850425: Desk Business Card Holder review

My desk at work is just full of nonsense that does not really relate to work – by that I mean I have diecast models and LEGO smattering everywhere. Now I work with only three other people so I can get away with having such things on there – within our London office, it is all open planned and we have a clear desk policy – so I would not get away with it.

I have not really bought much in the way of LEGO novelty sets at all – don’t really see the need, but since getting back into LEGO big time and gaining the title AFOL (can you award this to yourself? Should you put it on your LinkedIn profile?) I decided to tip a recent Shop at Home LEGO order over £50 to get some freebie I cannot remember which one. And within that order was the LEGO Desk Business Card Holder.

I do have business cards – they are like those football swaps you have – too many of the same kind and sometimes it would be nice to have some from other customers as well, so what better way to access them at hand by storing them within a LEGO build.

Official description

Build your very own Business Card Holder!

• What’s the best way to show off your building credentials? Build your very own Business Card Holder out of LEGO® bricks! The set includes letters plates for building a business card, and 2 minifigures. A great gift for LEGO fans!
• Includes 2 minifigures: boy and girl
• Use the letter plates to build a business card!
• Makes a great gift for LEGO® fans!
• 150 pieces.

The Review

Comprising of 150 pieces, this set is mainly made up of 1×2 bricks in yellow, red, blue and green as well as the all important 1×1 letter tile plates as well as a natty 2×2 LEGO printed tile plate. There are two minifigures that come with it, male and female. Just so that you have a minifigure.

The box branding is very similar to the Creator series in colour and style – very yellow affair. Inside the map is a traditional fold out which I always smile about as that is what they were back in the day.

The build itself is very simple. Me being a smart alec tried to build from sight only but my Homer Simpson took over and I had to revert to the map D’Oh! I must have been having a bad day or summat. It took less than 5 mins to build, so very straight forward if followed. And what of the model? TBH, I feel a bit jipped.

You can very easily create this yourself as a MOC using your own elements – nothing difficult at all. Take a 4×12 base plate and grow from there. Simples. The minifigures don’t add anything at all apart from the fact that they are minifigures – so they would be better off in a City scene.

What really hacked me off was the distinct lack of letters and numbers as part of the 1×1 flat tiles. You stand little or no chance of getting your name fully spelt correctly as you will just be missing some letters. The set comes with a 6×10 yellow base plate and I tried to add my email address to it – ended up missing a ‘T’ on the end and fudged it by using a ‘L’ and and ‘I’ turned around to make a T.

Not good at all.This really is a novelty set and now I do ask myself why I actually bothered when I could have bought a City set in lieu.

You have to be pretty hardcore to ensure that this is part of your collection. As a practical thing, it does the job and little more of holding some cards.

It is now a retired set, but I have seen it on Amazon US for $22+……….so if you do come across it for sale, approach with caution. You are better off building a MOC version yourself and the letter tiles don’t add anything.

Very disappointing.