Do you like Lego friends?

[thehotsung]

As someone who is new to Lego, I find it odd that my first real set piece would be from Lego friends. This is because I feel that Lego friends really stand out from other Lego themes and I'm not talking about just the color. There are more building sets and almost every friends set has base plate. The only real building play-set for city at the moment is the police station. I miss out on a lot of the cool sets such as garage, gas station, town plan, houses, so the only way I can make a fast city is through Lego friends. Lego friends doesn't seem very girly to me if I imagine it as play as the Sims first-hand.

So tell me, do you guys like Lego friends? What are the pro and cons of this theme?

[hatcher]

First con: Has NEVER gone on sale (at least around me). :)

Seriously, the only thing I can see that detracts from it, is the Friends mini-figures are slightly different size from original mini-figures. I have bought a set for my daughter but its for her birthday next month so she hasn't opened it yet. I personally like the fact that they are targeting girls with this line. LEGO does great things for children's cognitive development and getting more girls to build with LEGO is a good thing. I also like the fact that they are introducing more pastel and "girl" colours. (I hate that term, but I guess it fits in this case.) So there are more colour options for parts available as a result.

And its apparently doing really well sales wise so I think it will be around for a while.

[thehotsung]

First con: Has NEVER gone on sale (at least around me). :)

Seriously, the only thing I can see that detracts from it, is the Friends mini-figures are slightly different size from original mini-figures. I have bought a set for my daughter but its for her birthday next month so she hasn't opened it yet. I personally like the fact that they are targeting girls with this line. LEGO does great things for children's cognitive development and getting more girls to build with LEGO is a good thing. I also like the fact that they are introducing more pastel and "girl" colours. (I hate that term, but I guess it fits in this case.) So there are more colour options for parts available as a result.

And its apparently doing really well sales wise so I think it will be around for a while.

I don't mind the mini-figures because I think they are pretty cool. I still can't see why I want to have 2 or more Olivia since she come with the house and tree house. If there is one real drawback to the friends line is that you don't get many mini figures. I don't know how well Lego is doing with the friends line but 22 different sets for the first year is something. It does however make Lego city pale in comparison.

[soulless_minion]

If there is one real drawback to the friends line is that you don't get many mini figures.

And definitely not enough male figures. I have no problem with the focus being on the girls, but surely there needs to be more than just Olivia's dad for the boys of Heartlake City, just couple of male friends would be great

[thehotsung]

If there is one real drawback to the friends line is that you don't get many mini figures.

And definitely not enough male figures. I have no problem with the focus being on the girls, but surely there needs to be more than just Olivia's dad for the boys of Heartlake City, just couple of male friends would be great

They should expand friends into a modern day Sims. Having new set like gym, bar, museum, etc... would be great. They need more miniatures as well with more guys, girls, grandma, grandpa, toddlers, etc...

[Rhodebrick]

No. Seems like a Barbie Lego move.

[dr_spock]

I like Friends for the colors and parts. Not so much for the mini-dolls.

[thehotsung]

I like Friends for the colors and parts. Not so much for the mini-dolls.

Same no matter how many time I say friends don't fit in with Lego city despite it open back design, it just so amazing looking and it hard not to notice.

[SpaceNinjaDino]

TLG has stated they are committed to this theme. So as long as it is not a complete flop (which does not seem to be the case), they will continue to make more sets. It has allowed them to get whole new shelf space. Target and Walmart placed the sets in the girls aisle without sacrificing any traditional LEGO space.

The hair pieces are cross-compatible between the minifig/minidoll.

[Neo]

TLG needs to provide different costume-body outfits, different hats/headgear, and different hair styles.

At least one *Friends* figure should be wearing eyeglasses or protective eyegear.

For example, sparks fly when Emma wears a arc-welding helmet in a arc-welding workshop kit!

[neongrey]

I picked up the Karate set on a bit of a whim, and I really like it a lot. If not for the colour scheme and Friends-specific fig, it's no different at all from something that would be geared towards a boy. And honestly I appreciate anything that says it's okay for a girl to be into cool swords too, and this literally puts one right at hand for the girl fig.

Hopefully we'll see more along this style as they put out more sets. I'd have no problem giving this to a little girl, and it looks cute on my shelf.

[Cementups]

fist post here so bear with me.

I was a big time Lego fan as a kid and couldn't wait to have kids to have a viable reason to get Legos again. My daughter turned 7 right before Christmas and we started getting her the Friends sets. She LOVES them. Repeatedly tells me how COOL they are. Even gets her into helping her little brother put his Legos together. He is 3.5 and we got him started a little early with the 5+ City stuff. Even myself think the Friends line is pretty neat. I do agree though that need more people in Heartlake City. 5 girls and a dad just isn't much of a party. Unless you're from West Virginia.

[yeti79]

Friends set are cool I got a bunch for my girlfriend and build them myself too. The only thing I don't like is the minidolls but at least the hair is interchangeable.

[JustBrickin]

I only like these for their unique pieces, namely the food and animal pieces. Some colors are interesting too though.

[MrVEP]

Not really for the sets since I don't like them and I have a son.
But if I see a good clearance and the pieces are great I may be tempted to buy it.
White, tan, light-browns, greens, windows, doors and plants.

[StClair]

I added one mini-doll to an ebay order to see compatible the figure was with minifigs. I greatly prefer reg minifigs but I have seen some cool modifications that others have done to Friends mini-dolls. If I were someone that modifies LEGO minifigs I would buy some of the Friends mini-dolls to modify. My biggest problem with Friends mini-dolls.. there legs move as one. They can never be posed as though they are running (unless you modify them).

As someone else said already... if sets could be found on clearance I would buy them for parts. I love some of the colors and parts that are now available for them.

I have seen several people take advantage of the size difference in MOCs.. The mini-dolls were the female adults and the LEGO minifigs were children

Legs should have been able to move opposite each other (to appear running) and hands should have been able to twist at wrists.

[Slickbricks]

From my experience the Lego Friends line is great for their target audience, young girls. My daughter is 6 and unsurprisingly her favourite minifigs are the Lego Friends ones.

As for the buildings themselves, she likes them but usually ends up using her own creations. Personally I think at a young age the minifigs are the main focus of play and the buildings/vehicles aren't that important to them.

[Mantisking]

So tell me, do you guys like Lego friends?

Yup.

What are the pro and cons of this theme?

The sets have some great colors that aren't available in the regular line.