LEGO announces 10196 Grand Carousel: 250 USD, due out July 1 [News]

LEGO announces an impressive carousel scheduled for release in July 2009. This 3,263 piece kit includes Power Function elements that add motion and music to the model. Check out the full description below:

10196 Grand Carousel

#10196 Grand Carousel

Ages 16+. 3,263 pieces
Available July 1st 2009

It’s a wonderful day for a ride on the merry-go-round! This elegant and beautifully detailed LEGO model isn’t just for show – it really spins and plays music while the horses and swing boats move up and down! Built with intricate, lifelike ornaments and features, the Grand Carousel is a spectacular addition to any LEGO display or carousel collection. Includes 9 minifigures and LEGO Power Functions motor and sound brick. Measures over 12” (30 cm) x 12” (30 cm) x over 12” (30 cm).

Features and Benefits

  • Experience the romance of this merry-go-round decorated with brightly colored elements!
  • Features 9 minifigures including ride operator!
  • The platform rotates clockwise/counter clockwise and the music plays!
  • The swing boats and galloping jumper horses move up and down!
  • Lots of realistic details including reflective decals on the center pole, ornate ornamentation, fleur de lys, bejeweled horses and profiles of jesters!
  • The tent-like top is made of canvas!
  • The Grand Carousel measures over 12” (30 cm) x 12” (30 cm) x over 12” (30 cm).

Pricing
United States $ 249.99
United Kingdom £ 166.35
Central Europe € 229.99
Canada $ 349.99

19 comments on “LEGO announces 10196 Grand Carousel: 250 USD, due out July 1 [News]

  1. Opallix

    250 Dollars?

    This is more depressing than that Starwars dropship thing.

    It does look to be a nice set, though.

  2. Melfice

    Hey, Opallix.
    Listen to this joke. It’s a good one! =D

    At the current exchange rate the following is true:
    €229.99 = $308.254

    However, you guys are getting it for $250

    ((250 – 308.25) / 308.25) * 100 = -18.9
    That means you get it almost 19 percent cheaper than us Europeans.

    Hopefully that cheered you up. =)

  3. Nolnet

    About € 0.07 per brick is a perfectly reasonable price, considering the amount of cool pieces, the PF stuff and the fact that lines like Pirates and Power Miners currently sell for € 0.10 per brick.

    I wonder if the sound brick is loud enough to drown out the motor’s noise though :-)

  4. Herman

    I guess this is the big questionmark? Or was that another modular building.

    It looks awesome, and my guess is someday I’ll buy it. 230 Euros is a big load of money though.

    I’ve complained to Lego about the prices, that importing Lego from the US is cheaper for the average European, but they just say toys in the US are cheaper so the prices are different.

  5. grandpappy

    I actually think this is pretty reasonably priced (at least in the US). It’s a large set, with Power Functions… and it looks neat!

  6. Starwars4J

    What? Is someone really complaining about the pricing on this? Is someone comparing the pricing on this to the atrocity that was the pricing on the SW dropship?

    Really?

    The standard “good” price is $0.10 per brick. That means for $250 you’d expect ~2500 pieces. This set has 3,263, that’s nearly one thousand extra bricks better than the standard “good” price. On top of that you’re getting some pretty cool parts.

    This is an awesome buy, and well worth it.

  7. eti

    Yes, of course the USAnians get it cheaper – what’s new? But that aside, I think the set is just awesome. It looks like it’s one of the few sets I will actually keep on display in my living room for a while because it looks so great – most sets I have fun building but the next day I’m using the parts for MOCs already.

  8. superdave

    Eight minifigs 8 jester hats 8 tan beards 8 extra “jester profile” heads = at least 256 figure combinations!

  9. David4

    Pricing is different and the USA gets cheaper prices because of several issues. However this year the UK has several sets that are actually cheaper in pounds than dollars, so LEGO is taking that into account more. i have no clue why they didn’t for this set.

    Also $250 is way way way to high for a pile of blocks, however you get like twice the pieces you get with the ugly (it’s even more ugly in person) SW Dropship and this set moves and makes noise!

  10. Wells

    This appears to be a nice set, and the price is not all that bad. It is just tough to swallow spending so much at one time is the issue. The baseplate is 48×48, and judging by how well that plate is covered this is going to be a large set.

    I only have two issues with the set:

    – There are a number of stickers in it (the bane of us all!)
    – The powerfunctions stuff on it hasn’t been concealed as well as I would like. I would think that some sort of box around the motor itself would be nice, perhaps one that is nice and colourful. As for the battery box, that could also be concealed better, perhaps setting it up the way that they did with the AT-AT Walker in the Star Wars collection.

    Personally, if I get this set, I will probably buy one of the Lithium batteries and an IR detector to go with it so that I can operate it that way…. then I can speed up and slow down the carousel by remote, and the battery would be rechargeable.

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