The Ten Most Expensive LEGO Toys and Collectibles

For over 90 years, LEGO has manufactured quality toys that entertain both children and adults. While they initially crafted typical wooden toys, their business exploded after they introduced the LEGO building brick. The company designed these plastic bricks to link together so that they could build nearly everything securely. The ambitions of the builds expanded as LEGO introduced new styles of bricks and sets.

To help introduce the LEGO brick system, this Danish company welcomed customers to the Town System Set. Over the years, their selection of themes expanded. For instance, LEGO took their customers to Space beginning in the 1960s. They later presented a land filled with wizards and dragons in the Castle theme beginning in the late 1970s. The toy line exponentially expanded after they opened up the doors to licensed sets with the 1999 Star Wars theme.

Beyond the wealth of building sets, LEGO fans have fallen in love with the company’s simple yet versatile minifigures. Beginning in the late 1970s, these figures began to bring the worlds and scenes to life. With their interchangeable parts, heads, torsos, arms, hands, and legs, both fans and LEGO could create thousands of different characters. Some of these mini figures have even been released in limited releases.

As one of the oldest running toy lines, LEGO is one of the most popular and watched companies around. Fans love to check out what new products are coming out. However, they also enjoy checking out the discontinued treasures from the past. This made some of their sets and minifigures extremely valuable on the second-hand market.

Presenting the ten most expensive LEGO toys and collectibles that have sold on online auction sites

We set out to identify ten of the most expensive LEGO toys and collectibles that have been sold on online auction sites. As we looked over the documented listings, we did our best to verify their legitimacy. We also only listed the most expensive example of each toy. For toys that sold for the same value, we listed them as we discovered them. We also removed listings of complete collections of LEGO toys.

Despite our best efforts, we still included some listings that we found highly suspect. So, do not use the final sales prices of these items as indications of true value. Instead, we will mention the typical value of these toys, as listed by sites like Brickset.

10. LEGO 10221 Star Wars Super Star Destroyer

The first series of Star Wars LEGO System Sets came out in correlation with the start of the prequel trilogy in 1999. Since then, the franchise has been a major theme within Lego’s catalog. They have covered all eras of Star Wars, from the original trilogy to the sequel trilogy. They even included characters and vehicles from the cartoon series.

As LEGO began to embrace the Star Wars license, they dug deeper into the franchise’s vehicles and ships. They knew that the fans would embrace builds of all sizes, so they fearlessly tackled some of the largest ships. While the X-Wing and average Star Destroyer were easily recognizable and fun builds, there were even grander builds waiting for fans.

In September 2011, LEGO introduced the Super Star Destroyer to the LEGO toy line. One of these massive ships had served as Darth Vader’s personal Star Destroyer. Similar to the villain himself, it dwarfed the threat of the average parts of the Empire’s fleet. Likewise, this set’s 23” x 19.3” x 7.5” dimensions helped this build stand out. It was a worthy entry to LEGO’s Ultimate Collector Series, which ended production in December 2014.

As the set is no longer available, many fans have sought to complete their collection by hunting it down. While it originally sold for around $400, the value of new sets has drastically increased. This set is now tracked to be worth around $1,145 in new condition.

When this set sold on eBay in 2016, it far surpassed the original sales price. This listing was documented as ending at $10,000.00 on June 13, 2016. We cannot confirm that this sale was completed. However, we can state that this price is an outlier and not reflective of the set’s current price.

9. LEGO 71387 Super Mario Adventures Luigi Starter Course Set

In 2020, LEGO teamed up with Nintendo to bring the world of Super Mario Bros. to the toy line. Unlike most other lines, the Super Mario Bros. featured large, unique character figures. Main characters like Mario and Luigi featured electronic chips. Thus, unique actions like jumping on enemies and standing on clouds created sound effects.

While the Super Mario Bros. theme began with a Mario Starter Course, another brother was waiting in the wings. Luigi got his chance to shine in LEGO glory in 2021 when his starter course set came out.

The Luigi Starter Course had several characters and elements that would allow fans to create unique courses. Aside from Luigi, there was Boom Boom, a Bone Goomba, and a pink Yoshi. Between the Spinning See Saw, towers, rocks, and other obstacles, Luigi had to fight to get to the end of the course. Unlike many other Lego sets, Lego only gave basic instructions on how to create segments of the course and allowed the players’ creativity to decide the layout.

This set came out recently. It also retails for $59.99 and is readily available. So, it is far from the most valuable LEGO set currently available. This set is also far from available on the second-hand market. However, it was a hot item that fans were excited about in 2021.

This helps explain how it has a listing stating that it sold on eBay for $10,100.00 on August 23, 2021. While this listing may be fraudulent or a mistake, there is a chance that someone desperate for a new product paid a high premium at the time. However, this listing is far from an indication of the value of the Luigi Starter Course.

8. LEGO 10123 Star Wars Cloud City

Beyond vehicles, Star Wars offers a smorgasbord of fascinating locales and cities. The movies have introduced audiences to dozens of various planets, and the animated series have added even more. Each of these planets has unique cultures, ecosystems, and biomes. The cities located on these planets highlighted the unique feel of each area.

One of the most memorable cities from Star Wars was Cloud City of Bespin. The city towered above the planet’s clouds, suspended on a thin yet strong pillar. The saucer, which housed the city, had multiple levels and buildings within it. It also welcomed visitors with ship-docks. The entire city served as a Tibanna gas mining station, but fans remember it as the area where Princess Leia and Han Solo were sold to the Empire.

When LEGO introduced 10123 Cloud City in 2003, they only presented only a small segment of the massive city. This segment included a landing pad, a meeting room, and a few other rooms. LEGO’s Cloud City set also included eight minifigures, some of which were never seen in any other set. There was Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker in his Bespin outfit, a Stormtrooper, Boba Fett, Han Solo, Han Solo encased in Carbonite, Princess Leia in her Bespin outfit, and Lando Calrissian in his Administrator outfit.

As this LEGO set was the only option to obtain some of the minifigures, collectors highly treasure it. For minifigure collectors, this set is crucial for the completion of this set. This has caused the set to be extremely valuable on the second-hand market. It averages around $5,000.00 for a new set on the second-hand market.

Likewise, this set was sold on eBay for $10,199.00 on June 15, 2023. While this is on the high end of the set’s value, it is not completely surprising.

7. LEGO Star Wars 14KT Gold C-3PO Minifigure

Even though the prequel trilogy concluded in 2005, the excitement for Star Wars products continued for years to come. A new era of Star Wars stories was preparing to premiere on television in 2008. Star Wars: The Clone Wars would present animated stories that bridged the gap between the second and third prequel movies. So, fans were excited to check out the upcoming content. Most importantly, 2007 was the 30^th anniversary of the original film.

To celebrate the 30^th anniversary, LEGO decided to announce a special promotion through their LEGO Magazine. Readers had the chance to locate the Gold C3PO to be one of the lucky winners who would receive an exclusive figure. Only five entries would win the grand prize: a 14kt gold minifigure of C3PO.

LEGO advertised this giveaway with phrases like “These ARE the DROIDS you’re looking for!” This definitely became true on the second-hand market since collectors who wanted a complete collection often treasure this figure as a holy grail. With only five available around the world, it is highly unlikely that one would appear on the market. When one does, these collectors are ready to compete with their wallets.

One of these ultra-rare minifigures made their way to eBay in 2021. The listing documented ending at $11,601.00 on December 31, 2021.

6. LEGO Toy Fair 2012 Exclusive Iron Man and Captain America AFA graded Minifigures

As Minifigures became a highlight of LEGO’s toy line, they decided to include them in special giveaways. While some of these giveaways were available to the public, others were only available to ticket holders. For instance, LEGO gave away special limited edition minifigures to help promote their toys at Toy Fairs.

For decades, these trade events have helped manufacturers advertise their upcoming toy lines and other products. As these events are only available to trade professionals, like retail representatives and other manufacturers, the products given to them are some of the rarest collectibles. This has made even the most basic of promotional materials, like catalogs, valuable on the second-hand market.

When LEGO attended the 2012 International Toy Fair in New York City, they prepared two Minifigures that would become some of the hardest to obtain. They produced a figure for both Marvel’s Iron Man and Captain America. Each of these figures was limited to only 125 pieces. While most were handed out at the trade show, some were also given out as a reward for a competition on the LEGO Super Heroes Movie Maker App.

A set of these minifigures was sold on eBay, where it sold for $12,000.00 on June 10, 2017. Helping the set reach its final sales price was the fact that each had been graded by the AFA. The AFA awarded the Captain America figure a 9.0 grade and the Iron Man figure an 8.5 figure. The company then encased both figures into UV protection cases.

5. LEGO 71001 Mr. Gold Series 10 Minifigure Collection Original

In response to the popularity of LEGO minifigures, the company began to offer the figures alone without any sets. To increase its appeal to the public, LEGO released a series of minifigures packaged within blind bags. Without knowing whether they would obtain their desired figure, fans would be prompted to buy entire boxes filled with bags. This scheme became very popular with fans and profitable for LEGO.

In 2013, LEGO celebrated the 10^th anniversary of their LEGO minifgures series. Thus, they decided to elevate the collectability of their figures with an ultra-rare character. The character that they chose was Mr. Gold, a stereotypical rich man in a tuxedo. What made the figure stand out was that it was completely painted in chrome gold paint. Moreover, LEGO only produced and packaged 5,000 Mr. Gold minifigures that were sent to stores worldwide.

The lucky fans who located Mr. Gold received a special package that indicated which number the figure was. Moreover, each of these figures came with a special code that they could enter into LEGO’s website to indicate that they had located the figure. This code also helped collectors know that they had obtained a genuine minifigure.

On July 07, 2021, one of the Mr. Gold minifigures was sold on eBay for $12,100.00. While we could identify the leaflet, we were unable to make out which number this figure was.

4. LEGO Star Wars 2005 Toy Fair VIP Gala Set Vader Transformation

The 2012 Toy Fair was not the first time that LEGO released minifigures as special promotions at their trade events. Years before, the company gave out a special Vader Transformation set. As the event was invitation-only, there were not many who received these collectibles. Moreover, LEGO only produced 55 of the Vader Transformation sets.

This set is extremely similar to the 7251 set that was sent to retailers. Notably, the box was printed specifically for this version, with “2005 V.I.P. Gala Feb 19” present on the front. Notably, the invitations to the giveaway also came with a minifigure, either Anakin Skywalker or Luminara Unduli.

The Vader Transformation set presented the scene where Anakin became Darth Vader in LEGO form. Thus, this set came with three characters: Burned Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader without his cape, and a Medical Droid. The build tasked fans with creating the medical bed where the transformation took place.

As an extremely rare variant, the 2005 Toy Fair VIP gift set is highly prized by collectors. Thus, it sold on eBay for $12,500.00 on January 20, 2022.

3. LEGO Star Wars the Yoda Chronicles Minifigure Time Square Toys’R’Us 2013 Exclusive

Aside from trade events like Toy Fairs, LEGO produced promotional items to celebrate the launch of their products. Some of these were sent to specific retailers. Then, some promotions were only conducted at a single store, making it even harder for fans to obtain the product.

During this era, LEGO had great success in combining animated mini-series with their toys. Themes like Marvel, Star Wars, and others received these animated treatments. This included the Yoda Chronicles, which was produced in 2013. The series had 7 episodes and 11 mini-movies filled with LEGO fun.

To celebrate the launch of this series, LEGO held a promotion at the Toy’R’Us store in Times Square, New York City. Any customer who bought the LEGO 9493 X-Wing Fighter received an additional Yoda Minifigure. This minifigure stood out by having a torso that read “NY I (heart).” Furthermore, it came in a sleeve that matched the X-Wing and advertised the upcoming animated series.

One of these minifigures with the promotional sleeve appeared on eBay in 2022. When the listing ended, the special edition Yoda had sold for $15,000.00 on March 08, 2022.

2. LEGO SDCC 2013 Spider-Man Marvel Super Heroes with ticket AFA 8.5

Another venue where manufacturers prepare exclusive, promotional merchandise is comic comic-cons, especially the large ones attended by thousands. With few competitors, the San Diego Comic-Con has been the premiere event of pop culture for decades. Thus, companies like LEGO attend and offer exclusive merchandise that is only available for the attendees of the 4-day event.

In 2013, LEGO came to Comic-Con with a special Spider-Man Marvel Super Heroes package. It included a Spider-Man minifigure in a special clamshell case. The packaging clearly stated that the figure was created for Comic-Con as a 2013 exclusive. It also featured meteors falling on a city.

This Spider-Man minifigure was only available through a ticket raffle, which was held from 4-7 p.m. on the Friday during the event. The ticket was similar to large movie tickets from the past. It also read “Bricks-Camera-Action” on the top. As such, both the ticket and the minifigure itself have become collectible pieces.

In 2022, one of these exclusive minifigures appeared on eBay. The listing stood out for both the minifigure and the ticket, which had been graded by the AFA. The AFA awarded an 8.5 grade to the minifigure. It was then encased in a UV-protected case. This figure sold for $15,000.00 when the listing closed on February 01, 2022.

1. LEGO 10179 Star Wars UCS Millenium Falcon

LEGO is a toy line enjoyed by children of all ages, including adults. As the company aged, they embraced their older fanbase and created complex sets that targeted these fans. By increasing the number of blocks involved in the builds, they were able to create detailed, realistic builds.

Many of LEGO’s popular themes have received sets designed for adult collectors. This naturally includes one of their most popular and largest licensed themes: Star Wars. LEGO has offered many options to build famous vehicles from the franchise.

In 2007, Lego offered the Millenium Falcon as part of the Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series. The 10179 set included 5197 pieces and five minifigures. The minifigures included in the set were Luke Skywalker in his Tatooine outfit, Princess Leia Organa in her Senator outfit, Han Solo in his Smuggler outfit, Chewbacca, and Obi-Wan in his Old Ben outfit. After the ship was fully assembled, it measured 33” long, 22” wide, and 8” tall.

Years after the set was discontinued in 2009, fans still seek it out for their collection. It includes both beloved minifigures and an impressive take on the Millennium Falcon. Thus, it sold for $16,000.00 on February 21, 2015. Notably, there were three auctions with the same information and the same pictures that ended with the same price from May 2014 until February 2015. Thus, this sale is highly suspect. The tracked value of this set is around $2,530 for a new set.

   Keep up to date with our latest news