This year, I have been slowly building my first Lego collection. My kids and GeekMom Jenny each have tubs of Lego bricks that belong to them individually. I felt left out after visiting Legoland with Jenny, so I started my own collection. When I started buying, I did a lot of research, so that I could get the most out of my investment in a fairly expensive hobby. The first thing I needed, no argument, was bricks. There are many ways to get a bunch of bricks at once. I started with the Lego Build and Play Box. It’s a great starter set, highlighted by its large storage box, but I’ve found some cheaper options. Here is a breakdown of the average prices I could find: 884 piece Lego Education Brick Set 779384 = 6.1 cents per brick 650 piece Lego Bricks & More Builders of Tomorrow Set 6177 = 6.3 cents per brick (discontinued and no longer available, as of 11/2016) 1,000 piece Lego Build and Play Box 4630 = 11.6cents per brick 650 piece Lego Creative Building Kit 5749 = 7.1 cents per brick
1,600 piece Lego XXL Brick Box 5512 = 13.4 cents per brick (this one has been discontinued, hence its elevated price) As you can see, the Lego Education Brick Set has some serious bang for its buck. It’s a medium size kit, with 11 sizes and 9 colors. The bricks are pretty basic, but that’s the best place to start. I get the most use out of basic shapes, because they are so versatile. Specialized pieces often have just one purpose, and don’t get used as much. The next thing I needed was a plate. Plates are the foundation that you build your creations on. It’s possible to build on a table, but plates make the whole experience simpler and more fun. Lego makes two 10″ plates, one in green for general use, and one in blue for water scenes. Generally you can find one for about five bucks. There is also an XL gray plate, which measures 15″, but it runs around $15 right now. I own just one green plate, and it is worth its weight in gold. Honorable mention goes to the Brick Separator.
Another thing that is invaluable. Saves me so much trouble when disassembling. Though these are often included in specialty kits for free. The last thing I needed was minifigs. There are hundreds of options. As a matter of fact, according to xkcd, there will be more minifigs in the world than people by the year 2019! Where to start then? This is definitely not a case for the basics. I wanted my minifigs to be special, ones I’d like looking at forever. Since Rory is my favorite character in (I mean, how could I not like a total dork with the same name as me?), I got the Series 10 Roman Commander (read: Centurion). The kids then surprised me with a pile of parts from old minifigs that they didn’t want any more. This was great because I was able to make a few that I liked, and have the ability to change things up. After that, the sky (read: wallet) was the limit. There are so many themed kits it would take an enormous amount of money to get them all. I suggest ignoring sets like the ones, for example, because the scenes are not versatile at all.
This makes me sad, because I love everything. I just don’t have room in my house for a permanent installment of Krang’s Lab, and it’s not fun (for me) to keep building the same thing over and over again. There are a couple of exceptions. If you love one of the kits so much that it’s worth its own place in your home, buy away. GeekMom Jenny has three Lego Architecture sets that have their own shelf in her office. Also, Lego Creator sets are somewhere between free form and regular kits. Each of them makes three things officially. I love the LEGO Creator Fierce Flyer 31004, which has three official builds: an eagle, a beaver, and a scorpion. The only rule of buying Lego products is to never buy something you won’t use. If that means you never buy basic kits because you’d prefer to build a Lego Delorean, that’s okay! Buy things you love, so you will get the most out of them. One last thought: If you are buying for your kids, let them help pick out the pieces they want.
Our kids keep a running list of which sets they might like to have. This is mostly so they know what they want to buy with monetary gifts, and so we know which sets to buy them as a surprise or as a gift. (Kit prices are current as of 11/21/2016)Coronado MensSimcity BetaSmithwin Sista4 NecessitiesIii Secrets450 AirlinesBear StapleStylabl FindLa ToddlerForwardPocket Survival Kit with 5 items that should be in every backpack, every purse and every glove box. Affordable items that can keep you safe.LEGO Technic is a subset of LEGO System that, although 100% compatible with standard LEGO Bricks, is based on beams and pegs instead of studded components. The whole point of LEGO Technic is about creating complex, realistic, working machines like the one in this Top Ten List… What would be of a LEGO Technic blog without a top ten list? I have built a list with the Technic sets I have been more impressed. I have a few of them and I will try for sure to get the rest. So here is the list
Because the Unimog 400 is a big big vehicle which includes Power Functions set and features a pneumatically powered, articulated crane with working grab and a recovery winch on the front. Read here my review of the LEGO 8110 Unimog. You can still buy LEGO Technic 8110 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 400 at Amazon but you better hurry up because it is already retired.I could give you a thousand reasons why this model should be here, but you better read my review of this fantastic set and discover it by yourself. You can buy the LEGO Technic 42009 Mobile Crane at Amazon.Because it features a double IR control and lots of Power Function motors. You can buy LEGO Technic 8043: LEGO Power Functions Motorized Excavator at Amazon but the price is plainly nuts.Just look how cool it looks, I couldn’t but buy it. Also it has IR remote control, two L Motors and one of the new servo motors ( no more rubber bands on the steering ). Read my review of this fantastic set here. You should definitively buy LEGO Technic 9398: 4X4 Crawler at Amazon
Although it won’t take off the ground it is a really cool looking helicopter and you can add Power Functions so the rotor spins like a real helicopter. This is one of the next model I will buy. Here is my review. I really enjoyed this set. You can order LEGO Technic 9396: Rescue Helicopter now from Amazon. There has been a few great cars on LEGO Technic, like an Enzo Ferrari. This supercar is an example of how cool it can look… although if you google a bit you will see MOC by people that make this car look like a toy. You can buy LEGO Technic 8070: Supercar from Amazon.You won’t believe how big and cool this car is. When I built it I was simply amazed. In my opinion one of the best LEGO set I have ever built in price/quality. Don’t miss my review. It is not yet late to buy it at Amazon. I am sure you won’t regret it.This is maybe the coolest set ever released by LEGO in the Technic range. With Mindstorms you can create your own robots and machines. It is so nice that I already have two EV3 and one NXT 2.0
Here you have some examples of robot I have built like the Line Follower or the Color Sorter Go and buy one before you regret about it at AmazonI am a 100% serious. This is one of the most enlightening Technic sets that I have touch. When you build it you have the sense of understanding. You are one with the LEGO. And what the hell… the experience only cost 9€. You must read my review of the Model A and Model B. Go and check if Amazon still has it in stock because it is worth every pound you spend on it.When LEGO retired the Unimog they had a new secret weapon. This is the new set that add Power functions and pneumatic pumps for a fraction of the price of the Unimog. Right now available at Amazon I couldn’t end this list without a bike. And this bike is at the same time wonderfull and affordable. You can’t be serious? Did you see this beauty? Read my review and know why you shouldn’t miss this bike. Get one from Amazon for barely £20 Here you have the instructions booklets to build this LEGO Technic model, given that you have the parts.