most expensive lego : death star

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The 10 most expensive Lego sets

You won't find these at your local elementary school.

 

Amrita Khalid

Internet Culture

Posted on Aug 26, 2016   Updated on Apr 8, 2021, 7:48 am CDT

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,” said Ed Maciorowski, founder of Lego pricing guide BrickPicker. “If a set is rare, and desirable, and continues to be rare, it will remain valuable.”

Here are the most valuable Lego sets, according to the Lego collector’s website Brickpicker.

The most expensive LEGO sets of all time

10) Eiffel Tower

Value: $1,017.40

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.

most expensive lego set : eiffel tower
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9) Death Star II

Value: $1,423.67 

Number of Pieces: 3,447

Notable features: The Lego Death Star II is built to scale with the original and includes a super laser.

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8) Market Street

Value: $1,448.27

Number of pieces: 1,248

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.

most expensive lego set - market street
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7) Imperial Star Destroyer

Value: $1,504.93

Number of pieces: 3,096

Notable features: Released in 2002, this Lego retread of the Imperial Star Destroyer is every Star Wars fan’s dream.

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6) Mr. Gold

Value: $1,632.60

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.

most expensive lego - mr gold
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5) Statue of Liberty

Value: $1,699.36

Number of pieces: 2,882

Notable features: Lego’s Statue of Liberty model is made entirely of sand-green bricks.

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4) Cafe Corner

Value: $1,714.27

Number of pieces: 2,056

Notable features: Lego’s “Cafe Corner” features three stories, a mosaic, and a bicycle.

rare lego sets - cafe corner
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3) Grand Carousel

Value: $2,214.80

Number of pieces: 3,263

Notable features: Lego’s electricity-powered Grand Carousel spins and plays music.

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2) Taj Mahal

Value: $2,863.60

Number of pieces: 5,922

Notable features: Lego’s Taj Mahal became the company’s largest set when it was released in 2008.

1) Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon

Value: $4,532.00

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.

Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance. 

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*First Published: Aug 26, 2016, 7:00 am CDT