LEGO Launched an Oversized Wooden Minifigure and People are Turning it Into Works of Art
Enthusiasts of the classic toy building blocks brand will want to add LEGO’s latest to the holiday wish list. To commemorate the company’s original wood-crafted toys, the LEGO group just announced a large, wooden version of their popular minifigure. Turns, out, it’s also the perfect canvas for whatever you’d like to create.
The commemorative piece is a 5:1 scale version of the classic minifigure, which made its LEGO play debut in 1978. Handcrafted from FSC-certified oak, the figure stands more than 7” tall, 4” wide and 3.5” deep. It comes with adjustable plastic yellow hands and can be customized into a one-of-a-kind piece. Another unique aspect of the rare figure is in its design: it’s the first LEGO product to include both wood and plastic since the 1959 release of the company’s 1130 Bedford fire truck.
Master carpenter and founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen contributed the world’s first wood-crafted LEGO toys. This production process continued until a wood shortage brought on by World War II prompted Kristiansen to begin making the toys from plastic, a tradition that the company has somewhat branched out from with the introduction of eco-friendly LEGO pieces sourced from sugar cane.
The distinct LEGO figure will come inside a gift box that includes a 28-page booklet detailing the minifigure’s history as well as the backstory on the wooden model’s development, along with ideas from LEGO designers on how to create a customized DIY model display and an instruction manual on how to build items with the bricks.
Between November 3-7, LEGO VIP members can purchase the limited-edition wooden minifigure from the LEGO Originals Pop Up Store and Gallery in London (where you can see all the above works on display). The toy goes on sale globally on November 8 and will be available at LEGO.com for $119.99.
The introduction of the collector’s item marks the first in a new line of nostalgic products from the LEGO Group and design specialists Room Copenhagen.