Lego’s tradition of headlining its annual Black Friday sale with the launch of a new large-scale set has returned with a detailed model of a famous oceanic ship: The Endurance. The 3,011-piece set costs $270 and is available to order now. It comes with three bonus sets through Cyber Monday, including one you can only get by purchasing The Endurance.
Lego Black Friday Sale Exclusive Sets:
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Lego aimed for authenticity with this replica model, and while I’m no expert of early 19th century boats, it definitely looks the part. You may want to start reorganizing your display shelves while you wait for the kit to arrive, because the completed build takes up a lot of space. The Endurance is 31.5 inches long, 9.5 inches wide, and the highest of the 10 sails stretches 18.5 inches from the ground.
The Endurance is a three-masted barquentine vessel with 10 sails. Lego’s replica features a plethora of moving parts. You can remove sections of the multi-level build to get a glimpse at the port and starboard cabins as well as the steam engine. It comes with four lifeboats that can be detached from the deck, a functional wheel that, when turned, moves the rudder, and a chained bower anchor.
If you’re unfamiliar with this ship, The Endurance was owned by Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. While on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914, The Endurance encountered drift ice and became stuck. Shackleton and crew floated without control for months before finally abandoning ship. The Endurance sank in 1915. More than 100 years would pass before a person laid eyes on the wreckage. The Endurance was discovered on the Antarctic seafloor during a 2022 expedition. The largely intact wreckage sits nearly 10,000 feet below the surface.
The reason why there’s a Lego model kit based on The Endurance is the same reason why people still talk about the doomed voyage today: Shackleton and his entire 27-man crew survived the expedition.
Rather fittingly, the exclusive Black Friday weekend freebie that comes with The Endurance is Shackleton’s Lifeboat. Valued at $25, the 232-piece kit includes minifigures of Shackleton and photographer Frank Hurley, who was instrumental in saving the lives of his crewmates. You’ll also get a few accessories, including an oar and camera.
Like usual, Lego has incentivized dropping hundreds of dollars during Black Friday weekend by throwing in multiple freebies. Shackleton’s Lifeboat is exclusive to those who purchase The Endurance from now through Cyber Monday. The exclusivity of the Black Friday freebies with the annual new release makes them highly sought after by collectors–there are already ridiculously priced reseller listings on eBay.
All shoppers who reach two thresholds on Lego orders this weekend can get the other freebies. The 294-piece Winter Holiday Train comes with all orders of $170 and up. And if you hit $250 on your order, you’ll also get the 310-piece Retro Record Player. Part of the Lego Creator series, the Winter Holiday Train features a locomotive and two detachable carriages filled with wrapped presents. The limited-edition Retro Record Player includes a buildable LP record that you can “play” by dropping the needle. It has a hinged lid that can be closed.
Because those two freebies are available to everyone who spends $170 or $250, even Lego sets that aren’t actually discounted during Lego’s Black Friday sale can prove to be quite popular. Essentially, you’re getting a “deal” on all of Lego’s sets priced $170 and up–though you can buy lower-priced sets, as only your total order cost is what matters here.
As such, if you’ve been eyeing The Legend of Zelda: The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 Set, now’s a great time to buy the $300 display model. If you buy 2,500-piece Zelda Lego set this weekend, you will get the Winter Holiday Train and Retro Record Player for free. But keep in mind that The Great Deku Tree is already on backorder unitl mid-December, so you’ll want to move fast if you want it to arrive before Christmas.