Here's our official verdict on which retiring LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets you should pick up before the end of the year.
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 has quietly been making a name for itself as a theme for well-priced, surprisingly engaging builds, where before it might have been more closely associated with child-friendly models. While there are still certainly sets geared towards younger builders, there's space for more mature builds as well.
With 15 LEGO Creator sets retiring at the end of this year, we're rattling through each one to offer our verdict on which ones to buy, wait on, or skip altogether.
31058 Mighty Dinosaurs
31058 Mighty Dinosaurs is certainly on the more child-friendly end of the Creator spectrum, offering a simplistic dinosaur for a very affordable £12.99 / $14.99 / €14.99. We'd be more inclined to recommend this set if 31151 T. rex wasn't also on shelves. While it might be more expensive, it offers far more detail at every possible stage, relegating 31058 Mighty Dinosaurs to skip status.
Verdict: Skip
31109 Pirate Ship
Priced at £114.99 / $119.99 / €129.99, 31109 Pirate Ship comes in just a tiny bit cheaper than 75639 The Going Merry Pirate Ship, which offers a far more detailed pirate ship – even if you're not interested in the One Piece minifigures. If you can score the LEGO Creator version at a discount, it's a more general take on a life on the high seas, but (much like the dino above), it feels like your money would be better spent elsewhere.
Verdict: Wait for a deal
31129 Majestic Tiger
One of the areas that LEGO Creator 3-in-1 excels in is animals, and 31129 Majestic Tiger is no different. It's an impressively authentic build in each of the three versions. The tiger, as the main build, is fully posable, making it well-suited to both play and display, making it a versatile addition to your collection.
Verdict: Buy now
31137 Adorable Dogs
31137 Adorable Dogs is certainly more geared towards kids, yet with a higher price than you might expect for a set of this size, at £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99. You can get more realistic (and less eerie) looking dogs elsewhere in the LEGO system, so this isn't one we're recommending to buy before the end of the year.
Verdict: Skip
31142 Space Roller Coaster
31142 Space Roller Coaster is a slam dunk that's just as much fun to play with as it is to build. With various decorations and accessories that pay homage to LEGO Space, this set is an example of an incredibly well-priced set for what you get – earning it a wholehearted recommendation, if you don't have it already.
Verdict: Buy now
31145 Red Dragon
31145 Red Dragon doesn't have the same drama or flair as some of the other dragons in the LEGO system, but then you wouldn't expect it for the price. As you don't have to spend much more to have a much more detailed version in 31161 Medieval Dragon, we can safely say you're likely not missing out on much by skipping this set.
Verdict: Skip
31153 Modern House
31153 Modern House is another excellent example of why collectors shouldn't be skimping on Creator 3-in-1, with brick-built examples of modern architecture that are hard to find elsewhere, and certainly not at this price of £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99.
Verdict: Buy now
31154 Forest Animals: Red Fox
31154 Forest Animals: Red Fox is an excellent choice to buy at this time of year, bringing some gorgeous autumnal tones to life. All three of the buildable animals (a fox, an owl, and a squirrel) are expertly recreated and look good enough you might find yourself buying multiple copies so you can display them all.
Verdict: Buy now
31155 Hamster Wheel
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 can't knock it out of the park with every animal, however, and 31155 Hamster Wheel veers more into nightmare fuel than cutesy. While the hamster accessories are well thought-out, the hamster itself has a face that only a mother could love. Stil, the set has a lot to it, so perhaps if you see a tempting discount, you could try and redesign the hamster to something more adorable.
Verdict: Wait for a deal
31156 Tropical Ukelele
31156 Tropical Ukelele is part of a growing collection of brick-built musical instruments, and it's a neat example. The pastel colour scheme plays nicely with the brighter colours of the flower, making for a tempting display piece, especially when priced at £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99.
Verdict: Buy now
31158 Sea Animals
In a month where we're preparing to welcome 10366 Tropical Aquarium for a whopping £399.99, 31158 Sea Animals is a far more affordable way to dip into brick-built marine life. Considering you'd only be spending £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99, you could even design your own tank to go with it and still be saving a ton.
Verdict: Buy now
40220 London Bus
40220 London Bus is certainly one of the sets designed to be picked up at the till at Leicester Square's LEGO Store, but it doesn't offer much beyond a cutesy memento. While it has a nifty level of detail considering the size, we don't think you'll be waking in the night worrying about not picking this one up.
Verdict: Skip
40517 Vespa
If you are looking for something under £10, maybe to get over a GWP threshold, your money is better spent on 40517 Vespa, which offers a sleeker look and a more versatile display. Rather than being hooked to a place, it's a pretty impressive tiny motorbike, especially considering the price.
Verdict: Buy now
40650 Land Rover Classic Defender
Another remarkable example of building on such a small scale is 40650 Land Rover Classic Defender, proving that bigger isn't always better. Featuring a minifigure driver and an instantly recognisable silhouette for just £13.49 / $14.99 / €14.99, this is a must-have for car fans.
Verdict: Buy now
40747 Daffodils
LEGO Botanicals is another well-priced theme where you can find some creatively designed builds – although none are quite as affordable as this. 40747 Daffodils can brighten up any desk or shelf. Our only reservation is that buying one brick-built flower can spark a desire for many more, so your flower buying spree might not end here.
Verdict: Buy now
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