Review: 10293 Santa's Visit
Posted by CapnRex101,
Attractive architecture has defined the beloved Winter Village and 10293 Santa's Visit achieves continued authenticity. This impressive cottage features distinctive roof slopes while the shape appears unusual, separating this creation from 10229 Winter Village Cottage.
That realism is certainly appreciated, especially following two previous sets which focused upon fantasy. While those models were enjoyable, returning to the traditional origins of the Winter Village collection is welcome. This creation should therefore complement previous examples, or provide magnificent display value alone.
Box and Contents
Family construction experiences have been associated with Winter Village products since their beginning and the packaging for 10293 Santa's Visit makes specific reference to this possibility. The continued 18+ branding therefore seems inappropriate, although I like the dark background and atmospheric snowfall, which matches the packaging for 10275 Elf Club House.
Nine numbered bags and two instruction manuals are provided, separating smaller accessories from the cottage. Chris McVeigh is identified as the designer, although limited information about the development process is present. Furthermore, the set contains four stickers, which are each applied inside the house.
Minifigures
Four minifigures are included, beginning with the residents of this charming cottage. The adults consist exclusively of existing components, although both characters are appropriately dressed for the season and their joyful expressions appear splendid. Moreover, these hair elements are reasonably uncommon, so their appearance here is appreciated.
Meanwhile, the child features a unique torso and double-sided head. Her cheerful and sleeping faces are perfect for Christmas Eve, while the teal pyjamas include a brilliant snowflake pattern. These decorative snowflakes and this colour resemble the baby from 10263 Winter Village Fire Station, so perhaps both figures portray the same character at different ages.
Copious accessories accompany the family, including a printed envelope, teacups and unique cookies, which apparently take inspiration from those made by Chris McVeigh's mother! Some wrapped presents and toys are provided too, such as a model rocket and a musical instrument which resembles a trumpet or cornet. These are simple, but cleverly assembled.
The most appealing minifigure is undoubtedly Santa Claus, whose appearance has changed frequently since 1995. This example appears particularly outstanding though, integrating dual-moulded boots with an updated torso. The white accents look wonderful and I love the metallic gold buckle, contrasting against the neighbouring colours.
Santa's beard and traditional hat each remain unchanged from previous minifigures, although the head underneath is exclusive. This element appears friendly, but I prefer the bespectacled head featured on earlier depictions of Santa. Nevertheless, the newest depiction of this classic character is my favourite, particularly because of those dual-moulded legs.
The Completed Model
Before reaching the house, minifigures approach a snow-covered fence. This structure seems reasonably simple, although the combination of white and reddish brown elements is attractive. The exposed stones and mounds of snow atop each fencepost look splendid, while the mailbox captures satisfying detail. Additionally, trans-opal is an effective colour choice for the 1x1 round brick inside the lantern.
LEGO has established a consistent aesthetic for Winter Village structures. 10293 Santa's Visit continues such conventions, including steep roof slopes and comprising vibrant light royal blue elements. This colour is shared with 77942 Fiat 500 and looks great, particularly in combination with the white roofs. However, greater contrast against 10229 Winter Village Cottage may have been advantageous, since these might be displayed together.
The cottage measures nearly 29cm across which is surprisingly large, but seems proportional with previous sets. The details are consistently impressive too, especially around the entrance where two lanterns with trans-opal glazing are positioned. My favourite feature, however, is the wreath which is ingeniously fixed through the windows in the door. This construction method is unusual, but feels secure.
Green claws, originally developed for Wolverine, are fixed beneath the windowsills. They form surprisingly attractive foliage, with berries connected using green 1x1 round plates with hollow studs. The decorative bells look superb too, while the snowman is constructed using two round components and appears accordingly realistic.
The dark blue windowsills and bands beneath each roof look marvellous, complementing the light royal blue walls. The contrasting dark bluish grey chimney appears perfect too, matching pieces around the door and incorporating light bluish grey highlights. Moreover, this deciduous tree makes good use of Technic elements, seeming suitably sparse and including a birdhouse.
Beautiful foliage continues beneath the central roof, alongside additional berries. Once again, these stand out perfectly against the walls and white roofs, which feature curved corners. The exposed studs are effective here and swapping these snow-covered surfaces for other colours, reflecting different seasons, would be easy.
Winter Village models are traditionally open when viewed from behind, enabling easy access during play. This example is no exception, although its shape creates an unusually large open section. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with this configuration because the open sides provide an excellent view of the interior and can be concealed when displaying the model.
Despite its abnormal attachment method, the wreath appears reasonable when viewed from inside, blending with the reddish brown door. The reddish brown accents above this door are attractive too, while dark tan is an appropriate colour for the floor. I think the balance between furnishings and open space is also effective, leaving ample room for placing minifigures.
Santa Claus is evidently capable of entering houses through different means, but descending the chimney is definitely his favoured method. Fortunately, this house includes a fireplace and three colourful stockings are hung on the surround, beneath two candles. The structure seems absolutely charming and the stickered clock looks appealing as well, showing the time nearing midnight.
Of course, Santa can enter through the chimney, pushing the fire elements over upon landing! The space is relatively tight, although the minifigure seems unlikely to become stuck and could easily be retrieved because the upper section of the chimney can be detached for access. Logs, a small table and an armchair encircle the fireplace, with a present hidden behind that chair.
Another wrapped gift is secreted in the rafters, above the sand green light fixture. This seems notably modern within the cottage, hence I would have preferred something more traditional in style. The consistent colour scheme of the rafters is brilliant though, resembling wooden beams and providing adequate support underneath the roof.
The wooden dining table looks magnificent as well, featuring a red table runner and matching upholstery on the chairs. Their construction techniques are rudimentary, but the result is great and seats are provided for all four minifigures, should Santa Claus decide to stay. A decorative centrepiece completes the dining table, with two additional candles.
Chequered white and tan tiles distinguish the kitchen from the dining area. Tremendous detail continues in here, as sand green units correspond with the aforementioned light fixture. These are similar to the kitchen units found in certain Modular Buildings, particularly since the realistic sink resembles that found in 10243 Parisian Restaurant and includes a pipe underneath.
The red food mixer is cleverly assembled and two 1x1 bows comprise a loaf of bread, which is immediately recognisable. Additional food or kitchen equipment would undoubtedly have been appreciated, but the most important details are present and I think the separation between the kitchen and the neighbouring rooms is successful.
No staircase is included to reach the upper floor, although that was probably the wisest choice because space is restricted. However, this child's bedroom makes efficient use of the available room, containing a flame yellowish orange bed and a desk. This mezzanine configuration looks fantastic as well, differing substantially from previous LEGO houses.
Each roof segment is connected using Technic beams and the rear panel can move outwards, providing quick access to the bedroom. This child evidently enjoys space exploration, since a ringed planet hangs beneath her bedroom ceiling and this poster includes a rocket, matching the black and white spacecraft which was shown earlier.
Christmas trees have appeared consistently throughout the Winter Village range, although the designs have varied dramatically. The newest creation appears relatively bushy and comprises numerous slopes, producing authentic texture. Such construction techniques seem rather basic when compared with previous LEGO Christmas trees, such as the superb example from 10275 Elf Club House.
However, the reason for that relative simplicity becomes apparent after pressing the Christmas tree down, activating the light brick inside! The trans-clear plates situated among the branches and the trans-yellow jewel on top are accordingly illuminated. This function works well, without significantly compromising the external appearance or the structure of the tree.
The aforementioned jewel appears slightly awkward and another decoration would have been preferable, although this element illuminates nicely. The vibrant 1x1 round plates look great as well, suspended beneath several branches. Additionally, the tree slides smoothly inside the pot, but they are not actually connected. Instead, the Christmas tree rests on the light brick.
Overall
10293 Santa's Visit completely embraces the charming aesthetic which has continued across the Winter Village series, particularly resembling its earlier models. The light royal blue colour scheme and dramatic roofs appear brilliant for this wintry environment, with various traditional Christmas decorations and foliage further enhancing the external appearance.
The interior is beautifully furnished too, preserving the rustic atmosphere which began outside. Focusing attention upon the house has definitely proven effective, although the Christmas tree and fence are splendid accessories. In fact, I have no significant complaints about this addition to the enduring Winter Village series, especially since the price of £79.99 or $99.99 represents excellent value!
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group, but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
236 likes
65 comments on this article
That's some trumpet!
@CapnRex101,
Thank you for yet another detailed review and set of pictures.
There are two almost identical close-up pictures of the kitchen. I suspect one of them was included in error.
I think a magic wand would be a better tree topper, but maybe it's too long to light up well.
This set is really pretty and I really love it!! It is in my opinion better than the elf and gingerbread sets I personally enjoy the town based sets most as they just interest me more! A winter village house is perfect and this set is definitely one of my favourites! Not a big fan of that jewel on the tree though…seems ugly and awkward, last years tree was better
@honbushu said:
"That's some trumpet!"
I thought it was a trombone.
Love it, day 1 purchase for me. Hopefully there's a GWP that day. And dual molded Santa legs finally!
I like it very much. The floor shape allows me to put the house in a corner of my small village keeping continuity with the other houses. The interior is awesome. I will wait for dec GWP to purchase hoping there will be not out of stock again
Great review, nice Christmas set and a very reasonable price
I wonder if the present in the roof is a nod to National Lampoons Christmas vacation where Clarke finds an old present hidden in the attic? If so kudos for a pretty deep dive Easter egg.
@Timsterino said:
"I wonder if the present in the roof is a nod to National Lampoons Christmas vacation where Clarke finds an old present hidden in the attic? If so kudos for a pretty deep dive Easter egg."
Most people put Christmas presents in the attic because that's where kids aren't able to find them, I don't think it's a movie reference
I think this won't be the only Santa with dual moulded legs: from the promo pictures, looks like 40499 will also have the same Santa.
Clever method to increase the inside floor area to allow room for the dining room table, which for me is the highlight of the set. The roof and chimney are very well done both on the outside and inside. Funny there is a window above the door but none on the inside, maybe there is a way to move the roof supports sideways to allow some light. As a longer term project, I can see buying spares to add a sofa, another bedroom for the parents and even a possible bathroom.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....
With the girl's obvious interest in space, the icing on the cake would be if the USS Cardboard GWP was ready for release!
I'm not over keen on the trans-opal round bricks... they look a bit too much like ancient tran-clear bricks that have reacted badly to a hydrogen peroxide treatment!
I'm just glad they finally returned to real-world sets! As @560heliport already said, a magic wand (the ones with the star) is the first thing that came to mind to upgrade the tree topper.
I like this set and showed it to my wife, but she also thought it looked too similar to 10229 Winter Cottage. (We're not being critical of it -- I think I actually prefer this to the Cottage. We're just choosing not add it our display -- although a timely GWP could enhance its desirability.)
I'm not sure what direction they could take future sets, to make them distinct. A beer hall perhaps? That sounds like a must-buy to me. On outdoor amphitheater with a holiday choir? Maybe a winter log cabin?
Great review! It answered any questions I had about the set. Thank you for also calling out the ridiculousness of the 18+ branding on this.
I love how the shape of the house gives it much more visual presence from the front while allowing for more open interior at the back for play. It's a great looking set. Don't understand all the complaints on the colour though, it's a different shade of blue to the 2012 model, different style and much larger and it's been 9yrs, if you are lucky enough to have 9yrs or more of winter village sets, I'm sure you can space them apart enough if it bothers you!! Plus there are not that many colours in the Lego pallet that screen winter alpine village vibe, doubt the haters would have liked coral red more!
When will TLC learn that black is not the colour of Christmas. It's the colour of Batman. That's about it.
I enjoy displaying my LEGO set boxes around my house. The art is beautiful and brings joy.
But not the black ones.
I have never indulged in the winter village range but this is very tempting
This set is amazing. They knocked it out of the park. While I liked McVeigh's brick illustrations when they were on his flickr, I didn't care for them once they became official products. I'm glad to see him working on other worthwhile endeavors.
I was torn on the blue at first. I realize it is lighter than medium blue, but still two blue houses in one village? Either way, I think the color works well here. And the shaping is nicer than the blockier Cottage. But I realize more pieces are out now so spacing and design always changes.
The lit up tree is a good idea, but the tree itself is a bit too blocky for my taste, so I likely will not worry about the play feature.
And I don't love the claw decor, so I'll change that as well. But overall a must buy.
And to be honest, everyone hates the black boxes, but I feel like the colors stand out A LOT more compared to a colored box with colored pieces. Seeing some of these on the shelf make them look appealing compared to the more colorful boxes. I hope the black boxes stay for these 18+ offerings. (granted I don't keep boxes, so once I buy it, it won't matter what color the box is, but seeing it on the shelf it looks nice in the store)
I'm actually fine with the black box this time (the snow helps it a lot). It brings out the warmth and safety of the house. Santa is supposed to come over during the night anyway.
Making it 18+ is laughable though.
I'm a bit concerned that there are some unsafe local roadworks, where some pesky kid has stolen the paraffin lantern and hung it on a tree in their garden.
This is a really nice looking set. This would be a great introduction to someone, like myself, who's never collected anything from this theme.
Lovely set. Kudos to the designers
@gylman said:
"When will TLC learn that black is not the colour of Christmas. It's the colour of Batman. That's about it. "
It's Christmas. Not even Batman uses black. He decorates in very dark gray.
I prefer the fantasy direction the last two WV sets took but that's probably just me, it looks good but it doesn't stand out so much on it's own, the exposed back looks pretty bad honestly but I suppose it's inevitable because of the overall shaping and the general price point they aim with WV.
@honbushu:
As someone who used to play trumpet, I can only see the many problems with the design (extra mouthpiece, short one valve, missing the main tuning slide, and an off-color bell), but I recognize that it would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to do better with existing parts. Short of molded elements like the bugle, saxophone, violin, and various guitars, the only musical instrument I can think of that was accurately depicted with existing parts only is the flute. All they had to do to represent an old-style wooden flute with open hopes for the fingerings was paint dots on a lightsaber blade.
@560heliport:
Strictly as a light pipe, the bigger problem would be the narrow neck reducing the amount of light that makes it through to the top. From a more practical standpoint, even the version of the top cone with the fully open stud is too deep for the wand to actually attach to anything. It’d just hang there from the star, and there’s a possibility that the thicker handle could catch on the inside and cause the wand shaft to break.
@OneIsLit:
Trombones typically don’t have any valves*, making them unique among traditional brasswind instruments. They also have a slide that projects far forward of the bell, even when it’s fully retracted. Fully extended, there’s about twice as much instrument in front of the bell than behind it.
*There’s a more complicated form of trombone where a single valve allows you to skip the most extended positions and instead use more retracted positions. It does so by opening up a curl of tubing located in the rear section that subs in for the extra length achieved by extending the main slide more. Not only does this allow a trombonist to change notes faster, but it allows people with shorter arms to more easily hit the full range of notes. It’s not something that was offered on student-level instruments where I grew up, but anyone who is seriously considering even an amateur career as a trombonist might consider the upgrade worthwhile.
@Bags:
@Ninabrick69:
Holiday GWPs are limited to Black Friday weekend (with VIP access a week earlier) and December 1st. If past experience is anything to go by, this will be hard to locate by then. You might be able to pick up an off-season GWP in September or October, though.
@sjr60:
Ideas sets have been running about a year out from initial announcement to final release. I would not bet money on seeing that before the end of the year.
@SinisterStairs:
Beer halls are probably out as being too close to a bar. Ironically, a mainstay or pretty much every Christmas Village line (a church) is also out as they have a standing policy of not favoring any religion as it tends to alienate potential customers who practice different religions.
@Henry_D said:
"Too bad christmas/Santa theme is 18+now, so kids cant play it anymore. Honestly this 18+ bs went out of hand. Whats next 18+ friends theme? 18+ duplo?"
Yeah, you've stated this elsewhere. We get it. Move on.
When I saw the official images yesterday I thought the kitchen and the stove especially resembled that of 10278 Police Station, but I never would have thought Chris McVeigh would actually design two Winter Village sets in a row, what an honour!
The grey half circle brick has now been used as a sink in no less than 4 sets this year - hope to see it in white soon, which would make a great washbasin (well actually 1 of the 4 was that, in 31116: Safari Wildlife Tree House).
To families who built these as families, the idea of co-building them has been there from the start. The LEGO Company certainly didn’t have that in mind or they wouldn’t have repeated the Toy Shop. Up until they got buried under phone calls, they hadn’t even really treated this as a distinct theme, and weren’t even planning to keep releasing annual sets. By the time the dust settled, they were aware just how many families had turned this theme into a holiday tradition for the whole family to participate in.
@Squidy74H:
Remember, not everyone who has been collecting from the very start has actually bought the entire run. I see plenty of comments from people who skipped some over the years. The last two and Santa’s Workshop are too fantastical for some tastes. The train and station don’t appeal to some people. There’s a repeat of the Toy Shop in the gap, and one set is just a bunch of market stalls. Skip all of those and your town is basically toy shop, bakery, post office, blue house, fire station, blue house.
@gylman:
Black is the color of night, when Santa delivers presents, when carolers sing songs, and when homes turn on their Christmas lights for greatest effect. Christmas is a time when nights grow longest for much of the world, and certain parts don’t even see the horizon grow brighter at noon. Sure, there should be stars, but anyone who has lived their entire life in a major metropolitan center doesn’t know what they really look like due to light pollution.
@Sethro3:
If you exclude the train and market stalls, the majority of WV buildings are shades of brown and tan, with two that feature blue. There are also two that feature green, and two with red. It’s just the fact that these are the only two regular houses that makes the choice to produce them both in shades of blue stand out, but this was probably a color of opportunity situation. With the blue Fiat requiring so many new LRB parts, they probably wanted to work them into as many sets as possible to justify the adjusted production runs, plus designers would have seen this as a chance to use a rare color without having to burn their own limited recolors on making it happen.
@sjr60:
You mean the birdhouse? Are you trying to set that poor bird on fire?
@Kamiccolo:
The entire WV range is full of buildings with open backs. Outside of the Modular series, and one or two Ideas sets, I’m having a hard time thinking of any buildings they’ve produced that do have fully enclosed interiors. Even Bag End has an open back.
@CCC:
I thought it was two loaves when I spotted it in the first announcement. Doing what you suggest would make it look like a small loaf. This may be intended to look like a split-top loaf...but I still see two loaves.
Oh I'm aware of that @PurpleDave, I just thought this one sticks out way too much.
Definitely a get for me! Love the annual WV tradition!
@Henry_D said:
"Too bad christmas/Santa theme is 18+now, so kids cant play it anymore. Honestly this 18+ bs went out of hand. Whats next 18+ friends theme? 18+ duplo?"
Are youths in Russia prohibited from buying LEGO sets with the 18+ branding? That is nuts! Don't the regulators know that LEGO's age recommendations are purely that - recommendations? Based primarily on the complexity of a build and/or marketing considerations, rather than anything to do with the content or subject matter of a set? Someone should tell them.
@Kamiccolo:
The trouble with open backs is the larger they are, the more they interfere with the exterior aesthetics, and the smaller they are, the less useful they are for play accessibility. This appears to be a rural village, not NYC. Think less grid blocks and more winding lanes. The diagonal orientation is less unusual in that sense. It could be on a large corner lot, or it could be oriented to fit in with the local landscape (especially if they’re trying to have a scenic view).
The way these village displays are typically arranged, they focus on the downtown district, with the private homes on the periphery. Put this one in the back, near a corner, or oriented to make the front door parallel with the display, and it will minimize the issue with having such a large open back. Alternately, as with every WV building, you could try to build a back so it’s fully enclosed. I did that for the Flintstones set because it would look awkward if I displayed that on club layouts and it was the only building with three walls.
@CCC:
It’s a very short loaf. Or several slices have been cut off already (and it’s a type of bread that’s just as brown on the inside as the crust, like rye or pumpernickel). Or it really is two tiny loaves on an equally tiny cutting board. If you rotate those two curved bricks 90°, I don’t think it’s going to reduce the value of your copy of the set, though. I’m guessing a loaf or two isn’t going to be the deciding factor in whether or not you end up buying this, though.
This is a set where the Devil is in the details. If I'm going to spend $100 (less than I anticipated, I'll admit) I want there to be fun stuff in the set. After the review it looks like there's enough stuff to make this a good $100 set.
My main issue is more that my build limit is 800-1000 pieces before I get bored and it's at the lower bound with the Winter Village simply because we own all the sets and when we haul it out of the attic for Christmas (and we don't even build every set) there is a chunk of building in addition to all the other Christmas stuff going on. This isn't a problem with the set in and of itself just the context it's built in and the builder.
I give the set an overall grade of B+. It's a good, solid set. If someone buys the set I think he'll enjoy it and if it's given a pass I don't think it will be for any flaws of the set itself.
Though the 18+ branding is absurd and the black background makes the house look like it's floating in space. Winter Village... in SPAAACCCCEEEE.
After Santa dropped through that chimney and has pushed the fire over, it seems to have set the Christmas tree on fire! That photo in the dark shows clearly that not the decoration is lit up, but the entire tree trunk is burning! Very dangerous.
Besides that, a very charming set. :-)
@sjr60 said:
"…I'm not over keen on the trans-opal round bricks... they look a bit too much like ancient tran-clear bricks that have reacted badly to a hydrogen peroxide treatment!"
When it was revealed yesterday I thought perhaps they had resurrected the old milky white colour used for TV antennae and the like. Is there much of a difference between them? I shall find out!
@MeisterDad:
My brother and I had a few of those antennas as kids. Based on color and lack of rigidity, I suspect they may be made of a material similar to what gallon milk jugs are made of in the US. These parts are made of whatever clear material they use these days, with an opalescent finish applied. From the pictures, I believe these have a slightly blue sheen (this seems consistent across all base colors, with even opal pink having a blue sheen), and will definitely reflect direct lighting in a very different manner than old milky white parts.
New E has done at least one article giving a solid in-depth look at the new opalescent treatment, but I can’t recall if they’ve hit this particular color before. It wouldn’t surprise me if they give these parts more attention than sites like Brickset, since that’s their primary focus at New E. And if they don’t, maybe make that a suggestion, if you don’t want to wait for your own copy.
A nice looking set and I rather like the color actually!
Best set since Old Fishing Store
@PurpleDave said:
" @gylman:
Black is the color of night, when Santa delivers presents, when carolers sing songs, and when homes turn on their Christmas lights for greatest effect. Christmas is a time when nights grow longest for much of the world, and certain parts don’t even see the horizon grow brighter at noon. Sure, there should be stars, but anyone who has lived their entire life in a major metropolitan center doesn’t know what they really look like due to light pollution."
If you look closely at the box art, there ARE stars (or possibly snowflakes) across the whole background. While I do have fondness for some of the more elaborate backdrops some box art has had in the past (especially ones with sunset colors), I feel like people often don't give these new box designs (and their more minimalist detailing) their due. If you compare them it's clear that care has been taken to complement sets with various sorts of colored gradients or starbursts, the sets' reflections are faintly visible on the "surface" they're photographed on, and almost every 18+ set has featured an elaborate logo design for the set name (unlike the older boxart, which often featured elaborate backgrounds but even then typically just had plain white text for the set name and information).
In any case, I can't believe people are still whining about the 18+ age rating and branding when this isn't even the first Winter Village set to feature it (that honor goes to last year's Elf Clubhouse). AFOLs used to be that they were some of the biggest advocates for ignoring the age rating on sets... so why is the age rating for larger and more expensive sets being changed such a point of contention even now?
@Henry_D said:
"Too bad christmas/Santa theme is 18+now, so kids cant play it anymore. Honestly this 18+ bs went out of hand. Whats next 18+ friends theme? 18+ duplo?"
Yes, sales of this product are restricted to those under 18. It sits on the same shelf as the Playboys and cigarettes. No child is allowed to buy this, and they are all very sad because Santa has been declared Inappropriate.
@MeisterDad said:
" @sjr60 said:
"…I'm not over keen on the trans-opal round bricks... they look a bit too much like ancient tran-clear bricks that have reacted badly to a hydrogen peroxide treatment!"
When it was revealed yesterday I thought perhaps they had resurrected the old milky white colour used for TV antennae and the like. Is there much of a difference between them? I shall find out!"
Yes, the milky white antennae were much less brittle than the original white ones, but they looked horrible!
Is this the first WV building without strings of Xmas lites on the roof?
@Luthercpa said:
"Is this the first WV building without strings of Xmas lites on the roof?"
No. Several have not: the train station, fire station, toy shop...
@Lyichir:
Oh, yeah, I hadn’t actually looked at this box art yet. The nature of the theme, combined with the depth of field suggested by the way they vary so much in size and focus, makes me lean towards snow, plus there’s the fact that you can see a few dots below the horizon on the right side of the box front. I could only identify two sets that depict stars on black boxes, which are the Discovery (makes sense) and the NES (not so much). They both share a similar design that bears no resemblance to the white dots on the two 18+ WV sets.
Part of what may have sparked the backlash was that the black boxes came right on the heels of the much-loved throwbax box design for 21322, which was so colorful. I’m okay with the black boxes, but even I have a hard time imagining PoBB with that style of box. Since several Ideas sets have now been released in black boxes, I suspect that might have been inevitable if PoBB had been released after the Haunted House.
You mentioned that _most_ of the 18+ sets have unique logos, and at first I thought maybe you were referring to the Haunted House (like the new Tumbler, at first glance the logo seems rather plain, but the former has spiderwebs and the latter has cracked glass). So I dug through the entire run (also looking for variance in the black box design). I wasn’t really prepared for what I found. First, I hit the Botanical Collection. When Flower Bouquet and Bonsai Tree came out, the logos were both unique and similar. But when Bird of Paradise came along, it used the exact same font as Flower Bouquet for the set name (all three use one font for the collection name), so the only major difference between the two is the accent flowers. Then there are the mosaics (including World Map), which use a single style of logo across the entire run. Likewise, every 18+ SW set seems to share a single logo pattern, which results in four of the SW helmets having painfully similar logos (at least Boba Fett gets to swap out the Imperial logo for his taun-taun skull).
18+ Ideas sets based on licensed IP seem to phone it in by just using the IP logo (though at least Winnie the Pooh livened up the background with some hand-drawn artwork). Most of the 18+ cars seem to use brand logos, which makes the Ferrari 488 GTE and the Caterpillar D11 stand out as being especially plain. Likewise, the Mickey/Minnie statues have a very plain logo, but it’s possible all three of those are based on corporate guidance from the licensors. The two soccer sets share a logo design, as do the two Adidas shoes, but that makes sense since both are instances of a GWP being tied to a main set.
And the beef with the 18+ branding is largely based on the simple fact that the age of 18 is regularly applied as a cutoff for things with content that is deemed inappropriate for young eyes. That sits a little awkwardly, considering how much of the company’s history has been exclusively focused on making toys for kids. If it was 17+, it would be slightly less awkward (there’s still NC-17 and R movie ratings). If it had been 16+, I don’t think anyone would have batted an eye. But 18+ will probably never stop getting complaints.
@NotProfessorWhymzi:
You can drop it down the chimney, but tradition dictates that until they land the Star Trek license, the only way to teleport it is in Santa’s belly. He prefers cookies, so putting out a loaf of plain bread for him to eat is a surefire way to get coal for the entire family. A sufficiently destitute family back in Dickens’ day might have made out like a bandit by pissing Santa off with a severely undersized loaf of bread, given the cost disparity against several sockfuls of coal. The Cratchet family clearly wasn’t devious enough, or Tiny Tim could have been living in comfort the whole time.
I'm really happy about this, it will be a great addition to my Christmas / Winter village!
I didn't bother buying last year's set as I really don't care for the fantasy stuff too much, I'm glad to see them back to a traditional village set!
@Zander said:
" @CapnRex101,
Thank you for yet another detailed review and set of pictures.
There are two almost identical close-up pictures of the kitchen. I suspect one of them was included in error."
I can't speak for the author but it seems like it is included twice to save scrolling up again while reading the second paragraph on the kitchen to look at what has been spoken about.
@scottd:
Based on what’s discussed in each paragraph, the first image probably shows the kitchen in relation to the dining area, while the second focuses more on the contents. It’s one of a few instances that _almost_ look like the photo was just cropped for the closeup, but if you compare the white pillar against the wall to its left and the bread to its right, it’s clearly a new photo. A better angle might have been achieved by removing all the dining area furniture so the POV could be shifted to the right, the camera wouldn’t have blocked the light so much (the blender is hiding deep in a shadow), and it would have been easier to get a tighter focus on just the kitchen area.
@OneIsLit said:
" @honbushu said:
"That's some trumpet!"
I thought it was a trombone."
It's a mellophone! (marching french horn)
@Darth_Dee said:
" @OneIsLit said:
" @honbushu said:
"That's some trumpet!"
I thought it was a trombone."
It's a mellophone! (marching french horn)"
It's a piano.
I absolutely MUST get this! Wow! Best set since the beautiful gingerbread house, and a wonderful update to the previous blue and white house set from about a decade ago! So nice! I love it!
@sjr60 said:
"It's a piano."
Of course, but is it playable?
On a more serious note; I don't understand the commotion about the color scheme being similar to an earlier set. In my experience, smaller and authentic villages often have houses in similar or even identical colors. In some regions, the color of one's house is even legally defined.
@YanVanLan said:
" @sjr60 said:
"It's a piano."
Of course, but is it playable?
On a more serious note; I don't understand the commotion about the color scheme being similar to an earlier set. In my experience, smaller and authentic villages often have houses in similar or even identical colors. In some regions, the color of one's house is even legally defined.
"
Also I am pretty sure we can allow a similar colour scheme every 9 years ??
I think the bigger concern (for me at least) is even though we now have two blue houses, how has it been 9 years since the release of the cottage??? Where does the time go...
That is upsetting haha.
Will this mean the new modular will also have some light royal blue in it (last used in Detective's Office).
@Terreneflame said:
"Also I am pretty sure we can allow a similar colour scheme every 9 years ??
"
Coming from a time when a Lego building with anything other than white walls and a red roof was extremely unusual, I think two different shades of blue is absolutely fine!
@sjr60:
That’s a pretty garbage-looking piano.
@YanVanLan:
The Christmas Village tradition is something that originated in the US in the early 1900’s. Early collections were made of cardboard and colored cellophane, and it wasn’t until the 1970’s when ceramic and porcelain buildings were first introduced. Everything about the Winter Village Collection draws directly from this tradition, with three notable exceptions. All Christmas Village collections feature a variety of churches, but TLC has a self-imposes ban on religious content. All Christmas Village collections issue several new products annually, while the WVC is limited to a single set per year. And all Christmas Village collections have accessory packs for things that aren’t buildings (street lights, park benches, people and pets, etc), where there are no officially recognized equivalents in the WVC. There were a few holiday GWPs during the first few years that some considered to be WVC in spirit, if not in branding (40082, 40083, 40107, 3300014).
If you actually look at traditional Christmas Village lines, like Department 56, they release a ton of new products annually, with their main focus being small town Americana, which seems to be what the “realistic” WVC is based on (they’ve also done a Santa village line). In that context, it is actually common to see a variety of different architectural styles and color schemes. Rural communities tend not to impose restrictions on individual expression, especially if the population is spread thin enough that you can’t see any of your neighbors’ houses from your own yard.
@Sethro3:
The WV Cottage was starting to feel a bit lonely these past few years. WVC can be divided into four basic categories, which are business district, residential district, North Pole, and misc. the first three (Toy Shop, Bakery, Post Office) are business district. The fourth year brought the first residential entry, followed by a bunch of open market stalls (misc) and the first North Pole entry. After that, they almost let the line conclude, but put out a slightly different Toy Shop instead. Two years of Train (misc), the first business district since Year 3 (Fire Station), and two more years of North Pole. So, the eight years have seen three North Pole sets, three misc sets, one business district, and one reissue. Nothing has really dominated the line since 2012, but the traditional Christmas Village has definitely taken a back seat. Now that they’ve established a range of subthemes, it’d be nice if they could keep the theme more or less balanced between them going forward (I mean, I could live with a misc entry every four years, but I’d also be okay with never seeing another one). I’d also really like to see them return to making WVC-compatible holiday GWPs, since the closest they’ve come to an official accessory line is the Winter Village Market.
I love it!! Some of the previous Winter Village sets were beautiful but I did not have intention to buy them. However, this one is faboulous!! I will buy it.
I only miss a bed for the parents. Perhaphs I will made their bedroom over the chimmeny, although I would have to remove the candles and the clock.
@YanVanLan said:
" @sjr60 said:
"It's a piano."
Of course, but is it playable?"
Only via Control+..... which allows it to play Chopsticks or fart!
I like it when I see it from the front, but not from the back: it's as if it's photographed with a fisheye lens… While I'm confident it's possible to built a back wall/façade/roof for Gingerbread House without modding the latter, I do not think it is possible with this set, or 10275 Elf Clubhouse (also a design by Mr McVeigh), for that matter… I think I would have liked this set better if it had not been angled.
With that said, I'll buy this set next year, when I can have it at a discount.
By the way, once again the Germans and Austrians are getting the better deal, as it's priced €89.99 there, against the usual €99.99 in the Benelux, but also France and other countries…
Beautiful, day one purchase for me! It will go perfectly in my Winter village which includes already 10249, 10254, 10259, 10275 and 40139. And no regrets anymore for having missed 10229 :-)
Purchased VIP access 9/16. Technically 9/15 at 9:00pm on the West Coast.
I really like this one. On par with the Gingerbread house. My detailed review: https://youtu.be/nbhYg9TcsAQ
@honbushu said:
"That's some trumpet!"
Thats what my wife said ;)
Ordered last night taking advantage of the extra vip exchange rate. Looks like it’ll be a great addition to my Winter Village