old set, fine. But don't do it at the expense of those anxiously waiting for a new set to be released.

As I mentioned in another forum, I would LOVE for Lego to re-release the old Harry Potter sets for my kids that are just coming into that age. But doing so would not be at the expense of other themes.

By re-releasing the Toy Shop, you are helping those who didn't get it the first time around. But that comes at the expense of those who waited all year for the next Winter Village set to add to their collection.

This is so awesome!

I missed the first release. But everyone on here missed something and every new fan will have missed not only something...but LOTS of somethings.

To see LEGO do a more direct rerelease (than an updated Falcon/Snow Speeder/Castle/Big Spaceship/Fire Station) shows that they KNOW their audience.

Some folks who're already owners will rebuy. Many won't. Sales figures will tell them something about their assumptions...

I'm not saying you have to buy this if you missed Green Grocer...but it can't hurt.

This is just great news. Let's hope secondary market prices for retired sets take a big dive. That doesn't benefit LEGO and doesn't help most of us, just a few speculators who make it hard to buy a set [Haunted House] when it's at it's retirement. Knowing our best beloved sets could come back after a hiatus is great!

Unless every adult oriented theme is going through several consecutive years of rerelease simultaneously...there is NO downside to this. At the most extreme - you just got $80 to spend on parts for you WV MOC. Yeah baby!!

The only set I see "tanking" in sales is Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator.

Does anyone think the new carolers' faces look like cat faces?

@Huw, maybe there's a contest to be had for alternate builds for this set? Credit to @stevenli...

Thanks to the folks here (and in the database reviews) who have persuaded me to look more favorably at the Toy Shop as an entry point, as opposed to the Winter Village Market.

Remember last year. Lego was sold out of Santa's Workshop by December 1, and it wasn't available again until March. A lot of people missed out on Santas Workshop in 2014 because it sold out so early. Maybe Lego is thinking a lot of people will buy it this year, so this way they can push two sets.

I think re-releasing popular retired sets is definitely a good thing. It sends a message to those gr**dy resellers who buy up sets and then mark the price up from $49 to $300+!!! I am so looking forward to finally getting Winter Toy Shop. :-)

My wish list: Emerald Night, Death Star, Green Grocery, Café Corner.

Thanks LEGO.

I'm happy about it. I didn't collect LEGO toys before this year, so I know I will want this for sure :)

I'm kinda of pissed I was really hoping for a new toy store to end the 2 year slump of the WV series Lego just made it a 3 year slump.

I spend at least 1k (up to 3k) on retail Lego a year for the last 8 years if Lego re releases a modular, I'm going to sell my collection and stop collecting. As I look forward every year to build a NEW modular this is spitting in the long time Lego fans and die hard Lego fans so thanks Lego for being nice with your fans. If you take advantage of your fans anymore you'll eventually lose them. I can over look the overly inflated prices cause your a company that's doing very well but this is just flat out spit in the face and is unforgivable.

I was really looking forward to a new set. It seems like there are a bunch of options and ones they could have picked from or modeled from Lego IDEAS. I own the original, but I wish they would have re-released the X-mas Train instead, as they could have improved that a great deal and I think many would have got it. I do hope that Lego may have some X-mas promotional set offers like previous years, but this news gives my hopes up. Still, this does mean I can buy other Lego's on my X-mas list.

Another thought is the reasoning behind re-releases. I personally welcome the idea of re-releasing certain models like they did with the UCS X-wing, and really hope they make a UCS-Falcon again maybe with some new figs and a radar dish especially with the new movie around the corner. Making a Lego Legends line as someone had pointed out, would be awesome and I would vote for the monorail to be the flagship starter for that line. What gets me is that between the UCS Star Wars, the Modular Buildings, and WV sets, the expectation to continue the line every year was never there in the beginning but it has now been ingrained in us that we will get a new one every year. I recall in the beginning I did not buy the modular sets because I was skeptical if they would make a new one every year and continue the line, and they have and now I regret it sometimes. I am mostly disappointed because I expected a new WV and was let down. I guess I would rather have a solid re-release than a so-so WV set, but I feel this was not the reason.

So disappointed .... But lego did release set 31038 (3 in 1 creator set which has a snowy house) and 21120 (minecraft snow) so I've purchased them instead.

I am so disappointed with the news that there is no new set, as I am one of those who have been looking forward all year to a new winter village set. It does seem as though TLG have decided to end the theme.

I do think that a rerelease is great for all those who didn't get it before for whatever reason. And that they should do more rereleases across the board. I am just sad that there is no new set as well for those of us who own the original and were expecting another set. Oh well, now we know and we won't be so disappointed next year.

I might buy the instructions for Kristel's winter village cafe and bricklink that instead. Why don't more people post instructions for their MOC's? Now would be a good time to sell your winter village MOC instructions!! If I was any good at creating them I would do that.

@brickbricktown - LOL

No you won't. All your stuff would be worthless because the secondary valuations would've tanked in your scenario. You paint one grim, dark, entitled picture there!

Ok, I'm just amazed why they rereleased this, when they could have made a Winter Village Ski Lodge. I do agree that they could have brought back the 10173 Holiday Train from 2006, but my old toy shop is in pieces (most of which I can't find) and this one does look much better. Sadly, the price change is a problem.

Meanwhile, let's just try to think of all the sets LEGO could've rereleased/updated instead:

10173 Holiday Train
10182 Café Corner

@Jedijon - Lol atm my personal collection is worth $35k Ive spent $10k regardless of anything id walk away with a profit not the point tho i could care less about the value. I wait all year for wv and modular if lego isnt going to give that no point in collecting and staying loyal to the brand.

Anyways its false gun because UNDER NO Circumstances with jamie as lead well modulars be rereleased. Im upset about this because I really want a new winter village set I could care less about this set I have no gain from its value I dont hoard... But if they just going to rerelease and im not going to have anything to build than Ill quit... quite simple

Que desafortunada acción por parte de Lego.
El modelo está muy bien, lo que considero una torpeza, es haber modificado el original.
Podrían haber repuesto el mismo modelo, y garantizar un nuevo modelo para este año.

Lego esta vez estuviste mal, te banco en todas, pero en esta no.

I'm glad. I missed out on the original and happy not to pay a fortune for one on the reseller market. I wish Lego would re-release more older sets. Frankly, I've never understood their logic. It's not like there are any significant costs to re-release a set. Tooling and development costs have been recouped many times over.

Wow, a re-release, if only Lego did this for all popular sets, ucs, Taj Mahal etc

Whilst I can see people's frustration with this set being a re-release, I never got the original so I think it's a great model. Even if I did have the original I'd still think it's a good model. There are not enough nice Lego buildings that do not belong to a) the police or b) the fire brigade or c) the railway companies. Add to that the fact that minifigure designs have improved dramatically since 2009 I can see this being a nice addition. If people are willing to pay £60 for the Big Bang set on the basis of "it has 7 minfigures" then why not this set. The carol singers are nicely upgraded and the wee toys etc look fantastic. My only real criticism is why can they not have a piece that you can stick the carrot to? The snowman looks strange.

Main downside of this is there is no sense in owning both. Hence, my winter village collection will display as incomplete....even though i have all buildings.

Dang... Ignored rumors of this hoping they weren't true. Problem is you now can't display a full WV collection since they look so alike. Very disappointed, but will probably end up getting this anyway :)

A solution could be to display this new one separately as a holiday decoration and keep my original with the others... can't stand missing a year!!

Well, this could serve me to build up my village.

I am not going to buy this set, and I am not going to consider my Winter Village collection incomplete because this re-release is just an imitation of the original. I think this is the year I create the Winter Village Inn.

They could have made it a little more different, I think. They should have added a vehicle or something to at least spice it up somewhat.

I couldn't finish reading all the comments, but I did read a lot of them, in case I'm repeating a view, my apologies!

What I'd like to add is, that as a fan and collector of VW series, first I was very disappointed in this news. But now I'm considering to purchase it after all (probably after holiday season..) just to use the parts to build something extra to my village, yet matching in style. So after all it'd be a good source of bricks in line with the theme. What else would LEGO be about if not taking apart something and creating something brand new out of it? :)

I was hoping for a Lego Star Wars Santa Sleigh with Scooby as one of the reindeer!

I guess this is not the first set this year that sees a 'modified re-release'. City, Ninjago etc. contains also several sets done in similar way. However this WV set is particularly alike with just a few bricks different. Nevertheless, these kind of re-release just showed clearly that Lego is marketed as toys and not collections. Probably collectors are given the lowest priority in the consideration chain... I'm sure this set will sell well in the shops and people won't recognize too much difference, only the collectors have negative feeling on this topic.

Since a year or two ago I have already stop seeing Lego as a collection after their change of design trend, manufacturing and marketing strategy.

So happy to see this set! I missed out in 2009 and this year my kids and I will build this during the build up to Christmas. Roll on Chrimbo!

Santa's Workshop was a HUGE disappointment. Perhaps this is their attempt at redemption?

This is the only WV set that I missed the first time around, so I am super excited to see it re-released!

I noticed that the little girl in has the torso brick with the pattern of an adult woman with a big breast.
Not just from LEGO do such a thing.