What is your favourite gift-with-purchase set of 2024?
Posted by CapnRex101,
Gifts-with-purchase are now a standard part of LEGO's annual range, covering everything from substantial sets including several hundred parts to collectable coins and even a clock this year!
Your nominations have narrowed the field of 47 options down to ten. View the shortlist and vote for your favourite after the break...
These ten were comfortably the favourites, but other sets with quite a few nominations include 40730 Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber and 6510865 Dungeons & Dragons Mimic Dice Box.
Which set received your vote? Let us know in the comments and look out for the results in the New Year.
There is still time to submit your nominations in the other three categories, including for your favourite set of the year.
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83 comments on this article
I'm a sucker for the book-base GWPs, lots of creative potential and I think the Jules Verne entry was stellar. Space Babies is cool, but the availability was wicked limited. None of the licensed entries really knocked my socks off this year, but that's fine.
Predicting the droid carrier will win followed by the fell beast
For pure functionality and enjoyment, I opted for the pumpkin. I managed to grab a second and send it to my daughter who is crazy about Halloween (God only knows why) and was very excited to display it this year. As a bonus, my grand-daughter absolutely loved pressing the top to light it up.
I voted for Shackleton but it and Fel Beast going out of stock immediately is really awful on LEGO's part.
I now realise that I made an error in the set number for 40699 Retro Record Player. I cannot change that with the poll published, but it will not affect the votes for that set.
Luke's Lightsaber not in the top 10?? I ordered all the parts on PAB that was one of my favorite SW sets of the year.
Go Jules Verne! ;-)
A fun set to build. If you like the postcard series, you'll enjoy this one too.
I do think it looks even better than the postcards.
The Halloween pumpkin is my favorite. It’s awesome that a set that small that’s also a GWP included a light brick. And it includes the extra parts to make a different face (which you could use to make your own too). I would even say this is one of the best GWPs of all time.
40690, 40691, 40700, 40712 and 40697, I voted to 40712.
My issue with the Droid Carrier, is it should have just been a standard set.
And while I suppose that could be held against any of them, I disagree.
I think the others all offer something slightly different or a quirk/feel that regular retail sets don't have, and I can't imagine them as retail sets in their current forms.
I'd have voted for 6510865 Mimic Dice Box if it was on the poll. Rather surprised that it isn't.
Given that the Fell Beast and Shackletons lifeboat were the only one to sell out immediately though, it'll be one of those that should win.
Such a difficult decision so many great choices. The Jules Verne 40690 set is incredible and such a nice build. I also liked Books are my Passion 40698, in the end nostalgia won out for classic space 40712
@GrizBe said:
"I'd have voted for 6510865 Mimic Dice Box if it was on the poll. Rather surprised that it isn't."
Me and my Mimic dice box, and my Mimicaneer dice box, and my Mega Mimic dice box, and my impending Mimic Beholder (because yes, the world absolutely needs one of those) are all profoundly disappointed in its absence.
The bookshelf has my vote.
Picked up several of the GWPs. My winner was the Pumpkin, as the only one (two actually) that I was keen enough to build immediately!
40698
None of the above. Retail only for me. This FOMO-inducing nonsense shouldn't be praised.
Shackleton's lifeboat. I liked Luke's Lightsaber better though and i'm surprised it wasn't up there.
Retro food truck has my vote!
As a food truck MOC builder and food truck set collector the Retro Food Truck has my vote.
Books Are My Passion is definitely one of the best GWPs ever produced, but I had to vote for the Fell Beast. I finally built it a few days ago and it's simply incredible. It's just a shame it was so hard to obtain. I really wish some GWPs would be released as regular retail sets after a few months.
I didn't realize how many book fans we had here so maybe I'll be surprised, but I still think it's between Micro Space and Fell Beast. I voted Micro Space myself.
@CC said:
"Luke's Lightsaber not in the top 10?? I ordered all the parts on PAB that was one of my favorite SW sets of the year."
I'm equally surprised by that. Perhaps people are becoming jaded after the third lightsabre.
@GoldenNinja3000 said:
"Books Are My Passion is definitely one of the best GWPs ever produced, but I had to vote for the Fell Beast. I finally built it a few days ago and it's simply incredible. It's just a shame it was so hard to obtain. I really wish some GWPs would be released as regular retail sets after a few months. "
Having not bought/built the Fell Beast, what would you say sends it to the top? Looking at the instructions, it seems to be on par with the simpler dragons from Ninjago
Have to go with Star Wars for this one, not many GWPs have 8 minifigs.
I voted Shackleton's row boat, because it really fits the set it came with and you can cobble it together yourself if you really wanted to (but didn't want to buy the big set). Including the minifigs.
@AnotherBrickFan said:
"Such a difficult decision so many great choices. The Jules Verne 40690 set is incredible and such a nice build. I also liked Books are my Passion 40698, in the end nostalgia won out for classic space 40712 "
Agreed.
@CC said:
"Luke's Lightsaber not in the top 10?? I ordered all the parts on PAB that was one of my favorite SW sets of the year."
That's a great idea! Do you mind if I ask how much that cost total?
Really disappointed that Luke's Lightsaber didn't make it; that was definitely my favorite.
For my vote, I went with the Battle Droid Carrier, although I agree with others who've said that it should've been a normal set release. Close second choice for me was the Fell Beast.
Books are my Passion for me, with a personalised me. Takes pride of place in my office
Had to go for Books are my Passion but the Fell Beast was a very close second
I'd forgotten about the Jules Verne set. Didn't have it on my owned list. But it got my vote.
I ended up modding it to be the hogwarts express with Hogwarts in the background with the Dumstrung ship and carriage instead of the balloon and submersible.
SPACE <3
The Jules Verne set was cool but I think the Halloween Pumpkin was my favorite.
Cerebro would have got my vote!
I don't see it being anything other than 40712, and rightfully so. What a great little set. Nostalgia, a great build, and fun little figures.
40698 Books Are My Passion was an easy vote for me. That's one of the few GWPs that made me say "Ooh, I *need* that!"
I seem to be in the minority of people who think that 40686 Trade Federation Troop Carrier was one of the most disappointing GWPs of the year.
Books are my Passion. Easy to get multiple on relatively low order thresholds and sold for £45.
Troop Carrier. I have an earlier version from 7929 The Battle of Naboo. Love adding this to my evolving Clone vs CIS battle scene.
@GrizBe said:
"I'd have voted for 6510865 Mimic Dice Box if it was on the poll. Rather surprised that it isn't.
Given that the Fell Beast and Shackletons lifeboat were the only one to sell out immediately though, it'll be one of those that should win."
Somehow, I would go the opposite way: since they sold out so fast, not many people had the time/chance to get them. As such, not many people can tell if these sets are any good since they couldn't get them. We can certainly say there were eagerness for them, but very few people could enjoy them and thus very few people can vote positively for them. We'll see...
The pumpkin was a substantial GWP (would've easily have bought it as a normal set).
Why is the Droid Carrier there? It's a remake of a past set and nothing special, oh year it's SW.
Micro Space for me......the only GWP ever that made me actually buy overpriced stuff directly from Lego just to get it.
I’m a Classic Space fan. I love Micro Rocket Launchpad and Alien Diner, but my vote is for the pumpkin.
It occurs to me that the one I voted for, 40690, has something in common with two others on the list that I really like. It has being about books in common with 40698, and it has being in microscale in common with 40712.
@WantedDeadOrAlive said:
"Predicting the droid carrier will win followed by the fell beast"
The crossover chase scene that no one saw coming!
The only one I got was the photo frame
@BabuBrick said:
" @CC said:
"Luke's Lightsaber not in the top 10?? I ordered all the parts on PAB that was one of my favorite SW sets of the year."
That's a great idea! Do you mind if I ask how much that cost total?"
I used the Rebrickable inventory and added each part manually to the PAB cart. All the parts were available when I ordered in October.
Unfortunately, at least one important part is now out of stock at PAB, 10x 65138 black round 4x4. So you would have to use Bricklink for some parts.
The two classic space GWPs were my favorite, but I liked the space babies more. :D
@CC:
PAB Standard is still sleeping off the holiday feasts on the living room sofa. That may account for your missing part, in which case it could return when they reopen the floodgates.
I stayed up well past midnight to be sure I got Shackleton's Lifeboat, so I knew it had to be my favorite!
@HOBBES said:
"Somehow, I would go the opposite way: since they sold out so fast, not many people had the time/chance to get them. As such, not many people can tell if these sets are any good since they couldn't get them. We can certainly say there were eagerness for them, but very few people could enjoy them and thus very few people can vote positively for them. We'll see..."
Fair point, but I thought the gifts with purchase were all limited time/while stocks last deals, meaning theres only ever a set number of each set made?
If thats the case, and theres only say 5000 of each made... 5000 going instantly would suggest greater demand due to it being a more desirable set.
The launchpad is just too cute. Blows everything else out of the water.
I like most of them, but they should have been saleable sets.
@GrizBe said:
" @HOBBES said:
"Somehow, I would go the opposite way: since they sold out so fast, not many people had the time/chance to get them. As such, not many people can tell if these sets are any good since they couldn't get them. We can certainly say there were eagerness for them, but very few people could enjoy them and thus very few people can vote positively for them. We'll see..."
Fair point, but I thought the gifts with purchase were all limited time/while stocks last deals, meaning theres only ever a set number of each set made?
If thats the case, and theres only say 5000 of each made... 5000 going instantly would suggest greater demand due to it being a more desirable set."
They definitely don’t make the same quantity of each one
See the thing is I really like the feel beasst but I really think it shouldn't have been a GWP, same story for the droid carrier.
I totally missed the retro record player / Technics Turntable.
I need two of those!!
Those cute little space babies really did it for me.
They got my vote. For a Gw/P, it's a total play-set with multiple vehicles, and a home base.
I love it!
A close second for me was the Tribute to Jules Verne. Looks great on the shelf next to a set of Verne books.
@AgentKallus said:
"See the thing is I really like the feel beasst but I really think it shouldn't have been a GWP, same story for the droid carrier. "
I agree about the droid carrier,
But having built the fell beast, I can't see it working as a retail set, not in its current form.
It is way too fiddly, especially getting it to sit right on the Osgilliath ruins. I can imagine that fiddlyness and difficulty would just frustrate kids that would inevitably get it if regular retail.
So it would have to be modified, and bulked up a bit to be more in line with retail sets.
But as a display GWP collectable, that is less of an issue and it works fine, and once it is sat on the ruins as shown on the box, it looks great
@GrizBe said:
" @HOBBES said:
"Somehow, I would go the opposite way: since they sold out so fast, not many people had the time/chance to get them. As such, not many people can tell if these sets are any good since they couldn't get them. We can certainly say there were eagerness for them, but very few people could enjoy them and thus very few people can vote positively for them. We'll see..."
Fair point, but I thought the gifts with purchase were all limited time/while stocks last deals, meaning theres only ever a set number of each set made?
If thats the case, and theres only say 5000 of each made... 5000 going instantly would suggest greater demand due to it being a more desirable set."
Set-specific GWPs, like the Fell Beast and the lifeboat, are produced in much smaller quantities than general GWPs. Logic says that GWPs with a high spend are also produced in less quantity than those with a rock-bottom spend. I don't have hard numbers to back any of this up, but this is based on simple observation of how long various GWPs last, vs how hard they are to obtain. Frequently, a set-specific GWP was paired with a general GWP, and sold out within just a couple hours while the general GWP would last the weekend or longer. Large purchases will pick up both the large and small spend GWPs, but small purchases will only get the small spend GWP, which frequently outlasts the large spend GWP that started at the same time. You also have to pay attention to the promo period. Some GWPs are only listed for a couple days, while others can list for a few weeks. Again, logic says the latter are produced in larger quantities just to ensure they won't get blown out the first day.
Do I love having a Lego Fell Beast? Yes. Do I love it as a gwp? No. It should be available retail. The food truck is a great gwp
@Emmafofemma said:
"Do I love having a Lego Fell Beast? Yes. Do I love it as a gwp? No. It should be available retail."
You just want to be able to affordably acquire a full set. Which, of course, everybody probably wants the same thing. I would have been more okay with them doing it as a GWP if it was the Witch-King's steed, and then a generic version was available as a retail set. That way you could buy a bunch of the one that's not unique.
Loved Books Are My Passion :)
Wow. I have TEN other GWPs from this year that I’d rank ahead of all of these. I voted for my 11th favorite, then!!!
I've surprised myself with how many of these I have. But I voted for 40698 Books are my Passion because that's the only one I went out of my way to acquire.
definitely: 40681
I've been a Lego fan for 25 years, and Books Are My Passion is the first set my mom wanted to get for herself. That has to be my pick for this year.
Fell Beast was nice but fell squarely into the "should have been included in the associated set" category. The retro food truck and book ones were the best overall IMO.
@PurpleDave said:
"Set-specific GWPs, like the Fell Beast and the lifeboat, are produced in much smaller quantities than general GWPs. Logic says that GWPs with a high spend are also produced in less quantity than those with a rock-bottom spend. I don't have hard numbers to back any of this up, but this is based on simple observation of how long various GWPs last, vs how hard they are to obtain."
Be nice if we did have some kind of hard numbers so we could attempt to work it out. Assuming the same sales conditions, 1000 of one set going faster then another you'd think would indicate more demand and popularity. But as you point out, its alot more complicated then I thought.
I wound up getting two of the trade federation troop carrier and I must say it is my favorite GWP of all time. Unlike most GWP you can actually use it with your other sets and it has great playability. My second favorite is the fell beast.
@GrizBe said:
"Be nice if we did have some kind of hard numbers so we could attempt to work it out."
Might as well wish for world peace, the cure for cancer, and honesty in politics while you’re at it. They avoid giving out hard numbers like the plague.
"Assuming the same sales conditions, 1000 of one set going faster then another you'd think would indicate more demand and popularity. But as you point out, its alot more complicated then I thought. "
You mean like two generic GWPs with a $150 spend and no theme restrictions? What if one launches over May 4th weekend, and the other is available the last week of December? The first one will get a boost from SW purchases, while the other will be sandbagged by depleted stock between Christmas and the January 1st wave of new releases. Sometimes GWPs are the main draw, and other times they’re just along for the ride.
@fakespacesquid said:
" @GoldenNinja3000 said:
"Books Are My Passion is definitely one of the best GWPs ever produced, but I had to vote for the Fell Beast. I finally built it a few days ago and it's simply incredible. It's just a shame it was so hard to obtain. I really wish some GWPs would be released as regular retail sets after a few months. "
Having not bought/built the Fell Beast, what would you say sends it to the top? Looking at the instructions, it seems to be on par with the simpler dragons from Ninjago"
It feels very substantial for a GWP, it's got a new Ringwraith minifigure, I love the wing build, and I'm just so happy to see a Fell Beast in LEGO bricks :)
I would anti-vote against Shackleton's Lifeboat if I could. It should have been part of the Endurance set. The fact that it disappeared so quickly disappointed me so much I didn't buy anything on Black Friday (in fact I haven't but any LEGO since, but that's partly because I'm traveling). I'm holding off on buying Endurance in hopes they will make more
Alien Space Diner wins for me as, yes, I 'bought it', looks good, and has few flaws (no walls? no air tanks?).
I voted for the Micro Rocket Launch Pad.
Such a great micro design of a classic set <3
Retro food truck! Great 1950s French van.
We need more vintage/classic vehicles from Lego!!!
I voted for Space Babies.
Cerebro.
I voted 40712 Micro Rocket Launchpad.
There's nothing special about the Fell Beast build, aside from the artificial scarcity. It would be an average side build in any Lego set, had Lego not gone with the strategy of one giant set per year. Plus the aftermarket prices are obscene.
40712 Space babies was just so wickedly cool, nastalgic, micro-sized (so they could include more things), and a little funny (babies in space). I had to vote for it immediately.
Availability was terrible for it, though... it was very frustrating to have missed it the first time around!!
@B_Space_Man said:
"There's nothing special about the Fell Beast build, aside from the artificial scarcity. It would be an average side build in any Lego set, had Lego not gone with the strategy of one giant set per year. Plus the aftermarket prices are obscene. "
Yeah, because some people are probably trying to snag eight or nine copies (maybe even ten, if they want to keep one sealed).
@GrizBe said:
"I'd have voted for 6510865 Mimic Dice Box if it was on the poll. Rather surprised that it isn't.."
Same. Very surprised it was not included.
@BlackFalconBirdman said:
"40712 Space babies was just so wickedly cool, nastalgic, micro-sized (so they could include more things), and a little funny (babies in space). I had to vote for it immediately.
Availability was terrible for it, though... it was very frustrating to have missed it the first time around!!"
I wouldn't consider them "babies in space," because, while the Spacebaby helmet-and air-tanks mold is used, the faces had the classic smiley., not the print used on https://brickset.com/minifigs/col414 Thus, I interpret the figures as miniature Classic Spacemen, not Spacebabies. But hey, it's totally your call If you want to think of them as Babies. In. Space!!!
Retro Food Truck is the only set my wife told me I had to get as a GWP so that one wins easily.