Small Scale Stuff

pictures of small scale toys
Completed version of Knock off Grand Emporium 1

Lego

DH Gate Knockoff of the Lego Grand Emporium Set

This post discusses my experience ordering and building a DH Gate knockoff of the Lego Grand Emporium set. I note that I wanted to complete my modular display with the Grand Emporium building, but the price of this retired Lego set was so outrageous (over $400), that I ended up buying a DH Gate knockoff version. The set cost me around $80.  Ordering from the DH Gate website was easy, though all the various offers and coupons were a bit confusing.  Nonetheless, delivery was incredibly swift (less than 5 days).  In the rest of this post, I will describe my...

View of the store display window from the outside 0

Lego

Fake Legos Post #2 – Non-Lego Building Sets

I previously wrote about Politically Incorrect Legos, but this post is about non-Lego building sets that hope to compete with Legos. These again appear to originate from Asia and, just perusing Amazon and DHgate, some of these sets are really cute! The draw to the non-Lego building set route is the much obviously lower price. If you are really into modular buildings (as I am) but cash-strapped, these sets could be an alternative. Plus, Lego frequently retires sets, making it difficult to find sets to complete your collection (unless you are willing to pay thousands of dollars). So, this post...

Tablet image of stock market going up 0

Lego

LEGOS AS AN INVESTMENT

While I – and many other adults – enjoy building Legos, I learned that many folks use Legos as an investment. A toy as an investment – what do I mean? A few months ago, I read an article online about how certain Lego sets appreciate in value far more quickly than the stock market. To be honest, the market sucks right now – I’ve seen the value of my retirement accounts drop 18% this past year. However, certain Lego sets have soared in value. For example, I received as a freebie the 20th Anniversary Star Wars set called Battle...

LEGO GLOBE BOX 0

Home Decor / Lego

LEGO GLOBE

I am a fan of Lego Ideas sets (discussed in an earlier post), such as the new Lego Globe. I gifted myself the Globe for my birthday – partly as inspiration to take up traveling again in 2022. It also helps that I, as a Lego VIP member, had points to redeem, thus bringing the cost of the Lego Globe down by $20. The Globe sells for $199 on Lego.com, when it is available. At the time I bought the set, Lego had a promotion and included a freebie. The Freebie I am a sucker for promotions and I tend...

shopping cart with mini brands toys 1

Toys

ZURU MINI TOYS

Mini Toys are a newer line ZURU created after its Mini Brands line became wildly popular. Mini Brands are miniature versions of household products and food products. After social media influencers started posting their Mini Brands reveals, kids AND adults began collecting these ZURU products. In fact, ZURU has a collectible guide included in each Mini Brands ball, letting the consumer know if any of their products are “rare,” and thus worth something. ZURU has several lines, including grocery products (Mini Brands), Mini Toys, the Unicorn Squad, the Dino Strike, Monster Trucks, and so on. A white ball houses the...

fake lego set of western food 1

Lego

FAKE LEGO SETS #1: Politically Incorrect

Friends often send me texts with some crazy Lego pictures, which -although funny- are definitely fake Lego sets. I am a little appalled by the sets that I discuss below in this first post on fake Legos. What motivates these sets’ creators to take a fun building block and make it into something offensive? This is the world we live in now. Incidentally, I pulled all these images from the internet and have tried to list the creator where I could. Oftentimes, the creator probably doesn’t want the publicity, so it’s difficult to “credit” the builder. WARNING: If you are...

Lego A Christmas Carol set 0

Lego

Lego Christmas Sets

Around Thanksgiving, I brought out my Christmas decorations, including my collection of Lego Christmas sets to adorn the mantel of my fireplace. I don’t have a lot of sets, but the centerpiece is definitely the Lego Creator Expert Gingerbread House, pictured below. I also have a Christmas carousel and a Christmas scene with a reindeer and elf. I also have – still boxed- the Lego Christmas Carol set, which is the featured image on this post. In case you don’t know, Lego often has freebies with purchases over a certain dollar amount. These freebies seem to be offered around the...