The qualifying period for the LEGO Ideas Second 2023 Stage is now complete and there were 49 projects that will now go into review to see which one(s) will become official sets. It started off fairly slow with only a handful of projects hitting 10k supporters but then really picked up towards the end of qualifying. It was also an interesting one as five Taylor Swift projects reached the goal with four of them being the same concept. Which one(s) do you want to see as a set in the future? • “Big Boy” Locomotive• Retro Arcade• Spartan Helmet of Leonidas• Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider• The Muppet Show• Red Bull Racing F1 Team RB18 1:12• Scooby Doo Mystery Machine• Western River Steamboat• Dreamwork’s Shrek Swamp• Asterix & Obelix• Venice• Stilt House• Red Bull RB18• Trojan Horse• Red Dwarf: Sleeping Quarters• TaleSpin Seaduck Meeting Seagull• Stud Lane Book Nook• Minifigure Gumball Machine•...

A new month is upon us which means more competitive building! Are you ready? Here’s the latest batch of LEGO contests and challenges from all around the AFOL community for September 2023 to help you find some inspiration and motivation to build! There’s nothing quite like a theme or a prompt to take you out of your comfort zone and give you something new to try. Besides, contests are the perfect place to interact with other contestants and judges and get to know your fellow builders. And if you’re like me, a deadline helps make sure you actually finish! We’ve listed them in order of deadline so you can plan your building time to the best advantage. Make sure to check the LEGO activity calendar for local challenges and events near you. Here at BrickNerd, some of our fondest memories, greatest building achievements, coolest trophies, and best friendships came from LEGO...

Disney’s next big animated flick is Wish, and three LEGO sets based on the film were revealed today. All three depict buildings in the movie’s Kingdom of Rosas, as well as the protagonist Asha in minidoll form. The fabled LEGO goat also returns! Well, sort of. 43223 Asha in the City of Rosas includes pet goat Valentino. Star – presumably another of the film’s main protagonists – also features in this and the other two sets, 43231 Asha’s Cottage and 43224 King Magnifico’s Castle. All three will be available in a little over a month, from October 1st. 43223 Asha in the City of Rosas | 154 Pieces | Available October 1st | US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £18.99 43224 King Magnifico’s Castle | 613 Pieces | Available October 1st | US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £84.99 43231 Asha’s Cottage | 509 Pieces | Available October 1st | US...

Over the years since the launch of LEGO Ideas, there have been a lot of submissions that gained enough supporters but just didn’t make the final step of being selected by LEGO to be turned into sets. Among those submissions, there was one builder who kept submitting ideas for a viking village inspired by a favorite childhood set. Well, LEGO fans of viking culture who have supported his submissions in the past can now look forward to LEGO Ideas 21343 Viking Village, which is based on two separate submissions combined to create a wonderfully detailed scene that celebrates the many cultural roots of the Nordic people. LEGO Ideas 21343 Viking Village includes 2,103 pieces and will be available on October 1st for US $129.99 | CAN $169.99 | UK £124.99 The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for...

One of the things I enjoy most about this wonderful LEGO hobby is the people I get to collaborate with on projects. And this year at BrickCon, I have the good fortune to participate in a massive Dungeons & Dragons project with so many talented builders. For the last 5 months, all 24 of us have been working independently on our own rooms for a mega-dungeon, both large and small ones. And I guess builder Doug Hughes stopped reading after “large.” In his intricately-designed room, he’s housed a fearsome lava centipede being controlled by a group of dark elves. The lighting is splendid, the design appropriately ornate, and the technique on the monster gets Volothamp’s seal of approval for sure! Let’s hope our band of adventurers can get past before it escapes its bonds. And in case you’re wondering what I contributed, I guess I can give you a peek at...