Review: 10190 Market Street
Posted by Huw,
A few months after the first modular building 10182 Café Corner was launched, a compatible set, 10190 Market Street, was released later in 2007.
Unlike the café, which was a Creator set, this one was branded LEGO Factory, a precursor to LEGO Ideas. Users could design models digitally, upload them, then purchase the parts to make them, which came in a custom-printed box. Several fan-designed models were made into official sets, including this one, which was designed by Eric Brok, a prominent Dutch AFOL who was (like me) one of the first LEGO Ambassadors.
I have been unable to find out exactly how he came to be involved, but an interview with him in BrickJournal issue 8 provides information on how it was designed in conjunction with the Creator team shortly after Jamie Berard had finished Café Corner, and that it was intended to 'showcase a fan design, to promote the design-it-yourself vision of LEGO Factory'.
Unfortunately, Eric passed away in June 2007 so never got to see it on the shelves, but his legacy lives on in this set.
The building sits on two 16x32 baseplates and is connection- and pavement- compatible with 10182 Cafe Corner, which I think we can safely assume is as a result of the collaboration with the Creator team.
The architectural style and the use of the building could not be more different, though. This one comprises a three-storey townhouse on top of a basement, with a small garage on the side. Its distinctive design reflects Eric's Dutch heritage.
As well as being modular building compatible it's also modular within itself. The two halves of the building have a 16x16 footprint, so sections can be moved around, as you will see later.
There's some very ornate ironwork above the entrance to the garage which utilises an owl and minifig whips. It adds interest and height, but looks out of place to me. Perhaps such things are common in the Netherlands.
The window frames are the old style 1x4x3 train windows used inside-out with window pane pieces. I'm not sure the two were designed to be used together because the pane pieces can be pushed inwards slightly, and very easily, which makes them look odd. You'll probably notice a few instances of that in the photos.
The garage is open on the side and back, so offers no security. There's not much to suggest 'market' other than a couple of crates of fruit and veg (including an early example of nice parts usage in a set: a green Exo-Force hair piece as a cabbage) and a croissant sign hanging outside the house.
The top floor benefits from a small balcony with colourful awning.
Profile bricks have been scattered randomly in the walls to give the impression of flaking paintwork, although I don't think it's particularly effective or attractive. They do, however, help break up what would otherwise be large featureless blocks of colour which is why, I assume, the tan squares that look like they might once have been windows have been added at the back.
The two halves of the model come apart allowing them to be rearranged.
The building itself splits into four sections which can be stacked in any order, and the roof comes off the garage. The balconies in front of the doors can be removed easily which allows for more rearrangement options.
The insides are empty save for a flight of stairs, and at the time of its release there was some criticism that they were in the centre of the floors which limited options for adding an interior.
Here's a tiny house using just the top floor with balcony removed on the basement.
Two storeys with a garage. I forgot to replace the balcony, so be careful when opening that door!
Sections can be placed on top of the garage, but the ironwork above the entrance needs to be removed first.
I forgot to photograph the minifigs and have had to pack away my photography studio while we have visitors this weekend, so I'll use the images from BrickLink. What's interesting about them is that they don't have classic smiley heads. It was not until the release of 10260 Downtown Diner during 2018 that something more expressive would appear in a modular building again.
The set contains 1,236 pieces and originally cost £59 / $89, so something of a bargain at the time. However, like 10182 Cafe Corner it's now highly sought after and commands ridiculous prices on BrickLink: £1,500 / $1,800 new and £500 / $800 used.
Other than the owl, and the white hoses and doors, which go for eye-wateringly high prices, the majority of parts are common and relatively cheap. Nevertheless, a quick play with the 'easy buy' feature at BrickLink suggests you would need to spend about £430 / $500 to acquire them all, so still a significant sum.
There used to be debate as to whether it was to be considered part of the modular building series (or collection as it's now known) or not. LEGO made it known in the instructions for the 10th anniversary set 10255 Assembly Square that, officially, it is.
Although I am sure I would have thought it to be a great set when it was released, I'm not so keen on it now, especially when comparing it with other modulars. When considered in isolation it's fine, but I don't think it's aged well, and it doesn't really match the architectural style or design of the café or subsequent buildings. Of course, it made sense at the time to make it compatible with the café, to help establish the standard and encourage builders to add their own designs to their street, but I think it's best left out of it now.
The modular street, 2007-style...
10185 Green Grocer next?
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88 comments on this article
The first modular I got is 10197 . I regret missing out on 10182 and 10185 . But not on this one.
For some reason I never liked it, it feels out of place among the others and it surely lacks appeal.
Seeing this old models, make me appreciate more the excelent designs we have nowadays. A big thanks to those pioneers and current Lego designers
Cafe Corner may have put modular buildings on the map, but Market Street helped steer a lasting course by being affordable, unique in color elements at the time, and highly customizable. A lot of folks bookended the Cafe with a pair and clamored for more variety in the future. It was perhaps the rudder getting us where we are today with an entire main street of Modular buildings. I'm sure Eric Brok hoped this would come to pass.
I always thought there was a little bit of Vermeer's "Little Street" built into this set.
Incidentally, "belie" means to conceal or misrepresent- given the Dutchness of the design, and the fact that Eric was Dutch, that is not what is happening in this set :)
Thank you for a thoughtful and well informed article.
This isn't a Modular Building. Come at me, bro!
Very interesting review, it's great to return to these older modulars and review them with the context of time and subsequent modulars.
"The top floor benefits from a small balcony with colourful awning." Are you thinking of a second career as an estate agent @Huw? ;) (Might actually be quite a funny alternative review style, to write descriptions of the buildings in estate agent speak)
I’m loving these reviews of old modulars. 10185 was my first modular and also the set that brought me out of my dark age, so really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that.
Having rediscovered LEGO in 2006, I was able to pick this set up at retail.
The white tube railings on the top two floors have not aged well at all, yellowing quite a bit unfortunately.
The dark bluish gray 16x32 baseplates look so much more in place than the green 32x32 in the Cafe Corner. I'm guessing that because the 32 wasn't available in DBG at the time, Jamie went with what was available but the green looks so out of place.
We have the modular line to thank for new baseplate colors too. Red and brown 32s come to mind.
The modular series has kept me interested and each year I buy the new set. I've got about 8-10 baseplates worth of custom modulars so I'm hooked!
Huw- Green Grocer please!
Also, aren’t the hoses expensive also? Finding the correct white ones that are not yellowed was a hassle 10 years ago, god knows how hard it is now.
Thanks for your detailed review Huw! Despite its age (and storage) your set looks absolutely brand new on the photos.
Looking at the fabulous modular building collection today, big round of applause to the incredible pioneering done at the time by the Creator team and Eric!
Im very interested in the whole Lego Factory thing, its very mysterious to me. Im quite sure those sets never showed up in Australian retail stores, but Im curious whether they were available from regular stores in any other country, and if so I'd be very interested in seeing a picture of them on shelves
@Jersey_Brick_Guy said:
"Huw- Green Grocer please!
Also, aren’t the hoses expensive also? Finding the correct white ones that are not yellowed was a hassle 10 years ago, god knows how hard it is now. "
Yes, it seems they are, about $10 each. Mine have not yellowed, thankfully.
So glad I picked up this Modular when it was affordable. Would have been a difficult pill to swallow had I needed to pay out a fortune to complete the series.
After the very cool Hobby Train set, my favourite of the Factory-theme was the Space Skulls. I found that years later in a toy shop, and it'd been there for years (the box was damaged and had been kicked around a bit), so I bought it on impulse, and absolutely loved it. Thus, I could add a fleet of alien space zombies to my Lego rogue's gallery of villains. It was a good day.
I was never a fan of this one, and I haven't got it. But seeing the photos of it in different configurations make me want to have it.
Thought I was sitting on another gold mine when you said the owls were eye-watering expensive... So perhaps I misread that.
Wasn't aware of the AFOL history behind this set so thanks for the article.
@Andhe said:
"Thought I was sitting on another gold mine when you said the owls were eye-watering expensive... So perhaps I misread that.
Wasn't aware of the AFOL history behind this set so thanks for the article. "
A new black owl is fairly expensive but not eyewateringly so -- about $3.
The gate at the bottom of the garage and the ironwork on top of the garage look like they could belong in Monster Fighters (9468, 10228) or Hidden Side (70420, 70437)
The only modular I bought second hand. But also mu least favorite. I got it in good quality but the hoses have yellowed.
Now my question is: do you consider the Brickdesigner progam sets Lego Store and Venetian Houses official modulars? I don’t. They are not officially released by Lego but are fan projects. Market Street is also a fanmade set but was officially released by Lego
The first modular I own as a set was Fire Brigade. Fortunately I managed to Bricklink Green Grocer back in 2013 before many of the parts got obscenely expensive, but it still cost me about £300. I substituted the 1x8 sand green bricks for other sizes though.
I was never keen on Market Street, and the lack of an interior put me off the high price of Bricklinking Cafe Corner.
If you look at 10185 green grocer instructions. The first inside page shows it built between 10182 and 10190. So I think that speaks for itself.
Odd that you keep referring to the side build as a garage. Given the name Market Street and the crate of food I think it’s supposed to be a covered market area like this
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/04/b6/0b/14/apple-market.jpg
I don't think that the "garage" is supposed to be a garage, I think it is in fact the market street... it's just missing marketeers and their market stalls. There is only this single guy selling food, you have to imagine all the others selling fish, meat and all the other good stuff.
You can add interiors
The market
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYeEPaOoW16/?utm_medium=copy_link
The house
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYeEmVGIIJD/?utm_medium=copy_link
@magmafrost said:
"Im very interested in the whole Lego Factory thing, its very mysterious to me. Im quite sure those sets never showed up in Australian retail stores, but Im curious whether they were available from regular stores in any other country, and if so I'd be very interested in seeing a picture of them on shelves"
Toyworld had them. I know because I was working there at the time but sadly was in my dark ages!
The only “modular” I don’t own - i came out of my dark age after it was retired, but only went back for CC and GG. Even back then this just didn’t seem to fit. I didn’t know the whole backstory about it though.
Really enjoy these reviews of classic sets - keep them coming, please!
I’m a Modular building fan, and I do understand that for many people this one is far from being one of the favorites.
But for me this one is Magic and very nostalgic. I love the colors and I do remember the amazing feeling when I built it back in 2007.
The simplicity, the awkwardness, the beautiful blue color and the fact that was released on Modular first year make this probably as being my favorite one.
Thanks for this trip down memory lane, Huw.
It looks OK lined up alongside the older modulars if you discard the "garage" and just display the building on its 16 x 32 baseplate - it was included in my "Modular row" for years and didn't look out of place.
Apparently this was origionally designed in dark red but changed due to the imminent realease of the Fire Brigade
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=973px200c01&idColor=42T=C&C=42
The lady’s torso is also a little spendy…
I find it hilarious how everyone agrees this is the worst modular, yet it is the hardest one to find and the most expensive
Thanks for another great retro review! I love it whenever you do one :) Crazy to think that the owl is so expensive - I seem to have six in my collection, and only have half the sets it's been in.
Honestly seems a bit silly to debate whether or not this is a “real” modular building. It’s a designed to the same standard. Any argument over its validity as a modular is entirely semantic.
@TheEpicLuke said:
"I find it hilarious how everyone agrees this is the worst modular, yet it is the hardest one to find and the most expensive "
T o be honest I don't think it's the worst one, I like the architectural choice but it does look the most dated of all of them.
@Darthnorman you're probably correct that it's not a garage but the market itself. Specifically, the entrance to one. This looks like the 'market street' is next to the building and this is the entrance . The actual market is probably held on a large square behind and between buildings, but it would be too big to be represented on your modular street.
And yes, this is definitely a modular in the same way that the first year bionicle sets are still bionicle despite _also_ being branded technic. It sort of spun off from Factory whilst Café Corner was already branded a separate subtheme. It's just a holdover from early installment weirdness because they both came out in different ways.
It's featured in the catalogs as a modular. The other early sets have it alongside the modulars. Even the 'lack of detail' is not really a thing if you know what large buildings looked like in 2007, such as the already deluxe 4984 Model Townhouse from Creator. It's just that design sensibilities have changed. And it wasn't Jamie Berard. That also helps.
I bet most people saying it's not a modular just don't want to admit that their modular collection isn't 100% complete after having had to fork out a lot after they acquired Café Corner and Green Grocer.
@jsworpin said:
"You can add interiors
The market
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYeEPaOoW16/?utm_medium=copy_link
The house
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYeEmVGIIJD/?utm_medium=copy_link "
I like what you did with the place... :)
@Legolol_back : I think I feel the same way - when I look at this build I can't help but think about the custom builds that appeared in the background of catalogues and idea books from the 1980s and 1990s - nothing that is too complicated, but very imaginative. Builds that allow the creative design to speak more than the specialty parts. Certainly, by 2007 Eric had access to more specialty parts, and he did incorporate some of those here, but overall the build seems more nostalgic than cutting-edge, and that brings a smile to my face. :)
Market Street was my first Modular house and it was the first truly large building, that I got into my collection as an AFOL. It still stands nearby and I see it as almost perfect, even though it would be nice to expand it.
As the interior is mostly empty – I would always add some furnishings and details inside. The small alley nearby is actually perfect to be converted into a Flea market.
Great designs given the year they came in, but compared to modern modulars they look little dated. Would be nice if LEGO "updated" some of the older modulars like they're doing with Ninjago Legacy or Star Wars.
@Huw, I know this is pedantic, but could Market Street possibly be added to both the Modular Buildings and the Factory subthemes, for historical reference? It feels weird and somewhat inaccurate to look at the Factory sets on Brickset and not see Market Street there, since it's probably the most significant thing to come out of the Factory program.
I know it's technically considered to be in the Modular Building theme and I'm not against that, but it was designed by a fan through the same process as all the other Factory sets.
If a set can't be in two subthemes, would it be possible to at least add a note in the Factory set listing mentioning Market Street?
Thanks for everything you do here at Brickset!
@Wolfpack_Matthew said:
"Really enjoy these reviews of classic sets - keep them coming, please!"
But don't overdo it, @Huw, as I took inspiration from your article on Café Corner and rebuilt my own updated version of it first in studio and then ordered all the bricks to build it. I left out all the expensive old parts and used available ones from b&p and pab instead. It added up to a fraction of the costs of an original new CC, but of course it only looks similar and isn't completely accurate. I also added interiors, which of course made it more expensive than if I had only built the facades. So if there were more such articles, I might be tempted to rebrick the remaining 5 modulars I havent got already. ??
Nowadays looks something you could do with a mashup of a couple 3-in-1 sets, which with 1248 pieces is a piece count that could be compared with 2-3 copies of the recent 3-in-1 buildings, especially if you go 16 wide but like 8 deep and either open back, or double-up with a hinge (16x16 closed or 32x8 when opened)
Not saying this is a bad set, in fact the opposite, on what can be done with a bit more basic parts, but can't deny the detail of something like the recent hotel can reach with 3000+ pieces.
This Modular all over the place. I like this extra dimension/.
@Binnekamp said:
" @Darthnorman you're probably correct that it's not a garage but the market itself. Specifically, the entrance to one. This looks like the 'market street' is next to the building and this is the entrance . The actual market is probably held on a large square behind and between buildings, but it would be too big to be represented on your modular street."
In hindsight, I think you are probably right too, which would also explain the ornate ironwork above the entrance. I guess it's not like anything we'd see attached to a building here in the UK so I've always assumed that it was a garage.
@TheEpicLuke said:
"I find it hilarious how everyone agrees this is the worst modular, yet it is the hardest one to find and the most expensive "
Popularity and secondary market price aren’t necessarily attached at the hip. Fewer people buying it in 2007 means fewer sets are available on the secondary market in 2022 which means the sets that are available will be more expensive.
IMHO, Market Street is to Modulars as Star Justice is to Classic Space.
Really liking these retrospective reviews of the modular sets. It’s fun to see the building techniques evolve especially as new pieces become available
I actually bought and built 2 sets of this. It was so much cheaper at retail price. I removed the garages/markets and displayed the 2 main buildings - one in dark blue and the other in light blue. And they looked much better that way between modular buildings.
@Brainslugged said:
"This isn't a Modular Building. Come at me, bro!"
is that a challenge? cause technically it is a building, and it is built in modules... ;)
I like the Dutch stepped gable since we don't have much architectural representation for buildings of that area of the world — but I don't really like this Modular and haven't regretted not having it. The 'wrought iron' above the odd portico is more like wraught iron in its placement, style and effect for this building. Such an eyesore — though not as much as the Downtown Diner.
This set brings back good old memories of building on LEGO Digital Designer. The palette of bricks and colors was limited to whatever was available in LDD/Pick a Brick at the time, and those white hoses are still in the same default position and flexed angle as when you dragged them into the design space. I don't remember if the hose flex function was implemented at the time, but Eric used what he had and made it work extremely well.
I have all the modular buildings except this one and the latest one (because I haven't ventured out to any stores in the last week due to the Omicron surge in our area). I also have the Spring Lantern Festival which is a great addition to the modular street (and helps even out that extra half-baseplate from Assembly Square.
I have absolutely NO regrets about not getting this one. Although it's modular compatible and Lego appears to have retconned it into being a modular set, I didn't pick it up at the time because it looked terrible. Looking at it now over a decade later, it looks even worse and I'm glad it's not an eyesore on my street.
Lego may include it as a modular in their minds, but it will never be a true part of this series in my heart.
My opinion is that this was not a good value for parts (90 dollars for a ton of 1x1, 1x2, 2x2 tile and plate, and most brick was 1x2 and 1x4, parts is not great value IMO), as a result, not everyone bought one. I know I grabbed a few at retail, but I -Im sure like others- were waiting for them to drop in price. You have to remember that for a much bigger (looking anyway) Cafe Corner it was only 50 dollars more in RRP, and in the US much of the time you could get Cafe Corner for 120 USD (Walmart and TRU I think had them perpetually at 120USD) or under 100 Dollars (using TRU's B2G1F or BOGO50% promos), whereas I rarely saw the Market Streets on sale. As a result they just disappeared in a lot of places, and went from RRP to gone in most stocks. I think LEGO stores had them for a really brief time at 50% off (which, at that price, were a steal), but as a result when they went to retired status their price skyrocketed, at least in the US when they were gone, as people realized they wanted one but missed out.
I was in the dark ages while this stuff was going down. I recall looking at a random lego catalog that was mailed to me in 2009 (that I didn't request since I hadn't thought of or looked at LEGO since the mid 90s at that point). But looking through, there were some impressive larger builds which was a shock from my last sets being the Wild West stuff in '95. I recall seeing these larger sets and thought they looked cool, but I likely wouldn't want to spend that much money on a toy (keep in mind this is before I re-entered the hobby). Oh how I miss my naivete. Just think of how much I could have saved had I not started this hobby up again (or on the flipside, how much I could have saved had I bought some of these sets when available...)
As for the set, it looks interesting. While not my least favorite "modular" it also isn't anywhere in my top either. And I never considered it a modular because of branding only, but in design it is 100% a modular. And since LEGO confirmed its inclusion, I guess why argue with the company. They've never branded things weird before ;) ;)
But alas, I'll never own it and I won't lose sleep over it.
I don't know but I like the original modulars more than some of the newer ones. They started the line and have original ideas and not as many new pieces to choose from. I remembered some people said the technique used in the 1932 sign in the fire brigade was insane, didn't see the same reaction for any modulars after that. Not to mention MS is the first to have a "basement" and you can arrange the floors to face any direction and even put the floors above the market. The first 5 modulars (including MS) would always be my favorite over others.
10190 - Market Street always has been and always will be an official LEGO “Modular Building” - end of story. Whether we like it or not our collections will never be complete without it.
Even though it hasn’t aged well it still has more significance than many of the others. And, IMO it looks more in place as a modular than the newest entry.
From the desktop wallpaper archive right here on Brickset, an interesting Modular street with many more "custom" sets, looks to be from late 2007. https://images.brickset.com/library/wallpaper/Factory-LEGO%20Modular%20Build.jpg
Since it's called Market Street, I always though the side building, which in this review is called the garage, was actually a covered market street. There's even a merchant in front of it. Since they didn't fill anything with details, and interior details, I just assumed you had to fill it yourself.
@Huw said:
" @Jersey_Brick_Guy said:
"Huw- Green Grocer please!
Also, aren’t the hoses expensive also? Finding the correct white ones that are not yellowed was a hassle 10 years ago, god knows how hard it is now. "
Yes, it seems they are, about $10 each. Mine have not yellowed, thankfully."
New $16! I need one for original Mr. Freeze
@xurotaryrocket said:
"10190 - Market Street always has been and always will be an official LEGO “Modular Building” - end of story. Whether we like it or not our collections will never be complete without it.
Even though it hasn’t aged well it still has more significance than many of the others. And, IMO it looks more in place as a modular than the newest entry. "
I respectfully disagree. I didn’t like it (and most factory sets) then and I don’t like it (and them) now. My modular collection is indeed complete without this piece. As for the Boutique Hotel, I like it but am not sure where it would reside among the best. Sounds like a good poll. :o)
Loving the look back reviews, first time seen the two story set up and it actually makes a lot more sense (for me) that having the dark and light blue as one tall building.
Keep them coming! Celebrate 15 years with 15 revisits ;D
Much appreciated thanks Hew.
The background story is interesting to know. For years i been on the fence with this one......battling completionistic tendancies with 'is it actually worth it?' The basement and steps to either side of the front door give the building immediate character. Nice work Eric. Like the colours and the design of the upper facsade. And of course can be MOCed like most models. So it stays on the wanted list like for the last 10+ years :0)
(I'd ditch the garage though.)
The discussion over whether this is a modular is weird. It has always been one, LEGO even included it in the mini Modulars set
https://brickset.com/sets/10230-1/Mini-Modulars
That’s a series I’m sad they didn’t continue.
That’s weird, my mini modulars don’t include that. ;o)
@Brainslugged said:
"This isn't a Modular Building. Come at me, bro!"
Honestly, In my opinion this set is thé most modular building of them all.
Modular to me does not mean: small version. Modular can also mean inter-exchangeable. So modular building, using building as a verb. As Huw has shown in his great review (thanks!) the floors can be rearranged. I think this is the core meaning of building modular. Using units of same shape en sizes.
Market street was the first Modular Building I got at my first ever visit to a LEGO brandstore. I really love the ‘modular’ trait of the set. Although I own all other and love the direction this ‘theme’ has taken (with exception of the awful pink diner perhaps) I do miss this particular aspect in the current sets.
Being Dutch I do feel the urge to add to the whole garage vs market discussion.
The looks en feel of the main building is definitely original Amsterdam buildings. A couple of streets still to this day hold a daily market. As years passed some of the venders (marketeers?) replaced their temporary stands for permanent ones. Most of them live at the building behind, next or on top of the stand. Why rebuild every day if you can have a permanent stand?
Google imaged should quickly give you an impression when searching for: ‘Amsterdam markt’.
Although I do have to admit that the owl and bow ornament is not really typical for Amsterdams streets.
@Brainslugged said:
"This isn't a Modular Building. Come at me, bro!"
It is, and it still looks better than half the Modular MOCs I see now.
Eric left the four lots of tan bricks in the rear of the buildings so as to allow them to be easily removed and replaced with more of the same white window units as used elsewhere throughout the set. Luckily, I sourced some window units new not long after purchasing my Market Street back in 2007. The set certainly looks better with the additional windows. I have also redone the paving in the Market area and added additional food bins.
The sobering fact this is the ONLY true modular building in the entire line: the ability to combine the floors, position and facing into different layouts that's missing from all other so-called modular buildings.
Maybe this is a stronger argument as to why it's excluded by many AFOLs when considering the sets that comprise a complete collection of not so easily remodulated 'modular' buildings (aka only built to what's shown on the front of the set box).
I vaguely remember watching a video years ago in which Jamie said Eric had come to visit the Lego headquarters in Denmark for a couple days and ended up designing most of it while he was there. Don't take my word for it though
I’ve always loved the front steps, but thought the roof line was disappointing even when I first built it, not in comparison to anything else. Factory was something new. Cafe corner felt like no compromises were made re parts colors and choices (at that time), while market street felt much much more restricted to a defined, limited palette, with few “fancy” parts. I like the side balcony, but it limits which other modular can be adjacent.
Market Street hasn't stood the test of time as well as Cafe Corner but I. think it succeeds at adding variety and interest to a modular street, with some modding and addition to the market which direly needs it I think it'll hold it's own against the more detailed modulars that have been released starting from the Parisian Restaurant.
Similar to Cafe Corner as Huw mentioned some of the parts like the white hoses are very expensive and I don't think they necessarily look good to begin with, like the Cafe Corner I made a Stud.io model of this set but modified both to lessen the catalogue of expensive parts but also make some minor aesthetic changes.
Since there was interest with Cafe Corner I went ahead and uploaded the Stud.io model of this set that I made as well, I swapped a handful of the expensive parts and made some minor aesthetic changes as well, it'll likely take a couple of days until the file is available for download so anyone who wants to modify it further or take a better look in the program feel free to do so.
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/edit.page?idModel=283642
@kmvk83 , thanks for your insight, and @Grahame , that makes sense although I wonder why rear windows were not provided in the first place.
Isn't the reason the Modular buildings are called modular the fact that they take 32x32 blocks that can be arranged in different ways with each other? excluding the 48x32 Assembly Square and the two that split into two 16x32 buildings. At least that's my interpretation.
If this came in a regular Modular Building box instead of a Lego Factory box, people would not question its legitimacy as a Modular Building.
@StarWarzFan7777 said:
"If this came in a regular Modular Building box instead of a Lego Factory box, people would not question its legitimacy as a Modular Building."
Yes, it would be part of the Modular series. :o)
@magmafrost said:
"Im very interested in the whole Lego Factory thing, its very mysterious to me. Im quite sure those sets never showed up in Australian retail stores, but Im curious whether they were available from regular stores in any other country, and if so I'd be very interested in seeing a picture of them on shelves"
Found mine at toyworld Australia still have the boxes.
@CCC said:
" @jsworpin said:
"The discussion over whether this is a modular is weird. It has always been one, LEGO even included it in the mini Modulars set
https://brickset.com/sets/10230-1/Mini-Modulars
That’s a series I’m sad they didn’t continue."
The Mini Modulars set did not come out at the start of the line, it was some years later. There was a period when this was a Factory set."
Except that’s ignoring the clear message from LEGO that MS is a modular. It also neglects the history of the mini Modulars. They were initially made as internal LEGO models to celebrate the launch of each modular including Market Street.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ctconYz1Q3g
10190 is actually my favorite Modular, as I Bricklinked it and got kind of emotionally attached to it in the process. Eric Brok's legacy lives on in these Modular streets, 15 years later- he is not forgotten.
One of the reasons why the 2000s-era Modulars are so cool are how they blend visual elements of classic Town like the 60594 windows and shutters to be identifiably Lego with high-level MOC techniques. 10297 and 10260 don't really do this at all: they are elaborate plastic sculptures of buildings (and I do like them) but have less of that aesthetic exemplified by Bricksburg in the original Lego Movie.
@Grahame said:
"Eric left the four lots of tan bricks in the rear of the buildings so as to allow them to be easily removed and replaced with more of the same white window units as used elsewhere throughout the set. Luckily, I sourced some window units new not long after purchasing my Market Street back in 2007. The set certainly looks better with the additional windows. I have also redone the paving in the Market area and added additional food bins."
Thank you for the explanation, although I am with @Huw that this both makes sense, and also it makes no sense. Why not just include the windows in the first place? Is there a story there? Maybe something to do with "parts budgets" or the like?
Also, I am enjoying both the "Modular/non-Modular" debate and everyone's opinions of what the "best" and "worst" Modulars are. I have no dog in that first fight, and I would be happy to display any of the series in our family's LEGO town, so I'm not invested in the second, either.
The Diner was my first Modular, and it's still my favorite in terms of aesthetic and build experience. Now we own five others, plus the Spring Lantern Festival, and we've built a couple compatible Modular MOCs. I look forward to getting the Boutique Hotel soon (and the Daily Bugle!!!).
FWIW, I rather like the "wrought iron" detail on Market Street, although it reminds me very specifically of Budapest rather than Amsterdam.
Has anyone noticed that the minifigures here are remarkable similar to Cafe Corner, save for the heads? Was LEGO planning a cinematic universe with these three?
Love this... the colour and art nouveau design is really nice. I remember a time where the 1 x 8 dark blue arches was so expensive... ended up buying only two and the back ones are in tan colour.. lol...
When I bought 10182 Cafe Corner in 2008, I had no idea how much it would cost in a few or a dozen years. If I had known, I would have invested in these sets and I suppose a lot of other people would. Then I missed the opportunity to buy 10185 Green Grocer for the normal price. After years, in 2018 I was able to buy this set in the MiSB condition. I paid about PLN 3900 (about $ 1000). Now price has increased significantly again. One of the old Modulars that I have not been able to buy so far is this 10190 Market Street. It is possible that it will be the only Modular I'll buy in used condition. I am put off by its huge price for a relatively small number of parts. If I had to buy it in MiSB condition, I could have paid as much as four years ago for a Green Grocer, but I know it's rather impossible. A year ago I bought a MiSB 10179 UCS Millenium Falcon for PLN 6500 (around $ 1620) and Market Street is even more expensive. I couldn't have spent that much money on an almost five times smaller set. I'm currently raising money for MiSB 10030 UCS Star Destroyer.
@jonboy2000 said:
"Apparently this was originally designed in dark red but changed due to the imminent release of the Fire Brigade"
Thank you for mentioning this! I forget where I heard/read about it (I think it was an interview with Jamie Berard) but it's definitely an interesting bit of trivia that the review didn't mention.
Another interesting detail not mentioned in the review is that since Erik Brok felt some builders may not care for the very Dutch-inspired stepped gable roof, he designed the set so the sloped roof could be rotated to face the street for an "international style" building, or swapped with the flat roof of the market/arcade for a more American-style building. (Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20071006215100/http://factory.lego.com/modularhouses/EricBroksstory.aspx)
The balconies were also specifically designed so they could be easily removed in case the floors were arranged in a way that they would not make sense or would collide with an adjacent building. And the lamps, flag poles, and pneumatic Ts attached to headlight bricks on the front of the buildings are also intended so that a builder can re-arrange them to their liking.
@Galaxy12_Import said:
"From the desktop wallpaper archive right here on Brickset, an interesting Modular street with many more "custom" sets, looks to be from late 2007. https://images.brickset.com/library/wallpaper/Factory-LEGO%20Modular%20Build.jpg"
Yeah, this touches on another neat bit of trivia, which is that there was a very deliberate reason for branding this set as "LEGO Factory": official sets with that branding were a tool to promote the LEGO Factory program (later rebranded as LEGO Design byME) which let fans create their own "unofficial" custom sets on LEGO Digital Designer and order them online.
There had been a few LEGO Factory sets before this one, but Market Street in particular was clearly meant to encourage LEGO fans to create their own MOCs expanding on the modular street — after all, in that first year, that was really the only way to turn Cafe Corner and Market Street into a larger neighborhood!
In furtherance of that goal, the LEGO Factory website included a "How to Build Your Own Modular House" page (https://web.archive.org/web/20071006214858/http://factory.lego.com/modularhouses/ModularBuilding.aspx) which offered the first written description of the Modular Buildings standards, including the somewhat underappreciated VERTICAL expansion possibilities.
The site also later added a page with furniture-building tips by an Australian LEGO fan who is better known to us today as set designer Mel Caddick (http://factory.lego.com/modularhouses/MelsFurniture.aspx). The bakery furniture she created for the Market Street building's main floor may be of interest to owners of the set who are thinking about how they might like to furnish it themselves!
@Kamiccolo said:
"Isn't the reason the Modular buildings are called modular the fact that they take 32x32 blocks that can be arranged in different ways with each other? excluding the 48x32 Assembly Square and the two that split into two 16x32 buildings. At least that's my interpretation."
There's a little more it than that — besides being able to re-arrange them on a street, another "rule" that's been consistent across the Modular Buildings Collection (as LEGO defines it) is that the middle floors can be duplicated to change their height or add additional floors. The same does not apply to other sets with "Modular Building" style connections like the Ninjago City series.
But yes, Market Street follows both those rules just as well as any of the others in the collection, and was always meant to be a part of the series as a whole. I don't really get why some folks continue to act like it's not a real part of the series, unless it's just a running joke at this point. Just because a set is officially part of the "Modular Buildings Collection" doesn't mean it has to be a part of your own personal Modular Building collection!
For my part, I don't feel like this set has really aged that much worse than Cafe Corner. The colors still feel pretty well coordinated, and details like the exterior spiral staircases, the wrought-iron archway above the arcade entrance, and the decorative cornices on the arcade roof, above the windows, and along the top of each floor reflect the emphasis on detail and intricacy which has characterized the Modular Buildings Collection from the very beginning.
While the central stairwell is a bit of a complication for furnishing the building when trying to furnish it, this can be remedied pretty easily by adding some hinge plates (like https://brickset.com/parts/design-44568 and https://brickset.com/parts/design-44570, which were already widely available at the time of this set's release) to serve as trapdoor-style openings between floors.
Certainly, the set has some weaknesses by virtue of when it was released. The use of profile bricks as weathering lacks the realism of the more modern "masonry brick" which would likely perform a similar role today. And much like Cafe Corner (and even Green Grocer, to some extent), the window designs suffer from the more limited parts palette of that time — which really strengthens my appreciation for the modern system of LEGO window and door frames.
The plainness of the back wall, the lack of scenery in the back yard/back alley, and the lack of interior furnishings are naturally all hallmarks of when the set was released, since it shares all those features with Cafe Corner. I suspect the low price point (by Modular Building standards) may have also limited the amount of detail that was possible in these parts of the model.
But I can't help but notice that a number of other ways it's been criticized for "not fitting in" with the rest of the series — like its bright color and detailed, modern-style minifigure faces — have also been raised against more recent Modular Building sets like the Downtown Diner, Bookshop, and Boutique Hotel. So in retrospect, those quirks hardly stand out as hallmarks of its age or "fan-designed" origins.
If anything, the features that set it apart the most from other Modular Buildings Collection sets are the many ways it was thoughtfully tailored to allow builders dissatisfied with the base model to modify it to their liking! No other Modular Buildings have never been designed with as many deliberate "workarounds" for architectural or decorative features that may be divisive among AFOLs. And to think that those considerations were made for a set introduced long before there were even grounds for making any sort of generalizations about what does or doesn't fit with the series' historical or geographic setting!
It demonstrates a great deal of prescience on the part of fan designer Eric Brok, and makes it that much more tragic to realize that he died shortly before this set was officially released. I wish he could see how the series has evolved in the years since, and I'm sure he would have loved to continue designing new Modular Building MOCs using parts, colors, and techniques that were not available back when was entrusted with the privilege and responsibility of designing this set.
Perhaps if cancer had not taken him so soon, he might have even gone on to join LEGO's design team full-time, as we've seen with so many other AFOLs who've had similar levels of building proficiency and a similar consumer-focused design philosophy. In the very least, it's a small blessing that he was able to make this mark on the Modular Buildings Collection before his passing. That would be a proud achievement for any of us, I think.
@CCC said:
" @StarWarzFan7777 said:
"If this came in a regular Modular Building box instead of a Lego Factory box, people would not question its legitimacy as a Modular Building."
Of course. But then, it didn't come in a Creator Expert "Modular" box. Just like there are some Star Wars sets badged as UCS that some people don't want to acknowledge as UCS, even though they are."
I know that of course people would not question its legitimacy then. But my comment was more directed towards the build. It does not matter in what box it is, this building is clearly a Modular Building.
@24nolf said:
"The problem with trying to retcon a LEGO Factory set is then you have to include the Bricklink designer program sets, the Ninjago modulars, Daily Bugle, etc.."
No, you don't??? Market Street was treated as part of the series from the very beginning, those other sets were not. I'm not sure why people are calling it a "retcon". Even the back of the Green Grocer box portrays it as part of the same series. If anything, it's a retcon to insist that it's NOT part of the same series.
Also, as amazing as the Ninjago City sets are, they have never been branded or advertised as part of a shared collection, nor have they ever passed the test of being able to add or remove vertical sections without disrupting foot traffic between floors. They are their own independent collection that happens to use the same method of connecting the individual sets that make it up.
@24nolf said:
"And then you have to explain all the design inconstancies with the rest of the modular line. Market Street violates a slew of design rules that even todays fan Mocs adhere too. "
Which rules, exactly? Best I can figure is that you're referring to the paving stones on the market/arcade side being offset from the usual 2x2 grid, but there's no reason to assume that was ever considered an inviolable rule. There are plenty of Modular Building"rules" that fans have imagined there to be over the course of the series that have been either "violated" on individual occasions or abandoned entirely for all buildings going forward.
No Modular Building had only two floors… until Fire Brigade. No Modular Building included digital technology… until Town Hall. No Modular Building featured stickers, named characters or "Creator" branding… until Palace Cinema. Every Modular Building had the lamppost set directly onto the baseplate… until Parisian Restaurant. No Modular Building had paving stones in a shape other than squares or rectangles… until Assembly Square. And so on.
In fact, some of the only definite rules/guidelines that apply to the series as a whole are that they can be expanded vertically or horizontally according to the standards cited on the Modular Houses page from the LEGO Factory site: https://web.archive.org/web/20071006214858/http://factory.lego.com/modularhouses/ModularBuilding.aspx And of course, Market Street passes those tests with flying colors.
My first modular bought new was Parisian Restaurant at the beginning of 2014 and I subsequently bought all of them before and since, making my own Café Corner (reimagined as a pink and grey ice cream parlour) and the Green Grocer as a dark tan / tan and black general store which has been extensively modded since. But Market Street never interested me, I always thought the design and layout and the way interaction would be possible with other buildings looked amateurish, despite having regards to the more limited palette of parts available then. Coming up to date, last night I completed the new Boutique Hotel - a superb design and build experience although I am already looking to do a side extension...
We never liked this weird set when it was issued. It looked chaotic. We waited patiently with great anticipation for the Next Modular Building to be created:, The Greatest Modular of all Time: GREEN GROCER !