We saw most of the next wave of LEGO Super Mario sets revealed a few months ago, but there was no mention of any buildable figures. Today, at LEGO® CON, the live-streamed product showcase, the LEGO Group and Nintendo finally unveiled these latest figures
Arriving in August, you will be able to collect these new characters. I suspect the team have responded well to the feedback: there are only 8 figures in the set. Hopefully 2 full sets in a box, rather than sets of 10, and 18 figures in the box, as we have seen with the last 2 series.
At LEGO CON, we had a visit from Friends designers, Fenella Charity, James May and Ellen Bowley. They discussed the way that this year, our familiar characters have been moving on to new adventures.
Fresh from LEGO® CON, the LEGO Groups Live streamed product showcase, MINECRAFT Game director Agnes Larsson and LEGO Designer Fred joined the stream to help reveal two new LEGO Minecraft sets: 21189 the Skeleton Dungeon and 21190 The Abandoned Village.
At the peak of the BrickHeadz craze back in 2018, the set Go Brick Me was one of the most popular sets of the range – giving builders the chance to create avatars of themselves in BrickHeadz Form. Further customisable figures arrived in the form of Brick and Groom figures in 2020. After a quiet year or two, we have seen an increased number of BrickHeadz released in 2022, and the line continues to innovate:
Today, at LEGO®CON 2022, the LEGO Group’s live-streamed product showcase, we have been given our first look at the 40542 LEGO Brickheadz FC Barcelona Go Brick Me, giving fans of FC Barcelona to create themselves in team livery, or their favourite team member, as a BrickHeadz figure.
Aimed at an audience aged 10 and up, this set has 530 pieces and will launch on August 1st. It has an RRP of 19.99 EUR/19.99 USD/17.99 GBP/29.99 AUD/24.99 CAD.
I find it hard to believe that it was just over 4 years ago that we first saw the 10261 Roller Coaster. It offered a slow climb to a sudden descent, in the best tradition of the classical roller coasters of my youth. Now as time has progressed, so too has engineering: people now seek ultimate thrills: sudden drops, loops and in some cases, cork screws. Now, my body’s ability to tolerate such behaviour diminished significantly a few years ago. Fortunately, the ongoing development of the LEGO ICONS (The range formerly known as Creator Expert) Fairground Collection has now brought us an ultimate thrill seeker: a track with a vertical drop and two loops. I watched the video twice and felt slightly nauseous…
But seriously, dynamic models with figures and movement are great attention getters – either in the living room, or at a public display, and I suspect people are going to sit and watch this one for hours. Featuring 11 minifigures, 3756 pieces and priced at 399.99 EUR/ 599.99 AUD/ 344.99 GBP/ 399.99 USD/ 499.99 CAD this set goes on sale July 1.
One of the things that I have appreciated across the years that I have spent as a purchaser of Lego sets is the way in which the price has typically been consistent for the time that they have spent available on the market.
Unfortunately, due to the various factors affecting the cost of living and inflation generally such as the costs of energy, raw materials and transportationand more, THE LEGO Group has today announced that there will be price rises across the portfolio taking place over the next few months.
It is anticipated that around 150-190 of the approximately 600 sets currently in the LEGO portfolio. Some of the sets will increase in price a few percent, while others might increase by 15-25% according advice received by German retailers, and reported on via Stonewars.de. It goes without saying that going forward, sets are likely to be more expensive than they have been.
I remember the outrage coast a few years ago when a new version of the LEGO® Star Wars Death Star playset was reissued barely six months after the previous version had retired . It was around 100 USD more expensive, for a similar part count. While the new version was more expensive, it was pretty well consistent with a CPI increase, averaged out over the previous eight years. It would appear that the increases in costs are now being applied to sets already released.
I’m a bit cross. While I am a bit disappointed with the new LEGO instruction manuals, rolling out this next half year, I am quite unhappy with the final reason given for it
If it’s late May in an even year, it must be time to reveal a new Technic Supercar, and this year the Prancing Horse has its turn as the LEGO Technic team unveils the Ferrari Daytona SP3. The ‘Real Life’ Daytona SP3 is a limited edition vehicle unveiled in 2021: Only 599 will be built, retailing for $2.29 million apiece.
The set will be released on 1st June and has 3778 pieces. It will retail for €/$ 399.99, £349.99, 659.99 AUD, 499.99 CAD
The new botanical Collection debuted in January 2021, and exceeded expectations for introducing a new range of LEGO sets, designed for display around the home. Bringing us 3 sets – The Floral Bouquet, Bonsai Tree and Bird of Paradise Flower – all suffering from ‘hard to getness’ in their first few months – the LEGO Group has now revealed two more sets for release on May 1, available to preorder from 15 April…just in time for Mothers’ Day in some countries (Australia included).
The new sets include an Orchid, designed by Mike Psiaki, and a selection of different Succulents, brought to us by Anderson Ward Grubb, lead designer on the Floral Bouquet.
The Rambling Brick 
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