If you don't have it - GET IT !!!!
Written: Oct 06 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent construction of the tray and buckets, wide variety of pieces, great value.
Cons: Small pieces present a choking hazard.
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO - Classic Set With Building Table |
As many of you might know, I am a self confessed Lego addict; my addiction has passed on to my children. We’re not sure if it’s a genetic malfunction or just the result of years of playing with the multi colors plastic bits and pieces but none of us can resist spending at least 30 minutes in the Lego isle at the store. This item is a dream come true for Lego freaks of any age.
I came across this item at Amazon.com for $19.99. I am not sure if this is an older kit or not but my set came with 400 pieces instead of the 203 pieces that Epinions lists on the stats page. Regardless of the piece count the basic set up is the exact same thing. A red molded tray with two seep buckets on the side – great for holding ‘pieces in progress’ on one side and individual pieces on the other. One the top of the tray are two green base plates (that run about $2.99 - $3.99 each if you bought them separately). The green plates slide across the top of the tray as well. You can have both base plates in the middle and build on it – having the side buckets exposed or you can push the green plates to the left and right hand side to keep the pieces contained if you need to move to another room or take them in the car.
If you have Lego maniacs this is the item to take on the road without ending up with Lego pieces everywhere. When the plates are pushed over the side buckets you can use the handle on the top to carry it around without a single piece falling out. If you’ve ever stepped on a little Lego piece in the middle of the night you’ll know what a godsend this item can be. Great for taking to a friends house or for sleepovers at Grandma’s house. No more plastic bags full of Lego’s in my house!
The tray itself is pretty cool; you can rest it on your lap or set it on the floor without having it tip over. I really like the deep buckets but I’ve had to ‘lay down the law’ that only Lego’s get put in there. It’s perfectly shaped for kids from about 4 through 8 but I’ll admit I have used it with great ease. I like the fact that the plates are what cover the side buckets; too many sets rely on a snap on top that smaller kids just can’t open. More often than not it results in the Lego’s flying all over the place when the lids are pulled off. The corners are rounded – and if you’ve ever been scratched by a sharp piece of plastic you’ll appreciate that fact.
My boys gave these trays a 30-day run and here are the results: no cracks in or on the tray, the buckets didn’t dent or crack and the base plates maintained their shape (no sagging). They slots that hold the base plates on the tray held up to the challenge as well, they consistently gripped the top and bottom of the base plates no matter how many times they were opened or closed. You can pop the bas4e plates out of the tray if you want to change colors or use them for something else. Getting them back on the tray is easy as well, simple bend them and pop the top into place and the bottom will slide right back into it’s slot. Is it worth the price tag? It’s about 45 days and counting and they are still in tip-top shape. You can be the judge of that.
The Lego’s that came in my set included windows, doors, shutters, trees, one dog, one cat, smiley faces on blocks, three people, basic 2, 4, 6 and 8 slotted blocks, arches, clear blocks and my favorite of the set – plates and cups. I have yet to see these in any other set other than the Kings Castle and those were goblets – not glasses. The pieces come divided in five poly bags – I used these instead of a cash allowance for my boys. Each day they did all their homework and behaved they got a bag of the Lego’s. It was a heavenly 5-day stretch.
If you have kids that love Lego’s this is the best gift for them. I love the fact that I can have the kids on the road with me and have them entertained for hours with the Lego’s with no clean up by me. I got one of these for each of the boys and they’ve really impressed my by building small towns then connecting the base plates from each of the tables with blocks and plates. The extra pieces alone are worth the price tag at Amazon.com - however I did use online coupons (which can be found all over the internet) to cut the price almost in half.
I haven’t seen this in any of the toys stores that we frequent and I highly suggest shopping around and checking the details about the piece count of the Lego’s in the tray. The Epinion site says it has 203 pieces for $14.99 and mine had 400 pieces (I actually counted more than that but I’m not complaining) for $19.99. 200 + extra pieces for $5.00 more? Sounds like a deal to me.
This is a great gift for Christmas for any kids (or adult – hint) that even remotely likes Lego’s. It is also a great and safe toy to have in the car; no more fighting over who gets the Gameboy and who gets the Walkman. I’d recommend this tray for any child over the age of five providing that they understand that the smaller pieces are not to be put in their mouth. That might sound like a “no-brainer” but I have seen my kids pulling Lego’s apart with their teeth on more than one occasion. I’d rather have to make 20 trips into the playroom to pull them apart than have to send even one second seeing a child choke. There is a Lego separator that you can buy but it is a bit complicated for some children to use, invest the $1.99 in this and show your child how to use it. Normally I joke around about the different body parts that I have found Lego’s jammed in on my children, this is one area I refuse to joke about.
Thanks for the read! ^V^ Freak ^V^
Recommended:
Yes
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