Why Do People Collect LEGO Sets?

In the Previous article, The Brick That Changed The World we discussed a little about the history of The LEGO Group and its founder Ole Kirk Christiansen. Just like any other collectible,we discussed how throughout a set's lifespan, the set will come out, be for sale (for a limited period of time) and eventually retire. People collect LEGO sets for a variety of reasons, such as recreating iconic landmarks, sharing a creative experience with loved ones, or just as an investment.

As of today it seems LEGO keeps continuing to grow in popularity, especially among adults. In recent years, the company has increasingly designed sets that cater to adult interests while still appealing to children. Examples of these sets include:

What do These Sets Have in Common?

These sets are all unique in that they are 18+ and meant for adults, which means the theming, the build difficulty is turned up and the playability features are much more toned down so that these sets serve more of display pieces rather than traditional “toys” to be played with. The strength of the company seems to be at times high as of late however it wasn't always like this.

A New Hope For LEGO

In the late 90's and early 2000's LEGO almost went bankrupt due to taking more financial risks with experimental pieces and opening several theme parks around the world. The company came very close to going out of business but in what might be considered the best decision the company has ever made, in 1999 they acquired the rights to produce Star Wars sets. This decision made the company so profitable that they bounced back from being several hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. The reason the Star Wars sets blew up in popularity was also because George Lucas was simultaneously working on the new prequel trilogy of movies. These new sets came out alongside Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Capturing the imagination of both the kids of the 2000's and their parents, the kids of 70's and 80's, the Star Wars line of LEGO sets were an immediate success. Until recently Star Wars has remained one of, if not the most, popular LEGO theme to date. In fact the most expensive standard LEGO set that was ever produced remains the popular 10123 LEGO Star Wars Cloud City. This set depicts several famous scenes from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where, spoiler alert… Darth Vader is revealed to be Luke Skywalker's father (sorry, if you haven't seen it).

Why was this set such a good investment?

The retail price for 10123 LEGO Star Wars Cloud City in 2003 was only $99.99 today it goes for an estimated $3,000 (used) and $8,000 (New) with some reported sales in the past few years getting as high as ~$12,000. Another big reason for the steep price and popularity of this set was the collection of minifigures it included. Minifigures, or “minifigs,” are the tiny, posable figurines that come with most LEGO sets and they're often a major factor in a set's appeal. In fact, the value of certain sets can skyrocket solely because of a single four piece figurine. Investing in minifigures is a unique corner of the LEGO market in itself, which we explored in depth in the article The Best LEGO Investments (Pt. 3)!

Cloud City was the first LEGO set to feature a minifigure with a non-yellow skin tone. The character Lando Calrissian made history as the first brown minifigure. This paired with the fact that the set also included the fan favorite Boba Fett character and depicted some of the most iconic scenes from the star wars franchise.

The Best LEGO Set Investments

Since the early 2000s, LEGO has steadily expanded its roster of licensed themes beyond Star Wars, partnering with major franchises like Harry Potter, Marvel and DC Super Heroes, Indiana Jones, and Pirates of the Caribbean. These collaborations helped introduce new audiences to the LEGO brand and transformed the collectible market. Each of these themes has produced standout sets that have become highly sought after by collectors and investors alike. Let's take a look at which sets we believe delivered the best returns on investment.

Classic

A relatively new theme Classic has been around since 2018. These sets are usually a collection of bricks meant for free building. Although not the most popular sets for investing, a few of these sets have gone up in value since retirement. The most notable is set 10405 Mission to Mars, consisting of 871 pieces. This set originally retailed at $59.99 and currently goes for $100. That is a +66% increase in value.

Art

Art A relatively new Theme the Art sets were released in 2020. These sets included images of famous icons and individuals typically created with studs as a mosaic. The most notable set from this collection is the 31203 World Map, the biggest LEGO set to date in terms of piece count (11,695 pieces). Originally released in 2021 at a price of $249.99, the set is currently worth $700, which is an increase of +180%.

Disney

A relatively new theme, Disney has been around since 2017. The best set for investment from this theme, 41145 Ariel and the Magical Spell, This 222 piece set was originally priced at $29.99 and currently goes for around $90, making this set have a gain of about +200%.

In the next article, The Best LEGO Investments (Pt. 2) we continue going through the list of the best LEGO set investments!