Brickset Bouts: Old Fishing Store vs NASA Apollo Saturn V
Posted by Huw,
The second semi-final battle in our quest to find the best set released since Brickset was launched in the year 2000 features two LEGO Ideas sets, 21310 Old Fishing Store and 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V.
Since its global launch 8 years ago the LEGO Ideas platform has been responsible for some of the most revered sets released in that time, so it's perhaps no wonder that two of them have made it this far in our competition.
But, only one can progress to the final so its up to you to decide which one after reading the cases our advocates have prepared for them.
21310 Old Fishing Store
Advocate: Floyd668
I feel the need to preface my argument for the Old Fishing Store with a little background on myself. I am a huge NASA fan. I have like 6 NASA t-shirts. I have been to both Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Johnson Space Center in Texas, and have even seen the remaining Saturn V rockets in person. However, even a space junkie like myself cannot deny that this competition belongs to the Old Fishing Store.
At the time, the Old Fishing Store was the largest LEGO Ideas set ever released (ironically beating the previous record holder, the Saturn V). It showed what the Ideas line was capable of, and served as an example for the many large and complex Ideas sets that would come after it.
This set also has the distinction of being one of the few sets to accurately capture a real sense of life in its design. It has that lived-in, patched-together, time-tested feel that no other set has done so well either prior to or since. For me, it was a shining example of unrivalled building technique. The ingenious use of various textures, colours, and patterns on the roof create an organic feel. From harpoons and fishing rods to oars and SCUBA tanks, the interior is so well crafted and detailed it feels as fully stocked as a real store. With an abundance of wildlife and just about every nautical part one can think of, the set effortlessly tells a story all its own.
Many have already knocked the Saturn V for its lack of creativity, but I understand its appeal doesn't come from a unique design, but rather its accuracy as a replica. It is certainly among the best replicas LEGO has ever produced, and its place in the semi-finals surely attests to that, however this competition calls for more.
The Old Fishing Store is a work of art; the intricate details throughout this masterfully designed set bring to life the idea that inspired it. The Saturn V, while well-designed, lacks this spark of creativity that truly exemplifies what LEGO is all about. If there's one set that captures the imagination and shows what's possible when creativity is applied to a pile of bricks, that set has to be the Old Fishing Store, the best set of the millennium.
21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V: NASA Apollo Saturn V
Advocate: Eagle84
Like many of you, I was surprised to see the Lego Ideas set 21309 Saturn V beat out Lego Star Wars Set 75192 the UCS Millennium Falcon, the largest Lego set ever sold. However, the more I thought about it, the more it deserved the title of the best Lego set of all time.
For starters, this is not just a Lego set, but as JangBricks puts it, a conversation piece. A conversation piece that started as a campaign on Lego Ideas to get 10,000 supporters to be considered as an official set.
You do not have to be a Lego fan to appreciate it as it almost does not even look like Lego bricks. It's a 1/110 scale model of the real Saturn V, which makes it more than a toy, but an accurate model to display.
Another reason why this set is the best Lego set of all time is because of its play features. It can separate its first, second, and third stages like in real life. Not to mention that it also includes mini vignettes of splashdown and the landing on the moon. Or if you want to display it, it comes with its own stand. Overall, it comes with more play features than set 21310 or any modular building that exists to this day.
While other sets in the final 4 may include a larger piece count such as set 70620 Ninjago City or may have been on shelves longer such as 10243 Parisian Restaurant, I have a feeling that more Saturn V sets were produced than any other considering you could buy the Saturn V from stores like Target and Amazon.
Another complaint about the larger sets is they take longer to build and can be exhausting if you are trying to complete the set in one sitting. I heard the other day that each F1N rocket engine on the Saturn V took over 100,000 man-hours to create. I can almost guarantee that you will not spend that much time building set 21309, but I cannot promise that for set 70620 Ninjago City.
The final reason I think this set is the best of all time is because of the parts and techniques used in creating it. Unlike previous Lego rockets that use large pieces for their shape such as set 7468, the previous Saturn V, this set uses the SNOT technique (Studs Not On Top) to create its shape. It also comes with 2x3 sloped curve pieces, which are uncommon pieces to use. Lego graphic designers nailed the astronaut microfigure because the same piece is also used in the recently released Lego Ideas set 21321 ISS. Who could forget that this set uses 1969 pieces, a nod to the year that humans first landed on the Moon.
As I have learned in school, the Saturn V is a revolutionary rocket that took humans to the moon for the first time, and until recently was the only rocket capable of doing so. It was ingenuity and passion to get humans to the moon by 1970, the same drive for this to become an official Lego set.
While I am studying Aerospace Engineering in college, I have found a large fan community surrounding this set. A community that will modify it for different Apollo missions (as each rocket had a unique paint scheme), create the Umbilical Tower that almost became another Lego Ideas set, and some such as BigPlanes that have built larger versions of the set. Though most owners of it, such as myself, just enjoy it as-is and think it is one of the best Lego sets that currently exist.
Cast your vote!
Having read the above, which of these two sets do you think should go through to the finals for a chance to be crowned "best set of the millennium" ?
Voting for this bout will remain open until midday BST Friday and I will announce the result shortly after.
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80 comments on this article
The Old Fishing Store is probably the most detailed set that Lego has ever produced. That is why I chose it.
When you compare the two, it's gotta be the Old Fishing Store.
Whilst I am gutted that I didn’t get the old fishing store. I had to vote for Saturn V again, the build of it was excellent and it was the first larger set I bought myself.
As much as I love the Fishing Store, it's got to be the Saturn 5, an awesome build and excellent display piece. I even used it the other day to explain to my daughter how the escape rockets worked. Like no other Lego set, it represents what we, as humans, are capable of.
While both of these sets are amazing, our vote is for the Saturn V whose build was amazing and it displays beautifully. The Fishing store is remarkably detailed but all those tiny loose pieces!
Saturn V for me!
While I love the Old Fishing Store, my life as a LEGO fan started as a three-year-old who received Classic Space set 886 as his first ever LEGO set.
The Saturn V to me truly is one of the best LEGO sets of all time, and definitely the best of the remaining four in this competition.
Saturn V is go for launch.
I own both models. Both are great sets, but while the Saturn V currently stands proudly in my living room on display, the Old Fishing Store is sat in the 'take apart' pile in the corner of my Lego room.
That, to me, says it all. The Saturn V is a 'wow' set in a way that the Old Fishing Store (despite how good it is) just isn't. And that's why I've voted for the Saturn V.
And here we go. Last rant on this: IT'S AN ABSOLUTE JOKE THAT THE ROLLER COASTER ISN'T IN THIS SEMI-FINAL!!!!
Saturn V all the way.
Good points on both sides; however, I am looking forward to seeing the Saturn V in the finals.
Would be so nice if a sub-2000 piece set with a sub-120€ price tag, great educational value as well as unique design & building techniques would win this competition.
It would show that greatness does not come from throwing lots of money at something, but rather from human ingenuity!
Both IDEAS sets are fabulous builds, but Saturn V for this particular bout. It can’t be stated enough how brilliant the build is!
I love them both and have them both - Saturn V in a customary detolf cabinet. Fishing Store wins for me - minifig scale and fantastic detail both inside and out with great opportunity to expand to include a shrimp shack and full pier :) plus much easier to display.
Voted Old Fishing Store since I like it personally better than Saturn V, and I do own both. However, I’ve now voted against the V all three times and it has each of the previous two times so I think we can bank on the V in the finals!
I think the winner here will be the overall winner. If they were separated in this round they would have been both in the final. Fishing is a common past time and the store is awesome.
Look at it with non-LEGO fan eyes:
Fishing shop: "Oh, what a cute LEGO building."
Saturn V: "That... THAT'S made from LEGO...?"
Old fishing store!!! Yes, while Saturn V may have mind-blowing techniques on the inside, on the outside it is still just a boring cylinder. Meanwhile, Old Fishing Store oozes style and charm, with an exterior that radiate a warm and homely look, with interesting and varied shapes that range from rectangles to triangles, from industrial sharp-edged polygons to natural rock formations. Definitely more visually appealing than a white toilet paper roll with a pointy party hat.
Saturn V and it's not even close in my opinion.
As a proud owner of both sets, and as much as I love the Saturn V perfect replica with its invaluable historical and educational meanings, I simply had much more fun building the Old Fishing Store; thus, there goes my vote.
Come to think of it, the real winner of this fun contest is the Ideas theme, arguably the best Lego innovation of the millennium.
I bought Nimjago City and Old Fishing Store at the end of 2017 when I was working as part of the recovery efforts after hurricane Maria and I assembled this set for a whole 7 weeks during the COVID Pandemic from March to April, OFS all the way.
10. education
9. accuracy
8. scale
7. building techniques
6. display
5. cultural significance
4. parts usage
3. stage rocket
2. smoothness
1. swooshable
We have lift off!
...there may be a little repetition in that.
@TheRightP_art said:
"Old fishing store!!! Yes, while Saturn V may have mind-blowing techniques on the inside, on the outside it is still just a boring cylinder. Meanwhile, Old Fishing Store oozes style and charm, with an exterior that radiate a warm and homely look, with interesting and varied shapes that range from rectangles to triangles, from industrial sharp-edged polygons to natural rock formations. Definitely more visually appealing than a white toilet paper roll with a pointy party hat."
I agree with you.
Really hard to choose, this time not bias to any set having owned neither. The Old Fishing store is amazingly detailed so i had to choose that one as much as I love the Saturn V.
Not to plug my Top 30 most owned sets by Brickset users bricklist much but the Saturn V does feature in there with the Parisian Restaurant something the Old Fishing Store sadly doesn't feature in.
https://brickset.com/sets/list-35959
It's close.... Every vote counts!
I honestly found the fishing store a fairly tedious build in general and sold it off fairly quickly....Saturn V all the way for me interesting build, great subject matter and a great display piece (and was good value for money on release).
Fishing store. Easy. Detail and playability are off the charts. I’m a big space nut but the rocket is quite boring to me from a playability perspective. If it had been incorporated into a system on a minifig scale this would’ve been a more difficult choice.
Fishing store doesn't even rank in my top 50. Just look at interior space and playability. I can't even let my kids touch the fishing store or it practically disintegrates.
As much as I believe SV would take this, I have to vote for OFS. SV is a great set with great building techniques, but the look is just not my cup of tea, just a boring looking white stick. Exterior is more important to me and for that OFS easily gets my vote for that matter. But again I do think SV would win due to the techniques and space fans.
I think the best Lego set of all time should at least look and feel like Lego, not a scale model. So...
The UCS MF is my favourite Lego set, but clearly the Saturn V is the best set of at least the last 20 years.
Hard to pick a as I love both of these sets. I own them both, but have only put together the Fishing Store so far due to lack of space. I can't wait to dive into the Saturn V next year. So for that reason I gave my vote to the Fishing Store which I unfortunately missed when on shelves, but when I saw it in person I bid for it and won it off eBay. So glad I did. Its one of those sets you have to see to believe in.
Saturn V all the way!!
First round where I own both sets. I voted Saturn V, but both are excellent!
Fishing store for sure.
I don`t own Saturn V, however seeing assembling on youtube puzzles me - what unique building technics are mentioned while 21318 Tree House has its trunk build in the same manner? If I got correctly, Tree House knocks out Saturn easily as has much less of repeating construction.
Saturn V is nice as a real-life item model, but from display point of view it is just a black and white stick...
I`m a space fan and really wish TLG returns classic space themes, but big white rocket is not the best representative... 10266 NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander is way ahead.
P.S. NINJAGO City should win as it is the most flowrishing and detailed living set.
Lego stands for "Let's Play" not "Let's Display". The Saturn V wins hands down. It has inspired so many accessory builds with custom launch towers, Vehicle Assembly Buildings, and alternative payloads. The best Lego sets inspire others to build their own MOCs. I've seen tons of Saturn V stuff built and very little OFS.
Saturn V is perfect - even down to the piece count - 1969. Nuff said!
Both are great sets, however Old Fishing Store is visually more appealing to me so here's one more vote for OFS.
Both are incredible sets, and very well vouched for, but Eagle84 says that long building time is a bad thing, which I can't agree with. And the unnecessary Ninjago City diss doesn't help.
Love the Saturn V...great set for all ages!
Saturn V. Again. The model is truly a marvellous piece of engineering, some really ingenious part usage, and it's a stunning display piece.
I was torn. I think both sets deserve the title, and thought I'd have a hard time voting.
But, with the Saturn V's first sentence in its case as best set essentially being "I'm surprised I made it the semifinals" well that sealed my vote for OFS.
The Saturn V was mind-blowing. In terms of building techniques in sets, it was a quantum leap on the order of the Café Corner, but better. The ability to fully separate as the real model did was an unexpected wonder. That the entire model could look just like the real thing, and remain functional without dissolving continues to astonish me. I'm not a huge real-life-space fan, but this model was a tour de force.
The Old Fishing Store was a nice model. It has that cluttered, ramshackle aesthetic that's so trendy in Lego building, and it does it well. The interior details are lovely. But the build itself is generally not complex—witness the square light tower and the stovepipe mounted perpendicularly to the roof. Many modular buildings have had more interesting technique.
As a work of Lego art, the Saturn V wins for me.
This is the first time that the arguments from the advocates have changed my mind! Won’t say which way though - well done to both :)
Granted I've missed some of the voting, but this has been the toughest one for me.
Two sets out of four are from Ideas. Non professional designers and AFOLS have brought a great contribution to Lego masterpieces.
@AllenSmith said:
"... the stovepipe mounted perpendicularly to the roof. "
I still can't believe that 'technique' made it through all the design stages; it's almost insultingly lazy.
Tough choice! These two are contemporaries of each other for me, since I bought both around the same time in 2017. Oddly, I've built neither, but I can tell both would be rousing builds for completely different reasons after glancing through the instruction manuals.
I want to give the vote to the Saturn V since I have a closer personal connection to it (saw it on a personal tour thanks to my best friend who worked at JSC at the time), but I was still torn by focusing on just the LEGO-based merits, not the epic scope of history and technology behind it. I was hoping the advocacy articles would reveal something to break the tie, but in the case of the Saturn V, I've noticed a bit more heavy-handed repetition of its qualities, including the very odd bullet point of "it has 1969 pieces, which is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G" (to put it generically, not quoting anyone here). If I recall, at the time, it was just an afterthought once the set was just about ready for production. They noticed the total part count was 1958 or something closer to 1969, so they went back into the model, divvied up some pieces, and added a few bits in order to get it to 1969. So it's nothing really special about the set, other than a spotlight on something that is common knowledge even if you don't own the LEGO set or even know what a "Saturn V" is. A child could tell you we went to the Moon in 1969 without any knowledge of the Saturn V (as evidenced in the classic "Even Stevens" musical episode, 'Influenza: The Musical', where a shockingly unprepared Wren Stevens is forced to make a presentation at the front of the class about the Apollo Moon landing). Would we be praising some future Star Wars LEGO set that manages to have exactly 1138 pieces, as if it was some superb homage and nostalgic reverie to George Lucas and his "THX 1138" references in Star Wars films? That would be silly. It would be a fun piece of trivia, but nothing to laud the set for.
Anyway, I voted in the end. Might be on the losing side, but you never know.
Nailed it. The Saturn V is a conversation piece, a scale model, a functional teaching tool, a cool spaceship, and representative of a singular moment in history and human achievement. And, oh yes, it's made entirely from Lego.
My 4 year old nephew was so excited to dismantle the Saturn and explain the stages to me (I bought it for my brother-in-law as a gift). He was able reassemble as well.
I didn’t imagine that buying this set for a 40 year old NASA fan would lead to so much fun and education for (quite a bright) little guy as well.
I hesitated to vote for it at first because it’s not MF-scale and outwardly looks like a display piece which some have described as boring looking.
On the other hand geodes are pretty boring when you find them in the dirt too.
I own both, and will probably have my fishing store out more in the long run, but my vote goes to Saturn for its quality build and educational & play value.
As much as I love the charming ramshackled OFS, my vote goes to Saturn V. It shows the versatility of what can be built with LEGO, not just buildings & vehicles. The fact that it also included real life functional playability & is not just a model for display, makes it truly impressive.
Yeah, my vote goes to the Fishing Store by far. Saturn V has, honestly, zero interest to me; and even if I'd been indecisive, I can safely say that Floyd668's advocacy would have won me over. I can appreciate the achievement behind the Saturn V - both the real thing and the set - but it just... doesn't have that appeal factor when I look at it?
I still expect it's going to win in the end, though; especially judging by the comments here xD
The Old Fishing Store is a wonderfully constructed building in mini-fig scale bursting with details and merchandise that evokes a ramshackle seaside atmosphere well.
The Saturn V is work of art (both in appearance and construction) and a powerful symbol for mankind. This set would not look out of place among actual rocket models (its appearance and size would fit perfectly among the numerous rocket models visible in photos of Werner von Braun's office). It also has a strong education component to it with its ability to separate stages and modules to recreate a lunar mission from start to finish.
My votes goes to the Saturn V but I am honestly just glad none of the semi-finalists came from licensed themes.
This bland white cylinder beat out my first choice I won't let it beat out my second. The old fishing store is just so beautiful.
Vote early and vote often for Old Fishing Store.
I wish I had bought the Old Fishing Store before they retired it but I was Just coming out of my latest Dark Ages and was purchasing less expensive sets at the time. It gets my vote. Saturn V looks really great & I know many rave about it but it just doesn't appeal to me enough to want to buy it.
Interesting now the MF has gone what support will remain for the bland tube with great historical significance ......... ooooooo the excitement
The Saturn V set is a timeless LEGO masterpiece.
Put it on display in your living room and it will shine for many decades to come. Pass it on to your child, and your child will proudly do the same...
This shouldn’t even be a close one...
I'm a happy owner of both sets and voted for Old Fishing Store. Both sets are amazing if it goes to building process and display value however Saturn is slowly getting discoloration on white bricks and I don't even keep it on a sunlight. And Old Fishing Store looks great next to modular buildings
@Mochbid said:
"I don`t own Saturn V, however seeing assembling on youtube puzzles me - what unique building technics are mentioned while 21318 Tree House has its trunk build in the same manner? If I got correctly, Tree House knocks out Saturn easily as has much less of repeating construction."
The Saturn V (2017) pioneered the cylinder techniques that were later used in UCS Hogwarts (2018) and in the Tree House (2019).
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not the biggest fan of Saturn V. It’s cool and all, but I just find the Fishing Store to be just more beautiful and an interesting build. It hadn’t retired yet, hasn’t it?
Lego is a brand built around creativity, building and uniqueness. While both are superb sets, the millenium cannot be represented by a perfect replica of something trying to look like it isn't even made from Lego. Old Fishing Store it is!
This survey has a biased audience. I expect that a majority of us are AFOLs, not children. If you want to see who should truly win this particular competition, show your children pictures of each of these two sets. Or better yet, show them the sets IRL. My kids helped me put together the Saturn V, and then I used it to show them how we actually got to the moon and back again. They were stunned, impressed, awed, and astounded. Very few LEGO sets can elicit that intense of a reaction.
In 50 years, the OFS will be another interesting but somewhat unremarkable set from history. The Saturn V will continue to BE history and this captures that essence in the most beautiful way possible.
A beautiful building or a white tube, you decide
I don't own either of these sets. They are NOT bad, just not my interest. With that in mind, I don't know how I can vote for either. They are so different and have their own strengths. I missed out on my vote for The Rollercoaster because I forgot to log back in to brickset later that day. That set lost by one vote. My vote. I don't want my one vote for either of these sets to sway the winner based on a whim or coin flip.
I will abstain from this vote for the sake of the fans on both sides.
@TheWackyWookiee said:
"I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not the biggest fan of Saturn V. It’s cool and all, but I just find the Fishing Store to be just more beautiful and an interesting build. It hadn’t retired yet, hasn’t it?"
Sadly the Old Fishing Store and Saturn V are retired.
Picking between these two is like picking between hamburgers or hot dogs at a cookout. Some days, it's a hamburger day. Some days it's a hot dog day. I own both of these and I could really go with either set here...but I have to pick one. I honestly don't know which one I'll pick when I scroll up to vote.
Gotta pick the Fishing Store here, when it's the battle of the licensed vs original design.
Rocket has great historic value, and certainly deserved to win over the Falcon, which it did, but as a LEGO set, I see more potential in the fishing store.
At least when it comes to the core value of LEGO, I have seen some amazing alternate builds on the fishing store.
Old fishing store is one of a kind, true LEGO product, while the Saturn V has been made into many model kits/toys, not just LEGO, so I won't define it as the best LEGO set of the last 20 years.
@fulcrumbop said:
"And here we go. Last rant on this: IT'S AN ABSOLUTE JOKE THAT THE ROLLER COASTER ISN'T IN THIS SEMI-FINAL!!!!
"
The people have spoken
Saturn V doesn't look like much from the outside but it's easily one of the best builds as you construct each stage.
It's also fun to play with. You just can't NOT take it apart and zoom it around.
What impresses me most about the Old Fishing Store is that Lego even chose it for an Ideas set. Not that it isn't great just that, at the time, it didn't seem like something they'd choose. It looks great in a lake side/seaside display. I just don't think there's enough there with the build and the techniques that it outdoes Saturn V, especially considering Saturn V isn't simply a display piece.
I also own both.
I also would vote for the Old Fishing Store. The level of detail on this is amazing.
I do love the educational and history aspect of Saturn V, but... for me the Fishing Store is just unique and detailed and something I never would have expected Lego to release.
I'm not American, so it is very difficult for me to appreciate the significance of the rocket. To me. it's just a white tall rocket. I could relate with the fishing store more, and I love sand green. :D
I really like the Saturn V, but the argument for the Old Fishing Store has swayed me
I like both sets but don't own either. However the one that I absolutely must have someday is the Saturn V, so that's what I'm going with here.
@johnnie_tee said:
"I'm not American, so it is very difficult for me to appreciate the significance of the rocket."
This kind of comment I don't get.
The moonlanding was an achievement by mankind, like Neil Armstrong said himself. He did not say "one giant leap for America (or the US)". Sure there was the "space race" between the US and the USSR, but by the time Apollo 11 was ready, the "race" had been more or less over when one looks at the state of things on both sides.
From what I heard the whole world (at least whoever had a radio or better still a TV set) was captivated by the occasion. I know my whole family was following the broadcasts live and it made an unforgettable impression.
The Old Fishing Store is a beautiful set, but even my kids (girls no less) find the Saturn V more fascinating. In a line of Modulars the OFS just blends in and doesn't look that special anymore. The Saturn V stands out (literally) in any display, whether stand-alone or between a mix of other imposing sets. It dwarfs anything other than the famous Eiffel Tower and Orthank from LOTR.
And it's quite the playset too, that to me is the crowning achievement. Hell, it is even totally swooshable, which for a "display piece" must have been a first. Try that with the UCS MF. ;-)
@Synthia1980 said:
" @fulcrumbop said:
"And here we go. Last rant on this: IT'S AN ABSOLUTE JOKE THAT THE ROLLER COASTER ISN'T IN THIS SEMI-FINAL!!!!
"
Its even more of a farce now that a similar close call in this round is awarded extra time. "
Actually I would have expected both semi finals to be close calls.
@jol said:
"Lego is a brand built around creativity, building and uniqueness. While both are superb sets, the millenium cannot be represented by a perfect replica of something trying to look like it isn't even made from Lego. Old Fishing Store it is!"
I think I completely agree with this. I want something to win that has come from creativity and not a replica. However, I fear there are too many NASA and space fans for The old fishing store to pull through. Hopefully the winner from the other bout can succeed.
The fishing store looks great on display and is undoubtedly a great LEGO set, but this has to be the end of the line. The sheer tediousness of the build knocks this one down a few notches for me. Every modular I’ve built has been far, far more enjoyable. Great end product, not much fun getting there - which I wasn’t expecting.
Saturn V is an incredible build and different from anything else I’ve built over the past 40 years - and looks every bit as impressive on display. An easy choice for me
I don't own either of these. But if my wife told me she would buy one of these for me for Christmas, I would choose the Fishing Store.
Just watched both Jang reviews and honestly, I gotta go Saturn V. The fishing store is a complicated build, but not very mesmerizing to look at, barely any playability(no door for the telescope area not enough space up there, but plenty of walkway behind the store) it's crowded in the actual shop. Over all, it is an ok display build. Meanwhile, the Saturn V is IMO a better looking set, it's displayable, playable swooshable and educational. It is a great price and has a very interesting build.