In this article, I’m going to take a break from the technical topics of motors and train power systems and talk about some thoughts I’ve had about trains and building style! Over the past few years, I’ve been thinking about the “conflict” between the two key attributes of LEGO train rolling stock: Appearance - Aspects such as prototype fidelity, details, and scale define how the model looks Practicality - Aspects such as robustness, reliability, parts consumption, and buildability define how easy a wagon is to build, how well it runs and whether is it just a nudge away from falling to bits! Why have I been thinking about this topic? The key reason is that I often publicly exhibit LEGO train layouts with the expectation (both mine and the viewing public!) that the trains keep moving. Keeping LEGO trains on the move makes demands on things like battery endurance, available rolling...

The Mimic Dice Box (5008325) gift with purchase set for the new LEGO Ideas Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale (21348) sold out in less than a day and the secondary market for the set looks to have become the most expensive GWP in recent memory. Currently, they are going for about $135-$140 on eBay while BrickLink is still in the low $100s. We don’t usually talk about reselling sets that much but this topic is a part of the hobby and for some, a job. For a long time now, reselling LEGO has been a polarizing topic. Fans are usually either for or against it but there’s also some in-betweeners as well. As we know by now, the yellow box GWPs are a more limited quantity than the standard box sets and some of them tend to command a higher premium if you missed out originally. Since it’s still early...

A nice easter egg from the designers. Some time ago, a good friend of mine (Richard from The Rambling Brick) pointed out that the Collectible Minifigure newspaper kid is holding a newspaper with a front-page article on the original classic town police officer. What’s more, though, is that the headline, judging by the ascenders and descenders of the heavily obscured text, appears to read Happy Birthday! In this installment of Behind the Design, I take a look at the iconic LEGO minifigure smile to reveal its design secrets, learn how it has evolved, and show examples of how it has been utilized over the decades. In The Beginning The original LEGO minifigure designed by the late Jens Nygaard Knudsen has remained an icon in the toy world since its inception in 1978. But if you look closely, the original 1977 patent and indeed the earliest sets depict an ever so slightly...

If you didn’t pre-order the LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Updated Edition from last month, it is now widely available for purchase. As of this post, it costs $22.49 and it includes an exclusive LEGO Star Wars 25th Anniversary Darth Maul minifigure, mainly the printing on the back of the torso. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Updated Edition Now Available appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

If you didn’t pre-order the LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Updated Edition from last month, it is now widely available for purchase. As of this post, it costs $22.49 and it includes an exclusive LEGO Star Wars 25th Anniversary Darth Maul minifigure, mainly the printing on the back of the torso. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Updated Edition Now Available appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

While we focus mainly on the AFOL community here at BrickNerd, I thought it would be fun to reconvene my scientific panel of children for another round of “LEGO According To Kids.” As builders and hobbyists, we use a lot of acronyms and nicknames to discuss LEGO. But can someone with little to no exposure to the hobby understand any of the lingo we use? I quizzed my kids, aged 3, 6 and 7, to see what translates from our comprehensive BrickNerd AFOL Slang Dictionary. I picked some of the more common parts with well-known nicknames to see what they thought. I first asked what they thought the part should be called, then got their reaction on the actual nickname. Name That Brick! To start off, I chose some pieces with fairly known nicknames within the LEGO community. While many of these element names are subjective, I went with the most...

LEGO has revealed an upcoming gift with purchase set with the LEGO Water Park (40685). Details on when and how to get it are still under wraps but it does have 132 pieces and it features a water park with a couple of different of slides. Slide into building fun with the LEGO® Water Park (40685) set for kids aged 7 and up. Brimming with details that young swimmers will adore, it makes a great Children’s Day gift. Kids will have fun building the water park before diving into its cool features, including a tower, snack area and a barrel that releases water elements. And the excitement doesn’t end there. Role play is easy thanks to the 2 minifigures, who can ride the water slide and relax in the swim ring. What a fun day out! The post LEGO Water Park (40685) GWP Revealed appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original...

A new month is upon us which means more competitive building! Are you ready? Here’s the latest bunch of LEGO contests and challenges from all around the AFOL community for April 2024 to help you find some inspiration and motivation to build! There’s nothing quite like a theme or a prompt to take you out of your comfort zone and give you something new to try. Besides, contests are the perfect place to interact with other contestants and judges and get to know your fellow builders. And if you’re like me, a deadline helps make sure you actually finish! We’ve listed them in order of deadline so you can plan your building time to the best advantage. Make sure to check the LEGO activity calendar for local challenges and events near you. Here at BrickNerd, some of our fondest memories, greatest building achievements, coolest trophies, and best friendships came from LEGO...

LEGO has officially announced some new LEGO Despicable Me 4 sets which are slated to be released in May. First is the Built Gru and Minions (75582) which has 839 pieces and retails for $54.99 while the other set is the Minions and Gru’s Family Mansion (75583) has 868 pieces and retails for $99.99. The LEGO Group and Illumination Launch New Gru and Minions LEGO® Sets to Celebrate the Release of Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 • THE LEGO® DESPICABLE ME 4 SETS WILL BE AVAILABLE BEGINNING MAY 1, 2024• ILLUMINATION’S DESPICABLE ME 4 ARRIVES IN THEATERS WORLDWIDE JULY 3, 2024 Billund, April 3, 2024: Today, the LEGO Group, Illumination and Universal Products & Experiences are confirming that they are in fact partnering on something new – although not a giant Minion, as a recent April Fools post on social media would suggest. To celebrate the July 3 release of Illumination’s Despicable...

Although the LEGO Shop lists it as a retired product, Amazon currently has the LEGO Icons Haunted House (10273) in stock at retail price and ready to ship. It is sold at retail price of $299.99 it has a really neat play feature with the elevator. The set was officially retired at the end of 2023 after it was released in 2020. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO Icons Haunted House (10273) Available at Amazon – April 2024 appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran