Recently, I’ve been enjoying searching for interesting, retired sets on secondary markets. Mostly, I scour garage sale websites. I like big, mixed bins in particular. It is fun to try and figure out what sets are in the bin and completing them if they are missing parts. However, I occasionally buy one-off sets if the price is good. I recently found the Toys R Us Truck (7848). Generally speaking, I do not buy City vehicle sets. However, I am interested in store branding for my custom LEGO® projects. Consequently, I decided to acquire the set.
NOTE: Since the Toys R Us Truck (7848) is a retired set from 2010, I will not be using the usual metrics to review this set. I do not know how much the set originally cost in Canada, so I cannot calculate a value score. Additionally, the value score would not be representative since our usual scores are based on data acquired after 2016.
TOYS R US TRUCK SUMMARY
- NAME: Toys R Us Truck
- SET #: 7848
- THEME: City
- COST: $45.00 USD (Canadian pricing not available)
- BRICK COUNT: 355
- MINIFIGURES: 3
- RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2010
- RETIRED: December 31, 2011
TOYS R US TRUCK QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: Retired = expensive, but you can still find deals if you look.
- BUILD: Generic design, but includes unique bricks and fun, branded stickers.
- MINIFIGURES: Satisfactory fig count, but they are very generic minifigs.
- ENTERTAINMENT: Fun set if you want Toys R Us branding, but not a mass appeal set by any means.
- OVERALL: Satisfactory set.
TOYS R US TRUCK REVIEW
VALUE
The Toys R Us Truck was an exclusive set sold only at Toys R Us (shocking). The set originally retailed for $45.00 USD. I do not know how much it sold for in Canada. However, my best guess puts it in the $50-$60 CAD range. Nowadays, a factory sealed Toys R Us Truck averages $165 on Bricklink. A used kit is around $90 as I publish this review. I found mine for an even $50 elsewhere, and it was complete with the instructions (though no box). I have seen this set available more than once for around $50 on marketplace-style websites. However, that is rare. If you can get it for around the original retail price, you get an average value based on modern set comparisons.
BUILD
The Toys R Us Truck is fairly standard for a City theme set. The truck has a nice cab with good interior detailing. In addition to the driver’s seat and steering wheel, there is a bed and TV. The exterior of the truck looks good as well, though I find the wheels look a little small. I like that the model has cab doors, a feature often forgotten in City vehicles. Additionally, designers included steps up to the cab doors, which adds a realistic touch.
Interestingly, the roof of the cab is a unique piece produced only for this set. Officially called a “shell 4x8x2 with forks”, the LEGO® Group made it in blue to match the Toys R Us color scheme. While the part appears in 11 sets, the blue version comes only in this one. Another piece, the “wall element 1x2x2 with window”, also in blue, is available only in this set and one other (Police Mobile Command Truck – 60315 from 2022).
The blue roof of the Toys R Us Truck (7848) is only available in this set.
The trailer is the largest part of this build. It is 25.5 cm long by 5 cm wide. Sadly, it is completely empty. However, you can fill it with custom shipping containers. The stickers are the highlight of this build. I think this is the first time I have purchased a set for stickers. The sides of the cab feature two large backwards Rs in Toys R Us style. Each one sticks to a 1x6x5 white wall element. This is a wonderfully reusable piece if you build a custom Toys R Us in your own LEGO® city. It makes a great road-side sign, or exterior mall advertisement. Of course, that assumes you do not want to keep the truck built. Otherwise, the trailer detaches from the cab and has support struts that fold down to support it. Additionally, the rear doors also have Toys R Us stickers.
The third build is a mini–Toys R Us store. There is nothing spectacular about the design itself. In fact, it is a fairly standard City storefront. We’ve seen this simple box design before. It has a windowed entry and an open back for play. Additionally, the shelf design consists of plates with transparent 1x2x1 wall elements stuck to them. These mount onto the store walls through 1×4 bricks with side knobs. It is an effective design, but one we’ve seen a million times before.
The set includes a rare teddy bear figurine.
Interestingly, the store features another unique piece. You get a large, yellowish-orange teddy bear figurine. It does not connect to studs but can stand between them. This part exists in four different colors, all from the defunct Scala and Belleville themes. This is the only set from outside those themes to ever come with this bear figurine. Additionally, this color variant only appeared in four sets, three of which were Belleville. The Toys R Us signs above the main entry are another interesting acquisition. While they are stickers on tiles, they are useful for expanding branding in your custom LEGO® city.
Ultimately, I got this set for the stickers. I enjoy visiting Toys R Us, so naturally I want to build one for my own custom displays. Afterall, my LEGO® city is essentially my fantasy metropolis. I wish this set placed more emphasis on the store build and a smaller truck though. Personally, I have no use for a huge Toys R Us truck. With that said, the Toys R Us Truck represents a rarer set if trucks are your game. Additionally, the signage is great for custom cities. You also get a couple of rare bricks, which is fun. While the set features a fairly generic design, it does come with some perks.
MINIFIGURES
The Toys R Us Truck includes three Minifigures. Automatically, I have an issue with one of them. It is a stumpy child with unmoving legs. I hate those. Yes, this is a toy store build. Yes, kids are the target audience for toy stores. But I think unmoving legs are one of the LEGO® Group’s worst Minifigure design choices. That rings especially true since we now know moving shorter legs are possible. But I digress…
Like the build itself, these Minifigures are very generic. There is nothing new or unique about them. None have double-sided faces or leg printing. Only one has front and back torso printing. Additionally, we’ve seen each torso in upwards of 16 sets. I would like to see some Toys R Us branding on the truck driver and store employee. I guess the plaid shirt on the trucker is fitting, but the store clerk looks like a flight attendant.
Three minifigs in a 355-piece kit gives us 118 bricks/fig. Compared to LEGO® sets in general, that is a very good character count. However, for a City theme set, it is a little low. City sets tend to include a lot of Minifigures compared to other themes. Overall, I deem the character count satisfactory though. Additionally, you get some nice accessories, like the rare bear figurine, two swords, a dolly (hand truck), a musket, and a barrel. Additionally, you get some printed computer tiles as well as stickers to turn blue tiles into LEGO® boxes.
ENTERTAINMENT
If you’re like me, and you like hunting down retired LEGO® sets, the process of finding a Toys R Us Truck at a decent price is amusing. The set itself is nothing to write home about though. I have no intention of keeping it built. As mentioned earlier, I wanted this set for the signage. I have a future MOC in mind that might use them. If you like rarer sets, I think this qualifies as well. It was a Toys R Us exclusive back before Canada even had LEGO® Stores. Consequently, it was exclusive in the true sense of the word. Nowadays, “exclusive” sets tend to sell at one retailer plus the LEGO® Store (which is not a complaint).
OVERALL OPINION
I like this set for the Toys R Us branding and the three rare bricks included. However, the set is very typical City theme fare, and the Minifigures are nothing special. Additionally, I wish the store build was bigger and the truck much smaller. However, the truck a little more detailed than most I have seen in the theme. Is it worth $90 on the secondary markets? Not for me. I am content to have paid $50 for this. However, you have be patient and search regularly to find it at that price in Canada. What do you think of the Toys R Us Truck? Let us know in the comments below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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