the vynsane asylum

Tried to go to that new Lego store today. There were close to 100 people in line. The store didn't look that big compared to the one I went to in Ontario Mills Mall in California. We'll have to try again some other time.

ah, probably that busy because today was they day they would've been giving out the mini LEGO Store set with a purchase of $75 or more. i took my daughter to the opening of the one in Danbury, CT last month and we actually just built that set today.

tomorrow they'll be giving out a special three-pack of minifigures with purchase of $50+

Wow. I thought the Ontario Mills store was small. Maybe it's because I'm using the one at Downtown Disney in Anaheim as a point of reference, though.

most of the stores i've been to (which is about 8 or so*?) are about this size:


More interior by vynsane, on Flickr


LEGO Store, Roosevelt Field by vynsane, on Flickr

the largest one i've been to is either the Rockefeller Center store (which is still small by most people's standards) or the one in Chicago (which is about twice the width of the one in the pics posted above).

apparently they're opening a second flagship LEGO Store in NYC on 5th Ave in midtown sometime in the future which will be larger. don't know if they're moving or just adding a second one, but it seems silly to have two so close to each other.

* now i'm interested in listing the stores i've been to (in chronological order) and which ones i've attended the Grand Opening

• Palisade's Mall, West Nyack, NY
• Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh, NC
• Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden City, NY (Grand Opening)
• Tyson's Corner Center, McClean, VA
• Rockefeller Center, NY, NY (Grand Opening)
• Water Tower Place, Chicago, IL
• The Westchester, White Plains, NY
• Danbury Fair, Danbury, CT(Grand Opening)

yep, 8.

The Chicago one is the closest one to me, and that's a 3 hour drive(6 hour round trip) so it's not worth it to me. Any "deals" they have doesn't offset $80-100 in gas to go there.

I just received and finished the LEGO modular Pet Shop. It was a fun build. I've got two other modulars and I like the Pet Shop more because it was pretty much two smaller modulars in one. They're both connected with pegs so you can put them wherever you want and don't have to connect them. I'm hooked on these and they've gotten my VIP points up.

If I had more money, I'd buy more Pet Shops because the brownstone apt half of the set would look really cool if you had 3-6 of them in a row.



An I wish they'd reissue the first few sets. The Modular sets are extremely popular now and re-releasing the Green Grocer and Cafe Corner for a limited time would be nice.

Tom Foolery wrote:If I had more money, I'd buy more Pet Shops because the brownstone apt half of the set would look really cool if you had 3-6 of them in a row.

you could always use the instructions to design alternate color combinations and order the pieces necessary on bricklink. don't know how expensive it would be, but it would probably be less than buying more copies of the same set.

I'd only buy them if they put an interior in them. I've read that those two don't have anything inside of them so they're just shells.

from the pics on brickset they look a bit sparse. not empty, but not nearly as detailed others. the second floor of the brownstone is being painted, but the pet shop has a bunch of cases on the first floor and an apartment on the second floor.

Yeah, the Pet Shop is by far the least detailed on the inside of the 3 that I've got. I was referring to I believe it was the very first modulars that came out. I've read that they have zero interior detail in them. It'd be nice to have 'em (but obviously not at the inflated eBay prices) but I won't miss them. My next modular will probably be the Fire House since it was recently retired and can hopefully be gotten for cheap...ish.

ah, gotcha.

the parisian restaurant (being the only one i own and probably the only one i ever will) is highly detailed on the first floor, moderately detailed on the second rather sparse on the third, FWIW.

That seems to be how they are with the 3 I've got too. I'm not complaining at all though since the interior really is just an extra bonus since you aren't displaying that.

meanwhile, check out my review of The LEGO Movie 70816 "Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP!"

That thing looks pretty bad ass. My youngest daughter said she would allow me to get it if I gave her the Uni Kitty.