LEGO has consistently delivered impressive sets over the years, and it’s no secret that they create some truly remarkable designs. But it’s worth emphasizing: as I assemble a LEGO set, I'm continually struck by the designers' creativity. Their talent for transforming basic bricks and components into everything from floral arrangements and Marvel superheroes to spacecraft and the Titanic is genuinely extraordinary.
Minifigure Vending Machine
$179.99 at LEGO Store
However, some sets do more than simply replicate elements from pop culture or the real world—they actually function. The LEGO Minifigure Vending Machine is a perfect example. It’s astonishing that with an instruction manual and 13 bags of interlocking plastic pieces, you can spend five or six hours constructing a working machine that dispenses LEGO minifigures. It’s truly impressive, in every sense of the word.
Considering its fully functional outcome, building the LEGO Minifigure Vending Machine is relatively straightforward. You start from the ground up, beginning with the base and constructing the framework that supports the entire structure. While assembling the base walls, the instructions frequently guide you to pause and build separate internal components, such as disc-like mechanisms, before integrating them into the machine's core.
There are a few points during assembly where positioning these components can be a bit challenging, which is why this set is intended for adults aged 18 and above. For example, one step requires carefully wedging a plastic flap between a rubber component and another plastic piece—a detail that isn't always easy to interpret from the manual’s illustrations. To help with this tricky step, the designers devote a full page in the manual to demonstrate both correct and incorrect methods, ensuring you proceed with extra caution.
Overall, the Minifigure Vending Machine is an enjoyable and rewarding build. Most of the bags include one of the 16 collectible minifigures, which you place into transparent plastic capsules, spreading out the assembly process. I remained engaged throughout the entire build, which isn’t always the case with sets that include repetitive sections.
Naturally, the most exciting moment comes after completing the build. You insert a coin made from two connected LEGO pieces into the coin slot, then turn the crank. The coin drops into the machine, and a capsule containing a minifigure rolls out. The mechanism is so accurate that without inserting a coin, no minifigure is dispensed—an incredible detail.
As the editor responsible for IGN’s LEGO coverage for years, I continue to be amazed by the company’s achievements in design, imagination, and material engineering. I recognize that LEGO sets are a significant investment, and no one should feel pressured to spend beyond their means on what is essentially a toy or display piece. Nearly every article I publish draws comments about LEGO’s pricing—a completely valid point.
That said, the overall quality of LEGO sets is consistently outstanding. They consist of hundreds of precisely manufactured components that seamlessly connect with pieces made decades ago. And the designs continue to impress, year after year. To me, that level of quality and innovation is worth a great deal.
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