The latest wave of LEGO® sets hit store shelves on August 1, meaning over 65 sets went up for sale. My mouth is watering over a number of them, but it is impossible to get every one. Consequently, I have narrowed down the list. Today, we will look at my top 10 set picks for August 2019. The sets are in no particular order, and were selected purely based on personal appeal.
To view the video version of my top 10 set picks, click here to visit my YouTube channel.
10. Donut Shop Opening
- THEME: City
- SET #: 60233
- COST: $119.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 790
- MINIFIGURES: 10
- COST/BRICK: $0.15
Comments: I love buildings. In fact, I feel like the LEGO® Group does not put out enough of them. However, we generally get a couple of good buildings in the City theme every few years (and I am not referring to more police or fire stations). The shops included in this set will be a lot of fun to customize for my own LEGO® city. The cost/brick is a touch over average though. However, for a theme that consistently has a bad value, I actually consider this cost low.
09. Townhouse Pet Shop and Café
- THEME: Creator 3-in-1
- SET #: 31097
- COST: $99.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 969
- MINIFIGURES: 3
- COST/BRICK: $0.10
Comments: The early images for this set did not do it justice. Honestly, it did not interest me at all when I first saw the pictures. Like most Creator 3-in-1 sets, the interior looks a little bland, and I do not like the hinged design to open it. As a result, I doubt I would score this set very high in a review. However, when I examined the box at Toys R Us, it appealed to me much more. Like the Donut Shop Opening, this set will be fun to customize. Additionally, it will bring two new storefronts to the shopping promenade in my LEGO® city.
08. Baryonyx Face-Off: The Treasure Hunt
- THEME: Jurassic World
- SET #: 75935
- COST: $79.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 434
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- COST/BRICK: $0.18
Comments: I love the Jurassic World theme for the dinosaurs. Consequently, I get excited when we get a new species. Primarily, Baryonyx Face-Off is a dinosaur purchase for me. Additionally, I really like the design of the Jeep, and appreciate the resemblance of the trailer to one Owen Grady occupied in the first Jurassic World film. Albeit, the baryonyx has the same body mold as the indoraptor from the Fallen Kingdom series of sets. This is disappointing because the actual baryonyx did not have raptor claws on its feet. Different legs would have made this figurine better.
Click here to read more about the new Jurassic World sets.
07. Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000
- THEME: Hidden Side
- SET #: 70423
- COST: $79.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 489
- MINIFIGURES: 6
- COST/BRICK: $0.16
Comments: Hailing from the new Hidden Side theme, the Paranormal Intercept Bus interests on many levels. Firstly, I am curious about the augmented reality aspect of this theme. Secondly, this set has MOC potential since it seems like it is easily convertible into a regular school bus. Thirdly, it has cross theme potential. I can see the Paranormal Intercept Bus fitting in nicely with the Welcome to Apocalypseburg set. Finally, the Hidden Side theme comes with new Minifigure parts.
Click here to read about Welcome to Apocalypseburg.
06. Triceratops Rampage
- THEME: Jurassic World
- SET #: 75937
- COST: $79.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 447
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- COST/BRICK: $0.18
Comments: Triceratops Rampage is another dinosaur purchase. The species was integral to the original Jurassic Park story. Correspondingly, no franchise figurine collection would be complete without it. The rest of the set is not particularly appealing to me, except perhaps for parts. The top of the egg ride is reminiscent of the incubator from Jurassic Park, and the signage would look good in custom park build. This theme does not come at a great value though.
05. Batman Batwing and The Riddler Heist
- THEME: DC Comics Super Heroes
- SET #: 76120
- COST: $69.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 489
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- COST/BRICK: $0.14
Comments: I am on the fence about the DC Comics Super Heroes theme. On the one hand, I love it for the Minifigures. On the other, I am tired of all the vehicles and mechs. This theme needs a breath of new life. Even this set comes with a Batwing. We just saw a Batwing last year, and as I write this, you can still find it on store shelves. Why then does this set make my top 10 set picks? As I mentioned before, I love the Minifigures. This is the first time that we are getting Shazam as a wide-ranging release (he was previously a Comic-Con exclusive). I also like these variants of Commissioner Gordon and the Riddler.
04. Shrimp Shack Attack
- THEME: Hidden Side
- SET #: 70422
- COST: $69.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 579
- MINIFIGURES: 6
- COST/BRICK: $0.12
Comments: This set makes my list for many of the same reasons as the Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000. Additionally, I like all the signage that comes in this kit. Finally, even though you do not get a clear picture of the set interior on the box images, what you do see of the kitchen looks neat.
03. Graveyard Mystery
- THEME: Hidden Side
- SET #: 70420
- COST: $39.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 335
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- COST/BRICK: $0.12
Comments: This set makes my top 10 set picks just because it looks fun. I think it will work nicely in a Halloween photo shoot. Additionally, it will probably inspire a Minifigure Monday post. Each of the Hidden Side sets is supposed to come with a different AR ghost “boss”, so having a few of them to compare in reviews would be neat.
02. Wrecked Shrimp Boat
THEME: Hidden Side
SET #: 70419
COST: $39.99 CAD
BRICK COUNT: 310
MINIFIGURES: 4
COST/BRICK: $0.13
Comments: I am a sucker for LEGO® animals. The Wrecked Shrimp Boat comes with an albino alligator. While I already have many alligators, I do not have this color variant. Additionally, the boat looks great. I want to park it next to the Creator 3-in-1 Riverside Houseboat from earlier this year in Ninjago City Docks. The “wrecked” alternate build is equally cool.
Click here to read about the Riverside Houseboat.
Click here to read about Ninjago City Docks.
01. Tree House
- THEME: Ideas
- SET #: 21318
- COST: $269.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 3036
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- COST/BRICK: $0.09
Comments: While the sets on this list have shown up in no particular order, the Tree House is actually my number one pick. I have covered the press release and designer video for this set in separate articles already, and it looks epic. The number of fall colored foliage pieces packed into this kit has me excited as well. My sigfig will be moving in the future…
Click here to read the Tree House press release.
Click here to view the Tree House designer video.
Concluding thoughts on my top 10 set picks…
With over 60 new sets out, narrowing my list down to ten was hard. In the end, most of them come from two themes: Jurassic World and Hidden Side. I am curious about Hidden Side and the AR aspect of the theme. Additionally, the sets are interesting. Jurassic World is all about the dinosaurs for me. My other pics revolve around building my own LEGO® city. What are your picks from the new wave of sets? I would love to hear about them in the comments below.
Until next time,
-Tom
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