Lego Ghost (30201) polybag

Theme: Monster Fighters

Pieces: 31

Build time: 5-10 minutes

Year: 2012

RRP: See below

The Background

In spite of my initial scepticism about the Monster Fighters theme when I first encountered it in 2012, I have become quite a fan. Christmas 2013 saw my parents (very) generously purchase for me Lord Vampyre’s Castle, which now occupies pride of place on my bedroom floor. But I was lacking a ghost to haunt said castle, and that had to be rectified.

So I bought this set -- a polybag that containing a ghost, complete with Marley-esque chain, and a grandfather clock.

The Minifigure

When I was but a youth, I had a friend that I'm pretty sure owned this set, from Lego’s long-running Castle theme. The included ghost minifigure was unlike any other I had ever seen. There were ghosts in the world of Lego? Perhaps most amazingly, IT GLOWED IN THE DARK!

I was, of course, rather jealous. But though I owned a handful of Castle stuff, my Lego interests were more focused around the Pirates and variations of Space. So I never ended up getting one of these bad boys.

Flash forward more than 20 years, and I finally have my own ghost minifigure. On the whole, I think he lives up to expectations. This one is a little different to most modern versions – he doesn’t have any legs, but instead a small brick. A ball and chain plugs into the bottom of this to provide him with a “foot”, and he’s balanced by attaching a single stud to the other empty slot. It’s a neat little system, and the addition of the ball and chain separates him from the ghosts that are included in the other Monster Fighter sets.

And does he glow in the dark? You bet he does!

The Build

As might be expected, it didn’t take long to put this bad boy together. I think it was around 5 minutes, while watching an episode of The Middle.  
The clock works well for the ominous Monster Fighters theme, but could be easily transplanted into your average Creator house. I’ve never really seen Lego do a set like this, and I thought it was really cool. It’s a bit of a shame that it seems to be restricted to this fairly limited release. For the time being, it sits in a tower of Lord Vampyre’s castle, chiming every hour and irritating the bat-creatures that hang from  the building.

Overall

This set isn’t particularly hard to find, but it’s now discontinued and getting expensive. I paid $18AUD, which seems about standard, and was fortunate enough to find an Australian seller who didn’t charge me for postage. International sellers may have it cheaper, but you’ll probably pay a bomb for postage.

Still, it’s a fun little set and one of the cooler ways to get hold of an individual Lego Ghost – on that basis it comes recommended. If you can find it cheaper than I did, grab it!

 

  "Dammit, ghost! I'm trying to sleep -- go and clank somewhere else!"