Pantasy Telescope 85054 Review – A Beautiful Build That Earns Its Place on Display

Pantasy Telescope 85054 Review – A Beautiful Build That Earns Its Place on Display

Pantasy's Retro Collection has become one of the most interesting ranges I've followed, largely because the sets don't feel like traditional building models. They're recreations of objects from another era, combining clever building techniques with designs that can sit comfortably on a shelf as decorative pieces in their own right.

Having now built several sets from the collection, I've also started to get a much clearer idea of what I want from it.

My favourite remains the Kerosene Lamp. It's a beautiful object, a rewarding build and, for me, represents exactly what this collection does best.

The Telescope doesn't quite replace it at the top, but it comes considerably closer than some of the other recent additions to the Retro Collection.

The Build Experience

I really enjoyed the build experience with the Telescope.

The model builds up in distinct stages, which keeps things interesting and gives you a real sense of progression as the telescope begins to take shape. It's a steady, satisfying build rather than a particularly difficult one, but there's enough going on throughout to keep it engaging.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed was watching the colour palette come together. The combination of gold and brown is beautiful and perfectly suited to the vintage aesthetic Pantasy is aiming for.

The shaping is another highlight. There are curves and rounded sections throughout the model, and I really enjoyed seeing how they're achieved using bricks.

The building techniques are genuinely interesting, particularly around the tripod legs and telescope mount. Rather than relying on newly designed specialist pieces to achieve those shapes, the designers have worked within the existing building system.

That's something I really appreciate.

There's a cleverness to seeing familiar elements used in ways you might not immediately expect, and for me that makes a build much more rewarding. You come away with a greater appreciation for the work of the designers, but you also feel as though you've taken something from the experience yourself.

There are techniques and solutions here that make you think about how you might approach your own builds differently.

As those individual sections come together, they create something that feels far more elegant than you might expect from a brick-built telescope.

Most importantly, I found myself enjoying the journey towards the finished model rather than simply wanting to see what it looked like at the end.

Brick Quality

At this stage, I think it's probably time I stopped spending too much of these reviews talking about Pantasy's brick quality.

It's consistently excellent.

The clutch is strong, the bricks feel robust and the colours remain remarkably consistent. Pantasy has delivered this time and again, and excellent brick quality has simply become something I expect when opening one of their sets.

What is worth talking about with the Telescope, however, is the finish.

The chrome, bronze and metallic elements are superb. They're rich, consistent and genuinely elevate the vintage appearance of the model. Combined with the brown elements, they give the Telescope a warmth and authenticity that would be difficult to achieve with standard colours alone.

Pantasy does these finishes exceptionally well. In fact, the quality and consistency of the chrome and bronze elements put many other brick manufacturers to shame.

Unless something changes, I think from this point forward Pantasy's brick quality it's no longer something they need to prove with every new release.

Display Presence

Like the Kerosene Lamp, I see the Telescope primarily as a display piece.

When I look at Pantasy's Retro Collection as a whole, I've increasingly come to see these sets as beautiful brick-built objects designed to earn a place on a shelf. Some have functionality and interactive features, but those aren't necessarily the reason I want them in my collection.

And as a display piece, the Telescope absolutely works.

The combination of brown, gold, bronze and chrome gives it a wonderful vintage appearance, while the curved telescope body and carefully constructed tripod create a distinctive silhouette.

It looks elegant rather than obviously brick-built. From a short distance, it could easily pass as a decorative model rather than a traditional building set.

Much like the Kerosene Lamp, it's something I would happily put on a shelf simply because I enjoy looking at it.

That's where I see its real value.

Interactive Features

The Telescope does have interactive features, and they're a nice addition.

The telescope can be adjusted and positioned, while the viewing system gives the model something more than simply being a static recreation. These touches demonstrate that Pantasy hasn't concentrated solely on appearance; there's some clever engineering behind the finished model as well.

However, I think there's an important distinction between having interactive features and being a model designed for regular interaction.

This is definitely the former.

The tripod construction and telescope mount mean you need to be relatively careful when adjusting or repositioning it. Repeated handling can cause sections to move, become displaced or occasionally come apart if too much pressure is applied in the wrong place.

Interestingly, some of that is probably a consequence of the building techniques I praised earlier.

Pantasy has created the tripod and mount through clever combinations of existing elements rather than relying on large bespoke pieces. There's inevitably a trade-off between achieving those shapes through traditional building techniques and creating something designed to withstand constant handling.

For me, the interactive features are therefore best viewed as an added extra.

I'll adjust it. I'll demonstrate it. I'll appreciate the engineering behind it.

Then I'll position the Telescope exactly how I want it and put it on display.

And that's absolutely fine, because that's where this model is at its best.

Value for Money

At $84, the Telescope isn't one of the cheapest sets in Pantasy's Retro Collection, so naturally you're going to expect something fairly substantial for your money.

As a display piece, I think it delivers.

If you're looking for something beautiful and a little different to add to your collection, there's plenty here to justify the price. The colour palette, metallic finishes, unusual shaping and clever building techniques combine to create something distinctive.

It's also simply not a subject we see recreated particularly often in brick form.

You're getting an enjoyable and interesting building experience followed by an unusual display model that can comfortably sit alongside the best-looking sets in Pantasy's Retro Collection.

The value proposition becomes slightly more complicated if you're buying it primarily for its interactive features.

If you intend to regularly adjust and reposition the model, you may want to make some modifications during the build to strengthen certain areas. That's certainly possible within the building system, but it potentially means additional pieces and therefore additional cost after purchase.

Ultimately, whether $84 represents good value depends on what you want from it.

As a frequently handled interactive model, there are compromises.

As an enjoyable building experience that leaves you with something unusual and beautiful to display, I think it's good value for money.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with the Pantasy Telescope.

The build experience is one of its greatest strengths. There are genuinely clever techniques throughout, the construction of the tripod and mount demonstrates some excellent design work, and watching those brown, gold, bronze and chrome elements gradually come together is incredibly satisfying.

Once finished, it's also a beautiful object.

For me, that's ultimately what Pantasy's Retro Collection does best.

At their best, these sets provide an interesting building experience and leave you with something unusual and attractive enough to earn a permanent place on display.

The Telescope achieves that.

Its biggest weakness is stability. The interactive features are welcome and demonstrate some clever engineering, but the structure doesn't lend itself particularly well to frequent handling. If interaction is particularly important to you, some additional strengthening during the build may be worthwhile.

That limitation is also why my overall score isn't simply an average of the individual categories. There are areas where the Telescope performs extremely well, particularly its appearance and construction, but as a complete package the compromises around stability prevent it from becoming one of the truly outstanding sets in the collection.

And after building several sets from this series, my opinion at the top hasn't changed.

The Kerosene Lamp remains the star of Pantasy's Retro Collection.

For me, it's still the set that best combines an enjoyable build with a finished model that genuinely feels like a decorative object rather than simply a brick-built recreation.

The Telescope doesn't quite reach those heights, but it certainly deserves a place alongside it.

Overall Score: 7/10

Build: 7/10 – An enjoyable and rewarding build with some genuinely clever techniques.

Brick Quality: 8/10 – Consistently excellent, with particularly impressive chrome, bronze and metallic finishes.

Design: 7/10 – Attractive shaping and some clever solutions using existing elements.

Display: 8/10 – This is where the Telescope shines. Distinctive, elegant and genuinely beautiful on a shelf.

Interactive Features: 5/10 – Some nice ideas and clever engineering, but the stability limits how much you'll actually want to handle it.

Value: 6/10 – Good value as a premium display model, although those wanting greater stability may need to invest in some additional pieces.

Overall: 7/10

A beautiful and rewarding addition to Pantasy's Retro Collection, even if the Kerosene Lamp is still the one to beat.

Pantasy Anniversary Special Offers

Get Yours

If you've been thinking about picking up the Telescope, or indeed anything else from Pantasy's collection, their Anniversary Campaign might be the perfect opportunity. From August 6–31, Pantasy's official website is offering 20% off sitewide, alongside 1.6x member points on purchases. Members can also redeem their points for exclusive gifts, including Pantasy T-shirts and display cases, while orders over $249 will receive a free acrylic display case. For those who prefer Amazon, Pantasy's Anniversary promotion runs from August 1–16, with discounts across the store and selected sets reduced by up to 35%. So, if there's been a Pantasy set sitting on your wish list, this could be a very good time to finally pick it up.