If you’ve been following our series of Blog Posts based on the best LEGO Sets at certain pricepoints, then you’ll know that we’ve covered a lot of the entry-level and budget-friendly sets which are currently available on the LEGO website. Now we’re entering the big leagues – starting with sets which cross the £100 threshold.
I think it’s been interesting seeing just how many sets have released within this price bracket in recent years. When I was younger, it was rare to see LEGO sets reach the £200 – £250 price point as the maximum cap, but now we often see sets exceeding that amount. Perhaps it is an indication of the shift in LEGO’s audience, and an acknowledgement of something we have reiterated throughout these blogs – that AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) count.
I’ve been looking forward to this one – mainly because it’s an excuse for me to talk about LEGO sets that I would love to own, but will probably never be able to afford! Let’s jump in and take a closer look at some of my top picks together.
Jaws
Up first is a LEGO IDEAS set based on one of the most iconic Steven Spielberg films to ever be released – the 1975 shark hit ‘Jaws’. I love how this set perfectly encapsulates the design of the Orca vessel from the film, and even features some great interior detailing despite the relatively small design of the ship itself. There is lots of great detail and texture work packed in here, and including the iconic characters from the film and a great rendition of ‘Bruce’ – the iconic Great White Shark – is awesome.
Sets like these are often rare and are likely to skyrocket in value on the aftermarket once their initial release is done, so if this is a set which appeals to you, I highly recommend picking it up.
NASA Space Shuttle Discovery
The Discovery Space Shuttle is synonymous with scientific discovery, which is why LEGO rightly released it as a part of their ‘Icons’ series. This isn’t their first rendition of the Discovery, but I would argue that it is one of their best – featuring a sleek build which really captures the aerodynamic design of these icons of space travel. The included satellite build is also equally detailed – and the functional deployment bay looks great.
If you’re a fan of space travel or science fiction, then I think you’ll love this one. Add the Discovery to your LEGO Collection here:
Young Simba the Lion King
Young Simba the Lion King isn’t the first version of this character to make it onto one of my lists – with the smaller version of this character making it onto the cheapest sets we’ve looked at! However, if you have the cash to splash then I think the more expensive version of Simba is gorgeous. It captures the appearance of this young lion cub, and particularly the charisma in his facial expressions, incredibly well. If you’re a fan of classic Disney animations, and especially the characters and stories which defined them, then I think you will want to add Simba to your collection.
The Globe
Throughout this series of blog posts, we have talked a lot about the real focus on sets which have ‘display appeal’ – and nowhere is that truer than with ‘The Globe’ set. I love how this is a LEGO rendition of a classic display item which can be found in many homes across the world. It maintains the distinctive look of a LEGO piece but manages to capture the curvature of a globe in a very innovative way, and is no doubt a great display piece.
Add in the fact that it’s an IDEAS set – meaning a LEGO fan created this, and it’s a wonderful addition to your collection:
Guardians of the Galaxy: The Milano
I can still remember the excitement of getting the last copy of the original Milano set from my LEGO store back when Guaridans of the Galaxy first released – but the new build blows it out the water. This version of the Milano follows a recent LEGO trend of revisiting old sets with new building techniques, and I have to admit that the Milano really benefits from this. Pair this with the fact that you get the full original Guardians team packed into the set and this is a must-buy for fans of the GOTG franchise.
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was one of the largest LEGO sets available when I was a young boy, so it’s cool to see LEGO revisit it with new building techniques which enable them to capture some of the iconic architecture even better than they did in the original build. This set is part of the Architecture line and is a wonderful addition for fans who appreciate unique buildings and architectural styles inspired by cultures around the world.
At £104.99 and including 2022 pieces, I’d argue that this is an incredibly good value set too – providing a lot of LEGO for your money.
The Little Mermaid Royal Clamshell
The Little Mermaid Royal Clamshell set is one of the most unique LEGO builds I think I have ever seen. It has an incredibly unique aesthetic to it – packing in so many different colours and textures to represent the underwater environment it is trying to simulate. There are so many areas packed full of detail in this set – capturing the iconography of the Little Mermaid beautifully.
This is a set which Disney Fans will rejoice over, and with unique minifigures based on the recent film, they can also add some cool figures to their collection.
Hogwarts Castle and Grounds
I wanted to make sure there was something a bit more magical on this list, and I don’t think it gets much more magical than the Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set. LEGO have made many interpretations of Hogwarts over the years – including a massive version of the iconic location which costs over £400, but this is a much more accessible version of the iconic location and to me, a better rendition of it. I love the water base and the cliff builds for the castle, and think this set does a really nice job at capturing the layout and iconic locations we all know and love from the Harry Potter films.
Bonus points for the mini-interior details here which look fantastic, and the mini Womping Willow and other builds.
Visitor Center: T.rex & Raptor Attack
Lastly, I want to take you 65 million years in the past, to a time where dinosaurs roamed the earth on a small island known as Isla Nublar. OK, 1993 isn’t quite 65 million years ago, but as a huge fan of the Jurassic franchise I was hyped to see original Jurassic Park sets to celebrate the film’s 30th Anniversary. The Visitor Center is one of my favourite sets, as although it doesn’t capture the large-scale D2C model of this build I dream of, I think it does a really nice job of capturing the architectural style of the building and creating a good facade.
Throw in some nice minifigures and probably the best printing design we’ve had for the Velociraptor to date, and this is a surprise hit with me.
Phew – that’s it for another deep dive into a bunch of LEGO sets I would love to own, but will never have the money or space to acquire! I always enjoy doing these blog posts and diving deep into some of the offerings which are out there from LEGO currently. I think it’s clear that the company have made a real effort to expand and diversify the kinds of products they provide in recent years, and I for one am here for it!
Let us know what sets you would buy at this price point in the comments below, and also let us know if you have been enjoying this blog series! This is something we could easily revisit year-on-year, so if people enjoy these kinds of posts we will definitely explore doing more.
