LEGO enthusiasts and Lord of the Rings fans, get ready for the latest addition to the LEGO LOTR collection. The LEGO Lord of the Rings: The Shire set will be available for LEGO Insiders starting April 2, and for the general public on April 5. This set marks the third LEGO LOTR release in the last three years, following the impressive 6,167-piece Rivendell in 2023 and the 5,471-piece Barad-dûr in 2024.

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The new 2,017-piece set, known as The Shire, offers a lovingly detailed model of Bilbo Baggins' hobbit-hole, complete with rounded walls and surfaces adorned with numerous accessories. IGN was given the opportunity to build and review this set, and while it captures the charm of the subject perfectly, it comes with a price tag that some might find disproportionately high for its piece count.

We Build LEGO LOTR Shire

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Set #10354 beautifully recreates Bilbo Baggins' home as it appeared during his "eleventy-first" birthday celebration. The set includes nine minifigures: Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey. The model features a cutaway design at the back, revealing three distinct rooms: the main foyer accessible through the iconic round door, a study to the left, and a dining and sitting area to the right.

These rooms are built separately and then connected using clamps, creating a seamless hillside exterior and a cohesive interior living space. The set emphasizes the cozy atmosphere of Bilbo's home, with patterned rugs, stacks of letters, and food items scattered throughout, including a wedge of cheese above the fireplace and a loaf of bread on the windowsill.

The set is filled with artifacts from Bilbo's adventures, such as the Mithril Coat in a chest by the door, a well-worn map on a table, and a sword and parasol in an umbrella stand. A unique mechanical feature, utilizing LEGO Technic, allows you to switch the display in the fireplace between a charred envelope and the One Ring, recreating the iconic scene from The Fellowship of the Ring.

The room design prioritizes width over height, reflecting the hobbit-hole's spacious feel. The interior construction is straightforward, while the exterior requires careful attention to achieve the flowing, curved hillside. Building The Shire offers a tactile experience, reminiscent of running your hand over a globe, as you arrange the curved green pieces to create the natural contours of the landscape.

This set captures the essence of hobbits being in harmony with their environment, with Bag End crowned by a tree with gnarled branches. Additional elements like a birthday cake, the Party Tree with lanterns, a patterned tent, a red dragon firework, and Gandalf's horse-drawn carriage add to the set's charm and allow for scene staging. The set also includes barrels with interlocking gears, enabling Bilbo's "disappearance" trick from the movie.

While The Shire is simpler in design compared to Rivendell and Barad-dûr, reflecting the unpretentious nature of hobbit life, its price is notably higher than expected. At 2,017 pieces and a cost of $270, it exceeds the typical 10 cents per brick pricing metric by 34%. Despite this, the set feels like it should be priced closer to $200.

Comparatively, other LEGO sets based on licensed properties, like the LEGO Star Wars sets, also carry a higher price, often referred to as the "Disney tax." However, even the 2024 Jabba's Sail Barge set, with 3,943 pieces at $500, was only 27% above the metric. Despite its high cost, The Shire remains the most budget-friendly option for LOTR fans unable to invest in Rivendell or Barad-dûr.

The pricing strategy raises questions about customer demand and willingness to pay, testing LEGO's goodwill and the enduring love for Lord of the Rings. Nonetheless, the set's aesthetic appeal remains undeniable.

For those interested, LEGO has also released a mini-movie featuring this set:

LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Shire, Set #10354, retails for $269.99 and comprises 2,017 pieces. It will be available at the LEGO Store starting April 2 for LEGO Insiders and on April 5 for the general public.

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