This is a great way for fans to pickup long retired sets at a decent price, we all know how expensive the secondary market can get. I personally took advantage of this when LEGO re-released the aforementioned Saturn V Rocket set, I pounced on it and collected it from the LEGO store on release day.

My question for you today is, if you could bring back a particular set, which one would it be and what changes would you make?

For me it would have to be some of the Pirate of the Caribbean sets or anything Pirate themed. Those larger ships were spectacular and looking back were great looking builds and Minifigures. I don’t think I’d change anything about them just bring them back. There are of course other amazing classic LEGO sets that could be re-released, but which ones? Leave you comments below, why not discuss it in real-time with fellow fans via our Instagram post.

It’s Brick McBricksworth here writing another JMBricklayer review for The Brick Post! This one is a very, very exciting one for me as it is one of my favourite themes, PIRATES! Not only that this one is fitting for Halloween as it’s a little spooky!

The set JMBricklayer have graciously sent me is Ghost Ship The Flying Dutchman (40001) Let’s have a look at it now shall we?

We have discounts for Amazon US buyers, use JMBBP40001 during check out here. This grants you 15% off from 27th October, this lasts for one month.

For Worldwide buyers, use thebrickpost15% to get 15% off here. The code is long-term and can be used against all non-sale items.

The Box & Contents:

As I have come to realise with JMB is their box art is really quite amazing. The attention to detail in the box art is just spot on, after all they want to grab the attention of potential buyers wanting a new building experience and as I have found in the past this one does not disappoint either. The layered print works really well at catching the light on parts of the box dragging your eye to it making you look at it, thus catching your attention in the right way so you see what is on offer. In this case what is on offer is one of my personal favourite themes. (Yes I will still write a non biased review even though I love a pirate set!).

The set comprises of 1100 pieces and is for ages 14+. The instructions are well presented and extremely easy to follow. There are easy to follow prompts in parts where the build would seemingly get a bit difficult or confusing helping you “sail” on through with ease. The paper they are printed on is of a very high quality and the colour matching in the ink is really good. There wasn’t a time in any part of the build where I was left scratching my head thinking which colour piece do I need.

The Build:

It starts as you would expect at the bottom of the hull and essentially you build up from there but along the journey you will encounter many build techniques. During this build you will install a full light kit, you may be thinking “I have never built and installed a light kit” or “this is going to be way too difficult”, on the contrary, it is possibly the easiest light kit I have ever installed, (I have installed a LOT of light kits). As I said before the instructions are detailed in these parts helping you along the way. One thing to bare in mind with a light kit is the wires, although really tough for their tiny size, they are susceptible to being cut if you push the pieces around them too tight. As the clutch power on JMB is really good you don’t need to force pieces together around the light cables, they will hold.

The Bow of the ship has a lot of detail and is made up of many small pieces giving it a very detailed appearance. Although in parts it is not fully connected as this would have spoiled the look and the angles JMB have gone for. You can‘t grab the ship from the front or you will inevitably be having to rebuild the front end you just crushed with your hand. If you want to hold the model, always best to go for the middle as this is the strongest part. You also have to be careful when picking up the ship as there are a couple of small pieces on it which can fall off as they are placed on the ship and not connected.

Now to actually look at the middle of the vessel (the keel for all you nautical folks out there). The port and starboard sides are littered with cannons and one of the longest stickers I have seen in a brick model! I will talk about the stickers later on, you may be surprised what I have to say about them. The ship really starts to look great as you move to the stern. Where just to look at looks great, but knowing how this part on either side at the rear is built, is where you appreciate how much work has gone into the design. The lights in this part look amazing too. The whole rear of the ship is just a really well built high detail area of the ship!

On to the top now where you will find what you would expect on a boat, sails. These are all made of fabric and some are printed with a Davy Jones logo on them. The sails are purposely made to look torn and these have been done really well in my opinion. JMB even provides string in this set just to give the sails that bit more of an authentic look. Again the instructions are exceptionally helpful in how to place the strings on the masts.

Lights:

The light kit on this as I have touched on earlier is a simple plug and play kit and is powered by USB. The lights are strategically placed inside trans green pieces mainly to give it that extra spooky feel. There is one inside the hull to give a slightly duller but eerie feel! This light kit looks best in a dark but not pitch black room to give that full ghostly look!

Words can’t express just how much detail is in the build so please enjoy the photos of it to really capture how good it looks.

Stickers:

This set has a small amount of stickers and yes you know if you have read my reviews by now I am usually critical about stickers. In this set there are a small amount of easy to apply stickers that don’t look garish on the flags at the top of reach of the three masts. But on each side there is a massive sticker that runs pretty much the whole length of the vessel! This is where I am going to surprise you right now because even though it is across multiple pieces and that is my biggest gripe with a sticker it glows in the dark!!! The sticker GLOWS IN THE DARK! Yes I realise I said that twice, but these stickers are such a cool thing to have on a ghost ship that lights up, but can then carry on lighting itself after all the lights go out on the stickers, outweighs the fact the stickers go over multiple pieces! Well done JMB!

Is this set my favourite JMB set I have reviewed so far? Yes.

Was it still an impartial review? Yes. (I mentioned stickers, didn’t I?)

Would I love to review more ships and vehicles that JMB produce? You know I would!

Why are pirates so cool? Because they arrrr!

If there is ever a set you want to get if you love pirates this one has almost everything you would want, so don’t delay. We also have a couple of discount codes and links available.

For Amazon US buyers, use JMBBP40001 during check out here. This grants you 15% off from 27th October, this lasts for one month. For Worldwide buyers, use thebrickpost15% to get 15% off here. The code is long-term and can be used against all non-sale items. 

Ratings:

The Box/artwork 8.5/10

Instructions 10/10

The brick quality (colour and feel) 9/10

Techniques 9.5/10

Stickers 9/10!!!

I give this one an overall build and final look 9.5/10

The last lot that were available were again a mixture of styles & themes, including the Orange Brick Guy, Rock Star, Fisherman, Panda Guy and More, click here for a quick refresher.

Thankfully my local store isn’t too far and I can pop in a few times during the month to check if new parts have been added, also joining several LEGO related Facebook Groups help with keeping up-to-date with what is available. The new BaM characters have been released and are available in most stores Worldwide. We have given them random and made-up names so it’s easier to identify them, also the accessories can be switched for any you like. Here is a closer look at them:

Unicorn Knight:

• New Unicorn head
• Lion Knight torso
• Lion Knight Shield

Ice Cream Guy:

• Blue Ice Cream Head/Hair
• Blue torso with Brown arms
• Transparent Blue Ice Lolly

Beach Guy:

• Brown wavey hair
• Beach ready torso
• Teal shorts
• Silver/Chrome fish

Skeleton Pirate:

• New Skeleton torso, double-sided
• Black sword
• Pirate hat

Gamer Girl:

• New skirt
• Console controller
• Rock Tour torso

Lion Knight:

• Lion Knight torso
• Lion Knights shield
• Helmet

As you can see there have been quite a few characters added to the BaM lineup, with the Unicorn Knight being perhaps the most popular and sought-after, especially the torso and shield. As with all things LEGO nothing is set in stone, all the parts above can be swapped for entirely different bits. Genders can be switched, colour combinations can be whatever you make them, and accessories can be random. Remember to have fun and enjoy your LEGO experience.

If you like the look of these characters they are available now at most Certified LEGO Stores, although I would recommend phoning ahead to confirm before heading in and even getting a pack or two put by for you to avoid disappointment. You can either make them yourself or some stores conveniently bundle them into packs and are often located near the till area.

Let us know in the comments what you think of these new Minifigures and whether you collect them or not, we love hearing from you.

The set features a giant brick Captain Redbeard that stands approximately 30cm tall, he also comes complete with a Treasure Map that references the Designers behind it. There is also a blue LEGO House wristband behind the hook as a special detail.

With a total of 1,041 pieces, this set has a RRP of 599 DKK and will be exclusively available from the LEGO House store 1st March.

Official details:

LEGO® House Exclusive 2023: A Minifigure Tribute

LEGO® House releases tribute to the iconic LEGO Minifigure.

This year’s LEGO House Exclusive set “A Minifigure Tribute“ (40504) is a celebration of the LEGO minifigure – an indispensable part of the LEGO history since 1978. For 45 years, the tiny character has made it possible for children and adults to step into any adventure built in LEGO bricks. This limited edition set will be released on March 1, 2023.

Every year, the LEGO House Limited Edition set celebrates an iconic moment in LEGO history. One such moment was the launch of the LEGO minifigure in 1978. The small figure magically gives you the opportunity to become part of any LEGO adventure you choose to build — whether you dream of a noisy battle at sea, putting out a fire in LEGO city, entering hyperspace in a rocket, or hosting a feast in a castle. That magical ability turns 45 this year.

That’s why this year’s LEGO House Limited Edition had to be a heartfelt tribute to the more than 10 billion minifigures that have conquered the world since the launch. And it’s done with a big scale version of the legendary Captain Redbeard minifigure — now with special details!

Kathrine Kirk Muff, LEGO House Managing Director, said: ”Can you imagine LEGO play and the LEGO House without the minifigure — I can’t! The tiny, charming figure, just four LEGO bricks tall, is a standing invitation to LEGO fans of all ages as an empowering tool to tell unlimited stories. To highlight a significant part of the LEGO Group history — the invention of the minifigure — this year’s exclusive LEGO House product simply had to be a tribute to the minifigure. The minifigure can be found everywhere in LEGO House, not least in the Character Creator and World Explorer play experiences. We also started the 2023 season with a photo exhibition where the minifigure was at the center.”

But which minifigure?
Since the first minifigure was launched in 1978, LEGO designers have created a staggering 8,000 different minifigures with every imaginable face expression, hairstyle, hat, beard, dress, or superhero cape. Since 2010, they’ve even had their very own LEGO minifigures collectible series.

LEGO Group Designer Jens Nygaard Knudsen was the master of the minifigure design that we know and love today. He had to go through at least 50 different prototypes before finding the perfect design – a small figure that fits perfectly into the LEGO System in Play scale.

Captain of the ship
The original Captain Redbeard minifigure from 6285 Black Seas Barracuda was created by Niels Milan Pedersen and we chose to recreate this iconic figure in large scale for this year’s LEGO House Limited Edition set. Niels has been involved in the development of many popular LEGO sets during his long but still-active career as a LEGO designer. However, of all his many sets, his favourite set is still the 6285 Black Seas Barracuda from 1989.

Captain Redbeard is an intricate design with lots of fun details such as a hook for hand, peg leg, epaulettes on his shoulders, and a black captain’s hat with the ’Jolly Roger’ emblem. All of that iS meticulously recreated in this new set. The build stands 30 cm tall and consists of 1041 LEGO bricks and as a little extra detail, the pirate has a LEGO House bracelet on his hook hand and a treasure map in his hand with a secret reference to the designers behind the product!

Captain Redbeard is LEGO House Exclusive set number four.

LEGO House Exclusive: A Minifigure Tribute (40504) is only available at the LEGO Store in LEGO House, Billund, Denmark.

Facts about the LEGO Minifigure
• The first patent for the minifigure was taken out in 1977
• The first minifigure was launched in 1978
• The minifigure — without a hat or hairpiece — stands exactly four LEGO bricks tall
• More than 8000 different minifigure designs have been produced since 1978
• In total more than 10 billion minifigures have been produced since 1978
• The current LEGO minifigure is a clever combination of two LEGO figures — the LEGO building figure from 1974 and the Static Figure from 1975
• In addition to enabling role play in many LEGO play themes — the LEGO minifigure has also had its own collectible series: The LEGO Minifigures Series since 2010
• 2023 marks the 45th anniversary of the minifigure. Hip, hip, hooray!

Facts about the LEGO House Exclusive product 2023: A Minifigure Tribute:
• ’A Minifigure Tribute’ is a LEGO House celebration of the 45th anniversary
of the launch of LEGO minifigure
• The 1041-piece model is around 30 cm tall
• The model is a recreation of the minifig Captain Redbeard included in the Black Seas Barracuda set (6285) from 1989
• The model has a very special treasure map with secret references to the designers behind the product
• In addition, the model is wearing a blue LEGO House wristband as a special detail
• The base comprises two printed tiles with the words ’A Minifigure Tribute’ and ’LEGO House’ on them
• Ideal for fans of LEGO building and collectors of toy memorabilia.
• Suitable for ages 10 and up.
• Price: 599 DKK.
• This set is exclusively available in the LEGO House retail store, Billund, Denmark.