That old school box art is so beautiful!

Day One!

Wow this is sick. LEGO's gonna keep remaking old sets!

Wow! And it seems like it will be more affordable than 10305 Lion Knights' Castle too!

I love the alternative layout as well!

This is what the Icons theme should've been used for. Updates of old sets.

Yea, I'm gonna be that guy. It's too small for the price, with the bulk of the pieces going into what is essentially a brickbuilt, modular raised baseplate. It really doesn't compare favorably to the 21322.
It is absolutely lovely though, and if I ever find it with a decent discount, I will get it.

Now time for 6769 Fort Legoredo!

I will most likely buy it even if the price is awful. But I must say that I do not understand that Galleon decision. Yes, the printed sails are great but I would rather improve the fortress and surroundings rather than adding this mini ship.

My wallet just jumped up and slapped me

This is great. Brings a tear to the eye.

The old box art was so much nicer than the current trend towards lots of blackness.

I wish LEGO would stop doing the current style of box art.

Day one for me. @huw any chance majisto Gwp comes at the same time?

Funny how this got revealed just minutes after a fellow Lego fan was telling how there should be more Lego Pirates sets.

Time to buy more shelves.

More incredibly iconic iconography from Lego Icons.
Needs more yellow, though.

Scrap the big, ugly floating thing and the set is perfect.

Considering I always wanted and could never get the original, this is an easy purchasing decision! And this looks very good. Being able to reconfigure it instead of being locked in by the baseplate is very cool too. I think the inclusion of the larger boat is nice and a good replacement for a second rowboat.

So, no one is mentioning grotesque looking crane. Too big for the scale in my opinion.

I will skip it or try to reconstruct it while building the set.

I need a bigger house

Great hommage but WTF is that price ? ?

Not for me but I'm glad to see this set. It looks great. Happy for thos who'll enjoy it.

I really like this set, but I'm not a Pirates collector (wish I was, but I can't buy everything!) so I won't be buying this that I can foresee. But I hope everyone who has been waiting for Pirates really enjoys it!

Nice set, even the price doesn't appear outrageous for a change.

But it's a real shame they discontinued those classic raised baseplates. Would have achieved the same effect with one single piece where they now need presumably hundreds.

I'm not sure whether I'll buy it though.
I've always been a Technic and Classic Space kind of guy, and never had nostalgic feelings for LEGO Castle, Pirates or Western. For those themes I had Playmobil back then. My friends and I used to play with those in the sandpit in the garden, and Playmobil was far more hard-wearing under such circumstances.

Still, if the discount is enticing enough, I might be tempted.

Love it! Can't wait to display with Barracuda Bay!
It's so nice to get some classic Lego sets, especially with that gorgeous box art!

I like it, but not 215 EUR like it. 180ish would be a day 1 buy, now I'll wait for a 20-30% sale. I don't see the volume. I don't particularly care about the bazillions of parts that went into the base. (Unless it has some as of yet unrevealed features, but I doubt it).

You didn't give the classic set number, 6276

@Zink said:
"18+? This is embarrassing...."

Not really, as long as you understand that for LEGO '18+' is 'display'/ 'nostalgia bait' rather than 'playset'.

I'm interested in seeing how it transforms from the square arrangement to the wide one. The way Lion Knights Castle achieves that is amazing.

Holy smokes, yes! Oh wow. It’s beautiful.

Looks awesome as it was Castle and Galaxy Explorer. We are lucky that the TLG cares about the old school fans.

I love that combines the ship from 6277

It is silly to complaing about the price of this set. 2,500 pieces and printed sails. I am surprised the price is not higher!

TLG seems to be very good at extracting money from me this year!

This set seems to be a copy of 6276 : Eldorado Fortress

However, the Imperial ship is from 6277 : Imperial Trading Post

That is not the monkey.

Sorry kids, your college fund is now a thing of the past.

Whoa that looks incredible!

I regret not getting Barracuda Bay now.

@sipuss:
You can always try to pick up a copy of the original, sealed, for $1600. Or Used, for $170. They're trying to get away from baseplates as much as possible, and I think individual baseplates and Modulars are really the only two places you regularly see them anymore. Yes, a lot of pieces are needed to recreate that one baseplate, but those pieces are all pieces if you part out the set to build other things. The baseplate is...just a baseplate. Also, _this_ version unfolds, where the baseplate is...still just a baseplate.

But they've also brickbuilt the weathered stucco pattern on the brick-built walls, they've brickbuilt the crenelations on the roofs, and the only part that feels _less_ detailed is the palm trees.

@laibros:
Price looks pretty good to me, especially given the inflation bump everything went through a year ago. You have something of a point about the ship, since it was just a second rowboat in the original set, but I actually feel it's the most interesting part of this remake. The only thing is, I couldn't figure out _why_ they put it in there. I mean, I get that they probably wanted to beef the set up (they may have had a target price, and a lot of leftover part budget), but I had to search around to find the likely source. Given the coloration and the sail layout, I'm certain this is supposed to be a remake of the ship from 6277, which is the very next set in sequence.

@monty_bricks:
Weird. The old set number _was_ mentioned, and appears to have been removed.

@rdn said:
"Looks awesome as it was Castle and Galaxy Explorer. We are lucky that the TLG cares about the old school fans.
"

They [LEGO Marketing Team] know where the money is...

Looks good and I love classic Pirates, but I just can't bring myself to fork over this much money for the sake of nostalgia.

Very nifty set and the older yellow boxing is sublime :)

Whatever the accompanying GWP remake set is going to be needs to include a monkey with a sword.

Looks nice. Front pic doesn't do it justice. Not an theme that I'm interested in so money saved for the Orient Express :)

Wow, this is a no brainer to me to get it!
And a great companion for the Barracuda Bay 21322. Buy i have a problem, no more kidneys at this point! But it's so beautiful, yes nostalgiafactor!

Even looks good, but of course they had to give female soldiers minifigures again and there is no Captain Redbeard :(

@sipuss said:
"Yea, I'm gonna be that guy. It's too small for the price, with the bulk of the pieces going into what is essentially a brickbuilt, modular raised baseplate. It really doesn't compare favorably to the 21322.
It is absolutely lovely though, and if I ever find it with a decent discount, I will get it."

Exactly my thoughts. I will certainly buy it, but while excited, I'm kinda disappointed. Barracuda Bay is so much better.

Pirates continues to be the best Lego theme

Pirates Pirates Pirates!

I'm both overjoyed and a bit disappointed. I'm so excited that we have such a beautiful companion to Barracuda Bay but I would have oh so preferred a redo of 6277 Imperial Trading Post.

That’s okay, the anniversary can keep going :D

@Tobiasz said:
"Even looks good, but of course they had to give female soldiers minifigures again and there is no Captain Redbeard :("

Aaaaaaaand, here we go again. Oh noooooo, LEGO is promoting diversity. Such an evil woke company.

On topic, I like this but with so many other potentially awesome sets planned for 2023 (Avengers Tower, Gringotts, Orient Express, UCS Venator… I am looking at all of you), this one will have to wait until I have a better view on how good the other ones are. And, anyway, I still have to build Ninjago City Markets and quite a few other sets.

Will buy it once it gets discounted. Set looks great.

Still hoping for a 6929 remake someday.

It is not for me, but I do like the old school box.

I'm not sure how I feel about the 'remake'. The boat / ship is rather small but takes a lot of parts compared to a rowing boat. With the part count I think they could have done a more magnificent new design for a fortress rather than trying to recreate the old, but of course then it would not be a homage to an old set.

Would’ve preferred the Imperial Trading Post, honestly. The ship is from that set, and the trading post has a more interesting layout imo

Dear LEGO Group,

We would like a re-release of set 10210 Imperial Flagship.

Thank you.

Im really sad people will once again buy this set DAY ONE.
Non painted chacos, unnecesary bigger boat (seriously just make it small set and it would sell)
And once again cramming unnecesary pieces all over the place.
AND IT HAS TOO MUCH WHITE.
Its Eldorado, not SNOWfort

No offense intended but this is a 3rd rate effort :( I have never filed a complaint over poor design before because I understand not every product can have love and time poured into it...but there is a first time for everything. I hope the community lets TLG know this is not okay. Embarrassing.

I agree about the crane. What is this, a dockyard? It is way too large, and ruins the aesthetic quite a bit. I also agree they could have spared us the boat and beefed up the main build instead. It’s good, but nowhere near as good as Pirates of Barracuda Bay, and in that sense it is a disappointment.

Mark me down for day one. This is my original white whale, and while I have since acquired one, this matches perfectly what is needed for the high seas; trading ships! Just...OMG. Perfection.

It looks good and well thought out, but completley lacks the simplicity and charm of the original 6276 set. Even the colouring was better then. I was really looking forward to this set, but now I'll save my money for the Orient Express.

I must have this!

oh these are so cool and I never want them to stop remaking old sets from before my time

I literally don’t have the space for all this!

Not that it’s gonna stop me

@Zink said:
"18+? This is embarrassing...."

It is a remake of a 34-year-old Lego set with a price point of over $200. This is not designed to appeal to children. The recommended "18 years & up" tag is appropriate. What is embarrassing is all you people who complain about the 18+ tag as if it means no one under 18 is allowed to buy these sets.

@Zink said:
" @JanJ said:
" @Zink said:
"18+? This is embarrassing...."

Not really, as long as you understand that for LEGO '18+' is 'display'/ 'nostalgia bait' rather than 'playset'."

That's what I mean. I'd feel so condescended to. It's so transparently nostalgia bait. "

So many people have been clamoring for these types of things. It's responding to the market.

I got the original as a birthday present, probably cost my parents maybe £40 at the time. £60 at most. Anyway, that was about 30 years ago. The way they dismantle the corner sections and extend the display in one of the pictures is a dirty trick to make it look huge haha. Well played. I do like the advancements and modernisations like the slope that minifigures can stick onto now. But that new monkey? No that’s gotta go, I’ll fish out my old one with minifig hands for hands.

It does indeed seem that this combines features of both 6276 and 6277. Maybe they picked their favorite parts of both classic sets to make one new one?

@GenericLegoFan said:
"Wow this is sick. LEGO's gonna keep remaking old sets!"

They really need to make a "Classics" line and commit to regularly producing these these! So I guess 21322 doesn't count as a return to Pirates? If you ask me, Pirates has gotten two now--it's time to give Town some love. Or not and just do more Space--6980 please!

Oh, this is amazing! I've tried many times to MOC a "modernized" Eldorado Fortress, but this far surpasses any of my attempts. I kind of doubt I'll be getting this myself since I am a little pressed for display space, but I'm sure that like Barracuda Bay and the Lion Knights' Castle before it, it'll be an incredible source of inspiration for my own creative endeavors.

I hope the instruction manual comes with fun "flavor text" about the set and characters like those other two classic-inspired sets did, especially since LEGO Pirates has always been one of the most "story-driven" of the classic themes. I'm also very eager to see reviews to get a better sense of some of the details that aren't obvious in the official pics and videos from LEGO.com (such as the contents of all the treasure chests and other storage containers, or subterranean features that aren't highlighted on the back of the box).

I'm impressed what a good job LEGO did avoiding leaks of this set — while rumors have been out for quite some time, there were no blurry photos ahead of time as there have been with some past sets. Though I suppose credit is also due to any Pirates fans who had the privilege of knowing about this set in advance and chose not to breach confidentiality.

One detail I find a bit underwhelming is the palm tree design — while I understand people's nostalgia for the old-school palm leaves, I also feel like LEGO has shown they are capable of much more impressive palm tree designs without such flat, simplistic-looking canopies. Even just this year, the new fern piece has been used to great effect for palm leaves in the Friends theme, and I suspect that in an 18+ set an even stronger design would be possible.

I also kind of wish that the ship were helmed by a civilian merchant (as in 6277) rather than a soldier/naval officer. Even if their allegiance were still to the crown, I feel like that would add some nice variety to the minifigures compared to so many identical imperial uniforms. On the other hand, I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who appreciate the number of soldiers and officers in this set, and would be bothered if there were too few to believably staff a fort this size, so perhaps LEGO made the right call there.

On the other hand, I do quite like the (apparently controversial) crane design. It feels historically authentic, and well supported by the tower below it. Certainly, it's quite a bit bigger than the crane from the original set (chiefly due to the sturdier boom and the addition of a turntable and support beams at its base), but I don't feel that it detracts from the fort's overall design, either in the main "island" layout or the alternate layouts suggested in other official pics.

@AustinPowers said:
"Nice set, even the price doesn't appear outrageous for a change.

But it's a real shame they discontinued those classic raised baseplates. Would have achieved the same effect with one single piece where they now need presumably hundreds."
To be honest, I came away with the OPPOSITE impression — I think this set EXEMPLIFIES how many advantages a brick-built foundation offers compared to a raised baseplate.

For one thing, this set's customizable modular design would not have been possible with the single-piece foundation of the original set. But this approach also allowed the designers to include a wider range of subterranean features in space that would have been unusable in the original model — an escape tunnel from the jail, storerooms with vaulted ceilings, a rum cellar, etc.

Also, a raised baseplate can generally only IMPLY textural detail via 2D printed or stickered graphics, whereas this brick-built approach allows for authentic 3D details like rocky cliffs, foliage, cobblestones, waterfalls, etc.

Admittedly, many of these same advantages could have perhaps been achieved in a more cost-efficient way if the designers had used more panels and BURPs/mountain bricks within the cliff walls, rather than relying solely on smaller and more basic parts. But unfortunately, there are a lot of AFOLs who have an odd aversion to BURPs, even among those who tolerate the much greater limitations of raised baseplates.

Thank you, Lego.

@Zink said:
"18+? This is embarrassing...."

18+ means "Deigned as Display first, play second".
1-18 sets - "Play first, display second"

It’s wonderful!

@Judgeguy said:
"I'm not a fan of any of the classic themes but unlike 21322, 10497 and 10305 I can't even appreciate this set for what it is. I don't really like it at all!"

Username checks out.

Lego really have started to get the nostalgia market going recently. I was bought this set when I was 9, and I loved it unconditionally. Now I'm 43, have some disposable income, and like Optimus Prime, this is the perfect combination of nostalgia, quality, new techniques and sheer joy that will free me from my money. Wonderful to see this - I can't wait.

@LukeSkywalker:
I was thinking it just unfolded, like many vintage Castle sets, but I do see now in the lifestyle photos they show four removable sections that can be reattached to make the long configuration. I don't necessarily consider that a cheat, since the alternative is often a heavily compromised design based around making sure that you have a stack of hinges right on the edge of the model. Also, this allows the section with the Spanish mission roof to face forward in both configurations. Since it's probably open on the back, this would keep all the open sides facing the same direction.

@oldfan:
I'm guessing something like that. 6276 only comes with a pair of rowboats, neither of which comes with a full-size, swivel-mounted cannon to blow the other into sawdust. 6277, on the other hand, is a significantly larger build, and would have surely pushed this into the $350-$400 range.

@ra226 said:
"Or not and just do more Space--6980 please!"

Ah, the _true_ Classic Space flagship! (anyone who believes otherwise is just...the most wrong ever)

@Aanchir:
I hate the look of the palm trees built with the new fern leaf, but the pot leaf made a solid enough palm tree in 21316 that I've been bulking up that design. Once you hit about six leaf elements, it looks like a proper palm tree, not one of those scragly LA desert palms that cost a fortune to keep watered. And I agree on the crane. This is a one-size-lifts-all crane. It would have to be able to hoist anything delivered by ship, from a net full of bricks to expand the fort, or one of those full-size cannons. The original crane would be struggling to lift a single barrel of rum. And whoever designed it would die violently if a barrel of rum smashed on the rocks because the crane broke.

@elangab said:
"18+ means "Deigned as Display first, play second".
1-18 sets - "Play first, display second""

That's an rather astute assessment. I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to point it out.

@PurpleDave said:
" @oldfan:
I'm guessing something like that. 6276 only comes with a pair of rowboats, neither of which comes with a full-size, swivel-mounted cannon to blow the other into sawdust. 6277, on the other hand, is a significantly larger build, and would have surely pushed this into the $350-$400 range."

I like this part of it. Rowboats are easy to come by, in whatever form you like (Habour Sentry or Bounty Boat are probably the most common in the Pirate theme), and barring some small flags, I don't think they're hard to make with existing parts. I think the trading ship from 6277 was a far better inclusion, and it's what I'd hoped for and predicted. I don't know if there will ever be a new clipper-esque ship; I'd love a smaller sloop but I'm biased since I have a clipper already.

I think my next move is to get some more of the shallow blue water plates to build my sabre islands on. Gotta have a few outposts with torches to signal back to Eldorado! Plus, of course, more boats.

I do hope the cargo ship comes with a few chests and barrels to actually add cargo. I think it's too small for most animals, but chickens or pigs or goats(!!) would fit ok.

Someone may have mentioned this, so apologies if I missed it, too many comments to read. I am thinking that this would work well with the 2015 line of sets. 70410, 70411, 70412. With a bit of adjustment, you could connect them into a large base that even Captain Redbeard would think twice about attacking.

The “good guys” need a strong base considering how badly outnumbered they are in fighting ships.

Considering I lost the original (which I loved) when I put off paying my storage bill too long, this is a no-brainer. I know I voted for "As soon as it's released," but I'll probably wait for double VIP points. But the first time those happen after release, oh yes. And yes, no Redbeard is disappointing, but seeing as he seems to have been replaced by some sort of high-ranking female pirate, I don't mind all that much. Wish she was a redhead, though; both because I have a thing for redheads and so Redbeard could at least get a spiritual homage. And I agree with @Aanchir and @PurpleDave that the crane is a nice beefing-up of the original's, which, in retrospect, was a little wimpy.

Other than the shameless female Naval officers, love this. Keep doing these remakes, I’ve loved every one of them

@TheOtherMike said:
"Wish she was a redhead, though; both because I have a thing for redheads and so Redbeard could at least get a spiritual homage. "

Coming soon to a ship near you, Captain Redcarpet!

“ the return of one of its most popular themes” …… so this sounds like other Pirate sets to follow!!!

Hands up for a 6286 Skull’s Eye Schooner update?

Love the Black Seas Barracuda and understand the love for it but the Schooner has always been the superior ship - looks, build, everything

It's as good as I could have ever hoped. Haven't scrutinized the details yet but I love that they have stuck with the traditional colours.

@Aanchir said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"Nice set, even the price doesn't appear outrageous for a change.

But it's a real shame they discontinued those classic raised baseplates. Would have achieved the same effect with one single piece where they now need presumably hundreds."
To be honest, I came away with the OPPOSITE impression — I think this set EXEMPLIFIES how many advantages a brick-built foundation offers compared to a raised baseplate.

For one thing, this set's customizable modular design would not have been possible with the single-piece foundation of the original set. But this approach also allowed the designers to include a wider range of subterranean features in space that would have been unusable in the original model — an escape tunnel from the jail, storerooms with vaulted ceilings, a rum cellar, etc.

Also, a raised baseplate can generally only IMPLY textural detail via 2D printed or stickered graphics, whereas this brick-built approach allows for authentic 3D details like rocky cliffs, foliage, cobblestones, waterfalls, etc.

Admittedly, many of these same advantages could have perhaps been achieved in a more cost-efficient way if the designers had used more panels and BURPs/mountain bricks within the cliff walls, rather than relying solely on smaller and more basic parts. But unfortunately, there are a lot of AFOLs who have an odd aversion to BURPs, even among those who tolerate the much greater limitations of raised baseplates."

Don't forget you can now pose figures on the ramp!

Cool. Will need to get this at some point to oppose Barracuda Bay.

I do hope we get more retro-remake themes than just the Castle/Space/Pirates trifecta. Rock Raiders/Power Miners, Adventurers, and the like.

@GenericLegoFan said:
"Wow this is sick. LEGO's gonna keep remaking old sets!"

You mean keep milking the older AFOL market because they know they'll buy anything with nostalgia.

@Zink said:
" @dimc said:
" @Zink said:
" @JanJ said:
" @Zink said:
"18+? This is embarrassing...."

Not really, as long as you understand that for LEGO '18+' is 'display'/ 'nostalgia bait' rather than 'playset'."

That's what I mean. I'd feel so condescended to. It's so transparently nostalgia bait. "

So many people have been clamoring for these types of things. It's responding to the market. "

I am one of these people. And this joyless cash grab doesn't appeal to me. That this isn't a play set is exactly the problem. "

How is this not a play set? It is a revamp of a vintage play set. Made to appeal to nostalgic adults, but retains play features.

With this and the barracuda bay, next one in the series should be enchanted island 6278 remake?

I prefer the classic monkey - it can hold 4 guns or hang from a tree with 3. Or 4 swords - or hang from a tree with 3.
Apart from that I’m glad I’m not a pirates fan as this looks absolutely gorgeous - if Smyths get it and knock a few quid off, or there is a spectacular GWP I will be seriously tempted.
It does go to show how much value that base plate added back in the day.

@oldtodd33 said:
" @Tin_Adventurer_007 said:
"So, no one is mentioning grotesque looking crane. Too big for the scale in my opinion.

I will skip it or try to reconstruct it while building the set."

That would be my only real criticism of the set. The crane looks too big compared to the original and its too big for this set too. "

Interesting. I think the crane is one of the coolest parts of the set. It would definitely have to look like that in real life.

Of course, a masonry/adobe building would have to be bigger to support the crane. Perhaps that's the complaint? Or perhaps you wanted something less realistic and more in line with the old playsets?

@lordofdragonss said:
"Im really sad people will once again buy this set DAY ONE.
Non painted chacos, unnecesary bigger boat (seriously just make it small set and it would sell)
And once again cramming unnecesary pieces all over the place.
AND IT HAS TOO MUCH WHITE.
Its Eldorado, not SNOWfort"

The fact that some people like this enough to get it Day One makes you "really sad"?

Wow.

@560heliport said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"Im really sad people will once again buy this set DAY ONE.
Non painted chacos, unnecesary bigger boat (seriously just make it small set and it would sell)
And once again cramming unnecesary pieces all over the place.
AND IT HAS TOO MUCH WHITE.
Its Eldorado, not SNOWfort"

The fact that some people like this enough to get it Day One makes you "really sad"?

Wow. "

He's just sad there are no Dragonss in it. And why would anyone buy something day one if it didn't have Dragonss?

I love it, day 1 buy for certain!

I love the inclusion of the ship from 6277 Imperial Trading Post but do wish they had included a civilian merchant like the one originally captaining this vessel. I don't think we've had any civilians in the Pirate theme since the 90s.

@Graqwild said:
" @Shadowcloner said:
"Cool. Will need to get this at some point to oppose Barracuda Bay.

I do hope we get more retro-remake themes than just the Castle/Space/Pirates trifecta. Rock Raiders/Power Miners, Adventurers, and the like. "

That'd be lovely for fans of those themes. I wonder if I'm the only one who would pick up a tribute to Aquazone; I've never heard anyone else mention it when talking about old themes."

I adore Aquazone, though mine adoration is limited to Aquanauts and Aquasharks. Crystal Explorer Sub is one of my all-time faves, and the sub from Shark's Crystal Cave is another fantastic piece of design. I haven't built Neptune Discovery Lab yet though I have most of the parts somewhere. I know I need to BL some, so I'll have to sit down and inventory it one of these days.

A modern remake might work well as GWPs, but I see it being hard with the sharks since they relied so heavily on the printed windscreens. At least the 'nauts just used trans dark blue, which I assume is still being made in various modern shapes. However, outside of Neptune, there weren't any real bases, so they'd probably need to commit to at least two sets, which means a bunch of new molds for the diving suits, crystals, magnets and so on.

However, if they made a modern Neptune with an opposing sub...yes, I know it would have to be different just to avoid needing all new molds, but it could be done. I sadly doubt the nostalgia is there though, so I'd bet at best we get a reference somewhere or MAYBE a GWP if we're lucky.

Well, it's not a Blacktron GWP....

But it's going to be a minute one purchase for me. The inclusion of the ITP merchant ship is the cherry on top. I was excited about the rumors. I am SUPER excited about it now. can't wait to get it.

For fans of Eldorado Fortress, please take a look at my Imperial Brig, inspired by this era of pirates sets, and currently in Bricklink's Designer Program Series 2:

https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-2/834/Imperial-Brig

I think 10320 Eldorado Fortress is a great update of a Lego classic, but 10305 Lion Knight's Castle will become a classic in and of itself.

@Zink said:
"18+? This is embarrassing...."

I have an interesting concept for you to consider: people are allowed to have some joy in their lives.

I am surprised by the amount of dislike for the ship. That ship is one of my favorite things from 6277 (granted this set isn't a remake of 6277), being one of the only dedicated civilian merchant ships that LEGO made for the Pirates subtheme.

@Ridgeheart:
The original set had quite a bit more yellow on the right side of the fortress, having essentially yellow walls with white crenellations. The left and center of the fortress are mostly white.

The constant drip-drip-drip of massive, high-priced Lego sets is starting to suck some of the joy out of this hobby. I'm a grownup with a job and disposable income, and all I can do is shake my head at what Lego has become. They've morphed from a toy company into a high-end collectible company. They're now competing with the likes of Sideshow and their $500 action figures. Strange times.

@JDawg5 said:
"The constant drip-drip-drip of massive, high-priced Lego sets is starting to suck some of the joy out of this hobby. I'm a grownup with a job and disposable income, and all I can do is shake my head at what Lego has become. They've morphed from a toy company into a high-end collectible company. They're now competing with the likes of Sideshow and their $500 action figures. Strange times. "

I don’t understand. You don’t have to buy all sets. Or what is the problem with Lego exactly?

@JDawg5 said:
" @vzarmo said:
" @JDawg5 said:
"The constant drip-drip-drip of massive, high-priced Lego sets is starting to suck some of the joy out of this hobby. I'm a grownup with a job and disposable income, and all I can do is shake my head at what Lego has become. They've morphed from a toy company into a high-end collectible company. They're now competing with the likes of Sideshow and their $500 action figures. Strange times. "

I don’t understand. You don’t have to buy all sets. Or what is the problem with Lego exactly?
"

I don't?!?! Mind ... blown. Next you're going to tell me I can take my Lego sets apart and built other things with the pieces!!

To be less flippant, my "concern" (I wouldn't say "problem") is that Lego is pricing themselves right out of the market that they created and dominated for the last half a century -- a construction toy for kids. It seems to me that their product portfolio is increasingly reliant on enormous, expensive sets targeted squarely at adults. Is that a sustainable business model? Hell if I know. Clearly they must think so.

As Lego turns itself into a super-high-end luxury collectible company, it's going to continue to exclude more and more customers. A whole bunch of kids won't be exposed to Lego bricks because their parents can no longer afford them, and I just think that's strange and kind of sad. That was my only point. "

Yet there are still tons and tons of sets aimed at kids. Dozens of sub-$100, kid-targeted sets just came out at the start of this month. Whereas only four $18+ sets did. The idea that kids can't get exposed to Lego anymore is pretty laughable when themes like City, Friends, Creator and Ninjago continually offer a wide range of popular, affordable sets.

@Zink said:
" @dimc said:
" @Zink said:
" @JanJ said:
" @Zink said:
"18+? This is embarrassing...."

Not really, as long as you understand that for LEGO '18+' is 'display'/ 'nostalgia bait' rather than 'playset'."

That's what I mean. I'd feel so condescended to. It's so transparently nostalgia bait. "

So many people have been clamoring for these types of things. It's responding to the market. "

I am one of these people. And this joyless cash grab doesn't appeal to me. That this isn't a play set is exactly the problem. "
I’m legitimately confused how you think this isn’t a play set. The Eiffel Tower and Titanic? Yeah I would say those aren’t playsets. But this one? It’s as much of a playset as any out there.

@JDawg5 said:
"As Lego turns itself into a super-high-end luxury collectible company, it's going to continue to exclude more and more customers. A whole bunch of kids won't be exposed to Lego bricks because their parents can no longer afford them, and I just think that's strange and kind of sad. That was my only point. "

My dude, there are 685 sets on the Lego website right now for under $25. Not all of them may be aimed at kids, but I'd bet the VAST majority are. $5 in 1993 is about $10 now, so if we compare, I'd bet there is a TON more for a kid with pocket money today than I ever had. I don't know your age so I can't really compare there, but my point stands.

Edit: the bigger issue, which isn't related to Lego, is the hollowing out of the middle class in America and other markets. If the toys stay relatively similar in price, adjusted for inflation, but the cost of everything else goes up and wages are stagnant or nearly so, you have a recipe for a loss of market. I do not know what Lego may be doing to consider this.

@JDawg5 said:
"
As Lego turns itself into a super-high-end luxury collectible company, it's going to continue to exclude more and more customers. A whole bunch of kids won't be exposed to Lego bricks because their parents can no longer afford them, and I just think that's strange and kind of sad. That was my only point. "

So besides this high dollar stuff, aimed clearly at adults, LEGO doesn’t offer anything else? Say, a 15 Bucks Land Rover? Or maybe a 10 Bucks Unicorn for kids? Interesting.

@dimc said:
" @JDawg5 said:
"As Lego turns itself into a super-high-end luxury collectible company, it's going to continue to exclude more and more customers. A whole bunch of kids won't be exposed to Lego bricks because their parents can no longer afford them, and I just think that's strange and kind of sad. That was my only point. "

My dude, there are 685 sets on the Lego website right now for under $25. Not all of them may be aimed at kids, but I'd bet the VAST majority are. $5 in 1993 is about $10 now, so if we compare, I'd bet there is a TON more for a kid with pocket money today than I ever had. I don't know your age so I can't really compare there, but my point stands.

Edit: the bigger issue, which isn't related to Lego, is the hollowing out of the middle class in America and other markets. If the toys stay relatively similar in price, adjusted for inflation, but the cost of everything else goes up and wages are stagnant or nearly so, you have a recipe for a loss of market. I do not know what Lego may be doing to consider this. "

^ This.

There has never been more options for kids, and there has never been more options for adults. I don't see any problem here. Well, other than bring back a Castle line for kids!

As much as I love raised baseplates and the original set, this one is superior like Pirates of Barracuda Bay 21322 so I'll eventually buy. Built up bases allow for much more customisation and modularity.

Now we only need an Islanders remake!