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75252 LEGO Imperial Star Destroyer. Invest in this LEGO Star Wars Blockbuster. In a galaxy far, far away or should I say a cinema a couple of hundred miles away I remember being blown away and left breathless by the entrance on screen of the Starship destroyer, the sheer vastness of scale in comparison to the fleeing rebel spaceship was astonishing and left me wide eyed. The vast ship literally engulfed the screen for a moment. This epic scale is honoured by the sheer vastness of this LEGO model with 4784 pieces and a manual that will run war and peace close on pages and word count. It is one of those that will as a build dominate any room or as an investment challenge any cupboard or loft space to find it a home. Is the price tag of £615 and the staggering size a barrier to purchasing this?
Set details
Visually the model does capture the Starship destroyer perfectly. LEGO enthusiasts do complain that it has no interiors at all which is surprising, it only has two mini figures which is quite astonishing particularly as it has no Darth Vader included. With some of the build being repetitive and the set being almost completely grey it hasn’t captured too many hearts within the building community since being launched.
Launched in September 2019, this ultimate collector series model of the Imperial Star Destroyer has 4784 pieces. It has two unique mini figures, Imperial Officer and Imperial Crewmember. The set includes a microscale rebel Blockade Runner which is the ship that Princess Leia was being chased in at the start of the very first Star Wars film. The set was designed by legend LEGO designer Henrik Andersen.
The set itself certainly has its critics but it has become a firm favourite with collectors within the franchise as it is the third most owned within the Ultimate Collector Series. It is due to retire at the end of this year so now is the perfect time to be acquiring this set.
It can be purchased at LEGO for £614.99 but be quick before it sells out!
| Model Name | Imperial Star Destroyer |
| Model Number | 75252 |
| Theme | Star Wars |
| Sub Themes | Starships |
| Pieces | 4784 |
| Minifigures | 2 |
| Column Launch Date | September 2019 |
| Current Status | Retired |
| Date Retired | December 2022 |
| RRP | £615 |
Investment Potential
The Star Wars theme in general, and the Ultimate Collector series sub-theme within, must be very close to the top of themes for investors to consider purchasing sets from, and this one is no different.
The general Star Wars theme has seen over 800 sets launched within nearly 50 sub themes, showing just how successful and popular it has been since the first set was launched over 20 years ago in 1999. It would have cost you over £30,000 to buy all those sets at retail, but they would now be worth in excess on £140,000, with further appreciation in value expected over the coming years.
| Launch RRP | £650 |
| Price Per Piece | £0.13 |
| Launch Price per piece | £0.14 |
| Current Value | £615 |
| Growth to Date | N/A |
| Annualised Growth Since Retirement | N/A |
| 1st Year Value | £707 |
| Percentage Increase | 15% |
| 5th Year Value | £969 |
| Percentage Increase | 58% |
| Expected Annual Growth | 8% |
Theme Analysis
The Ultimate Collector Series is a must for any investor in general with a whopping 8% average annual growth and with little ceiling on the upside most of the models below would have been essential purchases.
Some example sets:
| Set Number | Set Name | Retired Date | RRP | Current Value | Total Growth | Annualised Growth |
| 10188 | Death Star | December 2015 | £275 | £506 | 85% | 9% |
| 10134 | Y Wing Attack Starfighter | July 2006 | £110 | £578 | 435% | 11% |
| 10215 | Obi Wans Jedi Starfighter | March 2012 | £95 | £274 | 188% | 10% |
| 75095 | Tie Fighter | September 2017 | £170 | £236 | 39% | 7% |
Comparable Set Analysis
We can go a little deeper into the data though and look specifically at retired sets that have a similar scale to the Imperial Star Destroyer though. These sets have an even larger annual growth ranging between 10% and 27%. This looks very favourable as an investment.
| Set Number | Set Name | Retired Date | RRP | Current Value | Total Growth | Annualised Growth |
| 10179 | Millennium Falcon | May 2010 | £340 | £1785 | 425% | 14% |
| 75159 | Death Star | November 2020 | £410 | £663 | 62% | 27% |
| 10221 | Super Star Destroyer | June 2014 | £350 | £952 | 172% | 13% |
| 10030 | Imperial Star Destroyer | February 2008 | £250 | £989 | 296% | 10% |
Conclusion
When considering purchasing Imperial Star Destroyer (75252) the sheer size of the set could be considered a negative. I think that is outweighed by the fact that this is the 3rd most purchased ultimate collector series model to date. I think its correct for us to look at other comparable LEGO sets and we can make a very strong recommendation from some very useful financial insights. So many similar retired sets give us real peace of mind from an investors’ perspective, and I think this is one of those sets that again show Star Wars LEGO are essential LEGO Investments. The timing is also perfect with the set due to retire from retail sale at the end of this year.
