Ep. 221 - The 7 Levels of LEGO: Ranking Sets From Trash to Treasure

What actually makes a LEGO set…good?

We all do it. We see a new LEGO set and almost instantly decide whether we love it, hate it, or fall somewhere in between. But what exactly is our brain calculating in those few seconds? Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s concept of “thin-slicing” from Blink, I decided to put that instinct to the test by creating The 7 Levels of LEGO.

And yes…I fully expect some of you to disagree with me. We’re starting at Level 1, where LEGO sets go when something has gone terribly, terribly wrong. From infamous themes of LEGO’s past to some questionable modern decisions, these are the sets that make you wonder: Who thought this was a good idea?

Then comes Level 2, which might contain my most controversial LEGO opinion yet. There are beloved themes here. Historically important sets. Sets I personally have nostalgia for. But nostalgia and importance don’t necessarily make something good.

By Level 3, we arrive where the overwhelming majority of LEGO has always lived—and that’s not an insult. In fact, this might be the level that best represents what LEGO has meant to generations of kids. Level 4 is where things start getting REALLY good. Level 5 is where LEGO sets become the centerpieces of collections. UCS. Icons. Modulars. Ideas. BrickLink Designer Program. But size and price alone aren’t enough to get you here. Then there’s Level 6. These are the rare ones. The sets that separate themselves from everything around them. In a great year, LEGO might only produce one or two sets truly worthy of this level.

So what could possibly sit ABOVE those?

That brings us to Level 7. And I’m not telling you what it is. Because once we get there, I think it changes the entire question we started with. What makes a LEGO set good? Maybe we’ve been asking the wrong question all along.

Welcome to The 7 Levels of LEGO.

Music Credit: YouTube Music Library

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