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Re-creating Cafe Corner and Green Grocer.

coolpixcoolpix Member Posts: 357
edited December 2011 in Building and Techniques
I've just bought my first modular:Fire Brigade and I must say I love this type of set. Even though I let Green Grocer and Cafe Corner slip because I had no idea of the retiring rules for LEGO until a few months ago, I intend to collect all of them. Before Xmas I'll buy Pet Shop and Grand Emporium, but let's face it: paying $1200 for a set like Cafe Corner is out of question.

I have a bunch of pieces from parted Creator sets and PAB walls, not to mention a few XXL 5512 boxes I can pick parts from, so how hard would it be to rebuild Cafe Corner and Green Grocer by using parts like that and getting what's missing off of Bricklink?

Last night I went through the PDF instructions and realized that Cafe Corner may be a bit easier to do, but Green Grocer looks like it has a bunch of special colors and different molds. Has anyone ever tried that kind of thing? I think it will be a fun project to work on the coming months and I may end up with some rebuilt retired sets. What do you guys think?

Comments

  • allmybricksallmybricks Member Posts: 156
    I'm very much in the same situation... I've been trying to learn to use bricklink and populating wishlists with inventories from those sets. The database seems so powerful but very confusing at times. I'm trying to find sellers where I can source large portions of the parts and hopefully only have to do it in a few transactions. I'd be happy with less than 5 transactions per set if I can make it work. We'll see!
  • mr_bennmr_benn Member Posts: 943
    This is a fairly common way for people to get CC now - the difficulty often lies in just a few pieces, for example the red roof pieces and some of the archways - people know that others are trying to recreate CC so the pieces are more in demand, hence more gets charged for them. I'd certainly be interested to know how much you end up spending in total on this project... I spent about £120 or so putting Market Street together with a few substitutions on colour, so not too far off the £100 RRP, but I think it'll be a bit more for those other two...

  • georgebjonesgeorgebjones Member Posts: 224
    I think there are many people in the same boat as you. You may find this discussion useful. http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/536/building-the-modulars-and-sculpture-sets-by-piecemeal
    Basically, the dark red 1x2x3 slopes were the tough one to find, but with the pet shop having them, you should have more luck. It is fun to do it, and not as expensive as you might think. Especially if you use a lot of your own stock. The sand green beams for the Green Grocer are what are really going to set you back. I recommend jumping on it soon. I would even say if money is an issue, to put off buying the emporium for a couple months, and the petshop for a year because the prices of those rarer pieces for GG and CC will only go up. :-)
  • mr_bennmr_benn Member Posts: 943
    edited December 2011
    Also, consider just changing colours for the hard to find colours like the sand green bricks. If nothing else it'll also make your modular street look a little different to everyone else's...
  • JenniJenni Member Posts: 1,390
    I bought my CC on eBay from someone who had sourced all the pieces for two sets, one to keep and one to sell. I paid about US$400, he told me they made about $20 in the end. He chose not to get a dark grey arch that people are charging $20 for, substituting a different colour, and chose to get the roof pieces that are two blocks wide instead of one. It's close enough for me, and definitely a better price than the alternatives.
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    Anyone feel like forming a group to source a few sets by piece-meal as Jenni? Our combined efforts may bring down the price total for CC and GG, while saving lots of effort by teaming up?
  • krklintkrklint Member Posts: 502
    Coolpix, we are of similar minds lately. I was just pricing out the sand green pieces last week!
  • DavidRod8DavidRod8 Member Posts: 143
    I'm interested... I bought a used lot and there is one in there... need to put it together and see what's missing, but I'm definitively interested in building the other one...
  • andystarandystar Member Posts: 275
    I'd be interested in teaming up for a CC and/or GG piece-meal reconstruction. I looked at doing CC about 2 months ago via Bricklink and found I could get about 98% of the pieces from around 5 sellers. The hard pieces to get were the windows, dark blue arch, light blue/grey door and the 1x2x3 roof tiles. If we could come up with alternatives to these I believe the other pieces would run around $200-$275 depending on shipping etc.

    Anyway, count me in on both a CC and GG.
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    That sounds like it could be a fun project, assuming of course that sourcing separate parts is "part of the fun".

    The only thing to consider is this... What is your time worth? If you find the whole thing fun, then it doesn't matter, but honestly the idea of buying separate parts from Bricklink sounds like work to me.

    If you value your time at $20/hr and take 20 hours to do all this, that is $400. $400 buys Green Grocer, so that makes no sense.

    Cafe Corner might make sense, but you can buy used copies of it for less than $800.

    Just tossing out a thought, carry on. :)
  • kylejohnson11kylejohnson11 Member Posts: 508
    I'm currently piecemealing 10173 Holiday Train. A tool I found useful is BrickLink allows for you to add the inventory of the set to a "Wanted List." Now whatever store I look at i'm able to see how many different pieces they have that I need for the train.

    I am very eager to get my first 3 shipments of pieces within the week. I started with the passenger car.

    Being an accountant, I will definitely be tracking costs.
  • kylejohnson11kylejohnson11 Member Posts: 508
    @LegoFanTexas I see it as time I would already be spending on LEGO trying to find sales, deals, and surfing the forums. It just gets partitioned a little differently.
  • rocaorocao Administrator Posts: 4,290
    That sounds like it could be a fun project, assuming of course that sourcing separate parts is "part of the fun".
    Heh, that's a big assumption. It's essentially shared suffering :P

  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    @kylejohnson11 - oh, I do understand that part, which is why I pointed out that the value of your time doesn't count if you consider it part of the fun.

    I personally don't, but that is a personal choice I know.
  • pcironepcirone Member Posts: 346
    I bought my CC on eBay from someone who had sourced all the pieces for two sets, one to keep and one to sell. I paid about US$400, he told me they made about $20 in the end. He chose not to get a dark grey arch that people are charging $20 for, substituting a different colour, and chose to get the roof pieces that are two blocks wide instead of one. It's close enough for me, and definitely a better price than the alternatives.
    I remember seeing that on eBay, you should go the extra mile and try to get the correct pieces before they become astronomical.
  • pcironepcirone Member Posts: 346
    Cafe Corner might make sense, but you can buy used copies of it for less than $800.
    I got one about 2 months ago for $549 complete with box and instructions. It was a BIN and I guess I happened to see it right after it was posted. The only disappointing part was the same seller also had a 10190 Market Street for $599 that I missed by about 3 minutes. Then again I bet THAT guy is pissed he missed out on the CC :)

    Back on topic though the point is these sets can be had semi-reasonably if you are patient and tenacious.
  • JenniJenni Member Posts: 1,390
    @pcirone Yes, but if I start being like that I'll have to go find the minifigures for Market Street and Green Grocer, and the dozen or so pieces missing from Market Street, and before you know it I'll have spent $100 on a few pieces that no one was missing. While the modulars are technically on display they do get taken down and well played with from time to time, I have no idea where most of the inventory of the Grand Emporium is right now. Round here LEGO is much more toy than investment.

    Besides, BrickDancer probably just bought them all.
  • coolpixcoolpix Member Posts: 357
    @krklint Nice! It's good to know that one of the closest members (geographically) of the forum also thinks similar to me. We can order a bunch of stuff together and save money on the process!

    @LegoFanTexas I see your point. I always take that into consideration as well, and if I can find a Green Grocer MISB for $400, I'll probably buy it, since to me it's the hardest to put together using the Bricklink process, out of the two. Cafe Corner is possible, and I'd be saving money AND having a lot of fun. Like a project of sorts. I was going to approach one at a time anyway, and Cafe was going to be the first (I like the "corner" modulars a bit better also).

    @pcirone Yes, I'll try to get as many pieces as I can now, so I don't feel sorry later on. If something really hard to come by becomes prohibitively expensive, I'll do some color replacement. I was even considering replacing the sand green on Green Grocer for lime green (I know... kinda ugly), sand or maersk blue.
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    @coolpix - is $415 close enough?

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEGO-10185-GREEN-GROCER-NEW-FACTORY-SEALED-CITY-TOWN-CREATOR-/230700116337
  • dimefielddimefield Member Posts: 314
    I started collecting pieces for CC and had about half im my loose bricks but was discouraged by the cost of some of the pieces. Then I found 12 of the dark red roof pieces in a mixed lot (Bionicle! GRR) and Im thinking about trying again. Might take me years but it makes for a fun project!
  • MinifigsMeMinifigsMe Member Posts: 2,844
    @kylejohnson11 - I saw your thread about the holiday train, sorry I didn't offer to help, I have the train and instructions (which were cheap enough on bricklink and recommended, as you could assemble it as a family since it's multiple books). however my train came assembled and I didn't have time to re-do it this christmas, so couldn't comment on the blacks.
    I'd be really interested in having a copy of your wanted list for the passenger car, I think it would be nice to make some for the hogwarts express for my nephew. Seems like you've done the hard work and I'd be grateful if you would share :D Thanks!

    PS it's an AMAZING train - all the kids who have visited love it. I put a PF train motor on it, though it struggles a little with all the carriages around the circular loop around my christmas tree, it's fine with a bit of room to get going on the straights.
  • DavidBrickleyDavidBrickley Member Posts: 369
    Having come out of the dark ages the beginning of this year, I had missed the Green Grocer. Using Bricklink, I got all new bricks from several sellers, as well as the set's minifigures, and all total it cost about $160. Fortunately, this isn't a set with stickers, and I didn't have to worry about getting any set-specific parts (at least nothing that was prohibitively expensive).
  • Si_UKNZSi_UKNZ Member Posts: 4,179
    edited December 2011
    circular loop around my christmas tree
    great idea!

    Back on topic, I've built CC and MS like this. I wouldn't bother with GG, its not financially worth it, just buy one. Both CC and MS worked out more expensive than I expected and were a huge amount of hassle - I were incorporate the cost of my time, and of course all the postage, it works out really quite expensive. It does depend on when you do it, i.e. whats available on bricklink at the time. If I were to do it again, I'd just buy them, especially MS, or I'd do it over a longer period of time so I could be more relaxed about it.

  • Bosstone100Bosstone100 Member Posts: 1,431
    @Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK - did you build both the CC and MS at the same time?

    I'd love to pick up Green Grocer for $415 but I just don't have the money. :-(
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    @Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK - how much did CC and MS end up costing?

    You can pickup used copies of those sets in the $500 range, I can't imagine getting a complete set off Bricklink for much less than that, considering the rare parts and instructions, but what do I know? :)

    I bought a brand new, 90% condition sealed CC from eBay the other day for $700, hard to beat that deal. The box wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good overall for the price.

    I have not been able to find a MS for a similar price. :(
  • kylejohnson11kylejohnson11 Member Posts: 508
    @Savage_Steel is there a way to transfer want lists on BrickLink? If so I'd be more than happy to. If not, I can print it to pdf and send it to you.
  • cavegodcavegod Member Posts: 811
    edited December 2011
    the idea of buying separate parts from Bricklink sounds like work to me.
    :)
    tell me about it my entire sandcrawler is all from bricklink parts!

  • cavegodcavegod Member Posts: 811
    @Savage_Steel is there a way to transfer want lists on BrickLink? If so I'd be more than happy to. If not, I can print it to pdf and send it to you.

    yep thats easy, just go to wanted list, part set, type in the set no. job done!
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    tell me about it my entire sandcrawler is all from bricklink parts!
    Good lord WHY? 10144 can be purchased for $300 new, why would you torture yourself like that?

    Did you really save money?
  • rocaorocao Administrator Posts: 4,290
    edited December 2011
    ^ evidently you've been living in a cave... Just not the same one as cavegod:

    edit: oops!
    http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=52186&st=0
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    Wow!!!

    Ok, I would buy that in a heartbeat!!!!!

    Where do I order one? :)

    But I don't want it built, send me the parts and instructions, and I'll be happy!!!!

    How many parts?
  • Si_UKNZSi_UKNZ Member Posts: 4,179
    yes, i built CC and MS at the same time .. as I said I wouldnt recommend it though. Total cost came in at about £5-600 all in, plus large quantities of time and pain
  • streekerstreeker Member Posts: 299
    @rocao, nor is that cavegod's cave. It's MarshalBananas83's sandcrawler.
  • kylejohnson11kylejohnson11 Member Posts: 508
    @cavegod I understand how to part out to a want list. But am I able to share a want list that I have created and send it to another member?
  • rocaorocao Administrator Posts: 4,290
    @streeker: you're right. I was on my iPad and didn't follow the search result link because it opens up the youtube app.

    apologies to both creators!
  • cavegodcavegod Member Posts: 811
    is this file anygood?

    if you build cafe corner on ldd you can create a parts list with wanted bricks
  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Administrator Posts: 6,755
    Allow me to assist :

    image

    I salute you, Cavegod !
  • cavegodcavegod Member Posts: 811
    yep that was built from all bricklinked parts aswell. if a recall corectly the sandcrawler was about 70+ orders lol
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    Good lord that's a nice walker cavegod!

  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Administrator Posts: 6,755
    edited December 2011
    Ahem....posted the wrong picture !

    I could edit the post and replace it, but on second thoughts I'm just going to post the correct picture and leave the AT-AT on show - better 2 huge Star Wars MOCS than one I reckon....

    image

    image
  • cavegodcavegod Member Posts: 811
    Good lord that's a nice walker cavegod!

    Thanks it's just summat i threw together one night. :-)
  • LegoFanTexasLegoFanTexas Member Posts: 8,404
    That AT-AT needs to be the next UCS, even if it is 10,000 parts and costs $999, I'd buy one in a heartbeat...

    If they can make it motorized with lights and sound, I'd be in love. :)
  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Administrator Posts: 6,755
    ^ I am attempting to recreate Cavegod's AT-AT with his help, so when all's said and done I'll let you know the piece count and how much it cost me....!
  • The_Brick_BuilderThe_Brick_Builder Member Posts: 658
    Got all the factory sealed Cafe Corner bags plus original manuals for $406 and $15 shipping! (No box)
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    Where did you get it Brick_Builder?
  • YellowcastleYellowcastle Administrator, Moderator Posts: 5,234
    Ahem....posted the wrong picture
    There's no shame in admitting you just got the At-At and Sandcrawler mixed up. It happens to the best of us. If I had a dollar every time my wife confused Bespin and Yavin, I'd be halfway to buying a Target LEGO giftcard from @LegoFanTexas. ;o)

  • jocappyjocappy Member Posts: 207
    ^ haha
  • The_Brick_BuilderThe_Brick_Builder Member Posts: 658
    @BrickDancer Got them searching on eBay. It was a 7 day auction. Just have to constantly check for great deals!
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