My dad was always right, mostly
Back in 2005, when I was 23, I had a plan: buy two of every LEGO Star Wars set. One to open and build, and one to keep sealed for the future.
LEGO, Star Wars, and a little investing—all rolled into one perfectly reasonable excuse to buy twice as much LEGO.
My dad talked me out of it.
And honestly, I understand. Buying every set twice sounds expensive. Keeping half of them unopened sounds questionable. Storing them for twenty years sounds like a problem for future me.
But now that I’m future me, I have a few numbers I’d like to bring into evidence:
| LEGO Star Wars set | Release year | Original U.S. MSRP | Estimated sealed value today |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARC-170 Fighter (7259) | 2005 | $39.99 | About $387 |
| Wookiee Attack (7258) | 2005 | $29.99 | About $439 |
| Clone Turbo Tank (7261, light-up Mace Windu version) | 2005 | $89.99 | About $1,672 |
These are BrickEconomy estimates for factory-sealed sets, checked in October 2026. Actual sale prices vary with condition and demand.
Then there’s the original Cloud City (10123) from the same era. Released in 2003, it retailed for $99.99. BrickEconomy now estimates a sealed copy at roughly $17,445, although other price guides report substantially lower values—BrickPicker’s estimate is about $9,148, based on four verified sales over the past year. Either way, that’s quite a jump from a hundred bucks.
Dad, we need to revisit this conversation.
Of course, that assumes I could have resisted opening them, kept the boxes in good shape, and carried them through twenty years of life without losing or crushing anything. There’s a decent chance my investment portfolio would have ended up scattered across the living room floor.
Still, I love the idea that I could have built one copy, enjoyed every minute of it, and tucked another away.
Dad was right about a lot of things. But I reserve the right to give him a hard time about this one.
Two of each? I might have been onto something.