The 10 most expensive Lego sets See all Editor's Picks Photo via Antonio / Flickr Remix by Max Fleishman You won’t find these at your local elementary school. Lego enthusiasts can shell out serious dough for the privilege of building the coolest, rarest, most extravagant sets. Lego’s priciest advanced models are highly valued collector’s items. The most expensive retired Lego sets can fetch up to five figures. Among the most expensive include sets themed after Star Wars and major world landmarks like the Taj Mahal. What makes certain Lego sets so expensive? It’s not solely because of the number of pieces or a popular franchise tie-in like Star Wars. The value of a Lego set often skyrockets after it retires. “Rarity is the most important factor with any LEGO collectible. If a set is rare, and desirable, and continues to be rare, it will remain valuable,” said founder of Lego pricing guide BrickPicker Ed Maciorowski. Here are the top 10 most valuable Lego sets according to the Lego collector’s website Brickpicker:
Number of Pieces: 1248 Notable features: “Market Street” is Lego’s second entry in its modular building series for adult builders. The set features curved staircases and interchangeable floors. Number of Pieces: 2,056 Notable features: Lego’s “Cafe Corner” features three stories, a mosaic, and a bicycle. Number of Pieces: 3, 428 Notable features: The completed Lego Eiffel Tower is the tallest Lego model to date; standing at 42 inches. It features a French flag made out of Lego bricks. 7) Imperial Star Destroyer Number of Pieces: 1,359 Notable features: Lego’s model of the Imperial Star Destroyer ship from Star Wars includes eight synchronized cannons, an Emperor Palpatine hologram, and a Lego figure of Darth Vader. 6) Death Star II Number of Pieces: 3,447 Notable features: The Lego Death Star II is built to scale with the original and includes a super laser. Number of Pieces: 1 Notable features: Made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lego’s Minifigures series, only 5,000 Mr. Gold figures were produced in total.
4) Statue of Liberty Number of Pieces: 2,882 Notable features: Lego’s Statue of Liberty model is made entirely of sand-green bricks. Number of Pieces: 3,263 Notable features: Lego’s electricity-powered Grand Carousel spins and plays music. Number of Pieces: 5,922 Notable features: Lego’s Taj Mahal became the company’s largest set when it was released in 2008. Number of Pieces: 5, 174 Notable features: Lego’s “Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon” is the largest Star Wars set and the second-largest Lego set ever made. It features Lego figures of Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Up next after the break:From Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter, the Lego company has managed to turn pretty much everything into brick gold we can't get enough of. Its insanely popular Lego Star Wars collection has been selling consistently since the first sets were released in 1999 and, thanks to the release of The Force Awakens last year, the Lego Star Wars hype train doesn't seem to be slowing down.
Here we check out some of the best Lego Star Wars sets currently available that are bound to awaken the Lego lover inside you. LEGO Star Wars First Order Battle Pack, £11.99 This First Order Battle Pack building set is a great way to introduce younger children to the world of Lego Star Wars. Despite the the 6-12 age range, it's just as detailed as some of the more advanced sets, featuring a First Order 'turbolaser' turret with a 'stud shooter' and opening hatches to reveal both a weapons storage area and a control centre. The set also include four mini-figurines: two First Order stormtroopers, one First Order technician, and one First Order crew member, each with their own 'stud blaster'. LEGO Star Wars Resistance X-Wing Fighter Building Set, £8.99 Though it's not one for the more serious collectors around (it's not a challenging build), this X-Wing Fighter set will keep children aged six upwards entertained for hours. LEGO Star Wars 75105 Millennium Falcon, from £94.96
Ideal for any budding Lego set collectors, this detailed model of the iconic Millennium Falcon comes with seven mini-figurines (Rey, Finn, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Tasu Leech, a Kanjiklub Gang Member, and a BB-8 Droid) to help you recreate The Force Awakens. The set comes with a detachable cockpit with space for two mini-figurines, rotating top and bottom laser turrets with a hatch and space for one mini-figurine, dual spring-loaded shooters, a sensor dish, ramp and more. The interior is even more impressive, containing a detailed 'hyperdrive', a 'holochess board' - like the one seen in the films - a secret compartment and storage space for spring-loaded shooter ammo. LEGO Star Wars Death Star, £579 This incredibly detailed replica of The Empire's Death Star is the ultimate Star Wars set. It features an impressive variety of scenes and locations from Episodes IV and VI on its multiple decks including the Death Star control room, the Emperor's throne room, the detention block, the Imperial conference chamber and much more.
The set includes a 24 mini-figurines - including six found only in this set, such as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in their stormtrooper outfits, an assassin droid and two Death Star troopers. The battle station is 41 cm tall and 42 cm wide. LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon, £4,500 Priced at £4,500, this Ultimate Collector's Millenium Falcon - the iconic ship piloted by Han Solo in the original three movies and Rey in The Force Awakens - is the most valuable Lego set in the world, even beating the largest Lego set of all time (the Taj Mahal, with 5,922 pieces) which is worth £2100. The 5,195-piece set is the second largest Lego set ever created and was originally released in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Wars at a retail price of around £374. Today's more lucrative price tag can be attributed to the fact that, unlike other models of the Falcon, this is a true collectors item. It weighs in at over 22 pounds and is the size of a small table.