Building fortunes: The rare and valuable LEGO minifigures you need to know
Minifigs are big business, and we mean really BIG business, like up there with other things people pay ridiculous amounts of money to collect. Here we look at the top 10 most expensive collectible minifigs we found on eBay. Prices have been converted to NZD and the items for sale are mostly in mint, boxed condition (where applicable.)
10. 2011 New York Comic Con Superman
Price: $1,815
200 of these exclusive Supermen were given out to lucky attendees at the 2011 New York Comic Con.
9. Kidsfest 2013 LEGO Store employee
Price: $2,140
This minifig was given away at Kidsfest 2013 to staff who worked more than 40 hours over 5 days. Kidsfest is a 3-day LEGO event that takes place across North America.
8. Leicester Square Lester
Price: $2,385
Lester was given to customers that spent over £100 at the grand opening of the Leicester Square LEGO store in London in 2017. Many fans left the store aggrieved to find that figures weren't available for all and required winning a scratch card lottery. Only 275 were released. A year later, the LEGO store introduced a Lester poly bag for £5.99, but the original is the one in demand by collectors.
7. 2011 Inside Tour minifig
Price: $2,495
For around NZ$3,200 per person you can have a 2-night stay at the Billund LEGOLAND which includes a tour of the factory, entry to LEGO founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen's original home, and a meet-and-greet with LEGO designers. Visitors will take home an exclusive set and this minifig comes from the 2011 tour. The tour happens once a year and a spot is not guaranteed, so this really is a rare privilege.
6. Jørgen Vig Knudstorp 2009 business card
Price: $2,570
As of writing, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp is the executive chairman and former CEO of the LEGO Group. He joined LEGO in 2009, succeeding Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, and is the first non-family member to head LEGO Group. This very rare minifig served as his business card in 2009.
5. 2014 Idea Conference minifig
Price: $2,935
The annual Idea Conference is a 3-day event that focuses on learning, and is specifically sponsored by the LEGO Foundation. These minifigs were an exclusive gift to participants.
4. Mr Gold
Price: $3,670
Mr Gold was released in 2013 to celebrate Series 10 of the mini figure series range and is completely gold chrome except for his white hands. Only 5,000 were produced and were distributed amongst other Series 10 figures. The Series range are all blind bags with single figures in them, so you don't know what you're going to get, although there are ways to cheat the system. Users that were lucky enough to find a Mr Gold had a special code they could enter online to get a Mr Gold certificate, which would also pin on a world map where he was found. To date, not all the figures have been accounted for!
3=. 2012 New York Toy Fair Iron Man & Captain America
Price: $4,405
Only 125 of these exclusive minifigs were given away at the 2012 New York Toy Fair. You'll notice Iron Man's mask is actually painted on the head rather than being a separate piece. Also, the design appears to be from the Heroes Reborn era of comics from the late 90s, which all together makes these individual prints very rare.
3=. Thomas Kirk Kristiansen business card
Price: $4,405
Thomas Kirk Kristiansen is the great grandson of Ole Kirk Kristiansen, who founded LEGO in 1932, making wooden toys, before moving into plastic interlocking bricks in 1949. Kristiansen serves on the board of the LEGO Group and this minifig is actually his business card. While only a handful of LEGO employees had these minifigs made for them, Kristiansen's is by far the most sought after.
3=. Will.i.am
Price: $4,405
400 of these numbered Will.i.am minifigs were given away at a charity event in LA called Best Brunch, where LEGO Education was a sponsor in 2016. Each baseplate is printed with the limited edition number on it, which is something not seen from LEGO before.
2. 2013 Comic Con Marvel Spiderwoman
Price: $5,140
Only 350 of these exclusive figures were given out at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con. A figure like this is not only in-demand from collectors because of the sheer limit of sets available, but also because the figure comes in its own packaging and carries the Comic Con logo. Any self-respecting superheroes minifig collector, with deep pockets, should have this in their collection.
1. LEGO Brand Retail Managers Conference minifigs
Price: $5,875
If you're lucky enough to work for LEGO you can enjoy all sorts of employee-only gifts that can then be flogged on eBay to supplement their income. Our number one most-expensive figures are exclusive to LEGO employees who attend LEGO Group's annual Brand Managers Conference.