As you may have noticed, many of the larger sets released at the beginning on January are now shown as backordered or out of stock. This is the result of the combination of ongoing pandemic-related issues as well as high demand. If the set you want is shown as backordered, you can still purchase it, but expect delivery delays. If the set is shown as out of stock, you can sign up for email notification when it gets back in stock. The good news is that LEGO is doing its best to work around the limitations and restrictions caused by pandemic and fulfill orders as soon as possible, so sets shouldn’t remain out of stock for too long.
Although it’s disappointing that we might not be able to get our favorite large sets right away, there are many newly released small and medium size sets that are available and worth checking out. I was recently browsing the Online LEGO Shop to place an order myself, and I was pleasantly surprised by the large number of smaller sets that are nicely designed, low cost, offer a lot of play value, and are readily available or on a short backorder status. So, I thought to share some of my favorites with you.
2021 LEGO BRICKHEADZ SETS: All three of the new BrickHeadz sets feature brick-built adult and baby animals, and they are really cute. The three sets are the #40440 LEGO BrickHeadz German Shepherd, the #40441 LEGO BrickHeadz Shorthair Cats, and the #40466 LEGO BrickHeadz Chinese New Year Pandas. A set of goldfish and budgies will be released as well in the near future. They are available at the LEGO BrickHeadz section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 SMALL LEGO CITY SETS: There are quite a few small LEGO City sets worth checking out. Like the #60286 LEGO City Beach Rescue ATV, the #60284 LEGO City Roadwork Truck, the #60283 LEGO City Camper Van, the #60288 LEGO City Race Buggy Transporter, and the #60287 LEGO City Tractor. And you can also try out the new LEGO City Road Plate system with the #60304 LEGO City Road Plates sets. All of these sets are less than $20. Check them out at the LEGO City section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 SMALL LEGO CREATOR 3-IN-1 SETS: There are several great sets in this category as well, all with three different alternate instructions to increase playtime. I really like the #31111 LEGO Creator Cyber Drone with a droid wearing the LEGO Classic Space logo on its torso, the colorful #40469 LEGO Creator Tuk Tuk, the #31112 LEGO Wild Lion that can be rebuilt into an ostrich or warthog (and comes with a cute brick-built vulture), and the #31113 LEGO Creator Race Car Transporter. Another interesting small set is the #3114 LEGO Creator Superbike that can be rebuilt into a classic motorcycle or a hover bike. All of these sets are under $20 and are available at the LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 LEGO DOTS SETS: I’m a big fan of the LEGO DOTS line. I love the pretty colors and all those small decorative elements. I have been collecting all the bracelets and LEGO DOTS Extra Packs, and I also get some of the larger sets from time to time. I was very happy to see the five new bracelets and ordered them right away. I like that this time around we get two thinner bracelets per pack instead of one thicker one. And the printed and sparkly pieces are always so nice. In case you want to check them out, the five new sets are the #41909 LEGO DOTS Mermaid Vibes Bracelets, the #41910 LEGO DOTS Ice Cream Besties Bracelets, the #41918 LEGO DOTS Adventure Bracelets, the #41923 LEGO DOTS Monster Bracelets, and the #41934 LEGO DOTS Starlight Bracelets. The #41921 LEGO DOTS Extra Pack – Series 3 is also awesome with some very special double-moulded and raised star and diamond shapes. The bracelet packs are $6 each, and the extra pack is $4. They are available at the LEGO DOTS section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 SMALL LEGO FRIENDS SETS: LEGO Friends seems to be focusing on medium to large size sets this season, but there are still a couple of smaller sets worth checking out. I especially like the #41443 LEGO Friends Olivia’s Electric Car with a spunky little electric car and wind-powered charging station.
2021 LEGO COLLECTIBLE MINIFIGURES: Series 21 of the LEGO Collectible Minifigures features only twelve characters: Centaur Warrior, Shipwreck Survivor, Pug Costume Guy, Beekeeper, Ladybug Girl, Violin Kid, Alien, Space Police Guy, Ancient Warrior, Airplane Girl, Cabaret Singer, and Paddle Surfer. This is an especially nice series with many great characters either to collect or to add to your LEGO displays. They are $5 each and you can find them at the LEGO Minifigures section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 SMALL LEGO NINJAGO SETS: The four LEGO Ninjago Epic Battle sets are a great way to stock up on unique minifigs and weapons. The four sets are the #71730 LEGO Ninjago Kai vs. Skulkin, the #71731 LEGO Ninjago Zane vs. Nindroid, the #71732 LEGO Ninjago Jay vs. Serpentine, and the #71733 LEGO Ninjago Cole vs. Ghost. They are $10 each, and you can find them at the LEGO Ninjago section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 SMALL LEGO SUPER HEROES SETS: The new LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Mech Armor sets have been well received by LEGO fans. This includes the #76168 LEGO Captain America Mech Armor, the #76169 LEGO Thor Mech Armor, and the #76171 LEGO Miles Morales Mech Armor. Another good looking small set is the #76173 LEGO Spider-Man and Ghost Rider Carnage. All available at the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 SMALL LEGO SEASONAL SETS: A couple of other small sets worth checking out are the #40460 LEGO Roses and #41461 LEGO Tulips. They make nice gifts or decorations around the home and only costs $13. Another cute seasonal set is the #40462 LEGO Valentine’s Brown Bear for $15. You can find them at the LEGO seasonal items section of the Online LEGO Shop.
2021 SMALL LEGO TECHNIC SETS: I really like the orange and teal color-scheme of the #42117 LEGO Technic Race Plane, and it can be turned into jet for extra playability. The #42116 LEGO Technic Skid Steer Loader is another nice little set with an option to turn into a hot rod. Both sets are only $10 each. Tow other smaller sets are the #42118 LEGO Technic Monster Jam Grave Digger and the #42119 LEGO Technic Monster Jam Max-D. They both come with a pull-back motor and can run super fast on short distances, and they have alternate building instructions as well. They are $20 each, and available at the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.
Teen and adult LEGO fans often focus on the largest and most expensive sets, but as you can see, there are plenty of small sets to enjoy as well. And while most of the large sets are currently out of stock or backordered with a long waiting period, these smaller sets are readily available or only have a short backorder period. I hope you find something that you like!
What do you think? Which one is your favorite small set this year? Feel free to share your own list in the comment section below! And you might also like to check out the following related post:
