LEGO Ideas 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine review
LEGO Ideas 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine is destined to go down in LEGO history in the best way possible, even with a relatively high price tag.
16 minifigures, new pieces and an astounding mechanism make up the ultimate recipe for success in 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine. This is one LEGO Ideas set not to miss, or at least experience – even if you’re not a nostalgic LEGO superfan. There’s no denying that the minifigure selection is a huge selling point of 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, and thankfully, the rest of the set leaves only the best impression.
21358 Minifigure Vending Machine
Release: Jun 1, 2025
Retiring: Dec 31, 2027
Price: £149.99 / $179.99 / €169.99
Pieces: 1,343
Minifigures: 16
LEGO Ideas 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine is based on an original submission by fan designer Rob Vangansewinkel, and it’s a perfect example of how official LEGO designers working in tandem with the fans can take a promising idea and make it even better. Rob’s original design looked and worked excellently, but there were upgrades to be made that no-one realised there was room for at the time.
21358 Minifigure Vending Machine improves on the original design in every conceivable way, but most importantly, it makes the all-too-important function far better than anyone could have ever imagined.
The core of 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine‘s experience is the mechanism that makes it all work. There has never been a LEGO set as joyously functional as this one. The deceptively complex system is designed to spin a column in the centre of the build to allow a single capsule to fall into the tray below, with carefully-positioned tiles and elements to ensure that the capsules never get stuck.
The twist is that none of this works unless you put one of the two provided coins into the machine (don’t worry, you always get it back). This is an additional feature to Rob’s original pitch, and it’s the extra touch needed to take this model to the next level in its official release. The appearance of the model itself has only received minor changes, but nothing compared to what Rob pitched needed to be changed.
Precisely how this mechanism works is still a mystery, even after building the model and analysing the instructions, and this is a testament to just how perfectly this part of the build has been executed. That’s not to mention the satisfying clicking noise the machine makes when your minifigure is being vended. It’s going to take a long time for the LEGO Group to top this mechanism.
Putting the impressive inner workings aside, 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine is also a triumph for new pieces. The curved window piece used for the transparent chamber is massive, sturdy and will almost certainly be used elsewhere. You get eight of them in the model to boot. It’s still overshadowed by the capsule element, though, of which 32 are featured in the set.
Despite appearances, you don’t need to manoeuvre the elements in a specific way for them to fit inside the new capsules. Packing the pieces back inside is easy, and there’s ample room for the elements to move. These pieces are tremendously well-designed, and we’re eager to see where they’re used next. There’s already a compatible piece, including in the new 76451 Privet Drive: Aunt Marge’s Visit.
This is only speculation, but these new capsule elements would be perfect for Poké Balls, and LEGO Pokémon is on the way next year. Exactly what we’re going to see for the exciting theme has yet to be confirmed, but the LEGO Group is setting itself up for success with these elements.
With the new pieces, the mechanism and the model itself all discussed, it’s time to go over the 16 minifigures included in 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine.
Starting with LEGO Castle’s new Kraken and Griffin factions, the minifigures have a great level of detail, and we’re glad to see two of each included in the set. The colour scheme of the Kraken Knights is suitably sea-themed with a mix of aquatic colours and padded leather that will best serve them when sailing over wearing suits of metal.
The Griffin Knights are much more typical in comparison and notably only have their emblem printed on the shield. This means they’ll be useful as standard knights or armoured warrior minifigures, while still having a distinct colour scheme thanks to their design’s hints of dark red.
These two minifigures were voted on by fans, as were those of Classic Space. Two new colours of astronauts for the nostalgic theme are featured in this set, with everything from their air tanks to their printed torsos gathered in one place. It’s great to see these two colours completed in one set, rather than tasking fans with finding the parts scattered across themes and years.
There’s not much to discuss with these minifigures. They serve their purpose well, and the set caters to collectors by including two of each colour – one to keep in capsules, and one to line up with the rest of your astronauts.
LEGO Pirates’ Bo’sun Will and Camilla are all grown up in 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, and their new minifigures don’t offer much in the way of fresh printed pieces, aside from what appears to be two new torso designs. Either way, they’re both recognisable as the characters for dedicated fans while having a generic enough outfit to immediately be seen as LEGO Pirates minifigures. They won’t exactly be set-sellers, but they’re welcome additions to a strong crew.
Fabuland’s new Bernard Bear and Elton Elephant cosplayers are simple, but well-done. Some would have preferred that these be actual Fabuland characters rather than cosplayers, but the execution of this concept is undoubtedly done justice. Everything from the split in the pockets to resemble the original Fabuland legs to the sweat dripping down one minifigure’s head thanks to the costume works in their favour. Having sweatshirts with the Fabuland logo on them is going to be an enticing fashion option for fans’ custom minifigures, too.
The reasoning for the lack of actual Fabuland characters remade seems to be down to the risk of crossing paths with LEGO Animal Crossing and a lack of budget to make entirely new animal head elements. It may not be the path that all fans would have preferred these minifigures to take, but it’s a well-executed path at least.
Paradisa’s two new minifigures are exceedingly similar, with only their parts from the neck up being different from one another. The designers have managed to nail the aesthetic of the beach-centric theme with these two, opting not only to print the logo on a breezy shirt but also referencing the debut year for the theme on the back as well. The colour scheme of these decorations is exquisite, and both minifigures are suitably dressed for a relaxing time in warm weather.
Rounding out the minifigures in LEGO 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine are the two that don’t fit into a classic theme – a LEGO Ideas designer and the fan designer, Rob. This is a touching tribute to the fan behind this stunning LEGO Ideas set, and while their minifigure is unfortunately the least interesting in the set – with only existing prints used – they deserve a spot in the selection.
The LEGO Ideas designer is a fantastic minifigure for one simple reason: that torso. We’re certain that actual LEGO Ideas designers are going to try to find a way to get the part for their custom minifigures based on themselves as soon as possible, and we can’t blame them. There’s something so enticing about seeing LEGO theme logos on standard minifigure clothing, and the concept surprisingly doesn’t feel overused in 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine.
Overall, LEGO Ideas 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine is a fantastic model with every part of the set excelling in form, functionality and pure fun. It’s impossible to ignore the price tag of £149.99 / $179.99 / €169.99, though, which proved contentious among the community ahead of the set’s release. The 16 minifigures and 1,343 pieces (of which several are quite large) go a long way to making the price worthwhile, but ultimately the value proposition (and indeed the strength of the machine) may be determined by how deep your LEGO fandom goes.
From my perspective, as a dyed-in-the-wool adult fan of LEGO, the contents of 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine are just about enough to make the set decent value at full price. But I can also recognise that those not as familiar with the world of LEGO are going to see this model, be interested in the functionality for their family or home, and then be discouraged by the high price, with little appreciation for factors like the number of minifigures or references.
It’s not the fault of any one party, but ultimately LEGO fans and the general public are going to have very different views on this set for the price. The fun mechanism and how it will inevitably encourage fans to take this set to events, or employees to showcase the set in LEGO stores, will certainly play a part in how successful this model is. Word of mouth will be key to 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine’s future, but for now, LEGO fans are going to love it.
LEGO Minifigure Vending Machine Collectible Minifigure Series comparison
Many, including the team at Brick Fanatics, have compared the minifigure selection in the new LEGO Ideas set to a Collectible Minifigures series. That said, there’s not quite the usual level of detail we can expect from a Collectible Minifigures series, but the variety of topics and themes covered is spot on. There are even four more minifigures than the current array of series – the total from the early days of Collectible Minifigures.
While there’s certainly a comparison to be made, and the 16 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine characters can stand in place of the series that we missed this year due to 71049 F1 Collectible Race Cars, it’s not a fantastic alternative. This is simply down to the lesser level of detail, lack of new elements and the price for the set compared to 16 Collectible Minifigures. To be fair to the LEGO Ideas team, such comparisons probably weren’t the intent for this set.
Our honest opinion: There’s no escaping the price of 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, but with the astounding functionality, the 16 minifigures and the quantity of new elements, it’s worth every penny for LEGO fans.
This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links.
