Having looked at what is already available, now it’s time to look at what’s ahead. With previous subthemes returning, is there much in it for the long term collector? And how does the year shape up for LEGO City as a whole?
All images courtesy of Brickset.com
The Airport subtheme is back, but focused on the cargo rather than the passenger this time. It makes sense to mix it up a bit, as LEGO have been doing with the Police subtheme. The Cargo Terminal (60022) is reminiscent of previous LEGO planes with the large, juniorised parts – but that’s only to be expected now. The set is neat for a cargo plane, and features packages and boxes to store inside. The control tower is neat, and it’s a shame it comes in such a huge set (in a typical spot of LEGO stereotyping the only female in the set is safely away in the control tower!). The other sets in the theme are a Cargo Truck (60020) and Cargo Heliplane (60021), the former not bringing much new to the table and the latter fine for what it is.
The Coast Guard subtheme is back, and still orange. Thankfully the orange is more subdued this time around, making the sets a little more palatable and feeling like they might actually be at home in a LEGO City set up. Like the Police and Fire, each box features a rescue actually happening – even the smallest set, Surfer Rescue (60011) includes a Coast Guard on a little speed boat thing rescuing a surfer from a shark. Speaking of which, the old favourite shark is well represented in these sets. The Coast Guard Patrol (60014) is the big floaty boat of the range and looks nice, a small lighthouse is included to set the scene a bit. Ultimately, these Coast Guard sets are fine. But just fine, unfortunately, and it is unlikely many hard-core adult fans will have much desire to add them to their LEGO City.
The LEGO City Starter Set (60023) is a neat little idea, giving children a chance to get a Police, Fire and Hospital vehicle all in one set. It’s a shame there isn’t often a hospital available for the injured skater to go to! There’s not a lot here for the seasoned collector, however, who no doubt has plenty of these vehicles already.
Overall, from the AFOL perspective, 2013 is a “meh” year for LEGO City. It seems like a great chance to save some money and catch up on awesome sets from the last few years. The push a few years ago to including more civilian sets such as City Corner (7641) seems to have stalled, which is a shame as it seemed like a promising sign of things to come. This is a real shame for long term collectors, as there are only the modular buildings to provide ‘regular civilian life’ type sets. Then again, there is always the mysterious exclusive Town Plan (60026) to hopefully fill that gap…
The LEGO City Starter Set (60023) is a neat little idea, giving children a chance to get a Police, Fire and Hospital vehicle all in one set. It’s a shame there isn’t often a hospital available for the injured skater to go to! There’s not a lot here for the seasoned collector, however, who no doubt has plenty of these vehicles already.
Overall, from the AFOL perspective, 2013 is a “meh” year for LEGO City. It seems like a great chance to save some money and catch up on awesome sets from the last few years. The push a few years ago to including more civilian sets such as City Corner (7641) seems to have stalled, which is a shame as it seemed like a promising sign of things to come. This is a real shame for long term collectors, as there are only the modular buildings to provide ‘regular civilian life’ type sets. Then again, there is always the mysterious exclusive Town Plan (60026) to hopefully fill that gap…
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