Result: What is your favourite set of 2023?
Posted by CapnRex101,
Following nearly 400 nominations in December, the twelve most popular sets produced in 2023 comprised our poll to determine the best set of the year.
Now, over 7000 votes have decided your winner and you can view the results below...
Winner: 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell - 2252 votes
- 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell - 2252 votes
- 10320 Eldorado Fortress - 837 votes
- 21343 Viking Village - 585 votes
- 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol - 551 votes
- 41757 Botanical Garden - 551 votes
- 21338 A-Frame Cabin - 483 votes
- 71799 NINJAGO City Markets - 404 votes
- 10318 Concorde - 380 votes
- 76269 Avengers Tower - 322 votes
- 21344 Orient Express Train - 320 votes
- 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser - 295 votes
- 21342 Insect Collection - 285 votes
I was lucky enough to see 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell at Fan Media Days in 2022 and could almost have predicted then that nothing would surpass the Elven town in 2023, such is the quality of this model. The magnitude of its victory is perhaps unexpected though, receiving more votes than the next three places combined!
I think this victory is well-deserved and I am not surprised by second place either, as 10320 Eldorado Fortress is exactly the kind of set I would expect Brickset readers to love, although there are areas to improve the Eldorado Fortress, in my view. I wonder how the likes of 10305 Lion Knights' Castle and 10497 Galaxy Explorer would have fared against 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, had they been released in the same year.
While first and second places are not at all surprising, 21343 Viking Village performed better than I expected. The set is undoubtedly excellent, but I thought it might be overshadowed by larger sets released in 2023. In fact, 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, 76269 Avengers Tower and 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser are relegated to the bottom half of this ranking.
Perhaps the most unexpected of all the exceptional sets in 2023 was 41757 Botanical Garden, as the level of detail seemed to surpass anything seen in Friends before. I am pleased to see the set rank highly in our poll, level with 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol. Although neither is small, it goes to show that sets containing several thousand pieces are not the only ones worthy of attention.
Are you surprised by these results and do you think any other sets were unlucky not to reach the final poll? Let us know in the comments.
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78 comments on this article
Ouch, my vote sunk to the very bottom. Poor Insect Collection lol
The results image should have percentages, not number of votes, shouldn't it?
tres heureux du classement du TEMPLE DE L'IDOLE D'OR .Son positionnement est parfaitement mérité. Surpris de la position de la TOUR DES AVENGERS. Je m'attendais a mieux.
Whilst acknowledging that this is all for fun and largely subjective, I do wonder how many people voting for Rivendell actually bought and built it. Or, irrespective of either, does "favourite" merely mean the set people most liked the look of...?
Ooh, big wallets this year! I still can't imagine spending that much on a set...
Maybe at the end of this year we could have a new category: set that offers the highest subjective value?
As expected - it is an amazing set.
I was surprised that Gringotts didn't make it into the top 12, I think it belongs on this list too. But there were lots of strong contenders.
@Robot99 said:
"Ouch, my vote sunk to the very bottom. Poor Insect Collection lol"
It's ok... Insects are used to being stepped on.
(I voted for Orient Express, so I'm not too far ahead of you.)
@Banners said:
"Whilst acknowledging that this is all for fun and largely subjective, I do wonder how many people voting for Rivendell actually bought and built it. Or, irrespective of either, does "favourite" merely mean the set people most liked the look of...?"
Per the Brickset database: 5,017 members own Rivendell, which makes it 3rd "most-owned" on this list of sets, behind Temple of the Golden Idol with 5,124 and A-Frame Cabin with 5,439. Pretty impressive, considering Rivendell is 2.8x the cost of the cabin and 3.3x the cost of the temple.
How many built it, we can only speculate. I own Rivendell but have not yet built it, though I also own A-Frame Cabin and have not yet built that either. :)
@Robot99 said:
"Ouch, my vote sunk to the very bottom. Poor Insect Collection lol"
I really liked insect collection but I was kinda out of by the fact that you spend possibly the majority of the build time building the environments and not the insects. Still a great set but it would have been best to get more minimalist stands and a $50 set or a set at the same price but with more insect builds.
Also the color grading in my instruction booklet was terrible. Probably the worst of any Lego set I've built. Probably done so so you could differentiate the more similar colors but some of the other colors looked way off.
Not surprised with Rivendell.
Am surprised with how low Avengers Tower and the Venator are.
my favourite is Rivendell. I'm not that attracted by Eldorado fortress though. Ninjago city is surprisingly low considering a Ninjago city set would have likely won most other years, but I'm not sure I would have put it even top 5.
@amok said:
"The results image should have percentages, not number of votes, shouldn't it?"
No because we allowed people two votes each, so it shows the total number of votes each set received.
Not the concore? :( Def my favorite set this year, too bad it got so low on the list.
City Markets coming 7th, Avengers Tower 9th and the Venator 11th just shows how spoilt we are now with Lego making sets catered for AFOL. All of these would have been top five 10 years ago and in the noughties they would have been in the top 5 for the set of the decade.
And then you have Gringotts, the Batcave and Disney Castle not to even in the 12!
To the surprise to absolutely no one. And to be fair, even when it's not a set for me, I can totally see why it won by such a landslide.
I am a bit surprised though at the low rank for the Concorde, which to me seems like a near perfect set at a quite decent price. If only I would have a good place to display such a huge thing...
And still even more surprised that the Orient Express even made the cut, and didn't even end up dead last here. Most disappointing set of the year if you ask me.
Rivendell is an impressive set, so if you're in to LotR (I am not) then I can see why this would be a favourite.
That said, not a lot to interest me in this list. I love the insects (the only one I own and voted for) and only have 2 others on my wish list (Eldorado, Concorde).
Could you please also post the places 13-25?
I'm looking for a Top 10 list of sets costing less than 200 dollars.
I would suggest three votes for next year: 0-50 $ (due to inflation 50 $ instead of 40 $), 50-200$ and above 200 $.
I was wondering if people were voting on how it looked, rather than having built but im amazed to see 5000+ people afforded it. I've not seen it on offer yet. Its on my list.
@rmarkworth said:
"Could you please also post the places 13-25?
I'm looking for a Top 10 list of sets costing less than 200 dollars.
"
There were only 12 in the poll.
Well, I voted Rivendell and El Dorado Fortress so I'd say I agree with the results ahahahah
And I'm pretty sure that Barad-Dûr will get at least to the top 5 of 2024 when it's finally released. I'm just surprised LEGO is being so contained when it comes to Lord of the Rings sets, considering there's clearly demand for it yet we're just getting one set per year (I'm not counting BrickHeadz 'cause those are a niche thing that most people pass on).
Only have 6 of the 12...as that would be all the wallet would allow, with Ninjago Markets being to only one over $250, not for lack of want LOL.
Based on reviews I would concur with this list but would be nice to see a top sets per price bracket...0-$100, $100 - $250, $250+
Ninjago City Markets for me lacked the splendor of City and Gardens (Docks also lacked). Avengers Tower has been done several times, this one is just more of it. Rivendell just hit all the right notes for a massive set. To me personally the second place is Botanical Garden or Viking Village (which I don't own, but both looks great and seems affordable).
My only gripe with Rivendell is that it got mixed in with Icons. It should be a theme continuation like with Indiana Jones.
Still think should be one poll for “best aspirational set” and one for “best set bought”, but I guess with over 5000 owned LOTRmight still be top of crop. Yay for Botanical and AFrame, shows diversity is high with LEGO (and fingers crossed their cost control is on better terms now so we can continue with years and years of plentiful sets)
Is Lego Star Wars and Lego Marvel losing appeal? I see that less sets are being made and most are repeats of previous entries. I also see that AFOLS are not flocking to buy them... Am I wrong or like the movies, interest is waning?
Rivendell is, all factors considered, the obvious choice. The LOTR theme was insanely popular during its (unfortunately limited) run, and with the 20th anniversary of Return of the King last year, this release made sense and had demand.
For one of the most stunning locations in Middle Earth, LEGO not only did it justice but included some impressive parts, fantastic minifigures that improve on the originals in every conceivable way, and packed the set with enough LOTR references that you can tell this set was made with pure love for the books and movies.
There were a lot of good releases in 2023, to be sure, but Rivendell went so far above and beyond that it's no contest.
I'm so happy for 41757 4th/5th place!!!! The best price/quality set of the year!
I was expecting/hoping for the Eldorado fortress to take the top spot. The result is not that surprising, but the margin is
@Robot99 said:
"Ouch, my vote sunk to the very bottom. Poor Insect Collection lol"
I got that set for my son’s 11th birthday yesterday and he was overjoyed! I think it’s a tremendous set. But I did vote Rivendell…
@Banners said:
"Whilst acknowledging that this is all for fun and largely subjective, I do wonder how many people voting for Rivendell actually bought and built it. Or, irrespective of either, does "favourite" merely mean the set people most liked the look of...?"
I voted Rivendell even though I don't own it (yet). I'm still waiting for a decent discount.
Anyway I think the win is well deserved. Also agree with the other rankings.
@emartinez: speaking only for myself of course, but Marvel sets from what I have seen have never been very popular over here to begin with. And Star Wars imho has run its course in terms of LEGO. The best sets all came out years ago, the new stuff is just rehash after rehash. Or severely flawed / limited versus what could be. Plus (like Marvel) massively overpriced for what you get.
I knew Rivendell would win, but I don't think I was expecting it to clear house as it did! It's quite deserved though. The only surprise on this list might be Eldorado's placement. I thought it was a great set, but it seemed like a weaker remake than most of the prior remakes. The power of pirates can do great things though. I doubt Barad Dur will crush competition next year since it naturally won't be as beautiful of a set than Rivendell.
Had I owned or built 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell I might've voted for it as well, since it looks gorgeous. However, I voted for the only set on this list that I do own (so far), which ended up at number 2. Viking Village is on my list and both Botanical Garden and A-Frame Cabin are very tempting...
Damn it i was hoping 77015 which i have, would win! sadly not, but at least it got 4th! It is a beautiful set and i highly recommend it!
@Banners said:
"Whilst acknowledging that this is all for fun and largely subjective, I do wonder how many people voting for Rivendell actually bought and built it. Or, irrespective of either, does "favourite" merely mean the set people most liked the look of...?"
It would be nice if the poll would be split in two: (1) favourite set that you own, and (2) favourite set that you either own or that you wish you own.
Of the list presented, I don't own any (yet) but my vote went with number 8 (Concorde). If these sets say on the shelf long enough, I'd like to get 5 of those - time will tell if I manage to do that.
I currently have the Orient Express, Concorde, WD Tribute Camera and the Polaroid displayed on my dining table. They all look great but I have to admit, the Orient Express looks absolutely stunning. Yes it may partly be the colours which are lovely but even the set itself is just rather nice.
For anyone who seems put off by the seeming non impressiveness of the locomotive, please read a bit more on the Orient Express. It was never about what was pulling it, it is the carriages. They are the Orient Express. The loco would regularly be changed at borders for example, and yes it would occasionally have a nice, cleaned up sparkling locomotive pulling it, but it wasn’t a given.
It really is a surprisingly nice set even if it isn’t quite as some wanted.
Oh yeh and a course I did vote for it lol ;-)
Surprised, yet not surprised, from the winners.
Also surprised about the 4th place, which gets discounts all the time and does not sell well outside of the TLG fan circle.
Why is 41757 5th when it got exactly the same amount of votes as 77015? Shouldn't they both be 4th?
oh yes, there was disney castle too, I guess it didn't make it because it was a remake ? I would maybe put it 2nd place based on how good the 2016 one is
”I wonder how the likes of 10305 Lion Knights' Castle and 10497 Galaxy Explorer would have fared against 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, had they been released in the same year.”
I’m curious about this as well, any chance of a “favorite set of the last x years” poll, featuring the top sets of the last few years? :)
@PhantomBricks said:
" I doubt Barad Dur will crush competition next year since it naturally won't be as beautiful of a set than Rivendell."
Tower of Orthanc is still looking pretty good though and it's 10 years old
I’m happy that my top 2 sets of the year both got into the top 10! Those being 71799: NINJAGO City Markets and 41757: Botanical Garden
@CapnRex101 said:
" @amok said:
"The results image should have percentages, not number of votes, shouldn't it?"
No because we allowed people two votes each, so it shows the total number of votes each set received."
Having 2 results graphics reflecting the same data (number of votes) is clearly silly. :o)
Relatedly, I’m not sure on the idea of giving us each 2 votes. It guarantees Rivendell a top finish even if many of us begrudgingly voted for it as our “second” choice. I bet it’s a much different result if we only had one vote. Forcing folks to pick their champion or rank their choices (I.e. The Oscars) is the way to go imho.
I bought not a single one of that whole list. Less is more.
I'm disappointed that 10320 didn't win. Not only because it's the one I voted for (and the only one I own), but because if it had won, I'd own all of this year's winners! Admittedly, my order containing 77013 hasn't arrived yet, but tracking says that it should be here tomorrow. I will admit that 10316 looks great, and I would almost certainly have it if I had the space. Also, at least my pick took the silver.
Take out the Insect Collection and reverse the list. That’s my list. Rivendell and especially Viking Village are overrated imo. Yes I’ve built them.
I actually own the top 6 though I haven't built most of them yet. Currently working on building the Orient Express so I actually own 8 of the 12. I won the Insect set in a raffle but haven't built it yet. It's a worthy list of contenders for top set of the year. Nice to see there are way more in house themes represented than licensed.
@whiteghost said:
"Why is 41757 5th when it got exactly the same amount of votes as 77015? Shouldn't they both be 4th?"
Yeah, probably but, 77015 is WAY better, obviously, so it deserves 4th place instead of fifth.
@whiteghost said:
"Why is 41757 5th when it got exactly the same amount of votes as 77015? Shouldn't they both be 4th?"
The format of the automatically numbered list does not allow that, unfortunately. You can imagine them as equal fourth.
Glad to see the A-Frame cabin getting higher than I expected, though I agree that the insect collection being at the bottom is a bummer. (I have to admit, I didn't even notice it in the list when I voted.) Too many good sets last year, I guess.
I didn't expect 21340 Tales of the Space Age to win or anything (and Rivendell is absolutely a worthy winner), but I am a bit disappointed to not even see it make the top 10.
Yay! I'm so glad that the Eldorado Fortress got second place! It was up against Rivendell so I know competition was steep and there was just no topping that set lol
@Maxbricks14 said:
" @whiteghost said:
"Why is 41757 5th when it got exactly the same amount of votes as 77015? Shouldn't they both be 4th?"
Yeah, probably but, 77015 is WAY better, obviously, so it deserves 4th place instead of fifth."
Ummm...no? In my book, it is obviously the other way around, so I'll take @CapnRex101's explanation.
@whiteghost said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
" @whiteghost said:
"Why is 41757 5th when it got exactly the same amount of votes as 77015 ? Shouldn't they both be 4th?"
Yeah, probably but, 77015 is WAY better, obviously, so it deserves 4th place instead of fifth."
Ummm...no? In my book, it is obviously the other way around, so I'll take @CapnRex101 's explanation."
It's treason, then.
Well the winner is no surprise at all, but the margin is. I remember seeing it in the local Lego shop and thinking if only... It definitely wouldn't have passed muster with the missus though and I don't have anywhere I could display it as it is massive. However, it's an amazing set.
On the others - I'm quite please to see I'm not the only person here who doesn't actually own any of these. Not for lack of want of course, but most of the sets I've bought this year have been smaller and so were unlikely to end up on this list. I'll be getting hold of the Insects and the Botanical Garden at some point though. Of the bigger ones, the one I am realistically most likely to get is 77015, but if I can hang 10318 from the ceiling somewhere that's definitely on the list!
I'm not that surprised to see the Marvel and Star Wars sets lower down though. Amongst my social circle people are definitely of the opinion that both franchises have run their course; Star Wars in particular.
Also for anyone that's remotely interested (and even those that aren't) 76419 is an amazing set and I'd have possibly cast one of my votes for that had it been on the list!
@danishbricklayer said:
"Also for anyone that's remotely interested (and even those that aren't) 76419 is an amazing set and I'd have possibly cast one of my votes for that had it been on the list!"
Good to hear. I have a couple of sets yet to build, including the smaller Hogwarts, and that's the one I'm looking forward to most.
Let's go Lord of the Rings!
@Fauch said:
" @PhantomBricks said:
" I doubt Barad Dur will crush competition next year since it naturally won't be as beautiful of a set than Rivendell."
Tower of Orthanc is still looking pretty good though and it's 10 years old
"
Very true, however, Rivendell was able to capture attention outside of the LotR fan base that I doubt Orthanc or Barad Dur could muster. Unless they absolutely drop the ball, I still expect Barad Dur to be in next year's top ten, First? I doubt it. But we will have to see.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @amok said:
"The results image should have percentages, not number of votes, shouldn't it?"
No because we allowed people two votes each, so it shows the total number of votes each set received."
I'm not sure, but I think I missed this. I know I tested some of the other polls to see if you could vote more than once, but I don't remember noticing any. Especially when you're throwing out a whole series of polls like this, would it be possible to get a graphic right next to the poll making it more obvious?
To me, the big surprise is that there were two modulars released, and neither even made it on the list. With that said, I sure understand how Rivendell won. I do not own it, but I did see it on display at a Lego store. Usually, the yearly modular always makes the list regardless of how fans feel about the building, but yet neither Jazz Club nor the Natural History Museum even competed?
@Fauch said:
" @PhantomBricks said:
" I doubt Barad Dur will crush competition next year since it naturally won't be as beautiful of a set than Rivendell."
Tower of Orthanc is still looking pretty good though and it's 10 years old
"
Need to rebuild my Tower of Orthanc set in anticipation for the release of Barad Dur, can't wait to get it.
Voted for the Eldorado Fortress which is my favorite set of the year overall, but I'm not surprised Rivendell won, got it for Christmas and can't wait to build it. Hoping for more re-imaged/remade retro sets this year.
@stevesheriw said:
"To me, the big surprise is that there were two modulars released, and neither even made it on the list. With that said, I sure understand how Rivendell won. I do not own it, but I did see it on display at a Lego store. Usually, the yearly modular always makes the list regardless of how fans feel about the building, but yet neither Jazz Club nor the Natural History Museum even competed? "
I'd say that's an interesting phenomenon that (in my opinion) proves how both were poorly received. By that I mean both were quite controversial and did not have the same hype as previous modulars. Also, if I recall correctly, NHM is the most expensive modular yet, and Jazz Club is the third most expensive modular.
2025 will be another anniversary set, which would likely imply another BIG EXPENSIVE modular. For some subject matter, such as a hospital, that would be necessary, but at this stage I'd hope Lego returns to the standard $250 modular instead.
I wonder if Orient Express would have gotten higher if the locomotive had been better and/or the set had been motorised.
@PurpleDave: Yes, this was the only poll that allowed voting for two sets; if you go back to the poll articles, this was the only one with check boxes; the others had radio buttons.
@Brickchap said:
"For some subject matter, such as a hospital, that would be necessary, but at this stage I'd hope Lego returns to the standard $250 modular instead."
At first, I didn't know what you were on about with that price, then realized you were posting from Australia.
@TheOtherMike:
Once you vote in any of these polls, the poll goes away, and you either get a link to the results immediately, or notified that the results will be posted. As far as I can tell, the only way to retake the poll is to use a different device, and I’m not sure if that stacks your votes or replaces them. And if you’re in a hurry, doing one of these per day, it’s easy to miss that the shape where you mark your selection has changed.
@PurpleDave: You can also open it up in a different browser, or a new private window.
Congrats to the Indy theme getting 4th place in favorite set as well as 1st and 3rd in favorite $40 and under.
Lego...please, continue this line.
@GBP_Chris said:
"Rivendell is, all factors considered, the obvious choice. The LOTR theme was insanely popular during its (unfortunately limited) run, and with the 20th anniversary of Return of the King last year, this release made sense and had demand.
"
Was LOTR that popular during its original run? There were many discounts to be had to shift it back then. I have every set from the original releases of LOTR and Hobbit, and I think Orthanc was the only set I paid full price for (ignore VIP points), being a LEGO exclusive. I also bought discounted sets for resale, and I found LOT was insanely popular from about 2017 onwards, after the huge rise in popularity of LEGO for adults. The insane prices people were and still are paying for the original sets and figures comes from the low supply available now. Demand is quite low but supply even lower.
@stevesheriw said:
"To me, the big surprise is that there were two modulars released, and neither even made it on the list. "
The Modulars are becoming a bit stale for me. It used to be exciting to see what they'd do next, and then the anticipation to buy and build it come the new year. Once you have enough of them on a shelf, another similar building is not going to break any barriers as a best set. I can understand people still collecting them (personally, I've stopped), but I don't think any future Modular will be the stand out set of the year. If it is, then it will be a bad year with no other innovative sets.
@CCC said:
" @stevesheriw said:
"To me, the big surprise is that there were two modulars released, and neither even made it on the list. "
The Modulars are becoming a bit stale for me. It used to be exciting to see what they'd do next, and then the anticipation to buy and build it come the new year. Once you have enough of them on a shelf, another similar building is not going to break any barriers as a best set. I can understand people still collecting them (personally, I've stopped), but I don't think any future Modular will be the stand out set of the year. If it is, then it will be a bad year with no other innovative sets.
"
I feel the same, even in the already niche category of -minifigure-scale-expensive-display-pieces-to-sit-on-a-bookshelf there's a lot of competition nowadays.
And all of those that made the vote were more imaginative and interesting than the two modulars - which is not to say that they were bad, just that the bar is so much higher these days. I remember I bought 70751 Temple of Airjitzu in 2016 or so as it was the only "themed" large minifig scale location around at the time (and it's a great set). Now I'm spoilt for choice...
Rivendell,..hmm,...I dont understand, those trees look so horribly bad it ruins the entire model for me.
I was hoping the Spider-Man Final Battle set would be one of the choices. I would have voted for that one!
I'm amazed how many of them are buildings
@CapnRex101 said:
" @whiteghost said:
"Why is 41757 5th when it got exactly the same amount of votes as 77015? Shouldn't they both be 4th?"
The format of the automatically numbered list does not allow that, unfortunately. You can imagine them as equal fourth."
You can set value="4" on the list item to set it to 4 (and following items will number appropriately).
Ahhh my dear LEGO friend; this is marketing & "free" market economics put to full force by TLG: artificially low product variety/availability results in greater desire to acquire said "rarer" products.
@djcbs said:
"… I'm just surprised LEGO is being so contained when it comes to Lord of the Rings sets, considering there's clearly demand for it yet we're just getting one set per year …"
Exhaustion could very well be setting in but I also see "Disney" license tax playing part, priced at v.v. premium levels, some simpler sets completely whacky in pricing.
IMHO I don’t see reduced interest in SW or Marvel as bad thing. TLG has clearly created sets that through nostalgia, design &/ both come in at great value, playability (Viking Village, Neo-Galaxy Explorer) & it’s TLG matter to dig into sales stats & work on products consumers ask about while not stagnating in repetition.
@emartinez said:
"Is Lego Star Wars and Lego Marvel losing appeal? I see that less sets are being made and most are repeats of previous entries. I also see that AFOLS are not flocking to buy them... Am I wrong or like the movies, interest is waning?"
Pro
I NEEEED multiples of those clear ¼ dome & pillar pieces??????
@emartinez said:
"Is Lego Star Wars and Lego Marvel losing appeal? I see that less sets are being made and most are repeats of previous entries. I also see that AFOLS are not flocking to buy them... Am I wrong or like the movies, interest is waning?"
@Banners said:
"Whilst acknowledging that this is all for fun and largely subjective, I do wonder how many people voting for Rivendell actually bought and built it. Or, irrespective of either, does "favourite" merely mean the set people most liked the look of...?"
I cannot justify spending that much and I have nowhere to put it. It's still my favourite set of the year. It's gorgeous.