Holiday gift guide: $100-$200
Posted by Huw,
Our penultimate holiday gift guide looks at sets in the $100-200 price range, of which 49 were released this year, which is about the same as last year.
If you're looking for gifts at this price, you are spoilt for choice, with exceptional 18+ sets and top-of-the-range play sets for kids to choose from.
Find out what the Brickset team recommend after the break, then let us know what you would select in the comments.
Huw
42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader (£89.99 / $119.99 / €99.99)
If you are looking for a gift to inspire a budding engineer, you will not find much of interest in this year's Technic assortment, unfortunately, other than 42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader.
It offers an absorbing building experience which results in a realistic and accurate model, which is packed with functionality and fun to play with.
In my opinion, it's the only Technic set released this year worth buying, whether as a gift or for yourself.
View 42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader at LEGO.com »
MeganL
42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores (£149.99 / $169.99 / €169.99)
I enjoyed this set so much that I named it one of my most memorable Friends sets from my ten years of reviewing sets for Brickset. As I described in my review, this building experience is very evocative of building a modular. Great building techniques and nice parts usage abound. 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores from 2023 is often mentioned when talking about this set, but I think 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores is superior in having a good blend of living spaces and commercial stores.
More notably, it fits in quite well in a modular street, as demonstrated in this article. This would make a great gift for Friends fans, but also for anyone looking for an enjoyable building experience.
I also want to recommend the absolutely beautiful 75685 Emerald City Wall Art. It's a wonderful set with fantastic minifigs and great Easter eggs.
View 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores at LEGO.com »
benbacardi
31216 Keith Haring - Dancing Figures (£104.99 / $119.99 / €119.99)
I'm a big fan of using LEGO in unusual and surprising ways, and the Art sets have ticked those boxes in many forms since the introduction of the range. 31216 Keith Haring - Dancing Figures is particularly whimsical, as a brilliant rendition of the original designs in a delightfully dynamic form.
It's perhaps a bit more niche than the other sets chosen here, but I can't help but smile every time I see it—just like Keith Haring's artwork itself.
In the previous price bracket, I opted for a Nintendo-licensed set, and did almost the same here—instead, consider a bonus recommendation for 72037 Mario Kart - Mario & Standard Kart if the above doesn't appeal!
View 31216 Keith Haring - Dancing Figures at LEGO.com »
CapnRex101
10358 Transformers: Soundwave (£159.99 / $189.99 / €179.99)
71847 The Guardian Dragon and 75639 The Going Merry Pirate Ship are two fantastic options for this category, as a spectacular display model and the ultimate ONE PIECE set, respectively. In fact, in a year of great LEGO ships, the Going Merry is potentially the most fun!
However, as I looked through the list of 49 sets in this price range, only one really spoke to me: 10358 Transformers: Soundwave. It is rare for larger sets to come this close to perfection and I was astounded when building this model in the summer. Its engineering is truly outstanding and Soundwave offers everything a Transformers fan could want, with transforming mini cassettes, great articulation and probably the best use of a sound brick in any LEGO set.
It goes without saying that Soundwave is a must-have for Transformers fans, but I think this would be a welcome gift for anybody who enjoys LEGO robots and mechs.
View 10358 Transformers: Soundwave at LEGO.com »
TheBrickPal
75685 Emerald City Wall Art (£139.99 / $159.99 / €149.99)
Wicked: For Good, covering the events of the second act of the Broadway musical, recently soared into theaters. The tie-in LEGO sets are all worthy of recommendation, and in this price bracket, you can find the very fun 75691 Glinda & Elphaba Bookends. But if I want to give someone a unique building experience that will truly change them for the better (and perhaps even for good), I'm giving them 75685 Emerald City Wall Art.
The set is an eye-catching, colorful display piece. From Munchkinland to Shiz University to the Emerald City, all of the famous locations of Oz are accounted for, rendered in stunning detail. There are even some printed hidden references, like Elphaba and Glinda in the Wizard's palace as the former is about to take flight, the Wizard's robotic head, and even flying monkeys! In addition, you get some fantastic minifigures: the two witches and the four heroes from The Wizard of Oz. Any fan of the franchise would be obsessulated with this set!
I must give a special mention to 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo, which I remain thoroughly impressed by; you can check out my review of the adorable Mogwai here. I also want to echo CapnRex101's choice of 10358 Transformers: Soundwave, which is an absolutely remarkable set. Some other sets that your recipient may love, depending on their interests, are 71848 The Temple Bounty, 72037 Mario Kart - Mario & Standard Kart, 75639 The Going Merry Pirate Ship, 76444 Diagon Alley Wizarding Shops, and 77077 Klombo.
View 75685 Emerald City Wall Art at LEGO.com »
SetToBuild
75417 AT-ST (£179.99 / $199.99 / €199.99)
While 10174 Imperial AT-ST reigns as one of my favourite UCS sets, 75417 AT-ST is a great modern take on the model. Newer wedge plates and a healthy smattering of tiles make the surfaces look a bit more polished than its predecessor. While it lacks articulation, its posture has been improved in this version with slightly splayed hips, making it more characteristically clumsy, like it’s about to easily slip on some rolling logs. However, with the help of rubber tread attachments on the bottom of the feet, the model is surprisingly sturdy.
The set is a bit pricy at the high end of this range, but it was clearly designed with a lot of care. Best to capitalise on a double points weekend or make sure you’re qualifying for a GWP!
I enjoy these gift guides to express my love for sets I don’t get the chance to review, but I can’t go without mentioning 72037 Mario & Standard Kart as another excellent choice in this price range. The set is amazingly good value, an entertaining build experience, and looks great on display. To hear everything I had to say about the set, read my comprehensive review.
View 75417 AT-ST at LEGO.com »
FlagsNZ
910040 Harbourmaster's Office
I realise that my pick for the gift in the $100-200 price range is from the BrickLink Designer Series 3 and, therefore, it had a limited production of only 30,000 sets.
In any major port, the harbourmaster has a role to play in monitoring shipping and boating traffic in that port and ensuring that all people out on the water are safe.
910040 Harbourmaster's Office beautifully captures a working harbourmaster's office in a small to medium port. In the office itself can be found marine radio, radar, navigation charts as well as some safety equipment such as flares and SCUBA equipment.
Above the office is a small flat for the harbourmaster. The office sits on a well appointed wharf which has a thriving marine environment living in the intertidal zone under the wharf.
The Harbourmaster's Office looks fantastic alongside either 21310 Old Fishing Store or 21335 Motorized Lighthouse. While this set had a limited release, the instructions are freely available for download at BrickLink.com. The set can also be parted out, which is often a cheaper purchasing option.
Which of the 49 sets would you choose to give?
56 likes
42 comments on this article
31168 - Medieval Horse Knight Castle looks brilliant but I haven't bought it yet. I have Soundwave, and I have the Balrog set 10367 but I didn't pay $100 for it...
@Huw said:
"42209 is the only Technic set released this year worth buying, whether as a gift or for yourself."
Harsh! But true :-(
Nobody recommending the 10357 Shelby Cobra? A little pricy, and not quite as good as 10265 Mustang, but a nice build.
Also no takers for 60471 Arctic Truck? That looks like a good play set.
910040 as a gift recommendation is a bit strange in my opinion. I would have liked to see 75639 Going Merry on this list. The value you get for your money is pretty good and at least here in Germany you always get it on a discount plus it's lots of fun to build, works as a playset and looks good on display.
A parted-out Harbormaster set would be an interesting and unique gift. Quite a lot of effort to put together though.
On eBay now a new set is a bit above £200.
On a similar note though, I am gifting one of my kids a second-hand 21358 vending machine, bought incomplete for about £50, and now filled with various old CMFs.
But even new it's £150 and would be my pick for this category. It's a brilliant machine.
Art: 31215?
Friends: 42670?
Harry Potter: 76444?
Icons: 10351?
Jurassic World: 76976
Ninjago: 71845 ...?
One Piece: 75639?
Technic: 42210?
I don't think this price range did so well this year.
Can't say I care all that much for any of the sets mentioned, Soundwave would probably my favorite among those. And while I do like the Technic Volvo, the euro-price which would put it in a lower bracket already feels a but much, the US price only makes that worse. Thus once again only really a good gift if you're on the receiving end.....
The only one in this bracket I got myself, is the 75639 Going Merry, haven't built it yet but I doubt it's gonna disappoint. Looks like a great set at a fair price, and a perfect gift to convert more people to the world of piracy!
Other favorites would be:
21358 Minifigure Vending Machine
21361 Gizmo (though again should be in the sub 100 bracket)
72037 Mario Kart
I would have plumped for 10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook myself
@Huw "In my opinion, it's the only Technic set released this year worth buying"
So true. I would even go so far as to say that it's the only Technic set released in the last couple of years worth buying.
Seriously, Technic has become a shadow of its former self and most sets released under the theme are almost a mockery of it, what with all the dime-a-dozen cars that offer nothing that Technic was noted for in the past.
And even if they try something that could rival the hallmarks of past Technic highlights, they end up with an abomination like 42215, easily one of the worst sets in the entire history of Technic. Particularly in this case I wonder how they managed to get basically everything wrong, from the build, to the functions that barely work, to the outrageous pricing. That set could have been, no, should have been the modern version of the awesome 8043, besting it in terms of technical brilliance, functionality, number of electronics, value for money, the lot. What did we get instead? An every expense spared joke of a set at a price point that defies belief.
As for my top pick in this price range, I would go with 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, which is actually also the only one in that range that I did buy this year. I am still contemplating getting the Keith Haring set, but that's about it.
I am quite disappointed in the Harbourmaster’s Office making this list. It may be the best set in the price range but I don’t think you should put a limited edition retired set on a gift guide. Parting out is not a valid option for Christmas because of logistics and asking for this set as a gift would be unreasonable.
@person_that_uses_brickset said:
"I am quite disappointed in the Harbourmaster’s Office making this list. It may be the best set in the price range but I don’t think you should put a limited edition retired set on a gift guide. Parting out is not a valid option for Christmas because of logistics and asking for this set as a gift would be unreasonable."
I agree. It is not regular retail set and should not be here.
For the first two brackets, I think the price is such that it is worth taking a punt on a set even if the gift receiver has not specifically asked for it. For this bracket and upwards though, I think it is at the stage I would never buy a set unless I know for sure the receiver wants that specific set. And due to that, the best set to buy is really down to their interests rather than whether the set is good or not, or value for money or not (in someone else's opinion).
Can't argue with 42209; it's a brilliant set.
Shame about the other Volvo model released this year.
For me:
10358 Soundwave, the best of the serie so far, don't require modding like its predecessors. A bit pricy, but affordable with a discount.
31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle, a must have considering I love brick build animals. I've to add a pair of horses to fulfill the set.
I love 71846 The Fire Knight Mech, but it is a bit pricy. Anyway, one of my favourites.
75691 is interesting for the minifigures, and it is quite a good set, but Bookends are not my cup of tea.
10351 Sherlock Holmes Book Nook is very attracting and the best among book nooks, but I don't think I'll buy it. It is a very good present, if you have such a budget.
21358 Vending Machine is a funny set, desirable for its minifigures, but at the end it slides lower in my wishlist.
The AT-ST no, I can't forget its predecessor costed one third, even if it was less refined (but a little bigger)
21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, not only a great gift but also more technic than Technic!
@AustinPowers said:
" @Huw "In my opinion, it's the only Technic set released this year worth buying"
So true. I would even go so far as to say that it's the only Technic set released in the last couple of years worth buying.
Seriously, Technic has become a shadow of its former self and most sets released under the theme are almost a mockery of it, what with all the dime-a-dozen cars that offer nothing that Technic was noted for in the past.
And even if they try something that could rival the hallmarks of past Technic highlights, they end up with an abomination like 42215, easily one of the worst sets in the entire history of Technic. Particularly in this case I wonder how they managed to get basically everything wrong, from the build, to the functions that barely work, to the outrageous pricing. That set could have been, no, should have been the modern version of the awesome 8043, besting it in terms of technical brilliance, functionality, number of electronics, value for money, the lot. What did we get instead? An every expense spared joke of a set at a price point that defies belief. "
I was never into Technic only ever owning 854 and a battery pack and cord to make it like a remote control. Sadly wouldn't the best technic set actually be 21358 with how the Coin and and turning mechanism were developed to dispense the minifigs.
@sjr60 said:
"21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, not only a great gift but also more technic than Technic!"
Yeah. And it ticks a nice bonus goal of Christmas presents: everyone will want to play with it!
Yeah I get the sentiment about 910040 being a great set, but this is a gift guide and not a "top set guide" so including it when you can't just go buy it is a bit disingenuous.
Parting it out could be an option for a dedicated fan looking for a gift for another dedicated fan, but as a general recommendation it is not great. Should probably be given an honorable mention and something else should be more generally recommended.
What? The one recommending a Star Wars set isn't @CapnRex101, but @SetToBuild? What's next? Cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria? At least @FlagsNZ finally recommended a nautical-themed set.
Why is a UK site for a Danish product using dollars as a metric?
I love the Generation-1 transformer deception Soundwave …and ravage and lazerbeak!
The soundbrick is a cool addition.
….But! My vote still goes to the Ideas minifigure vending machine! Very nice display piece with a awesome function AND a full minifigure line up. 16 figs of nostalgic and modern themes is a dream!
910040 is a good set, as was the merchant ship too. The wicked things are being shipped, but the Sherlock and sunflowers were brilliant builds, I really enjoyed them.
@person_that_uses_brickset said:
"I am quite disappointed in the Harbourmaster’s Office making this list. It may be the best set in the price range but I don’t think you should put a limited edition retired set on a gift guide. Parting out is not a valid option for Christmas because of logistics and asking for this set as a gift would be unreasonable."
Pienso igual!
To me the best two sets in this range are clearly the Balrog set (which I already own) and the Trevi Fountain set (waiting for a decent discount to buy it).
El mejor es: 42670 Apartamentos y Tiendas de Heartlake City
Compré 4!!!!
Am I the only one who thought 42209 was a motorized set? Electric Wheel Loader seems like a misleading name to me. I get why it's called that, but worry there will be a lot of disapointed kids on Christmas morning.
21358 - Minifigure Vending Machine has been a huge hit in our house. Its a fun build, its even more fun to play with and the mechanical elements that make it "tick" are fantastic!
Also of note - definitely Soundwave 10358. He's been the best Transformer so far - the details on it are so great - the transformation is smooth and both modes, robot and tape deck are spot on. Brilliant set!
@maffyd said:
" 31168 - Medieval Horse Knight Castle looks brilliant but I haven't bought it yet. I have Soundwave, and I have the Balrog set 10367 but I didn't pay $100 for it..."
Blackadder, Blackadder, he rides a lego horse,
Blackadder, Blackadder, he is the best, of course!
@Gus_teXeda said:
" @person_that_uses_brickset said:
"I am quite disappointed in the Harbourmaster’s Office making this list. It may be the best set in the price range but I don’t think you should put a limited edition retired set on a gift guide. Parting out is not a valid option for Christmas because of logistics and asking for this set as a gift would be unreasonable."
Pienso igual!"
Geen woord aan gelogen, daar sluit ik me volledig bij aan!
I really want that MTT. It's at the very tippy top of my Christmas list, I need ittttt
The Harbour-Master set is in my opinion not eligible for such a gift guide. So may I suggest 76976 Spinosaurus & Quetzalcoatlus Air Mission as an alternative?
Seeing 910040 Harbormasters Office made me smile! That is my favorite BDP set, and one of my favorite of the decade. It was a true joy to build. Otherwise, this list is pretty confusing. I thought I would a different mix of sets, but it just shows the different taste. 75417 Looks like one of the best UCS sets in a while, and one that I will try to pick up eventually.
@Huw certainly gave his opinion :)
“In my opinion, it's the only Technic set released this year worth buying, whether as a gift or for yourself.”
I think I’d disagree, and this is coming from someone who hasn’t bought a Technic set in a decade. 42213 Is a set that I love, and I think is deserving of that title.
Regardless, I’m still a little surprised that neither 31168 (great set!) or 21358 weren’t on this list, either.
31168 a castle and 6 knights what more can you want? (I know real horses)
42209 looks the part and has the only three functions that such a set could have (lift-arm, shovel, and steering). The set also has differential on all four wheel as a required feature. There is no engine as this is an electric model. All that is fine.
The problem: linear actuators. You have to turn the hobs a gazillions of time to get the functions to operate at a snail pace. I used to have 8294 and this was a real pain - at least 8294 had a built it way to incorporate a motor to speed up things a bit (I doubt, you could easily motorize 42209 for the front shovel - the model is just too compact - but very well done).
That's the trade off: linear actuators are extremely precise and keep their position forever. Pneumatics are realistic and move rather fast but are hard to position accurately and can something loose their position and sag. My take is: if a model uses actuators, there should be an easy way (probably embedded in the original design) to motorize it (even if this is an extra - at least the option is there).
Interestingly, of the list presented here, the one most appealing to me is: Heartlake City Appartments and Store. I believe I have zero friends sets, my profile describe me as a 'Technic' guy but was not lucky in the last few years and I'm also in the 'space mafia' camp. My suggestion for this price range would be: 75639 (if you don't care about one piece, sell the minifigs and your final price will be very low).
@chaosderek said:
"I love the Generation-1 transformer deception Soundwave …and ravage and lazerbeak!
The soundbrick is a cool addition.
….But! My vote still goes to the Ideas minifigure vending machine! Very nice display piece with a awesome function AND a full minifigure line up. 16 figs of nostalgic and modern themes is a dream!"
Yeah, I intended to get Soundwave to get 40785, but Id sort of forgotten about the Vending Machine. Fortunately, Brickset's review arrived at the perfect time to remind me. I'll be getting Soundwave soon enough, though.
@SMC said:
"Why is a UK site for a Danish product using dollars as a metric?"
At a guess, because Brickset has more visitors from the US than anywhere else and the US is LEGO's single biggest market. I'm not a big fan of defaulting to any particular country or culture, but for sound business reasons, I can't fault Brickset for denominating in $s.
@Zander said:
" @SMC said:
"Why is a UK site for a Danish product using dollars as a metric?"
At a guess, because Brickset has more visitors from the US than anywhere else and the US is LEGO's single biggest market. I'm not a big fan of defaulting to any particular country or culture, but for sound business reasons, I can't fault Brickset for denominating in $s."
But is the US a bigger market than the entire combined euro zone?
But hey, honestly I wouldn't mind if for stuff like this, they would just throw in a bit of Britishness and just pick the £ regardless. Just to keep pretending the UK is still relevant ;-)
@Zander said:
" @SMC said:
"Why is a UK site for a Danish product using dollars as a metric?"
At a guess, because Brickset has more visitors from the US than anywhere else and the US is LEGO's single biggest market. I'm not a big fan of defaulting to any particular country or culture, but for sound business reasons, I can't fault Brickset for denominating in $s."
So long as they stick with the correct spelling of English words (using 'British English' as Americans call it), I don't mind them using American currency for the threshold values here.
@SMC said:
"Why is a UK site for a Danish product using dollars as a metric?"
LEGO sets have traditionally been designed to a US dollar price and prices in other currencies are determined afterwards, so dollar prices have tended to be the most consistent and predictable for categorising sets according to price within certain thresholds. If we used UK prices, for example, there would be many more instances of sets falling just outside certain thresholds.
However, given the fluctuating nature of US prices at the moment, perhaps Euro prices will become the more reliable benchmark.
My fave hundo to two-hundo range '25...
- 10358 Transformers: Soundwave (huge excellent ACCURATE looking Transformer figure, sound brick, two cassettes: Ravage and Laserbeak, weapons and flawless transforming. A must get!).
- 31216: Keith Haring - Dancing Figures (fabulous looking art piece, great price, can build separately with friends).
- 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores (even for the price, which isn't bad for what you're getting, a ton of figs and accessories, chock full and I mean CHOCK FULL of details, elements, unique parts throughout).
- 60471 Arctic Truck (nice BIG sturdy MEAN looking truck, great interior, figures, animals, bobsled, and a cool little observatory on top).
- 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine (what a dangerous looking battle sub-ship, great playset and alt-build to a hammerhead shark ship looks equally as good as the A-model).
- 71845 Lloyd's Jet Mech (another excellent looking play/vehicle mech by Lego. Transforms well too).
- 75691: Glinda & Elphaba Bookends (nicely detailed huge bookends, all the hidden compartments for the figures are excellent).
- 76444 Diagon Alley Wizarding Shops (highly detailed micro-city, looks great).
- 10357: Shelby Cobra 427 S/C (highly detailed and accurate for you car aficionados).
- 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle (if you're looking to start your Castle collection, this is a jumping on point model).
Okay, this is the first bucket that has so far spoken to me. I'm guessing the next one will be my favorite.
So far, I've only gotten 21361 Gizmo. But I'm really excited to get 10358 Soundwave and modestly interested in 75430 Wicket, 75435 MTT, 75685 Emerald City, 72037 Mario Kart, and 21358 Vending Machine. I guess I'm more of a Wicket fan than a Wicked fan but I really like the looks of 75685 Emerald City. I also liked the 910050 Antique Shop but had to draw the line somewhere with my BDP purchases.
I could also see a scenario where the nice 42209 Volvo ends up being my 2nd ever Technic. Maybe.
My pick goes to 71848 The Temple Bounty
Such a fun and interesting build, and it’s BIG
910040 Harbourmaster's Office is nice dedication to never realized set of gorgeous Lighthouse by RobenAnne:
https://beta.ideas.lego.com/product-ideas/b1b76caf-3a23-4272-9474-8cb4981101ef
But, AFOL Felix Greco made great look-a-like!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gipmetro/32788309962