Review: 40501 The Wooden Duck

"...is the first in a new series of limited edition sets that will be available exclusively at the LEGO House in Billund, Denmark."

...

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of wallets suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

LEGO has a serious problem concerning color-consistency. Look at those dark-red and dark green pieces...yikes...if I didn't know better I would think it was some kind of knock-off brand product.

Love this set. Great review Huw. I am so pleased that this is going to be exclusive to the Lego House. It does create some panic and worry that it will sell out before I get chance to go again, but if I do go again, and its still available, the feeling I get when I see it on the shelf will be well worth it!!!

The beak should have been made out of brick separators. They missed the opportunity...

The designers should be proud of this set. They did a wonderful job as it is quite faithful to the original wooden duck. Thanks for the detailed overview of it!

This set is incredibly symbolic on how lego has changed.

A famous story concerning the wooden duck is that Ole Kirk Christiansen once let his son paint the ducks, instructing to use three layers of paint. However, two were used, so he let his son take them back to paint the third layer. 'Det bedste er ikke for godt' (only the best is good enough) was Lego's motto, exemplified by the wooden duck.

Now we have a brick-built version. Besides the obvious differences, such as the usage of SNOT, technic, curved pieces, specific new colours, and well... plastic, two things spring to mind with it:

1) Yes, the quality issues. No longer will lego immediately fix issues like colour disparaties on bricks or prints on dark parts that look faded and discoloured, especially prevalent on minifigure prints. This is such a beautiful contrast with the original wooden ducks.

2) Branding. This set, the lego house and many other things about this scream: multinational company getting the word out about itself. That's okay. Still, a far cry from the original workshop that hand-painted everything!

Lego has come a long way. I really hope it can get closer to 'only the best is good enough' again, despite now being the number 1 toy multinational.

Easy pass.

Ooops! One day after someone told me in a comment about Lamborghini:

"One set having some reports of mismatching colors does not equal "cutting costs on all corners". Let's keep a bit of perspective. ...This is the exception that makes they rule. On the whole, piece quality has been going up...... Also, there's practically no other sets in recent memory that have had color issues"

So, the day after, we can see another set (this time an iconic set for LEGO and one that is historically linked with quality PR-wannabe nice story).

You know @Huw, I respect you more than I respect anyone else in this business,and I understand somehow you are between us loving LEGO and some quality problems, but how come that those color differences appear to you just in the photos?

Should we not make pictures anymore with our creations or expensive and hard to find sets?

I congratulate you for pointing out this problem and I am not suggesting you to pick a side, but when you say " I suspect many of you will comment on the range of dark red hues visible in this picture", actually I am worried, because I am here on Brickset everyday for the last 7 hours to read your review and to get your FULL opinion about LEGO product and not to read your opinion about the possible comments.
Please people, in which case for another 100 euro product (and almost 400 euros in Lamborghini case) you will not be outrage?

For a badly painted bicycle or for an IKEA table with one leg in another color you will not be upset?

For a lot of last years products, and especially for AFOLs, the LEGO products are mainly for 1-6 hours building and after, for thousands of days for display purposes.

It is not our duty to point this and to ask LEGO to pay attention?

What's not to like?
I don't know... Limited availability maybe?

i want the instructions so i can make a psychedelic one for myself. especially since i'll likely never make it to Billund for the original . . . .

@saneps said:
" @denn said:
"i want the instructions so i can make a psychedelic one for myself. especially since i'll likely never make it to Billund for the original . . . ."

They were made available briefly on LEGO.com. Send me a message, if you’d like a copy.
"

The instructions are still available on Lego.com:

https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/40501

LEGO, if you can't be bothered to fix the colour issues for this supposed icon of your own commitment to quality, then maybe just sell us us an over-priced wooden one and we'll provide our own three coats of paint, how's that?

@Dare_Wreck said:
" @saneps said:
" @denn said:
"i want the instructions so i can make a psychedelic one for myself. especially since i'll likely never make it to Billund for the original . . . ."

They were made available briefly on LEGO.com. Send me a message, if you’d like a copy.
"

The instructions are still available on Lego.com:

https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/40501"

Even better. Thanks!

Actually, hypothetically this set would cost $2,360 currently (Sydney to Billund flights return + cost of set).

Sure, it’s nice for visitors to get this as a souvenir upon their visit; for those where it’s not convenient or affordable to make the trip, I’d really love for Lego to make them available online though.

For me It is a nice set, its clever but it seems more of a Look at us item. Are that many people really interested in the Original Lego toys ? If there was no History it would be a rather naff looking duck, which looks to be for a 2-3yr old to pull along. And to add insult its only available in Billund. My suggestion. Sell it at Billund for a Price. Visitors or Scalpers can buy those. Then sell it at Lego.com for 150% of the price. Then if people really want it they can, it will be a bargain at Billund and anyone can get one without giving any money to ebay. All winners.

I don’t mind the color inconsistency in this case, as the slight variations actually appear more realistic to me.

Just BrickLink the thing.

Hey maybe if the popularity of the duck is high enough. LEGO might consider an ACTUAL wooden duck, similar to the Originals Minifigure last year. This set is still a very cool nod to the history of LEGO, regardless its exclusive availability.

Disappointed they didn't capture the angled feather details, or the downward angle of the beak in the original. Looking forward to getting the printed eye tiles and red macaroni tiles to put on my version, though.

The cost of this set is not 599DKK. You can't not take into account the costs of travel to get this specific set. The 599DKK is just the added cost to the travel, and it's irrelevant as one would probably get it if interested regardless of the cost at the Lego House store.

I don't get the reason behind making it so limited. If they think it'll make people shell out hundreds of Euro, if not thousands, they're delusional. You don't make these trip decisions based on a Lego set, unless you live very close by. More so this year due to travel restrictions.

It was a good review to read, but given how limited this set is I find it weird for Lego to send out sets for reviews, and make a press release.

(In case it wasn't clear, I just don't like these sly fabricated limited products tactics. Either you want to sell me the stuff you're showing, or just don't advertise them)

@Tuun said:
"LEGO has a serious problem concerning color-consistency. Look at those dark-red and dark green pieces...yikes...if I didn't know better I would think it was some kind of knock-off brand product."

You know what the saddest part is? I own several knock-off brand sets, and their colour consistency is excellent, even with dark red.
It's a shame that companies like Lepin manage to achieve something that the original can't.

@AustinPowers said:
" @Tuun said:
"LEGO has a serious problem concerning color-consistency. Look at those dark-red and dark green pieces...yikes...if I didn't know better I would think it was some kind of knock-off brand product."

You know what the saddest part is? I own several knock-off brand sets, and their colour consistency is excellent, even with dark red.
It's a shame that companies like Lepin manage to achieve something that the original can't. "

Maybe that's because while the colors may be consistent their actual product is crap and breaks far easier than LEGO. It suggests its harder to keep color consistent when you have higher standards for longevity. I, for on, would prefer a longer lasting product than slight color errors.

@thehornedrat said:
"Pssst, Huw cannot be too overly critical of Lego you know, he may lose his special access to sets.

:)"

Yes, because Brickset has never written a negative review (Dodge Challenger) or criticized quality issues (washed out printing on colored minifig heads; the chain on motorcycles). Maybe Huw just doesn't think the color inconsistency is an issue in normal light. Which is exactly what he said.

@Felix_Mezei what's wrong with addressing potential future comments in a review? That's just good writing and understanding the audience.

@jaredhinton said:
"Maybe that's because while the colors may be consistent their actual product is crap and breaks far easier than LEGO. It suggests its harder to keep color consistent when you have higher standards for longevity. I, for on, would prefer a longer lasting product than slight color errors."

Sorry to burst your bubble but the quality of the knock-off brand pieces, at least those that I have, is excellent. Saying" their product is crap" just shows that you have no experience with them. Their morals are crap, that I agree with, but their products aren't.
The "quality leader" otoh, what was this issue with reddish brown pieces breaking? Or cracking cheese slopes and the like?

"Only the best is good enough"

Riiiight...

@Hylocera

" @Felix_Mezei what's wrong with addressing potential future comments in a review? That's just good writing and understanding the audience."

I trust you being a native in English you've read well what I wrote, but probably my English in my head betrayed me and I meant a totally different thing.

I am never against comment.

I wanted to say that when I read a specialist review, I expect to see a problem like the quality one to be FULLY tackled and not just passing by. To say " I suspect many of you will comment on the range of dark red" is OK in terms of saying people have the right to an opinion but I expect YOU as a reviewer to write your opinion about :

1. There are problems with the color on this set
2. This is not the only set with problems
3. This is an iconic set and unfortunately linked with a nice quality story and now in the 21st century industrialization, computerize coloring and robots the problems is present
4. How the reviewer feel about this problems
5. Possible advice for me, Brickset member
6. Possible suggestion for LEGO from the reviewer in the name of us members
7....Others

Instead of this, I read "I did not notice until I looked at the photos" and about the fact that people will comment.

Let's make a fictional example: the problem would be very few minifigures in a set instead of coloring problems, I am sure I would read an essay:

1. There are just 2 minifigures instead of 4 like it was the case in the last years.
2. This small numbers of minifigures is a trend and not only this set's problem.
3. This is an iconic set for LEGO minifigures set so how come there are only 2 minifigures?
4. I feel bad about getting just 2 minifigures for the same amount of money that in the last years I got 4.
5. I advice Brickset members to buy another set or I will analyze the price/minifigures
6. I advice LEGO company to try to listen to us.

Instead of this if I was "fictionally" reading:
I didn't saw there are just 2 minifigures before watching the photo, and probably people will comment this.

Maybe now I will be better understood.

If LEGO don't like criticism and Brickset can have problems for pointing quality issues, then why having the factory Quality Control Department?
LEGO should pay us (Brickset and members). For finding this problems, for having an unpaid focus group, for getting free feedback from people loving their products.

And I do this for free and using my own money, but we are living in an upside down world.

I think this will be my last comment. It really not worth my time.

A LEGO employee jestingly said this to me today:

"only the best is good enough - in terms of profit not in terms of quality"

Regarding the inconsistency of dark red parts, I remember hearing that dark, rich colors like Dark Red and Medium Lilac are some of the hardest colors to ensure consistency in due to variances in the dye having an outsize impact on the end product compared to brighter or less saturated colors.

Personally I think it's one of those things that's easy for fans to whine about but hard to actually correct in practice. It's not as simple as "applying an extra coat of varnish"—unless Lego could find a dye formulation that is more universally consistent, at large enough quantities to supply their entire global operation, the only possible way to make these colors more consistent would be to dispose of a much larger proportion of the parts that were produced in these colors to ensure that only a highly specific shade made it into sets. To me that seems like a wasteful and unnecessary course of action considering that, as Huw says, the color variation is subtle in normal, non-studio lighting conditions and does not significantly impact the experience of the end product. A given Lego collection will usually have greater color variation than in a set like this anyway due to the effects of age on older bricks.

@Lyichir : I think no one doubts that over time effects like age, yellowing etc. can affect the colour of parts, but we are talking about brand new sets straight out of the box having colour inconsistencies that can hardly be called subtle. Sure, the lighting conditions for the photo might exaggerate the effect, but I have many sets myself where gross colour inconsistencies are blatantly obvious even to the naked eye. The new Fiat 500 for example looks so shoddy with all its different shades of light yellow and semi-transparent curved 2x2 slopes that one might think it is indeed the product of a cheap knock-off brand. The extremely expensive new Sian is yet another example. The first set I had with very noticeable colour inconsistencies was the Detective's Office Modular, which had many shades of light/medium blue. Funnily enough, a friend of mine who cheaped out even back then and bought the Lepin version commented on this and showed me his set which had zero colour variation whatsoever.
And notice that both the light/medium blue as well as the aforementioned light yellow are definitely not dark colours, so what you heard about the darkness of colours being the problem appears to be just another cheap excuse by those who simply don't want to admit that they are cutting costs in production. I have sets from the Eighties that I have kept in storage and those don't show any colour variations.
Or take prints for example. I noticed while wiping prints for my monofig collection that older prints are far thicker, more opaque and much harder to wipe than current ones. Just look at light colours printed on dark surfaces. In prints of old, white on black for example was perfect white, nowadays it is rather grey than white, same with flesh tones, yellow etc. The quality is just not the same. People can try and find excuses as much as they like, I go by what I see and what is perfectly obvious to the naked eye.

Perhaps if TLG wouldn't tout their "quality leadership" and "only the best is good enough" so much and try to justify their inflated RRPs on many products with the supposedly higher quality standards, I wouldn't mind so much. Plus if there weren't so many competitors by now that show how better quality is possible even for cheaper prices.

@AustinPowers:
Lychir didn't say it was age-related. It's due to a change in their manufacturing process. For decades, they used to source their plastic in pre-colored pellets. A few years back they switched to using only a neutral base and adding the color in the injection molding process. The more dye you use to achieve a specific color, the more variance you're likely to get in the final result because a tiny bit of variance multiplies out over a large amount of dye.

One possible source for this is the machines used to mix the dye. When I was repainting my condo, the home improvement store where I bought my paint had two paint mixing machines, and they would tell you to make sure you asked for any additional paint in the same color to be mixed on the same machine as before. If you got the exact same color mixed on a different machine so you could do some touch-up painting, you could end up with attention-grabbing light patches wherever you did your touch-up work. While each machine could be equally consistent with the colors it mixed, that didn't mean they'd be a precise match for each other. So, if this dye is being mixed on a variety of different machines, that's another possible source of variance.

Everyone claiming that it is very hard for some colors to maintain consistency -> no it is not!

In construction there is a color-system known as RAL. It ensures that you get the same color anytime everytime anywhere everywhere no matter who applies it or on what material, surface or texture. It wil always be the same color.

This is simply a LEGO quality issue. And it isn't the first. I have had a similar problem with recent sets concerning cluthpower, especially with 1/1 plates and 1/1 modified plates, with clutchpower being so bad I sometimes double checked the bricks for the LEGO-logo on the stud...