LEGO Ideas sets have emerged as a bit of a LEGO phenomenon, merging the inventive spirit of LEGO enthusiasts with the timeless joy of brick-building. Originally introduced in 2008 under the name LEGO Cuusoo and later rebranded as LEGO Ideas, this platform allows fans to submit their own creative designs for potential LEGO sets. Community members then vote on these proposals, with those garnering sufficient support having the opportunity to be developed into official LEGO sets. The appeal of LEGO Ideas lies in its capacity to bring fan-favourite concepts to life, offering a diverse array of sets that resonate with enthusiasts of all ages. At Investabrick, we’ve seen the great popularity of LEGO Ideas firsthand, with standout sets like the LEGO Fender Stratocaster and LEGO Winnie the Pooh captivating fans worldwide. As certain LEGO Ideas sets approach retirement, now presents an ideal opportunity for collectors and investors to acquire these treasures, including the LEGO Typewriter, before they become sought-after rarities. We take a look at 3 LEGO Ideas sets retiring this year which we think make great investments!
Current LEGO Ideas sets that are retiring this year.
The sets we are analysing in this article are:
Also retiring from the LEGO Ideas theme this year are:
LEGO sets, much like any other product, have varying shelf lives dictated by factors such as production runs, popularity, and licensing agreements. LEGO Ideas sets, which often cater to niche interests and fan communities, tend to have limited availability windows. Sets also retiring this year include: LEGO 21318 Tree House, LEGO 21329 Fender Stratocaster, LEGO 21331 Sonic the Hedgehog – Green Hill Zone, LEGO 21334 Jazz Quartet, LEGO 21338 A-Frame Cabin, LEGO 21339 BTS Dynamite.
21327 LEGO Ideas Typewriter
The LEGO Ideas Typewriter (21327) is a nostalgic tribute to the classic typewriter, drawing inspiration from the very device used by the LEGO Group’s founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen. True to its real-life counterpart, this model mimics the movements and sounds of a traditional typewriter. With each press of a letter key, the brick-built centre typebar rises, linked to the carriage that moves across. Personally, we find the build to be exceptional, particularly the creative escapement mechanism responsible for moving the carriage. The level of detail achieved is truly remarkable, culminating in a captivating display piece that captures the essence of nostalgia and craftsmanship.
| Model Name | Typewriter |
| Model Number | 21327 |
| Theme | Ideas |
| Sub Themes | N/A |
| Pieces | 2079 |
| RRP | $250 / £215 / €250 |
| Price per Piece | 12c / 10p / 12c |
| Minifigures | N/A |
| Minifigures Value | N/A |
| Launch Date | July 2021 |
| Current Status | Retiring Soon |
| Retirement Date | December 2024 |
Financial Analysis
LEGO Typewriter is a great model version of a 1950 style typewriter, comes with over 2,000 pieces and has been a LEGO exclusive set since it was launched in July 2021 and it is expected to be retiring later this year. Also known as LEGO Ideas no. 35, LEGO 21327 has lots to like about it, but does it make for a strong LEGO investment as well as being an enthralling LEGO build and a great piece to display on the side at home.
With a current RRP of $250, we are projecting that the value of LEGO Typewriter will rise by 89% in the next 5 years to $473, delivering LEGO investment returns of 16% a year. We perceive this to be either a medium term LEGO investment or a long term LEGO investment rather than being a LEGO flip.
| Projected 5 Yr Value | $473 / £376 / €451 |
| % Increase ($) | 89% |
| Projected Future Annual Growth | 16% |
| Theme Growth | 18% |
| Sub-Theme Growth | N/A |
21332 LEGO Ideas the Globe
The LEGO Ideas The Globe (21332) set offers an appealing display model that smartly captures the spinning movement of a vintage Earth globe. With 2585 pieces, this intricately designed model utilizes LEGO Technic elements to achieve its motion. The globe includes glow-in-the-dark tiles, featuring the names of continents and oceans, adding a magical touch to its appearance. The set also includes buildable ship and compass icons, along with ‘The Earth’ nameplate, culminating in a great centerpiece.
| Model Name | The Globe |
| Model Number | 21332 |
| Theme | Ideas |
| Sub Themes | N/A |
| Pieces | 2585 |
| RRP | $230 / £200 / €230 |
| Price per Piece | 9c / 8p / 9c |
| Minifigures | N/A |
| Minifigures Value | N?A |
| Launch Date | February 2022 |
| Current Status | Retiring Soon |
| Retirement Date | December 2024 |
Financial Analysis
LEGO The Globe is a wonderful 3D model of the Globe consisting of just over 2,500 pieces and has been available at limited retail outlets including LEGO.com since February 2022 and is expected to become retired LEGO at the end of this year. A wonderful build experience (and quite challenging for
some of us here at investabrick!) as well as an excellent LEGO display model, we have looked at whether we think LEGO 21332 will be a strong LEGOs investment.
Also known as LEGO ideas no. 40, LEGO 21332 is projected to be valued at $404 in 5 years time, representing a return on LEGO investment of 76%, equivalent to 14% a year. We expect this to be best suited to being a long term LEGO investment rather than being a short or medium term option.
| Projected 5 Yr Value | $404 / £321 / €385 |
| % Increase ($) | 76% |
| Projected Future Annual Growth | 14% |
| Theme Growth | 18% |
| Sub-Theme Growth | N/A |
21340 LEGO Ideas Tales of the Space Age
The LEGO Ideas Tales of the Space Age (21340) set invites builders to embark on a nostalgic journey through the realms of 1980s sci-fi myths, films, books, and posters. This set features four connectable brick-built 3D postcards, each depicting iconic scenes from the space age era. You can recreate minimalist LEGO brick representations of an observatory for viewing comets and shooting stars, a moon base with a lunar eclipse, a shuttle blasting through space, and a mysterious black hole. With their great designs and easy connectivity, these models offer endless possibilities for display.
| Model Name | Tales of the Space Age |
| Model Number | 21340 |
| Theme | Ideas |
| Sub Themes | N/A |
| Pieces | 688 |
| RRP | $50 / £45 / €50 |
| Price per Piece | 7c / 7p / 7c |
| Minifigures | N/A |
| Minifigures Value | N?A |
| Launch Date | May 2023 |
| Current Status | Retiring Soon |
| Retirement Date | December 2024 |
Financial Analysis
LEGO Tales of the Space age (21340) is a very different set to any other LEGO set we have seen before, it comes with nearly 700 pieces for an RRP of $50, representing a very low price per brick of 7c. Launched in May 2023 this is another LEGO Ideas set that we currently expect to retire at the end of 2024.
Also known as LEGO Ideas no.48, LEGO 21340 is projected to be valued at $85 in 5 years time, a LEGO investment return of 69% equating to an average annualised growth of 13%. We expect this to ideally be a medium term LEGO investment though expect some will hold it for the longer term.
| Projected 5 Yr Value | $85 / £67 / €81 |
| % Increase ($) | 69% |
| Projected Future Annual Growth | 13% |
| Theme Growth | 18% |
| Sub-Theme Growth | N/A |
LEGO Ideas Financial Summary
The LEGO Ideas theme has been hugely successful bringing community ideas into reality in LEGO sets available for retail sale and as a theme has seen average annualised growth of 18% across with more than 50 LEGO Ideas set’s having now been released across a very broad range of subjects.
It is this broad range of subject matter within the theme (and little segregation into comparable sub-themes) that for us make it very much a theme to be very selective in when looking for LEGOs investment as it is hard to use direct comparators for LEGO Investing purposes.
We have looked at some of the retired LEGO within the LEGO Ideas theme below including LEGO OLD Fishing Store (21310) which has more than tripled in value since retiring in 2018 (24% annualised growth) and LEGO Birds (21301) which has seen its value increase just over $100 from its $45 RRP to $147 since retiring in 2015 (15% annualised growth).
| Set Number | Set Name | Retired Date | RRP | Current Value | Total Growth | Annualised Growth |
| 21322 | Pirates of Barracuda Bay | December 2021 | $200 | $316 | 58% | 23% |
| 21310 | Old Fishing Store | December 2018 | $150 | $466 | 211% | 24% |
| 21305 | Maze | December 2016 | $70 | $157 | 124% | 12% |
| 21301 | Birds | December 2015 | $45 | $147 | 227% | 15% |
Conclusion and Investment Guidance
LEGO Ideas is a strong theme to look for LEGO investments with the retired LEGO delivering average annualised returns of 18% and all 3 of these sets deserve strong consideration as LEGOs investments.
LEGO 21327 has the potential to be a great LEGO set to invest in. It comes from a theme providing LEGO investment returns of 18%, has been a LEGO exclusive set for the duration of it’s retail life, has superb build quality and is expected to retire later this year. Projected growth of 16% a year going forward makes this a strong LEGO investment set for us at Investabrick.
LEGO 21332 is another LEGO ideas model that looks set to become a strong LEGO investment set. Backed by the strong theme performance, the set has had limited supply and strong demand whilst at retail sale, great build quality and display capability, it is also expected to become retired LEGO later this year. Projected growth of 14% a year on average makes this another set we at Investabrick are keen to add to our portfolio.
LEGO 21340 again has the foundations to be a very positive LEGO investment set (and at a lower purchase price than the previous 2 potential LEGO investment sets). Strong theme performance, a strong subject matter, a relatively short shelf life and decent demand. A great LEGO display model and talking piece we think this will also be a very positive medium term LEGO investment.
All 3 of these sets can be purchased currently at LEGO.com, as can the above mentioned other LEGO Ideas sets that are becoming retired LEGO later this year. When choosing a LEGO Ideas investment set, remember to look for the models that have had strong demand, preferably more limited supply, are retiring this year, have strong build quality and strong subject matter that appeals to both you and more importantly to likely collectors in the future.
