The #10249 LEGO Creator Winter Toy Shop is now available for LEGO VIP members. While we are still a few months from Christmas, if you are planning to get this set, I would suggest you pick it up early to make sure you don’t miss out. While LEGO will certainly restock the set for a while, they tend to run out as we get closer to the holiday season. The official release will be on October 1st, but if you are a LEGO VIP member you get early access. 🙂
As we have discussed previously (see: LEGO Winter Village Toy Shop Coming!) the #10249 LEGO Creator Winter Toy Shop is almost the exact replica of the very first LEGO Winter Village set, the #10199 LEGO Winter Village Toy Shop from 2009. If you missed out on that one here is your chance to get the second version. Some of the parts have been updated, an extra minifig has been added, and the caroler minifigures have new printing on both their bodies and faces. Below is the official description.
Welcome to the Winter Toy Shop! The holiday season has arrived and the toymaker is busy finishing off his latest creations! Outside, children ski and snowboard, and a freshly built snowman sparkles in the light that shines from the toyshop tower. Help decorate the huge tree that stands at the center of the square, play with the curious kitten on the cozy wooden bench or join in with the carolers beneath the ornate streetlamp. This charming set also features a ladder, trees in various sizes, jack-in-the-box, a toy biplane, helicopter, rocket, train, race car, truck, robot, tugboat, teddy bear and a wrapped gift. Have fun building this enchanting winter wonderland! Includes a snowman and 8 minifigures with assorted accessories: a male caroler, female caroler, a woman, 2 men, 2 boys and a girl. Winter Toy Shop measures over 6” (17cm) high, 7” (19cm) wide and 3” (10cm) deep. Christmas tree measures over 5” (15cm) high, 4” (11cm) wide and 4” (11cm) deep. 898 pieces. Price: $79.99 – BUY HERE
A lot of LEGO fans have been upset about the re-release because it disrupts their yearly family tradition of building up the LEGO Winter Village scene. However it is interesting to note that based on discussions with LEGO employees it has become clear that LEGO was in fact not aware that people looked at the Christmas sets as a series. Nor did they know that building the sets together with kids and grandkids have become a family holiday tradition. In fact, in a recent conversation with LEGO designer Jamie Berard, it was revealed that LEGO wasn’t even planning to release a Christmas set this year (the #10245 LEGO Creator Santa’s Workshop from last year is still available). Jamie does have a design for a brand new set, but management was not ready to put resources into it yet. So he talked them into doing a rerelease with some updates to bridge the gap.
The good thing that came out of all of this is that LEGO got the message about how important these sets have become for families during the holidays. I hope they will take this seriously and will continue the tradition. So much more could be added to the delightful LEGO Winter Village! The new #10249 LEGO Creator Winter Toy Shop is actually very sweet, there is no dispute about that. The building, the Christmas tree, the lamp and other accessories are all delightful. So if you missed out the first time you will be very happy with this set. And even if you have the first version already, you might consider picking this up just for the parts and minifigures. If you are creative, you can modify it a bit to make a slightly different building in your LEGO Christmas Village layout. You might be surprised about what you and your family come up with! 😀
If you are a LEGO VIP member you can get the #10249 LEGO Creator Winter Toy Shop right now at LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop. Also, don’t forget about the other Christmas sets like the LEGO Advent Calendars and last years #10245 LEGO Creator Santa’s Workshop. They can be found under the Seasonal Items section of the Online LEGO Shop.
So what do you think? How do you like the new version of the LEGO Winter Toy Shop? Are you planning to get it? Do you have the first version already? Do you build the LEGO Winter Village together with your family? Would you like LEGO to release new sets every year to continue the tradition? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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