Anyone who has stepped into the toy section of a store in recent years has probably noticed the massive amount of LEGO toys that can be found there. They're no longer the simple building blocks that they once were! These days, LEGO sets are massive and they can build some really impressive structures with all the tiny little pieces that come with them. There are so many LEGO sets out there and LEGO is always releasing new sets, which means that they have to retire some sometimes and stop selling them. When this happens, LEGO enthusiasts who really wanted that set and unfortunately didn't buy it when it was on the shelves can get pretty disappointed. Plus, some special edition LEGO sets aren't even sold to the general public!
Between special edition LEGO sets and LEGO sets that have been retired, there are a lot of really rare LEGO sets out there. Whether it's one that was sold several years ago before being retired or one that was only given out at a special event, there are some seriously hard to find LEGO sets out there that, unfortunately, we'll probably never be able to play with because they're so hard to find. And if a LEGO enthusiast does manage to find one of the rare sets they're searching for, they can set someone back a pretty penny.
To see 25 of the most impossibly rare LEGO sets on the market and find out exactly how much collectors are willing to shell out to get their hands on them, keep reading!
25 Antonio's Pizza-Rama
This LEGO set was given out in 2012 at New York Comic Con in order to promote Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Just the slice of pizza from this set has sold for up to $600!
Wow! Since this set was given out so exclusively, it's hard to find anyone willing to part with this rare LEGO set. And considering the fact that a single piece of it once sold for such a high price, we can't even imagine what the entire set would go for.
24 Motorized Hogwarts Express
Many of the most ridiculously rare and highly valuable LEGO sets are related to particular fandoms. Who's surprised by that? Fans love to collect things related to the fandoms they love. This LEGO set is the Motorized Hogwarts Express, a LEGO train set that builds the train from the Harry Potter series that really drives around on the track!
The price to have a piece of this magic? Up to $1,700 if it's in the box! And out of the box? It still costs around $600.
23 Grand Carousel
Many LEGO sets have a ton of little tiny pieces that have to be put together and can be really detailed. In the case of the LEGO Grand Carousel, this is definitely the truth! This carousel is a gorgeous part of any amusement park and has so many tiny details that need to be put together.
The price for this rare set can range from anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000!
For that price, not many LEGO enthusiasts have to worry about keeping all the tiny pieces straight.
22 Automatic Binding Bricks
Every brand has to start somewhere, right? For LEGO, that start came with this set of Automatic Binding Bricks. They were invented in 1949 and were exclusively sold in Denmark, where LEGO originated.
The high price for this item doesn't come from the number of pieces or the fandom it's related to, but the fact that it's just so old.
This set is an important part of LEGO history and it's not easy to find an original set for sale but when they can be found, they can go for up to $3,000.
21 LEGO VIP Exclusive Bat-Pod
There are some LEGO sets that are really rare because so few of them were made. This Bat-Pod is definitely one of those! This Bat-Pod may seem like the perfect collector's item for any Batman fan, but watch out!
Only 1,000 of these LEGO sets were ever created.
They were released as a LEGO VIP exclusive and only some members were able to receive this set. Now, a sealed box containing all the pieces can fetch up to $1,600 for a LEGO enthusiast or huge Batman fan.
20 The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is an iconic structure located in Paris, France. Tourists from around the world visit Paris and take photos of and with it every day. People who want to climb the stairs up can pay $3 to $8 to do so, depending on their age.
But to build this 3 foot tall, 1:300 scale model of the Eiffel Tower? That's going to cost a lot more! This collectible set was released in 2007 and has since been discontinued but LEGO collectors can pick one up for around $2,800.
19 Market Street
The Market Street LEGO set came as part of a series called the Modular Series. This set was completely designed by a big LEGO fan named Eric Brok. The Modular Series of LEGO are all pretty rare, but some are a little more rare than others.
A complete Market Street set in its box will set a collector back around $1,300.
Finding this set with its box is pretty rare since so many of them on the market are simply the pieces to actually build it.
18 LECA Automobile
For the biggest LEGO fans out there, simply collecting the colorful blocks and building with the sets is not enough. There are some LEGO fans out there that just have to have more! That's there the LEGO Inside Tour comes in.
This LECA Automobile was an exclusive from one of the LEGO Inside Tours in 2005.
These days, it sells for over $2,300! This car may not look all that special but for the most dedicated LEGO collectors out there, this car is quite a prize.
17 Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon
Because of the fact that the Star Wars franchise has been around for so long, there have been a lot of Star Wars toys that have come out through the years for collectors to get their hands on. Because there are so many, many people might assume that means that they must not cost a lot, right? Wrong!
Not only is this the biggest LEGO Star Wars set ever made at over 5,000 pieces, the Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon can set a Star Wars fan back up to $2,500!
16 Café Corner
This LEGO set was released in 2007 and comes not only with all the pieces to build the cafe but also three minifigures that can be seen enjoying their day out enjoying the café and any other buildings that a collector has.
Even though this set only measures 10 inches wide by 14 inches high and is definitely not the biggest set LEGO has ever produced, that doesn't make it an inexpensive one! Since it was discontinued after being introduced over 10 years ago, it can now fetch up to $1,600!
15 Legoland Train
There have been quite a few different LEGO Inside Tour exclusive sets over the years. These sets are always really rare and valuable because such a low number of them were made and they were only given out to certain people when they were made.
It's difficult to even find anyone willing to part with this set but the few available for sale can go for up to $2,800!
It was released in 2014 as a LEGO Fan Weekend Exclusive and has 520 parts with 7 minifigs.
14 Shinkai 6500 Submarine
While there are many rare LEGO sets that were released worldwide and are simply rare because of their age and condition, there are some that were only released in certain places and are super rare because of that.
The LEGO CUUSOO Shinkai 6500 Submarine set was only released in Japan, making it hard to find for international collectors.
This set can be pretty difficult to find but a collector willing to pay $500 or more for it can definitely add this scale model to their collection.
13 Town Square - Castle Scene
This LEGO set may not look as complicated as some other LEGO sets that have been released, but considering the fact that was first released back in the 1980s and has since been discontinued, it's still a super rare one.
In fact, a LEGO collector who is lucky enough to be able to find it for sale anywhere can expect to pay up to $500 or possibly even more to get their hands on this medieval scene. But this scene is so rare and old that it's nearly impossible to even find for sale.
12 Sydney Opera House
This LEGO set is one that's definitely only for the expert builders out there. With nearly 3,000 pieces, this LEGO Creator set builds a scale model of the Sydney Opera House. This set was released from their LEGO Creator line in 2013 and it's pretty expensive now to try to find!
A dedicated LEGO fan who seriously wants to spend the time putting together these 3,000 pieces can expect to pay around $400 for the set! A sealed one in its original box can even be up to $500.
11 Cloud City
This Star Wars LEGO set comes with 698 pieces, including several Star Wars minifigs like Boba Fett, Stormtrooper, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Princess Leia.
This set was released in 2003 and now, in order to pick it up, a LEGO fan has to shell out over $1,000 in order to get it in their collection!
LEGO has released so many Star Wars-themed sets, but they always end up really rare and valuable after they're discontinued because fans just can't live without them.
10 Coke iFountain Machine
This set is so rare that it wasn't even sold in stores. In the early 2000s, Coca-Cola was trying to create something called an iFountain, a customizable smart soda dispenser for restaurants and other retail locations.
This LEGO kit was given out to Coca-Cola employees during the time that they were working on the iFountain and is modeled to look like one.
Unfortunately, the fact that it was only given to Coca-Cola employees rather than being sold means that this LEGO set is so rare, it's not available for sale anywhere. This set is basically priceless.
9 Diagon Alley
In the Harry Potter series, the wizarding world does just about all their shopping at a place called Diagon Alley. Everything from spellbooks to wands to sweet treats can be found at Diagon Alley.
In 2010, LEGO produced this Diagon Alley set that looks just like a few of the stores that are found there in the series! Since it was discontinued, this 2,000 piece set now goes for about $300. Sets that are in completely sealed boxes that have never been opened are even more!
8 Taj Mahal
LEGO has released a ton of different lines. One of them is their Creator line which has slightly more complicated builds and are typically modeled after real-life buildings. The LEGO Taj Mahal from their Creator line has nearly 6,000 pieces and is definitely only for experts to build!
This set hasn't been discontinued and is still available for purchase on LEGO's website, but the price means that it's pretty rare. In order to build this expert set, a LEGO lover is going to have to shell out $369.99!
7 LEGO Space Monorail Transport System
In the 1980s, LEGO released a whole bunch of LEGO sets that are totally themed around space. All of them are pretty rare and valuable now because of the fact that they're so old and have been discontinued, but the LEGO Space Monorail Transport System is definitely one of the more valuable ones. If a LEGO collector wants to buy the entire set with the original box, they're going to have to really scour the Internet before they're able to find one and then, they're going to have to pay $500 for it!
6 Imperial Trading Post
A big part of the fun of putting together LEGO sets is the fact that it allows the builder to step into a fantasy world for a little while while they express their creativity with these small, plastic blocks. One world is the LEGO Pirates world with sets like this Imperial Trading Post.
This set was discontinued some time after being released in 1992 and now, any LEGO fan who really wants to live out their dreams of sailing the high seas is going to have to pay $300 for this set!