Paris & London Postcard Review

Paris & London are the latest cities in the Creator postcard sub-theme. Both the Paris Postcard (40568) and the London Postcard (40569) feature iconic landmarks in a slim, compact model. The postcard sub-theme is a microscale theme similar to the Architecture line and have many similarities to the Architecture skyline sub-theme. However, the postcards are even more compact. These are fantastic little models with a lot of detail despite their size. You can check out my reveal video on YouTube. Otherwise, let’s take a closer look.

NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. I will use the usual True North Bricks rating system (click here for more information) and provide my honest opinion.

POSTCARD SUMMARY

POSTCARD QUICK REVIEW

PARIS & LONDON POSTCARD REVIEW

VALUE: 92% (Paris) and 98% (London)

While the Paris Postcard is currently up on the LEGO® Canada website, the Paris Postcard doesn’t seem to be showing up yet. I did find it on the Malaysian site and it may be on the LEGO® site for other countries as well. That said, both postcards are $18.99 CAD and both are enjoyable quick builds. Paris took 30 minutes ($0.63/minute) to build, and London took 36 minutes ($0.53/minute). When compared to other Creator sets reviewed by True North Bricks that earns these sets a score of 85 and 95 respectively. When compared to sets across all themes, the scores improve to 91 for Paris and 97 for London. Averaging these two scores gives a final price/minute score of 88% for the Paris Postcard and 96% for the London Postcard.

The overall value also takes into consideration the price per piece. The Paris Postcard has 213 pieces, and the London Postcard has 277 pieces. This translates to a price per piece of $0.09 (score of 96%) for the Paris set and $0.07 (score of 100%) for the London set. Incidentally, this is the same whether compared to only Creator sets or all sets reviewed by True North Bricks. Both values are also better than the average price per piece of $0.11 for Creator sets, which is already lower than the average price per piece of all sets ($0.14). Average the score for price per minute and price per piece gives a final value score of 92% for the Paris Postcard and a whopping 98% for the London Postcard.

BUILD: 96%

Building the London Postcard was my first time noticing the brick symbol with the “+” in the instruction book. It turns out this symbol means that the step includes an element that was loose in the box. I have seen some comments online and on the LAN (I am an Ambassador for MILUG) that the symbol isn’t necessarily obvious as to what it means. Interestingly, I didn’t notice the symbol until after I added the loose element, so in this case it wasn’t really needed. However, I can see it potentially being more confusing in larger sets if you leave the loose elements in the box or move them to the side.

I was surprised to see numbered set bags given these are small sets. I was also disappointed to see sticker sheets. However, it is pretty rare to see printed parts in such small and inexpensive sets like this. The stickers certainly elevate the final models though some are tricky to apply, like the stickers on the London Eye. I also find it challenging putting round stickers on round tiles. I find it helpful to put the tile on a 2×4 plate or something first to help orient the clock to the top of the tile.

Constructing the postcard

LEGO® is part of my mindfulness practice and I really enjoy pressing tiles onto plates so creating the backdrops for each of the postcards was very calming and relaxing. Additionally, the backdrops show a neat city skyline which adds depth to the final model.

The base for both postcards uses a combination of plates, tiles, and jumpers. This includes translucent blue tiles for the River Thames and the Seine River.

The backdrop and base are attached using 1x2x1 2/3 bricks with four studs on the sides. This works really well and is nice and secure.

Interesting techniques

I really like how Big Ben is not perpendicular to the street scene and the way you attach it to the backdrop was a fun surprise. So simple! That said, building the London Eye was a bit finicky. I would recommend putting the stickers on the large macaroni tiles before connecting all the tiles together to make the circle. Regardless, the London Eye looks great. Additionally, I quite like how the designers use a bit of an illusion to make it appear like the supports are connected to the centre point of the eye. A similar mixed method was used to construct the Eiffel Tower. Part of it is attached to the backdrop, and part of it is attached the base. The use of the mudguard to create the arch of the Eiffel Tower works perfectly.

London Postcard

The double decker bus is slightly oversized for the scale of the other buildings in the London Postcard. I feel like the double decker bus design found in Trafalgar Square (21045) or Buckingham Palace (21029) would have fit a little better. Similarly, the streetlamp also appears out of scale. As I was building it, I thought about how great it would fit with the recently reviewed Mini Disney The Haunted Mansion, which could have used a streetlamp. The two main buildings are nicely constructed. The design of both Big Ben and Bricadilly Circus, aka Picadilly Circus, make good use of SNOT (studs not on top) techniques, including some really great tiny arches on Bricadilly Circus. I love that both buildings are set at an angled orientation to the rest of the model. It makes the model more dynamic.

Paris Postcard

The Arc de Triomphe looks great even though it uses stickers to add detail. The addition of the red car brings back memories of cars whizzing around the multi-lane roundabout (without lane markings) encircling the Arc de Triomphe. Of the 37 bridges that cross the Seine, I’m thinking the bridge in the Paris Postcard set most resembles Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris. Naturally, there is a bateau-mouche, or river boat, making its way out from under the bridge. They say the best way to see Paris is from the Seine, after all. Interestingly, the bridge is not a single unit and cannot be removed from the base without falling apart. There are actually two translucent 1×1 bricks hidden underneath as support. To add a pop of colour, there is a lovely hot air balloon built very efficiently using two Travis bricks along with cheese slopes and 1×2 bows.

Overall, both the Paris & London Postcard sets are a lot of fun to build, and they manage to squeeze in a lot of detail into both scenes. Even though there are a few inconsistencies in the scale, it does not take away from the awesome build experience. I give both these sets a build value of 96%.

ENTERTAINMENT: 100%

The final models look great and display nicely. They are compact and can fit just about anywhere given their slim design. Additionally, I love how Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower stick out above the postcard. It’s such a neat look! These sets are also a nice introduction to microscale building for anyone who has never built at this scale before. The variety of buildings and interesting techniques create a really great build experience. The result is two fantastic postcards featuring iconic locations from two of my favourite European cities. Despite being small sets, I rate the entertainment value of both sets at 100%.

OVERALL SCORE: 96% (Paris) and 98% (London)

The Paris & London Postcard sets are two of my favourite microscale models. Despite a few scale inconsistencies, the final models are fun and interesting to look at. The build experience had a lot of variety and was both relaxing and enjoyable. I would highly recommend these sets (I was sceptical at first). After averaging all the score, the Paris Postcard earns a final score of 96% and the London Postcard comes in at 98%. For under $20 CAD, you really can’t go wrong. I know I will definitely be picking up the New York and Beijing Postcard sets next time I need to top up an order on LEGO.com. What do you think of the Postcard sets? Does one stand out as a favourite for you? Let us know your thought below or reach out on social media.

Play well folks,

-Krista (she/her)

Want to support True North Bricks?

If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or YouTube for regular updates. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the main menu. As an affiliate of those retailers, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings come at no extra cost to you but help to keep the content at True North Bricks free. Thanks for your support!