LEGO Reviews City60124

Volcano Exploration Base

Name: LEGO Volcano Exploration Base 60124
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 60124
Rating: 4.65 (213 reviews)

67 · MIXED REVIEWSINVESTMENT GRADE: BB2016824 pcsHigh agreement · 99%

Expert reviews

2analyzed

Owner ratings

213

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Mixed Reviews

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

Where to Buy

Amazon

Out of stock

Buy

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LOVED (8)

01Packed with playability and exploration features
02Impressive cast of 6 minifigures with diverse roles
03Tracked vehicle with hammer arm is excellent
04Attractive color scheme
05Substantial volcano structure
06Interesting new rock mechanics and crystal attachment system
07Good price point for kids
08New parts like Mountain Brick BURP have useful MOC applications with regular studs

CRITICIZED (8)

01Mobile base trailer is too small and disappointingly sparse inside
02Not actually a base but merely a large vehicle
03Volcano is too regular and square in design
04Geometric volcano lacks organic appearance
05Light grey parts on volcano sides stand out awkwardly
06Drone has three rotor blades (horizontal blades would be more realistic but foul each other when rotated)
07Savings appear to have been made elsewhere (like the trailer) to meet price point
08Less appealing to AFOLs overall

What reviewers are saying

"Volcano Explorers is this year's 'action/adventure' City subtheme that takes the townsfolk out of their conurbations and into the unknown."

Brickset Reviews

"The mobile lab is the highlight of the set."

Brick Fanatics

Ecosystem

6575 Polar Base — Reviewer would have preferred a stationary base like the original Arctic Polar Base rather than a mobile vehicle, though acknowledges mobile bases provide more playability and appeal to kids

60036 Arctic Base Camp — Commenter notes comparisons are unfair as this set should be thought of more as 60035 Arctic Outpost plus volcano plus tracked vehicle; commenters suggest Arctic sets were superior overall

Police and Agents mobile bases — The exploration base trailer is disappointing compared to other mobile bases from Police and Agents themes in terms of size and internal functionality

60036 Arctic Base Camp — On balance, 60036 seems like a better deal. Both were based around a command base complemented by medium and small builds, but the command base and treaded vehicle were bigger in Arctic Base Camp as it didn't have the large volcano taking up space in the box.

CityTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"Volcano Explorers is this year's 'action/adventure' City subtheme that takes the townsfolk out of their conurbations and into the unknown."

Key Pros

✓Packed with playability and exploration features
✓Impressive cast of 6 minifigures with diverse roles
✓Tracked vehicle with hammer arm is excellent

Key Cons

✕Mobile base trailer is too small and disappointingly sparse inside
✕Not actually a base but merely a large vehicle

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Brick Fanatics

Expert Video Source

WAIT FOR SALE

"The mobile lab is the highlight of the set."

Key Pros

✓Play value excels with different vehicles, location, and minifigures in one box
✓Good minifigure variety with different gear types
✓Mobile lab is the highlight—well-designed with opening sides and appropriate interior

Key Cons

✕Volcano feels like an unnecessary addition that steals bricks from the mobile lab
✕Small dump truck is a lazy design with poor minifigure seating

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (1)Wait for sale (0)

Value drivers

Brickset Reviews: Silver metallic hazmat-suited explorer exclusive to this set and 60125 Volcano Heavy-Lift Helicopter

Exclusivity

Brickset Reviews: Regular retail set; exclusive minifigure shared only with 60125 Volcano Heavy-Lift Helicopter

Brick Fanatics: Exclusive to LEGO Store (available July 14, 2016 for VIP members, August 1 for others)

Resale

Brickset Reviews: Likely to be popular as a Christmas gift (reviewer suspects 'it'll be appearing in many top 10 toys lists leading up to Christmas'), which may support moderate long-term value but limited collector premium

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (6)

Volcano Explorer Male Scientist

$11

Volcano Explorer - Male Worker, Suit with Harness, Construction Helmet, Breathing Neck Gear with Yellow Air Tanks, Trans-Brown Visor, Goatee

Volcano Explorer Scientist

Volcano Explorer

Volcano Explorer Female Worker

Volcano Explorer

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Harpoon spike piece
New element this year, used as the tip of the tracked vehicle's hammer arm to press into rock holes and split them open
Lattice 3X6 Module W/Knobs (design ID 23444, part 6138603)
New piece providing protective cab covering for the tracked vehicle
Mountain Brick 8X8X6 BURP (design ID 23996)
New style BURP element used in eight instances to construct the volcano; also appeared in two Police sets earlier in the year; designed to match old-style BURP pieces and features regular studs rather than hollow ones for better MOC integration
Rock pieces (two identical pieces joining vertically)
New rock design with both sides featuring a stud inside to enable blue crystal attachment; LEGO's previous rocks consisted of top and bottom pieces
Trans orange pieces
Used to represent lava flows down the volcano sides
Mountain Bricks (23996)
New for 2016; set uses eight of these pieces to construct the volcano