Jason F., Author at The Brick Show

Toys ‘R’ Us Build and Play Event: LEGO Heroes Needed!

We at The Brick Show have covered special events involving LEGO in collaboration with some of its major retail partner brands around the world, like Toy ‘R’ Us. There’s been several TRU events, especially the Build and Play ones, that we reported on. Most of them were in the UK.

Well, here’s one that can be enjoyed on Toys ‘R’ Us stores stateside. On Saturday, February 10, TRU will be having another Build and Play event based on superheroes, both their original characters and licensed ones too. “LEGO Heroes Needed” will happen in TRU stores from 10AM to 2PM, as usual.

There are several reasons as to why young LEGO builders and their parents would like to show up for the “LEGO Heroes Needed” Build and Play. First is the hero-themed giveaways, like superhero masks portraying, say, DC superheroes or the LEGO Ninjago crew. Who can resist those?

Next is the Build and Play event itself. No specific item or model was given to be constructed, so it’s likely to be a free-for-all building frenzy with LEGO hero minifigures mixed in. For the parents though, the best part would have to be the event’s one-day in-store discount coupon, one each for every participant.

That discount coupon works only for the day, but will avail Toys ‘R’ Us shoppers with 40% off on selected LEGO sets at the TRU store where they went for the Build and Play. It’s a sure bet that those selected LEGO sets are superhero themed, anything from DC to Ninjago, as stated earlier.

Interested attendees can reserve their spot for Saturday’s “LEGO Heroes Needed” Build and Play event at the nearest TRU store to them. Or they can simply drop in on their local TRU from 10AM-2PM and sign up. Either way, that one-day 40% discount coupon is a major motivator for participants, so Toys ‘R’ Us hopes to be seeing you around.

Exclusive LEGO Classic Walmart Sets Are Only Limited to 5,000 Copies Each.

Yesterday we touched on the fact that, less than a week after their initial introduction to buyers, two of the LEGO classic 60th Anniversary mini-build sets have already run out of stock on Wal-Mart, which carries them exclusively. The LEGO House (4000028) and Windmill (4000029) are now sold out online.

About the only recourse left for LEGO collectors who want these retro-sets would be to check at their nearest physical Wal-Mart stores. Some interested buyers have already put the question to LEGO Customer services on whether they might restock the classic sets on Wal-Mart. Their reply is not very encouraging.

According to a screenshot made by a discouraged LEGO fan via Reddit, LEGO was true to its marketing when they printed “Limited Edition” on the set boxes for House (4000028) and Windmill (4000029) sets – only 5,000 copies of each set were manufactured and offered to the public. Once they’re gone, that’ll be all there is to it.

That’s quite disheartening if you were looking to have a tangible piece of LEGO’s 60th Anniversary celebration to remember it by. Now all that’s left of the first two mini-build sets are lurking in scattered Wal-Mart stores, while some early buyers might resell on the secondary market at bloated prices.

Not all hope is lost, however. If you’re not going to be a LEGO set completionist, there’s still one more mini-build to watch out for: the Truck (4000030) coming out this Friday. You really need to strike while the iron is hot with this one. Good hunting!

The Rumor Mill: A LEGO Tie-In Set About the Original 1993 “Jurassic Park” Film Is Said To Be In The Works.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, sequel to the same-named 2015 movie and the fifth cinematic installment of Universal’s Jurassic Park franchise, is due to premiere on June. And of course, with their longtime licensing partnership with LEGO you can expect the tie-in LEGO sets to come out before the big day.

Now, barring the darker plot turn of its upcoming sequel, the first Jurassic World film was, for a brief while, a magnificent visual experience as it showed off how a fully functional and constantly-packed dinosaur park would feel like. It’s definitely lighter than the disaster chronicled in 1993’s Jurassic Park.

By the way, reckoning from that date, the Jurassic franchise is close to being 25 years old. Apparently this milestone is also in LEGO’s mind, as there are now rumors that there will be a new and original play set based on Jurassic Park, not Jurassic World or its sequel.

Surely generations alive can still remember the first film, based on Michael Crichton’s novel and directed by Steven Spielberg. It was the first attempt at a park with cloned dinosaurs, and unexpected circumstances led to its catastrophic failure. LEGO fans will get to relive the adventure in the new set.

According to unconfirmed information, the set depicts the scene where the surviving tour group led by Dr. Grant tries to crack the park’s computer system while the vicious raptors try to enter the nearby kitchen by opening the doors manually. The set will include four minifigures and two raptor figures.

Granted, at the moment the above should be considered hearsay until The LEGO Group itself makes the announcement. The soonest that might happen is during the New York Toy Fair later this month, as the company fires another salvo of its Jurassic World lineup. Perhaps the Park set is included.

Source: The Brick Fan

Classic LEGO 60th Anniversary Sets Already Out of Stock at Wal-Mart.

Towards the end of January, the LEGO Group announced one of the first big promotional shots of this year, highlighting the company’s 60th Anniversary celebrations of the patented LEGO brick. In partnership with Wal-Mart, LEGO has made exclusively available with the retail giant a line of retro-styled basic LEGO brick sets and one big, classic box collection.

LEGO and Wal-Mart went on a staggered release date for the three retro sets: House (4000028) on February 1, Windmill (4000029) on February 5, and the Truck (400030) on February 9. However, the print on their respective boxes says it all: that they’re “Limited Edition”. As such, two of these are already out of stock.

To be specific, there’s no more of LEGO House (4000028) and Windmill (4000029) left to buy online from Walmart.com according to the retail giant’s latest product listings update. LEGO collectors in a treasure-hunting mood might try their luck visiting Wal-Mart stores across the country, but for all intents and purposes the first two basic retro sets are officially sold out.

Amazingly, LEGO House (4000028) ran out online 7 days after availability, Windmill (4000029) after only 4. The LEGO truck comes into play this Friday, but based on the stats, the stock for the last one’s going to run out fast.

There’s no word yet if LEGO will restock these limited edition collectibles anew for Wal-Mart, so anyone who hasn’t got one yet had best brace for disappointment. Anyway, the larger Bricks on a Roll (10715) set’s still going strong at last notice, and it’s got a promo attached as well.

LEGO DC Super Heroes App-Controlled Batmobile (76112) to be released in 2018.

What do you know – we’ve got another LEGO update from the international Nuremberg Toy Fair that took place just the week before. While it sounds tad similar, this one’s a different line from the powered LEGO sets from the Boost-enabled Creative Toolbox (17101) that’s getting its own new sets.

This one’s a brilliant addition to the LEGO DC Super Heroes line that’ll make fans of the Dark Knight quite happy. The App-Controlled Batmobile (76112) features a power source that will make it go on its own, and a set of controls which is connected to a mobile app via Bluetooth.

While no sample or even image of this upcoming vehicle set was shared by LEGO at Nuremberg, we have seen a ‘leaked’ image of its box art, and from the looks of it, the build of the App-Controlled Batmobile looks much like a scaled down version of the LEGO DC Comics Superheroes UCS Tumbler (76023) released in 2014. Here’s a not-so-eye-friendly image of 76112.

During the Nuremberg Toy Fair, it was also pointed out that the App-Controlled Batmobile (76112) will have Power Functions 2.0 to drive its wheels and activate its functions, tied to a receiver. These latest version of power functions were also reported to be included in upcoming LEGO train sets such as the LEGO City Passenger Train (60197) and LEGO City Cargo Train (60198)

It’s most likely that the power functions of this set will come from a device which is very similar to the LEGO WeDo 2.0 Bluetooth Smarthub (45301) as seen above, which enables communication via Bluetooth between the model’s power mechanisms and the dedicated mobile app.

The LEGO DC Super Heroes App-Controlled Batmobile (76112) is set to come out sometime this year, coming in at 442 pieces and will retail for about $122 or €99.90 depending on which side of the Atlantic buyers might be. Thanks once again to Promobricks for the heads up.

New 2018 LEGO Sets Will Be Compatible with the LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox (17101).

LEGO Boost is one of the most extensive advance systems developed by the toy giant recently to create animated LEGO models that can be controlled with inputted simple programming. This is plainly visible on the Boost line’s debut set, the Creative Toolbox (17101). But will there be follow-ups? Yes indeed, and thanks to Promobricks, we now have an idea on how this is possible.

We’re now almost a week since the conclusion of the latest international toy fair in Nuremberg, but the news releases still just keep on coming. LEGO dropped plenty of bombshells in terms of upcoming sets. Now we learn that they’ve got two new Boost-compatible sets coming up for this summer.

First up is the LEGO Ninjago Lightning Dragon (70652) or the ‘Stormbringer’. At first glance it seems similar to the Green Ninja Mech Dragon (70612), but its components will work with the mechanical elements from the LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox (17101), enabling builders to make this robot dragon come to full-motion mechanical life.

The other Boost-compatible set that’ll be coming out this June is the LEGO City Arctic Exploration Truck (60194). It’s the latest in the Arctic sub-lineup of the expansive LEGO City theme. Now, this is a vehicle and not a mechanical juggernaut like the Ninjago Dragon, but some Boost enhancements will do wonders in making the LEGO heavy vehicle roll out.

It’s about time that LEGO decided to start developing more sets that can integrate the Boost system from their Creative Toolbox (17101). The idea of mechanical components to animate brick constructs by means of a mobile app to program motion data into is simply magnificent. The fact that LEGO used some of their most popular themes for their new compatible sets is some smart thinking.

Both these sets will be released in the middle of the year, and hopefully more of their sort will follow.

Uniqlo to Release LEGO 60th Anniversary T-Shirt Line.

Yes, the year 2018 is the 60th Anniversary of LEGO as we know it best, a wide line of toy construction sets centered on their patented design of interlocking plastic building blocks. The LEGO brand has been considered so influential that it’s created its own subculture.

We’re already aware of many different products, promos and events that are tied into this milestone anniversary celebration, and how international its reach can be. Now another corner of the world has joined the bandwagon: Japan. Their major casual clothing label Uniqlo has launched a T-Shirt line for LEGO 60.

Starting February 12, Uniqlo shirts commemorating six decades of LEGO will be available on their brand stores and retail outlets in two locations, Hong Kong and Macau. The line’s expected to spread to other regions in Asia and the world, eventually. Just contact your nearest Uniqlo branch for a schedule.

These LEGO Uniqlo t-shirts are available in sizes for both “boys” and “men” in their labeling, but judging from the images I’d say they’ll easily pass for unisex, so female LEGO fans need not feel left out. You have to agree, these designs and their logos are pretty snazzy overall.

Check out more LEGO Uniqlo shirt previews on their official Facebook page for Hong Kong and Macau stores. I must say: the use of the Danish language for some of the designs lends these LEGO-branded casual wear a great deal of “authenticity” with the LEGO 60th Anniversary celebration. I can’t wait.

Check Out These LEGO Alarm Clocks and Wristwatches from ClicTime.

There have been times when we featured LEGO products here on the Brick Show that were not necessarily building sets or minifigures, but are still recognizably part of the LEGO brand umbrella. These are usually produced by other companies under license from LEGO, in a nice inversion of the usual setup.

Today we’re going to take a look at the latest offerings from ClicTime, a timepiece manufacturer that’s been a longtime partner in creating LEGO-themed non-brick products for consumers. They’ve since released a respectable lineup of wristwatches and alarm clocks that have the unmistakable LEGO flair, and these are their latest.

Alarm clocks shaped like LEGO minifigures are among the most popular licensed products created by ClicTime. Their most recent models are based on last year’s LEGO Batman and LEGO Ninjago movies. Accurate in detail to their smaller minifig versions, the alarm clocks stand tall at 10 inches, almost a foot.

Let’s take a look at the LEGO Batman alarm clock for example. It’s large enough to afford having a cloth cape which covers the control and time panel settings (and battery compartment) for the digital clock display on its chest. Pressing down on Batman’s head activates the display’s orange highlight.

Next we have ClicTime’s selection of wristwatches. Their themes are among the most popular in LEGO; aside from basic, Batman and Ninjago, there’s also Star Wars. They’re unique in that the linking straps have molded minifigure designs, and the sets also come with extra links to accommodate larger wrist sizes.

Both LEGO alarm clocks and wristwatches from ClicTime are within the $20-30 price range, and you can visit LEGOwatches.com (stateside) or LEGOwatches.co.uk to see their entire catalog for online orders. The wristwatches might come across as childish in design, but I’m sure grownups can take a shine to them too.

Image credits go to Huw of Brickset.

“Building a Dream” Tells The Story of How The LEGO House in Billund Was Built.

LEGOLAND theme parks in several countries around the world are really great and all, but The LEGO Group is also giving plenty of attention to their one alternative attraction located just right at their doorstep. We’re referring of course to The Home of the Brick, or LEGO House for short.

That wonderful place over in Billund, Denmark has had a run of sweet events and promotions, catering to local and international tourists over the past several months. Now, their latest treat for visitors is actually something they can pick up and bring home with them: the story of LEGO House.

When dropping by at the Home of the Brick gift shop, guests can buy a copy of a black, white and yellow hardbound entitled “Building a Dream”. The book is a printed documentary of sorts narrating the development and actual construction of LEGO House, as told in several executive interviews.

Source persons interviewed for “Building a Dream” include Kjeld Kirk Christiansen, grandson of founder Ole Kirk and third-generation owner of The LEGO group who’s the visionary behind the concept of the Home of the Brick; former CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp and LEGO House chief architect Bjarke Ingels also contribute viewpoints.

The Home of the Brick took about seven years to be fully realized, with it only opening last year on September. That occasion was covered by international press and graced by the presence of the Danish Royal Family, a visible indicator of how integrated LEGO is with its Denmark homeland.

“Building a Dream” is printed in English for the consideration of LEGO’s international fans. Its first print edition is only 2,000 copies, so supply is initially limited. The price is 249 DKK and only available in the LEGO House gift shop in Billund. Come pick one up while you’re there.

Replacing the Leviathan Ship in LEGO Ideas Ship in a Bottle (21313) with Trimmed-Down Skull’s Eye Schooner (6286).

It’s been said before and we’ll say it here again, the LEGO Ideas Ship in a Bottle, set number 21313, is one of the most impressive products yet to be produced in the line. It’s so intricate and “antique-looking” enough to earn a place of honor on a shelf-top.

One other awesome characteristic of the Ship in a Bottle (21313) is the fact that it’s highly customization-friendly, especially in terms of what you’d like to display inside the bottle. Several builders have already noticed this and decided to replace the default model flagship Leviathan with some other ship or vehicle.

Daniel Konstanski of Brick Fanatics has decided to put his own unique spin on the Ship in a Bottle (21313) by mixing it with one of his favorite LEGO System builds, the beautifully retro Skull’s Eye Schooner (6286). From the box picture alone, you know it’ll look great inside the display bottle for sure.

There is one problem, however: the default dimensions of the LEGO Skull’s Eye Schooner (6286) are too long and too tall for the Ship in a Bottle (21313) set to contain. Daniel solved that problem by scaling down the hull size by removing some bricks from the default build and adding elements that maintain the model’s original shape and color scheme.

Next, the sails were replaced by smaller LEGO-brick reproductions (plus reduced in number) and the rigging was done away with. Once completed, the shrunken Skull’s Eye Schooner (6286) was able to snugly fit in the 21313 display bottle, snugly enough to not require the Leviathan’s stabilizing tiles at the bottom.

Once finished, the result is as seen in the top image. It’s a beautiful and smartly assembled MOC that will certainly inspire other owners of the LEGO Ideas Ship in a Bottle (21313) to start experimenting with what’s inside. Visit Brick Fanatics for more photos of Daniel Konstanski’s Skull’s Eye Schooner in a Bottle.