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| Latest >= 25% discounts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batman Mech Armor | $9.59 ( | -36% | ||
| The Never Witch's Midnight Raven | $69.99 ( | -30% | ||
| >= 33% discounts on this year's sets | ||||
| Race Plane | $8.19 ( | -45% | ||
| The Illager Desert Patrol | $8.42 ( | -44% | ||
| Z-Blob's Robot and Vehicle Adventures | $5.80 ( | -42% | ||
| Surprising Spider | $7.50 ( | -42% | ||
| F1 Williams Racing & Haas F1 Race Cars | $11.79 ( | -41% | ||
| Cooper's Tiger Mech & Zero's Hot Rod Car | $59.99 ( | -40% | ||
| Trotting Lantern | $77.99 ( | -40% | ||
| Aliya's Baby Sister's Playroom | $11.19 ( | -38% | ||
| Spider-Man Mech vs. Anti-Venom | $9.49 ( | -37% | ||
| Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure | $9.59 ( | -36% | ||
| The Nether Lava Battle | $6.39 ( | -36% | ||
| Backhoe Loader | $6.39 ( | -36% | ||
| Wild Animal Families: Penguins & Lions | $6.49 ( | -35% | ||
| Iron Man Mech vs. Ultron | $9.99 ( | -33% | ||
View all discounts | Compare Amazon prices | Hide these articles | @BargainwatchNA
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The next LEGO Ideas set has been announced, recreating scenes from The Goonies! The press release follows:
21363 The Goonies
2,912 pieces, rated 18+
$329.99 / £269.99 / €299.99
Available at LEGO.com from 1st November
“Hey, you guys!” Relive The Goonies movie adventure with this collectable LEGO Ideas set
This diorama model features brick-built vignettes of iconic scenes from the 1980s cult classic movie, from the Fratellis’ hideaway and caves to Willy’s treasure room. Turn the model around to view a detailed recreation of the exterior of the Inferno pirate ship ruins.
The set includes twelve LEGO minifigures of key characters from the movie and the interiors are packed with authentic details. Send a minifigure through the secret fireplace entrance to the caves. Activate the boulder-dropping trap. Use the Copper Bones Skeleton Key to release the trapdoor. Push the keys on the skeleton organ to break the floor and access the slide to the octopus (from a deleted scene). Send Sloth sliding down the mast on the Inferno deck.
A fantastic movie lover gift, this pirate ship-shaped model makes striking home decor.
40773 The Goonies: The Walshes' Attic will be the GWP during the first week of November.
What do you think about 21363 The Goonies and how it compares with the original creation by Delusion Brick? Let us know in the comments.
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Judging by the comments on our recent reviews, it would seem that many of you consider the sets released nowadays to be too expensive and poor value for money. Discussion about the price of the set often overshadows that about the set itself, and the comments descend into a spiral of negativity.
So, to try and turn that around and generate some positivity, we're going to run a poll to find out which sets released this year that you think are good value for money.
Please use this form (not the comments) to nominate up to five of this year's sets that you feel are priced sensibly at full price and represent good value. If you're logged in you can view a list of this year's sets that you own to make it a bit easier.
The ten sets with the most nominations will be included in a poll in a few days' time.
Thanks to Brick_Master for the suggestion.
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Today's random set is 42032 Compact Tracked Loader, released during 2015. It's one of 13 Technic sets produced that year. It contains 252 pieces, and its retail price was US$19.99/£14.99.
It's owned by 4,923 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $55.70, or eBay.
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Today's random minifigure is njo0003 Nuckal (Skulkin) - Vertical Grip Hands, a NINJAGO figure that was first produced during 2011. It can be found in 2 sets.
Our members collectively own a total of 14,202 of them. If you'd like to buy one you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $9.60.
Image and minifig data courtesy of BrickLink.com
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Christmas-themed sets have been a fixture on the seasonal calendar since 1999, but never before has a set as large as 41843 Family Christmas Tree Decoration been attempted.
When it was announced, its price was met with surprise and disapproval, but let's find out whether it's worth the outlay.
41843 Family Christmas Tree Decoration, 3,171 pieces.
£269.99 / $329.99 / €299.99 | 8.5p / 10.4c / 9.5c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The model will make an attractive Christmas table centrepiece, but at a price
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
A new leaf piece, LEAF 6X8X1 2/3, NO. 1 (design ID 7571) has been introduced in this set, which contains 96 of them. It will no doubt find its way into Botanical sets next year.
Instructions are split across six manuals, allowing it to be built by up to six people simultaneously. To avoid arguments, everybody gets to build some minifigures!
The tree is about 45cm tall to the top of the star and, thanks to the new leaf pieces, looks quite realistic. Many of the leaves can be rotated and tilted so, just like a real plastic tree, it takes a bit of time to adjust them to get it looking neat, tidy, and symmetrical.
Transparent red and orange baubles (fishbowl helmets) are attached to the undersides of the lower leaves, and opalescent octagonal jewels provide decoration for their tops. Overall it looks very festive.
Within the base is a train that can be rotated using dials on the side. The mechanism also moves the hand on the clock in the room above.
Inside the trunk are four rooms which are accessed by opening up hinged sections of the tree.
On one side there's a hallway and a small kitchen with coffee machine and cookies on the lower level, and Santa's control room, complete with computer and multiple displays, above.
On the other side, a workshop with a sewing machine and paintbrushes occupies the lower level. A games room, with three arcade machines and a Christmas tree, fills the room above.
The floors are tiled but there are ample studs on which to position the minifigures.
One thing raised in the comments, which I had forgotten to mention, is that it's not particularly easy to close the sides once you've opened them: the two halves don't mate particularly well and leaves on them are prone to falling off.
It's likely that you'll want to build this one year, then store it ready for display in subsequent Christmases so, to facilitate that, the set comes in a sturdy box with a lid, instructions for dismantling in to sections and fitting them back into the box, and even a small box in which to put the minifigures and accessories.
It's a shame that more sets are not designed like this!
The set comes with seven minifigures and a couple of cute miniature characters.
Previous versions of Santa had a printed hat, but this one is dual-moulded, but the difference in appearance is negligible. Mrs Claus has a new dress print: previous ones showed a red dress under her robes whereas this one has a dark red one.
According to the set's description at LEGO.com the five other figures are all elves, although only two of them have pointy-ear hats. They've not all been added to BrickLink yet, but I believe they all have new prints on their torsos, which include a classic space-inspired design. The figure attired in that jumper also has a bright green helmet and air tanks which are both new in that colour and being sold for ridiculous sums on BrickLink at the moment.
One of the elves has a set of mechanical arms attached to his back to help with his work.
These two cute creatures are 'Pillow Plush Toys', as BrickLink calls them. The Snowman is unique to this set; the reindeer also appears in one of this year's Advent calendars.
Completing the accessories is a sleigh propelled by a single reindeer, and Cataclaws, who featured in the company's Christmas advertising campaigns last year.
Cute though it is, it's arguably a bit superfluous.
As a centrepiece for a festive table, this is a lovely model, one that you'll want to get out year after year. The thought that has been put into making it easy to dismantle and store is unprecedented and most welcome. It's something that more models would benefit from: after all, we can't display everything forever.
I do wonder whether it was necessary to have the interior details, nice though they are, and provide so many minifigures and side-models, though. A similarly-sized tree without all the gimmicks would look just as good, if not better, and could be sold at half the price to double the customers, but that does not seem to be LEGO's intent at the moment.
Instead, the company is aiming this 3,171-piece behemoth of a set at affluent families who are looking for a creative activity that they can do together over the festive period, and it certainly fulfils that requirement.
If you're looking for some family brick-based fun over Christmas that yields an attractive festive decoration, one that can be used year after year, then this is the set for you.
147 likes
These are the reviews that we've published recently:
 | 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine21358 Minifigure Vending Machine is brilliantly designed, but its minifigures are the standout |
 | 10366 Tropical AquariumAn intriguing and attractive display model that could have broad appeal were it not for its price |
 | 77239 Porsche 911 GT3 RSDespite a few inaccuracies, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS looks beautiful in LEGO form |
 | 71846 The Fire Knight MechAlthough small for its price, the Fire Knight Mech looks outstanding on display |
 | 910055 Gold Mine ExpeditionI expected more of 910055 Gold Mine Expedition, but it is still quite enjoyable |
 | 40772 Celebration Series: Luminous GhostThis spooky spirit is a nice little GWP in the run-up to Halloween. |
View more reviews in the news archive »
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21358 Minifigure Vending Machine provides an ideal opportunity for an outstanding minifigure selection, including two new Castle factions and unique Classic Space astronauts, plus homages to other celebrated LEGO themes like Fabuland, Pirates and Paradisa!
The sixteen minifigures provided look excellent and so does the actual vending machine, which offers impressive functionality. In addition, there are some notable new parts, including pods housing the all-important minifigures and massive trans-clear wall panels, bigger than nearly any other window piece.
21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, 1,343 pieces.
£149.99 / $179.99 / €169.99 | 11.2p / 13.4c / 12.7c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
21358 Minifigure Vending Machine is brilliantly designed, but its minifigures are the standout
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
LEGO invited fans to choose a new colour for the Classic Space astronaut and two ultimately made it to the set; teal and pearl gold. These were my favourites of the options given and teal looks particularly nice with the classic yellow head underneath the helmet. As normal, the only decoration is the Classic Space symbol on the torso.
Two of each astronaut colour are included, coming with a variety of accessories. One character carries a printed doughnut and a white mug, while the other is equipped with a wrench. I get the impression that the latter minifigure works harder, somehow.
I know many Classic Space fans like to imagine different roles for each uniform colour, so I am curious to know what everyone has assigned to the pearl gold astronauts. The duo is definitely eye-catching and the metallic gold planet on the logo works better than expected with the pearl gold plastic.
These astronauts are equipped with a radio and a typical Classic Space accessory, which could represent a laser gun, a scanner or basically whatever you like!
This set introduces two new Castle factions, also selected by fans via a LEGO Ideas poll. The armoured Griffin Knights appear inherently heroic, dressed in metallic silver mail with dark red robes underneath. However, I am not convinced by these helmets for the Griffin Knights, given these parts are most associated with villains from Knights Kingdom II and Fantasy Era.
Similarly, the gladius-style swords feel ill-suited to medieval minifigures, but I love their shields. The realistic shield accessory was designed for the Hylian Shield from 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 and it looks excellent with a silver and white griffin symbol, complementing the colours of the actual minifigures.
The pair of Kraken Warriors seem more sinister, borrowing the helmet developed for the Viking Collectable Minifigure, which likens these minifigures to ocean-going raiders. That reflects their Kraken-inspired insignia and I love the use of teal, dark green and reddish brown colours, again associating the Kraken Warriors with murky seas.
Both figures carry shields adorned with the Kraken, plus a cutlass and a whip. These weapons suit a seafaring faction and the use of bandana pieces with the helmets is clever, filling the gap originally left for a bushy beard on the Viking Collectable Minifigure.
Bo'sun Will and Camilla were characters featured in 6255 Pirates Comic, introduced with the original Pirates wave in 1989. These are perfect choices to represent LEGO Pirates in 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, both including unique torsos and capturing some aspects of their comic appearances, although I think Will should look younger.
However, I like the blonde hair element selected for Camilla, the admiral's daughter, as well as her double-sided head. The minifigure is equipped for adventure with a map and flintlock pistol, while Will carries a cutlass and a parrot. Perhaps the original red and yellow parrot should have returned here, but the blue and yellow version looks lovely too.
Fabuland is another beloved LEGO theme, but one a bit trickier to celebrate in minifigure form. Animal costumes work well though, beginning with a figure dressed as Bernard Bear. The blue hoodie and red trousers match Bernard's original figure and I like the headgear too, re-using an element produced for 60363 Ice-Cream Shop, with new colours.
Elton Elephant is a fun choice for the second figure, reintroducing the head from the Elephant Girl Collectable Minifigure. However, the character wore a red shirt in 3601 Elton Elephant, so the hoodie should have been red to match. Repeating the blue version is a missed opportunity, in my opinion.
However, a yellow mug is an apt accessory to match 3601 Elton Elephant. Bernard's wrench is dull though. I can see why this was chosen, but as a delivery driver, maybe Bernard could have been delivering a printed tile depicting 329 Bernard Bear and his Delivery Lorry.
Paradisa was a Town subtheme launched in 1992, hence the '92' on the back of these relaxed minifigures. The classic Paradisa branding looks splendid on the front and both characters are seemingly inspired by specific designs from the original sets. The male figure's moustache and blue cap are particularly recognisable.
The colourful accessories are good as well, including a lime green camera, an ice cream cone and a cocktail glass. These minifigures would definitely look at home on a modern CITY beach, dressed to remember their holidays from the 1990s!
The final two minifigures pay homage to the LEGO Ideas platform and the fan designer, Rob Vangansewinkel. The latter looks delighted with his Minifigure Vending Machine creation and sports a nice flannel shirt, while the Ideas-branded shirt should prove popular, as LEGO store employee minifigures have been before.
It seems the LEGO Ideas minifigure is not based on a specific designer, so I cannot identify the car represented by a roller skate. The house is recognisable though, as 4000019 Brand Identity & Experience, which is displayed in lots of LEGO offices around Billund. Rob, meanwhile, comes with a minifigure-scale version of the vending machine and a printed coin.
Capsule vending machines are a common sight around the world and a LEGO version is a fun proposal, hence the Minifigure Prize Machine Ideas submission's success. The updated model seems very similar to Rob's creation at first glance, but is actually much larger and incorporates more functions, such as inserting a coin to activate the dispenser.
The machine is pretty substantial, measuring 28cm tall, but still fits comfortably on a desk and looks nice from all sides. Red with light bluish grey accents is an attractive colour combination, with plenty of tiles and curved slopes forming a smooth exterior. Although there are quite a few exposed studs, I still think this could be mistaken for a real capsule machine.
I like the curved shape of the dispenser and the plate behind the handle, featuring a couple of 2x3 pentagonal tiles. Two printed coins are included and you must insert one into a slot on top before the handle can turn, like on a real vending machine. The coin drops inside and the pods tumble around as you rotate the handle, before one emerges.
As you continue to turn the handle, the coin is released from one side and ready to use again. Perhaps the 2x2 round tiles on the coins could have been decorated to match the smaller 1x1 round tile coin, although the '10' design looks fine.
The capsules comprise two hemispheres linked by Technic axles, so they are relatively easy to open, but will not open accidentally. There is just enough space for all the minifigure parts once they are disassembled, but it is a tight squeeze in certain cases. Furthermore, I wonder whether the hemispheres could have included an extra connection point, making them more versatile.
The internal Technic mechanism is surprisingly complex, considering all it really needed to do was turn the stirrer inside when the handle rotates. However, the designers did much more by adding a rubber damper that prevents the mechanism from working without a coin inserted, as well as a clicker underneath the blue gear, giving the handle a bit more friction and a pleasing clicking sound as it turns.
Eight trans-clear 8x8x6 curved wall panels form the capsule container, with a row of plates for strength around the middle. The panels are packaged separately in two bags, protecting them from damage quite well. The seams between elements are not ideal, although they are pretty much unavoidable without producing an absurdly specialised piece.
I like the rounded corners on the lid, which is easily removable to deposit the minifigure pods inside. Sixteen is enough to make the vending machine look good, but it could accommodate another ten capsules, at minimum.
The base of the container is cleverly designed to make sure pods never get stuck, as only one can drop through the rotating base and into the dispenser chute at a time and there are no flat edges. Elements typically used as road signs form a buffer along two sides, while the lip of the wall panels is not wide enough for anything to get stuck on the other two.
A few more rubber Technic beams are attached to the stirrer in the centre, moving the capsules around relatively gently. I still think there is a slight risk of scratches though, which is why I am glad of the misted texture on the trans-clear hemispheres, hopefully disguising any potential damage.
21358 Minifigure Vending Machine is executed pretty much perfectly. The dispensing function is brilliant and improves on the Ideas submission, excellent though that design is. The new parts also have considerable potential, but the many minifigures are the highlight, inevitably. Perhaps the repeated characters could have been skipped in favour of figures inspired by other themes, but the selection included is already satisfying.
The price is difficult, however. £149.99, $179.99 or €169.99 feels expensive to me, but unlike so many overpriced sets produced this year, I can understand how the price was reached. After all, there are sixteen minifigures included and no shortage of unique printed parts, plus a couple of costly new moulds. Even so, I think a discount is required, but this is still a worthy acquisition.
174 likes
These are the most read articles that we've posted during the last fortnight:
| Article | Date | Views | Likes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sets retiring soon discounted on LEGO.com | 07 Oct | 23728 | 59 | 53 |
| Speed Champions Back to the Future DeLorean images! | 14 Oct | 18832 | 288 | 189 |
| 2026 LEGO Batman sets revealed! | 09 Oct | 16086 | 147 | 155 |
| LEGO 10366 Tropical Aquarium revealed! | 14 Oct | 15988 | 83 | 149 |
| Review: 10366 Tropical Aquarium | 16 Oct | 13457 | 137 | 113 |
| BDP Series 6 sets now available for pre-order | 06 Oct | 10707 | 64 | 124 |
| Review: 910055 Gold Mine Expedition | 06 Oct | 10375 | 90 | 43 |
| Review: 71846 The Fire Knight Mech | 12 Oct | 7496 | 88 | 23 |
| LEGO Disney 40774 Classic Animation Scenes revealed! | 13 Oct | 6763 | 81 | 38 |
| BrickLink Designer Program Series 6 pre-orders close very soon | 13 Oct | 5703 | 37 | 40 |
The total number of news article views this week is 143,541, which is 1,344 fewer than last week.
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These are the sets that have been viewed the most this week:
| TW | LW | Set | Views | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21103 The DeLorean Time Machine | 5906 | ||
| 2 | 77256 Time Machine from Back to the Future | 5521 | ||
| 3 | 10366 Tropical Aquarium | 2895 | ||
| 4 | 29 | ↑ | 40785 Northern Lights Diorama | 2361 |
| 5 | 1 | ↓ | 75419 Death Star | 2043 |
| 6 | 40774 Classic Animation Scenes | 1975 | ||
| 7 | 6 | ↓ | 10305 Lion Knights' Castle | 1959 |
| 8 | 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine | 1929 | ||
| 9 | 3433 The Ultimate NBA Arena | 1815 | ||
| 10 | 2 | ↓ | 40772 Celebration Series: Luminous Ghost | 1769 |
The total number of set detail pages viewed this week is 1,137,936, which is 24,145 fewer than last week.
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This week's vintage set is 642 Double Excavator, released during 1971. It's one of 27 LEGOLAND sets produced that year. It contains 33 pieces.
It's owned by 295 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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"The Creations for Charity store is now open for its 17th annual sale", writes the fundraiser's organiser, Nannan.
"From now through November 30, you can purchase one-of-a-kind custom creations donated by builders from around the world to raise money and buy Lego sets for underprivileged children. Thanks to your support, we were able to donate Lego sets to kids across six continents last year. Check back often—new items will be added regularly over the next six weeks.
"Anyone can donate a creation by filling out the donation form on our website at creationsforcharity.org. We’ll list your MOC in the store and notify you when it sells so you can ship it directly to the buyer. You can also make a direct donation via Tiltify.
"We look forward to seeing you and celebrating our annual tradition of creativity and giving!"
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The Icons theme encompasses all manner of subject matter nowadays, and LEGO seems willing to try just about anything that it thinks will appeal to adult builders and attract new customers.
The latest such set, adding to the ever-growing collection of real-life objects made from LEGO, is 10366 Tropical Aquarium. It's a huge and expensive model of a fish tank, something that has not been tackled at this size before, and at first glance it looks beautiful.
10366 Tropical Aquarium, 4,154 pieces.
£399.99 / $479.99 / €449.99 | 9.6p / 11.6c / 10.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
An intriguing and attractive display model that could have broad appeal were it not for its price
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
There are dozens of recoloured pieces, which will be documented at New Elementary in due course. It also introduces a new fin element, which is used on the fish and some of the aquatic plants.
Your first impression when seeing the set is most likely that it'll be fun to build all the coral and sea life from the wonderful array of colours and parts, but before you can tackle that the base and backdrop need to be constructed, and doing so is lengthy and slightly tedious.
The base comprises a sturdy frame, 1 brick and two plates high – the same as the width of 2-wide tiles, of course, which are used to finish off the edges later.
It's 32 x 64 in size, with an additional row of black studs along the sides.
Eight 16x16 tan plates make up the bed of the aquarium, which are covered in mounds of 'sand', swirls in the sand, and turntable bases which are used to attach the cave and other structures at an angle.
With the bulk of the aquarium fixtures completed, attention turns to the backdrop, which comprises 20 8x16 medium azure baseplates mounted on a black-bordered frame.
The swirly water pattern is the same on the top eight plates and the pattern repeat looks a bit obvious before the tank is populated, particularly as it ends abruptly at the sides of each plate. The instructions suggest that coming up with a pattern that looked organic using just two different parts was a challenge for the designers. I think it would have looked better if the joints of all the tiles did not align with the joints between the plates.
The backdrop is attached to the base using two rows of studs along the bottom, and click-hinges for additional strength. It's also affixed to the back of the cave with Technic beams to doubly sure it's secure.
There are several mechanisms built into the model -- more of which later -- but the most interesting is that which causes one of the sea anemones to sway. It's built into a rock and operated using a crank on the side.
At the point the photo on the right below was taken, the majority of the tank's structure and decorations have been added, just the top of the cave needs to be added, which is done later on once some of the coral and creatures have been affixed.
I'm going to look at the individual plants and sea life in detail below, but here's the completed model before the front section of the frame has been added.
Overall I estimate that it took me about 12 hours to build it, over three days.
It's not until you reach bag 25 (out of 42) that the real fun begins: populating the tank with plants, coral, invertebrates and fish.
Two branches of seaweed are the first to be added, made using dark green and transparent green Leaf 2X6X1s connected to a core of Technic axle connectors.
This 'tree coral' utilises nougat plant stem junction pieces and 1x1 round bricks.
The sea anemone attached to the mechanism in the rock uses various reddish orange curves, including the new long 'macaroni' pieces, with a Mini Hat, No. 8 on the ends.
The other anemone is constructed on hinged Technic bricks, then nestled inside two dark orange Shell 10X11X6 W/ Cross Hole pieces that form the lampshade of 21357 Disney Pixar Luxo Jr., as you will see in photos below. I think it looks wonderfully realistic.
The light yellow piece used for the specimen on the left below, which resembles sea fan coral, is a Ninjago energy element, originally used to attach claws to minifigures, e.g. this one.
The one on the right uses orange Min Hat no. 17, and reddish orange minifig-scale coral pieces.
The next four coral specimens all exhibit NPU (nice parts usage): constructed using a lot of relatively common elements that have been recoloured.
Chef's hats and pith helmets
Mop heads and broom heads:
Finally, two varieties of plant help fill the gaps on the aquarium floor and add more colour variety.
Despite being two legs short of a full set of ten (a pair of pincers and 4 pairs of walking legs) the crab looks excellent. Iron Man's mask crops up frequently in botanical sets and here it has been recoloured and used for the shell.
The tank is home to just four fish: two angelfish, a rainbow fish, and a dark red 'striped brickfish', native only to the imaginations of LEGO designers, according to the instructions.
All of them look spectacular, the right-hand angelfish below particularly, with a very attractive colour gradient along its sides.
The new fin element is used for their tails, and also the dorsal and pelvic fins on some of them.
The tank is certainly life-sized (52 x 48 x 21 cm, 20" x 18" x 8") although I'd argue that some of the contents are larger than that. Nevertheless, it looks incredibly realistic, vibrant, colourful, and packed with authentic details, far more than I'll have a chance to mention in this review.
Four mechanisms are built into it which are operated using controls on the sides. Three on the right of the tank make the anemone sway, the brickfish 'swim' and the crab emerge from the cave, while one on the left opens and closes the lid of the treasure chest.
These photos illustrate some of the model's detail, beauty, and ingenuity.
There's no doubt that this is an exceptionally attractive and desirable display model, one that would brighten up any home or workplace.
It's bursting with detail and colour [1] and is a joy to behold. The only complaint about its design that one could reasonably make is that the black frame obfuscates parts of it when it's viewed at an angle. However, it does not take much effort to remove it if you'd prefer it to look more like a diorama than an aquarium.
One thing that has attracted considerable complaint is the price. The 4,154-piece set will cost £399.99 / $479.99 / €449.99 which, for a non-licensed set with no minifigures, seems extremely high. There are a lot of large pieces in it, but also thousands of small ones so 9.6p / 11.6c / 10.8c per piece does seem excessive. However, it is a large model and when the amount of 'stuff' it contains is assessed, it might not seem so bad.
If you have deep pockets and are looking for an absorbing and challenging building experience that results in a unique model that's both eye-catching and eye-candy, you will find it all in this set.
The fish don't need feeding and will still be alive when you come back from vacation: more good reasons to buy it!
It'll be available from the 13th of November at LEGO.com.
Minifig and goat for scale.
[1] I believe it was said at the recent Fan Media Days that it contains parts in 85% of the current colour palette. One that's missing, surprisingly, is vibrant coral.
149 likes
The iconic Porsche 911 is instantly recognisable and appeared several times earlier in the Speed Champions range, though not since the move to a larger scale in 2020, until now. 77239 Porsche 911 GT3 RS certainly seems to be worth waiting for, however.
I think the Porsche 911's distinctive form has translated well on the whole, but the headlights continue to be problematic, an issue affecting various LEGO Porsche 911 sets. Otherwise, the design looks good and I hope the headlights are effective from particular angles.
77239 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 348 pieces.
£22.99 / $26.99 / €26.99 | 6.6p / 7.8c / 7.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Despite a few inaccuracies, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS looks beautiful in LEGO form
The minifigure included is fairly simple, although I like the Porsche Track Experience branding alongside the usual stitched details. We have seen plenty of racing drivers before, so having a track day uniform is a good alternative. Decorated legs would have been appreciated, but plain legs presumably allow more printed parts on the actual car.
As ever, the driver comes with a helmet and an alternative hair piece, plus a wrench to remove the wheel inserts. The hair element is interesting because it looks great and has only appeared once before in this colour, in 76316 Fantastic Four vs. Galactus Construction Figure.
Source - TopGear.com
Highly distinctive cars tend to make the best Speed Champions models and the Porsche 911 clearly qualifies, given the characteristic shapes common across the 911 series. On the other hand, these cars are famously curvy, which can be difficult to translate to a LEGO model. This rendition is therefore quite impressive, in my opinion, definitely capturing the silhouette of the 911 GT3 RS.
In addition, flame yellowish orange is an appealing colour choice. Not only does it look superb alongside the black accents, but the shade has been used just once before as the main colour for a Speed Champions car, on 75909 McLaren P1 from the theme's initial range. We were due for another and the Porsche suits this livery.
The black details on the nose and bonnet are especially effective, including accurate vents on top. The louvres above the wheel arches are perhaps oversized, but I can easily excuse minor compromises like this to accommodate brick-built features, rather than applying stickers.
While the silver details on the front need stickers, the Porsche emblem and the headlights are printed. I think the headlights look alright from above and the new 2x3x1 curved wedge slopes create a nice shape, although the view from in front is awkward. Perhaps moving them inwards would improve their appearance, but that would reduce their visibility from the sides as well.
The 2x4 tile in front of the windscreen is also printed, creating the illusion of a more rounded windscreen, which works remarkably well. Similarly, the pillars printed on the windscreen are fairly realistic and the stickered patterns along the sides look good too, including the essential 'GT3 RS' branding.
Removing the windscreen and roof reveals the typical space for two minifigures inside, with a large steering wheel and the gearstick represented by a microphone. There is not much detail otherwise, although I do like the dashboard clock inevitably showing a time of 9:11!
The side windows incorporate a couple more printed elements to complete the curved shape, which is partly effective, but the decoration is not flush to the edges. Maybe this is a very rare case where stickers would have been preferable, although better quality printing would clearly have been ideal.
The stickers flanking the rear windscreen are a good example of how the printed parts should look, with minimal yellow lines between black areas of the stickers and the neighbouring trans-black pieces. Moreover, the fins on top look great, using black 1x2 panels with flame yellowish orange panels clipped in between to create a smooth surface, interrupted only by those fins.
While it seems enormous, the rear wing is in proportion with the rest of the car, connected with robot arms. The bodywork underneath looks too bulky, however, as the flame yellowish orange section between the rear light and diffuser should be narrower. I love this dark red band though, featuring the Porsche branding printed in metallic silver.
Given the frequency of Porsche 911 sets in Speed Champions prior to 2020, I am surprised an eight-stud-wide version has taken so long to arrive. Fortunately, the vibrant 77239 Porsche 911 GT3 RS does not disappoint, as even features I expected to dislike, such as the headlights, are more realistic in person than official images show.
They are certainly not perfect and the proportions of the rear could be better, but I am pleased with the design as a whole. Its shape is fantastic and the designer has managed to build many external details, avoiding the need for too many stickers. The price of £22.99, $26.99 or €26.99 feels fair given the car's complexity, so this is another lovely addition to the Speed Champions garage.
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The Auckland Brick Show is the annual flagship event hosted by the Auckland LEGO User Group (AuckLUG). This show has traditionally been one of New Zealand's biggest brick shows. The show was held over a weekend in late September.
I was invited to be an exhibitor at this event. There were more exhibitors at this show than at previous events and as part of celebrating Brickset's twenty-fifth anniversary, I was given ten commemorative bricks that were to be given out to exhibitors at the show.
Read on as I showcase my ten selections of worthy exhibits, as I interviewed the recipients of the ten Brickset commemorative bricks.
You can also read about the rejuvenated show format and find out whether the Auckland Brick Show 2025 has returned to its former status of one of New Zealand's premier brick shows.
The Auckland Brick Show (ABS) was held over the weekend of 27 and 28 September 2025.
This show has been moved to a venue in a more central location: the Auckland Netball Centre.
In the last few years, the ABS was held in West Auckland.
In the early years, the ABS was held over Labour Weekend – a three-day weekend. In New Zealand, the fourth Monday in October is a bank holiday.
This year's ABS was held during the middle weekend of the school holidays. This is a regular two-day weekend.
Brickset turned 25 Years old back in July of this year. I suggested to Huw whether this milestone was worthy of developing a commemorative brick. To which he agreed, yes!
Huw approved local custom brick printer, Rics Bricks, to produce ten of these bricks rather than have them sourced from the UK.
I suggested that, since the Auckland Brick Show was looming, where I would also be an exhibitor, that I would give these bricks out during the show and use this as an opportunity to showcase some of the MOC builds displayed at the show.
In no particular order, here are the ten MOCs that I selected to showcase. In each case, the builders received a complimentary Brickset twenty-fifth anniversary brick.
By: Frank Avéres - AriCloos
Member from Well-LUG
David Wardle: “Would you like to talk about your railway station?”
Frank Avéres: “This is my half minifig scale model of Wellington Railway Station. That means it is built as a microfig sized model. It involves over a thousand vintage doors and windows, and therefore, I have included some vintage-style cars and vehicles, as well as a few newer ones. The project took me over a year to achieve. There is an awful lot of maths and working from my only original floor plan blueprints and then using tools like Google Earth to do some measuring and griding out.
Working with a half-scale building presents a lot of additional challenges and trying to fit detail in and get it all to work. This building has a lot of half-stud insets and outsets throughout the main facade, which means I use an awful lot of one by three jumper plates.
“It has got the original floor plan on the inside and some details. It has got about three-hundred or so microfigures from the Games range. There are a couple of bits of free licence humour that are included.
Picnic in the park.
Can you guess who this is?
“It includes a car chase from the original New Zealand film from 1981, Goodbye Pork Pie, where a sequence of it was filmed inside the station. I have a car chase running a circuit out the front.”
You can see a clip from the film where the yellow mini is chased through the Wellington Railway Station.
A more extensive clip of the car chase in the Wellington CBD can be seen here.
DW: “Can you tell me about the ceiling on the inside?”
FA: “The ceiling on the inside includes a partial replica of the fantastic cathedral-like ceiling on the inside of the original ticket lobby. It is a throwback to the really ornate Art Deco-style ceiling that is inside. The building was originally built in 1937 and, at the time, it was the largest building in New Zealand and one of the first to be seismic strengthened.”
DW: “Thank you very much for your time.”
By Dion Sandford - slyfer3k
From HamLUG
David Wardle: “Hi Dion. Can you tell me about your dinosaur display?”
Dion Sandford: “It has taken me a few years to get this display to this size. The latest stage has been getting some more detailing [on the mountain] so that it is not just a flat surface. The monorail is something I am quite proud of, and it has been running fine this year.
“I enjoy all aspects of my display. To have kids come along and have that moment of joy in their face, even the older ones, will say, ‘Oh my goodness, this is terrific.’ I have minifigures hidden around the display, and the little kids will be asking, ‘Why is Elsa up there?’ And, for me, it is fun things like that that makes this whole display quite nice to have out.
The mountain is one of my showcase pieces that I get complimented on. That is why I enjoy displaying it.
DW: “Earlier, I took a photograph of all the squirrels in the cave, and I wanted to ask you about all the squirrels.”
DS: “That is a little Easter egg that I have included. I had a bunch of squirrels from a LUGBulk shipment, and so I had the idea to include a little squirrel cave-type thing [in my display]. So, I purposely made a little alcove there and placed all the squirrels into it. There is always something that someone sees [hidden in this display] and they say, ‘Oh my gosh! Look at all the squirrels.’”
DW: “You have a dinosaur nest up in the mountain. What is the dinosaur species you have up there?'”
DS: “Yes. There are Pteranodons up there. That was one of the ideas when I designed the mountain. To have different tiers. There is a little cave at the bottom. There is a camping area with a lookout. There is a rock climber. A Pteranodon nest. I wanted these ideas incorporated into the mountain.”
DW: “You talked about the drone before. Now I have just seen it.”
DS: “Yes, there is a boy flying a drone. These characters stay on the mountain, and they do not need to be dismantled when I pack them away. They are part of my ‘Can You Find It’ challenge that I set. The mountain is the one thing that makes the whole display fit together. As the mountain is the central piece, people must walk around the whole island to see all the parts on display.”
DW: “There's four sides to the display.”
DS: “Yes. It is better than a static view from a table.”
DW: “I find for my own display with the trains, if you have got movement in your display, people stop and look at it. If it does not have movement in it, they just walk by.”
DS: “Yes, that is why I have been trying to get the monorail going, because that adds an extra element as opposed to just having the sounds, you have got something moving. There is sound playing the movie's theme song, and it has a few dinosaur sounds, too. Kids come up to me all the time and ask, ‘Where's the sound coming from?’ I say, ‘It's in your imagination!’”
DW: “One last thing, what is the connection between you and dinosaurs? Is there a story behind your love of dinosaurs?”
DS: “I have always liked dinosaurs, dragons, and fantasy themes. I was eight years old when I first saw the original Jurassic Park, when my mum dropped me and my mate off at the cinema. From that moment I was awestruck. Over my teen years, I slowed down and did not really get into LEGO or dinosaurs as a thing. As an adult, I am going full tilt into the dinosaurs. It is a theme that I love and just works. Dinosaurs is a theme for someone to love.”
DW: “Thanks for catching up with me now.”
DS: “Thanks a lot.”
By Sue Cooper - GrannySueBricks
and Doug Beasley
From BOPLUG
David Wardle: “I am talking with Doug Beasley and Sue Cooper, who have collaborated on this impressive Middle Earth map. I'm not a Lord of the Rings fan, but I really do like what you've done here. Would you like to describe some of the features of this map?”
Doug Beasley: “We based the map on the one found in the book, and we wanted to capture all of those key locations on the original map. From the movies or books, people should be able to recognise some of the features.
“How we built it was that Sue worked on the landscaping and all the terrain. That includes the mountain ranges and the coastline, which has got that nice colouration in the water along the coastline and all the contours there. I think Sue has done a really great job with that. It has come out really well. And the forest, where Sue had fun building lots and lots of little trees.”
Sue Cooper: “There were many orders from LEGO.com for lots of tree parts.”
DB: “I focused on building locations. All the major and minor locations on the map. I just battled one location at a time. You can see from the major locations we have got Hobbiton down there, and then you can follow the path that the Fellowship took, and through Bree and Weathertop and then Rivendell. You will be able to recognise the locations from the movies or the large LEGO sets.
“They obviously look similar, but it was interesting, trying to downscale these builds.
I think Rivendell was one of the hardest [locations] to build in that scale to get the colours and the pieces, the LEGO parts to make it look like Elvish architecture with the colours of the trees around there with the little waterfalls. I think that was probably the most difficult one to get an end result that I was happy with.
“We have the towers, obviously, Isengard [Orthanc] and Barad-dûr. Those are the two big iconic towers in the story. They were fun to build, particularly Barad-dûr with the eye. I had some fun with parts of that one. Parts used in the round tower include tyres to get a bit of texture in the tower. There are pots and Harry Potter wands, swords for the spikes. That was a fun one to put together.
“One tricky problem with the map was we wanted to make the locations at a larger scale than the map scale. We wanted the locations to pop out . . .”
SC: “. . . and to make them all fit.”
DB: “Parts of the map, particularly around Mordor and Gondor, there are a lot of locations. It was a challenge to fit them, and we had to use artistic licence to shorten things or push a mountain range back a little bit to fit these locations in."
DW: “I think you have done exceptionally well.”
DB: “We are pretty happy with the end result.”
SC: “We were determined to have something moving, and it worked out well that we could put a motor inside the mountain and have LED lights in there as well, so it looked like it was a volcano with lava flowing.”
DW: “I also like the other details on the map. I like the sailing ships and the Oliphaunts [I had to look that word up!]. I like the compass rose and the title block with Middle Earth on there with the scroll work you have done with warm gold.”
DB: “That was another area to have some fun with parts. To find a bunch of different golden weapons parts with curves and spirals.”
DW: “If I asked you ‘What is your favourite part of this map?’ What did you enjoy building the most?”
DB: “That is a great question. I will let Sue go first.”
SC: “Mine would be the Fell Beasts [also called Nazgûl-birds] flying."
DB: “For me, probably some of the little details that possibly no one else sees.”
DW: “Can you show me a detail that no one else sees?”
DB: “We put things in, like, if you look closely, there is a pass going through the mountains that is significant in the book and possibly no one noticed that."
SC: “There is the light in Mordor Morgoth that glowed blue in the movie when they spoke the Elvin words, so we had to put a light in the mountain to glow blue. So that is the Walls of Moria.”
DB: “I enjoyed building some of the beasts – Oliphaunts that look like elephants – and the trees.”
SC: “And that was where I was blown away because I tried to build one, and it did not work and then Doug came up with one, and I thought, ‘Wow! You are so clever.’”
DW: “Thanks a lot.”
By Alex Burgess - pcuser42
From AuckLUG
David Wardle: “Hi There Alex, would you like to talk to me about your display?”
Alex Burgess: “The locomotive here is a DFT class locomotive coupled to a SA coach set. Both are replicas of real-life locomotives and carriages. The carriages are modelled on what used to run on the Auckland rail network up until 2015 when the network was electrified.
I have replicated as many details as I can down to the brake hoses on each end of the bogies.
DW: “I saw that. You have used the black sausages. Is the train station a real station or have you made that up?”
AB: “No. It is fictional. It is a blend of various elements of real stations. There is a bit of Middlemore station, a bit of Papakura and a bit of Pukekohe, but this station is fictional.”
DW: “You won an award last night and one of the features was the fact that you had the disability ramps and the people in wheelchairs.”
AB: “The station is fully accessible. There are ramps to get to the platforms. There is a bridge between platforms with stairs and there is also a lift."
DW: “I notice you have the bicycle lanes.”
AB: “There are definitely cycle lanes.”
DW: “Is that a custom print?”
AB: “No, that is a regular brick that came in a few sets. These station signs are printed bricks from Rics Bricks in Motueka. I can change out the ‘next station’ sign on the display if I need to swap it out for any reason."
DW: “And the Auckland Transport signs. Are they from Ricks Bricks as well?”
AB: “Yes. They are prints, but I have a few stickers too."
DW: “Thanks.”
Alex Burgess' Kiwirail locomotive and Auckland transport station display received the Sponsor's award at the show.
By: Darren Bryan - Dazza501
Member from HamLUG
David Wardle: “I am talking with Darren Bryan and his World War II aeroplanes. Would you like to talk to me about your display?”
Darren Bryan: “I have always enjoyed WWII history. I used to make model aeroplanes as a kid and then a few years ago I had a look at making some of these models out of LEGO. I started with the Spitfire and I had a look online and found some plans by Darth Designer, and so I built his design for the Spitfire.
“This started my passion of looking at planes and trying to build some for myself and also using what other people have come up with.”
DW: “The biggest model you have here is the Avro Lancaster bomber.”
DB: “Yes, the Lancaster is another fan design: Soiij from Rebrickable.”
DW: “I like the Corsair model.”
DB: “The [Vought F4U] Corsair was a design by Model Hanger sourced from Rebrickable.”
DW: “Those three planes are third-party designs. Are the other models your designs?”
DB: “The Warhawk and the Hurricane are my designs. When I am looking for a plane to build, I want it to look the way it is meant to look like in real life.
DB: “So many people come through, and they look at the planes, and they want to talk about what their grandfathers did during the war. Where their great uncles served. Engineers came through, and they have worked on rebuilding these planes. It is hearing about these stories and what kind of connection people have to these planes."
The real connection that I have with these aeroplanes is that as people come through and view my display, I hear their stories. I met a gentleman last year who remembers fleeing France and being in London during the Blitz, and he wanted to tell me about these stories.
DW: “That is interesting. Have you done a display as part of ANZAC Day or Memorial Day?”
DB: “No, but I was part of the MOTAT display last year, and I am looking forward to doing that again this year.”
DW: “When I caught up with you earlier, you were talking about special parts. Do you want to talk to me about the special parts of your favourite model?"
DB: “Yes. The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. I had a model of this as a boy and one of the parts I really wanted was the Tan 1x10 curved slope, which comes out in only one set: 7189 Mill Village Raid the set which is famous for its goats. Sourcing that particular piece was difficult, but it really makes the model look authentic with the light tan colour for the desert warfare.
DW: “When I talked to you earlier, you commented on the markings on the American aeroplanes. Can you explain that to me again?”
DB: “When the United States entered the war, they had a white star with a red circle in the middle. After Pearl Harbor, they took the red circle away because they didn't want it to get confused with the Japanese [aeroplane] markings. Then they moved to adding the sidebars, and by the end of the War, they added the red bar to their insignia.
“The other thing is that American planes only ever had one [marking on their wings] and the reason for that was if they were being attacked from the sky, just that split-second, if you could see two markings, you know where the pilot or engine was, if you can only see one [marking], there is a chance that you will get it wrong. Those split-second timings meant that the US wanted to give their pilots a bit more of a chance.”
DW: “Two of your aeroplanes have the white and black stripes on the wings.”
DB: “That is there for [quick] recognition that was used on D-Day so that they were not shot down by their own guns."
DW: “There were so many planes in the air that was a unique marking used on the day?”
DB: “Yes, it was."
DW” “What is your latest build?”
DB: “The Gloster Gladiator is my latest build which has been designed by TechnicalBrickCustoms. When I am building a plane, I like to look at the story of the planes. Each of these planes that I have on display had a significant impact during World War II. The Gloster Gladiator was one of the last bi-planes produced.”
DW: “Was that plane used in the defence of Malta?”
DB: “Yes. There were five planes on the island, and they always managed to keep three [of them] flying. They named them. Faith, Hope and Charity. These planes really held the defence of Malta together until modern aircraft could arrive, so knowing the stories behind the aircraft and what they contributed is really important. Each one of these planes had a significant impact on Malta’s outcome during the war.”
DW: “And Malta – the whole island – received the George Cross, which is now included on their national flag!”
DB: “Yes, that is right.”
DW: “Thanks.”
By Gabrielle De Bruijn - LegoKiwiChick
From HamLUG
David Wardle: “I am with Gabrielle, and this is the Homemaker habitats that you have built. Can you talk to me about your inspiration?”
Gabrielle De Bruijn: “Absolutely. I grew up in the 1970s, but never had any of these [Homemaker] figures myself. My brother had some cool space-themed LEGO. I have been playing with LEGO with my children for the last fifteen odd years.
When I started buying bulk LEGO buys, I started getting these funny, little round-headed people, and I was thinking what can I do with these? I was not sure, and I did not realise that I did not have to wait for the legs to turn up. I did not know that the legs were just bricks.
“Eventually, once I had enough, I decided to make it a 1970s house. In every single house, I put in details that reminded me of the 1970s: the colours going together and certain stand-out things that I knew that I wanted to have [such as] a record player, bean bags, lava lamp, the old-fashioned tube television. I wanted a water bed that is leaking a bit, and then a kids' playroom with little, teeny, tiny details, kids playing with LEGO.”
DW: “Are those the sacks that you can pick up LEGO with?”
GdB: “It was supposed to be just colourful mats. We have actually got one of the LEGO sacks. My brother had one, and inherited it. I remember at the time thinking my brother had so much LEGO, and I look at it now, and I just laugh, because my collection is very huge.
“Last year I did a large Fabuland-inspired build. In the last twelve months, I actually bought heaps and heaps of LEGO Fabuland pieces, and that also helped do the background houses. Initially, I was only going to have the seven rooms on their own.
“I had started building a bit of a random street scene, and I was not sure what I was doing with the houses, the kind of Dutch-style houses. Then I realised, if I placed them on top of the already built rooms, that would make it more impressive. So, from far away, it would draw you in. Then whilst you are there, you can look at all the tiny little details that I have put in the next build.
“I did not want to be limited to just using the colour palette of the time. So that is why I allowed myself to use modern colours and modern pieces, but certainly the vintage pieces, I think, give an authentic kind of quality. I think the avocado shade in the bathroom was fun as well.
“So, that was where all the inspiration came from!”
DW: “Thank you very much.”
By Jesse Ingham - JJBricks_NZ
and Jo Tidman - Jojo_9
From BOPLUG
David Wardle: “I am with Jesse Ingham and Joanne Tidman. Hi Jesse, can you talk to me about your 32 x 32 baseplate artwork?”
Jesse Ingham: “32x32 Baseplate artwork is an expression of LEGO on a canvas. It is an exploration of part usage, colours, shapes, and depths. It is an exploration of what we see in our LEGO bins when we are sorting. We pull them out and think, ‘Oh, this is an interesting piece. I might see what I can do with this.’
“They are [easily] transportable, which is also very useful, and they are quite colourful and can be seen from a distance.”
DW: “You don't need a trailer to move your display around!”
JI: “We put them to a public vote on which ones they like. The ones with the least amounts of votes get pulled apart from show to show. It is a very interesting feedback process to see what people do like, and it varies from show to show as well.”
DW: “So, at every show, do you have eighteen artworks on display? And then at the end of each show, one gets eliminated?”
JI: “Five are eliminated.”
DW: “This is like the survival of the fittest. It gets harder each time for each artwork to remain?”
JI: “It helps us process better and build different ones as well.”
DW: “At different shows with different locations, are there different themes for the feedback you get?”
JI: “Absolutely!”
DW: “Would you like to talk about that? Auckland clientele verses Bay of Plenty clientele?"
JI: “Going off yesterday’s voting, the Auckland clientele did not like the peach blossom artwork, but the peach blossom scored very highly in Hamilton. The beach artwork has been popular wherever we have gone. Some of the quilting patterns at the top have been quite popular, but they have not been so hot here in Auckland.”
DW: “Each time you come out with completely new designs. You never go back to a former design and repeat it?”
JI: “Not yet. There are new elements to incorporate. New ideas to process.”
DW: “I like the maze. I like mazes and puzzles."
JI: “Thank you. It is the second iteration I have created. The original version was not a maze, it was a random scattering of panels. This one I wanted to make into a maze, as a kid came up to me and said, ‘Is this a maze? I can’t solve it!’ So, I decided to make a maze for the next exhibition. It is harder to make a maze rather than a random pattern.”
DW: “Can you talk about your artwork?”
Joanne Tidman: “I love bright colours and trying to make artwork out of unusual pieces. I did as much greebling as I could. There are apples and bananas. There are all sorts of parts. I just wanted to use unusual parts.”
DW: “I like the texture of your artwork.”
JT: “People love it. They have so much fun.”
DW: “Thanks, both of you for this catchup.”
By Vaughan Blok – The_Blocks_Collection
From AuckLUG LAN Ambassador
David Wardle: “I am talking with Vaughan Blok, who is the LUG ambassador with AuckLUG and the person behind The Blocks Museum. Would you like to talk to me about this show?”
Vaughan Blok: “The show this year is the biggest one that AuckLUG has done for some years. We have got the most exhibitors we have had for a long time. We have 107 exhibitors here this time, which is significantly up on previous years. We have some international exhibitors from Brisbane and from Sydney. We have got other exhibitors from all over the country, from Otago and Invercargill. We have also got some retailers who have come in from down the country. This is the first year we have got over thirty exhibitors who have never exhibited before."
DW: “So about a third of your exhibitors are first timers?”
VB: “Yes. That is really neat.”
DW: “Talk to me about your display. You seem to have a fusion of vintage and modern. I cannot describe it accurately.”
VB: “I like the original Creator, 3 in 1 vehicles. I thought I would build a fire station at a scale to fit the fire engine set. LEGO is big on fire stations and to do it on that scale meant that it matched the scale of the Technic men, so it worked out even better. The helicopter is a 3 in 1 Creator set from the early 1990s.”
DW: “One of the things that I have enjoyed over the last few months is doing the regular Throwback Thursdays and showcasing some of the unique, rare LEGO that you have in The Blocks Collection. Would you like to comment to the Brickset readership on what these articles and their feedback means to you?”
VB: “It has been really good to read the articles and feedback because I get too busy to post things.
This is an opportunity now to see some of the collection on Brickset, and I appreciate the fact that you came along and did it. It has been fantastic. It is encouraging me to now think about the collection and promote it a bit more.
DW: “And you also get quite a depth of feedback from the global Brickset membership.”
VB: “I am amazed. I am astounded. It is great reading about other people’s opinions. The fact that there are things that you are putting in there [on Brickset] of stories about LEGO that people do not even know about.”
DW: “And it has enabled you to get a richer story about your collection.”
VB: “It has certainly given me more of an appreciation of what LEGO I have accumulated. I like it. We need to do some more [articles].”
DW: “If I can make a comment about the Auckland Brick Show. It has been revitalised. I have been saying, ‘It has its mojo back.’”
VB: “This is the feel that we used to have. The first couple of shows at Kohimarama. Maybe even the first one out west at the Trusts Arena, but then it lost it.
“We have got Disability Connect as our charity and that is a really good blend and well suited. And we will have a long association with them. We will probably end up going to some of the Expos with a LEGO display, and it looks like Leo is probably going to become their mascot. My vintage LEGO store display lion over there."
DW: “I have taken a photo of Leo.”
VB: “Disability Connect had a transition Expo here about three weeks ago in this venue, and that was when we were talking about Disability Connect becoming our charity. We asked if we could have a presence at their Expo, and they said, ‘Yes. Good.’
“We had a couple of my big [vintage LEGO store display] models here in the hall and up the stairs, and they used Leo as their photo promo. So now he is probably going to be their mascot. He might even sit in their office in Penrose.”
DW: “Thanks a lot.”
VB: “I appreciate it. Thanks, David.”
By Josh Winsom - Avverage_Brick
From AuckLUG
David Wardle: “I am with Josh Winsom with his WWII diorama. Would you like to talk to me about your display?”
Josh Winsom: “It is a diorama of battle for Tilly-sur-Seulles, which is a small town in Normandy that changed hands twenty-six times in the course of a week after D-Day [6 June 1944]. [My display] started off as being a bunch of Norman fields, because I was really interested in the hedgerows and the fighting that happened in Normandy after D-Day.
“Then I bought the LEGO French Café set, and after that I built a town around that, and the diorama now includes this. I did some research and picked a battle that I thought was interesting and had a good amount of [documented] history behind it, and the diorama evolved as it went.”
DW: “What is the link? Why are you interested in this historical event?”
JW: “The story about this particular event [is important to tell]. It was a very important crossroads in Normandy that the Allies and the Germans fought over for. It changed hands twenty-six times in the space of a week as it went back and forth. Constant warfare in a very small town. It is not like it is some super important landmark!
“I went to the British archives and dug out all the old after-action reports that the various infantry companies submitted. They experienced some really heavy fighting. As someone who is really into history, when you find these little niche stories, it really grabs you.“
DW: “Are you interested in history?”
JW: “Yes. I love history. It is the sense of scale that I get, especially the First and Second World Wars, that fascinate me and the impact [the wars] had on so many people all around the globe. There is a difference between the [war in] the Western Theatre compared to the Pacific Theatre. The way that the war was orchestrated was so completely different.”
DW: “You have a couple of tanks in your display. Can you tell me about them?”
JW: “The two tanks up the front there are Churchills – British tanks. Next to them is an M10 Wolverine. During the later years of WWII the British found that the guns on them were not successful enough against German armour, so they up-gunned them to a 17-pounder, which was capable of punching through the heavy tanks. It is an Achilles [variant]. There is a German Panzer IV. It is an H model. It has got all the side skirts on it with space armour. On the other side of the town is a Panther A”
DW: “The aeroplane flying over the town?”
JW: “It is a DeHavilland Mosquito. It is my design, but I have based it on a design I found on Flickr. I have looked at images and built it from them.”
DW: “You have the Tudor house modular in the town that looks pretty battered.”
JW: “Yes. I bought a few sets this year. I bought the Tudor Corner; the Sherlock Holmes Book Nook and I received the Snow-White cottage for Christmas last year. I thought I could have built all the houses on my own, but I had these [sets] sitting around, and I was not really doing anything with them. I think it also tells a good story with LEGO. You can repurpose [LEGO sets] and use them in ways that you have never thought of.
“I have seen people come through here all weekend, and they comment, ‘Oh look, there is the Snow-White House,’ or, ‘It is the Tudor Corner.’ Maybe it sparks an idea that maybe they can tell a different story than just the one that LEGO has told.”
DW: “What part of this diorama are you especially pleased about?”
JW: “There is a position about a third of the way into the MOC mock with the Flak 88, which is a German anti-aircraft gun. [The Germans] found that the muzzle velocity was so high that it could be used as an anti-tank gun. It could kill any Allied tank during the whole course of the war.
I wanted to show that there would have been German positions outside the village as well, and that as the allies orchestrated this attack they had captured some of the German positions.
“There is a German Anti-Aircraft gun over there that has been captured. I really like this Flak position with all the SNOT work on the trenches and surrounds.”
DW: “Thanks a lot.”
Josh Winsom's WW II Diorama was voted the best display by the Exhibitors at the show.
By LukeTwaddle
From HamLUG
David Wardle: “I am looking at Luke Twaddle’s Castle MOC display. Can you describe to me the inspiration behind your display?”
Luke Twaddle: “I have got a big castle, MOC. It has a village to the left and a castle to the right, depending on what side you are viewing it from. There's a dragon, led by the Wolfpack characters, that is attacking the village."
DW: “Is that your own design?”
LT: “The dragon is the Creator 3 in 1 design. I need help building animals. The dragon is led by the Wolf Packs and I have got a few of them. The village is owned by the Lion Knights, and the Horse Knights and the space characters are coming in to assist the Lion Knights.
“There are lots of village activity happening. There is lots of Dungeons and Dragons stuff happening here. There are two other factions happening; I have got the Crown Knights and the Snake Knights, and they are on their own boats.”
DW: “What part of this display are you most impressed with? What part would you like to really highlight as your main feature?”
Luke Twaddle:
I really did enjoy building this cottage with the black roof. For the bay window, I have used the Wolfpack cape. My favourite part [of the display] is the Snake Knight boat. I thought it was quite a nice design for the boat.
DW: “I liked your other boat, too. I liked how you made the sails.”
LT: “That used the cape from Storm, the Marvel CMF. I was looking to use the cape from two Agatha minifigures, but I got two Storms instead.”
DW: “Thanks a lot.”
Also displaying at the Auckland Brick Show were two people from Australia.
I caught up with Colin Doyle and Jason Funnell to ask them about exhibiting in Auckland this year.
By Colin Doyle - KiwiCol
From BrisBricks and QLUG
Former President of AuckLUG
David Wardle: “I am with Colin Doyle, who has come all the way from the Gold Coast. Colin Doyle is the former President of AuckLUG. He has his monochrome habitats.”
Colin Doyle: “Thanks, David. Yes. I have got thirty-five of these monochrome habitats now. I love doing them because of the creativity that it requires [for you] to come up with a story with a limited palette [of parts] and some of these elements, I do not have a lot in particular colour. I like the challenge of coming up with a coherent story that looks cute. It encourages me to do things that I would not normally do and use parts that I would not usually use.”
DW: “When looking at the habitats here, which colour habitat do you like the most? What are your favourites?”
CD: “I think my favourite is the drum kit. That grew out of a monochrome build challenge that we had at a LUG meeting one time and I built the drum kit first and thought that would work beautifully in my habitats. I also like my bakery habitat because I do like baking bread, and I am quite fond of the mountain climber habitat as I like doing rock work. Some of my bigger builds have a lot of rock, and it is a chance to have a play with some of those techniques.”
DW: “When I caught up with you earlier, you were talking about the Warm Gold and the challenges you faced there. Would you like to talk about that?”
CD: “As I was saying earlier, a limited palette means sometimes you do not have the parts you want, and pearl gold 2x2 is the largest plate. To come up with something that is an eight by eight [stud format], you need to laminate two layers of small plates together. I try and keep these builds pure and only work in one colour, even if the parts cannot be seen. It makes it fun!”
DW: “The other dimension of this interview is that you have been formally the President of AuckLUG? Do you want to talk about what you have witnessed here at this show, because I feel as if they have got their mojo back?“
CD: “I think time improves things. They had a bit of a lull with COVID. People seem to be willing to come out. There is a young, new dynamic crew running the show, and it seems to be growing in leaps and bounds, which is fantastic.
It is a pleasure to come to a show amongst my friends and see that half the people here are new exhibitors and people that have joined recently. It just continues to show how wonderful the LEGO hobby is and how there are opportunities in it for everyone. There is such a variety of builds here. There are sets. There are MOCs. There are mosaics. It is unbelievable.
DW: “My final question. Are you involved in a LUG in Australia?”
CD: “I am displaying with BrisBricks, and I am also involved with QLUG.”
DW: “Thanks.”
By Jason Funnell - Fodder
From SydLUG
David Wardle: “Hi Jason. You are from Sydney. Tell me, what brought you to the Auckland Brick Show?”
Jason Funnell: “I come to Auckland quite a lot with my family and I have followed AuckLUG and Well-LUG on Facebook. When the dates were announced this year [for the Auckland Brick Show] they coincided with the first week of the last Australian school holidays.
“I reached out [to AuckLUG] and said I had something small that I could transport, and I was looking forward to talking to some like-minded LEGO people. I have done zero shows outside of SydLUG. I know people who go to Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne all the time, and now I have an event brick that they will never have. But because this is another LUG, I like to experience something that is a little different."
DW: “Can you describe your display here?”
JF: “I call it the Space Race. It is made from a few modified polybags. The whole point was, I wanted a lot of minifigs that did not have the standard round head. It is meant to be off world to humans, so they are wearing space suits but everyone else doesn’t.
“This build actually came about because last year we did a small show that was part of the unique astronomy night, and they invited us along [SydLUG] and they said that we had to bring along something based on LEGO space.
“As a MOC builder, I could not just take sets, so I asked myself, ‘What could I put together at relatively short notice.’”
DW: “Are these little speeders from polybags?”
JF: “Yes they are, but I have slightly modified them by adding the colours to match the minifig heads and I have added the control handles.”
DW: “What do you think of the show today?”
Jason Funnell:
It is great. I am very impressed. I am thinking of taking some ideas back to my LUG based on what I have seen.
DW: “Thanks.”
Oliver Harris - President of AuckLUG
David Wardle: “I am talking to Oliver Harris, who is the President of AuckLUG, hosts of the Auckland Brick Show. Tell us about the Auckland Brick Show 2025, and your LEGO User Group?”
Oliver Harris: “This is the 2025 Auckland Brick Show and this is my second year as [AuckLUG] President and the aim has been to rejuvenate the Auckland Brick Show and I think this year we have achieved that. You can see the response of the crowds and exhibitors.
It is amazing to have the most exhibitors ever: 108 exhibitors, of which 37 are first timers and people from all LUGs. There are nine LUGs represented here. That is amazing. This is our premier show. This is our flagship exhibition, and to see the show so well-supported by other LUGs from around the country and by our members, it's kind of fantastic.
DW: “The phrase that I have used when speaking to a couple of people today is that the Auckland Brick Show has got its mojo back. When I compare this to the last couple of Auckland Brick Shows, although I have not been a participant, I have seen that the turnout was quite mild compared to previous years. COVID must have played a significant part. But are there any other factors that you think have assisted in the rejuvenation of this as a premier brick show in New Zealand?”
OH: “That is interesting. The last show was the first time we had introduced electronic ticketing, so starting to move into the online space, rather than just purely word of mouth, advertising really has increased visibility.
“We are really lucky with several members that have been driving social media content, and we are getting a lot of impressions, a lot of click-throughs on those sides of things, and really engaging with people in spaces that they are joining.
"Our sponsor, Toyworld, has been amazing. Reaching out to the Chinese community through their networks. That really has just added to what we have achieved and making this an amazing success."
DW: “The venue itself is quite a different location from previous Auckland Brick Shows. You have migrated more central.”
OH: “There is a perception of driving out west that is quite far. That perception is quite hard to overcome, and we have come to the central location being five minutes from the motorway [network]. People travelling up from Hamilton and other places have the perception that it is an easier trip for them to come here.
"This venue, even though it is the same size that we have had previously, there are spaces between the three netball courts and an overhanging mezzanine that has just given us that little bit of extra space. People have got room to move and carry on around in the extra space.
DW: "Talk to me about the relationship that AuckLUG has with Disability Connect, which is now your primary charity.”
OH: “This is our first year with Disability Connect. We came here for their Transition Expo. Their Transition Expo is working with other high schoolers going from high school out to the wider world and working with their families. It was cool to be part of that one. The link between Disability Connect and us has been amazing. [Disability Connect] being such an active participant in our show has been superb."
DW: “Thank you. Thanks for your time.”
OH: “It has been really cool. Thank you.”
Sonya Morris
Group Leader – Massey Scout Group
David Wardle: “I am talking with Sonia Morris, Group Leader of Massey Scouts. Can you tell me about the relationship that Massey Scouts has with AuckLUG that goes back quite a few years?”
Sonia Morris: “It all started with one of our parents, who is also an exhibitor at these LEGO shows. About five years ago, he asked us to provide a barbecue outside the LEGO show at Riverhead as an opportunity for a fundraiser for the Massey Scout Group. We have provided similar support at AuckLUG brick shows for the past five years or so. We have loved it.
It has been quite a good relationship and both groups benefit from recruiting new members. For us, we receive a small amount of money from gold coin donations. It has been awesome.
DW: “At this show, your youth members, leaders and parent helpers are managing the car park.”
SM: “Yes, we are, and we are also managing the raffle tables and the ticketing at the entrance way.”
DW: “What do you anticipate receiving out of this show?"
SM: “Any money that we get helps towards purchasing tents and equipment and stuff that we need. It also helps to keep our fees down, which is really important with money being so tight for everybody at the moment. We use the proceeds to try to help our families as much as we can so we do not get any kids that miss out.”
DW: “That is great. Thanks for catching up with me.”
Mike Potter - CEO Disability Connect
David Wardle: “I am talking to Mike Potter, who is the CEO of Disability Connect. I am really interested in understanding the relationship that exists between Disability Connect and the Auckland LEGO User Group (AuckLUG) since you are the principal charity for the Auckland Brick Show.
“Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and what Disability Connect represents and how you are benefiting from this event?”
Mike Potter: “Disability Connect is an information provider for disabled people and their families. We are pan-disability. We cater to all disabilities, including learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, long-term health conditions, as well as the different ways they are funded in New Zealand – ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation – New Zealand’s accident compensation provider), Ministry of Health, Disability Support Services and, in some cases no support at all. We cover all ages from birth to parents of disabled people in their 90s.
“Disability Connect is an organisation for everyone who has got some connection with disability, because as a disabled person trying to navigate life, you need some information, help and support to find the options that will give you a good life. People with disabilities do not have the same choices as everyone else: not economically, not socially, not in terms of information, nor in terms of time. We provide information on a wide range of challenges disabled people face from education and support through to health, transport, justice, housing and more!
“The mission of Disability Connect is to lead and influence positive change for disabled people and their families. Our core value is choice, so having choices helps people navigate life. The reason why we are here at the Auckland Brick Show is because we were invited. We love the synergy with Auckland LEGO User Group and the attendees. LEGO is a therapy for many disabled people. Some use it to manage anxiety and self-regulate, while for others it enables respite – meaningfully occupying disabled children so we can get a break.
“LEGO is also a fantastic tool in terms of developing life skills, telling stories, telling messages, and giving our own stories. It also takes people into a world of fantasy or wherever that is part of them. It is the same world that disabled people should have, too, and that is what we are seeing here at the Brick Show. We are so thrilled to have this partnership [with AuckLUG].”
DW: “Vaughan Blok was telling me about Disability Connect’s Transition Expo that you held about four or five weeks ago. I see Leo the lion – one of Vaughan’s old LEGO store display stands – over there, and he commented earlier that it might become the pseudo mascot for Disability Connect. Can you tell me about the Transition Expo and how that seemed to be the catalyst for the enduring relationship [with AuckLUG] moving forward?”
MP: “I met Vaughan a few years ago when I happened to stumble past his “LEGO museum”, as it were, and from there we built a relationship. Vaughan invited us to be the charity of choice [of AuckLUG] and I said, ‘Well, why don't you come to our Transition Expo,’ which occurred in early September.
“Our Transition Expo is an annual event. It has been going for eighteen years. It is for disabled people and their families to find out what is new, what is available, and what is possible. Originally, it was to enable families of children with high and complex disabilities for when they left school, but it is moving to cater to all disabled people of all ages.
“And it pans across everything, whether it is in meaningful community activities, sports, arts, finding funding streams, banking, housing, employment conversations or starting a social enterprise. The Expo covers all facets of life that intersect, such as transport, access to libraries or sorting your water bill.
“We have a wide range of employers who come [to the Transition Expo] to host conversations for the purpose of giving disabled people confidence in going to a job interview and finding a job. One of the biggest things that comes out of our Transition Expos is addressing fears people have about meeting disabled people and their families. There is fear for employers employing someone with a disability. Some of us have real fear in engaging with someone who is non-verbal. How can we do that?
“The Transition Expo is a really safe place. It is like a marae or a fono (a New Zealand Maori or Samoan meeting house/place) for disability. Anyone can come knowing that this is a safe place where disability is the dominant subculture. You can learn some sign language and develop your disability literacy. Our different modes of communication – easy read and sign language, for example. You can find information that disabled people in your location need or become a better business at serving disabled customers and their families. It is exciting seeing people from government, business and the community learning more about how to engage with disabled people in a very safe and responsible way. We love our Transition Expo and what it does. It gets bigger each year: we had one hundred and fifty stallholders this year, and over 1500 people came in on the day.
DW: “That is impressive, and then a few weeks later, you have the Auckland Brick Show to dovetail into.”
MP: “Having Leo the Lion here has been great because he draws families to come by, stop and pause for a photo with Leo. Then we can engage in conversation about whether they have heard anything about Disability Connect or how they got here today? Learning if they have disabled family members and telling them about our services and what Disability Connect does. We are seeing lots of families [coming to this show] who have never heard about Disability Connect, [who are] having a conversation, and suddenly realising that they and their disabled children, who need some help and support to navigate life, are speaking with someone who has empathy for their situation. We end up exploring their question ´How can you help us?’
“We have been able to tell them a little bit more about what Disability Connect does, and we have had some wonderful conversations. Disability Connect is parent-directed. About eighty percent of our team are parents of disabled children. LEGO is part of our world, especially for therapy, respite as well as an obsession.”
DW: “One of the displays which I have already picked to showcase in my Brickset article is the Kiwi Rail train station and I see that you picked this same display as the Sponsor's Choice award. Can you talk to me about that display, given that it is also going to be featured in my article? What drew you to that display and why were you impressed with it?”
MP: “When I was assessing the displays here, I began by looking for displays that told a story about inclusion for everyone. That is what all people would like to happen to all people, but for disabled people in particular.
“Going beyond inclusion – I then looked more closely at how access was incorporated into the display. Access is when we celebrate being able to do the same thing that everyone else is doing. Being able to have an ordinary life outcome despite an impairment or disability. Some of the LEGO displays had three-storey buildings, which in New Zealand means that there is no lift. Unless fifty people reside on the third floor of a building, there is no need for a lift based on the building code.
“Other [LEGO] displays had steps [in their builds]. There are a couple of displays that included wheelchairs, but the wheelchairs were not in the most accessible places, and sometimes they were being pushed by someone else.
“But this one display that I saw had one wheelchair to start with, and it had lifts clearly within the train station, and I thought, ‘well, that's really cool.’ And then I saw another wheelchair, and then I saw another wheelchair, and I looked inside the train and I saw another wheelchair. So, I counted four wheelchairs in the one exhibit!
“The number of people with physical disabilities with wheelchairs is probably about 1% of the population, so that is about one in 100 people, so maybe this is a bit disproportionate in this LEGO display. But what really sold it to me is that in this exhibit there was a ramp, and that ramp means I had the same opportunity to take a train trip as everyone else, and that is why I chose this LEGO display for the Sponsor's Choice award.”
DW: “Thank you very much.”
MP: “There are some wonderful warm hearts amongst the exhibitors and their LEGO displays. There is something special happening here. Special thank you to Auckland Brick Club for all the work you have done to host a brilliant show!”
By David Wardle - FlagsNZ
and Keith Clark - TLCHEF
From All Blocks LUG
In collaboration with Keith Clark, we had a City train display that stretched for twenty metres. Our layout occupied nearly ten percent of the display tables.
The biggest challenge for me in these large train layouts is recharging my AAA batteries. I own over 90 rechargeable AAA batteries with 36 in use powering the trains at any one time.
I am often asked how long it takes to set this display up and the answer is five hours. I can pack it away in two hours. I have a different layout each time I set it up, and I will display this train layout about three times a year.
It has been ten years since I attended my last Auckland Brick Show, although I have been aware of fluctuating attendance numbers attending this annual show over the interim years.
This event had a really nice feel to it. AuckLUG had a dedicated team working behind the scenes to make sure that this year's event went without any hitches.
It was a great show held in a superb venue with a solid number of people coming in to view the great displays. The same venue is booked for next year, although I believe the dates are for the last weekend of the school holidays – the weekend 10 and 11 October 2026.
In my opinion, The Auckland Brick Show can rightly be considered one of New Zealand's premier brick shows. It has really got its Mojo back!
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