Review of Lego Creator Expert Sets
Lego Creator Expert kits are generally for 16+. They usually consist of several thousand pieces and require a level of skill and the ability to follow instructions. Creator Expert sets range from vehicles to modular buildings and houses to landmarks to seasonal sets. Recently, Lego retired the Creator Expert series. However, this appears to be more of a rebranding, with the more challenging sets carrying the “18+” label. For now, Lego does not seem to have a collective name for its new “18+” label.
In this post, I will discuss the Creator Expert sets I made. They fall into two categories. I have a separate post regarding Lego Architecture and Skyline (which includes the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and city skylines).
Lego Creator Expert Buildings
Shocker – Legos are not just for kids. Legos are not just for play. I learned that the hard way when I built my first Lego set in 2008 – the humongous Taj Mahal set. It was considered one of the most difficult Lego sets and recommended for advanced builders. Oops! I like challenges, but it was a very difficult build. However, the end result was a stunning showstopper. People would ooh and ahh over the intricate details, the size of the creation, and the accuracy.
I loved that piece, but due to multiple moves and its large size, I had to dismantle it and box it up. That poor Lego set sat in a storage locker for years before I donated it to a secondhand Lego store. I regret that decision. That set is worth a fortune today.
(If you want to build a Lego Taj Mahal, Lego issued a new and less expensive Taj Mahal under its Lego Architecture series. The new set is $119 and has 2022 pieces. In my opinion, it looks cheap compared to the Expert set.)
Because of how stunning the Taj Mahal set was, I became interested in other Lego Creator Expert buildings. Soon, I realized that -if you build multiple sets – you could have a Lego town!
Build a Small Scale Lego Town with Modular Buildings
1. Parisian Restaurant
Since I retired, I have built the Lego Creator Expert 10243 Parisian Restaurant (2469 pieces). It is retired and not easy to find on Lego.com. I bought it on Amazon. It currently sells for around $355.
Pictures from Lego:
Here is the link to the written instructions for Parisian Restaurant in case you are interested (or if you lost your instruction books):
There are three books of instructions for Parisian Restaurant. At the start, there is an illustration showing what component of the modular building each book covers, as well as the related bag of Legos. The illustration is basically a roadmap.
While the Parisian Restaurant is not an easy build, remember that Lego Creator sets are meant for adults. Once you complete this challenging build, you have a wonderful conversation piece for your home. Because it includes a number of Lego Minifigures, you and your children can “play” with it. Or, you can put it on a shelf along with your other Lego buildings and create a village.
2. Bookshop
I more recently built the Lego Creator Expert Bookshop 10270, available for a great price on Amazon (around $180). I absolutely love bookstores, so I had to have it. The style of the two buildings in the Bookshop kit work well with the Parisian Restaurant set. The only disappointing thing about the build is the lack of books in the bookshop. Also, the building next to Birch Books is not specific- I assume it’s a home, since there are living quarters on the upper floor.
Here are the written instructions of the Lego Bookshop build:
https://www.buildinginstructions.app/lego/set/lego-10270-bookshop.html
If you prefer videos, I saw this website online:
This build is not as challenging as the Parisian Restaurant, probably because the Bookshop lacks fancy architectural details.
3. Assembly Square
Another set that I helped my sister build a few years ago is the Lego Creator Assembly Square. It was a fun build and works seamlessly with the style of the Parisian Restaurant and the Bookshop. Assembly Square is hard to find. It runs for almost $280 on Lego and Amazon. But it consists of three buildings that house multiple shops. There’s a dentist’s office, dance studio, coffee shop, photography studio, music shop, apartment, and outdoor café.
Other Building Sets
Other Lego Creator Expert modular building sets that work well with the above kits are:
Police Station (around $200 on Amazon)
Corner Garage (also around $200 on Amazon)
–alace Cinema (on Amazon for $418). My sister made this kit and added lighting to it.
Fire Brigade (on Amazon for $613)
Detective’s Office (on Amazon for around $650)
Brick Bank (around $694 on Amazon)
Instructions for Lego Creator Expert building sets are online in case you lose your instruction books or prefer reading online. Also, you can browse the instructions if you are simply curious about what’s involved in building a set.
https://www.buildinginstructions.app/lego/theme/creator-expert.html
Lego Creator Expert Vehicles
1. Lego Mini Cooper
My first vehicle build was the Lego Creator Expert Mini Cooper. I drive a Mini Cooper so of course, I had to have it. An added bonus: the little set includes stuff to have a picnic.
2. Lego London Bus
Having lived in the U.K., I wanted the Lego Creator Expert London Bus (hard to find). I happened to buy it on the Lego website several years ago.
Other Vehicle Sets
While I am content with my Mini Cooper and London Bus builds, there are other Lego vehicle sets. My sister bought the Lego Creator Expert Volkswagen Beetle. Very cute!
My brother-in-law, a Harley rider, built the Lego Creator Expert Harley Davidson Fat Boy.
There are also Lego Creator Expert kits for the Fiat 500, a Volkswagen T1 Camper, among others. Although the Creator Expert series is no longer produced, the building sets are available online from a number of sources.
