Modular Buildings Advice-new to forum

Erine123

I’m not sure how to use this site, never been on a forum before. I got hardcore into Lego Creator Expert Modular buildings last year and have since acquired 9 out of the 13 buildings. Since I can’t drop thousands on the original releases like Green Grocer and Cafe Corner I’m looking for work arounds. I found the PDF instructions for Cafe Corner, is there an easy way to buy all the bricks or will I have to order individually from Lego? Thanks :-)
—someone let me know if I’m doing this wrong, I don’t know where or how to post things correctly —

klinton

https://www.bricklink.com

There are all sorts of custom tools to import your parts needs, source sellers from within desired locations and price ranges. It will help you get exactly what you need, as cheaply and conveniently as possible.

Bumblepants

What I did to remake the old ones was color swap expensive parts for much cheaper alternatives. My Green Grocer is red, my Market street is dark pink instead of medium blue, and my Cafe Corner has a dark brown roof. I also changed window types and things as need to reduce cost.

I also gave CC a much needed interior on the bottom floor as the green baseplate in the big windows just doesn't cut it next to the current buildings.

Edit: the dark pink MS was because I got a ridiculous amount of 1*4s in that color for almost nothing. So it was more of a circumstantial cheap option whereas the 1*2 sand greens with a groove cost an absurd amount. Replacing those with red from all the fire stations that used that brick for garage doors saved a crapton of money.

Erine123

That’s great advice, thank you! Do you buy the bricks directly from Lego? I just registered at Bricklink so I’m trying to figure out how to navigate that as well. 

Bumblepants

I buy from both, it really just depends on the cost and availability at the time.

Brainslugged

I purchased all the bricks from Bricklink for the Cafe Corner about 6 years ago for maybe $400 while in the US. I think I could have done it more efficiently, but I was pretty new to Bricklink. The more different sellers you buy from, the more shipping costs you have.

I Subbed out all the dark blue parts for grey, and also made the roof black. I think the dark red roof sloped bricks may be easier to come by now. The only thing I really splurged on was the four grey parrots.

I had such a huge sense of achievement doing this though and it was well worth the money. I actually paid $400 for a boxed Green Grocer at around the same time as those were the two I'd missed while in my dark age. I don't consider Market Street a modular.

Paperballpark

I BL'd (BrickLinked) GG 5 years ago, for about £300, with about £50 spent on postage. That was just before the groove bricks went up massively in price, although I did substitute the 1x8 bricks for other sizes.

I thought about doing the CC as well, but that would have been even more expensive, and I wasn't as bothered about that one. As for MS, I really didn't like it anyway.

Erine123

MS was just a fan created set, I’m not interested in it either. All I need is Cafe Corner, Green Grocer and Town Hall and I’ll have the whole set. They are way too much to buy as complete set on ebay. I just bought tables to set them all up and I plan to buy street plates and make a whole city. I just have to figure out brick links website on my phone which is very hard. 

Briking

MS made it into the Mini Modulars, so looks like Lego thought it was a modular...

SumoLego

(MS is a modular, but we all hate it.)

Baby_Yoda

Is Market Street a modular? Wowie! What a new and interesting topic! I don't think anyone's ever brought this up before!

MrJackson

@Erine123 I did CC and MS several years ago.  I did a review on Cafe Corner right after I finished it, while everything was still fresh.  I tried to lay out which parts you can sub out, and which you can't, if you want to stay true to the original vision.  As for ordering parts, Bricks and Pieces, which is Lego's replacement parts website, has a much better variety than their Pick-a-Brick page.  I would order directly from Lego for as many of the pieces as you can - you'll pay shipping once, and earn VIP points. My suggestion is to print out the parts list from Bricklink, see what pieces you can order directly from Lego, and wait until double points - I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one more 2x points weekend before Christmas. 

Erine123

I just Bought instructions for a set and I uploaded the XML file into my Wanted List on BrickLink. It looks like of the 457 items there no stores that sell all of them. If I buy from a place that has 300 of them will it remove them from my wanted list so I can just see the remaining bricks I’ll need to find? I’d like to avoid individually searching for each brick , the list is 32 pages long...

HugeYellowBrick

I've found the automatic removing is a bit erratic. I now check arrival of pieces, sorting, and checking list by hand. It's rather relaxing, in a strange way.

Erine123

HugeYellowBrick said:

I've found the automatic removing is a bit erratic. I now check arrival of pieces, sorting, and checking list by hand. It's rather relaxing, in a strange way.

I wish I could do that, I completely see how it’s relaxing. I started doing these sets to help ease my anxiety. But with my busy life I am lucky to get an hour to myself to build. I’m trying to find the easiest, most efficient way without spending $800 to have Bricklink do it for me. 

sid3windr

I bricklinked MS, GG and CC over the course of 1.5 years, I think it cost me about 1000€ but I didn't really keep track so I might be wrong.

What cost the most were the 1x2 sand green grooved bricks at almost 3€ each. That's the price of a new modular right there...

I also subbed all the sand green 1x8 bricks by 1x4, and am using slightly different white hoses on MS. Other than that I believe I am using all the correct bricks :-)