Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10307 Eiffel Tower, a large box of 10.001 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €629.99 from November 25th. Everyone will have an opinion on this voluminous interpretation of the Parisian monument, and as usual I want above all to emphasize here a few points which seem important to me in order to help those who hesitate to make an informed decision.

Like many of you, I was first frankly impressed by the first visuals of this imposing model which we cannot a priori blame for much. At first sight, the object seems very faithful to the reference monument and the announced measurements have something to impress, this last point eclipsing almost all the rest of the marketing arguments in favor of the product. With a footprint of 57 x 57 cm and a height of 1 m, this Eiffel Tower is indeed an exceptional object which therefore promises to guarantee long hours of assembly and an attractive exhibition potential.

I was lucky enough to be able to assemble this big model and I had promised myself, as often, to take my time to discover and savor all the subtleties of the set. However, it seemed obvious to me from the start that the assembly was going to reserve some somewhat boring and repetitive sequences and I therefore took the precaution of dividing the "experience" into many sessions that were too short to begin to feel tired.

The product inventory may seem substantial with the presence announced on the packaging of 10.001 elements including the essential brick separator, but it is in fact made up of only 277 different parts including more than 400 flowers, 666 plates 1x6, 324 bars (1x3 / 1x4) or even 660 Bar 1L with Handle. Those who love road plates will be served with twenty copies which are installed under the tower.

The inventory is also inflated by the presence of many small items whose presence may at first glance seem superfluous. But the rigidity of the tower is ensured by the use of many short elements which could easily have been replaced by longer versions, but at the cost of a visible deflection of certain substructures. It's not me who says it, it's the designer of the set. No new parts in this box, just new colors for elements already present in the manufacturer's catalog.

A logistical detail: The sachets are all unique, there are no two sachets bearing the same number in this box and this is good news for those who are not used to the presence of several sachets bearing the same number in open for a single assembly phase. There are 74 plastic bags distributed in the three cardboard sub-packages, not counting those that remain neutral and contain additional elements such as carousel rails, flexible rods or various and varied plates. The assembly process is therefore simplified by this more rational numbering, that's always taken.

On closer inspection, we quickly realize that this plastic Eiffel Tower is in fact an "idealized" version of the monument which would draw from different eras depending on the area concerned, eliminating certain details, adding others and forcing on arrival on the idea that the tower flanked by a large French flag at the top is in fact installed in the middle of an orchard filled with benches and Parisian lampposts.

We could conclude that we are therefore moving away from the pure exhibition model to get a little closer to the product for the distracted tourist who would like to bring back a nice souvenir of his Parisian holidays, forgetting in passing the current configuration of the place with its esplanade sadly tarred, its endless queues, its slightly anxiety-inducing security system and its very insistent street vendors. Why not, the LEGO version is after all only a free interpretation of reality.

You will also have noticed that the Eiffel Tower is simply not the right color here. It has never been gray over the years, it has only come in different shades of brown. The designer admits that there have been many discussions about this internally and justifies the colorway Dark Bluish Gray used by invoking in bulk the chromatic relationship between this box and the one marketed in 2007 (10181 Eiffel Tower), the impossibility of producing the entire inventory in a new, more suitable color without penalizing other sets due to internal limitations at LEGO on this specific point, or even some vague aesthetic considerations which, in my opinion, are more like a posteriori justification than anything else.

Many will try to convince themselves and you by the way that the chosen color was the most suitable, but that does not change the fact that it is simply not the right color. The dark gray used here nevertheless allows, according to the designer, to take advantage of a welcome contrast between the object and its possible exhibition context, but I am still unsatisfied on this point. The big French flag planted at the top of the tower has as usual nothing to do there, we are no longer in 1944 when French firefighters bravely hoisted a flag at the top under German fire, but it can be removed s it bothers you.

The set also explores the limits of readability when it comes to the assembly instructions divided into three booklets, certain angles are difficult to decipher and it will be necessary to remain vigilant despite the inevitable many frankly repetitive sequences imposed by the subject treated. Those who have taken the time to zoom in on the official visuals will have understood that some sections are a little fragile with braces that only hold on a single fixing point and which tend to move easily during handling. Some will therefore undoubtedly have the impression that the sub-assemblies connected on one side of the structure and which end in the void on the other spoil the overall rendering a little, especially when this tower is observed closely.

The set actually gives the illusion of a certain distance and it will be necessary to take the time to position all these braces very precisely correctly so that the effect persists closer. The regular dusting of the model with a brush must also be carried out without insisting too much, at the risk of moving some of these many crosses. You know this if you have watched the product presentation on Youtube, the four arches based on carousel rails are purely decorative, they do not support the upper structure of the tower, as on the real one.

I can't give a damn about the use of 32 sausages which are therefore now available in a previously unseen color, their presence does not seem to me to be likely to visually disturb the final result and it is always less serious than barrels that would be used to symbolize something other than their primary function. The argument of "it's too big but there are gray sausages" will allow you to create a diversion during your evenings with friends when they are looking for a place to sit in your cluttered living room.

More seriously, I still salute the work of the team in charge of designing this Eiffel Tower at LEGO, we are a long way from the basic stacking set 10181 marketed in 2007 and this new product involves many elements and techniques that make it a beautiful showcase of the manufacturer's current know-how.

I leave to all those who will make the effort to invest 630 € in this product the pleasure of discovering the different techniques used to preserve the essential mobility of the feet which allows them to be adjusted, the design of the different intermediate platforms and the connection points between the different sections, there is in my opinion enough to conclude that the designer has tried to do his best so that the fans find their account in spite of the few questionable choices of which I speak above and the lack of homogeneity of the curvature of the monument beyond the second floor. As luxurious as it is, this product remains a modest plastic model that cannot overcome certain constraints. On arrival, the model is stable, it does not wobble and the weight of the entire structure is well distributed over the four legs, as on the real one.

As for the assembly experience, it can't be called frankly entertaining, unless you like (very) repetitive sequences. There remains the pleasure of connecting the four legs together by orienting them so that they meet above the center of the base, of discovering from a certain distance the visual effect produced by the dozens of braces installed or the satisfaction to stack the four sections to obtain the final product but it will be difficult to escape a certain weariness which will precede the other problem posed by this product: where to put it once completely assembled? Let us be clear, there is no question of complaining about having the possibility of affording a large model which provides long hours of assembly, but it will then be necessary to find the ideal location to exhibit this enormous model which don't do it discreetly.

Those who have a room dedicated to their favorite hobby will quickly find a corner to display this Eiffel Tower, the others will have to learn to live with this luxury coat rack stuck somewhere in their living room. The good news is that the assembly can be moved or stored quite easily thanks to the cutting of the model into four independent sections which are simply fitted together. The base plate is also provided with four side notches which allow it to be grasped without breaking everything, it is well seen.

I won't be one of those who will buy this box, because I don't need a 1m50 high Eiffel Tower in my house, just as I can easily do without a wallpaper with the Empire State Building or large letters format the word kitchen on the wall of my kitchen, and that I wouldn't find a place for it that could really show it off anyway. On the other hand, I would have settled for a less ambitious but more compact model to obtain a more acceptable compromise between finish and size. To be totally honest, however, I do not regret having been able to have this imposing construction in my hands, the assembly of which, lasting around twenty hours, deserves to be shared with several people so that everyone can taste the different techniques offered.

LEGO once again wanted to impress its world with the "highest official product"Never marketed by the brand and the objective has probably been achieved in terms of marketing. It remains to be seen whether this announcement effect is transformed into sales volume thereafter, but even if this Eiffel Tower does not become a commercial success , it will have achieved its primary objective: to get people talking about the brand at a time of year when toy manufacturers are vying for the favors of consumers.

Now it's up to you whether this big adult fan toy that's also a very impressive but also very idealized rendition of the Eiffel Tower is worth moving the living room sofa to make room for it. If you intend to treat yourself to this product, don't spoil yourself too much about what makes it interesting: the different solutions used to arrive at the final result. This will be the only real reward you will get besides being able to display this great Eiffel Tower in your home.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at November 28, 2022 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.

I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of the new issue of the LEGO Marvel Spider-Man magazine which allows you to obtain the Carnage minifigure already delivered identically in 2021 in the set 76173 Spider-Man and Ghost Rider vs. Carnage (19.99 €).

The minifigure that will be delivered with the next issue of the LEGO Marvel Avengers magazine to be published on December 5, 2022 is revealed in the inside pages, it is Rescue (Rescousse), a minifig already seen in 2020 in the set 76164 Iron Man Hulkbuster Versus AIM Agent (456 pieces - €39.99). The figurine will be for the occasion accompanied by a small drone equipped with a Stud Shooter.

Note that Carnage is delivered in a paper bag, as was already the case for Thanos last September. It's less sexy than the usual shiny sachets with bland colors and slightly crumpled paper here, but it seems that it's good for the planet.

I told you a few days ago on the occasion of the announcement of the fifth series of characters to collect from the Super Mario universe (ref. Lego 71410), the days of minifigs delivered in the usual plastic bags are soon over. The manufacturer has already been working for many months on this transition, which should finally take place no earlier than September 2023 and the series of minifigs to collect in bags as we know them will then be delivered in a cardboard box that will no longer allow them to be identified. by handling the packaging.

LEGO does not plan to make life easier for fans: even if the manufacturer willingly admits having noticed over the years that the possibility of identifying the different characters in a series by handling the flexible bag has become a very popular activity. customers, there is no question of adding a code to these rigid packaging or any possibility of identifying their content.

As usual, LEGO declares that it does not rule out reviewing its copy later, but this necessarily implies that sales of minifigs individually or in complete boxes would have to drop significantly for the manufacturer to take into account. take this parameter into account and finally change your mind. Which will probably never happen.

What we do know, however, is that this new packaging will be sealed and not resealable after opening, that its contents will not be accessible without destroying the cardboard, that the boxes containing several series will always be composed of 36 units and that LEGO does not plan to modify the unit retail price of the product, i.e. €3.99.

LEGO could have used the principle of the box already used for the Bandmates of the VIDIYO range, but experience has shown that customers do not hesitate to open the boxes in stores to check the contents and the manufacturer has concluded that we had to imagine a more secure packaging.

I'll spare you all the talk about the need to save the planet that coats this announcement, LEGO obviously highlights the recyclable side of this new packaging and maintains that it is therefore necessary to sacrifice in passing a possibility of identification that simplified the life of many customers but which was in any case not envisaged by LEGO when launching these series of collectible minifigs. It's for the planet, make an effort.

You will find above and below some visuals illustrating the different avenues of reflection envisaged by LEGO around this new packaging with several prototypes. The final version of the packaging should be the one last seen in the gallery below. The possibility of a paper bag was quickly abandoned and the work mainly focused on the need to move from a flexible bag to a rigid container which unfortunately no longer allows you to try to guess the content. The manufacturer even claims that during the test phases with a sample of parents and children, more than 70% of those polled chose the new packaging over the old one. Planet first, take LEGO at its word.

As promised, we quickly tour the contents of the LEGO House set 40502 The Brick Molding Machine, (Limited Edition) a beautiful box of 1205 pieces that will be sold exclusively at the LEGO House Store in Billund from March 4th. It will be necessary to go there and pay 599 DKK or about 80 € to have the pleasure of assembling the reproduction of the machine which sits at the entrance of the LEGO House and which produces the bricks present in the small bags offered to visitors ( ref. 624210). For those wondering why the box bears the number 2, this is the second reference in a series of sets launched last year by the reference 40501 The Wooden Duck.

This souvenir to bring back from a trip to Billund will remain exclusive to the LEGO House and will probably never be offered for purchase through the official online store. I know that some are already imagining that LEGO could re-launch the initiative that had allowed the fastest to buy a copy of the set 21037 LEGO House on the Shop in May 2020, but the reopening to the public of the sanctuary dedicated to the brick being confirmed, there is hardly any chance that LEGO will repeat this operation.

The real injection molding machine visible to visitors to the LEGO House is identical to those installed at the brand's various production sites, the only difference being that the mold used here produces only six classic red 2x4 bricks and that the speed of the manufacturing process has been slowed so as not to produce more bricks than necessary depending on the number of people on site.

Well done to the designer, the reproduction offered is really faithful to the reference machine, down to the smallest detail with, for example, the small red bucket which collects production waste. Some features are integrated into the product, and even if this machine 29 cm long, 15 cm wide and 19 cm high with its presentation support is intended to end its career on a shelf, we can have a little fun with it.

The three side protection panels slide to allow access to the internal mechanics of the machine and a thumbwheel moves the part of the mold containing the six red bricks to the other half. The bricks are not ejected from the mold as on the real machine when the two parts of the mold are separated, but the integration of this function brings a little touch of realism to the product.

The designer insisted on this point and I therefore do the same: this set is also the first to offer doors and frames in Lime (lime) and these parts provided here in five copies should quickly find their way into other boxes. Here we find the color differences that particularly affect this color. Lime, those who have invested in the LEGO Technic set 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 know what I'm talking about. It's subtle but sufficiently present that the aesthetics of the final model suffer. It can therefore be concluded that despite LEGO's promises to try to solve this problem, no convincing solution has yet been found.

There is only one sticker in this box, it is the one used for the machine control panel screen. The three Tiles reproducing the promotional bags and those specifying that they are the machine installed at the LEGO House are pad printed. The designs of the bags are printed on Tiles nougat color which represent the paper version of the packaging soon to replace the classic polybag.

LEGO does include some information on the evolution of its manufacturing processes in the first pages of the instruction booklet, but I would have liked to know more about how this particular machine works. It's a shame, adding some technical data on the technology used would have made this product a pseudo-educational tool instead of limiting it to the role of a simple souvenir of a visit to Billund. A few inserts over the pages would have been welcome, it will be for another time.

In short, if you ever pass by Billund and this set is still available on the shelves of the LEGO House Store by then, you may be able to bring back this nice derivative as a souvenir. Just kidding, there is a good chance that this set has been sold out for a long time and you will as often have to turn to the aftermarket dealers who will be on site from March 4 to fill the trunk of their car and offer you the thing. at the double or the tripe of its public price to "amortize the displacement". It's up to you to see if this investment is justified.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 15, 2021 next at 23pm. "The" I try, I participate "are automatically deleted, make an effort.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Today we are quickly interested in the set 10278 Police Station, Structure expected from January 1, 2021 in the new range soberly titled LEGO Modular Buildings Collection.

You have had plenty of time and the elements to get a very precise idea of ​​the contents of this box with the official announcement which took place a few days ago, so I will content myself with giving you as usual some very personal information about this new set which will be available at the public price of 179.99 €.

This large box of 2923 pieces allows you to assemble a new 37 cm high block including the antennas placed on the roof, to be aligned with the other references of the range and in the center of which is the police station of Modular City. On each side of the building, two narrow constructions with a donut merchant on the left and a newsstand on the right.

If the first floor of the building on the left is an apartment not connected to the premises of the police station, the right part is indeed an extension of the main building, up to the roof with an attic room which serves as the evidence room.

No surprise, the construction floor is a 32x32 gray base plate on which we assemble the sidewalk portion and the base of the main structure. As you know from the product announcement, the common thread of the set is the hunt for the donut thief and we assemble from the first bags the hole under the police station that will allow the thief to escape. We won't really play the escape sequence, but it's a nice detail that helps to create a little context around the product.

As for all the others Modulars of the range, we alternate here between sequences of stacking walls and construction of furniture or decorative elements. The assembly process is extremely well thought out and you never get bored. Designer Chris McVeigh is in charge and this specialist in micro-furniture and other accessories is also having a great time: I am not used to marveling at a bed or a table. but it must be recognized that the different elements which fill the rooms of the police station and adjoining spaces are very well designed.

Those who invest their money in the products of this range are generally demanding on the techniques of construction and on the misuse of certain parts. They shouldn't be disappointed here, the photos speak for themselves. We stay in the tradition of sets which offer sub-assemblies about which we sometimes wonder where the designer is going before realizing that the solution used is perfectly suited to the desired result. I am not a MOCeur and although I will not remember much of these creative techniques, I had a great time assembling the contents of this box.

The police station is crossed by a rather well thought out staircase, it is composed of crenellated bricks 3x3 and 4x4 and the technique used here saves a few tenons and others tiles and to avoid having a staircase too thick and intrusive. No tiling on the floors in the upper floors and that's a bit of a shame.

As often with the Modulars, the interior spaces are cramped and the designer takes care to impose on us the addition of the furniture before mounting the walls. The impression of dealing with a dollhouse that is difficult to reach is therefore a little attenuated even if it will be difficult to return to move something later without going with your fingertips. As I often say, the collector of Modulars laughs a little at the playability of the product and is happy to know that the furniture is just fine there, inside the build.

The usual toilet gimmick is once again present in this box, and in two copies: a toilet in the cell, another in the police station. Among the technical solutions that will make you smile, we will notably note the addition of the toilet paper roll in the toilet on the first floor via the right column of the facade. The roof cornice is particularly successful with the use of the part used this year for the head of the wolf in the LEGO Minecraft set 21162 The Taiga Adventure, installed here in several copies and which allows to deport the upper plate with a nice effect.

The rear of the construction is as usual more basic than the facade, but the whole remains coherent and realistic. The few windows, the door and the ladders are enough in my opinion to furnish so as not to have the impression that the back side is sloppy, although it may be regretted that the construction is not deeper and uses a few rows of additional tenons.

The whole can easily be transformed into an ordinary building, town hall or even a bank if you do not really want to have a police station in your street. With a second box, the simple replacement of the bricks Medium Lavender et Sand green, that is to say a little more than 250 pieces, which constitute the walls of the two adjoining mini-buildings will also make it possible to create an additional block to stick to a first copy of the set by varying the colors of the facades.

If there was a flaw in this product to be underlined, it would once again be the differences in color at the level of the sides of the construction. Shades Medium Lavender et Sand green are not completely uniform. With a little bad faith, we could console ourselves by saying that the effect is very appropriate here but the fact remains that it is a technical fault which is not really worthy of the first manufacturer of toys to the world.

No stickers in this box, everything is pad printed until the large poster in two pieces which dresses the side of the building and which undoubtedly refers vaguely to the laundromat seen in the set 10251 Brick Bank. Fans of pad-printed pieces to reuse will have at their disposal a few new pieces here, including two telephone dials, a typewriter keyboard, two large donuts and the tile bearing the inscription "Police".

The minifig endowment is correct, it sticks to the pitch of the set with three policemen, the donut thief and the saleswoman who reuses the torso already seen on other sellers and in the Monkie Kid range.

The torso used by the two police officers is new, that of the chief of police is borrowed from the LEGO CITY set 60246 Police Station marketed this year. The two caps are elements regularly available in the CITY range since 2014 and the thief does not make originality, he reuses the torso of Jack Davids, the young ghost hunter from the Hidden Side range.

In short, it is generally not necessary to try to convince those who collect the Modulars invest in the annual version and it will be difficult to motivate those who remain indifferent in front of these buildings to line up on a shelf. I can only tell you that the 2021 vintage should not disappoint the most demanding of fans: I have never been very impressed with this range but I have to admit that the few hours spent putting this set together have been very entertaining. The result would suit me well for a Gotham City police station by adding a Bat-signal on the roof.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 25, 2020 next at 23pm. "The" I try, I participate "are automatically deleted, make an effort.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.