As LEGO Collectors, we are all familiar with many of the product lines and individual licenses which we love. We’re also equally familiar with the fact that many of the items we love can be pretty expensive – sometimes making it hard for us to justify those new LEGO purchases. In this blog post, I thought it would be fun to dive into the ‘Best Cheap LEGO Sets’.
I’m largely referring to products which are under the £20 threshold, but many of us have different definitions of ‘cheap’ – so keep in mind that your mileage may vary depending on your expendable income! I’ve trawled through the LEGO website to highlight some product lines which I think will appeal to you – so let’s dive into a closer look at my picks for the best cheap LEGO sets!
Brickheadz Products
Up first is the Brickheadz line. I don’t collect them personally, but I think that these products tap into an interesting sub-category of pop culture collecting which first saw prominence with the rise of the ‘Pop! Funko’ product line. These Brickheadz products are LEGO’s response to those items. They are designed to capture the iconic appearance of many characters, much like Funko’s products – but deviate in the fact that you build the character yourself!
When thinking about ‘value’, having access to a wide range of characters and licenses is important – and Brickheadz definitely do that. With licenses from Disney to Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Star Wars – you can be confident that Brickheadz offer an affordable option for any kind of LEGO Collector.
Check out all the Brickheadz available under £20 here.
The Botanical Collection
LEGO’s ‘Botanical Collection’ is an interesting step in the company’s ever-growing effort to offer more products which are likely to appeal to AFOLs (Adult Fans of Lego). This collection features an assortment of creatively crafted flower builds at an affordable price point – ranging from Cherry Blossoms
and Daffodils
to Lotus Flowers
and Roses
.
These products clearly cater towards a very specific target demographic, and if they are your thing then there is a great variety of flowers available. What I love most with this subline is that the individual LEGO elements used to create the flowers are often incredibly creative – rewarding builders with new and unique techniques. They are definitely something to check out if you haven’t already!
Check out The Botanical Collection here.
Birds Nest
On the topic of fun builds which I think are likely to appeal to AFOLs, I have to touch on the Bird’s Nest set – a wonderful set consisting of 232 pieces at £10.99. Much like The Botanical Collection, this set leans heavily into the idea of sets which appeal specifically to people who would like something more polished to display on a shelf or a sideboard.
The set features an adult bird and it’s two offspring – something adorable considering this would be a fun set for a parent to build with children. Lots of the promotional material showcases this set within the home environment, somewhere where I think it would fit in incredibly well. It’s a simple set but a fun one – and that’s why it makes this list!
Check out Bird’s Nest here.
Star Wars Microfighters
Star Wars is an evergreen brand. The LEGO sets offered for the license continue to be some of the most popular and divisive amongst collectors and children alike. The Microfighters offered as a part of this line make this list due to the fact that they present a fun opportunity for fans to get their hands on unique and valuable minifigures.
Take the recent ‘Captain Rex’s Y-Wing’. This set includes the ultra-detailed Captain Rex figure – a fan favourite character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This figure was previously available in the Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser
, a set which currently retails for over £550. This is therefore an incredibly cost-effective way for fans to get their hands on Captain Rex.
Check out some of the currently available Microfighters here.
Collectable Minifigures
For many of us, minifigures are the reason why we got into LEGO. It’s exciting to have stylized, small-scale versions of the characters we love. It therefore feels like it would be remiss for me to write about the ‘Best Cheap LEGO Sets’ without mentioning the wide assortment of Collectable Minifigures which have been available over the years.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not a huge fan of the price-hikes which these figures have seen year-on-year. I do think they still provide a relatively accessible and affordable way to get your hands on some of the most detailed minifigures on the market. From the current Dungeons and Dragons designs, to Superheroes, Harry Potter and classic characters – there is something available for everyone!
Check out some of the currently available Collectable Minifigures here.
Retro Camera
Anyone who knows me will know that I adore photography, so the ‘Retro Camera’ set which is currently available from LEGO had to make it onto this list. Biassed pick, I know, but this is the most affordable version of the recent pivot LEGO have made – recreating everyday items and objects through LEGO bricks.
Of particular note to me with this are the fun part choices. I love how a gear is used for the shutter, and that it even incorporates a strap. Any good photographer will tell you that not having that strap on your camera is asking for trouble! The addition of the film reels, alongside the alternate builds, make this a set I might end up picking up after I finish writing this blog post.
You can grab a copy of the Retro Camera here.
Mech Suits
Mech Suits are another small build format which I felt it was worth touching on. Whilst they aren’t my favourite builds, they are very popular with a particular group of younger fans – providing opportunities to get cool minifigures and unique builds which are heavily inspired by their source material.
Currently available in Star Wars and Superheroes varieties at a lower price point, with Ninjago and Monkie Kid products available at a slightly higher price point, it is safe to say that Mechs are here to stay and are very popular with some LEGO collectors.
Find some of the current LEGO Mech Suits that you can purchase here.
Simba
Everyone has to love Simba – am I right? It’s been exciting seeing LEGO embracing more and more of the Disney library in recent years. This has included sets and products based on the classic stories and animations that many of us grew up with – and I, for one, love to see it!
OK, so addressing the elephant in the room – the build for ‘Simba the Lion King Cub’ is not nearly as polished as the £114.99 set of the same character, but for this price point I think this is a wonderful and charming interpretation of this beloved character. If you’re a fan of The Lion King but don’t have much cash to splash, then this is the set for you!
Check it out here.
Postcard Range
Lastly for my look at the ‘Best Cheap LEGO Sets’ has to be the Postcard Range. I’ll admit it – I had no idea that this range existed until I started doing some research for this blog post, but I instantly fell in love with this line. There are currently five products in stock – Japan, Beijing, Australia, London and New York, with a Paris version recently retired.
I love how each set creatively attempts to capture the iconography of the locations they are representing – with gorgeous builds, decorated printed pieces, and in the case of the New York set, another opportunity to get the minifigure version of the Statue of Liberty. At just £13.49 per set, these are a wonderful opportunity for travellers and fans of different countries and cultures to embrace LEGO.
Check out the Postcard collection (and some other products) here.
I hope you have enjoyed this look at the ‘Best Cheap LEGO Sets’. Remember that this is entirely subjective and is based on my opinion – so there might be sets that you feel are better value-for-money, and that is absolutely fine! LEGO has come on leaps and bounds since its inception, and that now means there are so many different sublines and items for fans who like different things.
Whether you’re a fan of travel, a fan of traditional pop-culture IPs, or just enjoy the process of building – there is something for you! LEGO caters for fans of everything and anything, and it’s why I love their products so much.
If you’d like to explore the collection of LEGO sets that you can purchase under £20, click here.
