It’s no secret…LEGOs are expensive!
You know they got to pay for their Lego movie and production cost rises over the years.
So much so that many of us have chosen to buy them as an investment or to resell them on the secondary market for a profit.
Well..you have to pay for your hobby somehow.
But, knowing how much does a LEGO set cost per piece is valuable information even if we are just purchasing a set for a child to play with.
What is a Good Price for Lego Sets
You can find Lego on clearance for about $0.03 per piece for some Lego toys & sets.
During clearance season Lego prices are at an all time low..Yes there is such a season.
If you’re buying Lego bricks to add to your personal Lego collection to sit on the shelf or give as a gift to a child, that’s one thing.
But, if you’re looking for a good investment in sets you can sell for a profit in collector markets, that’s another.
You will need to find the very best price. If for no other reason, it feels good to get a bargain.
One thing to also keep in mind that the less than experts don’t talk about is minfigures and how they play into it.
More on that below.
Yest, nobody likes learning that they have paid too much for for Lego products regardless of the reason for purchasing it.
Price per piece breakdown is how LEGO buyers refer to the cost that you pay for each piece in a LEGO set.
What Is The Average Lego Price Per Piece?
When determining the total price of LEGOs, the price per piece is calculated by dividing the retail price of the set by the number of pieces in the set.
Avid LEGO collectors use this figure to compare sets and determine which are more expensive and which ones are priced for less per piece, so they know they are getting the cheapest price.
Don’t Over Complicate Things
Of course, any investor knows that there are other more complicated ways to figure out the precise investment costs.
For instance, to get an average return for any investment, you must use complicated mathematical formulas and linear functions.
Ones such as figuring out the geometric average to receive the time-weighted rate of return TWR, Prices Over Time Based, a Money-Weighted Rate of Return MWRR, or calculate the returns from growth for items that increase in value over time.
However, to basically figure out the retail price for each individual piece in a LEGO set, it’s fastest and fairly accurate to simply divide the number of pieces by the price.
When you do, you arrive at the following:
The average LEGO price per piece can be anywhere between $.10 and $.19.
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| Image | Lego Set | Price Per Piece | Where To Find |
|---|---|---|---|
 | LEGO Marvel Spidey and His Amazing Friends Spider-Man at Doc Ock’s Lab 10783 (131 Pieces) | $0.23/piece | Check At AmazonCheck At Lego |
 | LEGO Friends Pet Clinic Ambulance 41694 (54 Pieces) | $0.19/piece | Check At AmazonCheck At Lego |
 | LEGO Creator 3in1 Off-Road Buggy 31123 (160 Pieces) | $0.09/piece | Check At AmazonCheck At Lego |
 | LEGO Minecraft The Mushroom House 21179 (272 Pieces) | $0.07 /piece | Check At AmazonCheck At Lego |
Figuring Out Average Cost
Getting a precise figure is going to depend on whom you ask and what sets you investigate and over what timeframe they were sold.
According to our Lego pieces research (conducted on 3/23/22) based on current market prices in Amazon sales, the average price per LEGO piece is about $0.11.
Most amazon prices are about 20% less than MSRP. So we added all the prices MSRP price for the year of 2021 and then chopped off 20%, then divided by the total number of pieces for all those sets.
At this price, Lego sets cost between $12 and $40 for a 200-piece set.
Other calculations show that the average piece price for each piece in a LEGO set is $0.18. These figures include Duplo and other more pricey sets that have a much higher price ratio.
If we exclude Duplo from the calculation, the average brick price for individual pieces for most LEGO themes is $0.17. This amount is the result of calculating more than 400 LEGO sets that were released in 2021.
The prices have been steadily climbing due to rising inflation and manufacturing costs so we omitted previous years and just used 2021 data.
The bottom line is that if you are paying less than the average price per piece, you are getting the best price. If you pay far less, you are getting a bargain and can rest assured you paid the cheapest price.
Cost Factors
Just Duplo by itself has the highest maximum price, at $0.84 per piece. The next highest is LEGO Classic at $0.63.
Conversely, LEGO Art has the lowest price at $0.03, and LEGO Art Star Wars The Sith set has a price for each piece in the set of $0.04.
Popular sets that are offered for a limited time may also cost more overall. But, when you boil it down to individual brick cost, it may come out cheaper in the long run.
For instance, the Harry Potter Hogwarts Crest set with 4,249 pieces retailed for $119.99. Broken down, that comes to $0.03 per piece.
Minifigures For The Win
Some sets include minifigures which also drives up the value. Take the LEGO Star Wars Boba Fett’s Throne Room 75326 set. It has 7 minifigures and currently retails for $100. You can probably find it on sale for about $80.
It checks in with 732 pieces. This means the price per piece is $0.11. But if you value just the minifigures it is $16 per minifigure.
You could probably sell the minifigures to pay for 80% of the set. This is one example of how the right minifigures can add value.
- 7 Minifigures
- $0.11 per piece
- $16 for each minifigure without factoring in bricks
So What Does This Mean For Lego Set Prices
If you part out the pieces selling each one individually, then price per piece matters a great deal.
Using the price per piece cost model, more expensive LEGO sets tend to offer a better price. Large sets of more than 2,000 pieces typically sell for a much lower cost per brick than smaller sets of less than 1000 pieces.
Even though you are paying more upfront, expect to get more number of pieces per each dollar spent when you choose to purchase more expensive sets.
Of course, the number of pieces in a set is not the only price-determining factor. A couple of other factors that go into the pricing include:
- The number of new or different molds needed to manufacture the entire set
- The cost of licensing the brand of the specific Licensed Theme
Custom Brick Cost
Knowing the average cost per individual brick helps to determine if you are paying too much or getting a huge bargain.
However, it’s not a bottom-line price that is set in stone.
One look at LEGO’s site listing out special individual pieces reveals that this average price tag per brick amount is only going to apply to those sold as part of a set.
There are custom bricks that are not going to follow this pricing model.
Lego Investing Tips On Price Per Piece
Does price per piece matter?
It’s true that price per piece is not the only factor that goes into deciding on purchasing the set. Whether figuring out and knowing the actual broken-down price for each individual brick will matter depends on a few different factors.
For starters, why are you buying the set?
If you are planning on selling the set to make a profit by parting out the pieces in the set, then it will absolutely matter how much you pay per piece. In this case, you will also track market values and look at growth over time factors as well.
However, if you are buying the set to add to your personal collection or to give as a gift to be used as a building toy, the price for each piece won’t hold as much weight.
Final Thoughts
Figure out how to get more bricks for your buck knowing that the average price per LEGO piece tends to be between $0.10 and $0.19 per piece.
Aim for the lowest original price ratio, preferably lower than the average price per piece.
Also, look for sets that have at least 100 pieces or more since LEGO sets tend to start at a basic price of between $7 to $10 regardless of how many pieces are included.
Related Questions
Why Do Legos Cost So Much?
The bottom line primary factor is that LEGOs cost so much because of the quality that goes into manufacturing each brick as well as the standards the company holds.
However, laws of supply and demand also hold some weight in cost, especially for popular or limited edition sets.
