Review: 40172 Brick Calendar
Posted by Huw,
For the last few years LEGO has been producing desk accessories in an effort to cater for the AFOL who wants to show their love of the brick in the workplace.
This year's offering is 40172 Brick Calendar, designed to adorn your desk and remind you of the date, but only if you remember to change it every day. Yes, really, in this era of smartphones and iWatches...
The set consists of four cubes with numbers on each face, and a stand that will hold them in a diagonal position.
In addition, a token minifig is provided, dressed in typical office attire, although I'm not sure how well red trousers would go down in most workplaces. At least he has a matching tie.
The cubes are sturdily constructed using eight of the new 1x1 brick with 2 studs on adjacent faces, which therefore means this set comes with 32 of them.
The 1x4 black plates along the edges seem to serve no purpose other than to ensure the 1x1 bricks are mounted squarely.
The finished article looks pretty cool but there are a couple of things I don't like about it. First, all the numerals, except the 6/9 and 0, are 4x5 studs in size making those three look too big. It's easily corrected, by using 1x3 tiles instead of 1x4s for the 0s, as I have done here. The 6 can be similarly corrected but that will mean that when turned to make a 9 it will have a row of studs at the bottom instead of at the top, which will probably bother me but perhaps not as much as it being too big.
Second, using square tiles for the curved numerals is so last year... had the designer's leveraged the elegance of the new 2x2 macaroni tile we could have had very attractive curved ones, plus a great source of them.
If you're interested, the distribution of numbers on both pairs of cubes is as follows:
- 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- 0, 1, 2, 6/9, 7, 8
The 1x1 tiles on, for example, the left edge of the 1 in the image above, are there to ensure the cube sit in the holder properly when that face is resting on it.
This is the sort of set that the AFOL who has everything would buy, or maybe have gifted to them. It doesn't have a lot going for it, to be honest, other than the 32 1x1 2 stud bricks. It's also pretty impractical and unnecessary these days although it could well be a good conversation starter when sat on your office cubicle's desk, particularly if you want everyone to know you're a fan of the brick.
It's £15.99 / €19.99 from shop.LEGO.com in Europe but not currently available in the USA and Canada from there.
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30 comments on this article
For me the greatest appeal of this set is the minifigure. I have been looking for that hairpiece in a cheap set for my personal figure.
Is that a new minifigure torso? Worth it just for the more casual office wear
Oh, the possibilities. You're right, who needs a calendar these days? But how about a physical reminder of Pi, your PIN number, e, the speed of light....
Why so many sets being held back from the US?
It's one of those sort of things you might buy as a novelty gift for a coworker, for a birthday, Secret Santa or leaving present or like you say Huw as a conversation starter. For example my boss has a Lego pencil pot on his desk which led me to discover his love of the brick.
I know I'd love to receive one of these calendars to replace my old brick one so I'll have to start dropping hints ;-)
I've been quite disappointed with all these Lego gadgets. Pencil pot, coin bank, salt dispenser, butterfly-shaped storage... They seem fun at first but their usefulness is pretty limited. This calendar seems useful only for those few who want to expose rather than hide their brickdiction to the workplace.
@The_Lego_kid I see that piece all the time in my local LEGO Stores in the Build-a-Mini section.
That minifigure is clearly Mr. Bean, and worth getting this set for.
I would buy this just for the pieces! It provides a lot of white tiles, which one can never have too many of. It also provides a nice quantity of 2x8 white slope bricks.
I would buy this....if they ever sell it in the US.
Next time someone insists Lego is all specialist parts these days, point them in the direction of this set.
Love this! Its so simple yet stylish and unique! I'm getting one! And then I'm doin my own one - in red. Just red. All red. Mmmm...
:D
There aren't 16 months
@leetshoe UK format ;)
@leetshoe Today is the 16th of January.
It's not bad; if I worked in an office and couldn't get the house-shaped pen holder I'd consider something like this.
Not in the USA :(
I would consider getting it, but only if it goes on sale.
Thx for the review. It's AUD$30 and I almost bought it with my Christmas money (I went with half a dozen TLBM sets instead), but I will add it to my next order.
I do a monthly Lego Calendar with 853195-1 and add a theme on instagram, and this could turn into daily thing for me. :)
I figure it will make me smarter if I have to research interesting "on this day" tidbits then make a small diorama about it.
My 'workplace things' to overtly let people know what I'm into are a Vinyl Darth Vader figure, a CMF Mariachi minifigure and two Lego Stormtroopers. Robin and Harley Quinn will soon be joining them as I had 'blind buy' spares from the latest Batman CMFs. Fortunately none of these things take up much room but this massive calendar construct would!
On the US Shop at Home site its listed under For the Home in Extras, $19.99. So yes, it is available in the US.
I think it's a great set for the pieces even. And if I had a desk job, would most definitely get it for that.
Man, this better come to the States, this is awesome!
You're right it has now been listed at LEGO.com in the USA: http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=oSv/vWYkQIY&offerid=115554.71012&type=15&murl=http%3a%2f%2fshop.lego.com%2fen-US%2fBrick-Calendar-2017-40172
I would think it would make a good stand in for a fidget item for the hands to work over while trying to troubleshoot a problem. So it has more than one use sitting on someone's desk.
I agree, it's has to be on sale for me to buy it too. Though I really like the colors, I do not like the cheap addition of the figure just smack dab in the middle. Maybe some extra thought and he could have had a desk to sit at and a computer.
Or ditch the office theme and have seasonal accessories to switch out in the middle. Trees, seasonal characters, etc. Maybe for next time Lego can do this for a calendar.
Great review, now if only Lego would make a world map set.
@jnette I like that idea a lot.
I would like to expand on this idea and make a calendar that rotates by itself every 24 hours, using some technic pieces and a motor.
Great review! I have a few 1x1 curved tiles in white lying around, should be easy to modify if I decide to purchase this
Good news @Huw: you don't need the second 0; so you could just have your 9 instead of it and thereby resolve the "bottom row" problem.
^ Good point. I hadn't thought of that!
@ Speed champions fan: no, the torso also appears in the Detective's Office 10246
I love this Set and it looks fantastic on my Desk. People always ask me after this and LEGO in general. Thanks for the Review