What do you look for most in a lego set?

[sok117]

Hello everybody, I was just wondering what AFOL's and TFOL's look for in there lego sets. Or in other words, what is your favourite part about a lego set.

The Minifigs

Pieces on colour or design (excluding minifigs)

functions

building techniques

playability

cost

design

If there are any others I have forgotten please feel free to explain them in your post.

Cheers, and I'm a conformist!.

[Blackheart Brit]

I think I look at Theme or minifigs. Beyond my primary theme and buying all of it I can, i look for certain minifigures.

Examples--five year or so ago I was buying Star Wars mostly. The last few years I have been really into Pirates. Recently I have picked up a few Space Police sets for the Aliens to fill Jabba's Sailbarge. I like the Space Police sets a lot but if I did not have an empty Barge I would not have bought those sets.

I have not bought a set yet strictly for parts. Also, I am 33 and have money but with a family I try to keep LEGO spending down as much as possible.

[Etzel]

Pieces, minifigs and price are the important parts of a set to me. Probably in that order too

[RileyC]

I collect star wars so for me it is minifigs, design and how iconic the ship is. For other themes its price, minifigs and design.

[jonwil]

For me I mostly buy based on whether it has good parts for my MOCs.

Being that I build town, I generally buy City sets for parts although other themes sometimes have good parts.

[Piranha]

Interesting topic

We hear rumors of upcoming LEGO sets, careful not to expect anything grand and be disappointed, but still relish them. I walk down the LEGO Isle or look on the online catalog when they come out. First thing I look for is instant appeal. This means box art and set features on the front and back. Since I am a City collector it is either buildings or vehicles. Then I look at the overall design of the set. If its a vehicle, then details are important. It has to look like the real life thing and look good in LEGO form too. For buildings it is kind of iffy, since most of the time they are open air. I look for interior details, and outside design/architecture. Then any nice little extras are always good, such as accessories. Lastly since I am City fan I look at the figs which are mediocre at best When compared to other themes, they aren't special but still functional. Maybe this is why I treasure a new or really cool fig for City because they are rare . Oh and I don't forget about the Price/piece points and what else I could spend the money on (other sets from other themes perhaps). Most of the time I instantly know if I like the set. Sometimes they have to grow on me, like the small car . And I always love a good surprise when building a large set, such as hidden details or features.

[David Thomsen]

Up until a couple of years ago I mostly bought things because they were on sale or clearance, and occasionally if they had a good range of interesting parts or minifigs.

Lately I've had a more systematic approach, buying things based on themes. I'll buy ANYTHING Pirates and Indiana Jones. I'll buy city sets if they belong in my small farmers village I've been developing. I'm going to buy the new Kingdoms range as well, and bought a few of the Fantasy Castle sets if they were human based.

So yeah. Theme comes first, and secondly how well a set fits in my collection.

[prateek]

I'm pretty sure there is already a topic like this.

When I see a set, I usually look at the price mostly, and then the pieces or the actual model, then the figs. If there are some features and cool techniques, their added bonuses.

[Inconspicuous]

I have favorite themes that I'm more biased towards buying, but I judge sets on minifigs, accuracy, and design. I don't part out any of my sets, so pieces isn't a concern to me, and play functions aren't a must either. Price isn't a huge deal either, unless it's way overpriced, and even then it's not a huge problem.

Since I review a lot, I find that the number ratings I get rarely match my personal opinion. I presume this is due to the fact that playability and price aren't a huge deal to me.

[LegoDad42]

Overall design of the set (aesthitics, the build technique, features). Then price vs. these things (piece count and how close it is within reason, unless it's a simply phenominal design with many features (such as the Death Star).

[The Green Brick Giant]

A sale price.

[legotrainfan]

Whether it looks good and its price. These are the two most important critera for me.

[sok117]

wow this has had a lot of replies, Its good to know I'm not the only one how has to weigh the price to the pieces. But I do buy Star Wars for the ships and minifigs.

[Tereglith]

Since at heart I'm still a 6-year-old, I do look for the playability in the out-of-the-box following-the-instructions model, and I do play with them. I'll also look at minifigures and the number of parts, in a smaller set, which leads to much deliberation when buying $10 sets (the price point I buy the most at). For larger sets of forty dollars and above, I also consider what other sets or combinations of smaller sets I might buy with the money, and weigh how much I want them against how much I want the large set. Sometimes, but rarely, I'll buy something just for the figures, like Soldier's fort. And sometimes, of course, a set will just jump out and say "YOU MUST BUY ME", like Tower Raid from Fantasy Castle, or Winter Toy Shop, and I buy it without deliberation.

[Fugazi]

Parts/price ratio is foremost for me... as I don't really play nor keep sets in their original shape, I always keep in mind how a specific set of parts will help me in my future town/train layout. So usefulness of parts and good price come first. Also, minifigs and accessories are a selling point for me, as new torsoes and hairstyles are difficult to MOC myself! Accordingly, playability and building techniques matter very little to me.

[Ronan Dragonov]

The set's parts (including minifigs) are the deciding factor for me.

[Brick & Mortimer]

Overall looks/design is the deceding factor.

If it looks good with my other sets, I'll buy it.

(Since the majority of my sets are broken down and stored in my parents attic I rely on childhood memories )

Oh yeah, I'll buy all the modulars because I collect that (sub-)theme... er i.e. looks and design

[Tyrant]

For me it's a few things. My main interest is Castle and it's various incarnations with Star Wars and City being secondary (Pirates gets honorable mention). So, I've bought just about every Castle set since I got back in (which I think was late 2007) with the exception so far being the chariot in the last series and I may still end up getting one at some point. Now, the Castle sets I get in multiples depends on a combination of figure selection, price per part ratio (and of course if those parts are useful), and if I can find them on a sale I will buy even more of them. Once I get into multiples it's rarely about the design of the set because I probably will only build one unless I really like the set. So as an example, the Tower Raid was a set which I bought in multiples. I also got multiple Battle Wheels but the constant "sale" price had a lot to do with that along with the fact it had 6 figures in it.

I also buy sets of some of the other themes for figures. I've recently bought Atlantis, Power Miners, and Space Police 3. Between the sea folk, the rock monsters, and the aliens I have all kinds of figures to further expand the Fantasy esque Castle kingdoms. Thankfully all three of those lines have had impluse style sets that had some of the "odd" figures. I just wish I would have bought more of the cyclops esque alien impulse set (though they aren't exactly burning up Bricklink so I suppose I could get more on the cheap) so I could attempt to make a Cyclops kingdom. For these types of figures I generally don't buy sets that are more than $10 unless I actually want the set (like the Crystal King).

For City I look for the sets and the figures, then the price. For Star Wars I usually start with the figures and go from there. They seem to remake the iconic sets with relative frequency so I only get excited about them if they have figures I want. When it's a set that I know won't be remade that I want (like the new Tie Defender) then I decide based on price usually. With Star Wars the parts ratio is usually not what it is with the other series so I don't look at it as much. As long as I don't feel like I am getting ripped off I will buy it. With Star Wars sales aren't as much of an option.

[dr_spock]

I look at the price and what value I'm getting. I like to get sets on sale as I have a limited budget.

[Legoist]

Pieces on colour or design (excluding minifigs)

cost

design

This is it for me.

Usually the overall design of the set is what attracts me first, but then I always take care of checking the piece content from Peeron and see if I find good re-usability of the pieces.

The final deal-breaker is the price. I have only bought a twenty-or-so sets from retail shops in my AFOL years, but not a single one of them was bought at full price.

[Delta 38]

Well, in most lines, it's mainly for minifigs.

In lines I like, e.g. Star Wars and Power Miners, I usually buy them to round off my collection. Occasionally, in lines, I like the set itself, not just the minifigs.

Oh, and the price is usually my deciding factor when buying sets. If it's about $60 or more, I start getting reluctant about buying a set.

[Captain Blackmoor]

The Minifigs - Yep

Pieces on colour or design (excluding minifigs) - Defenitely!

functions - Not really

building techniques - Not really.

playability - Not really.

cost - If it is an expensive set then I consider if it is worth having.

design - An important factor.

Thanks for the topic!

[lightningtiger]

There is more than one reason for me - either it's a thing I really like (Star Wars, fire trucks, servos, etc.,), useful parts for MODing or MOCing or it's what I need to add to some part of my collection (or my son as he changes his mind tens over - kids eh ?) !

I'm a conformist! everybody !

[Big Cam]

1. Minifigs

2. What it actually builds (I need to like it)

3. Piece to Price ratio

[B-Lister]

for me it's all about the MiniFigures and the accessories.