The rarer sets in your collection

Necronomicon · 27-01-2012 1:32pm #1

What are they? They don't strictly have to be like gold dust, but rare in comparison to what you'd find in regular brick and mortar retailers, or what you might find currently available from online retailers.

A few favourites from my own:

1) 7784 - The Batmobile: Ultimate Collectors' Edition

Year: 2006
Pieces: 1045
Availability: Discontinued

My love for LEGO hadn't been rekindled on time to buy the Batman sets while they were in stores. Thankfully I have a thoughtful girlfriend who managed to procure me one in the after-market as a Christmas present. It is currently my only UCS (Ultimate Collectors' Edition) set. A very challenging build, on account of the overwhelming amount of black pieces. Trying to look at constant black-on-black pieces in the instruction book made my eyes go square.

2) 10217 - Diagon Alley

Year: 2011
Pieces: 2025
Availability: Still available on shop.lego.com and Amazon.

I'm a big Harry Potter fan, and this theme represents my favourite in the licensed category. 10217 comes with three superb buildings and a generous selection of minifigures, five exclusive to this set. It is available on LEGO and Amazon, with Toys 'R' US the only brick and mortar retailer carrying it. The theme is about to finish indefinitely, so I think this will appreciate in value hugely given that it was hard enough to get to begin with.

7199 - The Temple of Doom

Year: 2009
Pieces: 652
Availability: Discontinued

Why does LEGO make licensed themes of all my favourite things? Indiana Jones was another one I missed when they were widely available. I've procured two Indy sets second hand, this being the pride and joy. It is a quite ridiculous 37 inches in length, and was a pretty unique build. From my least favourite movie of the trilogy (I'm not counting the abomination of a fourth), but definitely my favourite set amongst the Indy LEGO line-up.

4) 10199 - Winter Village Toy Shop

Year: 2009
Pieces: 815
Availability: Discontinued

I only discovered the Winter Village theme late last year. A sub-theme of Town, it comprises (so far) three sets which combine to make a seasonal village. I was very lucky to catch 10199, which was the first released set of the theme. It was discontinued some weeks after I snagged it, and it was displayed prominently in my living room beside 10216, which is still available. I disassembled them both when the Christmas decorations come down, and plan on taking them out every year and adding to the village.

macpac26 · 27-01-2012 5:12pm

That Batmobile is pretty impressive! Judging by the detail and colour id say it was quite a tricky build at times.

I only have a few sets so far but the VW Van is my rarest. Ive ordered The Grand Emporium from the Modular series and that you would never find in the shops so im looking forward to getting that built.

Diagon Alley is definitely tempting , i believe apart from Hogwarts is the only set that offers the three lead characters minifigs together.

So many sets, so little money