Retired LEGO sets are simply your last opportunity to grab some bricks that have special meaning to you. They also often become more valuable over time if you want to hold onto them.
Stores will only sell these sets until they run out of stock, so it is important to act quickly if you want to purchase them before they become unavailable and above retail prices.
Yes, the prices can increase higher than the MSRP when Lego sets retire. This sharp increase in the original price is due to pure economics of supply and demand.
Are you ready to learn on where to find retired Lego sets for sale?
All you Need To Know About Retired LEGO Sets
Retired LEGO sets are a unique and sought-after item for collectors. These sets have been discontinued by the LEGO Group and you may not be able to find them to buy in stores or online.
Every set has a specific retirement date or end of life (EOL) when its manufacturing will end and it will be discounted to make room for the new sets.
There are various factors that determine the retirement of LEGO sets, with certain themes having a longer life span than others. It can be difficult to accurately predict the longevity of a set since this information is not officially released by LEGO until the set is close to retiring.
The rarity of some retired LEGO sets & figures also makes them great gifts for any fan of the hobby, as they can be hard to come by in stores or online. Check out our extensive retired Lego set guide for more info.
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Spotting Available Retired LEGO Sets
Retired LEGO sets can be hard to come by, but they are still available for purchase. Many marketplaces offer retired LEGO sets, however they tend to be more expensive due to their rarity and demand.
Fortunately, there are some great places where you can buy retired LEGO sets at a more affordable price and in good condition if you don’t wait too long. These include 5 specific sites that offer a wide selection of retired LEGO sets for sale at competitive prices.
At these sites, you will find a range of retired LEGO sets from many popular themes such as:
- Lego Star Wars
- Lego Architecture
- Lego City
- Lego Creator 3-in-1
- Lego Technic
- Lego Ninjago
- Lego Ideas
- Lego Harry Potter
- Lego Minecraft
- Lego Friends & more
Whether you’re looking for an old classic or the latest set from your favorite theme, these sites may have that set you were looking for.
Best 5 Best Places to Buy Retired LEGO Sets
In general, some retailers will still carry some Lego sets even when Lego.com says a set it retired. So don’t just count on this list to find a retired Lego set if it just retired.
Look at both online and brick & mortar retailers such as Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble for some retired LEGO sets at discounted prices when they need to clear the shelves off for the next wave of sets.
When all else fails, look at one of these places to buy retired Lego sets.
1. Facebook Marketplace
This one is listed first because you can usually find some recent retired Lego sets that some sellers are looking to part with. Some Facebook marketplace sellers don’t really know the values tend to increase when retired and often offer them at discounted prices.
You can also find many used Lego sets that have retired for a steeper discount than open boxes.
The other benefit of buying retired Lego sets on Facebook marketplace is that you can often inspect the unopened box to make sure it looks good.
Best For: Finding hidden discounted boxes, easily inspect before purchase, used retired Lego sets
2. Amazon
Amazon is a great alternative to eBay for finding retired and hard-to-find LEGO sets.
Amazon offers a wide selection of LEGO sets, both retired and fully available at decent prices. You can easily search on Amazon to find the exact set you are looking for.
Amazon has an extensive seller review system that allows buyers to read reviews from other customers before making their purchase. This helps ensure that buyers are getting the best possible deal when buying from Amazon.
Another benefit is Amazon’s customer service is one of the best, so you can rest assured you are getting what you paid for. don’t forget about their Prime 2 day shipping on many items that are stored in one of their warehouses.
Overall, Amazon is a great place to shop for retired and hard-to-find LEGO sets. While eBay may have more rare or hard-to-find sets available, Amazon is usually the better choice due to its superior customer service, Prime shipping and greater reliability.
Best For: Huge selection of recent retired sets, superior customer service, Easy to return, Fast shipping for Prime members
3. eBay
For LEGO enthusiasts seeking the elusive and retired sets within a sweet spot, eBay sparkles as a treasure trove of wonder. With the wide selection of sellers, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. However, it’s important to remember that retired LEGO sets can sometimes be in not pristine conditions.
Before pulling the trigger on any purchase, be sure to check seller feedback, read the item descriptions carefully, and look at the actual photos.
When shopping on eBay, it’s also important to consider price efficiency. This is determined by the collective price of a set’s pieces compared to its purchase price.
Best For: Both new and used sets, wide selection of sets, seller transparency
4. Brick Owl
Brick Owl is an online marketplace dedicated to LEGO sets, parts, and Minifigures. It offers a wide selection of current Lego sets, both new and used LEGO products from thousands of stores around the world.
With Brick Owl, you can find almost any set or part you need, including retired sets that are no longer available in stores. Prices vary between vendors so it’s important to shop around for the best deals. You may even be able to find rare sets that are hard to come by elsewhere.
The Brick Owl website is easy to use and navigate, making it simple to search for specific items or browse through categories such as themes, colors, pieces, and more.
You can also create a wish list of items you’d like to purchase in the future. The site also has a helpful community forum where users can ask questions and share tips about building with LEGO bricks.
Whether you’re looking for a specific set or just browsing for inspiration, Brick Owl is an excellent resource for LEGO fans of all
Best For: Getting specific parts, pieces, or minfigures; great community of sellers
5. Bricklink
Bricklink is an online marketplace and community for buying and selling new and used LEGO products. It has become a go-to destination for LEGO fans, offering a wide selection of sets from all over the world.
With more than 10,000 stores from 70 countries, Bricklink is the perfect place to find retired LEGO sets that are no longer available in stores. Sealed sets may be a bit more expensive but come in good condition with all parts intact, while used sets are cheaper.
Most sellers are really easy to work with and you can find many in your own area to save on shipping.
Whether you’re looking for rare pieces or just want to add to your collection, Bricklink is the perfect place to find what you
Best For: Finding rare sets or pieces, Great seller community, website is great resource for market values
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Secret Way To Grab a Retired Set
Most Lego consumers don’t know the last 2 stores that we discussed, BrickOwl & Bricklink. The beauty of the 2 sites is your can easily piece together all the pieces you want for a particular set. In other words, if a set has 551 pieces, you can do a search for a stores or collection of stores to ship you the individual parts.
This can still be quite expensive, but you might save a few bucks if you have your own pieces or don’t need all the pieces. You can also buy used parts to also increase the discounts.
Just keep in mind that you have to factor in shipping costs, so it can add up quickly.
As you can see, if I wanted to purchase all the pieces to build the Lego 75997 Ant-Man & Wasp 2018 SDCC Exclusive (see images below) that it would cost about $105 plus shipping.
However, the same boxed set could cost as much as $350 on eBay. Not to say it is not worth that, but sometimes you just want to build the set and not worry about the value of a new set in a box.
Bonus Tip For Lego Investors
Maybe you are a reseller or have the entrepreneurial bug. Well, you can leverage the secret way to grab a retired set to maybe make a few extra bucks.
It is pretty simple, you first would find a rare or retired set that might be in demand but there is not a ton of them around. Then you buy the pieces for that set, but do it in a quantity of 2 or 3.
This means you will have 3 complete sets that you have all the brick pieces for. Package them up, take some images of what you are selling, and sell it on eBay or locally.
To be honest, it is tough to do this at scale and you might be stuck with inventory that takes a bit to sell. Plus you have to source the parts, wait for them to arrive, and then separate them into their own piles.
It is a bit of work, but you can double your money even after fees.
My love of LEGO is really what drives me to do this, since I tend to build it (don’t forget to take pics). It is fun and once they are ready to ship, you are done.
Final Thoughts
So all you AFOLs, listen up!
If you’re after those prized retired LEGO sets in top-notch shape, then your cyber-sleuthing skills better be on point. Hunt the virtual shelves and weigh your options wisely.
If you want to up your LEGO game, don’t forget to take advantage of that sneaky secret tip we mentioned earlier.
Trust us, it’s worth the extra effort.
With a dash of determination and a pinch of online research, you’ll be holding that sought-after set in your hands in no time.
Now, grab your virtual shopping carts and let the retired LEGO hunting games begin!
