Holiday gift guide: $100-$200
Posted by Huw,
Our penultimate holiday gift guide looks at sets in the $100-200 price range, of which 46 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.
Poshhammer
71486 Castle Nocturnia ($199.99, £169.99, €199.99)
Three distinct and detailed buildings in one, this model is so clever in its design and execution with its MC Escher-inspired layout.
It makes for a great display piece, but also with the flipping to have different sides up, encourages you to take it off the shelf and to play with it. I have not built it myself, but looking at it there looks to be a lot of variety in how things are constructed to ensure you won't doze off during the building process.
Huw
42181 VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81 ($109.99, £89.99, €99.99)
Of all of this year's Technic sets this one might just be my favourite.
Its functions work flawlessly, and it's a lot of fun to play with. It's also great value for money compared to many similarly sized sets, particularly in the UK at the moment where it's deeply discounted at Amazon.
Kids, or kids at heart, will enjoy swooshing it around the room on Boxing Day, and when they've finished doing so, it'll look great on display.
Buy now at LEGO.com, or at Amazon.co.uk, where it's currently 28% off, £64.99.
MeganL
42639 Andrea's Modern Mansion ($199.99, £169.99, €199.99)
Friends is really coming into its own - there were four sets from the Friends line in this price range this year.
While they were all fun, the easy pick for me this year is 42639 Andrea's Modern Mansion. It's the first retail set that features all five of the original Friends in the same set, and it was great to see where they are in this stage of their lives.
From a building perspective, there were enough fun building techniques to impress the most seasoned AFOL. The colour scheme is fantastic. The garage moving functions and the working elevators are just finishing touches on a great model (that I still have built). I really hope we see more sets like this in Heartlake City.
benbacardi
31212 The Milky Way Galaxy ($199.99, €199.99, £169.99)
LEGO's ambition with art sets has grown over time, starting with simple (but effective) mosaics of 1x1 round tiles, working up to the more diverse use of parts that we see now with sets such as 31208 Hokusai - The Great Wave and, this year, 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy.
I think these sets look absolutely fantastic on the wall, both from a distance and when studied up close. At this price range, a piece of art or a display piece is a great gift, and the detailing and overall impact of the Milky Way doesn't disappoint.
CapnRex101
76286 The Milano Spaceship ($179.99, £159.99, €179.99)
76193 The Guardians' Ship has been one of my favourite Marvel sets since its release in 2021 and I have been hoping for an equivalent iteration of the Milano ever since. 76286 The Milano Spaceship finally arrived this year and its design is near-faultless, looking fantastic on display, while also offering plenty of interior space for the Guardians.
Furthermore, the build is very enjoyable and quite unusual in places, as various angled panels are required to capture the Milano's bird-like shape. It still feels highly swooshable as well, so I think this is a brilliant set for children and adults alike.
I am going to mention 76440 Triwizard Tournament: The Arrival for a similar reason, as LEGO Harry Potter fans have been looking forward to a new model of the Durmstrang Ship for many years and this edition does not disappoint!
TheBrickPal
43247 Young Simba the Lion King ($129.99, £114.99, €129.99)
Disney's beloved animated film The Lion King celebrated its thirtieth anniversary this year, yielding the spectacular 43247 Young Simba the Lion King. It would make a great gift for any fan of the 1994 classic who is looking for an engaging building experience.
Maybe your recipient wants something more minifigure-focused, though; 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter or 21350 Jaws should suffice. 71438 Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi makes for the ultimate gamer gift for a Nintendo fan, as well - it's a striking display with very cool functionality!
SetToBuild
75398 C-3PO ($139.99, £124.99, €139.99)
This year, we finally welcomed a stunning (sorry, 8007) large-scale model of one of the most iconic humanoid characters from the Star Wars universe.
Many moments in the build experience surprised me with how brick maths allowed everything to fit together so well. Clever techniques hidden in the base and torso capture C-3PO’s posture flawlessly. With elements newly recoloured in the duskiness of pearl gold and splashes of dark tan and metallic gold, it is clear that this droid has seen a lot of action, what with the Rebellion and all.
Plus, 75398 C-3PO is scaled perfectly with his counterpart, R2-D2, also released this year. Don’t let a bad motivator slow you down; pick this set up today!
FlagsNZ
76328 Batman: The Classic TV Series Batmobile ($149.99, £129.99, €149.99)
Anyone who grew up watching the classic Batman TV series will undoubtedly instantly recognise 76328 Batman: The Classic TV Series Batmobile. This vehicle is the centrepiece vehicle for the TV series that ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1968 (and numerous re-runs).
The gift would appeal to anyone who likes retro American TV comedy from this period, regardless of the preferred genre.
The model is an impressive size and the original bodywork has been captured very well using LEGO bricks. Its only downfall is that it doesn't include a Dick Grayson/Robin minifigure.
Which of the 46 sets would you choose to give?
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15 comments on this article
I'd choose 71813, 71819 or 71822. So for me, Ninjago won in this price range this year, but I'd also mention 80054 from Monkie Kid.
60433 is my pick.
My Top-Ten Hundo to Two-Hundo…
- 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter
- 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy
- 42621 Heartlake City Hospital
- 42631 Adventure Camp Tree House
- 43247 Young Simba the Lion King
- 60409 Mobile Construction Crane
- 60422 Seaside Harbour with Cargo Ship
- 60433 Modular Space Station
- 76440 Triwizard Tournament: The Arrival
- 80113 Family Reunion Celebration
Weird, I thought Huw said that 42175 was his favourite Technic set this year.
Really can't go wrong with 76328, the only proper Batmobile! 21347 Telephone Box was fantastic to a perhaps slightly niche audience. And 71438 Super Mario was very cleverly done, and looks brilliant.
The modern mansion was such a fun build. I love the details and colors! And since it isn't "super realistic" the build doesn't get repetitive. :-)
My vote goes to the Dune ornithopter.
Great Play and display with awesome figs!
SW 75394 ISD gets a honorable mention.
Scrolling to the end of the list …the bricklink ocean house is beautiful as well.
For me, I love 71819. I don't know anything about the lore of Ninjago, but every so often, one of the sets is just incredible. The Shrine is the current one. Really hoping to snag this on a sale so I can add it to my city park area.
@Brickes_ficko said:
"I'd choose 71813, 71819 or 71822. So for me, Ninjago won in this price range this year, but I'd also mention 80054 from Monkie Kid."
71819 the Stone Ninjago Dragon Temple was on sale at cost for $60 last week. I grabbed 2 so it was buy one get one free :)
My pick definitely has to go to 42639 Andrea's Modern Mansion
PS: 42639 links partially to 42539
The ship in 76440 is wonderfull
I do dislike the stickered shields
Go with 10327. It's an amazing set, you can't go wrong with it.
Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Still, it's surprising how few options there were in this range when it feels that most LEGO sets cost this much nowadays.
42181 VTOL (My first Technic ever and just a splendid set)
21350 Jaws
10327 Ornithopter
42639 Andrea's Modern Mansion (We don't have but it looks stunning)
60434 Space Base (We really enjoy this set)
71438 Mario & Yoshi (Too expensive and I don't have it yet but I really like what I see)
75398 C-3PO (Too expensive but I think I like it)
21343 is the first choice for me.
Surprisingly, i can't resist to buy 60433 when I found it with a discount. Note that the set is 99,99 € here, so I thought it was placed it in the previous slot.
Great models 21350 , 21347 , 71819 (but a bit expensive) and 42639 (but uh... minidolls!).