Six LEGO alternative purchases for June 1 to stay on budget

If there’s a pricey LEGO set on your wishlist, we’ve got some budget-friendly alternatives to help scratch that brick-built itch for less.

June 1 has brought over 100 new LEGO sets onto shelves, many of which retread familiar ground and offer cheaper alternatives to some popular models. From construction builds to an icon from one of Disney’s best movies, there’s always a way to get a similar set for less.

With that in mind, here are six alternative LEGO purchases that might help keep you within your LEGO budget on June 1.

LEGO Technic meets LEGO City

LEGO Technic 42146 Liebherr Crawler Crane LR 13000 is an impressive specimen when it comes to both appearance and practical functions – but it’s also a whopping £579.99 / $699.99 / €679.99. Thankfully, LEGO City has just welcomed 60409 Yellow Mobile Construction Crane to the theme as of June 1, offering another crane for almost a sixth of the price.

Of course, it’s not quite as detailed as its LEGO Technic counterpart but 60409 Yellow Mobile Construction Crane does still offer much of the same functionality, with the ability to pivot the cab, extend and rotate the boom a full 360°, and operate the hoist to lift a brick-built port-a-potty.

LEGO Disney little and large

Next up we’re heading to LEGO Disney to see a Simba versus Simba showdown. While 43247 Young Simba the Lion King enjoys a lot of possibility and detail, from his furry tail to the spiky whiskers, it will set you back a sizable £114.99 / $129.99 / €129.99 for the 1,445-piece model. Comparatively, 43243 Simba the Lion King Cub won’t break the bank at just £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 – although you do lose some of that detail, especially notable around the face and nose.

LEGO NINJAGO tournament showdown

LEGO NINJAGO’s June 1 wave is all about tournaments, ranging from extravagant detail in the 3,489-piece 71814 Tournament Temple City to a more compact build in 71818 Tournament Battle Arena. While the latter may be smaller, the price difference is over £150 and you’ll still get some impressively detailed minifigures and a brick-built statue of Master Wu.

LEGO Friends versus LEGO Creator 3-in-1

When LEGO Friends 42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion first came out, we were pretty impressed by the architecture of the building, enough to make us look past the fact that you get minidolls instead of minifigure. If it’s been on your wishlist for a while for the same reason, you might be interested in new release for LEGO Creator 3-in-1, 31153 Modern House. It has a lot of the same design language as 42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion but in a slightly more mature colour palette – and for roughly half the price.

You get a dragon, you get a dragon!

2024 is the Year of the Dragon and there certainly have been a lot of dragons at play so far. If you were blown away by the detailed dragon model in 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale but were put off by the relatively high price tag, there are two similarly colourful dragon models in two newly-released sets.

Over with LEGO Disney, 43240 Maleficent’s Dragon Form includes a creature that was originally supposed to be an adult-focused set all of its own and the purple colours, paired with green flames make for a vibrant result. LEGO NINJAGO 71822 Source Dragon of Motion is the LEGO Ideas dragon in another front, represented in the same red and orange colour scheme. Either one will make a splash for either play or display.

The perfect time to get Captain Rex

Last but certainly not least, 75391 Captain Rex Y-wing Microfighter is the far cheaper way to get the all-important Rex minifigure, when compared 75367 Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser. In fact, it’s proven to be such a popular idea that the set has already sold out in the UK and the US – but it’s certainly one to remember for when it comes back in stock.

Check out a full list of all the June 1 LEGO releases here, as well as sets that you don’t want to wait on, especially as some newcomers are already starting to sell out.

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