THE GOOD OBJECTS FILE / 001

A little
shelf
respect.

Six LEGO sets that earn their space. A dragon, two old consoles, and a few small reasons to keep playing.

By Astra Light
· 6 minute read

Meet the six picks ↓
ASTRA’S
EVERYDAY
PICK ↘LEGO Game Boy with interchangeable Link’s Awakening and Super Mario Land cartridges and screens
THE GAME BOY · $59.99 · Image: LEGO

Shenron curling above a tiny Goku is a persuasive argument for making room on a shelf. But spectacle is only one kind of neat. Sometimes the better object is the one you keep picking up.

These are my six picks across current releases and upcoming arrivals—not just this month’s new launches. The Game Boy is the easiest recommendation. The Vending Machine is the most playful. Shenron is the one I want to see from every angle.

Design-led desk review of current and upcoming sets, based on published specifications and imagery. No sets were built or handled for this article. Picks reflect visual character, interaction after assembly, space and price; they are not performance scores or an exhaustive market ranking.

THE SHORTLIST

Good bricks.
Different reasons.

Compare all ↓

Showing all 6 picks.

LEGO Shenron coiled above Goku riding the Flying Nimbus, with the Dragon Balls at the base
LEGO product image via Brickset’s set 11390-1 catalog.

01 / The one to watch

Shenron & Goku

$179.99*1,764 pieces · #11390

Upcoming · date not verified

Shenron makes the strongest first impression here. The green coils and gold-colored belly send your eye around the sculpture; Goku on his little yellow cloud gives the enormous creature scale and warmth. This is a display piece with a scene inside it.

The catch. The support structure is visible between the coils. I would want to see the sides before calling it a great sculpture from every direction. The $179.99 price is from the supplied announcement; the box shows 1,764 pieces. November is reported, but the final release date was not independently confirmed through LEGO’s product page.

Wishlist for the spectacle. Wait for the final listing before planning a purchase.

Read the first-look coverage →

First look · shopping link pending · Announcement coverage ↗

LEGO Game Boy with interchangeable Link’s Awakening and Super Mario Land cartridges and screens
Official product photography / rendering: LEGO. Used as editorial reference.

02 / Best all-around pick

Game Boy

$59.99421 pieces · #72046

Available at research time

A familiar object, at almost its familiar size. The pressable controls, interchangeable brick cartridges and lenticular screens make this more than a gray rectangle with a logo. It reconstructs a ritual: choose a game, slot it in, hold the little machine.

The catch. It has no digital play, light or sound functions. Buy it for the object and the memory, not as a working handheld.

The easiest recommendation: character, a manageable footprint, and a price well below the big display sets.

Shop at LEGO →

Direct link · no commission · LEGO product details ↗

Official LEGO PlayStation lifestyle photograph with the brick-built original console and controller
Official product photography / rendering: LEGO. Used as editorial reference.

03 / Best nostalgia splurge

PlayStation

$179.991,911 pieces · #72306

Oct 1 Insiders · Oct 4 general

The original PlayStation has the blunt charm of a small piece of industrial sculpture. LEGO gives it a second act: hidden Gran Turismo and Ape Escape dioramas, a plug-in controller, and working Open and Power buttons. The best detail is the invitation to open it.

The catch. This is a display model, not a playable console. At three times the Game Boy’s price, it needs a stronger personal connection to earn the space.

Choose it if that gray console defined your childhood. Otherwise, the Game Boy is the sharper buy.

View at LEGO →

Direct link · no commission · LEGO announcement · September 3 ↗

Red LEGO Minifigure Vending Machine with colorful capsules and collectible minifigures
Official product photography / rendering: LEGO. Used as editorial reference.

04 / Most playful

Minifigure Vending Machine

$179.991,343 pieces · #21358

Available at research time

A shelf object with something left to do. Insert the included LEGO coin, turn the handle and a capsule drops out. Sixteen minifigures give the little machine a cast of characters, while the transparent globe turns its contents into the decoration.

The catch. It is an expensive small pleasure. The mechanism is documented by LEGO; its reliability over repeated use has not been tested by PointCast.

My pick for the set visitors would most want to touch. Play gives it a life after assembly.

Shop at LEGO →

Direct link · no commission · LEGO product details ↗

Six colorful brick-built mineral specimens on three black display shelves
Official product photography / rendering: LEGO. Used as editorial reference.

05 / Best quiet design

Mineral Collection

$59.99880 pieces · #21362

Available at research time

A miniature cabinet of curiosities. Six mineral specimens turn transparent bricks and angular growth patterns into the point of the design. Amethyst, pyrite and the other colorful specimens do not need a favorite franchise to make sense on a shelf.

The catch. The black shelving makes the presentation quite formal. Fortunately, the three units can be arranged separately and the specimens moved between them.

The most interesting choice for someone who loves color, natural forms and small collections.

Shop at LEGO →

Direct link · no commission · LEGO product details ↗

Two smiling LEGO plants in interchangeable yellow and blue pots
Official product photography / rendering: LEGO. Used as editorial reference.

06 / Best small gift

Happy Plants

$22.99217 pieces · #10349

Available at research time

Two plants with faces, and enough personality to make a desk friendlier. One stands, one sits; the blue and yellow pots can swap plants. The idea is complete without demanding a whole shelf or an entire weekend.

The catch. This is a modest project, recommended by LEGO for ages nine and up. Look elsewhere if an elaborate construction challenge is the main attraction.

The small purchase I would feel best about giving. Cheerful, compact, and easy to share as a build.

Shop at LEGO →

Direct link · no commission · LEGO product details ↗

THE SHELF TEST

Which one is yours?

US price snapshots · September 29, 2026
SetPriceBest reasonAvailability at research time
Shenron & Goku$179.99*The one to watchUpcoming · date not verified
Game Boy$59.99Best all-around pickAvailable at research time
PlayStation$179.99Best nostalgia splurgeOct 1 Insiders · Oct 4 general
Minifigure Vending Machine$179.99Most playfulAvailable at research time
Mineral Collection$59.99Best quiet designAvailable at research time
Happy Plants$22.99Best small giftAvailable at research time

* Shenron’s price is reported in the supplied announcement. Its final product listing and release date remain unverified.