Review: 40251 Mini Piggy Bank
Posted by CapnRex101,
40251 Mini Piggy Bank recently emerged in a Polish LEGO Certified Store and it will also be available with purchases of over $75 in the US next month. A similar set, 40155 Piggy Coin Bank, became available just two years ago but this new design is very distinctive, with a curved body and a stubby shape which looks brilliant in my opinion.
Furthermore, the new set comes with pieces so you can switch the coin bank between a pig, a panda and a polar bear! This is a really fun feature and is surprisingly effective given that all three models are built around the same core. It is also worth noting that a number of rare elements are included and that many of these are not in use on every model. 40251 Mini Piggy Bank may therefore prove to be a very good parts pack.
The Completed Model
I think the piggy bank looks great from the front. The eyes, formed using stickers, are adorable and moving the 2x2 round tiles allows you to create some interesting expressions as though the pig is cross-eyed or looking slightly shifty, perhaps being about to wander off with your coins! You can also rotate the entire head on a Technic pin and the large ears are mounted on ball joints to generate even more movement.
The body is constructed using a combination of 1x3 and 2x3 curved slopes which slot together to form a fairly consistent cylindrical shape. There is a coin slot in the centre which is more than large enough for all circulating British, European and American coinage. Unfortunately the space inside is fairly small, covering an area of just 24 studs, but I think the practicality of the bank is less important than its external appearance.
A black tail is fitted at the back of the model. A brighter colour would have been more suitable and the dark bluish grey plate above is also slightly bothersome, although I appreciate that the tail can be rotated. The trotters look splendid too, with light bluish grey tiles representing the toes. These have only appeared in five previous sets, many of which are quite expensive, so it is nice to see them more readily available. Of course, the white colour scheme is not ideal but it is reasonably close to the real shade of some pig breeds and is a vast improvement over the red 40155 Piggy Coin Bank from 2015.
Accessing the coins inside is relatively easy, although the designer has not incorporated a dedicated access hatch. You can remove the top to open a 2x5 slot and this also reveals the rows of jumper plates which are vital to achieving such an attractive curved shape. A more easily removable panel might have been preferable, although traditional coin bank design demands that the change be difficult to access so perhaps this was intentional.
Transforming the piggy bank into another animal is very simple. First you must remove the head, the feet, the ears and the curved panels from each side, leaving a rectangular block which is covered in outward-facing studs. The instruction manual details how to build the alternative models but there is actually very little to do as most of the changes involve swapping colours and altering the snout.
The second model is immediately recognisable as a panda. I like the black and white colour scheme which is prevalent across the head and body while the eyes are shaped like those of the real animal. Once again, they are reliant upon stickers but the rest of the detail is brick-built and I am particularly keen on the pink 1x1 round tiles used to create flushed cheeks! As with the pig, the head and ears are articulated so the model is remarkably expressive.
Black stripes run around the body of the panda and its feet include dark bluish grey claws which are fairly rare in this colour. The black 2x3 curved slopes are equally uncommon but they look great here, as does the rounded tail at the rear. This rear panel remains the same across all three models but for the tail, allow you to reconfigure the model even more quickly.
The third animal is intended to represent a polar bear. A third pair of stickers form the eyes while the nose is dark bluish grey to contrast with the rest of the face. It is pleasing to note that the set includes six black 2x2 tiles for the eyes, as well as two more for the ears, so you do not have to replace the stickers or take pieces from your existing collection when building a different animal.
The rest of the model is almost entirely white, with splashes of dark bluish grey on the feet and another above the tail. A 2x2 dome is again used to form the tail which is well suited to a polar bear and the paws look great too. The monochromatic design is comparatively dull and this is accordingly my least favourite of the three models but it still looks pretty good on the whole, especially when viewed from head on.
Overall
Sets like this one will not appeal to everybody but I rather like it! The predominantly white colour scheme is not quite perfect for a pig but the cartoonish proportions are delightful, with a rounded body and squashed snout. The trotters, head and ears look splendid too, particularly since you can move the latter to create some fun expressions, as shown below.
Moreover, the alternative animals are equally detailed and their proportions are similarly exaggerated so they match should you wish to contribute some of your own parts and build all three. I cannot choose a favourite between the panda and the pig so may need to acquire a second copy of the set! 40251 Mini Piggy Bank will soon be available with purchases of over $75 in the US and hopefully it will become available in the rest of the world before too long.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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12 comments on this article
Mel Caddick, the set's designer, told me yesterday that the third model is not a mouse but a bear...
Neat little set. Probably won't be able to get ahold of one, but still, looks neat. Thanks for the review!
I am saving cash to get the Travel pal but it's good to see this diversity of free sets that Lego gives away.
It is great and want to get three to be able to build each, but after having to spend 75 USD to get just one I doubt Ill have much change to put into them
I wish the designer could've made a pinker pig. I know that doing this would have required pieces that don't currently exist in pink, but the finished model looks... unfinished.
Oh I hope this becomes a freebie in the UK too.
Nice for a free add-on. Some of the builds take a few seconds to recognize.
Albino piggy!!
Really kind of wish they did the whole pig in pink as it would have looked a lot better IMO. Probably those curved pieces don't exist in pink yet. But if I got this (and probably will) I'd build the panda anyway so I don't mind that too much.
Very cute set! I won't go out of my way to get it, though.
I like it! Glad there's double points at the beginning of next month to get this, too.
How much change do you think this would hold?