Today’s guest article comes from Maciej Kocot, an AFOL from Poland, an active MOC builder, and microscale master. You can find him online on Flickr and Instagram. Charity and the LEGO Community The AFOL community and acts of charity seem to go hand in hand. From the inclusion of Make-A-Wish kids at events and unnaturally fierce charity auctions at conventions to the annual Creations for Charity fundraiser selling MOCs to buy LEGO for children, there are plenty of examples of generous folks for charitable causes. Today, we’ll take a look at a particular group’s new cause: Ukraine. Brickmania Benfifet for Ukraine It’s been more than two years since the war visited upon Ukraine. The events taking place there are truly heartbreaking. BrickNerd wrote about the LEGO community in Ukraine, which I hope will recover soon. When I hear news from Ukraine, I often feel helpless. There is not much that one...

Today’s guest article comes from Chris Castagnetto who shares his family’s experience visiting Legoland California. Is Legoland California worth the trip? Do the newest rides and experiences live up to the hype? Is there enough to do with the park being a quarter of a century old, and what’s worth doing? These are just a few of the questions I hope you will be able to answer after reading this opinionated look at Legoland California from the eyes of a parent. My name is Chris Castagnetto, and I’m an AFOL. As such, I am also a huge fan of pop culture and theme parks. I have been an avid theme park and attraction attendee my whole life, taking classes in college about zoo and theme park business, design, and management. Luckily enough, I’m now a father of two and get to see theme parks and experiences in a whole other light....

For anyone who has ever been to a LEGO convention, the sound of a GBC is pretty hard to miss. It’s not a very pleasant sound—in fact, it’s often quite deafening—and it’s almost always crowded with people admiring the different types of contraptions that slowly transport a crazy amount of LEGO footballs (soccer balls for our American readers) and basketballs around a never-ending loop. What is a GBC? GBC in the LEGO community stands for Great Ball Contraption. If you are new to GBCs, it’s a build (aka module) with moving parts that transports balls from one point to another. BrickNerd has a comprehensive article on the history of the GBC. The beauty of this concept is that if you put a bunch of modules alongside each other, the balls can be transported from module to module. If enough are connected, you get a loop that transports the balls in a...

42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit, part of the broader LEGO Space super-theme this year, is unique in a lot of ways. It’s a Technic set that does not recreate some sort of vehicle—a rarity when scanning through the roughly 500 Technic sets listed on Brickset. The mechanisms are really interesting, with five different motions from a single input. And it’s also a great teaching tool. The technical name for the set is an orrery, which is a mechanical device used to represent the movements of the planets in our solar system. The Oxford’s History of Science Museum has a beautiful example of an orrery. Now onto the build and the science behind the set! Solar Flare! Ok that’s really big scale wise, but a fun add As established before, I am a space nerd and was very excited about this set in particular. I built this set with my...

If you missed it the first time around, LEGO has put up pre-orders for the upcoming LEGO The Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree (77092) again. The set releases in September but LEGO had pre-orders going when it was announced and then they sold out a few days after. The set will be first official The Legend of Zelda set after fans have been asking for years for something. This set features the Great Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild and will have minifigures of Princess Zelda and three versions of Link. As a Rakuten/Linkshare Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO The Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree (77092) Pre-Orders Available Again appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

French retailer fnac has posted some product listings of a couple of LEGO Botanical Collection sets that are scheduled to be released in August. First is the Chrysanthemum (10368) which has 278 pieces. The other is the Plum Blossom (10369) which has 327 pieces. Both sets also include a buildable vase and stand to display them. The post LEGO Botanical Collection Summer 2024 Sets Revealed appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

French retailer fnac has revealed the upcoming LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy sets which are slated to be released in August. First is The Dark Falcon (75389) which has 1,579 pieces and it features a combination of the Millennium Falcon and the Death Star. It includes minifigures of Beach Luke, Jedi Vader, Bounty Hunter C-3PO, Darth Dev, Darth Jar Jar, and Darth Rey. The other set is the TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up (75393) which has 1,063 pieces. Here you have the X-Wing and TIE Fighter as two separate vehicles but you can mix and match parts to make completely new ships. The minifigures in the set include Yesi Scala, Sig Greebling, Rebel Pilot, L3-GO, and TIE Pilot. You can see that some of the character are play on names for LEGO terms. The post LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Sets Revealed appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original...

What is Patina? Patina is defined as “a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use.” Have you ever picked up a partly green coin or penny, or seen the Statue of Liberty? Those have a patina from oxidation, for example. There are many different patina shades you can achieve. A weathered car is another example. This could be as subtle as fading, or as extreme as rust and decay. Worn or otherwise unrestored vehicles are very popular among enthusiasts. There are a few different reasons why people leave their cars like this. It’s more costly to prep, prime, & paint a metal surface than it is to leave it alone. It’s also been said that not repairing the worn look gives the car more personality, and shows its history. Some people preserve the outer decay and prevent it further by coating their vehicle in clear paint. Why...

Amazon is currently running a limited time deal for the LEGO City Main Square (60271) for 32% off the listed price. The 1,517 piece set is now listed for $136.45 which saves you $63.54 on it and the lowest it’s been since February 2023. Note that the set has been retired on the LEGO Shop for about two years now. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO City Main Square (60271) Amazon Sale – June 2024 appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

The LEGO House has announced that it expects to see a record breaking summer for visitors from around the world. Bookings for the summer season are up from last year and there have been visitors from 95 countries so far this year. LEGO House expects another record-breaking summer with visitors from all over the world LEGO House is all set for a playful summer and expects another record-breaking season. Pre-bookings for June to August are up over 25% compared to last year. Fans of LEGO play will visit Billund from all over the world. • LEGO House is well prepared for yet another busy summer with Play Agents ready to welcome fans of all ages to discover the LEGO universe full of playful activities in the heart of Billund.• Pre-bookings for June to August are up over 25% compared to last year.• International bookings are more important than ever, with the...