LEGO has always been a premium brand, but never has it felt more costly to purchase than in 2024. But why is it so expensive these days?
As The LEGO Group's profits climb year-on-year, so do their products' prices. Of the top twenty most expensive LEGO sets of all time, all bar one released in the past decade.
Not only that, six of the list's entries came from the LEGO Star Wars theme, with the gargantuan Millennium Falcon topping the list. The largest sets are not the only ones affected though, with LEGO's portfolio across the board seeming to be pricier than ever.
5 Biggest Reasons LEGO Sets Are So Expensive Now
Sets Are More Detailed Than Ever
Modern LEGO sets generally follow a simple equation: more pieces equals more expensive. Ergo, the biggest LEGO Marvel sets are going to require the biggest amount of bucks.
In comparison to the sets of yore, sets nowadays often come packed in with a lot more parts to play with. Not only does this allow for more detail on models and keeps sets matched to the ever-climbing standards of consumers, but it also allows for more variety in the building experience.
Several smaller parts coming together to form a shape is inherently more interesting than one big ugly rock piece (though, mileage may vary).
However, pieces have a price, so those 101 frog pieces needed for the LEGO Bonsai Tree will cost a pretty penny.
With LEGO continuing to push the boundaries with record-breaking piece counts for new sets like the recent Avengers Tower, it is only natural that prices will continually be raised as the company keeps trying to one-up itself.
Inflation Comes For Us All
Gone are the days when a customer could buy an X-Wing for $30 (unless it's vastly downscaled, of course). Looking back at sets from years past may invoke a yearning for those low, low prices.
Those feelings are not entirely unfounded, though inflation certainly has at least a part to play in the rising prices seen across various LEGO themes.
Let's take the X-Wing example. The original minifigure-scale X-Wing was released in 1999 for $30 in the United States, which would roughly be $45 adjusted for inflation in 2021. Cut to that very year, which saw the release of an updated X-Wing for $50.
Yes, the updated set is still slightly more expensive than its predecessor, but it also came with an additional 200 pieces. Of course, this is just one case. Former LEGO designer James May, via Brickset, pointed out that the set Eldorado Fortress sold for $66 in 1989 (around $165 adjusted for inflation in 2023), whereas the remake of the set retailed for $190.
This is a steeper increase, but, again, the piece count also has to be accounted for. The original Eldorado Fortress came with 506 pieces and the remake was packed with a whopping 5 times that figure at 2509 pieces.
Is inflation impacting LEGO's prices? Yes. Are consumers getting more bang for their buck these days? Also yes.
LEGO Is THE Market Leader
Move aside, Mega Construx and K'Nex. LEGO commands the highest market share of its competitors and, as a result, is comfortable charging higher prices for it.
But it is not just brick-based toys, it is toys, period. According to Statista, The LEGO Group had the highest annual revenue of any toy company in 2023, eclipsing the likes of Bandai Namco, Mattel, and Hasbro.
The piece count was previously mentioned as a major factor in contributing to rising prices, but not all sets are priced equally. Certain products like the X-Jet from X-Men '97 or Ahsoka's final battle diorama from the 2024 summer wave of LEGO Star Wars sets are grossly overpriced despite having a somewhat low overall piece count. Why?
Because LEGO believes that consumers will still pay these exorbitant prices for a desirable product. Fans will flock to the only set that includes a LEGO Rogue minifigure, so the company sees an opportunity to make a few extra bucks.
LEGO Is Targetting More Adults
While LEGO has never just been a hobby for kids (take this writer's word for it), the brick-based activity has been tapping into the adult demographic more and more as of late.
This practice largely started in 2020 when certain larger sets were marked as '18+,' which would later be rebranded as LEGO Icons to appeal even more to an older-skewing audience. LEGO's 'Adults Welcome' marketing strategy comes down to one fundamental principle: kids do not have much money.
Adults, on the other hand, generally have a lot more disposable income. Therefore, it makes sense that the sets that would appeal most to adults, such as the Botanical Collection, sets based on older IPs like Back to the Future and Ghostbusters, and the products that are just, er, the biggest are also the ones that have their prices marked up the most.
However, even sets that could get away with appealing to a broader demographic are getting hit. The recent Legend of Zelda set modeled after the Great Deku Tree from the franchise has been given a mighty high price tag of $300, leaving the set relatively unattainable for kiddiwinks.
Why make smaller models of a house from Kakariko Village or a scene of Link's crossbow training at lower prices when The LEGO Group can make one massive build that they can upcharge and aim at consumers with the most money?
Because the company can get away with skewing the set towards adults, many of whom make up the Zelda fandom, they can also charge higher rates for these desirable models.
[ 12 Best LEGO Sets for Adults ]
Valuable IP Isn't Cheap
While LEGO has several homegrown, in-house themes under its belt, a lot of the appeal comes from those nifty brands that customers can point at and go, "I recognize that thing."
But those IP owners want a piece of the pie. This often means part of the price goes directly toward covering the cost of the rights to make the set, meaning that sets that are not limited by brand partnerships often have better value.
LEGO Ninjago's Tournament Temple City retails for $250 with 3489 pieces and 14 minifigures. Meanwhile, the Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale set needed an extra $100 to get to that piece count, retailing for $360 with a piece count of 3745 pieces and 11 minifigures.
Generally speaking, if a customer wants a set based on a certain property, they will need to shell out a fair amount more than on a set that stands on its own.
There are, as always, some exceptions. Take the recent LEGO Fortnite sets, for example. The Supply Llama model retails for $40 and comes with almost 700 pieces. Over in the House of Mouse, Star Wars' Tantive IV is being sold for double the price and barely scrapes past 650 pieces.
Sometimes, copyright holders will decide to be a little generous to consumers and allow for sets at a more accessible price point. Other times, they will ask buyers to fork over the funds because it's Star Wars.
Read more about LEGO on The Direct:
6 New LEGO Star Wars Sets Now Expected to Release In 2025
LEGO Unveils New 2024 MCU Avengers Sets Featuring Hulk, Thor & More
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