There have been rumors circulating that the #10218 LEGO Creator Pet Shop is going to get retired soon. While LEGO usually doesn’t outright say that they are planning to retire a set, there are signs that indicate a set is soon going to be gone. In case of the LEGO Creator Pet Shop there are several indicators; the set has been around since 2011, and based on how long previous LEGO Modulars stayed around (two-four years), it is due to being retired this year. In addition, the only place you can still find the set is at the Online LEGO Shop (it shows as out of stock but you can still order it). So let’s talk about this before it’s to late. 🙂
As I have mentioned above, the #10218 LEGO Creator Pet Shop was released in 2011 and to this day it is considered one of the best sets in the LEGO Modular Buildings line. The most obvious feature of the set is that it is split into two buildings on two 16×32 stud baseplates. This makes the buildings extremely versatile; you can put them next to each other in two ways, and you can also mix them in between other buildings. Also, if your display-space is a bit short, you might still be able to squeeze in one half next to the other sets that are all on 32×32 baseplates.
The LEGO Creator Pet Shop has another major advantage; it is the easiest building to duplicate to create row-houses. In other words, if you get multiple sets you can put several of the apartment side of the buildings next to each other to make a row of apartments, and you can also duplicate the pet shop side to create a row of small stores. I have also seen people rebuilding both sides on a full 32×32 baseplate, thus making both buildings wider. While others add an additional second story to make the buildings taller. And you can also rebuild both buildings in different colors (the sand-blue side of the buildings looks particularly nice in sand-green). The point is that this is one of the most versatile of all the LEGO Modular Buildings.
The inside of the LEGO Creator Pet Shop also has a lot of options. The pet shop side of the building can be turned into other type of small stores (I converted mine into a little grocery store). You can also play with the lettering above to the shop to make out different words and learn the art of lettering with LEGO. And the little split-story apartment above the pet shop is absolutely lovely. The other side with the big three-story apartment is originally quite bare, with just a couch, small tables, moving boxes and a minifig painting the walls – all indicating a family just moving in. Some LEGO fan’s didn’t like that this building is not finished on the inside, however I think this increases the playability, and allows you to tinker with the set long after you finish building it. (I should add here that all of the first LEGO Modular Buildings were unfinished on the inside. It is a fairly new development that now they have a fully furnished.)
As you can see, the LEGO Creator Pet Shop is very modular and very creative in so many ways. While the other sets in the LEGO Modular Buildings line are a lot more specific, and would take quite a bit of effort and money to make them into something else, the LEGO Creator Pet Shop can easily be duplicated, modified, refurnished, redecorated in so many different ways. It is truly the most adaptable of the entire collection. And it also looks really sweet as it is. A lot of people consider the LEGO Creator Pet Shop as their most favorite LEGO Modular Building to this day. I myself count the set in my top three favorite LEGO Modulars – especially the sand-blue side (photo below: Pet Shop Steet by cimddwc).
Going back to how this set is rumored to be retired soon, if you have ever considered getting it, please don’t wait. I remember last year when the #10224 LEGO Creator Town Hall was retired suddenly and ahead of schedule. The LEGO Creator Town Hall is the most expensive in the collection and a lot of people felt that it was a bit too big, too expensive, and not too interesting compared to the other ones, but still, when the set disappeared from the shelves there were so many frantic people trying to get one. It was just really sad. The LEGO Creator Pet Shop is much more desirable than the LEGO Creator Town Hall, and it is also much cheaper. Once the set is gone though, expect prices to skyrocket on the secondary market, like we have seen with all other LEGO Modular Buildings. So even if you are not fully ready for it, just get it now and put it away until you are.
The #10218 LEGO Creator Pet Shop is listed as out of stock at the Online LEGO Shop, however this simply means that you can still order it, but may need to wait a bit until you receive it. Although the listing says it will ship in 30 days, in my experience out of stock items ship much-much faster than that. There is a limit of five sets per household, so you have the option to get extra ones for customizing and expanding, like we talked about before. Also, remember that this set qualifies for free shipping even if this is the only item you get, and also right now we are still in the Double VIP Points period (expires in just four days), so you can earn 299 points on this set, which is basically like a $15 discount. You can find the LEGO Creator Pet Shop, as well as the more recent LEGO Modular Buildings at the Online LEGO Shop.
So what do you think? Do you have the LEGO Modular Pet Shop already? Or are you considering getting it while it is still available? Are you planning to get just one, or get some extras as well? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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I have the Pet Shop and agree that it is the best modular building! I love it!
I’d love for it to last till summer and I’ll have enough money to get it, but I’ll just have to wait and see.
“LEGO usually doesn’t outright say that they are planning to retire a set”. LOL!
Yeah, if that was the case they would have a Retiring Soon section on their website. Oh wait, they do.
The Retiring Soon section of the Online LEGO Shop usually list items that they just want to move out of the way and are on sale. Very desirable sets like the Modulars, the LEGO Ideas sets and other high-end collectible items never make it here. They simply disappear from the market while LEGO fans run around frantically trying to find the last available boxes. Have seen it too many times… 😕
They may as well not even have one.
Hey! I wouldn’t say my running was frantic. OK, it was frantic. Smarty
He-he… we are watchin’ you! 🙄
Yup. Already sold out in most physical stores in London…
**”There HAVE been a lot of rumors….”**
Sorry, just thought I should point that out… 😛
On the topic of retired sets, I found a toy store in Rome that had a ton of old and new lego sets (including the only Death Star I have ever seen sold outside of a lego store) and they had old promotional minifigures selling for around $40.
It was called Pinnocchio toys if anyone wants to check it out. They had the largest lego section that I have ever seen outside of a lego store. They also had opened minifig packs that you could buy to get the minifig you wanted for extra money
It is always fun to find little stores like that! They are becoming more and more rare!
I’m very surprised that his modular is so ubiquitously loved, since it’s actually my 3rd LEAST favorite of all 10 (ranks above cafe corner and market street because it has an interior, more volume than MS, and a more interesting facade than CC). Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good set, but all the modular buildings are so good that I feel that PS doesn’t stack up. I’ll admit, I had never considered it’s ability to be duplicated easily or customized into a different store, since I have a limited budget and only bought one and I’m a bit unoriginal, so I just built the set from the instructions and put it on a shelf without customization, so I suppose that with that added versatility it’s better than I had thought. My main problem with it is that it’s so short, it just doesn’t blend in well with the other modulars (especially for me because I have it next to the Town Hall, but that I guess was a mistake on my part). My favorite is still the green grocer, but that might just be because it was my first. I’m sad to see the new modulars be consistently small, even if it allows them to be more detailed overall, I would gladly pay $180 rather than the current $150-$160 if it meant we got GG-sized modulars again. heck, I’d pay $200 for each one if they were as big as the Town Hall.
I also have my Pet Shop next to the Town Hall and as far as I’m concerned it looks just fine. Town Halls are much larger buildings than others even in real life, so I think it’s pretty accurate size-wise. Yeah, as it was discussed, the Pet Shop is one of the most versatile of the Modular Buildings in so many ways. While my #1 favorite is the Parisian Restaurant, it is too specific to be used for anything else but a restaurant. Whereas with the Pet Shop so much can be done.
I think the trend is going to go in the direction of smaller and more detailed Modulars. While the original Modulars have its fans, there are also a lot of people who didn’t get them because they were too big, and pretty much empty on the inside. The Town Hall was retired early because people didn’t like the larger size and higher price. I think with the Pet Shop, Parisian Restaurant, and Detective’s Office LEGO found the sweet spot for sets that are not too big not too small, very detailed with good play-features, looks great on display without taking up too much space, and also come with a reasonable price.
According to my calculations the next building should be a corner one, and I’m really curious how LEGO is going to handle it. The last corner building was the Palace Cinema, and while it looks good on the outside, people complained that it is too boring on the inside. I haven’t gotten any of corner buildings because I don’t really like them.
The point is that we all have our most favorite and least favorite Modulars and there is nothing wrong with that. I don’t think it’s possible to satisfy everyone, but LEGO has been keeping a good variety to make a good number of people happy every year with whatever Modular they release. My suggestion is to stick with the ones you really like, and just skip the ones you don’t. There is no need to collect LEGO sets just for the sake of completeness. 🙂
NOW you tell me?!!!
“There is no need to collect LEGO sets just for the sake of completeness.”
LOL! I actually know someone who collected every single LEGO set ever made. Including some very obscure and really rare ones. He had an amazing collection. Notice that I said “had”. Collecting never seem to have a happy ending. 😯
I know someone who does polybags and the lego employee sets and has spent well over $1k on a single polybag and almost $2k on some of the employee sets.
And no the “completeness” doesnt end well…
Yeah, that’s exactly the kind of collector I’m referring to…
Nice article and thanks for the heads up. Bought and built this set last year- loved it. About three weeks ago ordered two more and they just shipped. The website is still showing them on backorder but like you said you can still order them. Thinking about ordering one more . unfortunately, I was one of those unlucky souls that got cut off guard by the Town Hall retirement. I took a break from collecting from about last Fall to just recently and could not believe that it was gone. Even more irritating is the $450 to $500 average sales price. It was one of the sets I wasn’t crazy about and kept putting off…..but still wanted it. Lesson learned.
That’s so sad you missed out on the Town Hall. I almost missed out myself, but there was like a few days window when it was still available and I got one. Right after that it because unavailable. It’s interesting how people didn’t like this set as much, and that’s why LEGO retired it early, but once it was retired everybody wanted it. I’m glad you got enough Pet Shops though! 🙂
It is a nice set but not one of my favorite. I prefer the non-split modular building. With limited space to house my modular and MOC, I will likely just stick with the one set that I have. I may eventually pick up another Detective’s Office because I like the parts better.
Let’s hope it doesn’t retire till July, else I will miss out on it 🙁
Personally I wouldn’t wait that long. It is already sold out everywhere, not even available at LEGO stores, and the only place still listed is at the Online LEGO Shop, and even there it’s back-ordered. If you are interested in this set and you are planning to get it later in the year, please don’t wait. I’m sorry to say but I guarantee that you will regret it. 😕
I know I will regret it but you can’t buy LEGO without money. So I’ll have to wait. Luckily there would be three more to choose from if this one retires.
Get it asap! Stock is running very low. 150$ for the pet shop is well spend
Are you like the Pet Shop personified? Just wondering… 🙄
Ohh, i got 5 of them.
The Pet Shop is hands-down my favorite modular building available today. The box-art is reminiscent of the past 5 modulars, as opposed to the new CREATOR label on the new modulars, which I rather dislike. When I compare the Pet Shop to the Detective’s Office, it’s no doubt that the Pet Shop is the victor. It has a nicer exterior as well as a nicer interior, and has all 3 stories fully built to perfection.
David, yes, a lot of people consider the Pet Shop the best or one of the best modular. Personally my favorite is the Parisian Restaurant, followed by the Pet Shop, and the Detective’s Office. But yeah, the Pet Shop is an awesome set! 🙂
On the American site it says it will ship around 15 July now but I’ve also checked the dutch one and still is readily available there.
The pet shop is still being sold in the UK Lego stores and toys’r’us. We were in the shop in Sheffield today. Maybe you guys can get it shipped from here?
Paula, while the Pet Shop is the next modular set that should be retired, it is still going strong. LEGO has been restocking it regularly. 🙂
We just started getting back into legos after many years, and my wife had been looking at the modular buildings thinking how nice (but expensive) they were. She would never spend $150 on herself, so I decided to buy one (the Parisian Restaurant) for Christmas before realizing that sets can be retired. Then she saw on the back of the box of one of the sets in store that it showed some buildings that had been retired already. I think she would also like the Palace Cinema as well, but now that I’m reading how the Pet Shop may be close to retiring, I’m wondering if I should also buy one of these as a future gift idea sooner rather than later. Are there any indications that the Palace Cinema may also be close to retiring? Both of these are listed as hard to find on the lego site.
First of all, welcome back to this wonderful and creative hobby. For adult LEGO fans it is often the Modular Buildings that brings them back into LEGO. They are such lovely buildings. And if you consider that LEGO only releases one modular building per year, it is really not that expensive as far as a hobby is concerned; less than $15 a month.
Once you catch up with the older sets that you and your wife likes, it will be easy to maintain. Just remember that new modulars are always released in January of each year. So far the pattern has been that each modular is around for four years. This pattern was broken by the Town Hall, which was retired after three years. The Pet Shop should be retiring this year, but since it is a very popular set, and the only one with a split design, they may keep it around longer.
The Palace Cinema was released in 2013, so it should be around for another couple of years, although my gut feeling says it may be retired a bit early – maybe towards the end of 2016. If I were you, I would definitely get the Pet Shop now because it has the most risk of being retired soon. And while I’m pretty sure the Parisian Restaurant will be around for a while, it is my absolute favorite modular set, and I highly recommend it. It is a great set to start with getting back to the LEGO hobby. The Parisian Restaurant and the Pet Shop look particularly good next to each other.
You didn’t mention the Detective’s Office, so I assume you guys are not interested in that one. It is a really nice set as well, but it does have a different style – although looks perfectly fine next to the other modulars. You really can’t go wrong with any of the sets in this series. They are all incredibly well designed, a pleasure to build, and look beautiful to display. Again, once you catch up with previously released sets, it will be much easier to maintain your collection, if you choose to add more buildings. However once a set is retired, it immediately doubles, triples or even more on the secondary market. So always buy the ones you like while they are still around. I hope this helps some. 😉
I have spoken to a few customer service reps at lego uk. They have said pet shop and persian resturant still have a two year running life and apparenyly they have a lot of stock so don’t panic. What are your thoughts ? Could this be true or do the advisors only have little insight and no information about the modular sets due to retire in the future?
Sybilla, the Parisian Restaurant is definitely going to be around for a while as it was released not that long ago. As far as the Pet Shop, it has broken previous records of when it suppose to get retired. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that it is a split design, and one of the most versatile buildings of all the Modulars.
As far as talking with customer service, all I can say is my recent experience when the Town Hall was retired early. I have talked to LEGO reps numerous times about the set, and I always got a different answer, but pretty much all of them assured me that it will be back – which wasn’t true. So personally I prefer to depend on my own and other LEGO fans’ experiences, as well as historical trends, rather than their sales reps.
In summary, my recommendation for those who do not have the Pet Shop yet but would like to get it, is to make it a priority to get it as soon as possible. All the others can wait. If the set stays around longer there is no harm to get it now, and if it suddenly gets pulled from the market like previous ones did, then you will be glad you got it already. Prices on retired Modulars are crazy. The Pet Shop is also quite lovely. I really like the blue side of the building.
Thank you kindly for your reply. I notice you mention that the Parisian restaurant will be around for longer but yet the Town Hall got pulled early so why is it not possible that the Parisian restaurant or any other Modular can’t be pulled early? Hopefully we will be doing the pulling directly to our home addresses rather than running around frantic in the secondary market. Without running shoes of course 🙂
The Town Hall was pulled early because it didn’t sell well. It is a very plain building with a significant price-jump. The Parisian Restaurant is considered the most beautiful Modular ever released by LEGO. It is extremely popular and sells very well. I actually expect it to have the same long-term success as the Pet Shop.
I asked lego through their e-mail application (thingy), and they said that the Pet Shop is expected to last until the end of 2016, but it depends on demand. Does this mean it’s safe to buy during the summer, so I can get more funds to purchase it?
Victor… hm… I wish I could give you a definite answer, but that’s not possible. The Town Hall was retired at the end of September in 2014. I was lucky enough to get one of the last copies. This is not a sign that’s when the Pet Shop will get retired, but LEGO does usually have an end-of summer clearance. Then there is also the year-end clearance. Then a new modular in January. So I think the end of the year is more probable, but if sales are slow, it could also be the end of the summer. I would suggest that between now and the time you are ready to purchase you check on the set once a month to see if it is still in stock at the Online LEGO Shop, and if there is a note like “retiring soon”, or “out of stock” or something like that.
Thanks! Sorry to be so annoying, but do you think that it still would be safe for me to buy the Pet Shop in, say around May or June? It’s because I’m also considering the Parisian Restaurant, and although I know it’s more prudent to buy the shop now and the restaurant later, it’s becoming a challenge to me, as I much prefer the restaurant.
My favorite is also the Parisian Restaurant, and I had a lukewarm feeling about the Pet Shop. I originally only bought it because how my shelves are positioned, I needed two half buildings. However building the set was very pleasurable, and now I absolutely love the blue side of the building (I converted mine into a grocery shop). It has such a nice color-combination and it looks especially good next to the Parisian Restaurant. I have been thinking about also making a sand-green version, and sand-red would be nice too.
I’m positive that the Parisian Restaurant will be around for a while, so you should have at least a couple of more years to buy it. I can’t say the same thing about the Pet Shop. I think you should be safe to buy it May-June as that is before the summer clearance when LEGO purges a lot of sets, but personally, if I wouldn’t have it yet, I wouldn’t push it any further. So if you can buy the Parisian now, and still buy the Pet Shop in May-June, my guess is that you should be fine.
Also, you don’t have to buy all of the Modulars. It is perfectly fine to just get the ones you like. If you only like the Parisian, than just get that one. It is actually one of the only sets that looks excellent all by itself (the other is the Green Grocer) – at least in my opinion.
So, if you are not so enthusiastic about the Pet Shop, then don’t worry about it. However if you have any inclination towards it – even if it is not your favorite – I would recommend you get it before it sells out. Otherwise you will deeply regret missing out. I went through the same with the Fire Brigade. I wasn’t sure if I wanted it, and missed out. It is the only one I ended up paying aftermarket prices for, because later I really wanted it.
It was the Parisian Restaurant that got me into the modulars. Previously I wasn’t so interested. So it seems our taste is quite similar. Once I got the Parisian however, I was hooked. I loved the great detailing, the building experience, and how substantial and beautiful the set looked. I bought two more sets shortly after; the Pet Shop and the Town Hall. The three looked very nice together. Then gradually I also added the Detective’s Office, the Brick Bank and the Fire Brigade, and I have room for one more. 😉
Im not dmin however I think it depends on your list of priorities Victor. If you don’t mind the risk of letting pet shop slip then I would buy the one you will really enjoy. However if you are a collector than I would definitely not wait too long to buy the pet shop as it has been around for atleast 4 years + so indeed it could retire anytime. I have bought the pet shop first not because I like it but because it may retire soon. My favourite is parisian restaurant too but I’m taking a chance it will be here for longer God willing.
Looks like we all love the Parisian the most! And I agree with your points as well.
Thanks for both the admin’s and Bano’s suggestions! Your comments helped to decide which to buy first (Restaurant by the way, if you are interested). I decided to take a risk and hope that the Pet Shop lasts until June. 🙂
Victor, good choice and good plan. I’m sure you will enjoy the Parisian as your first build. 🙂
This set just went to being “temporarily out of stock”, with no expected shipping date like the other “out of stock” sets have. I wonder if this is the end? If so, thank you for writing this article, because it convinced me to get the Pet Shop first, and I did!
Bryan, I’m glad you were able to get it. This set was released in 2011, so yeah, it is well pasts due the normal retirement schedule. We may not be able to precisely predict the exact time, but this is a set I would not gamble with trying to get it in the last minute.
Thanks for taking the time to read the comments! 🙂 I have one other comment about my Pet Shop that I’m curious if you know the answer to. My railing pieces in the set I bought last week were not the same as the ones shown in the manual. The railings appear in white on the top floor of the Pet Shop apartment, and in black in the front of the large house. The manual shows railings with only two pegs on the top, with a flat middle. My railings have 4 pegs on top. I do not plan to sell my modular buildings, but I’m concerned that if I ever were to have to sell them that this could be a point of contention that I was providing a set with substitute pieces, when that’s how they actually came.
Oh yeah, so the question is: Have all Pet Shop sets come with this type of railing, or did the proper railing go out of production and they started subbing?
Bryan, I know exactly what you are talking about, because I ran into the same thing with my set. I also bought mine later, not when the set was originally released. The fence pieces with the two studs on top were retired in 2014, and replaced with the fence pieces with four studs. So in later production sets, you will get both the white and black fences with four studs.
BrickLink acknowledges this change, and lists the 4 stud versions for both colors as alternate items in the set. So, if you ever need to sell, you can refer the buyer to the BrickLink page for the set and let them know that you bought a later production run with the alternate fences.
On mine I ended up replacing both the white and black fences with the 2 stud versions, because I think they look better in those particular applications. 🙂
Thank you, I’m glad I got that figured out now! It makes me wonder how often a set gets retired in part because they just don’t feel like making a certain piece anymore. Like I doubt they’ll be subbing the pieces that make up the front of the roof of the Ace Brickman building. What are they, giant robot hands? Once the machine that spits those out is finished with its run, that set is going to be retired for sure. lol.
Substitution is actually pretty common, but it is usually minor things that most people won’t even notice. For example several of the modulars have both versions of the 1×2 jumper plate, because they transitioned from the old kind (without groove) to the new kind (with groove), so many sets during the transition years have both. I actually had to partially take apart and rebuilt the Fire Brigade when I realized the set includes both versions and the patterns made with those parts weren’t matching.
Couple of other common pieces that you can find in the same set with both versions, is the headlight brick with or without slot, and the 1×2 brick with the Technic axle whole shaped like an X.
As far as the Detective’s Office, yes those are the large figure hands. They are a very important piece in the Constraction (Construction + Action) line, so I doubt they will be retired any time soon. They are used in all large figures: Hero Factory, Bionicle, Star Wars, Super Heroes, Chima, etc. Although minor variations are certainly possible.
Hey,
Normally I would buy the Brick Bank in a heartbeat, but now I’m not so sure. Which would you suggest I buy; Brick Bank or Pet Shop? Thanks!
Harold, if you have any inclination towards the Pet Shop, I would definitely go with that first, because it is way past due normal life-span of the modulars. It is a very nice build, and it is the only set with two separate buildings, which makes it very versatile as far as the layout. The Brick Bank will be around for a while and you can always get it later.
Also, if you don’t have any modulars yet, the Pet Shop looks better by itself. The Brick Bank is a corner building, so it would look kind of weird on its own. But you can’t go wrong with either, and I’m sure you will be happy with the result no matter which one you choose. 🙂
I personally have all of the ones that I could get ordered in time and to ALL THE PET SHOP IS STILL AVAILABLE IN THE US FOR RETAIL $149.99; but the Brick Bank and the Pairsian Restaurant are more expensive to buy as well as being worth more; honestly I’d like to trade ALL of my SEALED LEGO’s including the Tower Bridge to own all of them! Anyway I’m here because of the fact that I’m torn between the three sets; but after reading this, I might just stick with the Pet Shop and Palace Cinema as well as the Detective Office; IF ANYONE HAS A STRONG OPINION ABOUT THOSE THREE OR THE FOLLOWING TWO SETS PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP; TECHNIC 24-Hour Race Car and the Tower(London) Bridge, but I have SOO much of my family in London that I’m also thinking of getting the Buckingha
Palace, or whatever it’s called
If you are planning to own all of the modulars, I do recommend that you start with the older ones first; Pet Shop and Palace Cinema. My favorite is the Parisian, but they are all really good. You won’t be disappointed with any of them, and again, if you intend to own them all it is best to give priority to the older ones to make sure you don’t miss out. Prices on all the modulars shot up as soon as they get retired. Big Ben was just released recently, so it will be around for a few years.
I’m not sure about how long we can expect the 24-Hour Race Car to be around though. I personally don’t really like those big Technic sets because of all the stickers. But if you are into racecars it can be a good choice. I would still pick up the older modulars first. 🙂
Hi,
I just checked the lego.com site, but the Pet Shop is temporarily out of stock. Does this mean it’s now gone, or when will it come back?
Hm… not sure. It says “temporarily out of stock”, and “check back in August” (which is of course now). The fact that they are saying the shortage is temporary, my guess would be that they making at least one other run. What we really have to worry about is when they say “sold out”.
Hey,
I’ve been wanting to buy the Pet shop, but I was also thinking about the VW Camper Van. I wanted to know your thoughts on this, like which set’s better, what’s more likely to retire, etc. Thanks!
Hm… that’s the tough one, as they are completely different kind of sets. The VW Camper is a very accurate replica of the real vehicle, and looks great on display. The Pet Shop is one of the Modular buildings, and it looks best displayed with the other modulars. While it looks great on display, it is also minifig scale, so it is excellent for play as well. So I can’t really say which one is better, as they are both great, just in a different way. They are also both older sets that should be retiring in the near future. But when exactly, nobody knows at this point.