Welcome to the brick market.
The LEGO Group 2023 annual revenue:
$9.5B USD.
2023 independent LEGO resale and
events market:
$585M USD.
Total
annual consumer spend on LEGO & LEGO-related products:
$10B+
USD.
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There is a thriving secondhand market for LEGO products and events worth more than half-a-billion dollars per year - "the Brick economy."
In total, WILCO tracked $140 million USD in LEGO historical market sales in the 1st half of 2024, and estimates the total size of the brick economy at $625 million USD for 2024!
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WILCO works with 3rd parties and resellers directly to collect and aggregate sales figures on the LEGO market and secondhand LEGO economy. Details on our estimating methodology can be found in our latest market research reports.
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The WILCO Core Index is built of actual total tracked sales of used and secondhand LEGO from Ebay and Bricklink, + data for select brick & mortar locations that share or disclose their data. ​
$312 M
Used and Secondhand LEGO Sales
Channel Breakdown
Total LEGO resale market value
including all sources (est.):
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$312 million USD 1st half 2024.
Breaking down the Brick Market: LEGO parts vs. LEGO sets vs. LEGO minifigures - what do the people want?
Used & Secondhand LEGO Product
Sales
LEGO Sets
LEGO parts
LEGO Minifigures
The LEGO investment landscape extends far beyond just "LEGO flippers" buying and selling new-in-box sets - that's only about 30% of the overall secondhand/resale LEGO market. The remainder of the brick economy is driven by demand for used sets, individual LEGO bricks and pieces, and minifigures.
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LEGO enthusiasts and resellers are always on the lookout for rare and hard-to-find pieces, scouring online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Etsy for bulk brick deals. Many of these parts will be sorted and repackaged into used sets, sold in lots for art exhibitions, or even sold individually at specialty brick shops.​​
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Thanks to sites like Bricklink, BrickOwl, and Peeron, which allow anyone to buy and sell LEGO parts, there is a thriving market for these items and bricks, pieces, and minifigures now make up almost 60% of the total market!
Total LEGO resale market value parts and minifigures (est.):
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$180 million USD in 1st half 2024.
Did you say specialty brickshop? Yes - there are over 200 unofficial brick stores that deal exclusively in reselling LEGO products!
Stores specializing in "Buy-Sell-Trade" of LEGO products are growing rapidly across the globe. WILCO now tracks over 200 independent LEGO stores (often called Brick Stores). In addition to selling used and new LEGO, these stores host events and parties, offer unique "pick-a-brick" experiences, and allow fans to sell and trade their LEGO items.
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The largest of these is the popular North American franchise, Bricks & Minifigs (sometimes called "Bricks and mini figures"), which boasts over 100 retail locations. The remainder of the world's unofficial LEGO stores are either small chains (less than five stores) or independently operated outfits.
Besides Bricks & Minifigs, some of the most popular chains include United Brick Co. (ATLBrickCo), Music City Bricks, and Brickmania. Based on WILCO's estimates, each of these stores generate anywhere between $300k (USD) to $1.2M (USD) per year!​
Used & Secondhand LEGO Retail Store
Market Share Breakdown
WILCO LEGO ECONOMY FACT #3
Even the LEGO Group doesn't know when a given set will retire - it's based on a combination of the LEGO set's historical sales, the LEGO set's theme, other LEGO sets planned for release in the year, and several other factors. On average, a LEGO set will retire after around 3-5 years. The shortest LEGO set retired after just 8 months and the longest stayed in production for nearly 10 years!
The most popular LEGO themes in the aftermarket are Star Wars, Collectible Minifigures, Super Heroes, Creator, and NINJAGO.
WILCO Estimated Bricklink Sales by Theme (1H 2024)
Since The LEGO Group released their first Star Wars-themed set in 1999, it has produced nearly 1,000 different LEGO kits related to the popular sci-fi franchise. This is second only to the Town theme, which has had over 1,500 sets produced since it began in the 1960s!
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The love of Star Wars is clearly reflected in the aftermarket sales, with Star Wars taking the number 1 spot in both sets and minifigures by a margin of nearly 250%. In addition to our space-loving friends, The LEGO Group's Collectible Minifigures, Super Heroes, Creator (Modulars), and NINJAGO lines round out the top-5 best selling LEGO themes.
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It's clear that licensed LEGO themes (such as Star Wars or Harry Potter) sell, but it's also worth noting that The LEGO Group's original themes make up 5 of the top 10 best sellers on the aftermarket!
WILCO LEGO ECONOMY FACT #13
The LEGO minifigure was first introduced in 1975 and had no movable legs, no arms, and no face! The first modern minifig would not be released until three years later in 1978 with Set #600 - Police Patrol. The simple policeman minifigure featured an all-black outfit with five white buttons and a badge on the torso, plus a white cap. It didn't take the minifigure craze long to catch on... that year also saw the release of the infamous LEGO Yellow Castle Set (#375) with a whopping 28 minifigures!
Looking ahead, TLG investments in the late 2000s should create positive tailwinds for resellers as more consumers reach their "nostalgia phase".
AFOLs - adult fans of LEGO - often re-engage with the hobby in their 30s after a ~15-20 year lull (usually in conjunction with increased disposable income, or having children of their own). This nostalgia effect is in full swing for Bionicles, Harry Potter, and Star Wars sets as a new generation enters their "nostalgia phase".
2004 was one of the worst-performing years for The LEGO Group on record. While there is no public information on the number of sets sold in 2004, given the abysmal revenue, it is safe to assume many LEGO collectors missed out on heavy-hitters from this year. Expect continued scarcity in the reseller market for early Star Wars and Harry Potter releases during this time.
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The nostalgia curve is beginning to exit the LEGO "dark period" (2000 - 2005) and enter into a period of high-growth: LEGO would return in a big way between 2005 - 2007 with the release of the popular Knight's Kingdom line, the release of the LEGO Star Wars video game and LEGO Indiana Jones video games, and the development of their pioneering LEGO Mindstorms competitions. ​​
The LEGO Group Annual Revenue
Early 2000s
WILCO LEGO ECONOMY FACT #13
There are nearly 200 retail aftermarket locations that specialize exclusively in the buying, trading, and selling of LEGO bricks and products. These resellers are not officially endorse by The LEGO Group, but carry a variety of used and new LEGO kits and offer other products and services, such as Lighting kits and custom minifigures, or event hosting, such as birthday parties and summer camps.