Are you impatiently and curiously waiting to see what 2012 will bring in the world of LEGO? In this series of posts I give you a glimpse of some of the upcoming 2012 LEGO sets.
You might first want to check out 2012 LEGO Sets – See What’s Coming! That post will give you an overall picture of the 2012 LEGO sets. From there you can link to the particular themes you are interested in.
In this post I will list all of the sets in the LEGO Friends theme. Please note that I have written about the 2012 LEGO Friends line in detail before, however I was asked by LEGO to take down the pictures. This time the images don’t have a confidentiality stamp, so they should be able to stay up. You can see my original post here: 2012 LEGO sets: LEGO Friends
Through the years LEGO has been making some effort to appeal to little girls with lines like LEGO Scala, LEGO Belville, and LEGO Paradisa. In 2012 they are trying a new angle yet again with redesigned figures and a new story-line. This new LEGO for girls theme is called “Friends”, and is following the story of five girls in their daily lives. The girls have different likes and hobbies; there is an animal-lover, a smart-girl, a beautician, a singer and a social-girl.
So, let’s look at the 2012 LEGO Friends sets. Please note that the quoted prices are estimates based on the pre-order sale prices that were listed (and later taken down) from the Barnes & Noble website. (Read: Barnes & Noble Pre-Order Sale). Also, you can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.
#3061 LEGO Friends City Park Cafe – estimated price: $30
#3065 LEGO Friends Olivia’s Tree House – estimated price: $20
#3183 LEGO Friends Stephanie’s Cool Convertible – est. price: $15
#3187 LEGO Friends Butterfly Beauty Shop – estimated price: $25
#3188 LEGO Friends Heartlake Vet – estimated price: $40
#3315 LEGO Friends Olivia’s House – estimated price: $70
#3930 LEGO Friends Stephanie’s Outdoor Bakery – est. price: $6
#3931 LEGO Friends Emma’s Splash Pool – estimated price: $7
#3932 LEGO Friends Andrea’s Stage – estimated price: $10
#3933 LEGO Friends Olivia’s Inventor’s Workshop – est. price: $10
#3934 LEGO Friends Mia’s Puppy House – estimated price: $10
#3935 LEGO Friends Stephanie’s Pet Patrol – estimated price: $10
#3936 LEGO Friends Emma’s Design Studio – estimated price: $10
#3942 LEGO Friends Heartlake Dog Show – estimated price: $20
If you would like to see the girls up close and personal go to: LEGO Friends More Pictures. So this is all the 2012 LEGO Friends sets revealed so far! What do you girls think? Did LEGO get it right this time? (Okay, guys can comment too.) 
UPDATE: Although the debate continues, LEGO Friends is now avilable! See here: LEGO Friends Available Now! 
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The reason that “research shows” girls would prefer these is because it is what little girls are taught from all the “girly” marketing. Little boys will not find these sets equal to theirs nor will little girls feel these are equal to boys. Legos did themselves an injustice by switching these figurines. A Lego set that can be appreciated by boys and girls is what is needed. So if they want to market to the “other 50%” they could market to both boys and girls and not separate. Disappointed.
Yah why make the figures like that you could get mistaken for play mobile I hate the Lego friends figs other than that the sets are good
My girls love the Lego Creator sets with the homes. We do wish Lego would market more items like these Creator sets geared toward both girls and boys. Lego has so many sets geared toward boy type themes and so little for girls. Lego Friends might be great for the younger girl, but those approaching their teens may find the Friends sets too young!
Leigh, that is a really good point. I never understood why the Creator sets don’t include more minifigures for a whole family! I know older girls would like that! In my experience girls like realistic sets with realistic colors and the Creator house series would be perfect for that!
Admin, I was starting to think I was overboard with Lego already . The New Years day I met with a friend I had not seen in months we started talking and then found out we each got Lego for ourselves! Then today in the drug store the sales girl and I mentioned we got Lego for ourselves , lol Age group here is me 69, friend 37, sales girl 22 don you just love it …
VIE, yes, once you start inquiring you will find that a lot of people are LEGO fans, either openly or covertly.
UPDATE: LEGO Friends are now available! See here: LEGO Friends Available Now! Enjoy!
There have been lots of comments about the shape of the girls figures, I don’t have a problem with them but I have always had a problem with the printed, overly large busts that are on the original figures. I find that more offensive.
If you’re worried about the lack of ‘building’ available, you can download instructions of a set (or design your own – using lego software that is free off the web – MLCAD and LDVIEW) and then go to a site called Bricklink where you can make up the set in the colours that you want. I have just finished purchasing purple and lime bricks to replace black and red bricks on a 4wd (I bought an instruction book to get the set inventory so I could make up whatever colours I liked). Simple as that. You can also purchase individual figures, sets, instruction books, gear and whatever size, shape and coloured brick you could ever want from Bricklink.
Happy shopping, designing, and building and remember it’s suppose to be fun.
Sasysox, good points! Sometimes we forget that nobody is holding a gun to our heads to build official LEGO sets! We can build whatever colors or combinations we want! Thanks for sharing!
i love lego firends
i dont get people that hate them i mean how can u hate fake lego figures what did they do to u
wel mabe tha want to stop lego frinds
Lego frinds are so cool finily some girl lego my fav is Olivias house
Yes, Olivia’s house is pretty neat! I think you will love the pony sets coming out this summer!
I didn’t like the figures at first either- in fact, I had planned to buy the sets and sell the girls figures to help pay for them, but after seeing them in person, I like them much better than I did originally. First off, for some reason in photos they look huge, but they are pretty much the same size as a normal minifig and much more compatible than they look. They can sit in the same size cars and fit the same size and scale of buildings. Also, their hands can hold the same items and utensils so these items become interchangeable (something that was never really possible before with the girls sets and figures) and even their hair is interchangeable. If you don’t like the hair the Friends figures come with (or your daughter looses a hair unit), you can put the regular (stiffer) minifigure hair on their head and it fits just the same.
I think one of the huge problems with previous girls lines is that the figures were totally out of scale so were not easily interchangeable with traditional Lego. (That and the fact that they lacked the more detailed building skills).
If the “prettier” more doll like structure to the Friends figures makes them more appealing to young girls, then I think that the thing they need to add to the line is more intricate and advanced buildings such as say a modular building to go with the regular modular buildings but in fun, bright “girl” colors- such as maybe an ice cream shop in pink and blue!
PS- Something such as a blue and pink ice cream shop (or a colorful flower shop) that fits with the modular line would not only offer very advanced building opportunities for girls, but would also provide a set that would be great for family building (something my son and I love about the modular building line- he got me into Lego as an adult with those buildings
). They would also have great universal appeal- for both kids and adult Lego fans, both boys and girls and give another building that all of the modular town/ city collectors would be able to add to their Lego town!
Taylor, thanks for sharing! I would so buy a modular ice-cream shop!
do you think 13 year olds can still buy this product?
Zayn, I’m not sure what you mean. Are you asking if it is appropriate for older kids to play with them? If that is your question, then of course! I mean; adults are buying them for themselves! So a 13-year-old who is into LEGO would have fun with them for sure!
stop lego frindes or els i wel take maters in to my on hands
my 7 year old eve loves lego friends she find s it very amusing. i found lego in toysarus she asked me for 3 and we endidd up geting them all my mum says it is a waste of money
Lilly, I’m glad you were able to find something for your daughter she likes. LEGO is not just a toy, but an excellent educational tool; enhancing your daughter’s skills in creativity, coordination, math, engineering and design. Tell your mom that the most succesful people used (or still uses) LEGO to develop their skills. My father is an architect and he regularly uses LEGO for his models. It is not just an ordinary toy.
This is perhaps Lego’s most damaging attempt at marketing towards young girls. Just goes to show that Lego has strayed from their original ideals of equality and creativity yet again. The sexism, hypermasculinity and militarization in Lego sets are embarrassing. If they truly want to level the playing field (pun intended), Lego needs to start making sets that appeal to both boys and girls and drop the separate-but-equal nonsense.
Ben, thanks for sharing your opinion. Here is an article you might be interested to read. Especially the comments: http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/controversial-lego-friends-among-worst-toys-2012-180502792.html
Boy Lego sets can be enjoyed by teens and younger and older, and yet Lego friends seem a bit childish to be enjoyed by teens.
Renee, you do make a really good point. Great notice! Traditional LEGO sets can follow a child thru their teens all the way to adulthood. LEGO Friends is only targeting pre-teen girls.
I guess the hope is that those girls will graduate to more traditional LEGO sets as they grow, like LEGO City, LEGO Creator and the Modular LEGO sets. To LEGO’s defense; marketing to teen girls is extremely difficult. Actually one of the most difficult things to do according to many marketers.
LEGO has lots of experience with targeting boys or providing gender-neutral sets that can follow a person thru their life. LEGO Friends is a new endeavor for LEGO, so it makes sense they take one step at a time. I’m pretty sure they continue monitoring the market and see what those girls like once they start to grow out of LEGO Friends. Will they move on to other LEGO themes? Or will they ditch LEGO alltogether only to come back to it later in life? Or never? These questions can only be answered by following today’s generation of girls who start out with Friends. It will be interesting to see what LEGO concludes.
i love Lego (my mum gave me her space Lego from back in the 70′s)
iv gotten my daughters the Lego friends sets when they have been good when we go shopping.
and for Xmas we got Santa to bring some of the bigger city sets
Lego has become a family tradition
just great
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll74/amrainbow/531774_496483463707621_158352251_n_zpscaf627a1.jpg
Yeah, that’s really sweet!
At the end of the day it’s not up to what the adults think it’s up to us as the children as wether or not we would go into a shop and pick up one of the sets then enjoy playing with it. From what I can see a lot of girls do so there’s no problem, the feminists need to just leave it – it’s worked. If you dont believe me about the fact hundreds of thousands of little girls enjoy playing with lego friends just check the lego friends websites gallery board and look at all the pictures (I’m goglehat)
http://friends.lego.com/en-us/gallery/
Well said!
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