A "Grand" Time for a new Carousel

Alpinemaps · April 25, 2017

An image of the June 2017 LEGO Store calendar has appeared, and it looks like a new Carousel will be coming to the Fairgrounds theme. The rumor of a new Carousel started back in January, but gained a lot of traction over the last week. Set 10256, Fairground Carousel, appeared on Brickset earlier this week, which added fuel to the fire. Early this morning, part of the June 2017 calendar appeared online, and it seems that the Carousel will appearing in June.

(Image from BrickGeekz Facebook page)

The Zombie Apocalypse

Initial concern from BrickPickers could be classified as the "Death Star Effect." Would we be getting a new set, or, as many feared, would we be getting a repackaged set. Set 75159 is a more expensive version of 10188, with some very minor additions to the set. The sets are similar enough that 75159 has created a price ceiling for 10188. A return from the dead, in the form of a rerelease of 10196 with very little changes, could drop prices on 10196 dramatically. A big concern for a set that has performed very well over the last 8 years. A bigger concern for the investing community, is what we can expect moving forward. LEGO is known for it's innovation, and repacking yet another existing set could cause a lot of disappointment, anger, and lose of confidence in secondary market prices for the investor.

The (Golden) Goose

With the reveal of the calendar page earlier today, overall initial reaction appears to be positive. The fear of the Zombie Apocalypse appears to have subsided. Many are enjoying the look of this new set, or, at the very least, appreciate that it is a completely new take on a carousel, rather than a revival of an old favorite. A number of BrickPicker users chimed in with their opinion:

Deadfraggle says:

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With the exception of the few collectors who literally want a rehash 10196 because they personally missed out, this should please most. It protects the value of the old collectable, gives new collectors a piece to buy, and fits in nicely with the Ferris Wheel and Fairground Mixer. Appears to be a nice looking set. I'm in.

exciter1 chimed in with:

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Looks good and I think the Grand Carousel owners will be pleased.

pstebbing added:

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Looks good. Those that have Grand Carousel should be pleased as this set should only spike interest and add value.

Tickets, Please!

When 10196 was introduced, there was no Fairground theme. But that all changed in June 2014, when 10244 Fairground Mixer appeared. That was followed up with 10247 Ferris Wheel in June 2015. 2016 did not bring us any sets in the Fairground theme. But, 2016 did see the Amusement Park sub theme of the Friends line. With six sets in the theme, there was now a pretty big fairground theme that could be constructed.

A Grand Carousel, Indeed

Set 10196, Grand Carousel, came out in 2009. With 3263 pieces, and a retail price of $249.99, it remains the largest non-Technic set with Power Functions. The set is red, white and blue, with tan plates making up the floor. Nine minifigures were included in the set. Brick built animals, that went in an "up and down" motion as the carousel moved, made up the main area of the build. A series of cloth "tents" made up the top of the build, which gave it an interesting and realistic look. Power Functions were included in the set, along with a 48x48 green base plate. A sound brick was included, to give a realistic organ sound to the carousel as it spun.

10196 Grand Carousel

How Much Is that Doggie in the Window?

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For set that started out with an RRP of $249.99, that's not a bad return! Prices have fluctuated a little bit over the last year, but stayed at about a 10x RRP for quite some time. One can understand why a resurrection of the existing 10196 would be damaging to the value that investors and consumer put into this set.

The Parts are Greater than the Whole

I wouldn't necessarily say that - but there are some unique and valuable parts to 10196. We don't quite know what to expect with 10256, but it appears that the parting value of those rare pieces will not be damaged. Some of those rare parts include: