Lego is a beloved product that many children and adults have built and created worlds and structures with over the years. The second-hand market for Lego is large and widespread all over the world, making it exciting to both sell and buy. Because there is always the possibility that someone has the figure or piece that is missing to make a building complete.
The benefits of second-hand Lego
Here on Tradera, many people sell their used lego – everything from duplo and basic & creator to single figures. The advantages of selling used lego are many. Firstly, it’s sustainable to sell it on to someone who actually appreciates it more than you do – and who is likely to use it to build amazing constructions or finished kits. Then there’s always the possibility that the Lego you have at home contains collectibles or a valuable piece, which means you can actually get up to thousands of dollars for some items. Of course, the fact that you’ll have more space for other things when you sell your Lego is just a bonus.
Which lego is valuable?
If you know that you have individual and unopened sets with both cardboard, manuals and descriptions, you can count on there being a collector’s value. The same goes if everything is in good condition, with no scratches or damage. Need to wash off your Lego? Do it by putting it in lukewarm water with a little dishwashing liquid – but never scrub as this can leave unsightly scratches.
To find out which sets are particularly valuable, it is helpful to have the number of the set. You can often find it in the manual or on the box. By searching for the set on enthusiast sites (e.g. Bricklink), you can find out roughly how much money you can get for your Lego. Also, keep in mind that it can be difficult to value Lego because there are usually thousands of sets and some of them may have been newly produced. This makes valuation a little more complicated. But it can always be worth putting up for auction and seeing what happens.
Here are the legos you can make money from:
- Minifigures – Available in many different collector’s series, but here the older sets are usually most valuable as collector’s items. Some figures may have come in several different releases – then it can be fun to have all versions of the same figure. Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, for example, is usually popular to collect.
- Lego Star Wars – If you have the large collector’s ship Millenium Falcon (10179) from 2007, you can count yourself lucky. It has been sold for tens of thousands of dollars here on Tradera. But there are also other interesting collectibles to keep an eye on under the Star Wars theme, such as the Venetor-Class Star Destroyer, Imperial Star Destroyer or Death Star.
- Older icons – An oldie but goodie from 1978 is the yellow castle (375) with towers, battlements and associated knight figures. It’s considered one of the more sought-after sets, so keep an eye out for Lego icons when buying or selling.
- Lego Creator and Lego Exclusive – These unique and advanced sets are often expensive to buy and may only be built once. Therefore, they also retain value to a greater extent than other Lego. Examples of kits include architectural works such as the Taj Mahal or the popular Café Corner (10182).
- Unique collections – Lego that only existed for a specific period, linked to series or famous figures, tend to increase in value. These don’t have to be particularly old models either. Those from the early 2000s can be just as valuable as really old sets.
Selling large quantities of lego
Do you have a lot of mixed Lego? Then it’s best to try to sort it. The more time you spend sorting and evaluating it yourself, the easier it is to find those precious pieces that others want. If you find something of value, you can invest in putting individual pieces or sets up for sale. Otherwise, it is of course possible to sell mixed Lego in large quantities, but then you get significantly less money than if you had sifted a little. There are many people who post larger collections of unsorted lego here on Tradera, and with a little luck, the auctions can usually bring a few hundred dollars to the seller.
Amanda Blennborn, freelance journalist
