20 Retired Lego Sets Pop Culture Junkies Missed Out On
LEGO is one of the top toy brands. The line of plastic construction blocks has been going strong for years, ever since they began manufacturing in 1949. They also have a wide selection of styles that they do, from large building blocks for children to make towers, to more intricate, smaller blocks that people use to build more detailed creations, Lego’s are a toy for all ages.
And while most play with Legos to freely explore their imagination and create things as they please, there are also those that only like playing with the Lego sets. Lego sets have been around for years, but it seems that during the pandemic, they became a lot more popular, especially with their line of Lego bouquet sets.
But unfortunately, not all sets are around forever. Lego sets come and go, with some going faster than others. So, what kind of Lego sets might have you missed? And are any for sale today? Read more to find out about retired Lego sets.
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Why Do Lego Sets Retire?
There are several reasons why Lego sets have retired. The main reason is that they’re not making enough profit so making them is just not worth it. This can happen from popularity dropping, or the price becoming a bit too much for the consumer, or just from having newer, more exciting products on the line that people would rather buy.
While it’s sad to see products go, retiring Lego sets are a way to help Lego not waste money, as there’s no point in making products that are slowing down in sales.
Are Retired Lego Sets Valuable?
Due to only having a limited number of sets being made at a time, as Lego routinely retires sets when bringing out new ones, retired Lego sets are often valuable. Whether the set was only out for a year or a couple years, anytime there is a limited supply of an item, they’re bound to be valuable.
Most of the time, it’s when a trend, or franchise, becomes popular once again and the rise for merchandise grows.
Can You Buy Retired Lego Sets?
Yes and no.
While there are ways to purchase Lego sets, you’re not able to find them on the official Lego store. The only way you can purchase them is through other means.
Some great places to pick up retired Lego sets include sites like eBay, BrickLink, Amazon, Brick Owl, and ToyPro. Make sure that you’re aware of what you’re looking for, you’re asking questions and keeping an eye out for scams when doing this, however.
Do Retired Lego Sets Come Back?
Unfortunately, no. Once a set is retired, they no longer are produced and stay retired, which means once a set is gone, you’ll have to watch auction houses and secondary markets to pick one up.
This means if there’s a set that you really want, you have to make sure to grab it before it’s too late and it’s gone, as Lego set lifespans are about two years.
Lego will do a retire haul twice a year, once in July and once in December, so be on the lookout for each announcement at what will be retired.
Best Retired Pop Culture Lego Sets
What are some retired Lego sets that you should keep an eye out for? As to not suffer from repetition, this is only one set from one franchise.
While there are some franchises that are exceedingly more popular and have higher demand, such as Star Wars or the Marvel universe, this is just one item each to make sure each pop culture franchise can be talked about.
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20. Boba Fett Helmet
Star Wars fans everywhere will be saddened to see that they missed out on this amazing decorative piece. Including the nameplate to properly display this helmet, you’ll be able to recreate the distinctive shape of the Mandalorian armor helmet. It’s an amazing collector’s item for fans of Lego and Star Wars alike.
You can find this product on eBay for a steep price of around $80 for a brand-new box, sealed. Thankfully, though, this item was a recent retire, so there may be some still available in stores like Walmart or Target. Soon, though, this might be a valuable item to have.
19. Ninjago Ninja Training Center
Ninjago is an animated superhero television show that was produced by Lego, so there are obviously countless Ninjago sets that you can find on their store. The Ninja Training Center set, however, is one of the recent retired sets.
With over 500 pieces, this set contained everything that you needed to build your own training center to help master the art of Spinjitzu. It came with three minifigures, a spinning toy and even a slide and snake pit for your training center. And now, you can only find this set on places like eBay for a decent price of $90.
18. Classic TV Series Batman Cowl
Similar to the Star Wars entry, this Batman set is the perfect for long-time Batman lovers or just DC fans altogether. This classic Batman cowl has over 350 pieces to create a stunning, detailed replicate of the 1960s cowl.
It has a nameplate as well so it’s perfect for those that want to show off their work in their home or gaming space. You can find this product on secondary markets for around $70.
17. The Disney Castle
This intense Lego set has a staggering 4080 pieces, making it one of the more intricate Lego sets on the list today. For Disney fans, this is a must grab for those that want to flaunt their dedication to the franchise and brand. While it may look daunting on the outside, it’s well worth building as there are several compartments that showcase the classic Disney characters and films.
With five minifigures including Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Tinkerbell, everyone will have a memento of their favorite characters in the castle. There are several cute decorates and secret compartments for endless build and play.
16. T. Rex Dinosaur Fossil Exhibition
From the world of Jurassic World comes this adorable T. Rex Dinosaur exhibition. With almost 200 pieces, this is a great find for those wanting a dinosaur in their collection.
Two minifigures comes with this set, Owen Grady and Darius from Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, and even a baby triceratops to make for imaginative play.
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15. The Crafting Box 3.0
This is the perfect set for Minecraft lovers. The game is all about exploring, building and creating a whole new experience every time you jump into a new world. There are endless possibilities when you log into the game, and this set portrays that same sense of adventure.
The Crafting Box 3.0 has 564 pieces that allows you to build the perfect home or building just for you. There isn’t a specific build that it shows you, but several, along with whatever your imagination has in store. For the collectors or the game lovers, this is a great decorative piece that you can change up every few months for display.
14. Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair
2010 was a great year, as Despicable Me came out which then created the rise of the Minions. It seemed as though everywhere you went, there was a Minion. And there were several memes around Facebook that fans just couldn’t stop sharing due to these creatures.
And now you can have them in your home whenever you please. This set has over 870 pieces that features Kevin and Stuart, which turns into a playset with tools, hats and weapons inside of them. This is the perfect play set for families, or perfect for collectors.
13. Queer Eye
Turning a different direction, this set is one of the more unique retired Lego sets that we have on the list today. Instead of fictional worlds and stories and games, this is a 2018 reality TV show that has seven seasons now.
With over 970 pieces and 7 minifigures featuring the Fab 5 and more, this is definitely a unique and interesting piece that collectors should look out for.
12. The Legendary Flower Fruit Mountain
Another Lego show, Monkie Kid is inspired by classic Chinese story Journey to the West. The show follows the adventures of young teenager, MK, as he goes on a mission to save the world. Fans and collectors alike can bring the franchise home with them if they are lucky to find this retired Lego set.
With an intense build of over 1900 pieces, this is a set that is not for the weak or beginner. It includes 8 minifigures and is packed with authentic designs and storytelling features perfect for playing.
11. Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote
What about classic television shows that most of us remember from our childhood? This is the perfect retired Lego set that you’ll want to try and get your hands on.
While it’s on the smaller side of only 200 pieces, this Brick Heads retired set is a great set for Looney Tunes fans. The classic duo can now be a wonderful conversational piece for some nostalgia.
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10. Buzz Lightyear
Similar to the one previously mentioned, this Buzz Lightyear is from the Brick Headz Lego set that features an adorable decorative Buzz design. With only 114 pieces, this is the perfect gift, or perfect item to have in your game room or theater.
Thankfully, Brick Headz are usually less expensive than most Lego sets, so you can most likely find them for pretty cheap on secondary marketplaces like eBay.
9. Hogwarts Castle and Ground
One of the most well-known pieces of media to this day is Harry Potter. Whether you found it through the books first or through the movies, Harry Potter is an ever-growing world that never seems to get old. For fans of the franchise that want to bring home a bit more magic into their lives, this is the perfect retired Lego set that you need to grab.
With 2600 pieces, this scale model replica portrays the iconic building, the Chamber of Secrets in the rocks, the Durmstrang Ship on Black Lake, as well as the architecture, like a statue minifigure.
8. The Eternals in Arishem’s Shadow
The Eternals is part of the Marvel Studios and is based on the 2021 action movie. This 490-piece set is a great role-playing Lego set that features 4 minifigures against the huge Celestial that has an amazing light-up design.
This is the perfect set to try and find for fans and collectors alike. You can find some inexpensive Lego sets on second markets like eBay if you’re lucky, but it all comes down to the condition of the product.
7. Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block
Another iconic video game is Super Mario. The legendary set is a total of 2064 pieces and includes amazing details of the game. Some details included are Princess Peach’s Castle at the center of the block, as well as the Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land.
There are several hidden gems for long-time fans to discover as they build, making it the perfect piece to try and grab.
6. Home Alone
What about bringing home a Christmas favorite with Home Alone‘s house replica. With over 3900 pieces and five minifigures, this is an intense build that will be the perfect gift or purchase to get you into the holiday spirit.
With classic movie moments from depicting Kevin versus the Wet Bandits from his time alone in the house, to his several iconic pranks and even his daring escape at the end. There is a lot to explore and play with when building this set.
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5. Overwatch Wrecking Ball
Another amazing game franchise collaboration with Lego is the Overwatch collaboration, featuring the Wrecking Ball, a fan favorite character. The set includes Hammond the hamster figurine with high detail inside the cockpit.
The ball also folds up like in the game and can transform into it’s cool mech with 2 quad cannons and 4 legs. This is a great build to display in the gaming room or in your room.
4. The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell
But what about a build that will take up several evenings and produce one of the most beautiful scenes that you could imagine for a classic, iconic franchise? The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set is exactly what you need to find. LOTR fans everywhere surely are disappointed that they didn’t snag this one up before it was gone.
With 15 minifigures including characters like Frodo and Biblo Baggins, Boromir, Aragorn and Gimli, you can join the Fellowship as they travel through Rivendell. This set is prided in being one of the top biggest Lego sets ever, and rightly so as it has over 6100 pieces, with a height of 16 inches, width of 29 inches, and depth of 20 inches.
3. Friends Central Perk Building
Friends has quite a cult following, and now fans can bring a piece of the show home with them if they find this retired Lego set of Central Perk.
With 1000 pieces, this set includes 7 minifigures of the Friends cast. The set is highly detailed, giving fans a lot of content to fan over and play with. It’s a great decorative piece for nostalgia and adoration purposes.
2. The Upside Down
Stranger Things is one of the most popular shows as of right now. Since the first season in 2016, Eleven and the boys have captured the world with the horror and humor throughout the series. And what better way to show off your love for the series than by finding this Stranger Things retired Lego set.
Including 8 minifigures, this set not only portrays the real world, but also the Upside Down, giving you the horrific experience that they all lived through right in your home.
1. The SHIELD Helicarrier
Marvel has done a wonderful job at producing some amazing movies that shows each individual character perfectly but bringing them all together flawlessly. The Avengers is a great series that had an intense ending, having fans talk about it for months later. So of course, some fans might want to commemorate their love by purchasing some Avengers Lego sets to have as memory forever.
One such retired Lego set is the Helicarrier, with 2990 pieces and five minifigures. It also has 3 microscale Quinjets and 3 fighter jets to really show the size of this carrier. And what makes this set perfect is that is comes with its own display stand for those that way to honor this build.
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