When you head over to your preferred third-party LEGO parts reseller and start looking for pieces, you may be surprised at the variety of results for a simple element search. Why, one might wonder, do four different pieces appear when you look for a 4085 vertical clip plate? Why are there three nearly-identical results for a 1 x 6 x 2 arch? And you may be even more confused when you receive your order: there was only one type of headlight brick to buy, but some of the ones you received have a little slot in the base and some don’t. Why were these not differentiated when the clip plates were? ABS-king The Right Questions* *Yes, my very first article is going to start with a horrible pun. Well, that last question can easily be settled, at least, and it’s a good starting point to answer the rest. As of the...

One of my most beloved annual LEGO themes remains the Winter Village series. As we head into fall every year, we eagerly await the announcement of that year’s release. The new Santa’s Post Office (10339) for 2024 and the accompanying set Santa’s Delivery Truck (40746) are welcome additions to that long tradition since 2009. It brings the theme back to the North Pole, which are my favorite Winter Village sets. And it brings a whimsical approach to an otherwise mundane concept of a post office. The big highlight of the main set is the hot air balloon, as well as being a well designed set with great play functions. The official Santa’s Post Office Set Main Build I will be re-envisioning in my own style But who says you have to stick with the set as is? The beauty of LEGO is that you can make anything you want. You can...

Happy Boxing Day! We all know what a LEGO product box looks like, right? If you are anything like me, you can recognize a LEGO box even if it’s wrapped up because the dimensions are iconic (not to mention the graphic design). And hopefully, you were lucky enough to unwrap a few on Christmas Day. But not all sets are shaped like a cuboid. (And people even use packaging in their MOCs like we showed in this article and this article.) Polybags are a popular format for tiny sets, foil packs were used until recently with the Collectable Minifigure Series, and plastic canisters have been made famous by Bionicle. These have been all pretty common to see, but what about less common shapes? Let’s dive into the wild world of wacky LEGO product packaging! In the Can - Canisters Ok, you just said canisters were common, why the heck is the...

Merry Christmas from BrickNerd! As is tradition, we like to give away some presents and a shiny gold trophy for the holiday. Last month for Nerdvember, we challenged you to reimagine our mascot Nerdly through the lens of animation—and you delivered! We received nearly 40 fantastic entries that showcased creativity, technical skill, and plenty of nerdy spirit. This year’s theme celebrated animation in all its forms. We asked you all to bring Nerdly to life, whether inspired by beloved cartoons, animated films, or kinetic sculptures. From Disney to Saturday morning cartoons to custom Brickfilms, you amazed us with your creativity and talent. There were so many fantastic animated interpretations of the theme. Each BrickNerd contributor had an equal vote, and the results were close. Three key criteria were considered by the judges: Concept - Is the idea clever, tell a story, and align with the animated theme? Quality & Presentation -...

Today’s guest article comes from Graeme Dymond, a LEGO Certified Professional (LCP) and AFOL living in Toronto, Canada. A Holiday Story of Joy and Brokenness The holiday season has a unique way of amplifying our emotions—good or bad. For some, it’s a time of joy and togetherness. Many of my favorite LEGO memories are from opening presents during the holiday season, and I’m sure many other readers have similar stories. I love to decorate my front lawn with large, holiday themed DUPLO sculptures and share the love of LEGO bricks with my neighborhood. For many others, though, the holidays can be a period of isolation, self-doubt, or even quiet desperation. It can be hard to reach out for help or share what you are feeling, and many go through the holidays silently struggling alone. I want to share a story with an important lesson I learned recently, one that echoes a...