New Magnet sets out

LEGO has released a variety of new magnet sets recently. They've done some neat magnet sets in the past, but these new minifig-based ones are particularly cool - for around $15 US per set, you get 3 minifigs (usually fairly hard-to-find ones, often ones only otherwise available in fairly expensive sets) and 3 magnet pieces. The minifigs are completely removable from the special magnet brick (which is larger than older magnet bricks and includes a "stand" of sorts for the minifig). Take the set pictured here, for example - you get three hard-to-find minifigs from some of the most expensive sets (based on price-per-piece ratios) that LEGO makes right now. The magnet bricks (which I'm sure people will build some great things with before long) are almost like a freebie once you factor in what people pay for some of these individual minifigs on BrickLink. These are a great way to start building in new directions (right on the fridge!) and to build up an exciting minifigure collection quickly. There are some other new things showing up on LEGO Shop-at-Home lately as well - more of the Farm sets in particular, but sets in a variety of other themes too. You never know what you'll find on there - for example, I just found out that the Troll Battle Wheel set is on sale at a great price. I suspect we'll be seeing quite a few good sets and good prices come and go in the months to come - LEGO is phasing out the 2008 items fairly quickly now (my guess is that they sold more of them during 2008 than they expected to, and now have decided to focus on newer items) in favor of the sets released recently and the sets introduced at Toy Fair.