Let’s just deal with the major issue right away. When the official reveal for set 76281 hit, you could practically hear the collective gasp from LEGO fans around the world. An average of ten cents per piece tends to be the benchmark for judging the value of a set, but the X-Men’s aerial transport clocks in at nearly twenty-five cents per piece. I saw a lot of comments online from people writing the set off because of the price alone. So, exactly what is it that’s commanding such a lofty price tag? Back in the 90s, superhero cartoons were all the rage, and one of the most popular was X-Men. And Disney+ is about to debut a new animated series called X-Men ’97, a direct sequel to that previous animated adventure. And a new series means new merchandise, including a LEGO tie-in set featuring four of the most popular mutants as...

The east coast of the US is celebrating the calendar change over to 2024, and LEGO fans are celebrating the release of new sets at the beginning of another month. And with about 150 new sets hitting virtual store shelves, there’s certainly plenty to celebrate. This latest wave of new sets includes an interesting concept: a space-based cross-theme concept showing up in Technic, City, Creator, and Friends. Of course we won’t be able to cover everything, but check out a smattering of the highlights on this New Year’s Release Day below. And if you want to see everything in the new catalog, head on over to the LEGO website (US | CAN | UK). LEGO Ideas 21345 Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera | 516 Pieces | Available Now | US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99 You can read more on TBB’s coverage of the 21345 Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera from...

It’s been nearly six months since our first “Ace Parts Usage” article. In it, we sifted through hundreds of LEGO creations to determine our top 10 favorite build techniques from January through June of this year. If you’re unfamiliar, builds that feature particularly cool techniques are said to have NPU (Nice Parts Usage). We’ve seen everything, but occasionally we’re extra impressed by something new and unique – an “ace” parts usage. Although we’re about to announce our overall favorite builds (using several criteria) in the running for the TBB Creation of the Year , we want to honor some ace parts usage right here, right now. There were too many awesome considerations over the past 6 months, so we decided to give you our favorite 15 instead of our favorite 10. Join us as we count down the best of the second half of 2023! #15 – NPU out of ordinary pieces...

Best of BrickNerd — Article originally published December 18, 2022. Being an AFOL can be a big commitment—you have LEGO deals to be found, a collection to sort, LUGs to attend, and conventions to go to. But what happens when you are an AFOL with kids? If you’re an adult collector of LEGO, sharing your hobby with young children can be a frightening experience. I have three young boys (2, 4, & 6) and their typically destructive tendencies are NOT compatible with my collection. Yet as an AFOL, I realize that I’m essentially playing with a toy (or a “highly sophisticated interlocking brick system” if you like to justify it that way) and toys are primarily meant for children. Image via LEGO Builder App I still want my kids to enjoy my hobby with me, but short of maintaining separate collections in different rooms of the house under lock and key,...

The Pink Palace Apartment from Coraline by LordClimentos66749 is the latest project to achieve 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas. This is the second project of the same subject matter to reach the goal in this review stage. The build features a nice look at the front of the apartment and has an open back to show all the details inside. The project joins Modular Heritage Museum, Great Temple of Abu Simbel – With Secret Treasure, Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 “Phantom of Love”, Moon Palace, NASA’s SLS Block 1 & 1B Rockets – Artemis Missions, LEGO Anatomy, WTC Twin Towers & Vista International Hotel 1979, Coraline: The Pink Palace, Good Ogel’s Garden, Happier Than Ever, City Burger, Phineas and Ferb!, JWST, Harry Styles Love on Tour 2023, LEGO Microscope, Sequoia Tree, Tesla Center, Working Canal Lock, Christmas Theater, Wreck-It Ralph 10th Anniversary, Stray Kids “Oddinary Maniac”, Rainforest Frogs, Steve Irwin & Majestic Crocodile,...