2020 Modular Rumors

Brickchap

@mapimi Great idea! Yes, a post office or newspaper printing office would be useful, interesting and fit into the 50s theme without being too overpoweringly retro

Lyichir

im2cre8iv said:

Have they ever done a library? What else does a town need that they haven’t done before?

One modular idea that I've considered that could be two thematically connected subjects would be a hardware store and a building under construction/renovation.

TheBigLegoski

A Butcher's shop / Charcuterie / meat deli, and a fishmonger, or a cheese shop with flats/apartments on top. Possibly similar to #10218 Pet Shop from 2011, done as two separate modular buildings you can place in between other 32x32 modular sets.

Next to this I would also love to see: a museum; a theatre / opera house; and a courthouse modular set. Such buildings can be crammed on to a 32x32 baseplate, and still be designed well, with plenty of nice details.

At some point a new Hotel, as well as another department store modular are also much desired, especially as I have neither (Cafe Corner & Grand Emporium). I suspect plenty of other people who did not buy/collect the creator expert modular sets from the start, may like and want these too.

SilverLove

TheBigLegoski said:

A Butcher's shop / Charcuterie / meat deli, and a fishmonger, or a cheese shop with flats/apartments on top. Possibly similar to #10218 Pet Shop from 2011, done as two separate modular buildings you can place in between other 32x32 modular sets.

I too want somewhere for my minifigs to buy food, either a grocery store, outdoor market with stalls or like you suggested with separate ”stores”. Ive seen MOCs of Masterchefs pantry and shops like the ones in ”piazza Maria” (dont have the links but easy to find through a quick google). Food for cooking at home, not dining out.

I would also like a school for all my ”mini minifigs”. My hopes went up when there were rumours about the HiddenSide one, but i have no MOCing skills and once I saw it I deeemed more is needed than to simply close up the back = out of my reach.

M1J0E

Lyichir said:

im2cre8iv said:

Have they ever done a library? What else does a town need that they haven’t done before?

One modular idea that I've considered that could be two thematically connected subjects would be a hardware store and a building under construction/renovation.

Does anyone think they could revisit the Pet Shop idea (a set I don’t have FWIW) with 2 separate 16 wide buildings?  Or does it use up too many bricks to wall down the middle?

Paperballpark

I don't think they will. That was one of the 'old' modulars, and it's as you say - the middle wall used too many bricks. One of the buildings was completely empty as a result ('being redecorated'), and they just wouldn't do that these days.

TheBigLegoski

M1J0E said:

Lyichir said:

im2cre8iv said:

Have they ever done a library? What else does a town need that they haven’t done before?

One modular idea that I've considered that could be two thematically connected subjects would be a hardware store and a building under construction/renovation.

Does anyone think they could revisit the Pet Shop idea (a set I don’t have FWIW) with 2 separate 16 wide buildings?  Or does it use up too many bricks to wall down the middle?

I sure would like to see TLG do another modular similar to the Petshop with two separate buildings. I don't think it did take up too many bricks, and the decision to leave one building empty (in a state of being renovated) was, for all I know, deliberate. The Petshop (2011) has 2032 pieces, Grand Emporium (2010) has 2182 pieces, Fire Brigade (2009) has 2231 pieces. Though pieces for walls (many 1X6 bricks) are much larger (more plastic, more weight) than tiny one stud pieces, so in kilograms, all mentioned sets may very well weigh about the same?!

I don't know why Paperballpark thinks they won't develop another modular similar in layout /setup to the PS. Perhaps he is more knowledgeable about it (insider intel) than me? Perhaps it is just a hunch?!

The piece count (even though the recent modulars also use more tiny elements) has only gone up every year (not counting Assembly Square obviously). As a matter of fact the Pet Shop has the lowest number of Lego pieces of all Creator Expert modular buildings. (And NO! Market Street may be a modular but it is not a Creator Expert series set.)

Suppose TLG would develop another modular with two buildings on 16X32 baseplates, I reckon they will add more details to them compared to the PS and other earlier Expert Creator modulars.

HugeYellowBrick

Whatever it is, the price will be higher.

Switchfoot55

I heard it's going to be a UCS Market Street remake. The UCS placard will be a billboard on top of the building, just so it's not out of place. 

Finally Market Street will be an official Modular... 

M1J0E

Switchfoot55 said:

I heard it's going to be a UCS Market Street remake. The UCS placard will be a billboard on top of the building, just so it's not out of place. 

Finally Market Street will be an official Modular... 

In some respects Market Street is the true modular, with floors that can be rotated or interchanged (ouch I’m going to get burned in the flame war for that one).  Still though even if the floors/modules aren’t as interchangeable on the modern buildings, I sure do like what the line has become.  I wasn’t an AFOL then, so I can’t say what the marketing of it was like, but it must’ve been a decent proof of concept to try more interesting things with multi level 4 wall buildings at a higher piece count.

I actually thought one year, though I haven’t pursued it beyond the BrickLink wishlist yet, that for a beginner MOC’er, it might be a good place to start.  Small enough parts count, simple enough in design, so come up with your own take on the building.  But the parts were going to cost $400 I thought, so yeah I could buy a real modular for that.

klinton

SilverLove said:

I too want somewhere for my minifigs to buy food, either a grocery store, outdoor market with stalls or like you suggested with separate ”stores”. Ive seen MOCs of Masterchefs pantry and shops like the ones in ”piazza Maria” (dont have the links but easy to find through a quick google). Food for cooking at home, not dining out.

*coughGreenGrocercough*

ReesesPieces

Switchfoot55 said:

I heard it's going to be a UCS Market Street remake. The UCS placard will be a billboard on top of the building, just so it's not out of place. 

Finally Market Street will be an official Modular... 

But then there will be arguments about whether it is a true UCS or not...

Aanchir

HugeYellowBrick said:

Whatever it is, the price will be higher.

Higher than the Corner Garage? Doubt it.

Even if the designers did intend for $200 to be the new standard price point (rather than a special price for a premium-sized building like Town Hall or Assembly Square), a price hike that abrupt gives them a lot of breathing room before inflation catches up or they exhaust the opportunities they have at this price point.

SilverLove

klinton said:

SilverLove said:

I too want somewhere for my minifigs to buy food, either a grocery store, outdoor market with stalls or like you suggested with separate ”stores”. Ive seen MOCs of Masterchefs pantry and shops like the ones in ”piazza Maria” (dont have the links but easy to find through a quick google). Food for cooking at home, not dining out.

*coughGreenGrocercough*

Hi Klinton and everyone else! My mistake, should have been more specific.

Green grocer could do if it was available to a reasonable price i.e. not the awful prices that they are offered for at the second hand (cant remember the english word for it, they are not second hand like in ”already-used” but ”not-sold-by-retailers/in-store”). So if LEGO would do a re-release of it I would most likely buy it. Still, it only had a few refridgerated shelves didnt it? I would like to have a meat section, a greens/vegetable section...something more detailed like kwik-e-mart (which is also quite expensive for someone that wasnt into lego at the time it was released).

Something like this (sections dont have to have personel standing)
meat section https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw32rz000Fg or https://ideas.lego.com/projects/2398d5f2-7616-420f-9d08-3f1636431597

cheese/deli section https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/109512-moc-piazza-maria/ (bottom two photos)

veggies/fruit/bread section https://ideas.lego.com/projects/8335cc61-6704-42d3-ad3a-74bcf28b998f

I know some people argue that ”it has already been done” but remember that not everyone started collecting lego in early 2010ish. City-line police/fire themes get new releases all the time because there are always new kids being interested in policecars/firetrucks. Although there might not be that many new/reborn AFOLs every year, there must be (in my opinion) substantial enough new AFOLs that would like to buy a rerelease or new version of any grocery store since the era of town hall/green grocer/coffe corner?! You know that big ship of Star Trek (or Star Wars?) or Taj Mahal or that large wind turbine, they all were made available again for new AFOLs... 

If people worry that there aren’t enough new customers around since green grocer was available to justify/for LEGO to be able to make a profit of a re-release of green grocer - go for a new grocery store/supermarket. Something that is different enough from green grocer that both veteran and noob AFOLs would buy a copy!

On a side note, i have seen people bricklink other colour versions of green grocer. Just like them I would be just as happy with a ”green” grocer in any other sand colour. Unlike them I dont have the tenacity or time to do this and additionaly Im not willing to pay more than lets say 250USD (including shipping). With small children at home, i can justify paying for and ”me time” for building a few big sets at retail prices, not the extra time it takes to work out which pieces i need, compare prices for different colour variants (ok, so sand green 1x2 are cheaper than sand blue, but sand blue 1x4 are cheaper than sand yellow, while sand yellow 1x8 are cheaper than..so which colour version would be cheapest in its entirety?) and likely for more than 250USD not including shipping and customs.. Sorry for OT rambling 😅 

Russell844

Crazy idea. What if they released a modular that is only 16x32? It would be cheaper and it would balance out the size of Assembly Square.

Bumblepants

Russell844 said:

Crazy idea. What if they released a modular that is only 16x32? It would be cheaper and it would balance out the size of Assembly Square.

I am surprised they haven't tried releasing something like this in the summer to compliment the winter regular modular.

TheBigLegoski

Russell844 said:

Crazy idea. What if they released a modular that is only 16x32? It would be cheaper and it would balance out the size of Assembly Square.

That would be awesome, and even more awesome if it got one or even two extra floors. Though the staircase inside does take up a lot of the limited space of a building with such a tiny floor surface. Well, at least in case of a flat / apartment building with multiple small housing units. The limitations necessitate creativity though, it could be awesome.

Really feel like MOC'ing something like this myself in the near future when I got my collection sorted, and room for more building and displaying again. I am already thinking of adding extra floors to some of my modulars anyway.

Astrobricks

^ Much like Thanos, a modular lighthouse is inevitable ;-)

rubikon

As the modular series looks like it has entered the US 50's era, I wonder what would be a typical American 50's thing. I was thinking it might be a bowling alley. Perhaps some seedy motel kind of thing. A car dealer next to the garage might be something as well, but other than that I can't really think of anything which would be typical to the era.

guachi

I'd love to see a newspaper. We have so many sets that have newspapers in them, they have to come from somewhere, right?

Paperballpark

I made a Newspaper Office last year...



More pics on my Flickr account: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmeVtByV

Brickfan50

Paperballpark said:

I made a Newspaper Office last year...



More pics on my Flickr account: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmeVtByV

Yeah, your printing press was amazing! I eagerly wait for instructions to build one for myself. Any chance you can share this? 😀

GothamConstructionCo

@Paperballpark I could actually hear the sound of typewriters and printing presses just looking through your album. 

Btw is that you at the upstairs office window?

Paperballpark

dutchlegofan50 said:

Paperballpark said:

I made a Newspaper Office last year...



More pics on my Flickr account: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmeVtByV

Yeah, your printing press was amazing! I eagerly wait for instructions to build one for myself. Any chance you can share this? 😀

Thanks! But I'm afraid there's no instructions for it.

Paperballpark

This year I built a Post Office.




Both have just been on display at the Great Western Brick Show this weekend.

As with my Newpaper Office, more photos are on my Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHkkPR2

TheBigLegoski

@Paperballpark  

Wow! So beautiful.

I am Really intrigued by how you did this 'half-timbered' black & white facade, switching between regular stacked bricks, and bricks turned 90 degrees vertical.

HugeYellowBrick

I thought the modular city was one of the best things at the show, along with the GBC, Peterloo massacre, Tower Zoo, and...

WhiteDove

@Paperballpark your half timbered post office is absolutely gorgeous! I love how it even slopes outwards as it rises. It is a strikingly beautiful modular. 

Switchfoot55

I attended Brickcon in Seattle this past weekend and someone had built a modular strip club. It was male strippers if that makes any difference. There was a rooftop dance floor with yellow male figs with black hips. I thought it rather funny. 

It would fit perfectly next to the Detective's Office 

madejp86

Switchfoot55 said:

I attended Brickcon in Seattle this past weekend and someone had built a modular strip club. It was male strippers if that makes any difference. There was a rooftop dance floor with yellow male figs with black hips. I thought it rather funny. 

It would fit perfectly next to the Detective's Office 

Where are the pics?

Paperballpark

TheBigLegoski said:

@Paperballpark  

Wow! So beautiful.

I am Really intrigued by how you did this 'half-timbered' black & white facade, switching between regular stacked bricks, and bricks turned 90 degrees vertical.

Thanks! The thing to remember is that if you stack 5 plates on top of each other and turn them on their side, they're the same width as 2 bricks. That knowledge, and some 1x1 bricks with a stud on the side, are all you really need.

BiggiSnibbiBigg

So we’re well into November and can be expecting the new modular to be revealed soon - any rumours about what it might be?

AndyPol

I've been looking around the internet recently and can't find any reference to the new modular yet, although I probably won't mind what it is....it will be LEGO and will be a modular!

I'd quite like a Police Station, Post Office or even some townhouses?

flord

Last year’s reveal was quite late as far as modulars go.

TheBigLegoski

Well, what ever this new modular set will be, it will definitely not be another corner building, or a garage, like last year's set. Five out of the fourteen Modular sets are 'proper' corner buildings with sidewalks on two sides, so I rule another one out to be released for 2020.

Anyway, I hope it will rival Downtown Diner. That set was so different from everything before, as well as totally awesome, with both a great looking exterior as well as lovely interior. I can't honestly say the same about the Corner Garage set. Since that set IMO was somewhat underwhelming, the odds are the reception of the 2020 set will outshine last year's release.

GeordiePaul

Downtown Diner and Corner Garage were announced on November 29th 2017 and December 3rd 2018 respectively, so if this trend continues we should be seeing something official by the end of the month, and maybe something unofficial a little bit before that? Although Lego have been a little better at keeping the leaks from escaping lately!

SumoLego

My money is on another vague version of a building from 1955 Hill Valley.  Like a Record Shop or something of that ilk.  I haven't watched BttF recently to pick out another building.

(But the Town Hall, Diner, Garage, Bank, Assembly Square, Cinema, Fire Brigade and Pet Shop all feel very Hill Valley...)

piratemania7

I’ve gone through a renaissance of sorts lately. I had lost a lot of the interest in this whole line but recently began building the AS and found a rekindled fire for the whole line. I can’t wait for what’s to come. My money is on something totally unthought of.  Maybe a school?

GeordiePaul

A school would be a nice addition, especially if it had children included with the new shorter legs so they could actually sit down at their desks. I’d be happy with a library or post office though, less so a police station.

Paperballpark

It's likely to be a straight building, as the pattern is a corner then two straights, corner, two straights.

SumoLego

And old-fashioned hardware shop adjacent to a cell phone/electronic store.  Featuring some devices that can run Hidden Side...

Paperballpark

So, a high-end electrical gadget store then?

SumoLego

^ LEGO is a premium product.  So, no item under $799.99.

klinton

SumoLego said:

And old-fashioned hardware shop adjacent to a cell phone/electronic store.  Featuring some devices that can run Hidden Side...

Now I just really want to moc up a little mall phone kiosk and stock it with all of the extra phone tiles from the HS sets.

MrShinyAndNew

It's not likely to happen, but I'd love to see Modulars that were designed to fit with other themes. Like a haunted modular for hidden side. Or a secret spy base modular for the old Agents theme. 

TheBigLegoski

I really would be over the moon if it turns out the next modular building is done in a Gothic architectural style. Not necessarily like a Harry Potter play set, and those sets are pretty bad ass! That sandstone colour used for the Potter sets is not bad, white is nice too, anyhow really just a properly detailed Gothic building. Don't really care whether it will be a library, a hotel, an orphanage, a clubhouse of some weird cult, a government institution or whatever else like penthouse apartments, just that it looks elegant and ornate, with lots of arches, lead lights / leaded windows, spiral staircases. Something that could be build several centuries ago, yet has a modern function with lots of nice details and nifty features. And toilets! Plenty of toilets and bathrooms, and big beds too. That is something about Downtown Diner I don't understand. No toilet in the diner, and no dressing / locker room and showers in the gym!?!? I know, I know, where are you gonna put all those things?!? Still! Anyway, I need to MOC all that myself for my DD! Bought a second DD, so it will happen... someday.

Or if the designer had taken inspiration from the architect Antoni Gaudi. I know I once saw some modular MOC that looked to me like it was Catalan Modernism.

Dutch 17th century canal houses, would be awesome too. Yeah, just totally!

The Hundertwasserhaus (in Vienna) as a modular would also be pretty wicked!

Plenty of stuff TLG designers can take inspiration from for their future modulars.

madforLEGO

SumoLego said:

^ LEGO is a premium product.  So, no item under $799.99.

What is it? A Sharper Image store?

Speedman29

It'll be some classic old style shop thats closed down and been replaced with a charity shop with a small vape shop next door!

underthebricks

I’d love to see a book store. I’ve recently MOC’d a disco and a cupcake factory as alternate builds. 

Instructions are available on rebrickable if you’re interested: https://rebrickable.com/users/underthebricks/mocs/

I hope we see the 2020 reveal soon!

klinton

MrShinyAndNew said:

It's not likely to happen, but I'd love to see Modulars that were designed to fit with other themes. Like a haunted modular for hidden side. Or a secret spy base modular for the old Agents theme. 

I wouldn't mind a large D2C set associated with existing themes (akin to Apocalypseburg, the Death Star, or Ninjago City), but I'd be annoyed with modular buildings. Like, a Hidden Side modular would instantly diminish the display presence of the existing structures in the theme.

The distinct difference between the CE modulars and... well, literally every other Lego building, ever... is why I don't collect them. They're very lovely, and look to be fun to build, but I don't really have any use for a flower shoppe that makes my space castle or haunted high school look out of sorts. When you collect the modulars, you're pretty much limited to that line (and your own mocs), to the exclusion of everything else Lego has to offer. I'd rather have stand out fantasy buildings (and, really, anything and everything City and Creator have to offer) on the shelf than a lovely 'anywhere America' street... if that makes sense?