As both a big Middle-Earth and LEGO fan, I'm ecstatic that we have some of the most intricately detailed and beautifully recreated scenes in brick form. What I don't love, however, is that these sets have never (and likely will never) go on sale. Except for the Balrog Book Nook, which is $129.99, you'll be spending between $270 and $500 for one of these boxes of plastic. I had hoped to see one of the first deals on these sets for Prime Day this year, but was yet again left disappointed.
If you think you have what it takes, you can potentially win some of these sets for free by entering LEGO Ideas' Lord of the Rings build contest. The theme is "A Night to Remember in the Shire" and submissions close August 6. But unless you're a master builder, full price seems to be your only option.
These LEGO Lord of the Rings Sets Are Never On Sale
It's a shame that the barrier to entry to some of the coolest LEGO sets ever is so high. I was able to get my hands on the LEGO Balrog book nook, and it's an impressive build that functions as intended, but you can also open it up to display in full glory. Then you have the Shire, which IGN's Kevin Wong built and said "[b]y and large, LEGO Shire is a simple set – far simpler than LEGO Rivendell and far simpler than LEGO Barad-dûr. Nothing is ornate, but then again, why would it be? These are not elves' dwellings; these are hobbits', and hobbits live simple lives."
Picking up any of these four sets will break the bank in one way or another, and but I'm still holding out hope LEGO will slash the prices on these in the near future. My bookshelf demands it.
Check out The Lord of the Rings Prime Day Deals
Amazon's massive Prime Day sale ends tonight, but you can still save big on some awesome Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books and movies. Some of these are available as buy 2, get 1 free bundles for Prime Day, so if you're looking to grab the gorgeous illustrated editions of the books now is the perfect chance to do so.
