Holiday gift guide: under $25
Posted by Huw,
Black Friday and Christmas are fast approaching so our annual Holiday Gift Guide has returned, 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 134 eligible items released during 2022 in that price bracket, which equates to about £22 and €25.
Find out what the Brickset team has chosen after the break then let us know what you would select in the comments.
Huw
76911 007 Aston Martin DB5 ($19.99, £19.99, 24.99€)
Since the switch to 8-wide, Speed Champions have been elevated from toys to detailed and collectable scale models that incorporate incredible building techniques, while remaining very reasonably priced.
$20 will buy you any of this year's single car sets, all of which are excellent, but I've picked this particular one to give as a gift because, well, it's James Bond and instantly recognisable.
MeganL
10938 Dinosaur Nursery (£17.99 / $19.99 / 19.99€)
I've had the opportunity to provide some gifts for the youngest consumers of LEGO - and their parents! 10938 has been a universal hit with those youngest consumers (and their parents). The dinosaurs are very cute, and are very popular for those under 5 who are crazy about dinosaurs. They might be popular for those over 5 who love collecting creatures. Pro tip: I've known the animals to be loved so much they've done double duty as cake decorations for a birthday cake!
For those looking for a Friends recommendation, I'd suggest 41712 Recycling Truck. Friends vehicles are usually pretty great, and the Recycling Truck reinforces a good environmental message with a fun build. This is one of the $20 sets reviewed by the interns at the Women's Brick Initiative this summer.
CapnRex101
60326 Picnic in the Park (£12.99 / $19.99 / 14.99€)
I think Speed Champions owns this category, with any of 76906 1970 Ferrari 512M, 76908 Lamborghini Countach and 76911 007 Aston Martin DB5 deserving particular consideration.
However, I have chosen a potentially overlooked set released in January: 60326 Picnic in the Park. While small, this set presents a charming scene and contains an outstanding selection of elements, including uncommon minifigure parts, printed acorns, a yellow bicycle and squirrels in two colours! Moreover, these models complement bigger City sets and the Modular Buildings perfectly, so would be a superb companion gift.
TheBrickPal
76202 Wolverine Mech Armor (£8.99 / $9.99 / 9.99€)
2022 has offered no shortage of great smaller sets. Some of my favorites include 31124 Super Robot, the hilarious 60333 Bathtub Stunt Bike, and 71396 Bowser Jr.'s Clown Car. There are also many BrickHeadz I would recommend, such as 40539 Ahsoka Tano, 40547 Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, 40552 Buzz Lightyear, and 40559 Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote.
Out of all of them, though, I recommend 76202 Wolverine Mech Armor the most. It is durable for play and looks good on display, with its striking color scheme and huge claws. The best part is the Wolverine minifigure, with a detailed torso and head, as well as a fantastic helmet mold.
There are no other recent X-Men sets, and their introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is further off than anticipated - providing limited opportunities for LEGO appearances. This is therefore the perfect set to get a Marvel fan right now, who may lack these characters in their collection.
As for another Super Heroes pick, DC fans are bound to enjoy 76179 Batman & Selina Kyle Motorcycle Pursuit, which is based on a recent popular film and is one of the few DC sets released this year. Younger builders may appreciate 76830 Zyclops Chase, with a decent, more screen accurate model compared to other 4+ sets, and some awesome minifigures.
Alice
41951 Message Board (£17.99 / $19.99 / 19.99€)
As usual, there are a few DOTS sets to choose from in this price category, and they all make excellent stocking fillers. I have chosen 41951 Message Board which I think would be a great gift for kids and AFOLs alike. Whether for a child’s bedroom or an adult’s study or LEGO room, 41951 Message Board has many possibilities for designing a sign or decoration for any room. It comes with a sorting tray and plenty of 2x2 1/4 circle tiles which enable a wide variety of lettering and designs to be created.
41950 Lots of DOTS - Lettering is also in this price category, which goes well alongside 41951 Message Board or as a stand-alone gift, perhaps for an AFOL.
FlagsNZ
42134 Monster Jam Megalodon (£17.99 / $19.99 / 19.99€)
Combining Technic, pull-back racers and dinosaurs, 42134 Monster Jam Megalodon ticks all these boxes.
Megalodon means "big tooth" and is associated with the extinct species of shark that existed approximately twenty-three to four million years ago (from the early Miocene to the Pliocene epochs).
The attraction of pull-back racers is that an enormous amount of fun can be achieved without the need for batteries. Built using medium blue parts, this model features the pectoral and dorsal fins and a fearsome upper row of shark's teeth (the don in the name!), The shark's cunning eyes and gills are captured using stickers.
I believe this set will appeal to all youngsters who have a passing interest in dinosaurs, who love LEGO and are moving towards a Technic future.
benbacardi
40524 Sunflowers (£11.99 / $12.99 / 12.99€)
LEGO has knocked it out the park with its botanical theme the last few years, and 40524 Sunflowers is no exception. These were a day one purchase for me, as a gift to my wife, who added them to 10280 Flower Bouquet which stands proudly on her sewing desk. They were very well received, much like the original bouquet, even for somebody who doesn't have a particular interest in LEGO.
Despite only being a pair of flowers, they have immediate impact and are great value at the price point LEGO has placed them. It may be a bit of a tedious build with all the sunflower petals, but they're a perfect gift and one you can either build for the recipient fairly quickly, or spend some quality time building together.
What would you pick from the 134 eligible items?
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38 comments on this article
Always Creator 3-in-1 for a gift! 31128 is a lot of colourful fun.
Dollars?
Tut!
Thanks for reminding me about the 007 DB5 Huw. I'd forgotten it existed.
Good stocking filler for my dad.
Well I think the person I have in mind would really like 10777 Mickey and Minnie's Camping Trip because I... I mean they... got 10772 Mickey Mouse's Propeller Plane last year, and really enjoyed it!
I'd have gone with El Toro Loco over Megalodon (though Megalodon is still cool), but great to see a Technic set nominated nonetheless. 42133 Telehandler is superb as well - it has some cool functions and a B-model, and thus offers much bang for one's buck.
I have some of the text showing up with the weird white markings again, just like I think last year's holiday guide? Using dark mode.
Normally I don't buy the 3-in-1 sets, but 31125 (especially if you're a fan of purple pieces) and 31128 (agree totally with @bananaworld above) both drew me in. Although tough to stick to complete accuracy at a small scale, 75321 was a must buy for Star Wars fans. And 76906 reminded me so much of cars I built as a kid, I had to get it.
My vote in this category would have gone to 40566 Ray the Castaway had it not been a GWP. The build was fun, it told a complete story, and it’s great for both play and display. I’d love a range of sets like this.
31128 robbed. Easily the best ten dollar set this year.
Yep. Has to be the Aston Martin for me.
Great choices all around.
We've been waiting since January for the Sunflowers. Sold out online and out of stock at the local store until late September. Finally added them to our our order last night.
We have sunflowers in our backyard in the summer, so it will be nice to have some we can enjoy in the winter.
The Dinosaur Nursery has proved a hit with my under & over 5s
Of the sets, the one that is likely to be the biggest hit is the Friends Recycling Truck (my middle one would probably pick the Wolverine mech but we already have it)
For a Technic set in this price range, my vote would go to 42133 Telehandler (US $12.99). It's a fun little Technic set that would make for a nice introductory set for a kid or a desktop plaything for an adult.
Feels like the GWP system has totally killed off any 'core' sets in this price range.
Looking at that list of 135 sets... 11 are city sets (which I feel used to be LEGOs 'core theme') and I'd totally forgotten about that city park set (maybe that shows how buying interests have changed?). The rest are simple vehicles or accessory type sets.. imagine if any of the following had been available at retail rather than GWPs...
40529: Children's Amusement Park
40532: Vintage Taxi
40566: Ray the Castaway
40578: Sandwich Shop (this one especially would have made a nice entry level city set)
6424688: LEGO Delivery Truck
... 40567: Forest Hideout!!
I also like the sunflowers.
As a fan of brick built animals I would point out 31125 + 31128.
You know it is that time of the year,
when Brickset gift guide is here.
31126 makes an excellent gift IMO. All three models are good and I've personally had a lot of fun building MOCs using only the parts in the set.
@TheIronBadger said:
"I'd have gone with El Toro Loco over Megalodon (though Megalodon is still cool), but great to see a Technic set nominated nonetheless. 42133 Telehandler is superb as well - it has some cool functions and a B-model, and thus offers much bang for one's buck."
Both great choices, but it depends on the kid (or AFOL). We purchased El Toro Loco for my son's friend's birthday, because it's his favorite truck, and he loved it. I also bought copies of El Toro Loco and Megalodon for my son, himself, and while Megalodon is one of the few intact sets on his shelves, El Toro Loco was dismantled almost immediately after building. Which worked out fine for me, since I then MOCed it into a Cincinnati Bengals truck to celebrate their Super Bowl run last year. Happy Holidays!
60326. Nice assortment of multi-use goodies! Only a few small sets have 3 minifigs. Add vehicles, foliage and TWO squirrels—Sweet!
No Star Wars recommendations...?
I'd have gone with 75333 personally
@dark_faces said:
"No Star Wars recommendations...?
I'd have gone with 75333 personally"
Only 4 Star Wars sets are eligible,
The 2 minifigure packs, Snowtrooper battle pack and Razor Crest microfighter.
Obi-Wan's fighter is just over the cut off to fit in to this catagory
Forgot about price increases for a glorious moment there... :)
Still, I think the Snowtrooper Battle Pack is worthy at least of consideration.
@dark_faces said:
"Forgot about price increases for a glorious moment there... :)
Still, I think the Snowtrooper Battle Pack is worthy at least of consideration."
I agree completely, a nice way to compliment getting either the UCS ATAT or the play scale version to recreate a larger scene potentially alongside the Hoth ATST too. Failing that it’s still a good battle pack and I remember getting battle packs as a gift as they are still offered at a cheaper entry point to recreating larger armies.
This price category this year seems very lackluster. I agree with previous comments that the GWPs steal the show here. From all those sets below 25$ I think that the Speed Champions line clearly stands out. And I'm not even a lego car guy. But that Countach is a sweet ride, so is the McLaren and the Bond car. City lineup is very disappointing. Creator is so-so. Ninjago and superheroes are lacking a standout too.
@sjr60 said:
"Well I think the person I have in mind would really like 10777 Mickey and Minnie's Camping Trip because I... I mean they... got 10772 Mickey Mouse's Propeller Plane last year, and really enjoyed it!"
Camping trip is a nice little set, but I feel there was a missed opportunity in include Goofy and Donald instead as a nod to the 1930's "Mickey's Trailer" short.
All of those were great choices.
It was a good year for smaller sets (mostly). Particularly City. The under $25 sets were all pretty amazing (I loved the park. Honestly, my favourite was the juniors race car, because it was a gorgeous and it was orange, which is my favourite colour).
I've been a Lego fan since before the invention of the minifig, but damn if I don't love those Duplo Dinosaurs. I plan to buy two of the Duplo Dinosaur sets before they retire.
I really enjoy the Brickset gift guides for different price points, and my favorite part is reading why they love or recommend each set. Keep up the great work!
Another vote for 31128 Dolphin and Turtle if you're looking for an inexpensive gift
@legoapprentice said:
"Another vote for 31128 Dolphin and Turtle if you're looking for an inexpensive gift"
Excellent set. I got 3 of them because all 3 builds were great. Same with 31125.
I agree alot with these staff picks. Great stuff under $25 beans.
My top 10...
- 10938 Dinosaur Nursery is so cute and great for the little one. Fabulous Duplo dino-figures and great terrain to play with. 10972 Wild Animals of the Ocean a good runner up too.
- 10777 Mickey and Minnie's Camping Trip is excellent for play. Lots of accessories, and very nice trailer and minifigs. Alotta fun here.
- 31126 Supersonic-jet is very nice. All 3 versions look good and the jet comes with a display stand which you never see in a 3in1 or anything unless it's a UCS type kit.
- 40522 Valentine Lovebirds look beautiful. Nice sculpts.
- 42134 Monster Jam Megalodon and 42135 Monster Jam El Toro Loco fun pull-back 2in1's.
- 60333 Bathtub Stunt Bike, alotta' fun for $8 bucks.
- 76911 007 Aston Martin DB5, an incredible iconic car at this scale. Nice build techniques. Highly recommend.
- 75320 Snowtrooper Battle Pack a MUST GET for army building.
I agree with most comments above but I’ll add a few more suggestions I think would be worthy
31124 - looks great, nice parts pack and cheap.
75321 - in case someone still doesn’t have any mandalorian set, this could be a nice entry point, also considering there’s another season on its way
42132 - While I don’t have the tele handler yet, I believe this one offers nicer display-ability but also some great functions like the tiny engine
41705 - one of many great friends sets, but this one is my favorite at this price point, and for what it is. Can’t go wrong with pizzerias
• Any Minecraft set around 20-25. I’m not a big fan but I can’t deny they look decent
• Any brickheadz, depending on who you’re buying for. They’ve been pretty good this year imo
31127 - for any younger kid who’d want a big ish color car. Would make a great parts pack too considering the colors!
71768 - not so great value, but I’d say the best choice from ninjago in this price range this year. Quite a few new parts
76945 - for any Dino lover. Bonus to get 2 baby t-rexes
This category was sorely lacking this year. As that's usually as much as I'd be able to spend, that really constricted my choices.
It's apparent that for this already broad category (25 euro isn't exactly missable and quickly adds up IMHO) the 'impulse set'/'entry level set' has often been skipped across themes.
It's telling that Ninjago or Monkie Kid don't have any recommendations. MK has next to nothing in this category and Ninjago is also quite limited. 71768 doesn't have the greatest value or wow factor, and 71761 -while a decent mech- is similar to previous options but simplified with the new mech limb parts. And Lloyd's mech... it's 4+. Not ideal.
The City Space theme doesn't have anything here either. It would have been nice to be able to buy a rover or something. But nope. At least the Chicken coop and maybe the (limited availability) Picknic in the Park set are a thing.
Oh, and Star Wars has ONE set of 10 or lower, the one single microfighter produced this year. The rest are clamshell packs sold nowhere or the single XL-ified battle pack now sold for 20.
The regularly available polybags? In my area there's 4 types or so, most of which mini models of vehicles.
Super Heroes was okay. Three of those mechs are better than nothing (despite a re-issue of Iron Man) but those hips are still disappointing. They made them lopsided and just called it a day! How is that okay? And the Batman set is welcome.
But only City and Creator have been properly broad in this category this year besides maybe themes like friends and... idk dots?
Some of this comes down to being subjective as there is still choice overall. But personally they failed to hook me in. And if I'm not even buying the small fry anymore, why would I stick to saving up for the huge investment offerings anymore?
No mention of HP 76400 so far? The two different thestrals are really cool, the carriage is a nice build, and there's a beautiful printed tile included as well!
My personal favorites in this category: the speed champions Lambourghini Countach and the city bathtub bike.
@SolidState said:
"31128 robbed. Easily the best ten dollar set this year."
Make it clickable please. Or provide the name of the set. Thanks.
Gotta agree with Huw here. This is not my type of set, I never buy cars. However, my wife needed this for work so I got it, and wow was I impressed. A very fun set, and it’s nice to have James Bond, even if it is just a one off set.
Speed Champions 76908 Lambo Countach. It looks so awesome and the build for this is really great.
The Countach is awesome, easily my favorite Speed Champions set to date (I am definitely not a Ferrari fan so its good to see some love for the other well known Italian maker of sports cars in the Speed Champions line)