What do you get when you cross one of cinema’s blockbuster franchises with a favourite toy of generations of children? Lego Star Wars of course! Originally just a range of popular crossover toys, the Lego Star Wars brand has become a franchise in its own right, with several video games and even a TV series.
Despite the brand’s ubiquity, there are some rare and very valuable Lego Star Wars sets out there on the resale market. Whether they’re huge buildable locations or teeny, tiny mini-figures, here are the Lego Star Wars toys fetching up to $5,700 at auction.
2001 Rebel Blockade Runner, $1,697
Princess Leia’s Corellian Corvette, the Tantive IV, might not be the Millennium Falcon, but it’s still a beloved vehicle amongst fans, as well as a prized possession amongst collectors. In 2001, the first Blockade Runner Lego build set was released as part of the Ultimate Collector Series, and included Leia’s favourite transport.
In 2001, the toy retailed for just $192. Now, the first edition Blockade Runner set is worth a whopping $1697.06 on the resale market. That’s a growth rate of over 7700%, with a steady annual increase of 6.3%.
2002 Imperial Star Destroyer, $1,727
Several Lego sets depict the Imperial Star Destroyer, but the most valuable of them all is the 2002 Ultimate Collector Series version. Though it retailed for just $306, in the 20 years since its value on the resale market has ballooned by 462%, and is still increasing by 8.5% year on year.
That means that if you want to purchase one of the original Lego Star Destroyers today, then you can expect to pay $1,727. Top tip: later incarnations of this toy included blue-grey pieces in addition to true grey ones, which makes it easier to spot when a later edition is being passed off as an original.
2008 San Diego Comic-Con Clone Wars set, $1,904
This 2008 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive build kit is one of the most recent Lego sets to be worth the big bucks on the resale market. The set was exclusively made available to purchase amongst raffle winners at the 2008 convention, resulting in just 1,200 copies being made.
The 2008 Comic-Con Clone Wars set never officially hit shelves, but its retail value was estimated to be around $73. That makes its current value, which sits around $1,904, a pretty significant step up. Its value is estimated to grow another 19% in the next 12 months too, so it’s worth buying now if you can get your hands on one.
2005 Death Star II, $2,198
From the release of the original trilogy up to today, the Death Star has remained one of the most iconic images from the franchise, so it’s no surprise that rare Lego Death Stars have a tendency to sell for high prices on the resale market.
The 2005 Lego Death Star II is moderately complicated with just over 3,000 pieces, and it originally retailed for $306, making it a prestige Lego toy even when it was first available to buy. Nowadays it is worth $1,707, having shot up in value by over 460% in 17 years.
2007 Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon, $2,555
Star Wars is full of timeless iconography, but none light up the nostalgia centres of the brain quite like the Millennium Falcon. When it was released in 2007, the Ultimate Collector’s Series Millennium Falcon retailed for $420.
In the 15 years since, the Lego Millennium Falcon’s value on the resale market has risen to a whopping $2,555.22, with a percentage increase of 12.8 year on year. The good news is that, with over 5,000 pieces, the set is bound to keep you entertained for a while!
2011 Star Wars Miniland Figures, $2,545
Despite being less detailed than your average Star Wars Lego character pieces, these three featureless Miniland figurines are hugely desirable on the resale market, almost always fetching over $2,500 at auction and only increasing in value year on year.
The reason these gangly-limbed Lego figures are so popular is that they are now retired, and were never even available to buy. Instead of hitting shelves, these exclusive figures were distributed at the 2011 annual International Toy Fair Collectors’ Party in New York.
2007 Gold Chrome Plated C-3PO, $2,798
Since the release of the original Star Wars trilogy in the 1980s, several Lego C-3POs have been released. However, even though older figurines tend to be more valuable, it is the 2007 Gold Chrome Plated C-3PO that is worth the most secondhand.
This shiny figurine often fetches around $2,700 at auction, and its value has been increasing by a steady annual 12% for the past few years. So why is this particular C-3PO so coveted? Well, not only was it released in 2007 to mark the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, but only 10,000 of these figurines were made in total.
2001 Darth Maul, $2,884
Darth Maul was the first villain that the Star Wars prequel series introduced, and is by far its most beloved even today. It might help explain why this 2001, 1,868-piece 3D Lego Darth Maul head came to be worth $2,884 at auction, despite being retailed in 2001 for just $144.
Since then, the value of this playset has increased by over 1,887%. The desirability of this buildable Darth Maul can be put down to the fact that it was released as part of the Ultimate Collector Series, and was retired after spending not much time on the shelves.
2005 Nürnberg Toy Fair Darth Vader, $2,902
If you’re looking to determine the value of a collectable toy, the biggest indication of value is age, followed by condition, followed by whether the toy was released as part of a limited edition run or special commemorative event. This is especially important to keep in mind when determining the value of the 2005 Toy Fair Darth Vader.
Despite being a fairly recent release of a major and not particularly rare character, the 2005 Darth Vader was given to VIP attendees of the Nürnberg Toy Fair in 2005. This explains why the figurine is now worth roughly $2,902 on the resale market, and is increasing in value by 23% year on year.
2007 Star Wars Celebration IV exclusive set, $3,087
For any Star Wars superfan, the annual Star Wars Celebration convention is the biggest day of the year, mostly because there are plenty of awesome freebies to be had if you play your cards right. The 2007 Star Wars Celebration IV set was a prize given to raffle winners at the LA Star Wars Celebration.
Only 500 of these were ever made, with 100 sets a day being made available to winners if they chose to redeem them. Though those same sets had a retail value of $47, their value now stands at $3,087 when kept in new or like-new condition.
2013 Yoda Chronicles Holochron Chamber, $3,363
Lego Star Wars spin-off series The Yoda Chronicles ran for just one season between 2013 and 2014, but it added a pretty significant rare toy to the collectors’ market: the 2013 Yoda Chronicles Holochron Chamber. This 408-piece playset was purely promotional, given away to journalists at a New York red carpet event to promote the new show.
As a result, very few exist in circulation at all, and the savvy journalists who decided to keep and sell theirs can now get a pretty payout to the tune of $3,363. The value of this playset is set to increase by another 22% next year, so it’s worth getting in on the ground floor of the toy if you can.
2005 Toy Fair Star Wars V.I.P Gala Set, $3,539
One of the most valuable toys to hit the American Toy Fair in recent years is the 2005 Star Wars V.I.P Gala Set, which was released to promote the Lego Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith collection and features mini-figures of Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker.
This set was released at the 2005 Toy Fair, and was snapped up by eager Star Wars collectors and Lego enthusiasts alike. Today, its value has increased up to a whopping $3,539 and is set to increase by another 12% in the next 12 months.
2005 Toy Fair Anakin Skywalker, $4,522
The 2005 Anakin Skywalker mini-figure – another promotional release given to VIPs at the 2005 Toy Fair – came with a light-up lightsaber and decorative stand, and now retails for around $4,522 on the secondhand market.
The 2005 Anakin Skywalker has a slower value growth rate than many of the other Lego figures on this list, but that’s mostly down to how high its value already is. Its year-on-year growth prediction rate sits at around 10%, so it still has the potential to net a collector a pretty penny further down the line.
2005 Toy Fair Luminara Unduli, $5,124
One of the strangest laws of rare toys is that ironically, the less popular a character is, the more demand there is for its merchandise on the resale market (with unpopular characters having less of their merchandise bought the first time around, and the scarcity then inflating the value of the remaining units later).
This explains why, out of all of the 2005 Toy Fair mini-figures, the Luminara Unduli is the most valuable. Though not a character that anyone outside of Star Wars super fandom would know, this figure is worth roughly $5,124 at auction, with value increasing by 21% year on year.
2003 Cloud City, $5,709
Though it is true that single figurines are often more valuable than playsets, as of 2023 the most valuable Star Wars Lego in the world is the 10123 Cloud City build. This 698-piece playset depicts the gas mining colony overseen by Lando Calrissian, as featured in The Empire Strikes Back.
Currently, the Cloud City toy is worth $5,709. Since its release in 2003, when the Cloud City playset was worth just $96, the set’s value has increased by over 5,801%, and is set to increase by another 16% in the next calendar year.
2002, Special Edition Naboo Starfighter, $1,131
The Naboo Starfighter might be the most striking vehicle in the Star Wars universe! Plenty of other ships have unique shapes, like the X-Wings or the Millennium Falcon, but the Naboo Starfighter is one of the only means of traversing the galaxy that comes in a colour other than steel grey, with its cheery yellow paint.
Both its sunny aesthetic and shiny silver detailing have made it immensely attractive to Lego Star Wars enthusiasts, but the fact that it is part of the Ultimate Collector series has definitely helped too. All that explains why this originally $37 playset is now worth over $1,100 after a period of 20 years.
2010, Imperial Shuttle, $1,058
The Imperial Shuttle, playset number 10212 and also part of the Ultimate Collectors, is one of the most popular Lego items on the secondhand market. This is partly because the 2,503 pieces make it enough of a challenge to spend a couple of consecutive evenings putting together, and partly because it comes with mini figures of Darth Vader, an Imperial Pilot, an Imperial Officer, a Stormtrooper and Luke Skywalker.
This high-value playset is one of the more recent releases to be added to this list, but that hasn’t stopped the value from increasing by over 255% in just over 10 years. Already a premium item when it was sold for nearly $300 back in 2010, it is now worth over $1,000!
2000, TIE Interceptor, $1,048
The TIE Interceptor definitely has one of the coolest names of any Star Wars vehicle on the market, so it’s no surprise that it’s a consistent favourite among Star Wars enthusiasts. It also just looks ultra slick, with its sleek black design and menacing aspect making it the perfect addition to any collector’s shelf.
All of that explains why this particular build set has increased in value from $93 to over $1000 in the 20 years since its original release. Given that the resale price is increasing by 8.5% steadily year on year, it looks like the Interceptor is still a pretty good choice as far as Lego Star Wars investments go.
2006, Vader TIE Advanced, $1,035
Of course, if the Ultimate Collector Series TIE Interceptor isn’t awesome enough for you, then there’s always the Vader TIE Advanced. Released six years later in 2006, this next-level vehicle is also part of the Ultimate Collector Series, and has an even higher rate of value appreciation, with an increase of 11% every year.
Not only that, but with over 1,200 pieces and a fairly intricate design, this is a vehicle likely to keep you busy for a while, whether you’re building it to play with, to display on your shelf, or just to sell on to an even bigger Star Wars enthusiast.
2009, Comic-Con Collectable Display Set 4, $957
In 2009, a number of exclusive Lego Star Wars sets were released as part of a Comic-Con exclusive promotion. Unsurprisingly, these minifigure sets are now some of the most valuable on the resale market, thanks to the small amount that were actually made and the limited time they spent available to purchase.
Each Comic-Con exclusive set featured different characters and was released in different amounts, with the fourth set claiming the prize for the smallest run of all. Only 300 of these exclusive character bundles were made before the set was retired, leading to a year-on-year value increase of 16.5%!
2000, X-Wing Fighter, $1,192
Released in 2000 with just 1,300 pieces, the X-Wing Fighter is not the most complicated Lego Star Wars playset on the market. However, this particular toy is set apart by the fact that despite being part of the Ultimate Collector Series, it includes a standard size R2-D2 minifigure, rather than the specialised size that usually accompanies UCS builds.
Obviously, this full-sized R2-D2 figurine is part of the reason why the X-Wing Fighter is so coveted on the secondhand market, but other factors also exist, such as the fact that X-Wings of all eras and sizes have a special place in Star Wars collectors’ hearts.
2002, Jango Fett’s Slave I, $1,202
The Slave I is definitely one of the most unusually named vehicles in Star Wars history, but it’s also one of the most under-the-radar ships across the whole franchise. Originally seen being piloted by Boba Fett, in terms of the Star Wars timeline it was actually first owned by Jango Fett, which is reflected in the name of the playset itself.
The design of the ship is based on its appearance in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and features only 360 pieces, one of which is a minifigure. As such, it is one of the least complex Lego Star Wars playsets to be worth a large amount on the resale market, thanks to it showcasing a character outside of the main cast.
2018, Resistance Bomber, $1,256
If you’re a Lego Star Wars enthusiast or collector then you’re probably aware of the Resistance Bomber, as it has been released by Lego several times over the course of multiple years. However, it’s undeniably not as popular as the Millennium Falcon or the various X-Wings, so why has it returned to shelves more than once?
Simply put, the 2018 re-release of the Resistance Bomber included a revised Finch Dallow minifigure that was only available to purchase for a short amount of time. This tiny detail has caused the price of 2018 Resistance Bombers to skyrocket, with an annual value increase of 35% each year!
2009, Comic-Con Collectable Display Set 2, $1,514
Though some of the exclusive Comic-Con Lego Star Wars sets were produced in their thousands before being placed onto shelves for one weekend only, there are a number of the six exclusive playsets that were only made available to purchase in their hundreds. For example, when it comes to both Display Set Two and Display Set Four, only 300 of each were actually made.
That explains why even among Comic-Con exclusive playsets that were literally designed to appeal to hardcore collectors and enthusiasts, some are more valuable than others. With an annual value increase of over 34%, Display Set Two is maybe the most coveted of all, and is appropriately difficult to source secondhand.
2009, Republic Dropship, $1,687
The 2009 Republic Dropship is one of only a few ultra-valuable Lego Star Wars playsets that are not part of the Ultimate Collector Series. So the question is: what makes this particular toy so beloved by enthusiasts? It might have something to do with the higher-than-average number of minifigures included in the set.
The Republic Dropship comes with eight minifigures, including a Clone Pilot and Clone Trooper. It also has more functionality than a lot of other playsets, given that it is able to pick up the 7675 AT-TE Walker and 8098 Clone Turbo Tank. This uniqueness means that is not unusual for the value of the toy to increase by 15% year on year.