The five rarest LEGO Star Wars items of all time
There are many LEGO Star Wars items that collectors would consider holy grails, but here are the five rarest of all time.
The LEGO Star Wars theme continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, offering fans multiple new sets, GWPs, Insiders rewards, a dedicated coffee table book and much more. From its humble beginnings back in 1999 to one of the company’s most successful product lines, LEGO Star Wars is still going strong in 2024.
With so many LEGO Star Wars sets, minifigures and promos released over a quarter of a century, some have inevitably gone on to become much sought after collector’s items. Limited edition models now demand a pretty penny on the secondary market, some convention exclusives have only ever been numbered in the hundreds and good luck trying to find one-of-a-kind prototypes that manage to make their way out of LEGO’s HQ.
However, when it comes to the rarest LEGO Star Wars items of all time, the five listed below are considered by many fans to be true holy grails. What may be a surprise is that they all currently reside with Samuel (known on Instagram as rarest_lego_minifigures), who has managed to assemble one of the most enviable collections of LEGO Star Wars sets, minifigures and one-offs in the world.
5 – Toy Fair 2005 Star Wars V.I.P. Gala Set – 1 of 55
This special promotional box set was given out to guests invited by the LEGO Group to the 2005 V.I.P. Gala at the International Toy Fair in New York. Limited to just 55 copies, it includes 7251 Darth Vader Transformation, a 32-piece model that in itself is nothing remarkable.
However, the unique packaging of the LEGO Star Wars promo item and its scarcity in good condition means that it rarely pops up for sale on the secondary market. Current estimates place the Toy Fair 2005 Star Wars V.I.P. Gala Set at over £4,000, if you can find one.
4 – LEGO VIP TC-14 signed minifigure – 1 of 3
By spending $75 on a LEGO Star Wars Mystery Box in 2018, fans could enter a sweepstake via a card found inside. One of the prizes up for grabs was a signed and sealed TC-14 minifigures, while the other is an even rarer item that lands later on in this list.
A LEGO VIP sweepstake in 2019 offered fans yet another chance to win a TC-14 minifigure and a photo signed by actor John Fensom. The Episode I protocol droid was then sealed in an acrylic case and graded 100% gold by UK Graders.
3 – LEGO VIP Dutch Vander Gold Leader signed minifigure – 1 of 3
A similar LEGO VIP giveaway took place in 2021 as part of a May the 4th sweepstake, offering fans the opportunity to win one of only three Gold Leader Jon ‘Dutch’ Vander minifigures with a photo of the character signed by actor Angus MacInnes. The items were also sealed in a protective acrylic case and received their own 100% grading.
The Gold Leader minifigure has appeared in a number of LEGO Star Wars models such as 75181 Y-wing Starfighter over the years, but this special item is in a league of its own. The sweepstake to win the promotional set only cost 50 points per entry at the time and the price of the item today can only be guessed at.
2 – Solid bronze and sterling silver C-3PO minifigures – 1 of 1
Given away as a prize at San Diego Comic-Con 2007, this one-of-one solid bronze C-3PO minifigure came with a black display frame and certificate of authenticity. The promotion was part of the LEGO Star Wars theme’s then 30th anniversary celebrations and has been valued as high as $50,000. A one-of-one solid sterling silver C-3PO was also given away at Star Wars Celebration IV in the same year.
In addition, a gold chrome C-3PO minifigure was randomly inserted into 10,000 LEGO Star Wars sets in the US in 2007, while a special edition metallic gold version limited to only 100 minifigures was given away via the Australian LEGO Club magazine.
1 – Solid sterling silver and 18K white gold R2-D2 minifigures – 1 of 1
Alongside the signed TC-14 minifigure, black VIP card members who picked up the LEGO Star Wars Mystery Box in 2018 could also enter a sweepstake to win a solid sterling silver (one-of-13) or platinum (one-of-five) R2-D2 droid figure.
Not only does lucky Samuel have both versions of the metallic astromech, but his collection boasts a solid sterling silver variant given to the designer and jeweller who created the figure, a solid 18K white gold version available to black VIP card holders and a solid sterling silver prototype.
All three promotional LEGO Star Wars items are one-of-a-kind pieces and each came with a unique certificate of authenticity, sealed in a protective acrylic case. As for the price? Well, if the owner ever decided to part with them, you’d have to pay a Hutt’s bounty in order to add them to your own collection, with pop culture artist Brandon Griffith estimating the white gold version at $75,000 alone.
For even more LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary content, be sure to check out our dedicated landing page right here.
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Author Profile
- From video game journalism to kids’ publishing, I’ve been there, seen it, done it and worn the T-shirt. I was also the editor of the first-ever official LEGO magazine way back when, LEGO Adventures. I have a passion for movies, comic books, tech and video games, with a wallet that’s struggling to keep up with my LEGO set wish list.
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