Welcome to this week’s spotlight on a retired LEGO set! Today, we’re featuring the Notebook with Studs, set number 850686, from the Gear theme. This set was officially retired on March 22 and 23, 2016, as well as on June 15, 2017. Stay tuned as we delve into the details and reminisce about this unique LEGO offering.
Building Boundaries: Exploring the Notebook with Studs set
The Notebook with Studs set from the Gear theme boasts a piece count of 4124. This unique set includes a hard-bound notebook with an attached 6 x 24-stud baseplate, allowing builders to create and customize their designs directly on the cover. Additionally, it comes with elements labeled with letter and number decals, providing endless opportunities for creative expression. The set was first made available to LEGO fans in 2013 and was priced at £7.99 / 9.99 € / $12.99 US / $15.99 CAD. With its innovative design, it made a great gift for LEGO enthusiasts. The designer of this set is not mentioned in the available reference material.
Vintage LEGO: A Blast from the Past
The Notebook with Studs set was part of the Gear theme and stands out as a unique entry in LEGO’s history. Released to mixed reviews, the main draw of the set was the embedded green plate and the new letter and number tiles, providing a different creative outlet for LEGO fans. However, reviewers noted limitations with the color distribution and usefulness of the tiles for MOCing purposes. Despite this, the set garnered a niche following among AFOLs who appreciated its novelty and potential for customization.
Mixed Reactions from the Fan Community
The “Notebook with Studs” set from the Gear theme received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. One review, by leemcg, expressed, “It’s just a notebook that you can stick bricks to the front of, so this won’t be a long review. It’s a very good quality notebook with lined pages. There’s a picture of a minifigure in the bottom of each page, which I initially thought might be a little flip animation, but no such luck – they are identical.” The reviewer also highlighted the drawbacks of the letter and number tiles, stating, “The main draw of the notebook though is the embedded green plate and then the new letter and number tiles. These are not as useful as I first thought, either for MOCing purposes or even for writing things on the front of the book.” The issues with the distribution of letters and colors were noted, indicating limitations in their usability. Despite the high-quality notebook construction, the usefulness of the additional LEGO elements seemed to fall short of expectations.
All the reviews for this article were provided by Brickset.com: Notebook with Studs Reviews
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Be sure to check back next week for another spotlight on a retired LEGO set. This week, we explored the Notebook with Studs, set number 850686, from the Gear theme, which retired on various dates in 2016 and 2017. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to discover more retired sets in our weekly series.
