Review: 10182 Café Corner
Posted by Huw,
Today sees the release of the latest modular building, 10297 Boutique Hotel, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to look back at the first, 10182 Cafe Corner, which was launched in April 2007.
What started as a 'nights and weekend passion project' [1] for designer Jamie Berard 15 years ago set the standard for what has subsequently become the popular series of sets now known as the modular buildings collection.
Because many people started collecting them after this first one retired in 2009 it's become highly desirable to completests and thus incredibly expensive on the secondary market, commanding prices upwards of $2000 for a new example on BrickLink. Even if you're thinking of buying the parts individually you'll be in for a shock at the price of some of them.
How does it compare to more recent building in the series, and is it worth forking out a fortune for? And, how does it look next to 10297 Boutique Hotel?
Prior to the release of 10182 Café Corner, sets aimed at adults were either Star Wars or large-scale sculptures. This was the first minifig-scale one that was similar to the sort of MOCs AFOLs were building at the time for their train or city layouts, which should come as no surprise given that Jamie was an active AFOL doing just that before landing the coveted designer job.
It was like nothing that had gone before: civilian buildings were virtually non-existent in the City lineup, so it was something for which there was pent-up demand among discerning AFOLs.
However, partly because LEGO had not produced a model like it before, there was a lack of suitable pieces available, particularly windows and doors, which led to compromises that only really become apparent when you look back at it now.
The three-storey building is part café, part hotel, although there are no interior details or walls to delineate them.
The building has a definite continental European vibe to it and each floor utilises parts-intensive building techniques for their facades, the likes of which we had not seen before. The 45-degree corner of the building and brick-built lettering on the sign were also novelties in official sets at the time.
There's plenty of nice parts usage (NPU) evident, such as frogs, parrots and skis used for architectural details, and vehicle wheel arches above the windows, so not only did the model set the physical standards for the modular building series, it also set the bar for details and techniques.
The interior is largely empty, although there is a flight of stairs leading from the door on the side to the higher floors.
Two of the doors on the ground floor are the old-style five-high ones, one of which, it turned out, made its last appearance in this set, years after it had been out of use elsewhere. Consequently, they are among the most expensive pieces to source, with the black one on the corner costing about $10 and the grey one on the side around $30!
The windows on the first floor are the part of the model I like the least. They are formed using the old-style 1x2x3 panels without strengthening on the sides, which will set you back around $40 for 20 used ones, if you can find a seller with that many in stock. However, they've only been used because there was nothing else more suitable available at the time. The current style of 1x2x3 windows, introduced in 2009, would look much better and of course they can be glazed.
It's a similar story in on the second floor: the windows used are thick chunky juniorised ones because, again, the1x4x3 version we are accustomed to now was not available at the time.
Other expensive parts in the set include the 1x8 dark blue arch (~$8), 1x6 dark blue pillars (~$6) and, surprisingly, light grey turntable bases (~$10), which have not appeared in a set since 2011. The 36 1x2x3 dark red slopes for the roof are not cheap either, at around $2 each.
I've had the set bagged up in storage for at least 10 years, so I was relieved to find that none of the white parts have yellowed when I rebuilt it over Christmas. I don't know whether the brown bricks have faded or whether they were different shades when new, which would not surprise me.
What did surprise, though, was how many pieces we now take for granted were not available in 2007, in particular 2x2 corner and 1x3 tiles.
One thing that's evident when looking at the featureless back: the lack of interior details has resulted a more uniform exterior than many of the more recent modulars.
The first buildings in the series made a point of using the classic smiley head for the minifigures but compared to today's finely printed and expressive figures the three included with this set look plain and boring. I have no idea why, but two of them cost around £10 each on BrickLink!
There's no doubt that 10182 Cafe Corner is a classic set and rightly sought-after, although I don't think I'd pay the price it commands now for it, given you could buy ten currently available ones for the same money. If I were to source the pieces to built it I'd replace the windows and doors with their modern equivalents.
10182 and 10297: 15 years apart, next to each other
I think the first modular can easily hold its own when compared to the latest. Of course the newest one is dripping with details and interesting colours, but given what was available at the time back in 2007, Jamie did a very commendable job.
The two buildings don't really work side-by-side in the arrangement below, though: the hotel sign is obscured by the art gallery and palm tree above it.
It's slightly better this way round, but the older building is set back further from the edge of the pavement than the new one which leaves a lot of the latter's rather unsightly side wall exposed.
I don't often have the inclination or the time to rebuild old sets, but I did enjoy constructing this one again: it highlighted how far the hobby has come in 15 years but also how revolutionary it was when released. No doubt some of you reading this will prefer this set to more recent ones, but not me.
If Jamie had not burned the midnight oil designing this one and persuading the powers that be that it would be a good idea to release it, we might not have had the fan-favourite modular buildings collection at all...
10182 Cafe Corner is available now on BrickLink for prices starting at $1,900 / £1,400 new and around $1000 / £800 used. 10297 Boutique Hotel is also now available at LEGO.com for the more reasonable price of £179.99 / $199.99 / 199.99€.
[1] According to the preface to the instructions of 10297 Boutique Hotel
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89 comments on this article
This brings back nostalgia from before I was born!
Great review, certainly too expensive for me though!
"Two of the doors on the ground floor are the old-style five-high ones, one of which, it turned out, made its last appearance in this set, years after it had been out of use elsewhere. Consequently, they are among the most expensive pieces to source, with the black one on the corner costing about $10 and the grey one on the side around $30!"
I know the black one from 4886; I have blue ones from my 4162 that I still use today, and red ones I BrickLinked for my Pepper Roni's House MOC. I have a white version of the grey door from my big brother's 6592.
"It's a similar story in on the second floor: the windows used are thick chunky juniorised ones because, again, the1x4x3 version we are accustomed to now was not available at the time."
Well, unless you consider the one that came with shutters (which also came in my 4162). There are only minor molding differences from the panes from that, and modern panes.
Somehow I still prefer the overall style that these older modulars had going on. Was really sad when they decided to replace classic smileys with more detailed faces.
It is possible to make some alterations and use the newer 6 high doors, and it will match the rest of the modulars.
This is still my favourite out all of the modulars.
I have all the modular ones, from the beginning of the series to today. Personally I prefer the first hotel (Cafe Corner), although it has no interior. The exteriors are much more attractive to me.
For a split second I thought the cafe corner would be re-relased and you published it's review.
Nevertheless reading your review was an absolute joy. Thumbs up for the balanced, well researched article. Look forward to Brickset and Lego in 2022!
We all have our own take on what makes a great Modular. I do worry at times that some of the later ones are having too much input from multiple designers, resulting in a slightly muddled aesthetic. For me, whilst an amazing set, Boutique Hotel has too much going on, rather than one designers clear precise vision. I would love to see another from Jamie.
Lovely to see this review. I still have this one myself, but some of the bricks have yellowed in the sun, so I need to get around to fixing that before I can rebuild it.
I still want this one to complete my collection of modular buildings. But it's just too expensive.
Very good comparison, thanks for the article. I don't own any modular building but I love to look a them, I am always fascinated by the techniques and visual styles they present. Each year they are a showcase of what can be build with new lego pieces. I think the OG Cafe corner looks still very good, but the lack of interior makes it so much less interesting compared to today's standards. Every year when new modular is released I am always in awe about the looks and techniques used and it always surprise me how many afols have negative thoughts about them.
Luckily, I have nearly all the modulars (missing 10190 ) Although I love them all, I guess I’m a traditionalist in that I prefer the modulars that are a single building, rather than the ones that squeeze(?) other buildings into the footprint.
My Cafe Corner was bricklinked over about 12months, I managed to get it 100% accurate and bought the instructions too. A brilliant set, and one I would love to see updated, with modern parts and an interior.
I understand the impact of this set, but it hasn’t aged well in my eyes. The brown colour is unappealing for a start, and the lack of an interior doesn’t fit well.
I’m not paying that price second hand!
I remember when this came out, I didn't really get the point at the time. I certainly didn't realise there was no interior! It's interesting to hear about the set from the point of view of an AFOL at the time, I was really too young and poor to be the target market.
If I was ever tempted to get this set, I think I'd have a lot of fun trying to modernise it without breaking the budget.
Of course, up until today I'd just have bought Assembly Square instead, but now that's not quite such a good value option.
Return wish Jamie would return to the modular line as the principal designer, but it’s apparent that he’s moved on to other projects in recent years (such as hosting Lego Masters) and has likely taken up a more managerial position in the company. The last modular where he’s credited as the main designer was the assembly square released 5 years ago, and I’m not sure if he’ll ever return to design a new one at this point.
Oh, a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one! Thank you for the review, Huw.
I actually BrickLinked the 10185 Green Grocer a couple of years ago (substituted the pricey 1x8 bricks with 1x2, 1x4, and 1x6 ones, but fortunately a friend offered me the 1x2 sand green bricks with grooves (!) for a pretty affordable price, so I got those, and I also substituted some window and arch prices with their modern equvivalent) , and I really enjoyed it, then started buying the pieces for Café Corner and Fire Brigade too, but I "paused" those projects because I focused on other things in my life. After this review, I feel like I should really buy the remaining pieces for these old buildings. Maybe they aren't as detailed as the newer modular buildings, but they still offer a good experience I think.
Any chance you'll review other older modular buildings too?
I am proud to own a part-sourced version of this and Market Street!
(seriously, after-market prices are crazy!)
I own all the buildings and besides Market Streer bought them all new. I remember buying Corner Cafe for €130 on Amazon and three months later it completely retired. So I jumper on the wagon just in time.
@BrickJonas said:
"Any chance you'll review other older modular buildings too?"
I retrieved my bagged-up 10190 from storage with this one, and I still have the Green Grocer built, so the chances are good!
Man, I wish I'd kept the box from mine...
Has anyone done a part list with modern replacement parts for a more affordable build? Have always been tempted by the early modulars but the aftermarket prices are insane, and as @huw mentions certain prices have a high second hand price.
I really do hope Lego re-releases this one with updated elements and an interior. I did have one many years ago, but sold it for a song during my great Lego purge of 2014. Ouch! The current prices are quite shocking on this set; I'm always looking.
@captainpie said:
"Has anyone done a part list with modern replacement parts for a more affordable build? "
What I’ve done is load the set inventory in BrickStore, set the parts to the 6 month price guide, sort by most expensive, then start substituting one at a time for more modern equivalents. CC and GG only cost me about $300 each this way, using common parts from my collection. I also used 2x2 jumper tiles in a few places instead of the turntables.
@MisterBrickster said:
"I remember when this came out, I didn't really get the point at the time. I certainly didn't realise there was no interior! It's interesting to hear about the set from the point of view of an AFOL at the time, I was really too young and poor to be the target market.
If I was ever tempted to get this set, I think I'd have a lot of fun trying to modernise it without breaking the budget.
Of course, up until today I'd just have bought Assembly Square instead, but now that's not quite such a good value option."
If you want it, Smyths still have it at the old rrp
Great work Huw. This was enjoyable to read. Interestingly while I enjoy building the more recent modulars (when reviewing them in the past), I find that all the clever, fun features from the interior become rather pointless if you simple pop the modular on a shelf to 'display'. Equally if you want to actually take photos of the interior perhaps as a way of enjoying setting scenes with minifigures, this is not easily achieved with the modular built completely as per instructions. In this respect, Cafe Corner hits the mark in terms of looking good on display but not having an interior!
I don't own either and have no plans to buy either of these modulars. Im hoping someone else will buy 10297 and change the Light Nougat for another colour :-) I'm not a fan of the colour scheme personally.
I bought this way back when it came out. It's hard to overstate how impactful it was to the community at the time. Every AFOL and most TFOLs I knew wanted it. It was just... so revolutionary, so unlike anything that came before, and so finished and complete feeling despite a complete lack of interior, simply due to scale and being fully enclosed.
I appreciate the article looking at it from a predominantly historic perspective, and I'm glad it has its modern fans, but I don't think it's aged well and I certainly would never pay a fortune just to own it. Ignoring context and judging it just by its traits, it's just about at the bottom of my list of greatest modulars. But it almost doesn't matter. As a pilot, or proof-of-concept kind of build, it's one of the most influential sets ever made.
I do prefer the look of the older modulars. As time as gone on they designers have used less, for lack of better words, 'traditional' LEGO components and sought newer ones. The problem I feel with this approach is that it can sometimes make the model look less like LEGO and more a generic model.
It's a tough balancing act, but it seems that the days of Creator models being conservative with the parts selection are over.
This review again highlights the main issue with the new modular - it's placement on the baseplate compared to the last 14 years of buildings! Also that Art Gallery and Tropicana Bar are just awful lol. Seriously though if I had all the buildings displayed in a line I think I would have to build the new one on the bottom level a few studs back because that difference in placement and what it shows or obscures of different buildings would be all that I would see each time I look at it and all enjoyment from the buildings would eventually be sapped away.
I like how this is made of mostly simpler elements, many of the same colors.
Personally I collect the 3-in-1 buildings , hopefully LEGO keeps doing them.
The beginning of the best subtheme in LEGO history, and it still holds up too. I just find it hilarious how it is casually stated to be $1900 on Bricklink
I like both but for different reasons. Cafe Corner says 'impressive design'. Boutique Hotel says, 'impressive parts catalogue'.
Similar to the difference between 10187 and 10252.
Still hope to get lucky and find it on a garage sale some day for 30 bucks.
@sjr60 said:
"I like both but for different reasons. Cafe Corner says 'impressive design'. Boutique Hotel says, 'impressive parts catalogue'.
Similar to the difference between 10187 and 10252 . "
So boutique hotel design is awful and is only a collection of brick?
Ok….
I don’t understand why old is always better and after 15 years the design is always worse, only a collection of parts :|
If someone really wants Café Corner and is willing to make some minor compromises it can be built using more modern and available parts for far cheaper than buying a second hand one or bricklinking the parts catalogue exactly, not to mention some of the dated building techniques and pieces can be substituted. I made such a version digitally and had it uploaded but sadly for whatever reason Bricklink deleted my account some time ago.
If there's any interest I can reupload it, I think the overall design is great but admittedly does show it's age in a couple aspects.
I get the nostalgia factor, but to me, the peak of the modular line was the Parisian Restaurant, also designed by Jamie. That’s the building that elevated the line from good to great. I recently picked up the Grand Emporium, because I think it has one of the most spectacular exteriors, and I have to say that while I enjoy looking at it on display, it brought back memories in a bad way about how simplistic these early modular builds are. It just wasn’t as enjoyable a build as the new models.
You can Bricklink a Cafe Corner for a lot less than $1000. Remember, people, it's Lego. Be creative and find aesthetically pleasing substitutions for the expensive parts.
10182 really holds up well today, IMO. It has a ton of vertical presence.
Great article. In my opinion there is no comparison. I’d have Cafe Corner everyday of the week over the new boutique hotel. As it’s a modular, I’ll still get it, but I’m just not in love with this year’s set. Visually it just doesn’t do it for me and I really don’t like the colour scheme. That flesh colour is just awful. Feels like a lot of wasted space also. People point to the older modulars having poor interiors but that isn’t an issue for me. It’s all about the exterior for me. Once I build and display it, I never look inside. I still think newer modulars look great, it’s just this year’s which I don’t like.
I wonder if anyone has actually bought 6 of these and made the giant model showed on the back of the box.
@Gabriel_Voyager said:
" @sjr60 said:
"I like both but for different reasons. Cafe Corner says 'impressive design'. Boutique Hotel says, 'impressive parts catalogue'.
Similar to the difference between 10187 and 10252 . "
So boutique hotel design is awful and is only a collection of brick?
Ok…."
Not at all. The end result of both is fantastic. It's just that Cafe Corner highlights the extra design skill and ingenuity needed with a more limited parts selection.
I'm convinced Cafe Corner and the non-modular before it, Market Street, are the reason we have so many expensive 18+ sets now. It showed there was a large and steady market among AFOLs with lots of money.
I still have my Cafe Corner unopened despite purchasing it way back in 2008.
@Nesquik said:
"I do prefer the look of the older modulars. As time as gone on they designers have used less, for lack of better words, 'traditional' LEGO components and sought newer ones. The problem I feel with this approach is that it can sometimes make the model look less like LEGO and more a generic model.
It's a tough balancing act, but it seems that the days of Creator models being conservative with the parts selection are over. "
The modulars have always been a showcase of new parts and techniques which keeps the line fresh and cutting edge. What's new now is going to look traditional in 15 years.
Good article. I enjoy going back and learning about sets from my dark ages. Cafe Corner may not be the “best” set by todays standards with 15 years of new pieces and building techniques, but certainly one of the most influential sets.
@TAD_LEGO said:
"I wonder if anyone has actually bought 6 of these and made the giant model showed on the back of the box. "
I have definitely seen this done while browsing Flickr but I don't think I bookmarked any of those layouts. Here's one from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV4FV28wTwA
Enjoyed the review. Cafe Corner is just too expensive for me to swallow trying to get. I have splurged on all of the modulars more recent than it, though. I really love the exterior of CC, and I appreciate some of the details you noted in the review, including the use of now-long-retired parts.
The big question for me is: When is someone going to build a website with decent photos of all of the modulars that can be pieced together to see a virtual modular street, so I don't have to rearrange my own to see how different sequences look?!
@TAD_LEGO said:
"I wonder if anyone has actually bought 6 of these and made the giant model showed on the back of the box. "
Imagine doing that today!
@gorf43 said:
" @TAD_LEGO said:
"I wonder if anyone has actually bought 6 of these and made the giant model showed on the back of the box. "
Imagine doing that today! "
Would cost about $5000 used or $12000 new. Unappealing price to say the least
People bash older sets like Cafe Corner, and Market Street, all of the time, but it is what started the Modular line, its history in the making, as it also showed what you could do with a limited part inventory. IMO the current ability of LEGO to really just create a piece when they really want/need to has hurt the designers as its surely easier to make a new part than 'make do' with what you have (which is how many kids start off with LEGO in the first place).
I knew that this set would touch off an amazing line when it came out (and therefore become desirable) , but never imagined it would cause CC to rise to 2K on the secondary market (and that is despite the illegal knockoffs), and be a theme still in production today. Great set and its really a historical piece now.
In the first arrangement of old and new side-by-side, the fact that the tree obscures the mirrored "L" in "Hotel" would actually be a plus for me. I still don't think these two go well together, but I think it's mostly the different styles of roofs that rubs me the wrong way.
Speaking of the roof, the images seem quite bright -- I first thought the brickset inventory must be incomplete when I could not find the tall slopes in classic red. I realized later the roof is actually dark red. If I ever try to build something inspired by this model, I guess I'll prefer bright red for the roof, or dark blue (cheapest roof parts on BL) for the roof and something else for the lower floor -- no reason to stick to the colours here.
Also, I have a hunch that anyone who wants an interior can just buy 21319 Central Perk (perennially available at a discount in many places) and spread the bar, sofas and tables across different floors -- enough parts for dividing walls should also be included. ;-)
I remember being impressed by Cafe Corner back in 2007, but that was a horrible time for a fancy town building to come on the scene for me. I was still deep in my Star Wars-BIONICLE focus of collecting, and I was graduating high school and starting college. Between just keeping up with all the changes in my life and budgeting for specific sets, I had nothing left towards getting Cafe Corner. Even when I started coming into some real worky-job money in 2008, it was still an expensive proposition, and I had read about the totally vacant interior by then as well. I recall thinking that LEGO could and would do better, and decided to save my money for more superior evolutions of this concept. That finally came in 2009 with the Fire House, and it and the Grand Emporium became my first modulars at the start of 2012, exactly 10 years ago this month!
While I am by no means a modular completionist, I do respect and recognize Cafe Corner for what it did. A landmark set for LEGO in the same way sets like the Yellow Castle and Galaxy Explorer were back in the 1970s and Black Seas Barracuda in the 1980s.
Really fascinating article thanks Hew.
Would be great to evaluate MS and GG too if you find the time...
It is also interesting to note how spending 150 euro+ for one set was a fairly rare occurance back then (at least for me!), compared with a proliferation of 'Adult' sets today. Strange what becomes the new normal - 200euro for a typewriter for example! I'm glad i jumped on the bandwagon with 10197 Fire Brigade and was gutted to miss out on Town Hall which imo was withdrawn prematurely!
I agree! As detailed and complex as the newer modulars are, I feel like Cafe Corner and Green Grocer still have the best exteriors
@ab21 said:
"Speaking of the roof, the images seem quite bright -- I first thought the brickset inventory must be incomplete when I could not find the tall slopes in classic red. I realized later the roof is actually dark red. "
I've been playing with in-camera settings for saturation, shadows, highlights etc. and probably over-cooked the former in some of these images!
Highly overrated set.
Ah, I forgot. The palm tree is by far the ugliest and most unsuccessful detail of the set. It really perplexes me ... Surely LEGO could have done better, much better!
@tfcrafter, of course, grapes are always sour when unreachable ... Café Corner is anything but overrated. The sign is enough to claim its authenticity and beauty. The interiors are negligible details, especially at the launch of the line in 2007.
I remember the first time seeing this in the catalog I was blown away. It really was that revolutionary for lego to do a serious adult aimed set of a domestic building like this. Nothing else like it up to that point.
I was just going into my dark ages but this set almost pulled me back.
This model changed the history of LEGO. It was the real beginning of LEGO for adults as a central part of the LEGO Company marketing strategy.
I completely agree. So much that I have replaced all the "expressive" heads with classic smileys for the more recent releases.
Bought the set in 2007 and really liked, but somehow didn't come to building it, then sold it for a fortune ten years ago, because I thought I'd better buy a row of other modulars. Regretting it, I have now sourced all the special parts, so almost ready to go and finally buy it! A box and instructions would be nice, but over 250 euro each, a copy will do.
Also regretting not buying the Green Grocer. That one has 56 sand green slotted bricks which where only in that set.
@Wrecknbuild said:
"Bought the set in 2007 and really liked, but somehow didn't come to building it, then sold it for a fortune ten years ago, because I thought I'd better buy a row of other modulars. Regretting it, I have now sourced all the special parts, so almost ready to go and finally buy it! A box and instructions would be nice, but over 250 euro each, a copy will do.
Also regretting not buying the Green Grocer. That one has 56 sand green slotted bricks which where only in that set."
The sand green bricks also came in the 2011 Diagon Alley set
So very thankful to Jamie for starting this line of modulars aimed at the AFOL market. I emerged from my Dark Ages in July of '06 and was able to snag Market Street and Cafe Corner for RRP. I still have them built and displayed.
While I love this set for what it means to the AFOL scene, I also love the design of it as well. Not having an interior isn't that big a deal, considering it just sits on a shelf.
I agree that there are parts substitutions that could be made using current bricks but it wouldn't be the same.
It's great to see how these sets have advanced over time when looking at them on display next to one another.
Great article, Huw!
I am missing the first 3 as I started collecting once they had already retired. The rest I bought at retail for minimum 20% discount. I gave up on buying anything retired as I figure newer builds will look better and be more affordable. Slowly reducing the number of themes I buy, down to UCS star wars, modulars and largest technic builds. Some specific sets like Xmas builds are added if I like them. Now I just need to clear out the system sets that I no longer want, some still not built and just taking up space.
Don't care what others think. CC is still my all time favorite modular hands down. The only way they could make it better is if they re-release this set with fully completed interior. Maybe with around 3000 pieces for around $200. That would be perfect. Of course it's unlikely to happen. Anyway, since most people are only displaying these sets, interior isn't quite important imo. I almost never take the floors out and look at the interiors once they were built.
I was in my dark ages when this came out, but my son came of age to play with LEGO a few years later and I discovered this set, and fell in love with LEGO again. I didn't get my first modular until Pet Shop, but I have been spending the last three years parting out all of the ones I missed. I am currently 8 pieces away from having a complete Cafe Corner. My only critique of this set is that the E and the L are backwatds on one side of the hotel sign. It was an easy fix to mod though (not sure why Jaime didn't think of it).
@Kamiccolo said:
"If someone really wants Café Corner and is willing to make some minor compromises it can be built using more modern and available parts for far cheaper than buying a second hand one or bricklinking the parts catalogue exactly, not to mention some of the dated building techniques and pieces can be substituted. I made such a version digitally and had it uploaded but sadly for whatever reason Bricklink deleted my account some time ago.
If there's any interest I can reupload it, I think the overall design is great but admittedly does show it's age in a couple aspects. "
Would you be able to upload it to Bricklink again? This is a project I would like to take on this year and your upload would be super helpful. Thanks!
@Huw said:
"One thing that's evident when looking at the featureless back: the lack of interior details has resulted a more uniform exterior than many of the more recent modulars."
What strikes me is that my pet peeve with regards to the modulars is way better executed here than on most of the following sets in the series - the tiles and plates that mark each floor, usually resulting in thick unsightly stripes around the building. Here the tiles are in the same colour as the walls (and as the roof), as is the first layer of plates on the next floor (and the roof) - why this super obvious solution was ditched for later models is beyond me. Just the actual floor plates are off colour (black), but they're almost completely hidden on the walls that face the street, and on the back it looks pretty good too as each floor has a different wall colour, giving the black stripes a visual purpose.
@Rankedu said:
"Would you be able to upload it to Bricklink again? This is a project I would like to take on this year and your upload would be super helpful. Thanks!"
I'll give it a try, I made it in Stud.io so you should be able to extract the parts catalogue from the file as welll, I'll edit this post later with the link when I upload it.
It's still a great looking building, one of my favourite modulars. I Bricklinked mine last year, making some modifications to bring the price down. One of the changes I made was to substitute the expensive dark red slopes. I wrote a few words and added some pictures in the Brickset forums:
https://forum.brickset.com/discussion/33421/cafe-corner-modified-top-floorlatest
I remember my brother showing me a Lego catalogue with this amazing new set in it, and me thinking it was way too expensive to justify, and too big anyway. I was at that stage still thinking that Lego was for children although I secretly still loved it and had started collecting a few sets to “build with my kids” once they were old enough (you all know what I’m talking about!!!!). And I thought that what I wanted to eventually build was a city of the types of sets I had growing up - 80’s town. Oh how wrong I was… on so many counts…. And how much I regret that.
(I finally saw the light after seeing a speed build of the Parisian Restaurant, and luckily was also still able to pick up the pet shop and cinema before they retired. I am most heartbroken over missing out on the Green Grocer.)
Wow thanks that was a good review.
I didn't realize some "normal" parts weren't available at that time.
Great to see how they used the available parts they had.
All the mention of rare parts makes me look at my own part and than you realize you have zome but lack the numbers.
Some of the prices for parts seem retarded.
@Kamiccolo said:
"If someone really wants Café Corner and is willing to make some minor compromises it can be built using more modern and available parts for far cheaper than buying a second hand one or bricklinking the parts catalogue exactly, not to mention some of the dated building techniques and pieces can be substituted. I made such a version digitally and had it uploaded but sadly for whatever reason Bricklink deleted my account some time ago.
If there's any interest I can reupload it, I think the overall design is great but admittedly does show it's age in a couple aspects. "
Seems a few of us wound be. I’ve never worked at doing a project like this and seems a little daunting. A starting point like instructions and a piece/part list would be amazing. I would love to own some of the older Modular’s but due to aftermarket prices originals are definitely not happening.
@guachi said:
"I'm convinced Cafe Corner and the non-modular before it, Market Street, are the reason we have so many expensive 18+ sets now. It showed there was a large and steady market among AFOLs with lots of money.
I still have my Cafe Corner unopened despite purchasing it way back in 2008."
it's like Schrödinger's modular dilemma:
can't really open it if you are sane ...
can't keep it closed if you are sane ...
I couldn't edit my earlier comment so I'll put it in a new one, this is the stud.io file for the Cafe Corner mod I made, I believe it'll be a while until the file is fully downloadable so anyone who wishes to download it to modify it further themselves or take a better look at the model feel free to do so.
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/design.page?idModel=281559
I made this some time ago so odds are I made some poor decisions parts wise so it's likely not suitable for directly ordering all the parts exactly as I chose them but I think it'll be of some help regardless.
@guachi said:
"I'm convinced Cafe Corner and the non-modular before it, Market Street, are the reason we have so many expensive 18+ sets now. It showed there was a large and steady market among AFOLs with lots of money.
I still have my Cafe Corner unopened despite purchasing it way back in 2008."
Not to start the argument again over Market Street but LEGO in the instructions for the Boutique Hotel have Market Street in it's photo line up of the 15 years of modulars.
Yeah, Lego has stated multiple times, explicitly, that Market Street is canonically a modular building. The notion of modular buildings having canonical lore is kind of weird, though. Lego is supposed to be a creative exercise, but yet Modular fans are oddly hierarchical and love to collect/display the sets without altering or deviating from them., with the only flexibility being the way the streets are arranged.
I think it has something to do with how daunting it can be to build your own Modular: a lot of fans of the line really love the look of highly complex Lego sets but feel their own MOCing skills are too weak to compete, so they leave them untouched.
@Mr__Thrawn said:
" @Wrecknbuild said:
"... the Green Grocer. That one has 56 sand green slotted bricks which where only in that set."
The sand green bricks also came in the 2011 Diagon Alley set"
Ah, yes, sorry, forgot that one. Diagon Alley has 26. Unfortunately that's also a fairly rare and pretty sought after set, making the bricks expensive as well.
@1265 said:
" @tfcrafter said:
"Highly overrated set."
I assume you don't have this set, but you truely want it."
No, I have it loose (without minifigs), and part substitutions, but the lack of interior just kills it compared to newer sets. You know what they say about assuming ;)
It's overrated in my opinion, because the importance of Cafe Corner is in what it represents for Lego; the set itself doesn't stand against new modulars, particularly due to the lack of interior, as the review mentioned.
Thank you, Huw, for this re-review of Cafe Corner & comparing it to the new BH. I had missed out on CC and started with Grand Emporium, City Hall & Fire Brigade.
I have appreciated CC immensely over the years, being the start of this wonderful theme, but seeing it next to the new Boutique Hotel, brings peace to my years of wondering if I should get parts to build CC.
Seeing how ornate & detailed the BH is compared to the CC, in the side-by-side pictures, I can let CC go. Since my favorite is still the Parisian Restuarant, I think the BH definitely has the feel of PR & would fit in better than CC.
Thanks for the nice comparison. To evaluate how 15 years have changed Modular Building sets in these two examples, I noticed additionally:
- The original recommended retail price (RRP) of CC is $140, while the BH is $200
- The number of pieces as such for the CC is naturally lesser, at 2000 +/- while the BH is at 3000 +/-
- The increase of price of CC cannot be used to objectively evaluate how is the value of buying either of it, simply because as CC being the first from a popular series, with parts and new boxes that are already getting lesser and lesser through the past 15 years, the sentiment of one-off uniqueness will only push the price higher -> wait until when there is only 1 unopened CC on earth another 15 years later, how much will that price be, and will it still be valid for a comparison? I suppose not. That being said, it is valid to say if one is looking to buy any Modular Building for the experience of building, and not for the need of satisfying ones desire as completist (which is impractical IMHO), then the comparison leads to the fact that it is indeed wiser to choose the BH
- The difference in RRP and piece count themselves, leads to the fact that the interior will for sure be lacking in the CC, there is nothing wrong with CC on this part, given the fact that if ones are limited by the piece count it is impossible to bring the interior in
- Thus we have looked into RRP, piece count, what about weight? Do we know how much BH weights? I will be quite surprise if BH weights more than CC. Given the RRP has increased and piece count as well, naturally the weight should increase, no? But we understood that more and more detail (small) pieces are being added into the sets yearly, indeed it's fun, to a certain extend. But this is where the comparison matters, would one prefers a beefier and blockier set but it could be more fun to play with and to take apart after the set is build, or would one appreciates a lengthier building experience which is more detail looking but weights lesser? Even with inflation, for a $60 RRP increase I would still love to see if BH weights more. Thus one would then make a better judgement
* A side note why I felt to write this down is because, similar to Huw although in a different manner, I was over the Christmas, went down to the basement and brought up an unopened set released 10 years ago. Together with my kids we have much fun building and playing with it (and at the same time knowing the current value of it). Although initially I felt like I shouldn't have opened it and it's better to sell it, but once opened, I immediately realized how nice the building experience with a 'traditional style' set feels like. Bigger, bulkier, more fun to re-build it afterwards. In the end, we do honestly felt that it is worth it to 'bring out the old wine', and I looked around me trying to figure out what has improved over the past years... :) *
Very nice review, i like more of the comparison reviews or reviews from classic sets!
Just ordered 10297, which means that in a few days my modular town is complete again. Although there has been a lot of changes during all those years (f.e. building techniques or new items) each model still has its own charm. The only thing I don't like, is replacing the classic minifig faces for the new ones.
Good article, congratulations!
I think Cafe Corner Hotel is a great set, but totally EMPTY unfortunately :(
+200 pieces, and some more dollars, and there's could be a café bar (like Downtown Diner, although it is more newer) and some beds & furnitures.
@CopperTablet said:
"Yeah, Lego has stated multiple times, explicitly, that Market Street is canonically a modular building. The notion of modular buildings having canonical lore is kind of weird, though. Lego is supposed to be a creative exercise, but yet Modular fans are oddly hierarchical and love to collect/display the sets without altering or deviating from them., with the only flexibility being the way the streets are arranged.
I think it has something to do with how daunting it can be to build your own Modular: a lot of fans of the line really love the look of highly complex Lego sets but feel their own MOCing skills are too weak to compete, so they leave them untouched."
You know what's weird? The boxes actively encouraged getting multiple sets and actually making use of the modularity of floors starting with the Café Corner, but abandoned that right after the Modular Buildings along with other advanced D2C sets were given the Creator Expert branding. Which has been my main gripe with the Creator Expert branding and one that some frequent commenters have probably heard from me multiple times, how the branding never actually encouraged creative building beyond a parts list on the box, which is inexplicably missing from Creator 3-in-1 sets. I have no issues with people building modulars as is and not customizing them, I mean, it sure would take an expert to do the latter! But I still always found the Creator Expert branding incredibly pointless, and I'm glad it's gone away from the boxes even if they still use the title in some branding materials.
I bought this set new when it came out. There was a colour match problem with the dark red roof. I contacted LEGO way back then and they sent me a bag of new dark red roof pieces that matched.
I was collecting Modular in 2009 and everyone thought Market Street was a modular then. But, it indisputably is one from a structural argument: it has the 3700 pins connecting it to the other buildings and also can be iterated on: each floor is tiled off from the others and held together by gravity rather than with studs. If you have 2x 10190 you can have a building with 5 stories instead of 3, not counting the basement.
@TAD_LEGO said:
"I wonder if anyone has actually bought 6 of these and made the giant model showed on the back of the box. "
At BrickFest PDX in 2007, there was an activity to build a stretched version, with all four corners, 18 stories tall. Lego furnished the sets for that one, but it was common for people at the time to build smaller versions on their own dime.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lonnon/443329460/in/pool-brickfest/
Café Corner was a revolutionary set when it came out. It remains an impressive model today, and a tour de force for the parts palette of the time. It's incredible that Lego went from the edge of bankruptcy liquidation to such heights in three short years.
This was the first of the Modular buildings I decided to build from a set of printed instructions, modified to suit what was easily (and cheaply) available art wise and also changing the colours as cost notwithstanding, I am not a fan of the colour scheme on the actual set. So I went for shades of grey with white and pink details and modded the set into an ice cream parlour - 7 years on it still forms part of my town layout although I have modded it further with an extra floor.
I managed to scrape this one together from parts found on Bricklink. If I was only going for this one it would have cost me a fortune on shipping costs alone, but I searched for the parts to make 4 other modulars as well. It cost me almost a year, but it was fun and worth the effort. I saved over 40% on the 5 sets in total compared to buying complete sets. I now have the series complete. :-)
Market Street is to Modulars as Star Justice is to Classic Space.
After a long hesitation I have now started to buy the three old modulars and started with 10190 Market Street. When I first saw it set up in front of me, I was thrilled. It's a beautiful set!
I only recently bought the Cafe Corner second-hand, but the parts are still in the water bath ;-) But I'm really happy to have finally set it up in front of me.
The only set that I am still missing is the 10185 Green Grocer - which many say it's the most beautiful modular.