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 26 were released this year, which is eight more than in 2023. They are all excellent, 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.
Poshhammer
77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 ($299.99, £259.99, €299.99)
I didn't want to be swayed by an IP or nostalgia... but come on, it's ZELDA. This model looks amazing with its sculpting of very organic shapes, its interior details and the new prints and sculpts are so perfect for the IP.
What the box doesn't make clear is that you get the treehouse, the Deku Tree Sprout, Hetsu and the Master Sword pedestal regardless of which tree you build, which makes the price easier to swallow.
And, if you follow Brickinnick's instructions which use the spare pieces from the OoT tree build you can still get both Deku Trees, sort of.
I have yet to get my hands on a copy, so if anyone wants to gift it to me this holiday season, I would greatly appreciate it...
Huw
21061 Notre-Dame de Paris ($229.99, £199.99, €229.99)
For these guides, I tend only to pick sets that I've built myself. That limits my choices somewhat, particularly in this category where, other than Technic sets, I've only constructed 10326 Natural History Museum and this, the most spectacular Architecture set yet.
It provides a lengthy and absorbing building experience, the end product of which is an incredibly detailed and realistic model that looks absolutely wonderful on display. This is definitely a gift for the more discerning adult fan.
With no IP to bump up the price, you get a lot of bricks for your buck, too.
MeganL
21353 The Botanical Garden ($329.99, £289.99, €329.99)
Just about every year I choose the modular building for this category. And while I really loved 10326 Natural History Museum (and it has a dog!), for this price range I'm choosing another set with a dog - 21353 The Botanical Garden The Botanical Garden.
I just finished building this, and it's a truly beautiful set. I was delighted at the start when I saw it was built on two baseplates - while not totally compatible with modulars, it will be very easy to display with them - and the building techniques are modular-worthy. Unlike the modulars, there are an abundance of minifigs, which incorporate a lot of diversity, which is also a plus for me.
benbacardi
10326 Natural History Museum ($299.99, £259.99, €299.99)
The modular line has been going strong for a long time now, with the new release making its debut at the beginning of the year. 2024's offering of 10326 Natural History Museum is an excellent continuation of the line, with a unique design that we haven't seen before and some fantastic details.
If you're looking for a gift for somebody with a love of LEGO, architecture, or natural history, then this set will fit that bill. And if they haven't started collecting modular buildings before, now is the perfect time to begin with the announcement of next year's just around the corner!
CapnRex101
43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage ($219.99, £189.99, €219.99)
My favourite large set of this year is 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr, so I am drawn to selecting that for the gift guide. However, I think everyone already knows whether they will enjoy Sauron's fortress or not, so I am choosing something a little less obvious instead.
With that in mind, 43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage is extremely underrated. This is a stunning model from a purely architectural perspective, with fantastic detail and good use of the interior space to capture as many features from the classic film as possible. Also, this set brings almost everything from the film together, including some unexpected items, such as the glass coffin and wishing well.
The minifigure selection is impressive too, of course. All the necessary characters are present and the dwarfs are brilliantly designed, with highly expressive faces to show their personalities.
I must also mention 75382 TIE Interceptor. I was not particularly enthused when rumours of a new Ultimate Collector Series TIE Interceptor began to circulate, but its execution is sublime, raising the bar for sets of that scale going forward.
SetToBuild
21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale ($359.99, £314.99, €359.99)
The build experience for 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale was an epic adventure in its own right without needing a Dungeon Master as your guide. Celebrating 50 years of D&D, this set is packed with highly detailed environments, grotesque creatures, lush flora, and a cosy inn to help you tell your story. The dragon balanced on the bridge is a bit precarious, but once in position, it stands majestically on the ruined castle.
To play the LEGO D&D campaign, you can use the free PDF linked in the instructions, or buy a physical copy on LEGO Insiders. The set comes with a customisable adventuring party and some evil foes, but you can give your gift recipient an inkling of the journey that lies ahead with some D&D-themed Collectable Minifigure stocking stuffers as well!
77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 is also a good contender for this bracket. The price has some heft, but c’mon it’s LEGO Legend of Zelda! The new moulds, minifigures, and 2-in-1 model options are worth every rupee. You can read all about the accurate details and hidden secrets of this set in my full review.
FlagsNZ
10335 The Endurance ($269.99, £229.99, €269.99)
It will come as no surprise to you that my pick for this year's LEGO set, over $200, is 10335 The Endurance.
Even without the fabulous story of survival, Endurance was a beautiful ship and the LEGO designers have created a wonderful model replica of this gracious, elegant ship. Hans Burkhard Schlömer, LEGO model designer, is correct in saying that Endurance was one of the strongest wooden ships ever built.
Endurance withstood ten months of unrelenting pressure stuck in ice in the Weddell Sea before being crushed and sinking in November 1915.
10335 The Endurance is a beautiful display model which pays tribute to her short, eventful life and the role she played in the survival of Ernest Shackleton and the twenty-seven men who were part of the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
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 2025 sets. It's going to be a busy month!
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27 comments on this article
(scream of disappointment in LOTR orc's language)
I would choose 10332 or 21061, or possibly 21348 if it were cheaper.
Yes, I enjoyed the recommendations from Brickset and the commenters.
I find it interesting that six of the 26 sets in that price bracket are Bricklink Designer Program sets. Also, to me it felt like there were many more 200plus Euro sets than there apparently actually are.
An easy top of the list with the fantastic 21353 Botanical Garden. A brilliant set and end result for Lego fans and non-fans alike.
43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage also makes a charming, finely detailed set.
And finally, largely fuelled by my keen following of the race to the moon, 42182 NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle - LRV. Was always fascinated by the 4 wheel steering on the Dinky model, and glad to see it recreated here.
I'm with FlagsNZ on this one. Endurance is a nice build and a great display model.
Got to second @SetToBuild’s suggestion of the 21348 D&D set. Not only is it a great display piece and, for younger FOLs, a play set, it’s also a playable D&D game for teens & adults with the free PDF download. If you’re into fantasy and/or gaming, you really can’t do better.
21348 Not only is it a diverse build but there's a story (module) to go along with it...thus adding more to the play value for it. Would love to see more brick built Monster Manual creatures from Lego in the Future
Building 10332 was great, sadly I have no decent display space.
Torn between the Deku tree, Barad-Dûr and Jabba’s sailbarge….
Zelda: love the IP, but maybe different set.
Sailbarge: love the figs!
Although mostly black, I gotta give it to the Barad-Dûr!
I spent around 400 on sets in total this year, so just one of these will blow my budget. So own none of these.
If only 10326 *were* £25.99!
I don’t think in 5 years we’ll look back on 2024 as a great Lego year. There are a bunch of very good sets, but not sure there are many all-timers from this year compared to some we’ve seen in recent years. Compare Medieval Town Square to Lion Knights Castle, Endurance to Titanic, Barad-Dur to Rivendell, etc.
I'm an unapologetic space enthusiast, so 10341 NASA Artemis, no doubt about it!
In some ways, this is better than the real one:
-Fixed cost contract, instead of cost-plus
-Reliable components, no stuck valves anywhere
-The whole thing is reusable, both boosters and each individual stage
-No schedule slippage, so it can be ready to launch by end of year if desired, but definitely no later than next year
-Test sequences are wrapped up already, nothing preventing delivery and final assembly
I haven't built the new Eldorado yet, but that might be my personal pick. I would love to find Notre Dame on a good discount though.
Where is 10333? Of your choices, 21353 and 10326 seem to be my favorites.
@dimc said:
"I haven't built the new Eldorado yet, but that might be my personal pick. I would love to find Notre Dame on a good discount though. "
but eldorado is a 2023 set and they were picking from 2024 sets. Also, it was on sale for under $200 during insider weekend so I hope you picked one up since it's also retiring
@legoapprentice said:
"I don’t think in 5 years we’ll look back on 2024 as a great Lego year. There are a bunch of very good sets, but not sure there are many all-timers from this year compared to some we’ve seen in recent years. Compare Medieval Town Square to Lion Knights Castle, Endurance to Titanic, Barad-Dur to Rivendell, etc."
I totally agree with this. There have been lots of excellent sets, but none that I think will be remembered as all-time greats, in contrast with those you mention in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
@MusiMus said:
"Where is 10333 ? Of your choices, 21353 and 10326 seem to be my favorites."
As I said in the article, 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr is probably my favourite large set of the year, but the gift guide is not only about choosing favourites.
10333 all the way down
If I had to pick a second, 10332 was pretty good as well.
THE Top Five over $200 for ‘24…
- 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr
- 10341 NASA Artemis Space Launch System
- 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris
- 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale
- 75397 Jabba's Sail Barge
Honorable Mentions:
- 76271 Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City
- 910029 Mountain Fortress
10335 is definitely my favourite at this price point. The model is incredible, and it's at a good price too.
They are all much of a muchness in this price bracket. All look good, but whether it is a good gift really depends on if the receiver likes either the franchise or the type of building the set is based on.
@Volfogg said:
" @dimc said:
"I haven't built the new Eldorado yet, but that might be my personal pick. I would love to find Notre Dame on a good discount though. "
but eldorado is a 2023 set and they were picking from 2024 sets. Also, it was on sale for under $200 during insider weekend so I hope you picked one up since it's also retiring"
Ah I forgot it came out last year! I did pick one up, not on sale but to get the micro Classic Space GWP, which I sold to a buddy so I got my discount that way.
It's still in the box, but the OG is built and on display. Someday I'll have space to compare them.
@legoapprentice said:
"I don’t think in 5 years we’ll look back on 2024 as a great Lego year. There are a bunch of very good sets, but not sure there are many all-timers from this year compared to some we’ve seen in recent years. Compare Medieval Town Square to Lion Knights Castle, Endurance to Titanic, Barad-Dur to Rivendell, etc."
While I feel like Endurance, for a set less than half the price, can hold its own, and Rivendell set an impossibly high bar, i generally agree, especially when it comes to bigger ($200+) adult-oriented sets. That being said, there have been lots of bangers among the play themes, and I think 2024 will be remembered as a great year for City with its resurgence. Friends (BnB) and Creator (large animals, camera etc.) have had some decent offerings too.
Okay, this is my range. Just don't tell my wife. :o)
Of the 26 sets, I own 4 and want 8. And of the 4 I own, 3 of them are BLDP. Since this is a Holiday Buying Guide, I don't think we can list one of those here. They'll come back up when we talk best sets of the year.
For some reason, I still haven't picked up the Jazz Club or Natural History Museum. Perhaps the plethora of great high end sets from LEGO each year is making me more discerning with regards to the modular line. Also, the Museum and X-Men Mansion out at the same time kind of overlap to me.
I'm still on the fence regarding the very expensive Botanical Garden, Sail Barge, and Barad-dur. I really like the Batman picture but I doubt it will ever move high enough up the list. I think Notre Dame and Endurance would cross pollinate for certain fans of LEGO, but not all. As such, my recommendation is 21348 Dungeons & Dragons which I suspect will likely speak to the most number of folks across the most number of groups.
That Notre Dame set really is stunning.
Not an easy task to choose in this slot, usually I don't buy over 200€. Anyway...
for me 10332 is the must but, my first choice.
I love 21061 , architecture is not my thing but in this case I'm seriously considering to buy it.
43242 is another set I'm considering buying.
21348 should be another must buy for me, but it is too expensive for my usual target price. Maybe if there was the original green dragon...
76271 is an incredible set, not my thing but i love it.
77092 is another great entry, I undervalued it at first but I chenged my mind after seeing it live.
21348 is one of my favourite sets of all time - interesting and varied building experience with hardly any repetition, unique minifigs, backstory to read, my daughter loves to play with it, it looks good on display, AND it fits into a narrow Billy bookcase behind glass doors with only a couple of very minor modifications!
That last especially means that is likely to stay constructed for the foreseeable future, whereas I need to rotate most large sets to avoid gathering dust on open shelves.
That said I agree that 2024 has not been as great overall as 2023, other than that one I haven't picked up any really large sets, and the only other standout for me was 71819
Your selection sucks as you forgot the LOTR sets :-(