One of the biggest questions I get in the comments and on social media is: “Is the LEGO set worth it?”. LEGO sets can be expensive. Sure, a small ploybag can be gotten for under $10. but a Collectible minifigure starts at 4.95, and some of the biggest sets sell for $500 or more. This Post describes the criteria I use to Review LEGO Sets. I hope you find it helpful.
As. an adult LEGO Fan (AFOL) write these reviews on this website to help you determine what are the best sets, FOR YOU! There are dozens of different LEGO series, and within each series LEGO releases many sets every season.
The Purpose of this website:
With so many choices I can be hard to determine what set to get.
There are vast differences between LEGO sets for 7 year old boys vs what your Husband who loves LEGO Trains is interested in. I’m creating this guid on How I Review LEGO Sets for your benefit.
Of course you may fall in love with a set, and know that it is “the one”. If you want a specific set, I encourage you to just get it! It’s what you want!
But if you are shopping for a relative or friend, you might not know what they have or want.
I have developed 5 different criteria that wil help you decide. Additionally I always include a few other details about each LEGO review that many have told me are very helpful.
Buying Options
I’m adding these review categories to help you with your buying options. LEGO has gotten more expensive, and I want you to get the best LEGO sets that you want.
You have lots of different options for buying LEGO sets. I don’t live anywhere near LEGO stores, so I frequenty get my exclusive sets by ordering on the internet from LEGO.com.
I am also a member of LEGO Insiders, a free program that gives me points and early access to sets and bricks.
Finally, I buy sets from Target and other local retailers (Barnes & Noble, Local game stores, and even Jo-Ann Fabrics).
Once a set is Retired, that’s when I turn to Amazon. There are lots of resellers on Amazon that sell older sealed sets. You can also get new ones there too!
Since I don’t have ads on this site, I am grateful if you use any of the links I provide to buy sets. I get a little commission when you do. Those links look like this
Category: Reviews
To help keep everything straight, I’ve added a new category on my LEGO blog about reviews. There is now a link in the top menu on every page, as well as in the sidebar and footer on many pages on my LEGO Website.
5 new LEGO REVIEW Categories
It’s a fine line between giving out information and completely spoiling a set. I hope to find a fine balance on sharing the features and details of a set without giving everything completely away. As a result I’ve come up with these 5 star categories which will then be averaged to give an overall review. More stars will mean that I find the set more favorable. Fewer stars doesn’t mean it’s a bad set, it just means that it’s not my favorite in the theme or series.
- Is it Worth it?
- “Build fun-ness”
- Minifigs
- Hidden Surprises
- Build time
Is it Worth it?
1 to 5 stars with 5 as the highest.
Perhaps the most asked question I get both in person and on line is “is this LEGO set worth it”?
Sure it is a subjective question, as everyone has different criteria. But for me, this is the #1 overall indicator if I like a set.
If you want to know what I like, that’s easy to discover, I have scores of LEGO sets reviewed on theBrickland.com, and you can learn what I like and dislike as you read through them.
It does take price into consideration.
This category is designed to be a quick look at if I would buy this set again, and thie higher the stars, the more likely I would.
Build Fun-ness
One to five stars with 5 as the highest.
This one is pretty easy to understand, ~ how fun was it to build?
I’m an experienced builder – from the old DUPLO, and Juniors sets to the 18+ creator expert and Technic. I’ve build them all and regarldess of the theme or age, some are more fun than others.
This category measures that aspect.
Minifigs
From quantity to style, to uniqueness, this category quantifies the Minifitures on a 1-5 rating scale, with 5 meaning the minifigures in the set are Aweseome. For me this is the why on How I Review LEGO Sets.
If. a set has no minifigures, this ranking is ignored.
Hidden Surprises
Most LEGO sets have some hidden surprise in them. Some call them Easter eggs.
I try to never spoil these secret surprises in the set . Some may be build related, others may be part of the play-ability. But if there is something that can only be discorvered by making or playing with a set, this is where it is captured.
On a scale from 1-5 with 5 as the highest. So no hidden surprises would be a 1.
Build time
On a ranking from 1-5 – how long did it take to build this set following the instructions.
Obviously this will depend on the number of pieces, however there are some smaller sets that are complicated and take a while to build. Conversely I’ve had some larger sets that feel like they should take longer, but actually go by really fast.
Other Review information
Some other sections I’m adding to each LEGO review that I complete are
- When should I buy this set?
- Is this set a good investment?
- What is the Price per Piece?
These are some of the other questions I get all the time.
While I didn’t want to give them a star 1-5 rating, i did want to include them in each LEGO Review post.
So going forward from today, look for these 3 headings to be a part of each LEGO set review.
When does LEGO Release new sets?
LEGO sets have a limited lifespan. They are released several times per year, and then after a period of time they are “retired” and no longer produced.
LEGO releases the most new sets on Jan 1 of each year. These sets are officially announced sometime around October-November, but they are put on store shelves AFTER the Holidays.
Also, other new sets are announced throughout the year, These can include CMF (Custom Minifigure Series), Larger IDEAS sets, or other tie-ins with movies or holidays throughout the year. Often these sets will be available a few days early for LEGO Insiders (previously VIP).
It can be hard to keep track of what LEGO sets are coming out and when. I try to stay on top of all of that, and for the latest I encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter where I share official announcements with you when I get them.
Another easy way to learn when new sets are coming out is to follow the LEGO Group on social media – X (Formerly Twitter) and Instagram are the two largest platforms they announce things on.
I hope this guild of How I Review LEGO Sets helps you decipher what sets you want to buy. If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know in the comments below.
