Today we quickly take a look at the contents of the LEGO Harry Potter set 40598 Gringotts Vault, a small box of 212 pieces which is currently offered on the official online store from 130 € euros of purchase in products from the Harry Potter range. The offer concerned is in principle valid until September 13, 2023, if there is stock remaining by this date.

I'm not making a drawing for you, this is about assembling a Gringotts bank safe in the spirit of those involved in the construction of the set 76417 Gringotts Wizarding Bank Collectors' Edition. And it makes sense, this small promotional product being designed as an extension with the possibility of adding it at the end of the circuit at the foot of the underground part of the large model.

This is well seen on the part of LEGO, those who invest their galleons in the set in question from the first half of September will have on hand a truly complete additional product with a section of rail, a minecart identical to that delivered in the another box, an additional chest and even an additional employee to furnish their diorama.

This chest is also designed like a real piggy bank with a slot on the top and a removable section at the back. You can therefore store the few pieces that remain after your order in the Shop or your other precious objects which will remain easily accessible via the removable wall section at the back.

This small set does not escape a sheet of stickers which nevertheless remains reasonable with in particular two small stickers which allow you to number your safe with for example the number 687 (Harry Potter) or the references 711 (Sirius Black) and 713 (Pierre Philosophical).

If you have the means to place several orders reaching the minimum amount required to be offered this small box, you can even extend the circuit by adding chests as far as the eye can see, the construction is planned to allow other extensions and stickers customizable will offer the possibility of varying the references. The new minifig provided in this box being rather generic, you will also have goblins to put everywhere in the bank.

In short, I think that LEGO takes fans of the Harry Potter universe rather seriously with this nice promotional product which will advantageously reward those who make the effort to pay for the set 76417 Gringotts Wizarding Bank Collectors' Edition at full price without waiting for at least a doubling of VIP points. The €429.99 bill will undoubtedly pass a little more easily with this extension well in the theme and it would be a shame to miss it if the LEGO Harry Potter range is one of your favorites.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 11, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75357 Ghost & Phantom II, a box of 1394 pieces currently on pre-order on the official online store and elsewhere at the retail price of €169.99 and which will be available from September 1, 2023.

This set is a derivative product of the series Star Wars: Ahsoka currently being broadcast on the Disney + platform and it is already the second version of this ship at LEGO: the manufacturer had offered a derivative product of the animated series Star Wars Rebels in 2014, then marketed in two parts under the references 75048 The Phantom et 75053 The Ghost. The Phantom was then entitled to a new version in 2017 under the reference 75170 The Phantom.

At 170 € the toy, it is normal to be demanding and I think that LEGO does not disappoint with this new version of the Ghost if we keep in mind that it is not a pure exhibition model. .

The surface finish is very correct, the adjustments between the different sub-assemblies are acceptable and the object will look great on a shelf while waiting for a hypothetical release Ultimate Collector Series which will undoubtedly not fail to arrive one day at LEGO. We can only regret that the vessel is here equipped with fixed landing gear which will therefore remain deployed in the flight phase.

Regarding the assembly, the designer has not done things by halves with an internal structure made up of Technic frames which guarantees maximum rigidity to the vessel during handling. It's almost academic but this solution is essential so that everything does not fall apart in the hands of the youngest who are the main target of the product. We then plate different sections of the cabin, like the process already used for example on a Millennium Falcon and that's it.

The various interior spaces remain accessible by removing the central section of the vessel and opening the two canopies placed at the front, but the layout is rather basic. If we try to see the bright side of things, there is therefore space to store the figurines provided. The central turret is summarized here in its simplest form with a bubble and a cannon which should protrude a little more from the cabin and which do not pivot on this toy.

It also lacks the large access ramp at the front, LEGO replaces it with two side ramps and only the two cockpits and combat stations remain to offer some interesting details with in particular the use of a saber handle of inquisitor for one of the firing positions.

The transition from the model seen on the screen to the LEGO model is necessarily facilitated by the colorful side of the reference ship: the Ghost is not a monochrome ship and we find the different colors on the surface of the cabin. It's a bit flashier than the stock version of the ship, but we're not going to complain about getting something every once in a while that isn't almost entirely gray or black in the LEGO Star Wars range.

The surface of the ship is covered with a large handful of stickers which refine its silhouette a little, some of these stickers are however on a transparent background which does not offer the best rendering when they are applied on the glass Trans Black.

The bubble placed at the front is pad-printed, it was anyway almost impossible to stick a sticker on it properly. LEGO could also have split a pattern printed on the other canopy placed at the front, the installation of the planned sticker is a bit laborious and the rendering is not very convincing with traces of glue which remain clearly visible against the dark background of the room.

The Phantom II is here rather well integrated into the Ghost, it can be easily removed and put back in place without breaking everything and the visual continuity between the two vessels is perfectly ensured. Two Spring-Shooters are integrated at the front under the cabin of the Ghost, they are actuated by a mechanism incorporating a long Technic beam which is also well concealed and accessible without having to turn the ship over. These two attributes do not disfigure the construction, this Ghost can serve as a provisional model without looking too much like a child's toy.

We could debate at length the proportions of the object, the scale which does not allow to install more than one figurine in certain spaces, the angles of the different panels of the cabin or even the aesthetic approximations and the lack of detail inside the ship, but it should be borne in mind that despite the asking price which could give hope for better, this is a simple toy for children whose parents can afford to spend the amount asked.

This product derived from the series Star Wars: Ahsoka is only an interpretation that takes a few shortcuts and we will have to make do with it while waiting for something better or ignore this toy while waiting for a product intended for the brand's adult customers. As it stands, I consider that the contract is largely fulfilled knowing that it will necessarily be possible to pay for this box a little cheaper elsewhere than at LEGO in the weeks and months to come.

As for the endowment in minifigs, we logically do not find here the original cast of the animated series but a crew based on the cast of the series currently being broadcast. The pad prints are generally successful even though the Chopper Droid loses its print on top of the dome.

Lt. Beyta's New Republic pilot's outfit is nicely executed even though the blue used looks a little light to me, Officer Hawkins' is very accurate even though the legs could have been darker and the various attributes and other details graphics are pretty fitting except maybe the hair color of young Jacen Syndulla, the character with green hair in the animated series. Check it out when it first appears on screen in the currently airing series.

I also have a little trouble with Hera Syndulla's eyes, at least they lack black pupils so as not to give her that slightly too neutral look. On the other hand, I appreciate the offset of the belt from the hips to the top of the legs, it matches the outfit seen on the screen and it seems that the pants go up well above the waist.

This endowment of figurines is generally interesting for a set in this price bracket, even if I think that LEGO could have put a copy of Ahsoka in the box to thank all those who will spend 170 € in this set and who will skip over the other products derived from the series.

This box will therefore largely do the trick while waiting for a more detailed version of the Ghost and those who missed the model marketed in 2014 should not regret having skipped it at the time. This new version is a little more accomplished, a little more detailed and better proportioned even if everything remains a little coarse and approximate in places. It is above all a simple toy for children, but a beautiful well-worked toy with accessible interior spaces, some features and a very acceptable finish.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 9, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO DREAMZzz set 40657 Dream Village, a small box of 434 pieces available exclusively on the official online store at the retail price of €29.99 since August 1st. The product does not deserve a lot of spotlight, it is simply an entry-level box that allows the tightest budgets to taste the LEGO DREAMZzz universe without taking too many risks.

However, this small set with no particular pretensions has a few tricks up its sleeve that should motivate all those who have decided to invest in this in-house license at LEGO. The product inventory makes it possible to assemble three small houses forming a colorful village, why not, it's cute and each of the shops offers a very acceptable level of finish.

More interestingly, the three houses can be combined to form a compact "tower" bringing together all the elements of the separate shops and without having to dismantle everything. It suffices to rearrange the subsets to obtain the promised tower. Even more interesting, LEGO documents the possibility of using these three houses in combination with other products in the range.

Nothing prevents you from doing it without LEGO encouraging you to do so, but I find it appreciable that the manufacturer distills some original ideas involving the association of different products with each other.
We therefore discover in the pages of the instruction booklet that it is possible to integrate without too much effort the construction provided in this box on the back of the turtle of the set 71456 Mrs. Castillo's Turtle Van, on the branches of the tree of the set 71461 Fantastic Tree House. or even around the central building of the set 71459 Stable of Dream Creatures.

For the rest, we get here three "Dreamlings" which hold the shops to be built with a magician, a baker and a blacksmith. The young Jayden in pajamas is included in the box, it is the only "real" minifig of the product. For 30 €, it's a bit thin in the absence of the real heroes of the range, but the marketing has been there and you will have to go back to the checkout to get Mateo, Cooper Zoey and Izzie.

In short, nothing to get up at night unless you plan to collect all of the products in this range, the other references of which are already available elsewhere at a more reasonable price than at LEGO, but this little set with a colorful inventory is no demerit in my opinion not and it offers some significant playful possibilities. It lacks one or two more "real" miniatures so as not to have the impression of paying too much for the thing for what it is, but the product offers a nice complement to other constructions in the range.

To be added to a basket if necessary to reach the minimum amount required for a promotional offer at LEGO and to make an original gift for the holiday season or a birthday. The fact that this box is exclusive to the official online store will greatly limit the risk of being several to offer the same thing to a young fan who appreciates this universe.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 8, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we go very quickly around the contents of the LEGO set 40640 Nutcracker, a seasonal novelty of 208 pieces which will be available on the official online store from September 1, 2023 at the retail price of €12.99.

The subject is about to become a chestnut tree at LEGO since the version offered by LEGO in 2017 on the occasion of Black Friday then put on sale at the public price of 9.99 € under the reference 40254 Nutcracker through the set 4002017 Nutcracker offered to employees of the manufacturer in the same year and by reference BrickHeadz 40425 Nutcracker marketed in 2020.

This new interpretation of the Nutcracker will not revolutionize the genre, it is a bit on the economy and the result obtained thanks to the inventory provided does not seem to me to be of the best barrel. It's necessarily crude, not very inspired in terms of the character's face and the 2017 version retains my preference.

The soldier is also here dressed in a rather neutral outfit so as to allow him to be matched regardless of the chosen face, LEGO allowing the choice of assembling a male or female character, the latter using the choice of generic eyes or those with oversized eyebrows.

The assembly is very quickly shipped, you will not be able to crack real hazelnuts with the object even if it is equipped with a mechanism which could suggest otherwise and the packaging features real hazelnuts right next to it of the character.

The construction could eventually brighten up a festive decoration for a few weeks before ending up at the bottom of a drawer. You will then be left with the small handful of golden coins used for the bottom of the tunic and a few open or closed eyes. No stickers in this little box.

By being indulgent, we can conclude that this product sold for 13 € could possibly make it possible to reach the minimum purchase required to take advantage of a promotional offer, I am not sure that it justifies placing a dedicated order on the official online store.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 6, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we are very quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Marvel set 76250 Wolverine's Adamantium Claws, a box of 596 pieces available since August 1, 2023 at the retail price of €74.99.

This new "hand" joins the current collection at LEGO already made up of references 76191 Infinity Gauntlet et 76223 Nano Gauntlet and this one is probably not the most flamboyant of the three. But all assiduous collectors know that each collection needs its extras to create a group effect and highlight the most beautiful pieces.

It is therefore a question here of assembling the hand of Wolverine in X-Men '97 version, the animated series of the 90s which will be relaunched soon on the Disney + platform. Wolverine wears a yellow outfit and blue gloves without patterns, so the object takes this uniform hue and adds three claws with metallic accents.

Nothing new concerning the process of assembling the hand, the designer is content to take up the usual recipe, base included, with an assortment of colored pieces stacked inside the structure on which we then place the different elements of finishing.

Nothing to say about the general look of the construction, the fingers are well executed and they can take different poses depending on your mood at the time. The claws can be easily removed although I don't really see the point of doing without this emblematic attribute of the character.

The color of the glove being uniform, one quickly notices the aesthetic defects of the various parts which dress the surface of the construction. Molding marks, various and varied scratches, you must not be too demanding and observe the whole thing from a certain distance. I note a good effort of uniformity on the metallic color of the parts used on the edge of the three claws, it seems to me that LEGO has progressed on this point.

The entire surface of the model is well covered with blue and only the Ball joint gray of the thumb joint which is noticeable depending on the angles and orientation of the finger.

As for the red and blue pins, some will see in the use of these gray or black parts whatever the subject treated a "signature" of the brand where others are still waiting for the manufacturer to produce these parts in the necessary colors. their perfect integration into the constructions concerned.

The base is as usual flanked by a small plate presenting the LEGO logo as well as the logo of the universe concerned, it is perfectly matched with the other pieces of this collection.

Was it absolutely necessary to market a LEGO-style interpretation of Wolverine's claws? I think so, as the subject lends itself to a LEGO version, even if the glove delivered here necessarily lacks a bit of fantasy due to the reference costume. This derivative product is not the sexiest of the catalog but the contract seems to me all the same largely fulfilled.

The fact remains that it is far too expensive for a simple monochrome model of less than 600 pieces and that in my opinion it would be prudent to wait to afford this window background figure at a much higher price. acceptable elsewhere than at LEGO.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 4, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.