LEGO Alternatives: The Things I wish I knew Before Buying

[@SheClicksBricks]

We have released a Part 2 or Update to this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXfVnKaBorBreKc

[@igorfriedmannhilario8901]

I completely understand the ethical implications. I live in Brazil and Lego is REALLY expensive here, with big sets being 2x to 3x (some even more) minimun wage. I love Lego since i was really small but it was reserved for christmas gifts or birthday gifts. Now, having access to alternatives that cost a tenth of the price for me, i feel I'm back to liking Lego again. Even though the money doesn't go to the desginers, I feel we're not in a position to continue enjoying our hobby while having designers being paid well. At the end, it's really a profit margin problem, with Lego prioritzing profit over everything, and I don't think my dollars will be missed by Lego.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you for sharing. I am sorry you are getting priced out of Lego as well. I am happy you were able to find a solution. I wish you all the best and thank you for sharing your story. 🙂

[@theenyaarchive]

alt sets all the way, i too cannot afford the astronomical prices of Lego, even with two jobs.. so i totally agree with your words and video ... mental health and happiness is a huge thing, so why would we not buy these sets that help us to be that more happy.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thanks for sharing your story. In this day and age, mental health is very important. I am happy you were able to find alt bricks, I wish I would have found them sooner. I spent a lot of money on Lego in the past🤣. This is our happy place🙂

[@bnine4806]

100%!!! I get more happiness from working 1 job and getting 4 alt sets than working 4 jobs and getting 1 Lego set!

[@mikaharju1680]

I have also been collecting city modular buildings from AliExpress for a year now. I agree with you. There are small hickups and the quality is not as good as Lego but it is not far off and gives you still the same joy as building with actual Lego. I don't have any ethical issues with this. I try to buy the newest modulars as Lego but retired sets as Lepin. I see no issue with this because Lego isn't getting any money out of them anymore and the resale market is outrageously overpriced. I have had no issues with shipping. Usually I receive fairly good tracking information and sometimes the packages get to my home in Finland faster than the expected delivery time. Thanks also for the tip with warm water and bent baseplates! I really have to try it out.

[@SheClicksBricks]

They certainly scratch the itch. I will get the annual modular and the Winter village and maybe one other set throughout the year, but other than that, I will be building with Alt Bricks. For the baseplates, my best success comes from water just shy of boiling poured over it an the a heavy book on top until it cools. My Husband uses a heat gun. Both ways have worked for us. Thank you for sharing🥰 and thanks for your support.😊

[@scottishdude9682]

I have been buying from them for a few years now and have never had an issue. You just can’t beat the price. The only thing about Aallie express is the shipping time. But I can deal with that.

[@macksonamission1784]

I buy used sets and polybags from bricklink, targeting sets that have dozens of cool alternates on rebrickable. I build a slew of those with the kids, then create and share some of our own. Done that way, Lego has felt like the best value toy ever! But yeah, no way ill be getting a full-priced modular or new star wars set. We're aiming at 5 cents/brick or less, shipping included.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Targeting the sets with the a lot of rebrickable Moc's is a fantastic idea. 5 cents a brick is a good number. I wish Lego was listening. Thanks for sharing 🥰

[@macksonamission1784]

@@SheClicksBricks A wise man said long ago, the only good Lego is used Lego.

[@SheClicksBricks]

@macksonamission1784 I love it.🥰

[@pwcorgi2000]

One cool aspect of off brands, is that they'll do sets that Lego will not do, such as military, or they're more likely to include motors.

[@SheClicksBricks]

😊❤

[@plpa8250]

As soon as I lit the LED lights in my FO steampunk city, my son stopped playing with his MK and Ninjago city (which definitely wasn't cheap, i.e. Ninjago City Markets) and started playing in my city. Point is, a lot of the alternative brand are either much better designed and/or include their own LED lights which is expensive in itself. They are much better in terms value and much more eye catching.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Kids are awesome🤣. I like the value for my dollar with alt bricks. I have been thinking about getting a few light kits. These sets look amazing lit up. Thank you for sharing. 🥰

[@MrTomemac]

Don’t fall for the ethical argument ppl. You are not the one producing these, you are not blood-oathed to mega corporations, you are bound to protect your wallet and interests not some mega corporations IP. They already have paid their designers. Also produce a sheet of how much other customizers pay in royalties to actual license holders. They pay nothing people. Don’t fall for the guilt trap. You owe no corporation anything!

[@SheClicksBricks]

Sure true, people work hard for their money. We need to get proper value for our dollar and for me Lego falls short. Especially after seeing so many other options available. Thanks for sharing🥰

[@MrTomemac]

@@SheClicksBricks thank you for the honest review. Alt-bricks are not the enemy ever. A lot of people would be enjoying the brick hobby just fine indulging in both worlds. Live and let live as we say, but also, your money your choice. Keep up the good work! Earned a sub.

[@SheClicksBricks]

@@MrTomemac Thank you for the support. I love how you think. 💖🥰

[@bnine4806]

The cost of living is higher than ever. Shame on Lego for charging what they do in 2024.

[@rlrihards948]

Ethical? LEGO and ethical?

[@brickeezy]

I agree. Building Lego definitely soothes my mind, but can be expensive. I respect your choices! Proud new subscriber and viewer over here! 😊

[@SheClicksBricks]

It really is so relaxing. Thank you for sharing🥰. Thank you for the subscribing❤️

[@jkmtennispro]

Where did you purchase that Rivendell set? Would appreciate link to the website/seller’s store. Thanks!

[@SheClicksBricks]

The store that we purchased this from on Ali Express is no longer there unfortunately however, there may be others now. Also, you could check out some resellers like Youmko, Hero Toys (save 7% if you use code SheClicksBricks), or Jooooy. You may need to create a log in to see all their inventory. Hope that helps. Thank you for watching 🥰

[@angelomedeiros493]

Where did you get the replica of Rivendell and Paris restaurant?

[@SheClicksBricks]

I got them from Aliexpress. But check out Joooooy.com Paris - joooooy.com/products/classic-street-view-collection?_pos=6&_sid=03d32d101&_ss=r&variant=43785412477149 Rivendell - joooooy.com/collections/new-arrival/products/6167pcs-the-lord-of-the-rings-rivendell-led-lighting-kit-compatible-with-lego-building-blocks-model?_pos=1&_sid=59dea4f08&_ss=r You may need yo create an account to see the K.O. sets

[@williamdemler24]

I am in the process of evaluating CADA, Happy Build, and Mould King products. Most, or all Lego Technic sets do not have any 2.4GHz remote control features, only limited range Bluetooth or even more limited IR infrared, which does not work well on a sunny day outside.

[@SheClicksBricks]

CaDA has some excellent products. The brick quality is really good. Mould King uses GoBricks they are hard to tell apart from Lego. I love them. I am just checking out Happy Build now, and their stuff looks really neat. I'll need to look into them a little more😊. Alt bricks do have some really neat RC products. Thanks for sharing.🥰

[@williamdemler24]

​@@SheClicksBricks I probably cannot post this in FB Groups, because of what I am going to try to do. I have PF power function Lego sets with IR remote control. I want to see if I can swap out the power source with a Mould King 6 channel brick, which gives me more power for about 20 minutes, plus 6 channels to play with, and Bluetooth plus 2.4GHz range. The control is NOT 0% or 100% like the IR controls. The control is VARIABLE. Both the remote and the battery charge with a USB cable. The performance benefits can be quite interesting. The block is about the size of the 6 AA power pack or the Bluetooth application control Lego hub. FB Groups are usually single brick brand topics, unlike the brand mixing I'm doing. I've just about "torn up" some tires after doing a Corvette ZR1 modification and made it R/C. Snake S curve driving makes one of the front tires fall off.

[@SheClicksBricks]

@@williamdemler24 I wish I knew the answer. Have you tried searching or posting in the subreddit Lepin? They may be able to answer this question and may have already answered it for someone else. It is a forum for people that build with Alt bricks and Lego. I am on there daily just searching topics and learning. I would recommend searching first and then posting the question if you aren't happy with the search results. Here is the link www.reddit.com/r/lepin/ Good Luck😊

[@illyph9963]

My city is mix of lego and alt, ive never bought any “clones”, but I have couple nifeliz modulars, and they were fine, parts were good, not lego but good, and instructions were great, and since I’ve started designing moc’s I’ve been ordering a lot from webrick for parts, which I believe they are gobricks, like actual bricks, and experience has been incredible so far, great customer service, great packaging and pre sorted into packs and all when I made big order, and my whole road/baseplate system is “strictly briks” plates, like they make the older style roads, and 32x32 bases, that are actual “plates” not base, so like even my lego modulars, day 1 we took baseplates out n replaced with plate, then we do our own version of mils with 3 x 3 plates, just to make 1 higher then road, so sidewalk locks on to side of road even, so in that case, I actually chose it cause it’s something lego dosent make, but the other stuff is cost, I wish it could all be lego, but I’m poor lol, but I gotta say webrick experience has been above n beyond what I expected

[@SheClicksBricks]

I have heard nothing but good things about Gobricks. I just very recently started looking at webrick, so I am very grateful for your info. Your city sounds awesome. Thank you for sharing🥰. Thanks for the support😊

[@Back2Bricks]

I've just started looking at alternatives myself, so I found this vid at a perfect time. Great information.

[@SheClicksBricks]

That's great. We also did a more recent video on Alternative options as well if you would like to check that out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXfVnKaBorBreKcsi=5spmUJKjx_2IZYTW Thank you for your support 🥰

[@hectorsp87]

Thank you very much for the video and for the link to the stores. I am very grateful

[@SheClicksBricks]

Our pleasure and welcome to the channel. As of this week knock off sets are getting more difficult to find so you may need to look around for them. Hero Toys is one place we did see that still had some. Thank you for the support 🥰

[@hectorsp87]

@@SheClicksBricks I have subscribed to your channel, it's great. I want to start collecting cheaper Legos and your channel is perfect. I want to start with rivendell ^^

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you so much for subscribing ❤ I got into alternative bricks simply looking for less expensive ways to continue my hobby so I am happy to share the things we learn along the way.

[@Abysssmo]

Well structured, informative and honest video!

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you very much🥰, we went back and forth on this one a lot.😊

[@RetroToyMan]

Good video with some very interesting points. I build for my mental health too. I have always bought lego but recently i just biught the unbranded version of Apocalypseburg from Aliexpress. I have the Lego version but do not wish to put that on display. I will make a comparison video myself on this set to see how it compares.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you. Appreciate the support. Mental health is so important but so is saving money. My husband is intrigued by the Apocalypseburg as well. We will keep a look out for your comparison video. 😀

[@jraglob5924]

Very spot on. I also have bought retired items. When building, I down load the LEGO plans which helps with the build greatly.

[@SheClicksBricks]

🤣 I have been known to do that as well with the Lego instructions🤫. I just wasn't sure I should mention it in the video. Thank you for putting it in the comments I was hoping someone would. Thank you for your support🥰.

[@KingTiger2000]

I bought the Imperial flagship in 2022, and the pirates of the carribean ships as well as Castle in the Forest set, the Apocolypseburg set as well as Metal beard sea cow in 2023. All were excellent and the only problem is minifigures and the sails. No regrets, they were at great price and had fun building them. I will keep buying non Lego sets if lego keeps overpricing their stuff

[@SheClicksBricks]

I wish I could afford to build all Lego, but they are actively pricing us out. 😢. Omg, the minifigs can be so bad🤣. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@KingTiger2000]

@@SheClicksBricksIf you love building, i highly recommend apocolypseburg from Lego movie 2. its really fun and the building techniques are really interesting. just beware that the sticker for the "Coffee Unchained" was missing the "C" in Unchained... I added it with a black marker haha, the minifigures for it were mostly good except the surfer dude.

[@SheClicksBricks]

@@KingTiger2000 Thank you for the recommendation. I'll check it out😀

[@HermiticallyZealed]

There aren't many retired sets I want, but MetalBeard's Sea Cow is definitely one I do want. It's good to know it's out there!

[@SheClicksBricks]

@@HermiticallyZealed I just looked that set up. It is really slick, Brick economy says it retired in 2015. Nice find. 😊 Big difference in price between the retried price and the clone $450 in my country.😯

[@tiamat9360]

where can i get the rivendel replica set? its amazing

[@SheClicksBricks]

I love it. I got it on AliExpress but it was over a year ago now, so the store I used is no longer there but there may be others. I can also suggest Youmko.com or Hero Toyz . Hope that helps ☺️

[@remiharmens9325]

I started building in the covid period and have built a large number of sets since, especially modular buildings. At first all the Lego sets that at that time were still in production and these were great. But then I discovered that older sets could only still be bought at exorbitant high prices and that there are several other brands (primarily Chinese) that also sell great alternative sets, MOC designs or even their own designs. I bought and built a lot of them and in general the quality was quite satisfactory (this also applies to a number of mini bricks sets that I have built). Sofar I have also built 6 Chinese clones of original Lego modular houses that are out of production. I bought these last ones from Youmko and again the quality of the stones is on avarage quite good. Only once some of the transparant parts were a bit milky, but that really is an exception. Recently I missed a bag of parts in an alternative Funwhole set bought at Amazon. I contacted their customer service by email and received the missing parts in only 10 days. So, I hardly buy Lego anymore. The prices have increased just too much lately and the alternatives are great imho.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you for sharing your story. It is similar to mine, you just seem further down the Alternative brick path than me. You are opening my eyes to so many options and I am looking forward to exploring the things you have mentioned. I can see those types of options will eventually lead me to buying less Lego as well (That and the price of Lego🤣), Overall, I have been very happy exploring the Alt brick world. I feel like I am getting a great value for my dollar. Thank you for your support. 🥰

[@MiniBrandsObsessedMama]

Great video! Loved it! Good to know! I’m a huge Lego fan, My Mother too! Have to show her this and tell her all about it.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you🥰. That is great to hear about another mother that loves it as well. Your never to old to be a kid again. Thank you for the support😊.

[@FaustRSI]

Speaking about prices, alt.bricks that only produce replicas will always be cheap/cheaper for sure, that's the whole point. However, not all alt.bricks companies that produce original sets are that cheap. CaDA is sometimes pretty close to Lego, and then there is, for example, Pantasy, they have some sets with insane price per piece ratio - actually higher than Lego. Also, I had missing pieces from Ali only once. Contacted the seller and got them in 10 days.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Very good point. My only experience to this, would be the CaDA F1 car, it was close to the price of the Lego Mclaren ($80 I believe) but the CaDA was a tougher build and in my opinion, a better looking finished product . The prices definitely creep up with their own creations, but as long as I feel I am getting my moneys worth than I am ok with that. That is awesome you go the parts from Ali and so fast. I was only able to get a small partial refund. Thank you for raising a great point🥰 and thanks for the support. 😊

[@FaustRSI]

Yeah, about Ali. I don't believe it's a general rule,more an exception:) I just got lucky with some responsible store. In the case of the missing parts refund won't do much - the set can be absolutely ruined without some unique pieces,and no amount of money can buy you those :( So, there is always some risk with Ali, but so far - I'm more than willing to take it :)

[@SheClicksBricks]

@FaustRSI Nice, it really is worth the risk. 😀

[@bnine4806]

Great video, thank you for sharing! Subscribed!!

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you, that's very nice of you to say. Thank you for the support 🥰❤️

[@kayfse8373]

Some of my favorite builds are lego alternatives. I do buy lego brand as well but alot of my funwhole sets are just so unique! Plus there are some themes that lego cant/wont do such as military sets.

[@SheClicksBricks]

I have been loving alt bricks so far. As you said, so much variety. I haven't done a Funhole set yet, but am I looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing and thanks for your support ❤️

[@glendonrichey2223]

Actually I have several alternative sets myself, and I haven't experienced the quality issue yet. Granted the color palette may be a shade or two darker or lighter but overall I purchased my sets due to affordability. Yes the tracking with AliExpress is a pain but just bear with them. I will be checking out these other sellers to see what they offer, a spare parts bin is key even with Lego branded products. I'm looking at the ornithopter as my next build. I've recently discovered light kits. Love these things. I used to do it myself but the kits are so much easier.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you for sharing. I am just getting into lights but have enjoyed what I have done so far. I just got a light kit for The Parisian Restaurant and am looking forward to it.

[@gerutzu575]

honestly a bit shocked at the end, i was convinced that's the original rivendell set. i don't own it myself so i'm not familiar with the details that are missing on yours, but it looks so good i might just get it myself

[@SheClicksBricks]

There are no details missing. Some of the minifigs were sketchy, but it was a great build. I was never going to buy it from Lego it was too expensive, but the build looked fun. I was happy that my Husband found a Alt-brick set and surprised me with it. Here is the review we did. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3-th6WjZ9Bkn8Usi=OIVpMRkCj1worxuB Thanks for your support🥰

[@rosemarie9956]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I also started Lego just when pandemic hit and it was so enjoyable. I have tried 3 alt builds, 2 from Ali that I was surprised at how good they were (HP theme) and one from Amazon that was Xmas set and was good - a little fussy with fitting the roof 😂 Anyway I still buy Lego and one thing to consider is that you can resell your Lego sets for close to resale price or sometimes more! Not sure what the alt market is like for resale ?? Anyway I am thinking about trying an alt modular as I really like those sets but most are $200-300 I also agree with the comment below that said some alt products are very similar to Lego $$ so tbh I am primarily looking for the cheaper options otherwise I will buy Lego. Thanks for showing the price in CAD. Thought about trying joytoy but worried about extra charges re duties ?? Did you ever experience that?

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thanks for you comment. I love hearing about peoples journey 🙂. I doubt there is much resale value in Alt Bricks. Original sets should have some resale value, but clone sets will get nowhere near what Lego gets in the secondary market. I have never been charged Duty and taxes with any bricks from China. Whether I bought from AliExpress, youmko or joytoy. Thanks for the support. 😀

[@DankMcDANK1738]

Thank you for sharing your insights. I find alternative Lego extremely fun. It’s something new and you can experiment more without hurting your wallet.

[@SheClicksBricks]

I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you for the support 🙂

[@jimm244]

I have no ethical dilemma buying off brand for retired sets. Lego has made all the profit they wanted at that point. I bought some off-brand train carriages. The quality difference showed on the train specific parts (bogies, wheels, couplers), some of which I replaced from Bricklink or pick-a-brick. The off-brand minifigs are lacking to a variable degree, but otherwise the blocks have been pretty good for the price.

[@SheClicksBricks]

The minifigs really can be laughable on some sets🤣. Thanks for sharing.

[@christoffermogensen6018]

Really nice video. It is so rare to see a video with a comfortable flow and narration plus an actual human being from before the world went crazy. You mentioned it helps with your stress -I can second that. I recently ordered my first replica from AliExpress. The Daily Bugle. My brother comes over on thursday to built it. You got youself a new sub🎉

[@SheClicksBricks]

Wow. Thank you so much for the amazing comments. We love to share what we learn and we love to learn from others. I would be interested to hear how the Daily Bugle build goes, if you would like to share ☺ Thank you so much for your support ❤

[@brianbaird8809]

Absolutely Great!!!

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you so very much. We appreciate the support 🥰 Did you also check out Part 2? This is a much more reent video about Alternative bricks. ☺ kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXfVnKaBorBreKcsi=6rpQjYBrtD77fMhY

[@tommyloreto6458]

Excellent video and so true. I love doing building block sets and like just about everyone else, [whose name is not Musk], am really priced out of the Lego market. So alternatives are the way to go. I've bought a few sets from Ali Express, and yes the prices are good, but the shipping takes forever, it seems. I understand they're coming from China, but still a long time. Same with Temu, but somewhat better. Any advice or recommendations on where to buy would be greatly appreciated. I love the big piece-count sets. I just finished The Millennium Falcon set, I got from AliExpress and loved it. Also the Titanic, from Temu. Great build and good quality. Look forward to more videos...........

[@SheClicksBricks]

There is a list of resellers we have had great experiences with in the description of this video. Some of them may require you to create an account so you can see the Lego replica sets. Many of the stores have warehouses in other countries that allow for faster shipping(provided you are in an area with one of these warehouses.) Some even offer faster shipping from China if your willing to pay. We love the big builds as well, Falcon and Titanic are 2 of the best. Rivendell was surprisingly fun as well. Thank you for your support🥰

[@FisherProtocol]

Video is great! I started with batman minifigs…from ebay to mercari and bonanza and finally aliexpress $1-$2 per fig…im in. I’m not reselling anything. Now i’m doing Moc scenes and want to start a city which would literally be impossible without these alternatives. The worst is the youtube videos that tell you how to save money on lego and then go on to tell yo u to just not buy any. by don’t ever by alternative bricks?!? Soooo frustrating the gate-keeping aspect. Thanks for the validation!

[@SheClicksBricks]

This is awesome. It's so nice to hear from others that feel the same way. I love Lego I but I love to build more and would not be able to build the way I do if Lego was my only option. Thank you for the support 😀

[@onecleverpig]

Great video! I have purchased a couple of CaDA sets and their quality is really very good. I do also appreciate that CaDA hires designers and works with them to produce their own models. Cool to see another Canadian brick enthusiast!

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you fellow Canuck. 😀 CaDA has some amazing sets. Nice to hear that about the designers. Thanks for the support ❤️. O Canada 😊

[@williamdemler24]

RC World on eBay gave me a free CADA catalog. That book has some amazing sets in it, and I've gone a little overboard buying the R/C kits.

[@richardlaceyfield9]

Stacey thank you for your honest opinion. I like yourself buy sets to keep your mind stimulated. I've bought a few Lego sets in the past but its something I can't afford all the time and if there is a affordable way of getting a set I'm all for it. Since I'm limited on space I mostly buy minifigures. I've bought ha ton from Ali Express and other sellers. Have I had any hiccups yes a couple times . But every time they have taken care of me. And in a timely manor. I love the figures the most. I'm into Marvel Comics and DC comics so I buy the mini figures when I see something I like. I also buy customs from various dealers and buy from Etsy or eBay . I've been doing this for about 12 years now and I love the little hobby . Thank you for doing a honest review . You gave it a look see . You didn't trash it like a few of the bigger channels do. They only trash them because it is clickbait and gets views along with a Lego endorsement. You gained a new subscriber thank you ~ Richard

[@SheClicksBricks]

Wow Richard! Thank you so much for your kind words. My Lego journey really took a turn when we started looking for retired modulars. I love them and wanted them all, lol, and it was just not going to happen at the asking prices. We started finding so much more thank just modulars or knock offs of sets. We found some amazing alternatives along the way and figured we could not be the only ones so just want to share what we learn. Welcome to the channel. Thank you so very much for the support and we hope you continue to enjoy our content 🥰❤

[@snowcloudshinobi]

excellent video. i would love for a major lego competitor to emerge who sell decent sets at affordable prices.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you so much. ☺There are some companies out there that growing quiclky. Have you checked out FunWhole or Pantasy? We also did a part 2, to this Lego alternatives video if you would like to check that out. Here is the link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXfVnKaBorBreKcsi=l7sLjEQYVNJ8Z8qT Thank you for the support. 🥰

[@HermiticallyZealed]

Thank you for this video! It really got me thinking about my own beliefs on the subject and a self-examination of why I'm engaging in this hobby in the first place. I remember seeing a beautiful alternative build on Amazon a few months ago and wondering if I could recreate parts with Lego bricks. Then it dawned on me that Lego doesn't even make some of the comparable pieces in those colors. I'm not saying I won't continue to buy Lego, but why on earth am I limiting my creativity to only what I can get through them? They are becoming a high-end brand for the wealthy, so I'm not even in their customer demographic. And speaking of colors, that's one of the reasons I stopped buying sets. It's not just about the expense. Maybe it's just me, but I dislike many of the colors they use, and sometimes I wonder what they are thinking with different color combinations. I'm not going to spend $200+ on something where I feel like I need to replace half the pieces to make it something I can appreciate. I also get tired of inefficient builds to inflate a piece count. I'm interested in creating a scene or an idea. I don't need the Bloomingdale's equivalent to accomplish that, and if I want to combine my Lego with Fisher Price people, a TMNT action figure, some pipe cleaners, a tiny houseplant, some alternative bricks, or anything else, why shouldn't I? It's interesting how we can exclude certain ideas because of social conditioning.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Sadly, the increasing price of everything has a lot of people rethinking things, myself included. Personally, I believe Lego is an awesome product and I wish I could afford to build all of the Lego I wanted….. as result I looked for other options and Alternate Bricks is what I found. If you’re willing to make some compromises in quality, you can still build and at a much better price. Alt Bricks are about as good as Lego in most cases. My Husband still goes on about how great it was to build his clone R2D2. Having said that, the set he is working now, he says is the worse he has seen. Technic has been not as friendly as the traditional brick in our experience. We have had some small issues as highlighted in the video, but nothing that has stopped our enjoyment of the hobby. I will still buy Lego, I will get my Winter Village and the annual Modular and maybe something else in between, but I am looking forward the exploring the world of Alternate Bricks and sharing what I find. You sound very creative, you should be creating. Using Alt Bricks, the Sky is the limit for you my friend. Thank you for your support.🥰

[@HermiticallyZealed]

It's good to know that Technic might not be the same experience. My Lego journey has taken me from sets to things that move. I motorized the Hogwarts Express, and I absolutely loved building the Lunar New Year Parade. I've been using the Lego brand hub and motors, but I've found ones from Aliexpress work great too at the fraction of the price. I may still use the Lego Technic pieces, but if I do a lot of motorized builds, I might use the alternative motors. The same goes for baseplates or supports. I'm not going to conventions or making it a career, so there is no reason to be a purist. Plus, I just found out a content creator I like, who does display at shows, uses alternative pieces occasionally, and it's not like it changed my opinion of his amazing work. It's really about perspective. Thanks for the response!

[@SheClicksBricks]

​@@HermiticallyZealed Experiment with technic. His older sets where no issue. It could be a new parts on a newer set thing, where the manufactures just haven't dialed them in yet. 😊😊

[@robrineer6013]

I'm interested in all of it!!! I agree with you all the way. The only downside is we're probably losing money off of generic brands. We could make money or at least break even on lego sets.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Agreed, the resale value is not going to be the same, but we can build so much more. 🥰. Thanks for sharing❤️

[@JackThursby]

I feel the ethical issue is something i struggle with sometimes. But also, i have alot of retired rare expensive sets still factory sealed. I just cant bring myself to open them to build. So i buy the replica to enjoy the build, best of both worlds i find. But the cost for some sets is ridiculous now, i love lego, but like yourself, i also have bills and a life to live. Great videos. Thank you

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you so much for sharing Jack. I have the Lego Pet Shop in a closet that I have yet to open. I think it has been over a year now. I love to build and alternative bricks allow me to be able to afford to continue this hobby. There are now so many quality alternative options out there. Have you tried Pantasy or FunWhole sets yet? I have found the quality to be excellent and yhey offer some unique sets. Thank you for the support. 🥰☺

[@YusukeTomB]

I’ve watched a couple different channels on LEGO alternatives. This is the channel that prompted me to try it. I have the Parisian Restaurant coming in a few weeks and I’m excited to add it to my city. Especially as it cost less than a quarter what you find the official set for currently.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Oh my. Thank you. I really just feel that these alternative finds are too good not to share. Congratulations on your Restaurant purchase. It really is fantastic in person and such a great build. You will have to let me know what you think once it is finished.

[@YusukeTomB]

I will definitely let you know what I think. I’m pretty excited. It’s a set I’ve wanted for a long time but the price is high and my wife and I would rather renovate parts of the house.

[@SheClicksBricks]

@YusukeTomB Hopefully, you guys can now find a nice compromise.😊

[@magicalhobo2006]

Who makes the Rivendell set!?!?

[@SheClicksBricks]

Jie Star makes it. See our review here kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3-th6WjZ9Bkn8U

[@magicalhobo2006]

@@SheClicksBricks awesome thank you! I gotta get this one now!

[@jamesrees920]

Love third party sets! The value is incredible and i get no less joy from having these sets on display than i do official lego. These allow me to purchase sets i wouldn't otherwise be qble to afford, especially when ot comes to discontinued sets..will always collect non lego sets, no brainer!

[@SheClicksBricks]

Agreed. Alt-Bricks was the only way we could afford this hobby, especially with two of us building sets. The minor problems are offset by the savings. Thanks for sharing❤️

[@UltraBricksRocks]

Interesting. Good to know.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Thank you. Thanks for your channel support 😀

[@MrUltranuman]

Alt-brand bricks are great. Sure, you may get the odd issue, but when you get 80-95% of the fun and quality for like 20% of the price. Well, it is great. If it keeps money out of the hawkers hands, even better.

[@SheClicksBricks]

100% Agree. Thank you for the support 🥰

[@MrUltranuman]

@@SheClicksBricks All good. I am generally a fan of the alt-bricks. That said, I have certainly experienced some alt-brick nasties. One vendor had missing parts and would not supply the missing bits. Thankfully, as I primarily wanted the set as a ruin, it was less of an issue. But that vendor is now blacklisted. Some alt-minifigs are terrible. first to admit this. Others are really lovely and super-detailed. I Have absolutely no issue with alt-bricks producing copies of retired Lego sets and their own creations. Can't get too upset at how this supposedly hurts Lego, as it doesn't. it does however, impact on these hawkers, who want to charge you inflated prices on retired sets that they each have several hundred of in storage. So it is they, not lego who supposedly loses out. Not my problem. But hey, if someone wants to pay in the high hundreds or even thousands, for something they can experience for a fraction of that price, their call. Let's face it. The patents for these bricks expired years ago and it was Lego itself who essentially copied the Kiddicraft brick back in the day. So, open season. My only hope is that some of the alt-brick companies lift their game a little on quality control.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Apologies. I am just seeing this now. I am all for Alt brick for retired Lego sets. You get you better knockoff quality from companies like King, Leji and Jiestar. You get Lego quality from companies like Pantasy and Funwhole, they do their own thing and they do it well.

[@MrUltranuman]

@@SheClicksBricks All good. Thanks for that info.

[@EmetonVanDamme]

Dear @SheClickBricks I recently discovered your channel and I really like it. There is something I would like you to have in mind if you are part of the alt brick world, and that is the toxicity and hate of "purist" big L brand fans. The problem here is in the minds of this brand fans, they are sooo toxic that for them the big L is like a cult or an extremist religion. In my eyes, Bricks are toys to have fun with and also everybody should make some modifications to add their own taste to the sets.

[@SheClicksBricks]

I appreciate the heads up. They are indeed very loyal to their product and its a great product, but wildy overpriced at times and at times lacks the vision of some Moc's. In today's world, I am loyal to my wallet. I want the best bang for my buck. I will keep your info in mind. Thank you for sharing🥰. Thank you for the support 😀

[@MartinPittBradley]

I have a soft spot for Lego, but they lost the lawsuit with MegaBloks years ago. Companies are legally permitted to make compatible bricks

[@SheClicksBricks]

Yes. Thanks for sharing😊. I will always have a soft spot for Lego🥰. I will still buy the Annual Winter Village and Modular. Hopefully they don't price me out of that as well. 🤣

[@Bestdadever13]

I have alternate bricks over 20 years old, and they still have their paint and have not killed anyone yet...lol

[@SheClicksBricks]

Haha, love it. Thank you for sharing that 😊

[@justinthorsson]

love the video i never thought i would stray from the Lego brand until i saw some of the stuff that CaDa do and was impressed with their car kits especially the Alfa F1 so much i bought one as i thought they did a better job than lego, with their Mercedes !/8 amg F1 which they didnt do properly in my opinion

[@SheClicksBricks]

CaDa is impressive. We've been eyeballing the Merc AMG. The competition is definitely closing the gap. I'm doing the Pantasy Bakery set now, and it is on par with Lego so far. Still early in the build, but I am very impressed. Hubby wants the Lego Merc, but can't pull the trigger. Between the price, the shape and the tires. He is waiting to see if someone MOCs it. Thanks for sharing🥰 and Thanks for the support 😊

[@carlosmelendez8317]

I agree. I love Lego because it's the top brick building toy brand but because they are such a mega corporation they have pushed alot of ppl out of the hobby by the ridiculous high prices. It used to be affordable for everyone and now it's reserved mostly for media influencers and Lego building celebrities. I'm all for alternate and cheaper versions of Lego as I have a few myself. The only thing I don't like from alternative Lego brands is some use the micro brick sizes and are not compatible with Lego pieces. I really don't like those micro size sets. They are very hard to build. Can anyone provide the names of some alternative brands that are compatible with the Lego brand???

[@SheClicksBricks]

I haven't built a Micro set yet. As for, Lego compatible The first two brands that come to mind are Pantasy and Mould King. They both make excellent sets. Both companies use GoBricks for their sets. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH2lhGpvp61gnZY CaDA make excellent stuff as well. If you want cloned/knockoffs of Lego sets, JIESTAR, LEJI, and KING, are all factories that produce knockoff sets with solid quality. Thanks for sharing🥰

[@LutraLovegood]

So far I've gotten original sets from AZ (Sluban) and BlueBrixx (BlueBrixx, and one chinese brand I'm not sure of, manufactured by Shantou Juhang Toy Technology). They're all manufactured in China. The sets I ordered from BB were of great quality, the BB parts in particular seem nearly identical to Lego. The chinese brand was a Technic set and some of the parts had small defects that I had to clean up, but otherwise it was all good. Sluban though is definitely for masochists, they had defects, overly sharp edges, their black and dark brown can be hard to tell apart, and from what I heard they might have stolen the design. I'm gonna have to finally check the lepin subreddit.

[@SheClicksBricks]

I haven't tried BB yet, but I've heard great things, I will add them to my list. Thank you. Very good to know about Sluban 🤣. The Subreddit Lepin is excellent. I'm there daily just learning. I will search for different things, sort the comments by new and just soak it in. I do post from time to time. Thanks for the Support❤️

[@guty6663]

you mean the lord of the rings one wasnt lego ?? pass the link omg looked amazing

[@SheClicksBricks]

Sorry, That link is long gone. You can try HeroToyz just put Rivendell 10316 into the search and order from your local warehouse or China. Local warehouse has free shipping, if there is one in your area. You can use code SheClicksBricks to save 7%. You may need to create an account to see the Knockoff sets. herotoyz.com

[@guty6663]

@@SheClicksBricks omg thank you so much :)

[@thickymcghee7681]

I am just getting into Legos and havent purchased my first set because when I looked at the prices, I was legit confused about what I was buying. Plastic bricks are THAT expensive??? When you are a children's toy company making more the Ferrari and Lambo and Porche....enough is enough.

[@SheClicksBricks]

This hobby can get expensive fast. I love Lego. They are the best, but the price. Check out some of the Pantasy products. I am very impressed with the bakery I am currently building. The quality is very close to Lego. Thanks for sharing 🥰. Thanks for the support 😊

[@jameswinner7246]

I confess, I don't understand people trying to justify buying stolen copies of Lego designs. Alternative brick sets are a great idea, and there are tons of them available; and you can buy those for your "build relaxation". But if their a copy of a Lego set you are effectively stealing the designers' work. I buy alternative sets all the time, but I don't buy sets where the designs were stolen from someone. The one time I bought a set and then found the design had been stolen from a MOC designer, I contacted the designer and paid him what he charges for his design. I don't want people stealing my work, and I don't think it's right to steal other people's work. Everyone deserves to get paid for their work. Sorry.

[@SheClicksBricks]

I respect your opinion and the others that agree with you🥰. The Lego Company itself is based off a stolen design from Kiddicraft. Lego Designers are salaried employees. The retired Lego sets are no longer available at a reasonable price, so I settle for Alternative/Generic brick sets. After building some different alternative brick sets, I realized that Lego Rivendell is NOT worth $650 so I was never buying it (Lego didn’t lose a sale from me). Now, I can’t say I was disappointed when my husband gifted me a JieStar Rivendell set. It was not Lego quality, but in my opinion, a much better value for dollar. I DO understand how JieStar was able to make it for so little. I DO NOT understand how Lego thinks it worth that much. i.e. An officially licensed video game is fraction of the Lego Rivendell price. The way the economy is going, if LEGO (A plastic brick in which some sets cost as much as a Cell Phone or PS5) continues to view themselves as Louis Vuitton or Ferrari instead of Hasbro or Mattel, than I suspect they will see a lot more this sort of thing. 🤔 I tend to stay away from Replica/knockoffs of Lego sets still in production, but once it retires, I feel it is fair game. My husband wants the best bang for his buck and spends his money as he sees fit. As a result, he will buy no name ketchup because it is less expensive then the Big Name Brand and the taste is close enough. We both agree with you on paying independent MOC designers👍 and my story is similar to yours. It is in a follow up video to this one, to be released in a few weeks. We didn’t leave Lego because we wanted to, Thankfully we were priced out and forced to look for alternatives and we are finding better and less expensive options in the Alternative Brick world. This channel just documents my/our journey. Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to share❤️. It helps people that read the comments have a better understanding of everything involved, it is not a decision to make lightly, but many more people are finding themselves having to make it. I hope to see you around in around the channel😊, but I do understand if you want to move on.

[@michaelhollis764]

The lego sets that dont have licensing issues are pretty much always cheaper than the big name sets.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Very true. About 50% of their products carry a license of some sort. The same can be said for PS5 video games, but the mark up is easier for me to digest because it isn't as steep and the game can be played forever. Where rebuilding a Lego set over and over can be a bit repetitive. Thank you for sharing 🙂

[@michaelhollis764]

That's a problem I have as well. I'm thinking about getting the lego 3 in 1 midevil castle because of its ease of rebuilding. Not only does it come with three builds; the parts are perfect for mock building and I don't have much for that. Since it isn't an iconic piece like something from star wars I don't mind trying new things with it.

[@SheClicksBricks]

The 3 in 1's are awesome. I love my Majestic Tiger/Fox/Fish and Cozy House. They were very fun builds and relatively inexpensive. That is how I remember Lego🥰.

[@mangosteak]

Yeah, buying literally anything without researching the company is a bad idea. Cada, goBricks, Bluebricks, Panlos and Mould king are all lego alternatives that have either higher or at least comparable quality. Mould king has issues with stolen designs, which they have been adressing recently by starting co-operations with designers. They are all way more cost efficient to buy than Lego and mostly fill niches Lego does not cater to. I still occasionaly buy lego with huges discounts like 33%+ but otherwise I am finally free

[@SheClicksBricks]

So true. I have been looking at the Blue Brixx Mediterranean City Villa. They have some great stuff. Great to hear that a Mould King. I am still so new to this big alternative world. Thanks for your comment 🙂

[@ericgoldthrite4196]

I've purchased replica sets of Lego I already own, that way I can build the replica and keep the real Lego set in box for investment.

[@SheClicksBricks]

That is a great idea.🥰 Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@ivansmith654]

I 110% agree with you! As for ethics I have them however I lose them when I ask for help and get told no their don't have to help me! I ask for help from other sometimes I get help it is sad Lego is to big to understand that, but than why would Lego care about the lost of one customer and others need more customers I move towards those that help me get what I need, and learn to accept Lego does not need or want me! Accepting defeat is hard, but Lego will kick away, so why not walk away! I am here for the challenge and I for the most part don't care how I get it 2000 pieces and two of them don't fit right it is up to me to find a way to fix it, and the other often do that by mistake and it is that which I look for something Lego cannot do! I only learn to do this because of Lego kicking me when I was down I got back up, and move over, and don't regret it life is a challenge learn to move with it!

[@SheClicksBricks]

I get it. I will always be grateful to Lego for introducing me to the brick hobby, but it is hard to love something that I feel doesn't love me back(Essh the prices). There are other companies that will gladly make me feel more valued. They may not be perfect and as a result, I now accept that part of the hobby for me is trying to find solutions to the small problems that occur for time to time. Thank you for sharing 😊and Thank you for your support🥰

[@changhupcheng5621]

The key issue is missing pieces. There can be just so many of them in one set. And they dun click as well……

[@SheClicksBricks]

This is true. I haven't had any major issues yet, a small part here and there, that I have had in my spare parts collection. I have read horror stories, but nothing I can personally speak of. This is one of the reasons I don't really buy from AliExpress to often anymore. I found reputable resellers that have no problem shipping out any missing, broken pieces or malformed pieces. Thanks for sharing🥰

[@changhupcheng5621]

@@SheClicksBricks my experience is based on the Wall-E set. There were so many pieces missing and when I contacted the supplier with a long list of missing parts, they did not reply. It was cheap though… just S$28.

[@SheClicksBricks]

That is awful. I am sorry that happened to you. $28 is still $28. When you bought it, was it a new release or had it been in production awhile? Care to name the seller?

[@juliosilva6008]

I also feel that LEGO is over priced, and I like the idea of having alternatives. Just not straight copies, I dont think that's fair for LEGO, is like you create something, loose time and effort putting it toguether and someone just pickup the sketch and sell for a fraction of the price, maybe that price is even lower than your costs to "create/develop", so even if LEGO did not win nothing maybe they could not do at that price... Others like CaDA get my thumbs up, are making their own path, creating amazing builds by their own, and there you can also see the prices rising and not being all that cheap... also I think the piece quality is not that good as LEGO pieces, but I believe they are on the right track to be a good alternative to LEGO, and doing that I think they deserve it. Others that just copy-paste I dont think they deserve my money. Even if I've seen several copies that you can hardly tell the difference, but again it's not fair... But I agree when you say that LEGO cost's too much, the latest prices are really high, and it's no longer a cheap hobbie right now... Also dont forget that if you buy original LEGO later it's easier to resell than copies, some you can even sell higher than the price you bought... I am just sharing my opinion.

[@SheClicksBricks]

You have a good point. It reminds me of something that should have made it into this video, but will definitely be in a follow up video. I bought a Nifeliz Street Modern Café from Amazon. This was my first Alt brick set. After doing some research I found it was a from a independent designer named Ohsojang and Nifeliz ripped them off, fortunately I was able to pay for the instructions on rebrickable to ensure the designer got their cut. Independent designers should be paid and get credit. Question: If I sourced all the individual pieces to build, lets say the Lego Detective Office from Brick Link and built it without buying the actual Lego set (Which Lego hobbyist do all the time in an effort to save money.) How is that is different than buying a 3rd party set with admitted lesser quality, but with all of the pieces already in one package? CaDA is an amazing product and I bet Lego is watching them closely. The resale of replicas will be nowhere near Lego value and it may be less hassle to recycle it depending on where you live.🤣 Thank you for sharing, I do appreciate you taking the time.😀

[@juliosilva6008]

@@SheClicksBricks nice to hear back from you. Indeed there are also many guys out there that use rebrickable MOC's to do the same as this guys do with LEGO sets. Being the cost of this instructions usually small and to non-profit people that's even worse. I've made a BMW MOC that I've paid the instructions, source the original LEGO pieces my own, and found several sites selling as a kit with non LEGO bricks :(... Regarding your question, since you are building with original LEGO parts, using the LEGO FREE instructions and not stealing nothing (making money with it) I think is the same as you buying the LEGO set. I've been thinking of doing that with the Ghostbusters Firehouse Headquarters since it's already retired and used ones are way too expensive, but even that way its too expensive... Other thing that you could also mention on next video is the building experience. I have some MOC's (from great design guys shared on Rebrickable) and even with LEGO original pieces, but I dont have the same building experience as with original LEGO set's (inpite the final result look great). I also have a big "technic type" Mustang (super car scale), that is not a clone also uses other non original LEGO brick (but with fair/good quality), and the build experience is not the same as original LEGO. I heard from several guys that buy cloned LEGO that they use the original LEGO Instructions to build the clone set, cause the cloned instructions aren't that good to follow, usually many steps to page to save paper... So this is a point you can talk about in your video. (no need credits for this idea :), feel free to use if you want to). All the best.

[@SheClicksBricks]

@juliosilva6008 Of course, I cant put something like this out there and just ignore people that have a different take on it then me. This is how I learn. I appreciate you being respectful. In case your interested. I just ordered an Alt brick Ghostbuster HQ. The bags aren’t numbered and I bet the minfigs are suspect $150.🤣 That is a steep price for Alt Bricks. Great idea, It will be added to the follow up. My husband is in the middle of a terrible building experience now, Alt Technic set. I have been fairly lucky. I have used the Lego instructions at times for clarification. I am not sure It is something I want to mention in a video.🙂 Thank you - Stacey😀

[@juliosilva6008]

@@SheClicksBricks please note that I am not judguing you or anyone who only buys cloned sets!! I respect who are against and who dont like it a lot, but the price is huge and makes a hole difference when you also have a "house" to pay... I'm only sharing my opinion and what I usually do, not saying who/what is right or wrong. I appreciate sharing your opinion and your experience with those sets. Titanic is also a "dream" to me, would love to hear from him, please share both (Titanic and Ghostbusters HQ) experiences. I also have to say that this is your first video from you I've seen, looking forward to see part II :).

[@SheClicksBricks]

@juliosilva6008 Thank you my friend. You are always welcome here. Ghostbusters I hope to have vy end of the month. 😀

[@garyolsen6018]

Sorry, I will never use alt bricks again. I tried a few off brand sets, and assembling those was a nightmare. Pieces had to be forced together, instructions were poor, and too many pieces were deformed. Never again.

[@SheClicksBricks]

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad time with Alt bricks. May I ask, was this a recent experience? My husband is doing a clone of the yamaha motorcycle. It is technic and technic is his thing. He is finding the pieces difficult at times he is using a lot of force in this build and doesn't appear to happy.. He said this is his worst one, yet by far. I should ask him if he regrets the purchase. Thank you for sharing your experience. 😀

[@mobiusbelts3607]

Alt bricks have gotten significantly better in quality in the last 6-7 years; when did you try the off brand sets?

[@SheClicksBricks]

@@mobiusbelts3607 This⬆️👍

[@garyolsen6018]

I tried a couple of Cobi sets last year.@@SheClicksBricks

[@SheClicksBricks]

Learn about Lego's competitor GoBricks kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5zVhoVmpLF0oNE

[@MinifigJez]

I think alternative bricks are fine, if you don’t mind the lesser quality of some brands and potential customer service issues that you can get. BUT… Duplicates of Lego sets are NOT acceptable. Duplicating an existing set is copyright infringement, and especially with Lego Ideas sets, when it means the Lego fan designer is losing out on their potential royalties on their design, or sets with IP’s like Star Wars or Harry Potter etc. they won’t have paid the relevant fees to the people who own the rights to the source material.

[@SheClicksBricks]

You have some good points and I feel I addressed most in the video. I am not certain, but i believe a fan designer gets 1%. I think a multi billion dollar company like Lego can do better than that. Sounds like Lego maybe taking advantage of consumers in this matter as well. There are ethical questions to be asked and answered all around. I would start with why Lego thinks it's a luxury brand. Thanks for you comment. 🙂

[@MinifigJez]

@@SheClicksBricks I wouldn't say it's a Luxury brand, but definitely a premium brand. I've tried other 3rd party building block bands, and I still truly believe that no-one else has bricks that go together as well as Lego does.Mega Blocks come close, but the very cheap Chinese brands, are exactly that... very cheap! I see what you mean about only getting 1% as an Ideas creator, but the creators go into it knowing their percentage, and the ones I've spoken to, are just hoping that their idea becomes a real set, the money they could get is secondary. Anyway, it's a VERY good subject for a video, and you laid out all the pros, cons and arguments well. and like you say, you love how the replica Rivendell set turned out, and as a consumer I can see why you "loved it just as much" but the point still remains, that the Chinese company who made it, didn't have to pay designers who would have spent months and more likely years (in man hours) working out the parts needed and how it would go together, and they certainly didn't pay any money to Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. It doesn't;t matter how big that organisation is, if I spent time and money making something and someone else copied it without all the work and profited off my work, I'd be rightfully annoyed. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Best wishes.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Well said. I will say the Chinese bricks have come a long way. Many companies are not very far off Lego quality. Lego at one time was a kids toy, that has changed dramatically over the years and they now market to AFOL's and as a result they raised their prices. Not because they had to, but simply because they could. When Heinz did that to ketchup, I started buying no name🤣. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. All sides of this, should be represented in this conversation🥰.

[@MinifigJez]

@@SheClicksBricks Thanks - it was nice chatting with you. P.S. I liked your Titanic wall mounting solution!

[@SheClicksBricks]

@@MinifigJez I enjoyed it as well🙂 Thanks, the Titanic is still there, I need to take it down to dust it. 😪 I hate dusting Lego, but that one is in the living room. 😒

[@bricklets]

Lego Alternatives are fine, but you shouldn't support or advertise stolen designs.

[@SheClicksBricks]

Good point, but Lego themselves have built a multi-billion dollar a year company off what many believe was a stolen design (their original block) from a company called Kiddiecraft. www.inverso.pt/legos/clones/texts/kiddicraft.htm

[@bricklets]

@SheClicksBricks so did Mega Contrux , Cada and Bluebrix and many others. But they don't sell stolen building designs, even using the original box art. You can't deny it's wrong.

[@SheClicksBricks]

@bricklets These sets normally come in a non-descript plastic bag. Box art is not the norm and i agree that may be suspect. So if, Mega Contrux , Cada and Bluebrix and many others , don’t forget to include Lego. Stole designs(I would have liked to have seen a source for your statement. I provided you with a source), it sounds like your beef is with them. I didn’t steal anything. I showed what I bought on my channel. And it clearly doesn’t compare to Lego when talking quality or customer service it is just less expensive. I certainly didn’t profit from it like the others you mentioned. Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@bricklets]

@@SheClicksBricks Please don't twist my words, I have no beef with anyone, I said Cada, Bluebrix etc use the same type of building bricks that were suposingly stolen 100 years ago. (but are free to produce today so they didnt steal anything really) But they sell their own designs or designs from good MOC builders. These builders are payed for their designs and mentioned. These are also great products for a lot cheaper without hurting another company. I dont see why my statement needs source material, I didnt read it on the internet, it's my personal opinion and just regular norms and values. I also never said you stole anything but you do support the people that do by buying their products.

[@SheClicksBricks]

I am so sorry; I completely misread your comment. I thought you were saying those place all stole designs. (Which is why I wanted to see a source). I agree with you about CaDA, Blue Brixx, Pantasy etc. I believe they are great products. When I first started with Alt bricks, I bought a set off of Amazon, a few days later I am on rebrickable and I see it was someone’s MOC. I promptly paid for the instructions. MOC designers should be paid. I would hope by now some resellers are starting to work with that community in efforts to get them paid for their work. Honestly it is something that got missed in this video, but it is something that will most certainly be in a follow up video. It is important. I appreciate you taking the time to clarify 😊😊

[@ArjanGroe]

When you say “replica sets”, you actually should be saying counterfeit sets, which are illegal. All fair, you do you, but please dont sugarcoat it. You are spending your money where you want, but it’s unethical. Also, if you enjoy building sets that much, you may be able to look into renting sets, or being part of a pool of builders who rotate sets around. That would keep the costs (and space) down.

[@SheClicksBricks]

When I say Replica, I could say "Knockoff". The definition of Counterfeit is made in exact imitation of something valuable or important with the intention to deceive or defraud. A Knock Off is something that looks similar made of lesser quality, but is not trying to fool anyone into thinking it is the real product. Thanks for your comment. 😊

[@SO-ym3zs]

Yes, there's a big difference, ethically and in terms of quality, between the counterfeit/knock off Lego sets that are stealing Lego designs and repackaging them and actual Lego alternatives: legitimate brands like Cobi, Pantasy, CaDA, BlueBrixx, Funwhole, etc. who offer their own designs and are often on par or better than Lego in terms of quality.

[@plpa8250]

And Lego stole the brick idea from Hilary Page. And Lego Ideas is just streamlined idea theft. If Adobe Photoshop did the same thing they'd be litigated. Lego purists can do all the mental gymnastics they want, they still know it to be true. So get off your high horse or gtfo. 😂

[@SO-ym3zs]

@@plpa8250 I'm far from a Lego purist, but with the Ideas program, submitters legally give the rights to their submission to Lego. That contract makes for interesting reading.

[@SO-ym3zs]

Lego Ideas isn't theft. When you submit a design, you formally agree to give Lego the legal rights to it for three years and are not allowed to profit from it. I find it funny when people complain about what Lego does with Ideas submissions: those submissions are Lego's property to do with as they please. If someone is innocent/gullible/foolish enough to give away their designs to Lego for free, that's on them.@@plpa8250