LEGO Minifigures have been an integral part of Lego sets since their introduction in 1978. In the early years, they were simple and lacked distinguished features. However, over the years, these miniature figures have evolved to become the beloved characters that we see today. It all started when LEGO designers began to experiment with creating smaller figures to fit inside LEGO sets. From there, the Minifigures grew in popularity, and LEGO began to add more detail to their bodies and faces. Now, the Minifigures have become iconic, with countless variations and themes that appeal to LEGO enthusiasts of all ages. From classic knights and pirate figures to modern superheroes and movie characters, the evolution and history of LEGO Minifigures is truly remarkable.
First launched in 2010, the LEGO Minifigure series have taken the toy world by storm. The collectable minifigure series is often referred to as blind bags, as the small, opaque bags contain a surprise Minifigure. You never know which character you’ll get until you open the bag, making it a fun and exciting experience for both kids and adults alike. The first series contained 16 characters including a Caveman, Cheerleader, Circus Clown, Zombie, Skater, Robot and more. It proved so popular that LEGO have continued to release 3 collections per year, usually in January, May and September. Collections have included a whole host of different themes including Disney, the Simpsons, the two LEGO Movies, the LEGO Batman movies, Ninjago, Harry Potter, DC Comics and The Muppets, as well as more traditional characters (Click here for our article on LEGO Minifigures Licensed Themes).
LEGO has announced major changes to its Collectible Minifigures (CMF) line, switching from its current blind bag format to a more environmentally friendly cardboard packaging format. It is aiming to start this in September 2023. This is a significant development for LEGO in terms of sustainability and also CMF fans as it means there can be no more feeling the bag to work out what is inside!!
Investment Potential
In 2010, LEGO started to package their minifigures for sale in grouped sets for the first time and launched LEGO minifigures Series 1 Complete Set, comprising of 16 minifigures for an RRP of £32 (£1.99 a figure) which is now worth nearly £300 (775% total growth and 18% annualised growth). At the same time they launched the LEGO minifigures Series 1 Sealed Box, comprising of 5 sets of 12 minifigures totalling 60 minifigures for an RRP of £119 (£1.99 a figure) which is now worth over £800 (592% total growth and 15% annualised growth)
Theme Analysis
Since that first launch there have been a total of 24 series of each, with the current series 24 having just retired. The structure of the packs has changed since the first series, the complete set is now 12
minifigures for a RRP of £42 (£3.49 a figure) and the sealed box is 3 sets of 12 making 36 figures for an RRP of £126 (£3.49 a figure).
The majority of the sets have a shelf life of just 3 or 4 months. Across the 24 series, the annualised average growth for both the Complete Sets and the Sealed Boxes is 15% making these an amazing investment.
The pick of the LEGO Minifigures Complete sets are below:
| Set Name | Number of Minifigures | Retired Date | RRP | Current Value | Total Growth | Annualised Growth |
| Series 1 Complete Set | 16 | June 2010 | £32 | £283 | 784% | 18% |
| Series 8 Complete Set | 16 | December 2012 | £32 | £149 | 368% | 16% |
| Series 11 Complete Set | 16 | December 2013 | £32 | £157 | 393% | 18% |
| Series 18 Complete Set | 16 | July 2018 | £40 | £98 | 146% | 20% |
The pick of the LEGO Minifigures Sealed Box sets are below:
| Set Name | Number of Minifigures | Retired Date | RRP | Current Value | Total Growth | Annualised Growth |
| Series 1 Sealed Box | 60 | June 2010 | £119 | £814 | 582% | 16% |
| Series 9 Sealed Box | 60 | April 2013 | £119 | £595 | 398% | 17% |
| Series 10 Sealed Box | 60 | August 2013 | £119 | £1012 | 748% | 24% |
| Series 19 Sealed Box | 60 | June 2020 | £179 | £295 | 64% | 19% |
Conclusion
The LEGO minifigures sets are clearly a very strong investment opportunity, whether the original sets like these or the Licensed Theme sets and we would recommend keeping an eye out for future launches. Don’t hang around though, they have very short shelf life so snap them up as soon as they are available.
