Review: LEGO 40699 Retro Record Player (GWP)
1
LEGO Insiders Weekend 2024 is coming up with plenty of GWPs (gift with purchase), discounts and offers, and the big drawcard is the 40699 Retro Record Player GWP, a delightful ode to fans of vinyl and records! Here’s a quick review of the set to give you an idea of what to expect!
It does come with a hefty redemption threshold, and you need to spend US$250 / AU$400 / £220 / €250 / CAD$330 or more on LEGO.com from 23-24 November 2024, making it one of the most expensive GWPs of 2024 that isn’t tied to a specific set purchase.
I’ve prepared a detailed guide to all the LEGO Insiders 2024 pre-Black Friday offers to get you prepared for the massive weekend of LEGO promos.
If you’re planning on purchasing or pre-ordering this set, please consider using the affiliate links in this post. I may earn a small commission with each purchase that helps support the work I do on the blog!
Special thanks to LEGO for providing this set for review.
The high purchase threshold is quite unfortunate, as this is one of the best GWPs of 2024, and will likely appeal to a wide number of people, making this one of the strongest arguments for a “GWP that should’ve been a retail set”.
The model is quite large, measuring over 1.5 in. (4cm) high, 6 in. (16 cm) wide and 4.5 in. (12 cm) deep. Definitely not as big as a full-sized real-life record player, but think of this as a miniaturised LEGO model.
The build is quite fun, spread out across 4 bags, and it’s quite an engaging build. Bags 1-3 build the Record Player, and Bag 4 builds the record.
The transparent dust cover which is made out of uncommon clear panels, including the curved ones easily opens and closes.
There are some nice features such as a power button on the left, which can be nudged into the on or off position. On the other side is a volume knob, as well as a slider to control the speed of the record.
The needle can swivel to scratch the record, and when unused can be tucked in neatly into position with the little antenna piece.
The record is affixed onto some splat gears which allows the records to be spun!
Here’s a look at the back, where a clandestine grey splat gear is used to spin the record, which works quite well. I also really like the red, white and grey ports on the back, which represent the Right and Left channel, and presumably a Ground (Grey) for a cable to an amp.
The record was also a really fun build. It has a diameter of just under 4 inches, so you could pretend that it’s a novelty mini record which are usually about 3 inches across.
The biggest surprise of the set is that every single element is printed! In fact, 40699 Retro Record Player debuts these new printed elements with musical elements such as notes and equaliser bars on them.
These printed elements definitely enhance the vinyl record’s appearance, and I can’t quite remember if LEGO has ever used a gift with purchase to debut new printed elements!
For music fans, and LEGO enthusiasts who enjoy building and collecting old pieces of technology, 40699 Retro Record Player is a fun addition to the collection, which includes the likes of sets like 10334 Retro Radio, Creator 31147 Retro Camera, 21327 Typewriter and the 21345 Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera.
Here it is alongside 10334 Retro Radio, one of the sleeper LEGO hits of the year!
I really like 40699 Retro Record Player as a set, and it’s a real shame that this isn’t an actual set that fans can buy. LEGO could’ve easily sold this for US$29.99 as a Creator set, and it would fly off the shelves, especially if you’re the type of person who has a deep appreciation for retro technology, or are an active collector of vinyl, and have a sweet record player/sound system setup yourself!
The US$250 / AU$400 / £220 / €250 / CAD$330 purchase threshold is also a lot to stomach for the average fan, although if this does appeal to you, and you have a big purchase lined up, you should definitely take advantage of LEGO Insiders Weekend 2024, with Double Insider Points on all purchases.
Another upside is that if you spend enough to qualify for 40699 Retro Record Player, you’ll also receive 40700 Winter Holiday Train as both offers stack, so paired with 2x points, it’s a hard proposition to beat if you have the means.
40699 Retro Record Player is a great model, and is my 2nd favourite LEGO Gift with Purchase of 2024 after 40712 Micro Rocket Launchpad. I’ll definitely be tempted to pick up another copy for my collection, especially if there are some decent discounts for LEGO Insiders Weekend 2024, which runs from 23-24 November 2024.
Check out my detailed shopping guide to all the LEGO Insiders 2024 pre-Black Friday offers to get you prepared for the massive weekend of LEGO promos!
What do you think of the LEGO Retro Record Player? Will you be aiming to score this GWP for Insiders Weekend?
To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.
