Perhaps other than being a part of one of the coolest toy manufacturers in the world are the holiday perks that go along with the job. Not only does LEGO offer a good range of seasonal Christmas sets and vignettes for its loyal fans and customers, but TLG also extends the Yuletide cheers among the lifeblood of its company – the ever-reliable LEGO Brand Store employees. Running for more than five years already, the LEGO employee Christmas gift has become a theme of its own, with fans showing considerable interests on these collectibles that are not found in any LEGO Brand or Certified stores.
However, like any other rumored LEGO set that is soon to be released, leaks and insider info abound due in part of the popularity of these exclusive sets. I wish to clarify at this point that we are not in any way the primary source of these leaks, but rather like an observer that records and shares what is going on under the LEGO sun, we want the LEGO community to be aware of these developments. Sometimes (or even in most cases) it becomes a mere pointing out of the obvious, of addressing the elephant in the room so to speak. The proliferation of this year’s LEGO Employee Christmas Gift within the secondary market such as that on eBay as early as four weeks before Christmas seems to be quite apparent already that it’s hard to pretend not to be aware of it.
However, if you are expecting to receive this gift anytime soon and wish not to throw in some cold water to douse your excitement, then be forewarned and hit the back button of your web browser. With that out of the way, here are some images that we stumbled upon over at eBay through a tip from Promobricks. By far, this is the largest LEGO Employee Gift that the company has come up with coming in at a total of 1,141 pieces. Tagged as set 4002016, and aptly named 50 Years on Track, the set pays tribute to six of LEGO’s miniature train sets beginning 1966.
The box art itself shows several snippets of how LEGO trains evolved during the years, highlighting particular models as it passes through generations of the Kirk family. Included in this set are smaller versions of LEGO’s first motorized train in 1966, the Western Train from 1976, the advanced Monorail Transport System in 1987, the Metroliner in 1991, the elegant Emerald Night from 2009, and the festive Winter Holiday Train (10254).
Frankly speaking, I envy the LEGO Store employee that will receive this one and I can’t just imagine how some people can let go of this exquisite set for the price of several bucks. This can easily pass as a D2C set that any serious LEGO train collector will definitely not ignore. I love how LEGO managed to capture and celebrate the last 50 years of its train systems, while showing the progress that it has made in terms of the sets playability and features. Each train also comes with its corresponding rail which I assume can be connected to one another to create various railways. We hope to grab (or perhaps borrow) a set later on so we can share our reviews and learn more about the set’s features.
What do you think about this year’s LEGO Employee Christmas Gift? Do you think LEGO outdid their selves this time with this one?
i want that