Holiday gift guide: over $200
Posted by Huw,
In the last of our holiday gift guides we take our pick from sets costing more than $200, of which 18 were released this year, two fewer than in 2022. They are all excellent sets and they will all be on someone's wish list: they are, after all, the ultimate LEGO sets.
Find out what the Brickset team recommend after the break then let us know which one you'd like to give, or receive, in the comments.
Huw
42146 Liebherr Crawler Crane LR 13000 ($699.99 / €679.99 / £579.99)
Although the crane bears little resemblance to the real one the set is named after, this is nevertheless an outstanding and absolutely massive model that will be at the top of the wish list of every Technic fan.
It's not perfect, there are some questionable colour choices, but it works flawlessly and is great fun to operate.
It's the most expensive Technic set ever, and the price is undoubtably eye-watering, but it's currently 20% off at Argos and Amazon, which makes it slightly more palatable.
MeganL
10312 Jazz Club ($229.99 / €229.99 / £199.99)
I loved 10316 Rivendell, but for me this category is primarily about the modulars.
I've not had a chance (obviously) to build 10326 Natural History Museum, though the early release of that set will bring to an end my tradition of waiting at the LEGO Store on the morning of January 1st! I really enjoyed building 10312 Jazz Club, and it fits in so well amongst my modular collection.
I enjoyed that there were eight minifigures, and of course, the building techniques did not disappoint - particularly the stained glass windows and the architectural features on the front. Unlike many, I rather like the split feature of having a pizza shop there - the yellow adds a great punch of colour to the scene.
CapnRex101
10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell ($499.99 / €499.99 / £429.99)
This is truly a clash of the titans, as my two favourite sets of this year are 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell and 71799 NINJAGO City Markets. Honestly, both sets belong on this list and choosing between them is near-impossible.
Ultimately, I have selected 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell. It is simply one of the most beautiful LEGO sets ever released and offers an incredible building experience, while the minifigure selection is outstanding as well. There is essentially nothing negative to say about it, which is remarkable for a set of over 6000 pieces.
71799 NINJAGO City Markets is equally impressive in many respects and its functions are extraordinary, but it just lacks the beauty of Rivendell. The long-awaited return of The Lord of the Rings in LEGO form is also difficult to ignore.
75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser also deserves mention, as the model is brilliantly detailed and accurate to the source material. However, it does not necessarily belong in a gift guide because I think everyone already knows whether or not they like it. If you think you will love this rendition of the Jedi Cruiser, I am confident you will!
TheBrickPal
21341 Disney Hocus Pocus: The Sanderson Sisters' Cottage ($229.99 / €229.99 / £199.99)
Naturally, you could give someone any of the sets in this price range and they'd likely be pleased with it.
This year, Star Wars fans were spoiled with some brilliant UCS sets, such as 75355 X-wing Starfighter and the stunning 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser. 10312 Jazz Club, 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, 76269 Avengers Tower, and 76417 Gringotts Wizarding Bank are all beautiful buildings. 10320 Eldorado Fortress and 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade are sure to tickle nostalgia. 10316 Rivendell speaks for itself, and 43222 Disney Castle is the ultimate Disney set. But for a gift that might be a little unexpected, why not give a spooky set this holiday season?
21341 The Sanderson Sisters' Cottage is severely underrated, and excels in every department. It has fantastic minifigures, incredible models, and good value for money. I love the subtle play features, like the working water wheel that moves the chimney's smoke up and down.
Even if your gift recipient doesn't care about Hocus Pocus, the parts selection is great for MOC builders, and the house can be quite versatile with some modifications. It's guaranteed to put a spell on anyone who receives it!
Alice
76269 Avengers Tower ($499.99 / €499.99 / £429.99)
As a Marvel fan myself, I think 76269 Avengers Tower is pretty impressive. It’s huge and contains a whopping 31 minifigures!
Even if they’re not an AFOL, it would be a great gift for a Marvel fan. I’m sure they’d have great fun constructing the famous tower, discovering hidden details and references along the way and playing with minifigures of their favourite characters!
SetToBuild
10317 Land Rover Classic Defender 90 ($239.99 / €239.99 / £209.99)
2019 gave us 42110 Land Rover Defender, but for the LEGO Icons vehicle fans out there, this rock-crawling beast is now beautifully realised in sand green and with System bricks.
As seen in sets like 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine, the 'choose your own adventure' approach in the instructions allows the customisation of either a clean street-dwelling vehicle or an off-road monster ready for an expedition. Car aficionados will appreciate that the off-road model is packed with fun modifications to build, like an intake snorkel, roof rack, extra tyres, and winch, plus storage for all of the tools. Roll this set off the shelf and under the tree!
If the road with your favourite Land Rover fan has been bumpy this year, LEGO also released 40650 Land Rover Classic Defender - a much more affordable way to say, "I appreciate you."
FlagsNZ
21344 The Orient Express Train ($299.99 / €299.99 / £259.99)
My selection for a holiday gift costing more than $200 is a bit of a mixture. Of the eighteen sets included in this price range, three are from the BrickLink Designer Program which sold out shortly after release and cannot be purchased any more. I very much like 910002 Studgate Train Station and 910008 Modular Construction Site; both sets are great builds and look great in a City train diorama. Unfortunately, they are only available on the aftermarket.
My pick for a holiday gift costing more than $200 is therefore 21344 The Orient Express Train. However, I am cautiously awaiting the release of this set next week, and I am also looking forward to an eventual review here on Brickset. So my recommendation is based on this anticipation.
The carriages are eight studs wide, which breaks from the traditional size of LEGO trains. The carriages for 71044 Disney Train and Station were also eight studs wide and when you factor in the connecting rods on the engine diving wheels, most LEGO steam engines become eight studs wide, too.
I really like the use of dark blue parts with gold trim detailing on the set. I am just hoping that this train will function on regular curved train tracks and not exclusively be a display model.
That concludes this year's holiday gift guides. I hope you enjoyed them, even if you didn't always agree with our recommendations.
Happy Thanksgiving for Thursday to those that celebrate it. Once the hectic weekend that follows it is over we'll be into December, when we'll begin our Advent countdown and reviews of 2024 sets. It's going to be a busy month!
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42 comments on this article
My pick is ninjago city markets, such a cool set!
Rivendell, would give me the merprisers of Christmasses!
Ideal stocking fillers!
From those, I have The Jazz Club, Rivendell, Ninjago Markets and X-Wing... And really need that Hocus Pocus...
As a Star Wars, prequel trilogy and Clone Wars fan I have to go with 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser.
I wonder how anyone can recommend that Technic Crane abomination in good conscience other than for the fact that he got it for free.
It carries the cost of the licence even though it hardly looks like the real thing.
It still only offers the app as the single mode of operation.
Other manufacturers show that it isn't a problem to offer both a physical remote AS WELL AS an app for those who prefer to use one.
Those "questionable colour choices" are bad enough, but even worse is the fact the those are the least of that set's problems.
It is so laughably overpriced that even at 50% off it would be ridiculous to even consider it.
Just for reference, compare Mould King set 17015. The Technic Liebherr loses to that one in each and every category if one is honest. I've seen both in action next to one another. It's not even a competition.
Imho 42146 is a strong contender for one of the worst Technic sets ever.
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Brickset team! Thank you for all you do!!
@AustinPowers said:
"I wonder how anyone can recommend that Technic Crane abomination in good conscience other than for the fact that he got it for free."
So, just like every "reviewer" nowadays. If they are not willing to invest not even 1 euro on their business to get clicks or views, the review is not independent and there is not any reason to trust anything other than your own judgment.
Overall, I totally agree with your opinions in general and this set is an abomination amidst the general quality decline of Technic.
@AustinPowers said:
"I wonder how anyone can recommend that Technic Crane abomination in good conscience other than for the fact that he got it for free.
It carries the cost of the licence even though it hardly looks like the real thing.
It still only offers the app as the single mode of operation.
Other manufacturers show that it isn't a problem to offer both a physical remote AS WELL AS an app for those who prefer to use one.
Those "questionable colour choices" are bad enough, but even worse is the fact the those are the least of that set's problems.
It is so laughably overpriced that even at 50% off it would be ridiculous to even consider it.
Just for reference, compare Mould King set 17015. The Technic Liebherr loses to that one in each and every category if one is honest. I've seen both in action next to one another. It's not even a competition.
Imho 42146 is a strong contender for one of the worst Technic sets ever."
Simple, not everybody has the same tastes or opinions that you have. And I think we can all be very happy that there is such a diversity in opinions.
For me this is genuinely the first Technic set that excites me in a long time, because of its size, its operation, its functionality and its looks. I just think it is about 30% too expensive. Have seen it here locally for around 430 EUR, which sounds reasonable, and I might pick it up in the future for that price.
In any case, I think this would be a much nicer forum if people would refrain from comments like yours. And please stop promoting Chinese knock-off brands that do not bother about licenses, stolen designs or design infringements.
My top 3 of this year for over 200$ is avengers tower, ninjago city markets, and rivendell.
I'm surprised no one picked Gringotts, it's excellent and something a bit different as well
The holiday gift guide is something to look forward to! A highlight of the year. Many thanks Brickset team!
@monty_bricks said:
"I'm surprised no one picked Gringotts"
I'm...not. One set from the whole HP line was chosen this year, and it's far and away the best. My only hope is that Lego continues that microscale castle/iconic location trend, because the Rivendells and Gardens are beautiful but out of reach for a lot of people.
Rivendell gets my vote here!
I'd probably pick the Jazz Club or Eldorado Fortress - frankly I think if someone bought me a $500 Lego set like Rivendell, I'd have difficulty accepting it! Yeah, yeah, this is a "wish list" but IRL I'd much rather receive a smaller set that didn't make me feel guilty for how much the other person spent! :D
Rivendell would be on my "If Won Lotto, If Owned Giant House" list.
Dear Santa (we don't have Santa in our country, but for better understanding...)...
Rivendell
Ninjago City Markets
Alpine Lodge
Natural History Museum
Orient Express Train
Thanks!
So @CapnRex101 did build Ninjago City Markets but didn’t review it? That set is probably going to sit on my wanted list for a long time as the Brickset review of Gringotts pushed that ahead of my priority list.
Now I’m just hoping nothing tempting gets released in the next six months.
Reviews for the 2024 sets. So this means 'Ninjago City Markets' won't get a Brickset-review at all?
After the victorious and highly acclaimed 'City Gardens' in 2021, this follow-up feels like a flop. Or is that just my impression?
And why don't regular toyshops sell 'City Markets'?
Surprised nobody picked the UCS Venator
I am going to publish a review of 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, although probably not in the usual format because there will not be time before the 2024 reviews begin.
The delay has nothing to do with the quality of the set, which I think is exceptionally high, but the timing of its arrival. I was trying to review as many sets as possible in the summer and decided to spread my focus across many sets at the time, rather than taking the few days needed to prioritise 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, like any set of that size. I planned to get back to it once the influx of summer set reviews was over, but then came sets being released in September and the review was delayed further, until here we are in November!
I will say now, for anybody keen to know, I think it is fantastic. The functions are probably the best of any NINJAGO City set and I think the same can be said for the character selection. The architectural detail also matches the standard of other NINJAGO City sets, but a lot of space has been devoted to the central cable car, so I find the overall presence of this model less than 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens, for example.
The problem I have with 42146 is: (to me) this is half a set. According to my rough calculations, there are ten 'boom block' missing. these pieces are now available on pick a brick. In Canada, this would set you back nearly cad$20 per block (4 parts) so $200 in total - somewhere around $140 for USA and Europe. This means that you have to add this to the cost of the original to get something that might eventually look like (after serious changes to the design - not a biggie, this is Lego after all) a real Liebherr 13000. I am interested - but considering what I just mentioned, I will need a serious discount on it.
As far as I am concerned, Any Lego set above $200 is very much worth having. (To me) the only exception would probably be Minecraft (again IMO - not sure if Minecraft has sets that expensive anyway) but every other themes have really neat sets at that level.
@HOBBES said:
"The problem I have with 42146 is: (to me) this is half a set. According to my rough calculations, there are ten 'boom block' missing. these pieces are now available on pick a brick. In Canada, this would set you back nearly cad$20 per block (4 parts) so $200 in total - somewhere around $140 for USA and Europe. This means that you have to add this to the cost of the original to get something that might eventually look like (after serious changes to the design - not a biggie, this is Lego after all) a real Liebherr 13000. I am interested - but considering what I just mentioned, I will need a serious discount on it.
As far as I am concerned, Any Lego set above $200 is very much worth having. (To me) the only exception would probably be Minecraft (again IMO - not sure if Minecraft has sets that expensive anyway) but every other themes have really neat sets at that level."
I would also prefer it if the set was even bigger, but then it would be more expensive, and I guess that that would have jeopardized the set's stability and would stress the parts. AustinPowers above mentioned a Chinese knock-off crane that is way bigger and cheaper (and way better in his opinion). I understand from reading online that that set has some stability problems that LEGO would never allow.
Also, for the LEGO Liebherr crane, I actually do not care about how close it is to the source material. It is a big crane that could reach the top of the Avengers Tower and that is all that matters :)
@MrBedhead : so you don't care that the set doesn't look like the thing it is based on even though the licence is one of the main reasons why the set is so grossly expensive?
Interesting.
In the past Technic offered many unlicensed sets that looked kind of similar to various real life (construction) vehicles. All of them had lots of functions, most had motors and/or actuators, pneumatics, remotes etc. all while being much cheaper than this new crane. Then again, none of them carried a licence.
If LEGO deems it necessary to (make their customers) pay for a licence of a certain prototype, then they should at least try to match the looks (and if possible functions) of said prototype as closely as possible.
Also, I didn't "promote" that other set, I merely encouraged to compare it objectively with the LEGO crane. Promoting would have been if I had provided a (preferably paid) link to a shop or product page. I didn't to that, I simply named the manufacturer and set number.
And why do you keep assuming that every manufacturer other than your sacred company from Denmark is a "knock-off"?
Plus, like I said, I have seen both sets tested live next to each other. The set with the problems was not the one from China, I can tell you that.
But I'm not even trying to convince you in particular, since I know that LEGO could offer a set with zero functions and 200 pieces for 1,000 Euro and you would still find reasons to defend it.
@AustinPowers
To the other commenter's point, it's the attacks on other people's character that makes comments like yours here grim to read. There are a few people on Brickset that comment in this way and I just find it depressing. I end up blocking most of them.
Thanks to the Brickset team for sharing thoughts and reviews this year - agreed with another poster that the gift guides are always fun to read.
Rivendell is the clear winner here in my eyes. Nothing has the same visual appeal of it, and even if people are only dnd/fantasy fans they will enjoy it. Only the Ninjago City Modulars can compare, but the Markets doesn't have the same presence compared to prior Modulars for the reasons CapnRex101 has mentioned. If Ninjago City Gardens had been released this year, I would view it as a tie or slight advantage for one of the sets.
@AustinPowers I always limit my selection to sets I have actually built this year and in this category that's only five of them. I concede that the set is not to everyone's taste or budget but I am very impressed with it.
Imagine if you were a 12-year-old Technic-loving kid who was gifted it at Christmas. You would be over the moon!
Now imagine if you'd received some knock-off brand crane that's 1/3rd of the price. Would you still be as happy?
@AustinPowers said:
" @MrBedhead : so you don't care that the set doesn't look like the thing it is based on even though the licence is one of the main reasons why the set is so grossly expensive?
Interesting.
In the past Technic offered many unlicensed sets that looked kind of similar to various real life (construction) vehicles. All of them had lots of functions, most had motors and/or actuators, pneumatics, remotes etc. all while being much cheaper than this new crane. Then again, none of them carried a licence.
If LEGO deems it necessary to (make their customers) pay for a licence of a certain prototype, then they should at least try to match the looks (and if possible functions) of said prototype as closely as possible.
Also, I didn't "promote" that other set, I merely encouraged to compare it objectively with the LEGO crane. Promoting would have been if I had provided a (preferably paid) link to a shop or product page. I didn't to that, I simply named the manufacturer and set number.
And why do you keep assuming that every manufacturer other than your sacred company from Denmark is a "knock-off"?
Plus, like I said, I have seen both sets tested live next to each other. The set with the problems was not the one from China, I can tell you that.
But I'm not even trying to convince you in particular, since I know that LEGO could offer a set with zero functions and 200 pieces for 1,000 Euro and you would still find reasons to defend it. "
First of all, regarding your last comment: you portray me as a mindless fanboy, which is rather..... arrogant? Yes, i like LEGO, and I like their products, and I think they are still ahead of the competition. That is my opinion, partially based on experience with other brands.
Now, I don't care that the crane does not look like a version currently available, since I am sure that if you would want one that looks like the Lego crane, Liebherr will gladly build it for you. There are literally 100s of versions of that crane, and from what I can see you can get basically any version you want, with some limitations.
It's a big crane, it looks cool, it works like a real crane and is from the videos that I have seen pretty stable. Don't want anything more.
Also, you just assume that it is the License that is only to blame for the (admittedly) high pricetag. That is not a fact. But anyway, even if only the license were to blame, it is already massively on sale. If you shop around you could get it for around 400-450 EUR. I don't mind that pricetag for what you get. You seem to disagree, and maybe prefer to spend half of that on a Chinese copy. I don't, also because the LEGO set will retain a good chunk of its value while the Chinese copy will not.
Now, I don't want to get into semantics concerning the meaning of the word "to promote" and you promoting a certain set. But (and this might sound a bit like a rant, but so be it) I have seen you mentioning that Chinese immoral knock-off brick producer before. And I would never even mention a set made by them, for a very simple reason. That immoral company is known for stealing MOCs, stealing designs, not caring about current protected LEGO piece designs, etc... Literally any of their large Star Wars (sorry, Star PLAN (rofl)) sets is a stolen MOC (the Death Star, the Sandcrawler, the AT-AT,....). So, no, I will never buy anything from that company. And if someone gifts it to me I will gladly put it in the trash, no matter how good it is.
(With that in mind, i read on reddit that that copycat set you mention has quite significant stability problems, and that the LEGO set is actually more rigid. I also saw plenty people being positive about the LEGO crane, saying it works well and can lift more than 1 kg, depending on extension)
@Yardsale19X : I agree with you. One shouldn't attack someone else's character.
But I don't see that I did that, to be honest.
Where did you see that?
If you mean my remark about @MrBedhead accepting anything LEGO offers without criticism, then I stand by that, because he has proven so often enough. Just like he regularly attacks me because apparently my criticism of LEGO, be it valid or not, seems to feel as if I was attacking him personally by it. I wonder also why some can't separate the company from the product.
I admit I am very angry at LEGO the company quite often nowadays, yet I still like many of their products. After all, I don't have to be a fan of a company to like some of their offerings.
It's the same with those alternatives I often mention. I am not a fan of any of those companies (or of some of their practices), but I give credit where credit is due when they offer a great set. Like with LEGO there's a bad set for every great one in their lineups too, and I would never gush about or defend each and every set of theirs just because it's from a certain brand.
I attack LEGO when they treat us like fools and throw sets at us that offer little in return for what we are supposed to pay for them. Especially when I am passionate about a theme, like Technic, that used to be one of the reasons why I loved playing with LEGO in the first place. The pitiful lineup that Technic has nowadays would be no reason for me to start buying sets if I was a kid again today.
But I make it a point to try to be as objective as possible in my criticism. One of the problems I have with that is that I have to do so in a foreign language. It would be much easier for me to get my points across if I did so in German, but since that is not an option here I try my best to translate my thoughts into English. Sometimes this might lead to me using terms that might alienate even though they were not intended to do so. In those instances I can only apologize.
But I stand by my general sentiments.
@AustinPowers said:
" @Yardsale19X : I agree with you. One shouldn't attack someone else's character.
But I don't see that I did that, to be honest.
Where did you see that?
If you mean my remark about @MrBedhead accepting anything LEGO offers without criticism, then I stand by that, because he has proven so often enough. Just like he regularly attacks me because apparently my criticism of LEGO, be it valid or not, seems to feel as if I was attacking him personally by it. I wonder why some can't separate the company from the product.
I admit I am very angry at LEGO the company quite often nowadays, yet I still like many of their products. After all, I don't have to be a fan of a company to like some of their offerings.
It's the same with those alternatives I often mention. I am not a fan of any of those or of some of their practices, but I give credit where credit is due when they offer a great set. Like with LEGO there's a bad set for every great one in their lineups too, and I would never gush about or defend each and every set of theirs just because it's from a certain brand.
I attack LEGO when they treat us like fools and throw sets at us that offer little in return for what we are supposed to pay for them.
But I make it a point to be as objective as possible in my criticism. One of the problems I have with that is that I have to do so in a foreign language. It would be much easier for me to get my points across if I did so in German, but since that is not an option here I try my best to translate my thoughts into English. Sometimes this might lead to me using terms that might alienate even though they were not intended to do so. In those instances I can only apologize.
But I stand by my general sentiments.
"
Look, I find the use of sentences like "I do not understand how anyone can like that abomination of a set", incredibly arrogant and demeaning. And I honestly don't see why these types of statements need to be made.
Furthermore, I cannot stand companies that take the easy way out and disregard the need of licenses, copyright, protection of design, etc... You might find this idiotic, but I have a background in product design and I know how bloody hard it is for a company and how much money it takes to come up with a good design, or even an idea.
When I see a company like Mold King producing a roller coaster that looks a bit like the current LEGO Loop Coaster, with the same colour scheme, but with many more issues (a car that only rolls when using a bit of lubrication, and a braking system that doe not work properly), then I cannot do anything but react, also towards people who promote that stuff. These companies usually also sell cheaper, exactly because they have no need for a design department, or production department, or quality department. They usually just steal MOCs, or pay a small sum to a MOc'er in the minority of the cases, buy parts, make a quick instruction booklet, package, and that is literally it. That is why I react against some of your posts. You do not seem to understand the implications of buying such sets.
But I will never criticize Cobi, or Mega, or more recently Funwhol, because they do design their own stuff and put time and effort in new pieces, new designs, quality assurance, etc....
And finally, FYI, I am from Antwerp in Belgium, my mother tongue is Flemish, but I have lived in Switzerland for 8 years now and am reasonably fluent in German. People from Antwerp are usually considered as arrogant by other Belgians, and I know I can come across as arrogant too. Apologies if I offended you or anyone, but I care too much about certain principles like the ones I mentioned in this post to let them slip.
@Huw : thanks for the clarification. I also didn't mean to attack you personally, because I am certain you're reviews as well as recommendations are as objective as possible. I merely meant to say that it would be easier to be happy about this set and speak highly of it if one got it for free.
That's one of the reasons why I love Jang's reviews so much. He always buys the sets he reviews with his own money, and his reviews reflect that.
If I got that crane for Christmas as a kid (as unrealistic as that would have been at that price) I probably indeed would have been happy, especially if I didn't have any comparison.
But why should I have been unhappy if I got a set instead that offered more at a much cheaper price (and thus higher likelihood that my parents would have gotten me that set in the first place)?
@MrBedhead : the reason why I indeed saw you as the prime example of a "fanboy" is that you have never shown that you can accept criticism of a LEGO set and that you always appear to be personally insulted by whatever I criticize. No other poster here on Brickset acts like that.
I know there are many who disagree with me, and why shouldn't they, I know that some of my comments have the potential to be (highly) controversial. But I never post such comments to incite or annoy anyone. With you (and only with you) I always get the feeling that whatever I criticize, you feel you have to "defend the honour" of LEGO the company. If that feeling I get is unfounded then I offer my apologies.
And agree with you that some of the practices of those Chinese companies are not recommendable at all. But some of their products are really good nonetheless, and whenever that is the case then I can acknowledge that.
.....................................
EDIT, after I read your last comment: thank you for explaining your backstory. That makes sense of course.
I will try to be more thorough in my appreciation of those other companies, since I may well have been too lenient towards their practices.
I simply see what I get as a customer and don't research what goes on behind their factory walls.
That said, I think it goes without saying that I would never buy a set based on a stolen MOC, or a copy of a set currently available from a legitimate source.
@AustinPowers said:
" @Huw : thanks for the clarification. I also didn't mean to attack you personally, because I am certain you're reviews as well as recommendations are as objective as possible. I merely meant to say that it would be easier to be happy about this set and speak highly of it if one got it for free.
That's one of the reasons why I love Jang's reviews so much. He always buys the sets he reviews with his own money, and his reviews reflect that.
If I got that crane for Christmas as a kid (as unrealistic as that would have been at that price) I probably indeed would have been happy, especially if I didn't have any comparison.
@MrBedhead : the reason why I indeed see you as the prime example of a "fanboy" is that you have never shown that you can accept criticism of a LEGO set and that you always appear to be personally insulted by whatever I criticize. No other poster here on Brickset acts like that.
I know there are many who disagree with me, and why shouldn't they, I know that some of my comments have the potential to be (highly) controversial. But I never post such comments to incite or annoy anyone. With you (and only with you) I always get the feeling that whatever I criticize, you feel you have to "defend the honour" of LEGO the company. If that feeling I get is unfounded then I offer my apologies.
And agree with you that some of the practices of those Chinese companies are not recommendable at all. But some of their products are really good nonetheless, and whenever that is the case then I can acknowledge that. "
First of all, no need to use the word fanboy. Second of all, I respect valid criticism of LEGO sets. But a lot of your criticism is mostly limited to the typical clichés: too many colours, too many stickers, too expensive. I think we can agree some people like stickers, and others don't, Some people like blue pins, others don't. And prices are high, but my POV is that LEGO has always been expensive and is now not more expensive than 20 years ago. Honestly, complaining about these things time and time again feels like listening to a broken record.
Now, where you and I disagree massively, and something that I will continue calling you out on, is mentioning certain companies here. If a company steals designs, steals MOCs, does not bother to obtain licenses, then I will call them out no matter what. Why? Because it is lazy, it is cheap, it is reprehensible and it is immoral. Even BlueBrixx for me plays in a grey zone with cars and buildings that look like famous cars and movie locations, but cannot be called that. That feels like a company that is piggybacking on other people's ideas, trying to make a buck, but being too cheap to pay the people who came up with the idea in the first place. I wil never buy anything from such companies, no matter how good their sets are.
@MrBedhead : please (re-)read the edit I made at the end of my last comment.
Perhaps we are more in agreement than we thought.
I get where you're coming from. I guess I was simply too focused on the value proposition of some offerings from a customer's perspective to care as much about negative aspects of some sets or manufacturers.
By the way, I don't even mind blue pins or stickers in general (I'm not the "Held der Steine" after all). Just in certain cases where I think prints (or pins in different colours) could be beneficial.
Now for the big boy toy top 5 picks ;)…
- 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell (a truly beautiful LEGO model. Probably the most aesthetically pleasing kit they’ve ever designed. You don’t have to be a LOTR aficionado to appreciate and enjoy this stunning set).
- 10320 Eldorado Fortress (for the nostalgic Pirate fan but also a great play-set for the kids too!).
- 76252 Batcave – Shadow Box (a truly unique LEGO set for the Batman fan. For adult or kid builder).
- 76269 Avengers Tower (THE ultimate Marvel LEGO set! The build, the design, the figures, ALL top tier LEGO experience).
- 76417 Gringotts Wizarding Bank - Collectors' Edition (another truly unique LEGO design and build. For the Harry Potter super fan!)
Rivendell if you can afford it. The set is, like, a miracle from Lluvatar.
After all the discussions with @AustinPowers , my take on the battle of the big sets of 2023, in no particular order
1- Jazz Club - Aesthetically I find this the most beautiful modular since the Brick Bank. Plus, it sits beautifully between my Daily Bugle and Sanctum Sanctorum
2 - Gringotts - Not sure why this does not get more praise, but it is a stunningly designed set that is a true centrepiece of any collection, with the rollercoaster at the bottom, the beautifully designed Gringotts in the middle and the dragon on top
3 - UCS Venator - This is the UCS set that I have been waiting for... for... forever? Minifigs are good, but the ship is the highlight. Its surprising stability also shows how far LEGO has come in terms of design compared to the Imperial Star Destroyer from a few years back
4 - PacMan Arcade - A surprisingly fun build with one fantastic play feature (those who don't know, look it up) that works surprisingly well. The designer who came up with that deserves a medal
5 - Rivendell - Stunning build, stunning set
Aaaaaaan, I know Avengers Tower willl have to be added - I have not even built this yet; I cannot even buy this yet; but looking at speedbuilds online I know that it will be awesome. Plus, you can't have a Bugle without an Avengers Tower, can you?
And finally, a set I had laying around but never built because its price kept going up, but finally built because the main value is in the minifigs and not the set: The Joker Manor. Wonderfully silly set that now sits proudly on a shelf in my home office office.
Addendum: I heard that the Captain Rex that is in the Venator might be included in a Y-Wing microfighter in 2024. Not a slightly different version, but exactly the same. I will criticise LEGO here, massively, if this is true. LEGO advertised the minifigs in the set as exclusive, even mentioned it in the instruction book. Yes, people have been crying for a new Rex minifig for years, and were rightfully pissed when LEGO finally released him again in a super expensive set. But you cannot say first that the fig is exclusive, to then include it in a cheap set. Include a different version, with no arm printing, or a different head, or some other difference.
I just sold a few big Lego sets (including some really tough decisions!) to be able to buy Rivendell relatively guilt-free during the Insiders weekend. I'm happy and quite excited to see all the praise it's getting here. I look forward to spending a few weeks in the depths of January/February building it.
I'd certainly be delighted to receive Rivendell or Gringotts as a gift for Christmas. Realistically a pair of socks is much more likely!
I'm very pleased to see the price of Rivendell finally coming down on Amazon, though not enough to beat double points and a couple of good GWPs yet, but I'm sure it will in time.
@sjr60 said:
"Realistically a pair of socks is much more likely!"
Same here. This is why I tend to buy myself a present as well at this time of year!
@Yardsale19X said:
"I just sold a few big Lego sets (including some really tough decisions!) to be able to buy Rivendell relatively guilt-free during the Insiders weekend. I'm happy and quite excited to see all the praise it's getting here. I look forward to spending a few weeks in the depths of January/February building it. "
Excellent choice! I am lucky enough to have been gifted Rivendell, and I can say it is the best build I have ever experienced! I would highly recommend listening to the LotR soundtrack while building.
Sadly I don't have any of these, and I'm (very) unlikely to be getting any for Xmas! If I could pick one it would be Rivendell. To buy for myself; I'm principally a Technic fan, but I just can't see value in the Liebherr crane, and I couldn't even consider spending that much on something that I wasn't totally sure about. The bike is overpriced as well, but not quite so egregiously. It also has the benefit of actually looking like the source material!
Gringotts is great too, but I'd rather have the smaller Hogwarts castle which I can both afford and display without trouble!
@PhantomBricks said:
" @Yardsale19X said:
"I just sold a few big Lego sets (including some really tough decisions!) to be able to buy Rivendell relatively guilt-free during the Insiders weekend. I'm happy and quite excited to see all the praise it's getting here. I look forward to spending a few weeks in the depths of January/February building it. "
Excellent choice! I am lucky enough to have been gifted Rivendell, and I can say it is the best build I have ever experienced! I would highly recommend listening to the LotR soundtrack while building."
That is definitely the plan! I'm going to watch all the extended editions around this time as well - for the first time. I haven't seen the movies since they were released at the cinema. Should be a fun winter!
In this price category, from which I probably would only ever buy a set if they get a discount enough to move them down a slot, my clear favorite is the 10317 Defender. Overpriced and with a few flaws (that windshield.....why oh why???), but for most part a great blend of both form and functionality.
10323 Pac-Man would be my number 2, and a bit hesitant but still 21344 Orient Express completes the podium. I do quite like 42159, but it's so massively overpriced that I find it hard to recommend. Same goes for 76252 Batcave.
As for sets I would never buy myself but just can't deny the greatness of: 10316 Rivendell and 71799 Ninjago City Markets.
For the worst contender I fully agree with AustinPowers: the 42146 Liebherr abomination. Might function well and even seems the first truly good application of the Control+ system, but other than that it is flawed in so many ways its just embarrassing, especially for such a ridiculously expensive flagship set. Indeed that Mould King set blows it out of the water in every way possible. Worst Technic set ever though? Nah, I think that "honor" still goes to the Flex-Ferrari which has absolutely nothing going for it.