The LEGO® House announced their 2023 exclusive set earlier this year. I could not contain my excitement and simultaneous disappointment over the news. I grew up on LEGO® Pirates and the 2023 LEGO® House set is a scaled-up recreation of Captain Redbeard. Officially titled A Minifigure Tribute (40504), the set celebrates 45 years of minifigs. Luckily, a friend of mine on TikTok went to Billund and offered to get me the set from LEGO® House. Now, I can share this awesome acquisition with you!
A Minifigure Tribute (40504) Facts:
- NAME: A Minifigure Tribute
- SET #: 40504
- THEME: LEGO® House Limited Edition
- COST: 599 DKK (approximately $120 CAD)
- BRICK COUNT: 1041
- MINIFIGURES: None
- RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2023
A Minifigure Tribute (40504) Quick Review
- VALUE: 80% (Good cost/brick, but not a lot of build time.)
- BUILD: 99% (Love, love, love it. But it has stickers.)
- MINIFIGURES: N/A
- ENTERTAINMENT: 100% (A-MAZ-ING.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 93% (Excellent set.)
What I liked:
- The design is amazing
- Redbeard is fully articulated
- The nostalgia
What I liked a little less:
- The stickers
- It is hard to get one
- Secondary market markups
A MINIFIGURE TRIBUTE FULL REVIEW
VALUE: 80%
A Minifigure Tribute costs approximately $120 CAD based on the exchange rate as I am writing this article. If you are lucky enough to be in Denmark to get one at that price, the cost/brick is $0.115 CAD. That is a good value, for sure. However, unless you are in Denmark, you will not get it for the same price. Today, the average price for the set new on Bricklink is about $260 CAD. Even if, like me, you are lucky enough to have a friend ship it to you, there are shipping costs to add to the price. With shipping, this set cost me about $150 CAD. In which case, the cost/brick was $0.144, which is average. Totally worth it. In any case, I’ll rate the set without the shipping cost at 87% in this category.
I spent an even two hours putting Redbeard together. Similarly ignoring shipping, the set gave me a cost/minute of build time of $1 CAD. That is satisfactory in my mind, but not amazing. It is not an overly complicated build, as such it does not take experienced builders very long to assemble. I rate the build time at 72%. Averaging this with the cost/brick score gives an overall value rating of 80% at retail price in Denmark.
BUILD: 99%
The box includes nine sets of bags. Some bags have the same number, so let’s say there are nine stages to the build since there are actually more than nine bags. The first stage involves building the base with two knobs on it to hold your completed Redbeard in place. The second stage is the torso, the third is the hip joint, and the fourth builds the legs. After that, the fifth and sixth stages involve the arms and epaulettes respectively, while the seventh stage assembles the head. Finally, bags 8 and 9 involve the hat and map.
A Minifigure Tribute is a fun build. The overall design is easily adaptable to other Minifigures, allowing you to build many different characters from LEGO’s history. The only hinderance is the availability of specific parts in specific colors. I am impressed with the full Minifigure articulation this character has. Additionally, you learn neat techniques for building in multiple different planes. The core of Redbeard’s hip joint links SNOT (studs-not-on-top) bricks together in very clever fashion to achieve those ends. Additionally, his torso allows the hips to attach in the opposite direction you would normally build in, which is rather neat. I love this build and have almost no complaints… almost.
Here’s a neat technique for reversing the direction of your studs!
The map and pirate logo in A Minifigure Tribute are stickers. While two stickers are not at all excessive, an exclusive set like this should not have any in my mind. This set is on par with a UCS kit for collectors. It deserves printed elements only. With that said, I am happy to report that the face is printed on the brick, as is a section of the beard. I rate the build at 99%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 100%
I am just in love with A Minifigure Tribute. I have built one LEGO® House exclusive before this one, the Brick Moulding Machine. Other than that, the other sets have never appealed to me. This one, however, checks so many boxes. It is majorly nostalgic for a lot of AFOLs, it’s a fun build, it’s a great display piece, and it teaches you techniques you can use to build other custom characters. I fully intend to put Redbeard on display in my LEGO® room. I also doubt he will ever be recycled for parts due to my love of LEGO® pirates. This set earns a solid 100% in terms of entertainment in my books.
OVERALL SCORE: 93%
I have nothing but love for A Minifigure Tribute. The only bigger issue with it is the price and distribution. You can only get this set in Denmark without significant extra cost. You cannot build it at home with your own bricks because the face is a uniquely printed brick. Unless you plan to travel to LEGO® House soon, this set will cost you a lot. I paid extra to have it shipped, but otherwise I was lucky enough to have a friend who was willing to go and buy it for me with no markup. It was totally worth the extra shipping cost. I love this set. Do you have A Minifigure Tribute? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below or reach out social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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