Santa's Workshop

As an AFOL I wanted to have a small Christmas display for the holidays. So I have Santa's Workshop (10245), the Winter Toy Shop (10249), the 2016 Holiday Train (10254), and the 2015 limited edition Gingerbread House (40139). The house looks great, I really like the little details inside (like the letters to Santa). The toy making machine and conveyor belt is cute. The reindeer are a bit cheesy, but I'll overlook it since the rest of the set look great. more less

There's been eight Winter Village sets over the years, with one released each year, dating back to 2009. This is my first one, and I'm hoping to get some more. If you see this one, especially as it's an older one, grab it while you can. more less

I bought this set way back in October of 2014, and when I got it I was very delighted. I was happy that it was a cheap price so I could purchase this for myself instead of asking for it for Christmas. I was very ecstatic to see that Santa had a red bag this time instead of the regular old brown bag. I like how Santa has his own "letter" room, which has 3 letters from children in the Winter Village. Santa's chair is pretty detailed and looks comfy for santa to be reading those letters. There's even a fire in the fireplace to keep Mr. & Mrs. Claus nice and toasty. Pros: - Ladder to upper room. - Christmas Tree - Detailed & nice chimney. - Santa's Sleigh is very detailed and can have 4 reindeer 'hooked' on to it - Christmas lights!! - You get a baby reindeer, and like others on here, I used one of the extra 1x1 red studs to make it Rudolph - Lots of presents & toys - Toymaker 2000 Cons: - Christmas Tree is on the smaller side, but still cool nonetheless. - A few stickers - North Pole sign is small, but I still like it. The cons are nitpicky since they are the only things I can find wrong with the set! I recommend you buy it before it gets sold out/retires! more less

Overall, the Santa's Workshop set is a nice set. I enjoyed building the main house (and the sleigh) but the workshop half plus the tiny Christmas tree left me a bit disappointed. I get that LEGO was probably shooting for a lower price mark than some of the other recent Winter Village sets...but in this case I think a higher price would have been preferred if it meant a more fleshed out workshop space! more less

The building process is interesting and not quite suitable for our younger builders since this set is targeted at the age of 12 plus and above. The minifigures are fun to play with except the disappointment of Mrs Claus. It could have been better. The finished building and the numerous components that form the entire Santa's Workshop is amazing. more less

The weakest thing of the set is the simplicity of its construction, but it's well balanced with the positives. It turns to a snow covered building look, which is welcome due to over the years snow has been losing from the roofs, and for “winter" sets it did not seem very logical. It is true that it's a set that does not fit with other “winter" sets because unlike them, this is not a city building such as the previous ones, but… who has not ever wanted to see Santa Claus' house and workshop? Moreover, it is a funny set because of the minifigs and the reindeers, honestly the best of the set. more less

Set 10245 Santa's Workshop is classic Winter Village fare and it fits seamlessly into the series. The neat little details, interesting building techniques and rare colours which have been a feature of the sets since their debut in 2009 are all present and correct, and I can see the set gracing many a Christmas display. My main criticism is the insubstantial nature of the workshop itself – picture perfect it may be, but it's small, and the left side is sparsely furnished and doesn't even have a roof. That having been said, it's evident that a large proportion of the elements have gone into the reindeers and sleigh, the toy-making machine and the other accessories, and a trade off presumably had to be made to hit the target price point. more less

This set shows a great balance. Although it's small in size the wealth of details make up for it. It is a great choice to build with children as a fun family tradition, and it's also very playable, especially with the reindeer and the diverse choice of gifts. It's a nice addition to the Winter Village collection, and also great for a standalone display for Christmas and wintertime! more less

Stacked up against previous Winter Village sets, it's easy to see why Santa's Workshop falls a little short – the benchmark for a set to belong in the Winter Village club has been set so high that nothing short of revolutionary would've allowed it to make the cut. Which is not fair, because if I were to judge Santa's Workshop with anything other than a Winter Village lens, I would be singing its praises because it is what it is – a great set. Not perfect, but great which is all a toy really needs. more less