It happens every September. LEGO fans start peering through the digital bushes of the internet, hunting for that one specific box that signals the start of the "dark months." For 2024, the centerpiece of the Winter Village Collection is finally here, and honestly, it’s a bit of a departure from the usual cozy cottages we’ve seen over the last decade. We're talking about Santa's Post Office (10339).
Is it good? Yeah. Is it what people expected? Sorta.
The LEGO holiday 2024 set selection isn't just one big building, though. It’s a whole ecosystem of plastic festive cheer ranging from botanical wreaths to tiny "stocking stuffer" dioramas. If you've been collecting these since the Winter Village Toy Shop back in 2009, you know the stakes. You’ve got a shelf—or a whole dining room table—dedicated to this plastic tundra. One wrong move, like a set that's too "juniorized" or a weird color palette, and the whole display looks wonky.
The Big One: Santa’s Post Office (10339)
Let’s get into the weeds of the main LEGO holiday 2024 set.
The Post Office is a 1,440-piece build. It retails for $99.99, which feels like a rare win in an era where LEGO prices usually climb faster than a squirrel on espresso. The first thing you notice is the roof. It’s sand green. That’s a bold choice. It stands out against the dark blues and reds of previous years like the Santa’s Visit (10293) or the Holiday Main Street (10308).
The "gimmick" here is a mail-sorting machine. You drop letters into one of two chutes, and they slide down into sorting bins. It’s simple. It’s tactile. Kids love it, but adult collectors might find it takes up a lot of internal real estate that could have been used for, I don't know, a cozy fireplace or more furniture.
Wait. The hot air balloon.
We have to talk about the balloon. Instead of a traditional delivery truck or a sleigh, this post office uses a large, brick-built hot air balloon with a gold-colored burner. It’s striking. It sits on a little landing pad next to the building. Some purists hate it because it feels a bit "fantasy" compared to the more grounded Victorian vibes of earlier sets, but it adds some much-needed verticality to a display.
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Why the 2024 Botanical Collection is Actually Better for Some
Not everyone wants a literal North Pole scene. LEGO figured this out a few years ago and started leaning hard into the Botanical Collection. For the 2024 holiday season, we got the LEGO Icons Poinsettia (10340) and the LEGO Icons Wreath (10340).
Honestly? These are the sets you buy if you want your partner to let you keep LEGO in the living room during a fancy dinner party.
The Wreath is surprisingly complex. It uses almost 1,200 pieces, many of which are just different shades of green foliage. You can customize it with red berries, white berries, or orange slices. It’s 100% "adult" LEGO. No minifigures. No play features. Just a piece of decor that looks suspiciously real from five feet away.
The Poinsettia is smaller but equally clever. It uses "Grand Piano" pedals in red to mimic the leaves. That's the kind of NPU (Nice Part Usage) that makes veteran builders geek out. It sits in a woven-look basket that’s also built from bricks. It’s $49.99. It’s a perfect gift for the person who kills every real plant they touch.
Small Sets, Big Impact
Don’t sleep on the seasonal stuff. Usually, the "Holiday Main Street" or the "Post Office" gets the glory, but the 2024 "add-ons" are where the charm is.
Take the Christmas Table Decor (40743). It’s a red candle surrounded by berries and foliage. It’s tiny. It’s cheap. It’s also a great centerpiece. Then there’s the Gingerbread Ornaments (40642). These have been around for a minute, but they remain the best way to integrate LEGO into a literal Christmas tree without the weight snapping the branches.
And then there's the LEGO Advent Calendars.
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Every year, people complain about the Star Wars and Marvel calendars being "filler." For 2024, the Star Wars one actually celebrates the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, featuring a holiday-themed Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in "ugly sweaters." If you're a collector, that’s the gold. The Disney one is fine, mostly just mini-dolls, but the City and Friends calendars are still the best value for getting a bunch of random "props" for your winter village.
The Problem with 2024's Direction
Okay, let's be real for a second.
Some long-time fans feel the LEGO holiday 2024 set lineup is getting a bit too... colorful?
The Post Office has a very bright, almost pastel-adjacent feel in certain lights. If you compare it to the 2014 Santa's Workshop (10245), the 2024 version feels much more "toy-like" and less "collectible model." Is that a bad thing? Depends on why you build. If you're building with your seven-year-old, the Post Office is a 10/10. If you’re a 40-year-old architect trying to build a realistic snowy New England village, you might find yourself modding that sand green roof immediately.
Also, the interior space in the Post Office is tight. It’s a "dollhouse" style build—open in the back. Because of the sorting machine mechanism, there isn't much room for the elves to move around. It feels a bit cramped compared to the Alpine Lodge (10325) from 2023, which had much better internal flow.
How to Style Your 2024 Holiday Display
If you’re picking up the Post Office, don’t just plop it on a white tablecloth and call it a day.
- Elevation is key. Use white baseplates (large ones, if you can find them) and prop them up with books or wooden blocks underneath the cloth. This creates "hills." A Post Office looks way better if it’s sitting slightly higher than the rest of the town.
- Lighting Kits. Seriously. If you’re spending $100 on a set, spend another $20 on a third-party LED kit (like Light My Bricks or BriksMax). The Post Office has a light brick included for the fireplace, but it only glows when you press it. A full wiring kit makes the windows glow warm yellow all night. It changes everything.
- The "Cotton Wool" Sin. Please, stop using loose cotton balls for snow. They get stuck in the studs and are a nightmare to clean. Use white fabric or specific "snow blankets" from craft stores. Your bricks will thank you.
What’s Missing This Year?
We didn't get a train.
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Every few years, LEGO drops a holiday train, and 2024 wasn't the year. People are still hunting for the retired Winter Holiday Train (10254) on the secondary market, and prices are stupid high—often double the original retail. If you're building a village this year and don't have a train, you're stuck looking at the Emerald Night (if you're rich) or trying to motorize the Hogwarts Express. It’s a gap in the 2024 lineup that feels noticeable.
Actionable Buying Strategy
If you're on a budget but want the "best" of the LEGO holiday 2024 set offerings, here is the move:
Skip the big Post Office if you already have a "village" feel going and it doesn't match. Instead, grab the Botanical Wreath. It’s a more sophisticated build and lasts forever as a decoration.
However, if you're starting a collection from scratch, the Santa’s Post Office is actually a great anchor point. It comes with four elves and a Santa minifigure, which gives you an instant "population" for your display.
Pro Tip: Buy your holiday sets in October or early November. By mid-December, the "Out of Stock" sign on LEGO.com becomes a permanent fixture, and you’ll be forced to deal with eBay scalpers who want $150 for a $100 set. Also, look out for the "GWP" (Gift With Purchase) windows. Usually, in late November (around Black Friday), LEGO gives away a small exclusive holiday set if you spend over a certain amount. That’s when you pull the trigger on the Post Office to maximize your "free" bricks.
Check the piece count-to-price ratio too. The Post Office sits at around 7 cents per piece. That’s excellent value. For comparison, some Star Wars sets hover around 10 to 12 cents. You’re getting a lot of plastic for your money here.
Next Steps for Your Build
Go check your shelf space right now. Measure it. The Post Office is about 8 inches high and 11 inches wide. If you’re planning to add the hot air balloon, you need extra clearance.
Once you have the space cleared, look into "MOC" (My Own Creation) instructions on sites like Rebrickable. People are already Designing "B-Models" for the Post Office that turn it into a more traditional cabin if the "sorting machine" isn't your vibe.
Get the Poinsettia for the coffee table. Get the Post Office for the tradition. Avoid the scalpers. And for the love of all things brick-built, don't lose the tiny translucent "letter" tiles in the carpet. They’re a nightmare to find.