New LEGO Harry Potter building sets coming October 2010

New LEGO Harry Potter building sets coming in October 2010 are timed perfectly to drum up fan interest right before the November opening of the first part of the movie version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The older LEGO sets affiliated with previous movies have been out of production for awhile, with some selling for literally hundreds of dollars now on amazon and ebay. Chicago families will be relieved at the chance to pick up these new sets for more reasonable prices.

LEGO Harry Potter building sets

The new LEGO Harry Potter building sets may be preordered now and will ship by October 1, 2010. Available in a variety of sizes and at a variety of price points, some are more immediately affordable than others.

The Freeing Dobby set (4736) allows children to act out the scene when Harry Potter sets Dobby the House Elf free from Lucius Malfoy. It comes with bricks for building a hall that can "push" Lucius back; minifigures of Harry, Dobby, and Lucius; and props such as spiders, flames, and Tom Riddle's Diary. It is suitable for kids ages 6 to 12 and retails for $10.99.

The Quidditch Match set (4737) lets kids stage a Quidditch match between the Slytherin team and the Gryffindor team. It comes with bricks to build Hufflepuff Tower with a spectator stand, three goal posts, and catapults; minifigures of Harry Potter, Oliver Wood, Draco Malfoy, Marcus Flint, and Madam Hooch; and props such as brooms, a Quaffle, Bludgers, the Golden Snitch, a chest, and a Quidditch trophy. It is suitable for kids ages 6 to 12 and retails for $19.99.

With the Hagrid's Hut set (4738), boys and girls can act out a typical visit to Hagrid's home. It comes with bricks to build a furnished hut that can swing open on hinges for more play, Norbert and Aragog characters, and minifigures of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Rubeus Hagrid. It is suitable for children ages 7 to 14 and retails for $39.99.

With The Burrow set (4840), children can reenact the scene from the final book when the Weasleys' home is under attack by Death Eaters. It comes with bricks to build a three-story furnished house, the patch of reeds where Ginny flees, and a fireplace for traveling by Floo powder, as well as minifigures of Harry Potter, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Fenrir Greyback, and Bellatrix Lestrange. Suitable for children ages 7 to 14, it retails for $59.99.

With the new Hogwarts Express set (4841), kids can act out scenes when Harry and his friends leave the Muggle world for a new school year at Hogwarts. It comes with bricks to build the train itself (including magnetic elements to keep the train cars together), a food trolley, and Arthur Weasley's flying car (to ride to Hogwarts if characters miss the train), as well as minifigures of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Draco Malfoy, and props like luggage and owls. Suitable for kids ages 8 to 14, it retails for $79.99.

The Hogwarts Castle building set (4842) is designed to allow kids to play out imaginative scenarios based on the conflict at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but could also be used to stage the battle at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It comes with bricks to build Hogwarts Castle with features such as Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms, a sliding staircase in Dumbledore's office, and the Astronomy Tower, as well as minifigures of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Lord Voldemort, Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Argus Filch (with his cat Mrs. Norris), and two Dementors. Suitable for kids ages 8 to 14, it retails for $129.99.

LEGO Harry Potter products

If history is any guide, these sets too will go out of production, so Harry Potter fans inclined to collect and play with them should do so within the next year or two (or wait and end up paying $100 to $500 for them on ebay or amazon). For the most part, they are tweaked or updated version of previous sets, so kids who already have good collections of Harry Potter LEGO sets may not feel as pressured to collect these as well.

LEGO Harry Potter fans will also be interested in the LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 video game and the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts board game currently available at Chicagoland LEGO Stores and other area toy stores such as Target or Toys R Us.

Chicago families can purchase or preorder these new LEGO building sets at the LEGO Store online or at LEGO Stores in Downtown Chicago, Northbrook, Orland Park, or Schaumburg.

You may also like: