10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire officially announced!
Posted by CapnRex101,
A couple of weeks after an image emerged on LEGO.com, the latest The Lord of the Rings set has today been officially unveiled!
10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire
Rated 18+, 2,017 pieces
$269.99 / £229.99 / €269.99
Available at LEGO.com from 2nd April
Created in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, the breathtakingly detailed Shire set recreates the festive atmosphere of Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday celebration. From Bilbo's hobbit-hole, complete with its iconic round green door and richly appointed interior, to the nine included minifigures: Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey—the set brings this iconic scene to life.
Interactive elements include being able to transform a burning letter into The One Ring and make Bilbo vanish with a turn of a dial or recreating the dragon firework scene with interchangeable heads for Merry and Pippin. The set also includes Gandalf’s horse and cart, fireworks, a firework dragon figure, the Party Tree, a party pavilion and Bilbo’s book, which can be displayed open or closed.
A true collector’s item that completes the trilogy of sets, following previous Barad-dûr and Rivendell launches, the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire set is a testament to the enduring power of friendship, adventure, and the magic of Middle-earth.
The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire set is available for LEGO Insiders from 2nd April 2025, and for all from 5th April via LEGO.com/TheShire and LEGO Stores, priced at €269.99/ £229.99/ $269.99 In addition, between 2nd – 8th April, shoppers that purchase the new set (10354) via LEGO Stores and LEGO.com will receive a LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Sméagol & Déagol (18+) minibuild as a gift-with-purchase, while stocks last, T&C applies.
The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire set is available for LEGO Insiders from 2nd April 2025, and for all from 5th April via LEGO.com/TheShire and LEGO Stores, priced at €269.99/ £229.99/ $269.99 In addition, between 2nd – 8th April, shoppers that purchase the new set (10354) via LEGO Stores and LEGO.com will receive a LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Sméagol & Déagol (18+) minibuild as a gift-with-purchase, while stocks last, T&C applies.
What do you think of the latest The Lord the Rings set? Let us know in the comments.
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134 comments on this article
This looks great, and is honestly perfect at $220! Unfortunately, it’s somehow $270.
This set isn’t just overpriced generally, but it’s overpriced compared to D2C sets releasing the very same week. 43263 is only $10 more and has 900 more parts, and that’s after the so-called “Disney tax.”
10354 The Shire: $270, 2,017 parts, 9 figs.
43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle: $280, 2,916 parts, 5 figs + magic furniture.
The Shire is terribly priced against other recent D2C playsets, licensed and unlicensed alike:
43242 Snow White Cottage: $220, 2,208 parts, 10 figs.
10320 El Dorado Fortress: $215, 2,509 parts, 9 figs.
10332 Medieval Town Square: $230, 3,304 parts, 8 figs.
And it’s an outlier valuation even among the LOTR Icons sets:
10316 Rivendell: $500, 6,167 parts, 21 figs.
10333 Barad Dur: $460, 5,471 parts, 11 figs.
I don’t know what LEGO is thinking here, but it’s sad to see such sporadic, unjustified pricing in a theme that’s been so terrific. I like the main build well enough, and the characters are nice, but $270 is so off-base that it’s tough to even consider.
Set looks amazing. Interior's a little small, but it's definitely an improvement over the original. Did anyone else notice Thorin's map? I was hoping they would include that!
I like the side builds, too, except for the Party Tree itself.
The play features for Bilbo's disappearance and the envelope in the fireplace are a nice touch.
The minifigs look fantastic! I'm glad we're getting new versions of everybody, and not re-uses. Glad that Merry and Pippin have optional hair! Also, Gandalf's new head piece (yay!)! Way better than that lousy one they used in Rivendell.
I'm glad Gandalf's cart is included. A lot of people were speculating that it was going to be the GWP, but since I won't be buying this Day 1, I'm glad I'll still be able to get the cart.
That GWP....eh.
Also, that price....eh.
although the price to piece ratio isn't so great, it does look pretty big and amazing. I think it'll be worth the price, with a 10% discount and some other GWP. I built the original with the left-hand rule and might do the same here.
but not a day1 purchase... I would like Sméagol & Déagol minifigs, but it's not worth it and that's not an 18+ build, lol...
Absolutely horrendous price. The UK price is especially appalling.
What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?
Cheaper than the other two, so that’s an instant win, but still overpriced! Ugh
I’lll try to get this sooner or later, it looks beautiful but I’ll probably be saving up a fair bit.
"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins."
At $340 here I've never seen an more obvious amazon discount-set in a year or so, like Barad Dur this week...
At last! As I am a huge LOTR fan who owns all the existing sets, I will definitely buy it on day one to get also the GWP. It is a bit expensive yes, but as we say in French, ”quand on aime on ne compte pas” (when one loves, one does not count) :-)
Disappointed that the interior is both open in the back and on the top. For that price they could have covered the inside and had a removable roof for access.
@monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I just saw that too. I really hope that doesn't mean what I think it means. There's still so many more to do!
I was a fool of a Took thinking it would be $200.
It never ceases to amaze me how creative Lego designers are. You'd think with all the Mocs that people make everyday that every use for pieces would have been discovered, but I have never seen the pen used as a candle before and it works so well, with the clip acting as dripping wax. Just brilliant, these designers really show why they are paid to make these.
No, I don't like it.
The backside looks meh and I'd have prefered a street instead of the birthday side builds.
‘A true collector’s item that completes the trilogy of sets, following previous Barad-dûr and Rivendell launches’ -- I hope this isn't implying this is the last one!
@Darth_Dee said:
"Disappointed that the interior is both open in the back and on the top. For that price they could have covered the inside and had a removable roof for access."
Exactly, the lack of roof makes it look unfinished
Another one of those famous buy-2-to-have-1 Lego sets which (with this ridiculous price) is not even closed at the back and top and uses stickers. In addition the most part of the set is large plates for the actual construction and smallest 1x1 parts for decoration which means the ppp should be < 6ct.
Lego is simply inflating the piece count by adding the worthless 1x1 pieces as one can see with the included polybag-style table which alone has probably 50 pieces.
I like the GWP set but it can't really be displayed with Bag End, so not sure if I need to get it.
Might just hold off for this when get more VIP points saved up
@monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I mean there might not be, but I think all you can really infer from that particular phrase is "this is the third one and someone thought it would be cute to associate the three sets with the three books/movies."
2Sméagol 2Dé... wait I already said that
Its been a hot minute since I've seen LoTR soo uhhh
"Alright then, keep your secrets..."
Idk if I'm referencing the right movie ;-;
@Andrusi said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I mean there might not be, but I think all you can really infer from that particular phrase is "this is the third one and someone thought it would be cute to associate the three sets with the three books/movies.""
Yes, I had the same thought. Come on, they cannot stop before releasing at the very least Minas Tirith next year!
If the price had been anywhere near reasonable I might have considered getting it.
But at this price I'm happy to pass.
It would have looked a lot better with a path in front of the house for Gandalfs wagon and the minifigures instead of the sidebuilds, would have softened the impact of the green lava flowing everywhere.
A place to return after saving Middle Earth.
@Bricky_Dee_Williams said:
"This looks great, and is honestly perfect at $220! Unfortunately, it’s somehow $270.
This set isn’t just overpriced generally, but it’s overpriced compared to D2C sets releasing the very same week. 43263 is only $10 more and has 900 more parts, and that’s after the so-called “Disney tax.”
10354 The Shire: $270, 2,017 parts, 9 figs.
43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle: $280, 2,916 parts, 5 figs + magic furniture.
The Shire is terribly priced against other recent D2C playsets, licensed and unlicensed alike:
43242 Snow White Cottage: $220, 2,208 parts, 10 figs.
10320 El Dorado Fortress: $215, 2,509 parts, 9 figs.
10332 Medieval Town Square: $230, 3,304 parts, 8 figs.
And it’s an outlier valuation even among the LOTR Icons sets:
10316 Rivendell: $500, 6,167 parts, 21 figs.
10333 Barad Dur: $460, 5,471 parts, 11 figs.
I don’t know what LEGO is thinking here, but it’s sad to see such sporadic, unjustified pricing in a theme that’s been so terrific. I like the main build well enough, and the characters are nice, but $270 is so off-base that it’s tough to even consider. "
To me, the snow white cottage is the perfect 1 to 1 comparison of how this should be priced. I know you’re getting more side builds with this one, but the overall set is pretty similar in piece count and size and the minifigure selection is comparable.
The price is laughable. Could book a flight to New Zealand and visit the movie set with that money!
Not amazing but good enough, I guess. I will probably get it, but I may wait for a discount.
April 2 might also be a rough day for people outside the USA, so I'll see how I feel then.
@Altair1970 said:
" @Andrusi said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I mean there might not be, but I think all you can really infer from that particular phrase is "this is the third one and someone thought it would be cute to associate the three sets with the three books/movies.""
Yes, I had the same thought. Come on, they cannot stop before releasing at the very least Minas Tirith next year!
"
I wouldn’t be too worried since we already know Gandalf vs Durin’s Bane is coming later this year. Sure, that’s not going to be the same big d2c release as the other three but it is still going to be a full $120 release. Because, I do agree, they cannot stop until they have at least done Minas Tirith
Not a fan of the pricing. Would love for the GWP to be avaiable with purchases of Barad Dur or Rivendell during these days.
That said 2nd of April is last day of double VIP points + GWP + Easter Bunny - the perfidious Danes are good at extortion.
@lego4elio said:
" @Altair1970 said:
" @Andrusi said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I mean there might not be, but I think all you can really infer from that particular phrase is "this is the third one and someone thought it would be cute to associate the three sets with the three books/movies.""
Yes, I had the same thought. Come on, they cannot stop before releasing at the very least Minas Tirith next year!
"
I wouldn’t be too worried since we already know Gandalf vs Durin’s Bane is coming later this year. Sure, that’s not going to be the same big d2c release as the other three but it is still going to be a full $120 release. Because, I do agree, they cannot stop until they have at least done Minas Tirith"
Minas Tirith has always been top of my list of places in Middle Earth I want LEGO to do.
Thankfully Barad-dûr last year ticked off number two of that list.
@LegoMKB said:
"The price is laughable. Could book a flight to New Zealand and visit the movie set with that money!"
Your comment is laughable :-) I went to New Zealand and Hobbiton a few years ago and my trip cost me 10 times the price of this set.
I'm not particularly bothered about this one, I prefer the other two. I may get it eventually.
lmao this tree looks horrible
Looks too much like a playset imo. Especially the party tree and all the large rounded green parts. I had high hopes for this one after Rivendell
@Altair1970 said:
" @LegoMKB said:
"The price is laughable. Could book a flight to New Zealand and visit the movie set with that money!"
Your comment is laughable :-) I went to New Zealand and Hobbiton a few years ago and my trip cost me 10 times the price of this set."
Thank you.
@Altair1970 said:
" @LegoMKB said:
"The price is laughable. Could book a flight to New Zealand and visit the movie set with that money!"
Your comment is laughable :-) I went to New Zealand and Hobbiton a few years ago and my trip cost me 10 times the price of this set."
No, nothing is laughable when going over the top to complain about Lego being expensive.
Glad they didn't go overboard with this one. Kept it a good size but included a great amount of detail and good number of figs.
I love it! Sure, I coulda done an extra room in the back or a more finished tree, but still looks great, especially in the lifestyle images. Wish that price was lower though...
I don't really see how it's worth the price really. It doesn't look like €270 worth of parts or by size, even with the side builds. You could have gotten three 79003 in 2012 and had a really substantial build for about the same when accounting for inflation, or probably even less.
"So what should be on the mantel, in the place of honor?"
"Literally just a chunk of cheese."
I’m not going to focus on any of the negatives, but let’s look at some of the good stuff!
-The figs look incredible and we get a new recolor for the hobbit legs.
-Not only do we FINALLY get girl Hobbits, we get a new dress mold!
-The 2 textile pieces for the party are beautiful cloth and not plastic.
-Not all of the decorations are stickers.
-New “round” 2x2 window molds.
-The brick built door looks really nice.
-The GWP is definitely not something anyone ever expected, and while the toros are reuses, both heads seem to be new.
Just my 2 cents.
This feels more like a "UCS Bilbo's House" set than "the shire" tbh
Party tree is a joke. So is the price. Makes Barad-Dur look like a positively incredible value.
I might have to pass on this and let Rivendell be Fellowship, Orthanc and Barad Dur be Towers, and hopefully a Minas Tirith be King.
Initially didn't read the press release so I mistook the Proudfoots for the Sackville-Bagginses. Should've known, Otho would never smile at all.
Tell me where is the designer of a "tree" for I much desire to speak with him.
Must not make joke about "Assault on Hobbiton..."
I agree with another commenter, I would have preferred a path in front of Bag End for the cart ride on than all the cheap looking unnecessary side builds. The side builds are giving the set not so great Assault on Hoth vibes.
The set is nice, not extraordinary; feels unfinished. Not in the same class as Rivendell or Barad-dur. And with the absurd asking price it’s a set that requires a discount. I’ll eventually get it because I love the theme, but it will be much later in the year.
And the GWP is… not good.
@CapnRex101 lego.com says available from april 5th (Germany)
Cheapness of those figs disgust me. They coukd at least use 2 different pants...
There are two problems with this set in my opinion.
Problem 1 - the design in general is underwhelming. From the ugly green slopes of exterior to extremely shallow and lacking interior to disjointed polybag-style sidebuilds that have no cohesion. Honorary mention goes to the ugliest LEGO tree ever.
This set doesn't know if it wants to be a display or a play set, and fails at both.
Problem 2 - it's overpriced to the point where it feels like a ripoff, especially considering that it's no masterpiece of design (see problem 1).
I think even 200 would have been pushing it, 170 would be a fair price considering the ppp of the previous LOTR sets.
I can skip this poorly designed and overpriced set without much regret, I'm just afraid that this kind of price/quality ratio might become the new normal for LEGO.
Out of all the Global Consumer Products, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products are definitely my favourite Global Consumer Products.
And those two rug pieces really should have been put into the floor...
Ludicrous price. My brother's wife was looking forward to this one as a massive Lord of the Rings fan, but with an excessive $70 premium and the complete price nearing $300, that likely crosses the balking point when there's the costs of parenting and recent homeownership still being budgeted. The set looks pretty decent, but it's not the cohesive looker that the past two LOTR adult sets were.
Wait, this is a facade?
Lack of animals and Hobbits to populate it combine with mediocre sidebuilds and inflated price... 3rd set in, and we're done.
I do agree with all of the above comments, but I just sold my old 79003 to offset the price of this an this set is a definite improvement over the old version. I will redo the party tree and build a back extension for it. There was never an option of not buying the set on day one for me.
The biggest issue is that there isn't a single thing that needs to be re-designed in the two previous sets, they're perfect.
In this set we need to build a roof to get rid of the juniorized look and build another tree that is less horrible. That might have seem reasonable within another price point, now it's just sloppy design at an inflated price.
I wonder if there will ever come a point where people accept Lego is - rightly or wrongly - expensive?
When nearly every new set (especially licenced) gets the same complaints about the price, surely expectations have to be adjusted (even unwillingly) that these are the correctly aligned price levels and it just happens that some sets (mostly non-licenced) are slightly cheaper.
Of course, we'd all like Lego to be cheaper, just like many areas of life these days, but it isn't and whining about it over and over again isn't going to change that fact.
@Altair1970 said:
" @LegoMKB said:
"The price is laughable. Could book a flight to New Zealand and visit the movie set with that money!"
Your comment is laughable :-) I went to New Zealand and Hobbiton a few years ago and my trip cost me 10 times the price of this set."
I think he was being tongue-in-cheek.
@Boettner_Builds said:
"-The GWP is definitely not something anyone ever expected, and while the toros are reuses, both heads seem to be new."
Those torsos are reuses? I like it even less now, and I didn't even think that was possible! XD
@emilewski said:
"I do agree with all of the above comments, but I just sold my old 79003 to offset the price of this an this set is a definite improvement over the old version. I will redo the party tree and build a back extension for it. There was never an option of not buying the set on day one for me."
I decided to keep my 79003 even though I am buying the new set. First I need the dwarves for my complete minifig collection, and second I plan to use the bricks to extend my Shire :-)
If it was £80 I’d maybe pick it up in a sale.
@ShinyBidoof said:
"I wonder if there will ever come a point where people accept Lego is - rightly or wrongly - expensive?
When nearly every new set (especially licenced) gets the same complaints about the price, surely expectations have to be adjusted (even unwillingly) that these are the correctly aligned price levels and it just happens that some sets (mostly non-licenced) are slightly cheaper.
Of course, we'd all like Lego to be cheaper, just like many areas of life these days, but it isn't and whining about it over and over again isn't going to change that fact."
This completely misses the point. See the very first comment on this article from Bricky_Dee_Williams. The price does not match up with all the other licensed sets released around this time at about the same size. There is no legitimate reason why this should be more expensive than the Snow White cottage
@Bricky_Dee_Williams said:
"This looks great, and is honestly perfect at $220! Unfortunately, it’s somehow $270.
This set isn’t just overpriced generally, but it’s overpriced compared to D2C sets releasing the very same week. 43263 is only $10 more and has 900 more parts, and that’s after the so-called “Disney tax.”
10354 The Shire: $270, 2,017 parts, 9 figs.
43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle: $280, 2,916 parts, 5 figs + magic furniture.
The Shire is terribly priced against other recent D2C playsets, licensed and unlicensed alike:
43242 Snow White Cottage: $220, 2,208 parts, 10 figs.
10320 El Dorado Fortress: $215, 2,509 parts, 9 figs.
10332 Medieval Town Square: $230, 3,304 parts, 8 figs.
And it’s an outlier valuation even among the LOTR Icons sets:
10316 Rivendell: $500, 6,167 parts, 21 figs.
10333 Barad Dur: $460, 5,471 parts, 11 figs.
I don’t know what LEGO is thinking here, but it’s sad to see such sporadic, unjustified pricing in a theme that’s been so terrific. I like the main build well enough, and the characters are nice, but $270 is so off-base that it’s tough to even consider. "
Eldorado and Medieval Town are not licensed theme which is why this one is so expensive, Lego is either greedy or terrible at making deals for licensed sets.
3400 SEK, which corresponds to $340, this is getting ridiculous.
@Darth_Dee said:
"Disappointed that the interior is both open in the back and on the top. For that price they could have covered the inside and had a removable roof for access."
The new approach...these are first and foremost an active play set...for those adult fans that want it complete...buy two to complete it.
A price is never too high, nor is it too low. It is precisely as LEGO intends it to be.
@LEGOFanInPJ said:
"Proudfoots..."
ProudFEET!
The phrasing "completes the trilogy of sets" worries me! I hope these LOTR D2Cs don't go away. This one is overpriced compared to the value we saw in Rivendell and Barad-dûr but it's still a nice build with good minifigures.
Would be great if you just shaved anywhere from 50€-100€ from the price. 270 for 2,000 pcs has to be up there with the most outrageous Lego prices I've seen in recent times.
@DayVe said:
" @Bricky_Dee_Williams said:
"The Shire is terribly priced against other recent D2C playsets, licensed and unlicensed alike:
43242 Snow White Cottage: $220, 2,208 parts, 10 figs.
10320 El Dorado Fortress: $215, 2,509 parts, 9 figs.
10332 Medieval Town Square: $230, 3,304 parts, 8 figs."
Eldorado and Medieval Town are not licensed theme which is why this one is so expensive, Lego is either greedy or terrible at making deals for licensed sets."
I included both licensed and unlicensed sets to make my point. Snow White is another set with the “Disney tax” accounted for, and that has 200 more parts and an extra minifigure for $50 less than The Shire.
@BrickArchitect said:
"A price is never too high, nor is it too low. It is precisely as LEGO intends it to be."
(THOMAS SOWELL WANTS TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION)
If you don't already know, I live in Middle earth, I mean New Zealand and it's great to get my neighbours house, I mean this Iconic location from LotR.
I'll definitely be picking this one up.
Well, I'm kind of disappointed. Here I thought I might buy my first Icons LotR set, even though I have the original 2012 Bag End and well, so far, I don't think it's happening and that sucks.
Two main problems. The price and the interior.
I don't understand the price. People above have pointed out how it doesn't track with either the previous LotR sets or even other D2C Big sets. It is definitely not a 270€ set, like no sorry, that's Lego either being greedy or dumb I don't know. The number of people I have seen going from yay to nay just because of the price is a lot. IMO, this is an own goal from Lego because I think a fair amountof people might have considered it at a lower price but not nearly 300€ for something that it is clearly worth not the price.
Now if the interior had been really good, I could have overlooked the price or found it a little more worth it but that interior is so very much lackluster ? Like the execution isn't bad and there are so neat and clever features but there's so little there ? I don't even think it's that much deeper in terms of studs compared to the 2012 one (tho I may be wrong). We only get three rooms/scenes (and we don't even have a chandelier for Gandalf to bump into ? ), we don't get a kitchen (even there is a scene in FotR). The lack of depth is really a big problem. Also some of the details were already present in the previous set which makes it even worse.
(Now, I know they were never going to make it Hobbit themed but some of the scenes from the movies would have made a nicer interior, like the dining table, or the pantry, even the bedroom. The set ofc can be modded but that's more monye to sink in an already too expensive set.)
Its all the more frustrating because I really like the front of the set, it is a great improvement on a the 2012 set, and there are some nifty construction in there, and I really like that facade just not to the point of paying that much just for it.
I would have rather the side builds went into Bag End itself, especially with that horrible party tree.
Honestly, I'm bummed. I was looking forward to it since it was announced and now I'm pretty sure I won't buy short of finding a sizeable discount.
I would buy it for $199.
I like that not only does the set come with Bilbo's birthday side builds, but the GWP could also be considered a birthday side build as it is Smeagol's birthday too and he WANTS IT!
I wish somebody with enough influence would start a boycott, and every AFOL on earth would vow not to buy this set until it' discounted to $200...
I like the details from the party, especially the dragon firework and the cake, but the fact that they're not somehow integrated into the rest of the set is a problem, and Bag End is frankly underwhelming despite all the green poured over the basic shape. Nor, frankly, am I very interested in the Proudfeet. The Sackville-Bagginses would have been, IMO, better choices. Rather to my surprise, I doubt I will get this.
Can't wait to get the GWP and use a children's toy to recreate the scene where someone strangles his best friend over a magic ring!
The Bag End build has definitely grown on me, but this release just confirms how unnecessary the side builds are.
@ShinyBidoof said:
"I wonder if there will ever come a point where people accept Lego is - rightly or wrongly - expensive?
When nearly every new set (especially licenced) gets the same complaints about the price, surely expectations have to be adjusted (even unwillingly) that these are the correctly aligned price levels and it just happens that some sets (mostly non-licenced) are slightly cheaper.
Of course, we'd all like Lego to be cheaper, just like many areas of life these days, but it isn't and whining about it over and over again isn't going to change that fact."
The problem is not the price itself but what you get for it. For such a huge amount of money I would expect
- no stickers
- full building including a back and a top
- bricks with consistent colors
- lots of minifigures with prints or double molded
Qualitywise Lego has managed to be in the region of cheapest China brands these days. They cannot compete anymore against Cobi, Cada or Funwhole while being twice as expensive. Which is sad because I know what Lego was able to produce in the past.
The Endurance 10335 costs the same and it has 1,000 MORE pieces than this. Even for a licenced set this is way too much.
@PurpleTrooper said:
"(Now, I know they were never going to make it Hobbit themed but some of the scenes from the movies would have made a nicer interior, like the dining table, or the pantry, even the bedroom. The set ofc can be modded but that's more monye to sink in an already too expensive set.)."
Their reluctance to do anything Hobbit Trilogy-related is a little frustrating. Are they as good as LotR? No, nor are they as popular. But, they do still have a fanbase, not to mention people that just like the book.
@BrickArchitect said:
"A price is never too high, nor is it too low. It is precisely as LEGO intends it to be."
Best comment in this thread yet.
:-)
@brickwich said:
"Can't wait to get the GWP and use a children's toy to recreate the scene where someone strangles his best friend over a magic ring! "
I hope Lego will go further and start making Game of Throne sets :-)
"The Bag End build has definitely grown on me, but this release just confirms how unnecessary the side builds are."
I like the side builds actually (except for the tree behind Bilbo which I plan to fix)
Lego of course can't even spare the expense to make the headlight bricks on Bilbo's Baggy rear End dark brown.
@B_Space_Man said:
"I was a fool of a Took thinking it would be $200. "
It makes me feel eleventy-one years old. Like my wallet is been scraped over too much bread.
@JanJ said:
"Not a fan of the pricing. Would love for the GWP to be avaiable with purchases of Barad Dur or Rivendell during these days.
That said 2nd of April is last day of double VIP points + GWP + Easter Bunny - the perfidious Danes are good at extortion."
Beware! The double VIP points are only on selected sets, not on this one!
@connorh said:
"I wish somebody with enough influence would start a boycott, and every AFOL on earth would vow not to buy this set until it' discounted to $200... "
I'd love to do this. Issue I see for collectors is that TLG has us in a vice grip and they know it. If you want to get the exclusive Deagol/Sméagol minifigs, you're almost forced to buy this day one, or suffer the price on the aftermarket. It's borderline tragic.
Though I suppose in this instance where the price is completely out to lunch, you might be able to get the GWP on the aftermarket then wait for Shire to be discounted, potentially saving money long-term. That's risking it, with no promise of a cost savings.
TL;DR- the price just sucks.
@Altair1970 said:
" @brickwich said:
"Can't wait to get the GWP and use a children's toy to recreate the scene where someone strangles his best friend over a magic ring! "
I hope Lego will go further and start making Game of Throne sets :-)
"The Bag End build has definitely grown on me, but this release just confirms how unnecessary the side builds are."
I like the side builds actually (except for the tree behind Bilbo which I plan to fix)
"
I don't dislike them (except the tree), but then call this set A Long-expected Party and go further. Add more hobbits. Add more fireworks like the Disney castles. Build a function into the tree to make Bilbo "disappear."
@PurpleTrooper said:
"Well, I'm kind of disappointed. Here I thought I might buy my first Icons LotR set, even though I have the original 2012 Bag End and well, so far, I don't think it's happening and that sucks.
Two main problems. The price and the interior.
I don't understand the price. People above have pointed out how it doesn't track with either the previous LotR sets or even other D2C Big sets. It is definitely not a 270€ set, like no sorry, that's Lego either being greedy or dumb I don't know. The number of people I have seen going from yay to nay just because of the price is a lot. IMO, this is an own goal from Lego because I think a fair amountof people might have considered it at a lower price but not nearly 300€ for something that it is clearly worth not the price.
Now if the interior had been really good, I could have overlooked the price or found it a little more worth it but that interior is so very much lackluster ? Like the execution isn't bad and there are so neat and clever features but there's so little there ? I don't even think it's that much deeper in terms of studs compared to the 2012 one (tho I may be wrong). We only get three rooms/scenes (and we don't even have a chandelier for Gandalf to bump into ? ), we don't get a kitchen (even there is a scene in FotR). The lack of depth is really a big problem. Also some of the details were already present in the previous set which makes it even worse.
(Now, I know they were never going to make it Hobbit themed but some of the scenes from the movies would have made a nicer interior, like the dining table, or the pantry, even the bedroom. The set ofc can be modded but that's more monye to sink in an already too expensive set.)
Its all the more frustrating because I really like the front of the set, it is a great improvement on a the 2012 set, and there are some nifty construction in there, and I really like that facade just not to the point of paying that much just for it.
I would have rather the side builds went into Bag End itself, especially with that horrible party tree.
Honestly, I'm bummed. I was looking forward to it since it was announced and now I'm pretty sure I won't buy short of finding a sizeable discount."
I couldn't agree with this more. Barad-dur and Rivendell are both incredible sets, at pretty fair prices, but I couldn't justify spending that much on either one of them (and also tbf I don't have space for them). This one, when it was announced, I though great - I'll finally be getting one of them! But that price is ridiculous, particularly in the UK. So sadly, I won't be getting this one either, without a discount, and as we all know; one does not simply expect TLG discounts..
"I don't dislike them (except the tree), but then call this set A Long-expected Party and go further. Add more hobbits. Add more fireworks like the Disney castles. Build a function into the tree to make Bilbo "disappear." "
There is already a function to make Bilbo disappear, I believe.
In Bilbo's writing room there seems to be an image of a white tree on the wall. Rivendell had a Middle Earth map with Barad Dur on it, and Barad Dur had a Palantir with the Shire on it. Is this foreshadowing Minas Tirith in 2026, or just wishful thinking?
@Karrot said:
"In Bilbo's writing room there seems to be an image of a white tree on the wall. Rivendell had a Middle Earth map with Barad Dur on it, and Barad Dur had a Palantir with the Shire on it. Is this foreshadowing Minas Tirith in 2026, or just wishful thinking?"
I think a stretch unfortunately,
Since that map had other locations on as well, including Minas Tirith,
the other side of that palantir also had Minas Tirith...
Maybe LEGO are just playing the long game
Same game as Ninjago City … first 2 (non-movie) sets sell well and they’ve got the collectors hooked.
Roll out a decent, but not great, 3rd set (or, 5th with the movies), charge way more PPP than before and cash in.
What a Herculean disappointment.
Price bad, minifigures not enough, tree bad, side builds bad.
I was really hoping to see a new hat/hair piece for Fellowship Gandalf so that he doesn’t always remind me of the goofy Dimensions character.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
"You'd think with all the Mocs that people make everyday that every use for pieces would have been discovered, but I have never seen the pen used as a candle before and it works so well, with the clip acting as dripping wax. Just brilliant, these designers really show why they are paid to make these."
They can also ask for a re-colour of a part, unlike MOC makers - the pen is new in white in this set.
I don't think it's particularly convincing as a candle though.
@kolaxanthe said:
"I like that not only does the set come with Bilbo's birthday side builds, but the GWP could also be considered a birthday side build as it is Smeagol's birthday too and he WANTS IT!"
It's so precious, after all...
@connorh said"I wish somebody with enough influence would start a boycott, and every AFOL on earth would vow not to buy this set until it' discounted to $200... "
Even if every AFOL on the planet went along with that, Lego would still get plenty of sales. Plenty of non-AFOL adults buy sets like these. People who are buying it just because it's LOTR, for instance.
3300,- Norwegian kroner, that’s insane! Lego’s aggressive overpricing is making me reconsider what the hell I’m doing.
@Altair1970 said:
"
"I don't dislike them (except the tree), but then call this set A Long-expected Party and go further. Add more hobbits. Add more fireworks like the Disney castles. Build a function into the tree to make Bilbo "disappear." "
There is already a function to make Bilbo disappear, I believe."
Thanks, I did miss that
Insane pricing. Even with the dud build like the birthday tree, I was warm to the set for $220-iish, but not now. It's like they generously gouge-priced in the choking hazard of a GWP.
Shouldn't the book be over where Gandalf is sitting, like where it's placed in An Unexpected Gathering? I don't even remember seeing any room where the book sits in this version.
@monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
Rumor is that there will be at least one more set later this year. "Completing the trilogy" may just be a marketing gimmick that will work just this one time and no other.
@Darth_Dee:
Given that the interior goes quite a ways back into the hillside (as we saw in the first Hobbit film), any back they put on this would be entirely inaccurate.
@bnic99
Hey. They gave you Boromir. Twice. That's not enough Gondor for your tastes?
@Altair1970:
You actually made it there, though. And back again. Try booking a trip on some budget airline that only has a 50/50 chance of making the crossing, and you might find it's more affordable. And if you only book one leg at a time, there's a good chance you'll halve your cost!
@PurpleDave said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
Rumor is that there will be at least one more set later this year. "Completing the trilogy" may just be a marketing gimmick that will work just this one time and no other."
I'm reminded of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The fourth book referred to the series as "a trilogy in four parts" and the fifth called it "the increasingly inaccurately-named trilogy."
@TheOtherMike said:
"I'm reminded of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The fourth book referred to the series as "a trilogy in four parts" and the fifth called it "the increasingly inaccurately-named trilogy.""
And in the end it had five novels, a short story, a collection of scraps that the original author was considering using to write a sixth novel, and a sixth novel that some other guy wrote after getting the thumb's up from the first author's wife. Haven't touched those last two, and I'm not even sure if I've ever gotten my hands on the short story at this point.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"I'm reminded of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The fourth book referred to the series as "a trilogy in four parts" and the fifth called it "the increasingly inaccurately-named trilogy.""
And in the end it had five novels, a short story, a collection of scraps that the original author was considering using to write a sixth novel, and a sixth novel that some other guy wrote after getting the thumb's up from the first author's wife. Haven't touched those last two, and I'm not even sure if I've ever gotten my hands on the short story at this point."
I've got a collection that has the five books and the short story.
@blogzilly said:
"I was really hoping to see a new hat/hair piece for Fellowship Gandalf so that he doesn’t always remind me of the goofy Dimensions character."
That's the *one* area in this set's minifig department that I think missed the mark. Everything else looks great, but Gandalf definitely should have had that hat/hair piece by now.
@monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I’d feel a lot better if Douglas Adams had written Lord of the Rings.
Lego continues to make dreams come true, at a hefty price. I fine without this set.
@alfred_the_buttler said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I’d feel a lot better if Douglas Adams had written Lord of the Rings."
Ring of Gold, Infinite Improbability Maia, couple of the world’s most unassuming creatures teaming up with a hairless swimmer who only eats fish, and a guy throwing himself off a tower and failing to hit the ground…are you really so sure he didn’t?
LEGO will also be rolling out something related to The Minifigure Factory. Available for a limited time, you can customize your minifigure with exclusive Lord of the Rings torso design. This will only be online for US and Canada and select stores in EMEA, AMS and China.
Pfff. So expensive again. But it might be the 1st overpriced LOTR set I will purchase. The Party Tree deserved a better treatment. For the rest, it has all that I wish to get in it.
I like it. Lego LOTR has always felt expensive for what you get, the older sets especially so as they were frequently disappointingly ugly builds. They were also often hard to find around here and never seemed to attract the deep discounts that folk in other parts of the world seem to remember fondly. At least I’ll be ponying up for something I like the look of.
The more I look at it, the more I like and want it. Just one thing I can't find good is the Party Tree. Already mentioned it,but even me, as bad a MOCer as I am, could have done much better than... This. Otherwise, I am now very, very impatient to be on my birthday so that I can open it. But August is a long way still... Patience my friend,things shall come in due time. Just as Wizards do ;)
It was always going to be tricky to follow up Barad Dur and Rivendell especially with a smaller set that by it’s nature has less ‘Wow’ factor, but I personally like it - I’d like it more with a couple of mounted Ringwraiths though.
After the leak I was expecting it to be closer to £200 though.
@B_Space_Man said:
""So what should be on the mantel, in the place of honor?"
"Literally just a chunk of cheese.""
Oh, there's some cheese here - oh no, that won't do.
Why is no one commenting on how ugly the boat is in the Sméagol & Déagol (18+) minibuild set? It is a circle for some reason.
@BlackFalconBirdman said:
"...I built the original with the left-hand rule and might do the same here."
What is "the left-hand rule"...?
@followsclosely said:
"Why is no one commenting on how ugly the boat is in the Sméagol & Déagol (18+) minibuild set? It is a circle for some reason."
It’s meant to be a coracle, as seen in the movie scene.
What’s truly disturbing is Sméagol’s alt expression; I suppose we’re lucky to not have Tree with empty Nest / Room with empty Cradle as a companion piece.
@Flyingfish2023 said:
"It’s meant to be a coracle, as seen in the movie scene."
Yup, basically a bathtub with a paddle, and no aspect of the design that keeps it moving in a straight line. I honestly don’t know why such a style of boat ever came into existence, other than that it must be a lot easier to make than a canoe.
@PurpleDave said:
" @alfred_the_buttler said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I’d feel a lot better if Douglas Adams had written Lord of the Rings."
Ring of Gold, Infinite Improbability Maia, couple of the world’s most unassuming creatures teaming up with a hairless swimmer who only eats fish, and a guy throwing himself off a tower and failing to hit the ground…are you really so sure he didn’t?"
How many roads that go ever on and on must a man walk down?
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @alfred_the_buttler said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I’d feel a lot better if Douglas Adams had written Lord of the Rings."
Ring of Gold, Infinite Improbability Maia, couple of the world’s most unassuming creatures teaming up with a hairless swimmer who only eats fish, and a guy throwing himself off a tower and failing to hit the ground…are you really so sure he didn’t?"
How many roads that go ever on and on must a man walk down?"
42
@PurpleDave said:
"Shouldn't the book be over where Gandalf is sitting, like where it's placed in An Unexpected Gathering? I don't even remember seeing any room where the book sits in this version.
@monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
Rumor is that there will be at least one more set later this year. "Completing the trilogy" may just be a marketing gimmick that will work just this one time and no other.
@Darth_Dee:
Given that the interior goes quite a ways back into the hillside (as we saw in the first Hobbit film), any back they put on this would be entirely inaccurate.
@bnic99
Hey. They gave you Boromir. Twice. That's not enough Gondor for your tastes?
@Altair1970:
You actually made it there, though. And back again. Try booking a trip on some budget airline that only has a 50/50 chance of making the crossing, and you might find it's more affordable. And if you only book one leg at a time, there's a good chance you'll halve your cost!"
Worth noting in DuckBricks interview with the designers he posted yesterday, that one of the designers directly referenced the Balrog set when asked about Gandalf's new face print. Haven't heard anyone talking about this, but that would make the rumor officially confirmed in my book.
@lego4elio said:
"Worth noting in DuckBricks interview with the designers he posted yesterday, that one of the designers directly referenced the Balrog set when asked about Gandalf's new face print. Haven't heard anyone talking about this, but that would make the rumor officially confirmed in my book."
I didn’t click on it, but I recently saw a thumbnail on YouTube that had this Shire set at the top, and a black bridge with something Balrog-shaped standing at the right end, so I figured it’s just a matter of time before that gets announced.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @alfred_the_buttler said:
" @monty_bricks said:
"What is that comment about "completing the trilogy of sets" with Rivendell and Baradur? Is that implying there won't be a big LOTR set next year?"
I’d feel a lot better if Douglas Adams had written Lord of the Rings."
Ring of Gold, Infinite Improbability Maia, couple of the world’s most unassuming creatures teaming up with a hairless swimmer who only eats fish, and a guy throwing himself off a tower and failing to hit the ground…are you really so sure he didn’t?"
How many roads that go ever on and on must a man walk down?"
Just the One Road, but you have to walk it there and back again, 42 times.
Two pieces I like the best in this set. The hedgehog-pinecone and the apple (for the apple, you get it or you don't :)
@Bricky_Dee_Williams said:
"This looks great, and is honestly perfect at $220! Unfortunately, it’s somehow $270.
This set isn’t just overpriced generally, but it’s overpriced compared to D2C sets releasing the very same week. 43263 is only $10 more and has 900 more parts, and that’s after the so-called “Disney tax.”
10354 The Shire: $270, 2,017 parts, 9 figs.
43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle: $280, 2,916 parts, 5 figs + magic furniture.
The Shire is terribly priced against other recent D2C playsets, licensed and unlicensed alike:
43242 Snow White Cottage: $220, 2,208 parts, 10 figs.
10320 El Dorado Fortress: $215, 2,509 parts, 9 figs.
10332 Medieval Town Square: $230, 3,304 parts, 8 figs.
And it’s an outlier valuation even among the LOTR Icons sets:
10316 Rivendell: $500, 6,167 parts, 21 figs.
10333 Barad Dur: $460, 5,471 parts, 11 figs.
I don’t know what LEGO is thinking here, but it’s sad to see such sporadic, unjustified pricing in a theme that’s been so terrific. I like the main build well enough, and the characters are nice, but $270 is so off-base that it’s tough to even consider. "
How did you get all of that on a first post so soon after this article posted? Did you have that pre-written and ready to go - just waiting to pounce? :D
@RoboticJesus:
It's not one of the RXotD posts, so it's not like people were lined up waiting to comment at a specific time. Also, there's an edit function, and it's not reflected in the post when you use it.
@PurpleDave said:
" @RoboticJesus:
It's not one of the RXotD posts, so it's not like people were lined up waiting to comment at a specific time. Also, there's an edit function, and it's not reflected in the post when you use it."
If you are a dedicated hater, you've seen the image lego leaked themselves, knew of the price hike from 200$ to 270$, so could have typed it up before, once it was revealed verify that it's still 270$ and just copy paste. SIMPLE AS.
@JanJ said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @RoboticJesus:
It's not one of the RXotD posts, so it's not like people were lined up waiting to comment at a specific time. Also, there's an edit function, and it's not reflected in the post when you use it."
If you are a dedicated hater, you've seen the image lego leaked themselves, knew of the price hike from 200$ to 270$, so could have typed it up before, once it was revealed verify that it's still 270$ and just copy paste. SIMPLE AS."
Yes, that’s also a possibility, but it’s not the only one. I was just throwing out an alternate theory. There’s only one minute difference between the timestamp for the article and the one for that comment (maximum 119 second window), so I’m inclined to agree that the data had probably already been compiled in advance (even if not for that specific purpose), whether or not the post was already ready to paste and post.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"If you don't already know, I live in Middle earth, I mean New Zealand and it's great to get my neighbours house, I mean this Iconic location from LotR.
I'll definitely be picking this one up."
New Zealand is the movie set. To get the real middle earth feeling you would go to the country side of England or Denmark which was propably Tolkiens inspiration.
@Martin_S said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"If you don't already know, I live in Middle earth, I mean New Zealand and it's great to get my neighbours house, I mean this Iconic location from LotR.
I'll definitely be picking this one up."
New Zealand is the movie set. To get the real middle earth feeling you would go to the country side of England or Denmark which was propably Tolkiens inspiration."
I saw in another comment section in another website that the sky in Lord of the Rings Online is the sky as seen from where Tolkien lived.
@Martin_S said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"If you don't already know, I live in Middle earth, I mean New Zealand and it's great to get my neighbours house, I mean this Iconic location from LotR.
I'll definitely be picking this one up."
New Zealand is the movie set. To get the real middle earth feeling you would go to the country side of England or Denmark which was propably Tolkiens inspiration."
Nah bro this is clearly a New Zealand architecture set.
I'm not a LOTR fan, but I like this and would consider getting this, but not for the price that it is.
The size and shape of the build, and what parts of the shire are included as side builds make sense to me. I'm not sure about the execution, though. The grass doesn't bother me.
The interior feels under-detailed. I found the Hobbit hole in the movie to have an almost overwhelming amount of detail. The archways and everything just feels a bit bland and lackluster. But I'm putting it on a shelf and leaving it there with the back to the wall, so it's fine.
Bummed about that party tree, and the idea that I might put more money on top of the $270 to modify the tree to look reasonable.