The Brickset 2019 Holiday Gift Guide: Part 1
Posted by CapnRex101,
Black Friday and Christmas are approaching so our annual Brickset Gift Guide has returned again, helping you to find perfect LEGO gifts for friends and family! We have divided the entire product range into five separate categories, beginning with sets costing below $25.
There have been 150 items within that bracket during 2019, approximately equating to prices of under £20 or 25€. You can see the complete list of those products here and let us know what you would select in the comments.
Find out what the Brickset team has chosen after the break...
CapnRex101
70841 Benny's Space Squad (£8.99, $9.99, 9.99€)
Several excellent small sets have been released during 2019 but my favourite became available almost twelve months ago. 70841 Benny's Space Squad fulfils every requirement for an impressive set, offering outstanding play value and some superb minifigures!
The accompanying vehicles are simple but capture the essential aesthetic of Classic Space. Furthermore, the price feels perfectly reasonable so I think any LEGO fans will appreciate this fantastic set. Of course, many people already own the Classic Space pack, hence I would also recommend 75965 The Rise of Voldemort.
You can read our review here.
MeganL
41376 Turtles Rescue Mission (£17.99, $19.99, 19.99€)
The theme of marine rescue this year has been the latest in a string of great selections by the Friends design team. This theme has excellent sets, starting at the lowest price point. As I mentioned in my review, 41376 Turtles Rescue Mission feels more substantial than its $20 price tag. I love the brick built turtle on top of the building.
There's lots of play options with the amphibious vehicle, the island and other details packed into this small set. Olivia has her faithful Zobo, and there are no less than four turtles, three of them newer baby turtles. Another very good option at this price point is 41365 Emma's Art Studio, which I was pleasantly surprised by earlier in the year.
You can read our review here.
Huw
31088 Deep Sea Creatures ($14.99, £12.99, 14.99€)
The animal set is always my favourite Creator 3-in-1 set of the year. The very best of them not only build a stand-out main model but also excellent secondary models. That's certainly the case here.
The main model of the shark is one of the best LEGO has produced, and the alternative models, an anglerfish and squid are also very good. If that's not enough, a fourth model of a whale can be built using instructions available online.
There's no Hollywood tax or minifig markup on it so it's also great value for money.
You can read our review here.
Are you hoping to receive anything within this price bracket and what would you recommend to others? Let us know in the comments.
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32 comments on this article
Got to go with the Senna. That build? Just incredible!
Yes! The Turtle Rescue set and the Deep Sea Creatures were both shining hilights this year. Any kid would be thrilled with either of these, and the hours of amusement each offer.
Senna and Deep Sea Creatures are two great under £20 sets imho so is the Toy Story Duke Cabooms set.
My picks for under $20 (I don’t have any of these but they seem like a good value):
* If you like animals: Deep Sea Creatures (I don’t mean to sound like a broken record with this one).
* If you like boats: Power Boat (this one’s on sale!)
* If you like cars: The McLaren Senna.
I’d suggest more but I feel like I’d get a little biased so let’s leave it at this for now.
Love all three suggestions. Had two of them already and just bought the Turtle Rescue set on Amazon for 13.74 Euro via the Brickset link. Great value for such a splendid set.
A lot less staff seem to have made selections this year. Any reasons why?
My picks for under $20
60239 Police Patrol Car
70841 Benny's Space Squad
75890 Ferrari F40 Competizione
For under £20, there are a couple that I was a fan of this year round:
> 75976 Overwatch Wrecking Ball - great figure and unique display piece, with excellent functionality
> Basically all the CMFs
> 10766 Woody & RC - recognisable character and build, especially for younger ages
> 40367 Lady Liberty - again, recognisable character, and perfect novelty item
> 70418 JB's Ghost Lab - fun, colourful and interactive build with great minifigures
There are so many LEGO items that would make perfect gifts, it's astounding that we bother getting anything else!
Deep Sea Creatures just is such a great "4-in-1" and even outside that, a great parts pack.
Benny's speaks for itself being my favorite TLM2 set alongside the Dream House.
The Deep Sea Creatures are also one of my favourite sets this year.
I bought it in two exemplars, so to build the shark and the whale (the 4th model) together.
This fits very well with another Creator set also released together last January, I mean the 31090 Underwater Robot.
Buy the shark! It's great. :-)
@Green_Bricks
I should’ve added Wrecking Ball to my list, the set looks pretty accurate and could also qualify as an “animal” set (Hammond IS a hamster, after all!).
Think that Creator 3 in 1 set this year that Huw picked was one of the best sets of the year as far price point and build goes.
The Ferrari F40, McLaren Senna, and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 all get my vote. For licensed sets, they offer an almost unrivaled value for your money. I admit that I may be biased in favor of Speed Champions :D.
Deep-Sea Creatures is great. I would also vote for 75965: The Rise of Voldemort.
I did love that shark. I'm not normally into brick-built animals, but Lego have put out some great ones, the last few years, in this range. The green Tyrannosaurus and the red/orange dragon were also pretty amazing.
I named my shark Bruce.
Either 40343 Spider-Man Museum Break-In, or 40351 Ghost. I need those 1x1 half round tiles for a MOC
Funnily enough I have two of 70841 and four of 31088, and I usually don't get extras of sets. These really are some stand outs of the year!
^^^ Just remember to tell him "Fish are friends, not food!" lol
At the RRP $10 and under price point, I vote for 60224 Satellite Maintenance Mission.
At the RRP $20 and under price point, I vote for 31088 Deep Sea Creatures.
At the discounted $25 and under price point, I vote for 75259 Snowspeeder. The RRP is $40, but Walmart is clearing them out at $20.
I recommend 60224 Satellite Service Mission (great little space vehicle, satellite to deploy and astronaut) all for just $10 bucks.
Also 70418 J.B.'s Ghost Lab (good figs and parts here) for only $20 bucks.
Good lookin 70665 The Samurai Mech for just $15 bucks, the EXCELLENT 70821 Emmet and Benny's 'Build and Fix' Workshop (nice classic Space ship with deploy-able mini rover) and some great figs (4 and animal) in the 75945 Expecto Patronum, especially with that frosted transparent stag. Latter two sets $20 dollars each.
Fun fact: while building the C-Model of 31088 yesterday I noticed the instructions require 7 of the 1x2 plate in dark blue, yet the set only comes with 6 of them!
Not that it would be a problem though, as the set contains plenty of dark blue 1x1 plates so one can replace the missing 1x2 by two 1x1s.
Strange oversight anyway.
Good picks!
On my own I would've suggested:
70841 Benny's Space Squad
31091 Shuttle Transporter
60222 Snow Groomer or 60221 Diving Yacht
and maybe even
75976 Wrecking Ball
$20 or less always has some great “sleeper sets” that fly under the radar thanks to larger models. It’s always great to see them highlighted here.
My mind, "Why not buy all three? You know you want to."
Deep Sea Creatures is an AMAZING set. I just wish that there were a way to get my hands on a glossy, staple-bound, copy of the whale instructions instead of just a PDF.
I haven't gotten Benny's Space Squad yet. The only thing that appeals to me about it is the pink classic astronaut.
I'm not into Friends so the Turtle Rescue is not my thing. Though that brick-built turtle is very cute.
I have the astronauts and the shark, which is FANTASTIC!
My pick would be 75891 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Race Car
Expecto Patronum from Harry Potter. Simple.
Another vote for the creator shark and benny's space squad here. Fantastic sets.
Bonus fun fact about Deep Sea Creatures: For minifigs, that shark is almost exactly the same size as the one in Jaws.
Good picks.