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Please keep the language family friendly here ... Don't make me call a mod on you! Jk (and not Rowling)

I had so much fun interviewing Jamie Berard about Creator Expert and the Modular Building Series earlier this year. It's rare to get an opportunity to get inside the minds of the creative genius designers at LEGO, so I thought you might enjoy some selected highlights from the interview. The interview was split into the following two parts: Highlights from: ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ: Modular Building Series with Jamie Berard In this interview, we discussed how Downtown Diner, and Parisian Restauraunt represented two major turning points in the series... Jamie Berard: "Some people would say there are two stages of the modular, with #10243 Parisian Restaurant starting the second expression because we put more detail inside the building and focused a bit more on storytelling. As we approached the 10 year mark, we needed to be careful that we didn’t stay on auto-pilot, where it becomes too familiar and people can just predict the next one." I surprised that one of the earlier sets wasn't very well received initially: Jamie Berard: "I remember when we did the #10197 Fire Brigade. That one was not very well received in that people were horrified that it was too American; ... They said that the flag is hideous, although that I appreciate that and agree... Then they said it only has two floors, and everybody knows the modular have three floors. They had already defined in their mind what it should be." We also got a chance to talk about how Creator Expert helped bring Teal back... Jamie Berard: "We considered Medium Azure and some other blues. All of these complement the Dark Pink color we wanted to use for the convertible in this set. ... we thought this set was a nice way to bring teal back, and bring it back with a quantity of bricks. We also talked about storytelling (ex: money laundering), and highlights his two favorite sets in the series! Link to full interview. Highlights from: ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ: LEGO Creator Expert with Jamie Berard Since my passion is LEGO Architecture, we talked at length about the large Architecture models (like Big Ben) in the Creator Expert series. I asked how they pick which buildings to create as sets: Jamie Berard: "It is harder for us to accomplish contemporary, clean architecture in a large model, because of our target audience is adults. ... If you try to re-create any of the well-known architecture that is too minimalist ... in a LEGO version it comes across a bit naïve ... On the flip side, there’s a lot of great classic architecture that you can imagine in LEGO and know it’s gonna be great. I’d say anything “old world” looks great in LEGO because we have a lot of opportunities for details, texture, implying different stonework or materials." I was surprised to hear that they struggle to wrap there heads around what deserves the "Creator Expert" label. Jamie Berard: "But how do you perceive what makes it Expert? This is an internal question we are trying to resolve…" We also learned which building in the Creator Expert was most challenging to get right, and might have still been a bit disappointing in the end. It was fun hearing how much enthusiasm he has about his work, something you may have already noticed when watching his Designer Videos. Link to full interview. Sincerely, ---tom P.S. For practical reasons, these were just a few of my favorite excerpts from the full interviews at brickarchitect.com website. I hope you enjoyed the stories behind these great LEGO sets!

Like a “special” VIP card good for a year of surprises.

Are you for real, for this to be proper minifig scale it would need to be 15,000 pieces, are you going to pay $1,200 for this, because that's what you would be spending. C'mon Tabby, now you're just trolling, they've done a bloody fantastic job here, I've already shown it to half a dozen people in work this morning, and the reaction across the board was "wow". It's Lego, it's never going to make every single person happy, but it's there to be built upon and improved, you just have fun doing it. You said before you were a massive Harry Potter fan and now when they bring out a great set like this and a pretty good range in general, you're just negative about it. Harry Potter is still huge and I can't wait until my kids are a little older so I can start reading the series to them and eventually bring them to Universal to see the Harry Potter section there. This theme will do well, especially considering the Great Hall and Hogwarts Express are actually reasonably priced for what they are

Man, you guys are impossible to impress these days! Looks like a great set (to build and display)!

I hate to be this way, because I really wanted to like this set, but I find myself in the camp that is a bit disappointed with the outcome. If they were going to do a partial castle (no matter how well that partial castle is done) and also create some play features, I really feel they should have gone minifig scale. I'm betting they could have done this portion of the castle at minifig scale, along with 10-15 figures, for around $600. I would expect the same level of quality as achieved with the Disney Castle or the GBHQ, and I would have been much more excited about that set. Once it became clear that they were going microfig scale, I expected a complete Hogwarts, including the entire castle, the greenhouses, Quidditch pitch, attached grounds with Hagrid's hut and Whomping Willow, maybe even a bit of forest edge, etc. Instead, they've done something in between these two concepts, and I think it misfires. While various memorable scenes are recreated, I question how much play value ever exists with microfigs. I would like to appreciate it along the lines of an Architecture set, but there's no back of the castle. I guess I was looking forward to an "ultimate" Hogwarts, and this isn't quite it...and the eventual accumulation of these new system scale sets won't be either.

Pick up at target today. A little early but son loves it

Dropped about $1000 last night between multiple walmarts. Kept getting text from Chase for fraud alert! lego Battle of Atlantis 76085 x 13 $7 lego Naida & the Water Turtle Ambush 41191 x 1 $15 lego Breakout from the Goblin King's Fortress 41188 x 6 $30 lego Space Shuttle Explorer 31066 x 2 $19 lego The Goblin King's Evil Dragon41183 x 3 $19 lego Harley Quinn Cannonball Attack 70921 x 1 $35 lego Modular Family Villa 31069 x 3 $40 lego Cinderella's Enchanted Evening 41146 x 5 $25 lego Moana's Ocean Voyage 41150 x 2 $25 lego Snow White's Forest Cottage 10738 x 2 $9 lego Smokey's Garage 10743 x 1 $13 lego BrickHeadz Han Solo 41608 x 1 $7 lego BrickHeadz Chewbacca 41609 x 1 $7 lego Elsa's Magical Ice Palace 41148 x 3 $49 lego Heavy-duty Rescue Helicopter 60166 x 1 $35 lego Turbo Track Racer 31070 x 1 $35 lego Coast Guard Head Quarters 60167 x3 $59

In my opinion the The Super Hero Girls theme has a few hidden gems. One of them is 41230. I just bought 70 of them from one seller who was trying to off load them. I'm all in on this set. When everyone else zigs, I like to zag. I'll be making it rain with all of the Benjamin's I'll be raking in off of this diamond in the rough. Mark my words. You heard it here first.

https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Hogwarts-Castle-71043 Hogwarts™ Castle Price$399.99 Coming Soon on Sep 1 2018 Explore the magic of Hogwarts™ Castle! US $399.99 – CA $499.99 – DE 399.99€ – UK £349.99 – FR 419.99€ – DK 3499DK Available from 15th August. Make the magic come alive at the LEGO® Harry Potter™ 71043 Hogwarts™ Castle! This highly detailed LEGO Harry Potter collectible has over 6,000 pieces and offers a rewarding build experience. It comes packed with highlights from the Harry Potter series, where you will discover towers, turrets, chambers, classrooms, creatures, the Whomping Willow™ and Hagrid´s hut, plus many more iconic features. And with 4 minifigures, 27 microfigures featuring students, professors and statues, plus 5 Dementors, this advanced building set makes the perfect Harry Potter gift. Includes 4 minifigures: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw, with a buildable minifigure display stand. Also features 27 microfigures: Harry Potter™, Ron Weasley™, Hermione Granger™, Draco Malfoy™, Albus Dumbledore™, Professor Snape™, Professor McGonagall™, Remus Lupin, Professor Dolores Umbridge™, Argus Filch, Lord Voldemort™, Bellatrix Lestrange, 3 students from each of the 4 houses, 2 chess pieces and the Architect of Hogwarts™ statue and 5 Dementors, plus Aragog the spider and the Basilisk figures, and a buildable Hungarian Horntail dragon. Features a buildable microscale model of Hogwarts™ Castle, hut of Hagrid™, Whomping Willow™ tree and 5 boats. Hogwarts™ Castle features the Great Hall with buildable ‘stained glass windows’, house banners, benches, tables, flaming torches and moving staircases; potions classroom with racks of jar elements; Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with assorted potion jars, gramophone and a closet containing a boggart; Chessboard Chamber with chess piece elements; Room of Requirement with assorted elements, including the Goblet of Fire and the vanishing cabinet; Chamber of Secrets™ with the Basilisk and Tom Riddle’s Diary; hidden Devils Snare room with vine elements; Gryffindor™ common room with fireplace and seating; Professor Dolores Umbridge’s office with desk, chair and pink furnishings; library with bookcase and desks; and Professor Dumbledore’s office with the Griffin statue entrance and Memory cabinet. Hagrid’s hut features Aragog the spider and buildable pumpkins. The Whomping Willow™ includes the buildable blue Flying Ford Anglia car in its spinning branches. Also includes 5 buildable boats. Take a seat in the Great Hall and feast with the Hogwarts™ professors and students! Sneak your way into the Chamber of Secrets™ through the secret entrance and face the Basilisk! Attend a Defence Against the Dark Arts class to learn how to protect yourself from dark magic! Climb the moving staircase! Study for your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams in the library. Accessory elements include the Sword of Gryffindor™, Helga Hufflepuff´s cup, wands, potions, house banners, flames, a cauldron and 2 magnifying glasses. Microfigure accessories include 2 chess statues and the Architect of Hogwarts™ statue. Hogwarts™ Castle measures over 22” (58cm) high, 27” (69cm) wide and 16” (43cm) deep.

https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Christmas-in-July?CMP=EMC-VIP2018_07_26_Christmas_In_July_Teaser_EN_US

And check your email: I got a unique 20% off code from GE yesterday to use at Walmart, Target, and a couple of other stores.

40254 Back to crack our nuts this weekend free with $100 purchase.

the puff sets look like they have some nice pieces in them, but i have no idea why lego would make these sets. seems like a worse idea than angry birds to me. but maybe it’s a generational thing. i liked the scooby sets and all the others 80’s sets that have been done. maybe these are for kids born in the 90’s?

That was a great interview, thanks for posting it. ? I thought this part was particularly telling, given how many people on these forums (myself included) react to new sets:

Voltron has landed on my table today!! WOOHOOO.. Well, let me rephrase that, a box of colorful plastic bricks landed on my table today, waiting to be built into Voltron..

Just buy 30154 and customize in RED.....BAM.....HW Express.

There’s a big difference between Disney and Hogwarts castles: Disney has a much smaller footprint and greater height. It’s all vertical, which means piece count goes down (or at least smaller pieces) as the build goes up. Hogwarts is sprawling. It’s footprint is huge! And that means piece count/size is more consistent throughout. Thus, it would be way more expensive! Not to mention the difference in price between 20 nanos and 20 minis! Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

Maybe I’m just easy to please here but WOW just WOW. This Hogwarts Castle set is truly Epic and I Can’t wait to build it! I understand the expectation for this set was Big almost too big considering how many Elaborate Mocs we’ve all seen at Lego conventions thoughout the years, but for the average Joe Harry Potter Fan AFOL That could never afford to Build or even afford the space needed to display a full on minifigure Castle in the first place, this micro scale approach solved a lot of problems that go along with big moc builds and big boxes...I think the 75192 was a tipping point for where the boundaries are to distribution of such a large set, and this micro scale Collectors set solves all of it. Im Glad there are exclusive minifigs in there, but it just gives me incentive to collect the others. Im also glad Disney doesn’t own this license otherwise it be $600 rather than $400-lol GO UNIVERSAL!!! So many epic collectible sets this year...the Roller coaster, the Bugatti, the DB5, voltron just showed up this morning...Cloud city around the Corner Now This...what can I say? ...”WOW”...Just “WOW” i might even shed a tear of happiness lol

At least it's credenza worthy.

I put down a deposit for a unit from one of the local shops in my country, paid R16 000 (south african rand) or $1200 (at 13.3 exchange rate). I should get it by the end of next month when I settle the balance.

No wonder they were still there. Seen them not moving at $85 in Kmart.

They had signs saying final days so who knows... 50% off rrp of 179.99

I thought they closed down last week? Ted

I just went down to my local one and there was only scout walkers, resistance bombers and brickheadz. Needless to say I didn't buy anything.

Well, I pulled the trigger on 20. 6 month 0% financing option = no brainer. Let’s see if they ship. No loss if they don’t.

for the scale and everything they were trying to incorporate, I like it for what it is . If they did this on a regular scale it would be unfeasible .... I will applaud TLG for their effort on this one . Whomever thinks the HP theme is dead is smoking the good stuff. Just go to Universal or try to grab a limited release HP merchandise and then we can talk . As for those who don't like it , I don't have an issue with them, I am sure they like stuff that I don't. Won't call them haters, just different opinions.

There doesn't seem to be a limit but it won't ship until between August 23 - September 27. What's up with that? I had twenty in my cart but didn't pull the trigger.

MSRP but long Sold Out from LEGO Shop at Home. Now wondering if it'll make a reappearance: LEGO Holiday Christmas Train Ride 40262 - $9.99 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075Y2M6N7/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love me some gunships! They're one of the few star wars ships that are always a winner!

Nice looking set and nothing else. Disney Castle has significantly more appeal for kids where you can play with characters. With micro scaled you can mistake them with the long grain rice on your plate. No one cares about the scale. Kids wan't to play with it not just a stare and collect the dust every friday. Missed opportunity. Will sail on the same boat soon among with "UCS" Jokerland.

GB BHZ were on the menu today.

If the hogwarts does well perhaps a micro scale surrounding area could be released. Could include hogsmeade, a quidditch pitch, triwizard task areas, the shrieking shack and a few trees for the forbidden forest. Would be a great way for them to include micros they missed such as hagrid and Sirius, and, of course, make more money. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

It would have been cool if there were some passageways. For example, a chute that went from the bathroom to the chamber of secrets. Or a secret passageway from the third book which went from a room to the outside of the school. The type of thing where a nano could just fit it and fall to the bottom. Just a pipe dream but maybe could be modified into the build itself Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

maybe one of the microfigs would work well for hagrid.

Love it. Better than expected. When I heard it would be microscale I was a bit disappointed. I knew one with a bunch of figs could never cover everything, but I was still never a microscale guy. But this is an excellent surprise, the interior is much better than I thought. I figured it would be a great looking outside but would be solid on the inside, maybe a room or two. They did a great job with all the rooms, covered quite a few of the important ones. The inclusion of the 4 founders is good (where them printed arms tho...?) The only thing that is a bit strange is it doesn't look like there is a Hagrid microfigure, and, in my opinion, Harry, Ron, Hermione should have been included in the minifigure stand. Should have been exclusive figs w/printed arms but that would have made 7 real minifigs so I can see why they didn't go that route. It will be interesting to see how much it weighs. Tons of tiny pieces my bet is it weighs about the same as 75159.

Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

Sold for $12 going for $20+ on Amazon, lowest Prime at $27. Explains that.

And still 5 years to wait before the local press start pushing "Lego is better than gold" articles.

Yeah, that’s still 20 years ahead of my motherland ...

Another $10.00 in points when you complete a brief survey. It's regular points awarded this time and not FREECASH, so you can redeem them online. https://memberprofile.searshc.com/pref/survey/apparel/

Profit? Yes. But you had to bundle a number of bad decisions in order to complete the sale. Now you just stored two lucrative sets (HH & FB) for 5+ years for a final compounded annual growth rate of 4.12% - and that assumes you bought those towards the end of their life and you paid zero to store. Meanwhile, @cladner is printing money selling 70 piece mermaid sets that retired 6 months ago. Yet, you still continue to warn us every 14 minutes how the sky is falling.

This thing is still crawling.. I say a prayer every morning that Toy Planet doesn't have 50,000 of these lurking.

When a movie (Solo) makes $200 mil world wide, but cost $400 mil to produce and distribute, that's a problem. TLJ made as much money as it did based upon TFA setting it up. TLJ didn't set anything up except failure and disappointment; hence Solo bombing despite it being a decent, not blockbuster, but decent movie.

Did the whole transaction at the Sheriff station. No money charged hands.

I was sure you photoshopped him in. haha