As I approach the end of my first month writing for Brick Fanatics, one thing has become certain to me – I’m going to be buying a lot more LEGO than I currently have space for.
This is my first time writing a shopping plan for a day one release, and June 1 will also be my first proper release day writing for Brick Fanatics.
Before joining the team, I would usually wait for discounts, convince myself to be sensible and hold off for a few months. That was easier to do as a student when most of my money disappeared on nights out and takeaway food anyway.
Now, though, spending every day writing about the LEGO Group has completely destroyed whatever self-control I had left. I already have an IKEA bookcase in my bedroom filled mainly with LEGO Star Wars sets, but most of those were bought long after release.
This June wave feels different. For the first time, I actually feel caught up in the excitement of release day itself.
Sadly, my post-studying, still-living-with-parents setup does not quite allow for something as massive as 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith, but I do at least have room for a few smaller additions (or so I keep telling myself).
The first thing going into my basket will be 77262 Ken Block’s ‘65 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn V1. I’ve loved a lot of the recent Speed Champions sets, but this one immediately stood out to me.
Growing up, Top Gear was always on at home, so seeing the LEGO Group immortalise Ken Block’s Hoonicorn three years after his passing feels oddly special to me. That easily earns it top spot in my basket.
You'll probably notice that a lot of my choices are driven heavily by nostalgia, and one set hitting me especially hard with that feeling is 60501 Lava Land Roller Coaster Park.
I vividly remember playing with Power Miners as a kid, even if I have absolutely no idea where those sets ended up now. Charity shop, attic, the tip – who knows.
Yes, the set doesn't actually include any Power Miners characters, and yes, the green is a different shade, but I honestly do not care. Seeing those rock monsters instantly took me back to sitting on my bedroom floor surrounded by scattered LEGO pieces, and £89.99 is a fine price to pay for that feeling.
Rounding off the nostalgia-heavy section of my basket is 77079 Tomatohead. I haven't properly played Fortnite in years, but I still remember when the game first exploded in popularity when I was around 12 and suddenly everybody at school became obsessed with it.
I was never especially good at Fortnite – I much preferred Warzone – but there's something very funny to me about owning the iconic little tomato mascot in LEGO form. For £12.99, it feels impossible to say no.
Finally, and maybe most controversially, I'll be picking up 75461 Up-Scaled Darth Vader Minifigure. I completely understand why people dislike these up-scaled minifigure sets, and I'm not even the biggest fan of the helmet design myself. Still, there's something about it that just feels unapologetically LEGO to me.
In the same way 75407 Star Wars Logo feels like a celebration of the movies, this Vader feels more like a celebration of LEGO Star Wars as a theme. It reminds me of seeing giant brick-built figures in LEGO stores as a kid and thinking they were the coolest things ever made. Maybe that is why I cannot help liking it despite its flaws. Like I said, I love sets that make me feel nostalgic.
Sadly, we still don't know what the June 1 gift-with-purchase offers will be, but I'm fairly confident that £215.96 worth of sets should get me over the threshold – assuming I can actually find somewhere to put everything once it arrives.
Undecided on what to pick up yourself this June? Have a look at our recommendations for the six sets worth grabbing on day one.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links. Thank you!
Comments
Be the first to comment!