Review: 41924 Secret Holder
Posted by Alice,
41924 Secret Holder is one of the DOTS sets that was released in January which, along with 41925 Secret Boxes, has been designed to hide little objects and trinkets inside.
So, let's get on and build the brick-built moggy and find some secrets to stash...
I'm glad to report that the set comes in a plastic tray because it is, as you'd expect, perfect for sorting and storing the pieces.
It contains plenty of 1/4 circle tiles in varying shades of pink, purple and blue, including in Light Royal Blue which hasn't been used in DOTS sets until this year, and some pretty glittery round tiles. You can view the full inventory here.
The construction process is quick and simple, although the instructions didn't show how to build the tail and paws, so I had to rely on the box images to know where to place them and the ears.
Anyway, once complete, you have a naked cat ready to decorate!
When it comes to the decorating, it's definitely easier to take the plates off, which also allows someone else to help decorate it with you, if you let them!
As usual, the instructions come with plenty of ideas for patterns, so I used those for inspiration. The pattern below used all the bright blue 1/4 circle tiles but there were plenty of the other colours left over. It would also have been nice to have had more glitter round tiles because I didn't have enough for the decoration that I wanted to do on the back.
The cat comes apart to reveal two compartments, in which you can stash your secrets.
It can also be split to hold pens or pencils, although it doesn't hold many.
When holding and separating the compartments, the tail tends to ping off as it's only held on with one stud.
Additionally, there's a little shelf (1x4 panel) for holding things in its paws.
If you're more of a dog person, you can transform the holder into a doggy by repositioning its ears and paws!
Overall
I think this is an interesting and attractive addition to the DOTS range which is perfect for pet-lovers.
The black plates really make the colours pop and the colour scheme is more pleasing and harmonious than that of some of the DOTS sets I have reviewed in the past, where there has been some clashing colours.
The secret compartments are just 4x6 by 4 bricks high, so you can't fit that much in them, but they could be used to store small pieces of jewellery or something else you don't want anyone to find!
As a cat lover, I quite like it as a display piece, with the added bonus of the secret compartments. It's a nice cat box!
At £17.99 for 451 pieces, it's better value price per piece than, say, 41907 Desk Organiser, but it's currently 22% off at Amazon.co.uk making it £13.99, which is much better value.
It's perfect for hiding my secret stash of goats. Don't tell my dad!
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25 comments on this article
Goats are controlling it...
Always a pleasure to read your DOTS reviews, Alice!
This set is currently 20% off at Toys "R" Us, and I've seriously gotta resist picking it up for the parts. I already have a decent supply of glitter trans-clear round tiles from 41913 Bracelet Mega Pack for example. But I'd love to have more of those medium lavender quarter tiles, and some of the more neutral-colored basic bricks and plates.
It doesn't look all that secret. I mean I can see it right there
I want this.
I like the set, it looks just like my kitty Dizzy :) Maybe you can let me keep the set!
Thanks for the review, Alice. The tiles do look great against the black plates. I wish Lego would use black plates more in City, Friends and Creator. This would be a good set just for those parts, no offence to that cute cat:)
You keep those goats Alice... your dad won’t mind!
Goats for a brain. That's some pretty interesting cat.
“I swear, My Dad, I’m just holding onto these goats for Anna!”
I wouldn’t want to keep my secrets in a cat. They’re too public.
Nice review! I wasn't going to get this, but seeing as you can customize it to a dog and those glitter tiles, I may have to change my mind. But I think it needs sloths.
Great review!! I like your mod making it into a dog. I made a couple of small changes and turned my cat into a full-size pencil and pen holder (no secret compartment; just a single open area that's tall enough to hold a lot of pens and pencils). Love it!
In case you're wondering, @chloe is my other daughter, she's not some random trying to blag a free set :-)
Dots is a really good Lego theme. Shame marketing wise it sucks as it is promoted only for girls, which should not be a thing
Enjoyed the review. Nice that we can change it up to a canine, as well. Not on sale in the US yet, but I'll be watching. I also learned the word 'moggie', which I will use constantly over the next few days to impress my friends. ;-)
Looks like it could work as a mech from a game like Nitrome Must Die. I dig it.
Does the plastic tray use less plastic than plastic bags that they're moving away from, or is it made from plants like the new plant pieces?
@lordofdragonss said:
"Dots is a really good Lego theme. Shame marketing wise it sucks as it is promoted only for girls, which should not be a thing
"
Is it? The Women's Brick Initiative has a couple of articles that would disagree with that. https://womensbrickinitiative.com/lego-dots-product-line-marketing-done-right/
https://womensbrickinitiative.com/lego-dots-not-a-girls-product-its-for-everyone/
If the images in those articles are representative then I don't think it is marketed only at girls.
Glad to read a review of this. Somehow I had thought this might use the new key pieces and have some kind of rudimentary lock feature because of the 'secret' aspect.
I don't think it's any the worse for just being a cute stacking box. But did I see some DOTS sets that did use the key in some way (apart from being a tool to remove tiles)?
@alyxavior said:
"Does the plastic tray use less plastic than plastic bags that they're moving away from, or is it made from plants like the new plant pieces?"
The trays are also capable of long-term storage, they aren't simply temporary containers. The bags that come in sets are meant to be discarded
@Paperdaisy said:
"Glad to read a review of this. Somehow I had thought this might use the new key pieces and have some kind of rudimentary lock feature because of the 'secret' aspect.
I don't think it's any the worse for just being a cute stacking box. But did I see some DOTS sets that did use the key in some way (apart from being a tool to remove tiles)?"
The other secret set uses it to lock the box.
The new key pieces are in 41925, but I prefer the idea of building a cat or dog rather than just studs on large plastic cases. The inclusion of a tray in both is a great improvement and wish they had done the same in the mosaics.
Saw the title, came to look for secret goats. Was not disappointed.
I won't tell 'My Dad'. In fact, I hope I never encounter 3220 randomly ever again
All jokes aside, I like the set, although the copious amounts of parts slightly smaller than a 1x1 tile is definitely not for me XD
The colours work well together. Although I must say that 'dog' configuration just looks like a cat pretending to be a dog.
@EvilTwin:
I was kinda thinking that this looks like the LEGO equivalent of sticking a Post-It on your monitor so you don't have to remember passwords. However, when I really thought about it a bit more, this might actually be overlooked if some actual thieves break into your home. Of course, a proper safe would hold a lot more, and probably wouldn't be grabbed in an act of convenience.
@Paperdaisy:
That probably varies a lot by where you live. I haven't seen a single ad for Dots since it launched, so the only marketing that I'm aware of is sending out review copies and press releases to AFOL sites. In the US, Dots and any theme based on minidolls tend to end up in the pink aisles. So, any boys or men who don't follow sites like this, and who don't shop in the pink aisles, might be completely unaware that these sets even exist.