I might have grown up on classic Lego, but I've got my eye on these 12 modern sets thanks to some tempting Amazon discounts

I've been a Lego fan my whole life. As a child who grew up in India in the '80s and '90s, my source for the classic sets was my pilot uncle who'd bring me a new one every time he flew the India-to-Germany route. Between ages 5 and 13, he brought be 4 sets and I still have the last one.

Now, in my 40s, I'm still fascinated by the popular building blocks. A few years ago I'd have been lusting after the camera sets (I am a photographer), but now I find I like the Botanicals series, and these can usually be had for not a lot of money on a regular basis. Considering I've killed a lucky bamboo before, the Lego version stays green day in and day out.

That said, I love the Architecture series — the more complicated the build, the better!

As far as the other franchises go — I'm a Trekkie to the core and can't get past even a small discount on the USS Enterprise model. I do enjoy Star Wars, but I don't much care for the ship builds; I do, however, make an exception for Jabba the Hutt's barge. And if I had to pick any other Star Wars-franchise Lego set, I'd go with one of the droids.

Of course, I can't leave the Harry Potter franchise out of this collection and, again I prefer the bigger builds, admittedly keeping in line with my liking for the Architecture series. And while I'm not a gamer and wouldn't normally pick any of the Mario sets, I think Bowser is adorable and a Game Boy too much of a classic to leave out.

If, like me, you love all things Lego, then the good news is you can grab a set now — my 12 picks below begin at just AU$39, and they make lovely gifts too. But hurry as Amazon's Big Smile Sale ends at 11:59pm AEDT on Sunday, March 22.

Want more Lego inspiration? Consider one of the Lego Smart Play sets for a more interactive experience — and they're discounted too.