Leading up to Toy Fair New York 2018 this past weekend, we had our eyes set on the latest and greatest from LEGO. And while we already had a glimpse at what to expect from the show, LEGO pulled out all the stops when showcasing the first half of its 2018 lineup.
Star Wars |
Getting a glimpse at what new kits would be released this year from a galaxy far, far away was at the top of our list. Even though we had already gotten a peak at the new Kessel Run Millennium Falcon last week, seeing the ship in person did the build more justice than the original promotion photos. It’s said to be the most part-intensive kit released at Toy Fair and was the star of the show in our book.
Some new smaller kits joined the Falcon on display like a Dagonah set complete with Yoda, Luke and R2, as well as new battle packs, Microfighters and buildable figures. These only look like a sliver of the Star Wars sets that we’ll see this year, with the upcoming film Solo bringing with it some more kits.
Harry Potter |
Last Friday LEGO teased the return of a theme that many have long been wishing for, Harry Potter. And with the last of the Hogwarts-focused kits debuting back in 2011, Friday’s unveil of the new Grand Hall was extremely welcomed.
We were hoping Toy Fair would give us a better glimpse at what the rest of the lineup would entail, but even without more details, getting an in-person look at the new Great Hall still offers some insight as to what the rest of the Harry Potter lineup could bring. So I say, bring on the Ultimate Collector’s Hogwarts Castle!
Jurassic World |
Continuing LEGO’s lineup of Jurassic World sets from 2016, a new round of sets are here in anticipation for the film’s sequel. LEGO has currently shown off five new sets leading up to the movie, with the $130 Indoraptor Rampage at Lockwood Estate set being the real standout.
There are quite a few new dinosaur figures throughout the variably priced kits and tons of new minifigures for your collection. Of this year’s five sets, there’s still no massive T-Rex, leading me to believe that we’ll be seeing a few more kits closer to the film’s release.
City |
The City line of sets continues to be as big as ever, with 17 new sets coming out this year. LEGO noted that this is one of its top 5 best selling themes, meaning these are sure to be a big hit.
One of our favorites among the new arrivals is the $100 Mining Experts Site, but the upcoming releases are spread over a price range starting under $10. Alongside the mining-themed sets, there are also new Mountain Police and Great Vehicles sets.
Minifigures |
Alongside the 60th anniversary of the Brick, LEGO is also celebrating the minifigure’s 40th birthday. And to celebrate, LEGO brought 18 new minifigures to Toy Fair, which will launch as this year’s first wave of collectible figures. You’ll find a cowboy, a race car driver and a variety of other figs, as well as our personal favorite, the Cactus Man. The most notable inclusion, however, is that of the very first minifigure, a police officer, which brings back the vintage design.
Each of these 18 new minifigures will sell for $4 and are the 18th series of collectible figures LEGO has released so far. They’ll be hitting store shelves sometime in April.
BrickHeadz |
Since launching last year, BrickHeadz have been one of my favorite new products from LEGO. Toy Fair brought with it the Go Brick Me kit, a set centered around recreating yourself or other custom figures with the variety of included pieces and instructions for building things like your defining hair style and other eye-catching personal characteristics. The Go Brick Me kit will be launching in April as well at a $30 retail price.
Other new BrickHeadz are said to be launching throughout the year as well, so here’s to hoping we get a nice young Han Solo and Lando to coincide with the Solo film premier.
DUPLO |
One of the bigger trends as of late has been toys geared towards teaching younger kids programming and other aspects of developmental learning. This year LEGO is jumping into the market with the DUPLO Steam Train, a $60 kit geared towards children around the age of 2-5. The set packs a smartphone-controlled Bluetooth train alongside 5 colored action bricks that react with different sounds and actions when sensed by the locomotive.
DUPLO’s first round of iOS-enabled sets are geared towards a younger audience than typical sets, but is all-in-all one of the more unique releases from Toy Fair. Additional DUPLO releases from LEGO fill out the lineup with Jurassic World, Super Heroes and other kits.
Others
LEGO brought a variety of other kits to Toy Fair, from lines like Technic, Boost, DC Super Heroes and more. And with a spring lineup like this, there are so many kits we’re hoping to get our hands on here at Toys. Have a favorite new kit? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
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