Walk into any basement playroom and you’ll likely trip over a stray brick. But if you’re looking for specific LEGO toys from The LEGO Movie, you might be surprised to find that the sets hitting shelves back in 2014 have basically vanished into the secondary market ether. It’s weird. We all remember Emmet and the Piece of Resistance, but the actual physical products tied to that first film—and its 2019 sequel—have become these strange, highly sought-after artifacts for collectors who realized too late that "everything is awesome" actually meant "everything is limited edition."
The LEGO Movie wasn't just a 100-minute commercial. Honestly, it was a massive risk for the LEGO Group because it required them to create sets that looked like a kid had smashed three different themes together. You had Wild West buildings attached to spaceships. You had a pirate with a shark for an arm. These weren't your standard, clean-cut City or Star Wars kits. They were chaotic.
The "Master Builder" Aesthetic and Why It Changed Everything
Before 2014, LEGO sets were mostly cohesive. A castle was a castle. A police station was a police station. But the designers behind the LEGO toys from The LEGO Movie had to break their own rules. They used a "Master Builder" philosophy, which basically means they designed the sets to look like they were built out of whatever was lying around.
Take MetalBeard’s Sea Cow (Set 70810). It’s huge. It’s expensive. It’s arguably one of the most complex sets the company ever released for a film tie-in. It features 2,741 pieces and looks like a steampunk fever dream. Unlike the sleek lines of a LEGO Technic car, the Sea Cow is intentionally messy. It’s got random cannons, a giant chimney, and tiny details that look "thrown together" despite being meticulously engineered. People didn't buy it at first because the $249.99 price tag was steep for a non-licensed property. Now? You’re looking at double or triple that on the used market if it’s still in the box.
The toys basically mirrored the film's plot: the struggle between Lord Business’s desire for perfection (the instructions) and Emmet’s chaotic creativity.
That One Blue Spaceman Everyone Wants
You can't talk about these sets without mentioning Benny’s Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! (Set 70816). It was a love letter to the 1980s Classic Space line. It even had the "broken" helmet piece for the Benny minifigure, which was a genius move. LEGO intentionally molded a crack into the chin strap to mimic how the old 1970s and 80s helmets used to snap. That’s the kind of nerd-level detail that makes these toys stand out. It wasn't just a toy; it was a nostalgia play disguised as a movie tie-in.
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Why the Second Movie Sets Tanked (And Why You Should Care)
By the time The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part rolled around in 2019, things got a bit rocky. The movie didn't perform as well at the box office, and the toys followed suit. Stores were flooded with sets like Rex’s Rex-treme Offroader and the Pop-Up Party Bus. They sat on shelves. They went on clearance.
But here’s the thing.
Low sales often lead to "rare" status ten years down the line. Because fewer people bought the "Apocalypseburg" versions of characters, those specific minifigures are becoming surprisingly pricey. Welcome to Apocalypseburg! (Set 70840) is a massive, 3,000-piece Statue of Liberty tipped on its side. It’s a masterpiece of post-apocalyptic design. It was a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) set, meaning it wasn't at every Target or Walmart. If you missed it, you really missed it.
The Problem With "Fake" LEGO Movie Toys
If you’re hunting for LEGO toys from The LEGO Movie on sites like eBay or Mercari, you have to be careful. Because the film used a "brick-built" animation style—where every single frame was rendered to look like real LEGO—there are a lot of MOCs (My Own Creations) out there. People see a cool vehicle in the background of the movie and assume there's a set for it.
There isn't always.
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The "Cuckoo Palace" or the "Double Decker Couch" (Set 70818) are real. But many of the wacky vehicles seen during the chase scenes in Bricksburg were never actually manufactured as retail sets. This led to a huge surge in the "rebrickable" community, where fans sell parts lists for builds that LEGO never officially released. It's a weird grey area where the line between official merchandise and fan art gets super blurry.
Hidden Details in the Minifigures
Minifigures are the heart of this collection. You've got UniKitty, who used a brand-new mold at the time. You’ve got Lord Business with his absurdly tall "legs" made of bricks. But the real winners are the "Background Characters."
- Abraham Lincoln: Yes, he was in the movie. Yes, he has a tiny LEGO hat.
- William Shakespeare: Another blink-and-you-miss-it cameo that got a physical figure.
- Pantsless Guy: Literally just a guy in his underwear.
These figures were often tucked into "Blind Bags" (The LEGO Movie CMF series). Collecting all 16 was a nightmare back in 2014, and today, finding a sealed set of them is like finding a golden ticket. The "President Business" figure from this series is different from the one in the larger sets, making it a "must-have" for completionists.
The Logistics of the "Brick-Built" Look
Most people don't realize that the LEGO Group had to change their manufacturing process slightly for these sets. Usually, they try to minimize the number of unique colors in a single box to save on costs. For LEGO toys from The LEGO Movie, they threw that out the window. They needed vibrant pinks for Cloud Cuckoo Land and dingy greys for the construction sites.
The sheer variety of parts in sets like Emmet’s Construct-o-Mech (Set 70814) is insane. It’s got steamroller wheels, excavator buckets, and crane arms all mashed into one bipedal robot. It’s a nightmare to sort if you buy it used and unsorted. Trust me.
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Market Value: What’s Actually Worth Money?
If you’re looking to invest or just don't want to get ripped off, keep an eye on these specific items:
- The Sea Cow (70810): The holy grail. If it’s open but complete with the box, it’s still worth a small fortune.
- Classic Space Benny: Specifically the one from the 2014 spaceship set.
- The "Piece of Resistance": It’s just a red brick with some detailing, but it’s iconic.
- Apocalypseburg (70840): The 2019 sleeper hit. It was expensive at launch and has only climbed.
Honestly, the "Cloud Cuckoo Land" sets are a bit flimsy. They use a lot of small plates and clips that tend to break or get lost easily. If you’re buying for a kid to actually play with, stick to the vehicles from the first movie, like the Trash Chomper or the Ice Cream Machine. They’re built like tanks.
How to Verify What You’re Buying
When searching for LEGO toys from The LEGO Movie, always check the set number.
- Movie 1 sets generally start with 708--.
- Movie 2 sets follow the same 708-- pattern but were released years later.
- Don't confuse them with "LEGO Batman Movie" sets (which start with 709) or "LEGO Ninjago Movie" sets (which start with 706).
It sounds simple, but the branding is so similar that people constantly list "Batman Movie" sets as "LEGO Movie" sets. They are different themes with different vibes.
Moving Forward With Your Collection
If you're just starting out or trying to reclaim your childhood (or your kid's childhood), don't rush into buying the biggest sets first. Start with the "Double Decker Couch." It’s a small, affordable set that perfectly captures the spirit of the film. It includes the main cast and that ridiculous piece of furniture. It's the perfect desk toy.
From there, look into local LEGO user groups (LUGs) or BrickLink. Avoid the big "buy it now" prices on mainstream sites if you can help it. Real collectors know that the best deals happen in the forums or through trade.
Next Steps for Collectors:
- Audit your bins: If you have old LEGO from 2014, look for the "cracked" blue space helmets or printed "instruction" tiles—these are specific to the movie line.
- Check BrickLink: Look up set 70810 to see the current price delta between "New" and "Used" to understand the market volatility.
- Inspect the Prints: Unlike cheaper knock-offs, real LEGO Movie minifigures have incredibly sharp printing, especially on Emmet’s "silver" reflective safety strips.