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The Best Places to Buy LEGO Sets (Including Retired)

By Alexis Pratsides, FounderUpdated

Where to Buy LEGO Sets: Retail and Aftermarket

LEGO presents a buying challenge that distinguishes it from most other collectibles: current sets are available through multiple retail channels at or very near the same recommended retail price, while retired sets (no longer in production) can command premiums on the secondary market of 2-5x the original retail price, sometimes significantly more for the most sought-after themes. Navigating this dual market - retail for current sets, aftermarket for retired ones - requires knowing which channel to use for each purchase. Use CollectionPlnr's LEGO tracker to log your sets and compare what you own against current estimated market prices before you shop.

Buying Current Sets: The Official LEGO Shop

The official LEGO Shop (lego.com and physical LEGO Stores) sells all current sets at Recommended Retail Price (RRP). While not the cheapest source for most sets, the official store offers genuine advantages:

  • LEGO VIP rewards - every purchase earns VIP points redeemable against future purchases. Regular VIP members effectively receive 1-3% back in rewards on standard purchases.
  • Double and triple VIP point events - periodically announced, these events effectively give 6-9% back in rewards points, making the official store genuinely competitive during these windows.
  • Exclusive sets - certain sets are only available directly from LEGO and are not sold by any third-party retailer. These exclusives are the most important reason to maintain an account with the official store.
  • Gift-with-purchase promotions - the official store frequently runs promotions where purchases above certain thresholds include a free set or polybag.
  • Early access - VIP members often receive early access to new set releases, particularly for limited-run sets that sell out quickly.

The main drawback is that LEGO almost never discounts its own products below RRP. The official store is best for exclusives and for accumulating points toward future purchases.

Big-Box and Online Retailers

Major retailers - Amazon, Smyths Toys, Argos, Tesco (in the UK), Target, Walmart, and Costco (in the US) - frequently discount LEGO sets by 10-25% during sale periods. This makes them the cheapest reliable source for most current non-exclusive sets. Tips for getting the best prices:

  • Use a price-tracking browser extension (such as CamelCamelCamel for Amazon) to monitor price history and receive alerts when a set drops.
  • Black Friday, post-Christmas clearance, and mid-year toy sales are the most reliable discount windows.
  • Larger and more expensive sets (Technic, Creator Expert, Icons, Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series) tend to see better percentage discounts than smaller, cheaper sets.
  • Costco (where available) frequently carries large LEGO sets at 20-25% below RRP as standard pricing, not just during sales.
  • Sign up for email newsletters from major toy retailers to receive sale notifications before they are widely publicised.

Buying Retired Sets: BrickLink

BrickLink is the marketplace built specifically for LEGO and is the best first stop for retired sets. With thousands of individual sellers worldwide, it offers unmatched selection and competitive pricing through seller competition. Why BrickLink excels:

  • The inventory breadth is unmatched - sets from the 1970s to last year are available, often from multiple sellers simultaneously.
  • Seller competition keeps prices honest. Unlike eBay where an individual listing stands alone, BrickLink shows you all available options for a set side by side.
  • Condition listings (New Sealed, Like New, Complete, Incomplete, Incomplete instructions) are generally reliable and well-understood by the community.
  • You can buy individual parts to complete an incomplete set rather than paying for the complete set - often far cheaper for sets where only a small number of parts are missing.
  • BrickLink's price guide shows historical average sale prices, helping you assess whether a current listing is fairly priced.

BrickLink charges a small fee on purchases. International shipping can be significant - factor this in when comparing prices across sellers in different countries. Many sellers offer combined shipping for multiple sets purchased together.

Buying Retired Sets: eBay

eBay has a large and active LEGO secondary market, particularly strong for:

  • High-value retired sets where buyers want the additional security of eBay's buyer protection guarantee for expensive purchases.
  • New sealed sets where the "sealed" premium over used-complete prices is well-documented and well-understood by both buyers and sellers.
  • Bundles of multiple sets from the same theme, sold by collectors downsizing or departing the hobby.
  • Sets with documentation of purchase receipts or other provenance that some buyers value.

The critical practice on eBay is always checking Sold Listings before committing to a purchase. Asking prices for desirable retired LEGO sets frequently exceed actual sale prices by 20-40% or more. A set listed at £350 that has only sold for £240 in recent months tells you everything you need to know about what to actually pay.

Facebook Marketplace and Local Selling Apps

Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and Craigslist are consistently good sources for used complete LEGO sets at below-market prices. The sellers are typically families or individuals clearing space - not specialist dealers - which means pricing is often based on a rough sense of "what seemed fair" rather than careful market research. Advantages:

  • Prices for used complete sets are frequently 20-40% below BrickLink market average.
  • Buying locally in person means you can inspect the set's completeness, assess piece condition, and check instructions are present before paying.
  • No shipping cost or risk.
  • Opportunity to buy incomplete sets cheaply and source missing parts via BrickLink.

This channel is ideal for used sets in the £20-150 range where the effort of individual parts sourcing is manageable.

Timing the Retirement Window

LEGO sets appreciate most sharply in the first 12-24 months after they are retired from production. The window between "approaching retirement" and "recently retired" is often the best time to buy multiple copies of a set you believe will appreciate, because secondary market prices have not yet fully adjusted upward. Signs a set may be approaching retirement:

  • The set has been in production for 2-3 years or more. Most LEGO sets are retired within 2-4 years of release.
  • The set appears in LEGO's own reduced-price clearance section on their website.
  • Third-party retailers are heavily discounting the set - a reliable signal they are clearing remaining stock.
  • LEGO has announced a revised version or successor set in the same theme.

Buying two copies during a clearance discount - one to build and enjoy, one to keep sealed as a potential investment - is a common strategy among collectors who track the LEGO aftermarket carefully.

Buying Incomplete Sets and Sourcing Parts

Buying a used or incomplete set at a significant discount and completing it through BrickLink parts purchases is often the cheapest way to own a set - particularly for older, more expensive sets where the complete set price on BrickLink or eBay is high. BrickLink's Wanted List tool lets you list every missing part and then find the single store (or minimal number of stores) that can fulfil the complete list at the lowest combined price. This approach works best when:

  • The missing parts are common Technic connectors, plates, or bricks rather than rare moulded prints or exclusive minifigures.
  • You have a clear, accurate inventory of what parts are missing (check against the official parts list available on BrickLink for every set).

Track Value Before Buying

Before paying a premium for a retired set, use CollectionPlnr to check the current estimated market price against what you are being offered. Our LEGO price data reflects current market listings, so you can see at a glance whether a deal is genuinely below market or whether the seller has simply listed at an aspirational price. See also our guide to the most valuable LEGO sets for sets with the strongest appreciation histories.

Best Channel by Scenario

  • Current sets at best price: Big-box retailers during sales (10-25% off RRP).
  • Current exclusives: Official LEGO Shop (only source, plus VIP points).
  • Retired sets - widest selection: BrickLink.
  • High-value sealed retired sets: eBay (buyer protection for expensive purchases).
  • Used sets cheaply: Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Craigslist.
  • Missing parts to complete a set: BrickLink Wanted List tool.