If you have been following this occasional column, it’s obvious that I am a pretty big fan of Lego.
And with all the new Lego Ideas, pop culture-licensed, adult-skewed sets the company has been churning out lately, it’s a good time to be an adult fan of Lego.
But Lego, for me, has always been about play, and not just display. I grew up playing with Lego, letting my imagination run wild with random blocks, building my own versions of Transformers and MASK toys when my parents could not afford to buy the actual ones for me. So when I had kids of my own, I really wanted to pass on the childhood play part of Lego to them as well.
In case you were wondering what is out there for kids to enjoy, there are a few sets you can check out.
One of the most child-friendly ranges Lego has is its Creator 3-in-1 sets, which comprises playsets that can be turned into one of three different designs. These range from animal-centric sets to vehicles, and also a line that is more targeted towards girls, which include a Flora lDecor Perfume Bottle, a Floral Art Decor Painting, and more.
The Floral Art Decor Painting set in particular, is pretty interesting, personally. Lego has been coming out with various ‘Lego Art’ sets that interpret famous artworks into brick form, from the Mona Lisa and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, to the recently announced The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt.
The Floral Art Decor Painting set is like a kid’s version of that. Its main form is a ‘painting’ of a butterfly and flowers on an easel, and makes for a nice little decorative item. There is also an alternate design in the form of a flamingo painting (complete with artist palette), as well as arguably the most practical one of all - a lovely little photo frame.
With only 384 pieces, the set is suitable for those 8 years and above, and all three alternate builds are easy enough to assemble. Makes for a great gift as well.
Kids, especially boys, tend to like trains, and you really can’t get more, er, train-like’ than the Vintage Steam Train set, for ages 7 and up.
This 575-piece set looks complicated but is actually quite a simple build. It comes with a station platform, five minifigures, and also a set of tracks.
While I would have preferred more tracks for the train to roll about on, it’s still a pretty neat build that little train enthusiasts would enjoy.
Have a pirate-loving kid at home? Check out the Iconic Pirate Ship set, which is also a Creator 3-in-1 set that includes designs for one large pirate ship, two small twin boats, or a pirate castle.
I especially liked this set because well, who doesn’t like pirate ships? The main build itself has some neat little play features, like adjustable sails, a retractable anchor, and little rooms inside the ship.
On top of being an awesome pirate ship build, it also comes with four pirate mini-figures and one skeleton, and even an octopus with adjustable tentacles for some kraken attack roleplaying.
Lego once had a vintage pirate theme range years ago, so this was also quite a nostalgic set for me, personally (plus it looks great when displayed next to my Lego One Piece Going Merry set!).
Personally, I was quite happy when, during the recent school holidays in June, Lego hosted the My Play Festival at KLCC, a “playground paradise for the whole family”.
Inspired to reduce screen time and reconnect with the world, the My Play campaign encourages families and children to engage in hands-on exploration and brick-building beyond the screen. It celebrates the power of play to spark imagination, nurture creativity, and strengthen family bonds in fun and meaningful ways.
While I do love the fact that there are lots of adult-oriented sets these days, I also think it’s a good thing that despite the rise in popularity in those sets, the company has not lost sight of what it is in the first place - toys and playthings for children.
Malaysian collectible livestream platform Collektr recently facilitated the first global sale of one of the most sought-after cards in the Magic: The Gathering community – The Mind Stone from Marvel Super Heroes.
Combining one of the world's most iconic entertainment franchises with one of its most celebrated trading card games, the Infinity Stones were among the hobby's most sought-after modern collectibles.
On July 6, Collektr announced the successful sale of the PCG-graded The Mind Stone for US$50,325 (over RM205,000) to an international collector, establishing the first known market benchmark for the card.
The transaction surpasses Collektr's earlier sale of The Soul Stone, which went for US$25,776 (RMRM105,000), making Collektr the first marketplace to facilitate benchmark transactions for two Infinity Stone cards.
The transaction was facilitated through Collektr, supported by the collector community at The
Collective, Malaysia's WPN Premium store. Together, they showcase how trusted digital marketplace infrastructure and established hobby communities are helping position Malaysia as a destination for globally significant collectibles transactions.
"The significance of this transaction isn't simply the price achieved," said Adlin Yusman, founder and CEO of Collektr. "Collectors around the world now have the first known market benchmark for the (Cosmic) Mind Stone. Following the sale of the (Cosmic) Soul Stone, we're proud to establish another milestone for Collektr and Malaysia.”
Founded in Malaysia, Collektr has built a hybrid marketplace and livestream auction platform serving trading cards, comics, toys, high value pop culture and fashion collectibles across South-East Asia.
