After Forange left a very positive impression on me with the FC8508 Beauty Shop, I’m moving on with the FC8503 review. This is part of the same Dream Cottage “mini-house” series. It’s a brick-built pet bookshop made of 640 pieces.
I have to say that I built the set already last year and published the same time a video about it on my YouTube channel. I now complete this with a written version without the usual mega details of the construction.
Forange FC8503 Review
My wallet kindly sponsored the set. I bought the set online from Amazon.de for around 28€. As usual, delivery was fast, and it came in a lovely cardboard box with a brand roll with prints. I like the box concept because you can open and close it easily without destroying it.
As a reminder, Forange is a sub-brand of the Chinese company Meigaobao and is not only the designer of the set but also the manufacturer of the parts.
| Company/Designer | Forange |
| Bricks | Forange |
| Product name | Pet Bookstore |
| Age | 6+ |
| Set dimensions | 30x7x24cm |
| Product serial number | FC8503 |
| Pieces | 640 |
The building instruction is not characterized by its mega size. It is a small-sized format that requires you to take a second look at how something is built now and then. But it’s well made, the colors are fine and it doesn’t cause any problems.
The set consists of 640 parts, which are divided into two sections. After 2-3 hours of cozy building, the Forange FC8503 pet bookstore is ready to be explored.
Construction didn’t cause any problems. It was an easy-going build, with varied steps, including a good range of classic bricks and smaller parts.
The stone quality is at a very good level. It is not quite like Gobricks or LEGO but on a high level. 1-2 pieces had less clutch power; otherwise, they were just as convincing as in the beauty shop set. The included minifigures, which are unfortunately 1 to 1 clones of Lego Friends, are rather unpleasant.
Pet Bookstore
Chinese manufacturers love bookstores, flower shops, coffee shops… Forange has decided on a crossover here. The FC8503 is both a cat shop and a bookstore. They were probably inspired by the current trend of cat cafes available in every big city worldwide.
The entire building uses a lot of tan bricks but also a lot of transclear elements. Let’s start with a closer look at the entrance area. It consists of a simple, brown entrance door with a cat paw logo above it. The latter is fully brick-built and bears a print.
I can spoil it here. There are no stickers, just prints, and there are a few of them included—big plus.
In addition to the entrance door and logo, there are also simple plant elements in dominant orange and a mailbox made of a printed tile. Very simple and no fancy brick technique, but hey, it shows what it is. This is the most important.
Transclear panels and some black windows dominate the back of the building. The quality of the panels is rather mediocre. There are micro scratches, and they are slightly milky. Could be better. There were also some classic bricks in tan to create the structure
Turning once more we come to the other side. This consists of further trans-clear panels and more tan bricks. The clutch power of the panels isn’t perfect either, and you have to press harder to ensure that they sit tight.
The highlight of the set is the veranda-like part of the house. This consists of various black parts and windows. The slightly rounded roof, which shapes the whole house, is lovely. It is made of trans-clear wind screens.
Further, you can find a blue trash bin known from the Danish catalog, a simple bench, a printed panel with the opening hours on it, and some green elements. For me the most attractive side of the set. Top design.
Another interesting area is the roof of our pet bookstore . This uses…. bricks and brown plates which makes it slightly crooked.
Open It
Another feature of the set is the ability to open the set to the side. This means you can easily look inside the details or play with it. So it fulfills two points: adults can display it, and children can incorporate it into their brick world and play it.
On one side we see the bookshop with a large and other small shelves with colored books. There is also a slightly sizy orange ladder with a brown/white table.
I would have left the ladder out and added more books to make it look more like a store. But visually it looks very pleasing.
On the other side, we have our cat coffee with two orange LEGO Friends-based cats, another book shelve, and a striking office commode. There are also plants, a brown chair, and a table. Lamps have been attached above.
Not to forget in the Forange FC8503 review, the set also includes a very simple light kit with a battery box. Batteries are included. It’s nothing super fancy, but it’s a nice add-on.
German Video Review
Forange FC8503 Review Conclusion
Forange has once again managed to design a very charming building with lots of details. A true eye-catcher. Compared to the FC8508, the Pet Bookstore looks much more classic and traditional. I like the mix of classic bricks and the black veranda a lot.
For just 30€, you get a good amount of building fun, 600+ quality parts, and an original design that fits perfectly in every modern LEGO/alternative brick-built city.
The Transclear parts could be better, and the assembly instructions could have a bigger format. And Forange, please remove the Friends minifigures clones from the set. All in all, a great, almost no-brainer set with some minor weaknesses.
Forange FC8503 is available now for 30€+/- with discount
More information here: Forange
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