It’s no secret that LEGO has been releasing some incredible sets over the years. If you’ve ever built one yourself, you know just how creative their designers can be. From transforming simple bricks into intricate models like flowers, Marvel superheroes, spaceships, and even the Titanic, the level of ingenuity is truly impressive.
Minifigure Vending Machine
Price: $179.99 at LEGO Store
Set Number: #21358
Pieces: 1,343
Recommended Age: 18+
Dimensions: Height: 12" (28cm), Width: 7" (17cm), Depth: 9" (21cm)
While many LEGO sets are designed to replicate objects from pop culture or real life, some go a step further—they actually function. The LEGO Minifigure Vending Machine is a perfect example. After spending five to six hours assembling 13 bags of interlocking pieces, you’re left with a fully operational machine that dispenses LEGO minifigures. It's not just fun to build—it's genuinely amazing to watch in action.
The build process starts from the ground up, beginning with the base and moving on to the structural frame. As you progress, the instructions guide you through constructing internal components separately before integrating them into the main unit. Some steps require careful attention, especially when inserting specific parts like a small plastic flap between rubber and plastic elements. These details can be a bit challenging to interpret from the manual, which is why extra pages are dedicated to showing both the correct and incorrect methods—ensuring everything fits just right.
The set remains engaging throughout the build because each numbered bag typically contains one of the 16 included minifigures, which you place inside clear capsules. This variety helps prevent monotony, something that can occasionally happen in other sets filled with repetitive builds.
Once assembled, the vending machine really works. Insert a coin made from two connected LEGO pieces, turn the crank, and—clink!—a capsule rolls out. Without the coin, the mechanism won’t activate, making it an impressively accurate replica of a real vending experience.
As someone who has covered LEGO content for IGN for many years, I continue to be amazed by the company’s design capabilities and engineering precision. While LEGO sets can be expensive—and yes, they may not fit every budget—the craftsmanship and innovation behind each model often justify the cost.
LEGO pieces are manufactured with such accuracy that decades-old bricks still snap together seamlessly with new ones. And the creativity poured into each set only seems to grow stronger over time. In my opinion, that kind of quality and imagination is well worth the investment.
We Build LEGO Minifigure Vending Machine
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