Brick by brick: the soaring costs of LEGO sets 

As the largest toy company in the world, Lego has been a staple in many childhoods, but in recent years the price of sets has skyrocketed, and people are demanding answers. Fans across the world have been crying out for a reason it is so expensive, and if it will ever become more affordable. Fortunately, after insightful words from Lego Certified Professional Ryan McNaught, better known as Brickman, some answers have finally been presented.

For some background information, Lego has been a toy company since 1932, and the classic interlocking plastic bricks that they are so well known for were patented in 1958. Originally, products from the Lego company were simplistic and small. They were cheap, as well, with the average price being around $1-5 USD (about $10-50 USD in today’s money). Now, sets can range to anything from $10 to $1200, a stark contrast. Obviously, the biggest factor that would change pricing so astronomically is quality and inflation.

But these are not the only things that come into play according to Brickman. In an exclusive interview, he spoke about things such as IP rights coming into play. “The most expensive theme is probably LEGO Harry Potter, or LEGO Star Wars, the main reason being that LEGO has to pay a license to the IP rights holder to use their branding.” This arrangement means that Lego increases the prices of branded sets to cover its cost. So that answers the question of why branded sets are so expensive, but what about themes were Lego doesn’t have to pay for a licence, like Lego City or Ninjago?   

As it turns out, these unbranded sets are actually much cheaper than they used to be (with adjustments for inflation). Brickman revealed the Lego was actually much more expensive per piece in the 70s and 80s. Nowadays, yes, overall Lego is quite expensive, but that is simply the reality of our current economy. The price of everything, from milk to houses, has been raised, and is much higher than it used to be, and Lego is no exception. There are some additional factors, such as having to create new moulds for specific pieces, that make sets a bit more expensive, but these factors are also increasing the quality of the sets exponentially. Just look at the improvement from the original Lego castle sets to the current one. 

In conclusion, yes Lego has jacked up their prices over the last few years, but the quality of sets has improved exponentially. As a consumer in today’s economy, Lego is still a great way to spend your money, and there are multiple ways to get what you want. If you are looking for a specific theme like Lord of the Rings or Marvel, you are bound to pay more. However, if you just want basic bricks to create your own fantasies, buying sets from the creator or Lego City themes are going to get you a lot more bang for your buck. There are also other ways to get just bricks if that is what you are after. Sites like Bricklink offer good prices for good quality and specific pieces, and even Lego stores will allow you to purchase a container of particular bricks for a certain price.

Finally, a great way to get mainstream sets for great prices is through retail stores like Big W, Target and Kmart. They will often offer sets for reduced prices, sometimes even up to 50% off. So, overall, if you are clever, you can continue to play at reasonable prices. 

Ed H, Year 8