10252 is a brand new (2016) model of the classic Volkswagen Beetle! Constructed from 1167 parts and costing $99.99, it has many features, including: hundreds of parts in the Medium Azure color, multiple (currently) unusual parts, interchangeable license plates, accessories including picnic cooler, surfboard, picnic blanket and drinks, and lots more. Released on July 14th, 2016 for VIP members and August 1st for everyone else, it was the first VW Beetle since the 2008 model 10187.
The very first set to feature a LEGO minifigure was this set: 600 Police Car. Though the model is small and extremely disproportionate, the set is so significant, as it led the way for thousands of sets with thousands more minifigures. Released, of course, in 1978 following the patent of the LEGO Minifigure, it was composed of 23 pieces, and shared set numbers with an Ambulance set released in 1970.
The beautiful architectural masterpiece and a crown jewel of Great Britain is perfectly recreated in this amazing set! The giant timepiece acts as a cornerstone for the Palace of Westminster, some of which is included in this massive product. Released on June 15th, 2016 to LEGO VIP members and on July 1st, 2016 for everyone else, it is constructed with 4163 pieces and priced at $249.99 (£169.99, 219.99€). It stands over 23″ high, is 17″ wide and is 7″ deep. Notable features include 4 printed clock faces along with movable hands, rare gold-colored pieces, beautiful scenery, and tinted-transluscent elements.
Released in 2003, 3433 The Ultimate NBA Arena was a unique set in multiple ways. It led the charge of 27 sets in the year to be the only ones ever to include altered minifigures: the legs had special springs for ‘jumping’ and the hands were cut off at the bottom so that a minifigure could hold a basketball. Also, it was the largest of the NBA sets which included minifigure representation of actual NBA players; this one contained 10 of the most famous players of all time. The theme lasted only 2 years and was the only one with such minifigures, until 2016 when a series of 16 minifigures of the German soccer team was released.
850 Fork-Lift Truck was released 1977, and contained 210 pieces. It came with 5 other sets that composed the first wave of LEGO Technic sets. Although for the next 20 years Technic vehicles were built with basic Technic bricks, the year 1998 saw a switch from Technic bricks to Technic Liftarms and Panels; the style with which this little set was built would no longer be produced again. Still, the Fork-Lift Truck helped pioneer features (such as gears and steering) that would remain in Technic sets for many years to come.
7161 Gungan Sub was one of the many LEGO Star Wars sets spawned in the theme’s debut year of 1999, to go along with the brand-new Episode I: The Phantom Menace. While this particular model has been recreated recently (2012), this set is significant in one important way. It was one of only two models released in the year to contain the minifigure of the character Jar-Jar Binks–a minifigure with the first ever molded head piece. Every character prior to Jar-Jar had the classic minifigure head; but this one led the way for dozens and dozens of more unique molded heads that came along in the following years, for themes such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and many more.
When The LEGO Group patented the LEGO Minifigure in 1978, the friendly little LEGO people came in dozens of brand new products, in three themes: Town, Space, and Castle. The third of those three was led by this set: 375 Castle. The classic yellow brick-sterpiece marked the dawn of one of the largest themes ever produced by LEGO. Composed of 767 pieces, this set had 14 minifigures hailing from 4 different factions all arriving just in time for the joust that was sure to take place, with their brick-built horses, lances, and shields, and being clad in helments and bright, colorful breastplates.
6285 Black Seas Barracuda was the largest of 10 LEGO sets released in 1989, all part of the first ever series of the Pirates theme. The series was home to a lot of ‘firsts’ for LEGO: first cloth sails, firing cannons, first minifigures with facial expressions, and more. This set had the largest number of all of those ‘firsts’ in this debut wave. 6825 was worth $109.99, composed of 909 parts, had 8 (and a half) minifigures, and 1 monkey.
Brick Studdy 