Rare Single LEGO Pieces
14-Carat Gold 2 x 4 LEGO Brick Between 1979 and 1981, LEGO produced solid gold LEGO bricks for employees who had been with the company for 25 years. They were only given out to employees at the main factory in Germany, and it’s thought that there are only about 10 of these in existence—making them rare, collectible, and very expensive. Part number: N/A Valued at: $15,000 or more
Hinge Plate 3 x 4 Locking Dual 2 Fingers in Transparent Brown This piece is available in plenty of colors, some of which are more common than others. But the rarest of all is Trans-Brown, which only appeared on the Star Wars Rebel Snowspeeder Ultimate Collector’s Set (UCS) First Edition (10129). This part is hard to find, so expect to pay a premium if you do come across it. Part number: 44570 Valued at: $500–$750 or more
Wedge 6 x 4 x 2/3 Quad Curved in Green While this piece has been released in plenty of other colors, the only time it’s been made in green was for a limited-release Superman set handed out at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. The set recreated the Superman Action Comics #1 cover—the wedge was used as the hood of the car that Superman is lifting. Part number: 98281 Valued at: This LEGO piece is so rare that there’s no price history available, but the set usually sells for $600–$800
Tail 4x1x3 in Orange This piece makes up the tail of an aircraft. It’s a shape that LEGO has used in plenty of other colors, but orange only appeared in the LEGO Ideas Shinkai 6500 Submarine set (21100). If the orange is out of your price range, you can get dark orange for just a few cents—but you’ll pay a collector’s price if your heart is set on that true orange. Part number: 2340 Valued at: $200
Lando Calrissian Minifig Cape Cloth The Lando Calrissian minifigure came with a unique accessory—his cape is made out of cloth, not plastic. The novelty of the cloth cape made the Calrissian minifig an instant legend, and collectors are willing to shell out big bucks for the cape alone. Part number: 522pb001 Valued at: $185–$350 or more
Windscreen 16 x 8 x 6 Curved with 3 Pin Holes in Trans Clear The Trans Purple version of this part is somewhat common, but the Trans Clear windscreen only appeared in 1 set: LEGO Star Wars 75060 Slave I. It’s an essential piece if you want to recreate the Slave I build, and it’s also versatile if you’re using it for your own creative builds, so this one is a must-have for collectors. Part number: 16477 Valued at: Up to $160
Windscreen 10 x 10 x 4 Canopy Octagonal with TIE Pattern This Trans-Clear windscreen appeared in the Star Wars Vader’s TIE Advanced UCS (10175). It’s a unique shape and it’s printed with a unique pattern, so it’s hard to complete the TIE build without this piece. And because Vader’s TIE Advanced is a popular build, demand is pretty high for this rare LEGO part. Part number: 2598pb01 Valued at: Up to $135
Raised 32x32 Canyon with Brown Dirt and Gray Rocks This baseplate features a hilly terrain—it’s perfect for creating your own woodsy scene, and it’s a lot more detailed than your basic baseplate. But it was only released as part of one set—the Dark Forest Fortress set from 1996—so it’s fairly hard to come by today. Part number: 6024px4 Valued at: Up to $130
Windscreen 6 x 8 x 3 with 6 Studs on Top This piece only appeared in Trans-Clear in the Snowspeeder set, released in 2017. Like other windscreens, this one is fairly essential to nailing the look of the finished vehicle, and collectors are willing to pay to get it. Part number: 24248 Valued at: Around $100
Tile 1x8 with Marina Bay Sands Pattern This rare piece was found in only one set—and that set was only available as a very limited release. Only 10,000 copies of the Marina Bay Sands set were produced, and they were only sold in the gift shop of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The set itself is extremely collectible (especially if you can find it new in the box), but the 1x8 tile with “Marina Bay Sands” printed on it is doubtless the gem of the set. Part number: 4162pb105 Valued at: $90–$130
Minifigure Plume Feather (Small) The minifig plume feather is a tiny feather-shaped piece designed to be tucked into a hat. The piece is so small that it’s easy to lose, making this one especially hard to find in some of the more desirable colors like black, dark tan, and blue. Part number: 4502a Valued at: Dark tan: $65–$80 Black: $50 Blue: $15–$30
Monorail Motor Cover in Red The LEGO Monorail was a popular line of sets in the 1980s and 1990s. These sets aren’t produced anymore, but collectors still enjoy replicating them. That’s probably why this monorail cover from the Airport Shuttle set (6399) sells for such a high premium. Part number: 2619 Valued at: Around $50
Dish 5 x 5 Scala in Multiple Colors Unlike other LEGO pieces that are mostly desirable in one single color, this one actually fetches a premium in several different shades. The most collectible are Light Bluish Gray and Red, but most colors are selling for at least several dollars each. Part number: 6942 Valued at: Red: As much as $40–$50 Light Bluish Gray: Up to $40–$85
Cylinder Quarter 4 x 4 x 6 in Black The black cylinder quarter piece appeared in two LEGO sets—the Star Wars Darth Maul UCS (10018) and the Alpha Team Ogel Control Center (6776). It’s fairly common in every other color, but the price goes way up if you want it in black. Part number: 30562 Valued at: Around $40
Minifigure Hair, Female Ponytail Long with Side Bangs in Dark Tan This LEGO hair only appeared on one minifigure—a Zombie Bride released as part of the Monster Fighters Zombies Set (9465) in 2012. Demand is high for this one, probably because it’s pretty rare. Part number: 62696 Valued at: Around $35
8 x 12 Bow Boat Plate in Light Bluish Gray This bow boat plate was only produced for two sets, one of which was Vader’s TIE Advanced UCS. Because of its limited production and the popularity of the TIE Advanced set, this rare piece is considered highly collectible. Part number: 47405 Valued at: Around $20
Dish 10 x 10 Inverted (Radar) with Hollow Studs This large dish is collectible in both reddish brown and light bluish gray. The reddish brown dish appeared in the Star Wars Trade Federation MTT set (7662) and the light bluish gray appeared in 4 sets, including two Death Star builds (10188 and 10143), the FIRST LEGO League Power Puzle (9764) and the Agents Aerial Defense Unit set (8971). Part number: 50990a Valued at: Reddish brown: $20–$30 Light bluish gray: $15–$30
Round Corner 2 x 2 Macaroni with Stud notch in Sand Green This little curved connector piece is rare because of its color. Other colors of the part are pretty common, but it only appeared in Sand Green in the Statue of Liberty set (3450), which was released in the year 2000. Part Number: 3063 Valued at: About $17
2 x 2 Turntable Base Plate, Light Bluish Gray This turntable piece has appeared in several sets in this color, including Harry Potter and Star Wars sets. It’s even more common in other colors, but demand is high for this piece, so the price is higher than you might expect. Part number: 3680 Valued at: Currently around $15 but has sold for as much as $45
6 x 8 x 9 Tower Roof in Light Bluish Gray This piece is a tall, prism-shaped part. While it’s available in several colors, the only light bluish gray piece was found in the Arkham Asylum set (7785), released in 2006. Part number: 33215 Valued at: Around $15
Rare LEGO Minifigures
LEGO Minifigures are some of the most collectible objects in the LEGO universe. Rare LEGO minifigs can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Here are some of the rarest LEGO minifigs today: 14K Gold C-3PO ($200,000): This minifig was released in 2007 for Star Wars’ 30th anniversary. Only 5 were produced, and to get one, you had to win a contest. Ninjago Wooden Wu ($104,500): This figure was produced as a movie prop for the 2017 Ninjago movie. It’s carved out of real wood, making this a one-of-a-kind piece of LEGO memorabilia. 14K Gold Boba Fett ($15,000): The 14-Carat Gold Boba Fett is one of the rarest LEGO pieces of all time—only 2 copies of this minifig were ever produced. Spider-Man & Spider-Woman ($9,000–$15,000): At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, LEGO handed out limited editions of superhero minifigs. Spider-Man and Spider-Woman were the rarest, and they’re considered extremely collectible today. Mr. Gold ($7,500): The Mr. Gold minifigure is a legend in the LEGO community. He was released as part of the series 10 blind bags—but only 5,000 copies were made, so finding him was pretty rare.
Rare LEGO Bionicle Masks
Masks from the LEGO Bionicle series are often highly collectible. They tend to have a more niche group of collectors, but their unique designs and limited availability still drives demand. Here are the 5 rarest Bionicle masks: Inside Tour Gali Mask ($3,000): This Bionicle mask was only given out at the LEGO Inside Tour 2015. Only around 200 were made, making this one extremely collectible. Bionicle Mask Kraahkan ($600–800): The Kraahkan mask is one of the rarest and most desired Bionicle masks, regularly commanding over $500 dollars—when collectors can find it at all. Golden Kenohi Ignika ($170): This golden mask represents the Mask of Life, a significant part of the Ignition trilogy plotline. Silver Pakari Nuva ($170): This is the mask of strength worn by Toa Onua Nuva. Silver Kakama Nuva ($165): This is the silver mask of speed worn by Toa Pohatu.
What makes LEGO pieces rare?
Factors like limited production and desirability impact the rarity of LEGO pieces. LEGO pieces are sometimes only produced for a single set. That means if you want to try to recreate that set, you can’t go buy another set to get that one piece—raising the demand (and often the price). Other factors might include: Color: Pieces are often made in a variety of colors, with some colors being more common than others. Collectibility: If a piece is needed to complete a certain set (like a particular windshield for a vehicle or aircraft), more collectors will be interested in it, so they won’t last long if they hit the market. Fragility and prone to loss: Although LEGO pieces are usually fairly durable, some specialty pieces may be prone to breaking or cracking. Similarly, really tiny pieces can be easily lost, so there may be fewer available for collectors who need them.
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