Star Wars UCS: Playset Edition

There has been discussion and analysis in great quantities about the Star Wars Ultimate Collector's Series ever since the investment potential of the sets was discovered a few years ago. Even though this great display sets have been greatly successful, I want to go ahead and bring the spotlight to a somewhat related kind of set: the play-set versions based on the ships that have been released under the UCS.

I don't really want for this to become a sort of competitive comparison between the two, since I believe that by default the great majority of the UCS sets easily beats any released that is designed as a play-set. There are several reasons for this and most are out of the scope of this article, but the most important one to me has to do with the fact that play-sets are geared more towards young people that will usually not be able to afford a very expensive set even if it is retired, while the UCS sets are most appealing to AFOL's that are usually more willing and able to spend their money in collectible items.

Another factor I did wanted to mention is that, up until the new 10240 X-Wing, no set from the UCS had been re-released, something that can't be said in the case of play-sets. Play-set versions tend to be re-made in a somewhat often basis, especially for those very popular sets like the Millenium Falcon, X-Wing, Y-Wing, etc. As it is usually the case with re-makes, the value of the older versions tends to decrease, sometimes by significant amounts.

Having said that, I will place some of the stats of the UCS sets along with their play-set version, just for comparison purposes, and in some you may even be able to see that the difference in the numbers is not as high as one would expect. In my opinion, the most important statistic you can evaluate is the % Change Over Retail, since CAGR may be even more distorted by the difference in the time periods two particular sets have been released.

From this point forward, here is what I will be doing: I will take the entire list of sets released under the UCS and look for the play-set counterparts for each set. In case a particular set has more than one play-set version, like the X-Wing and most others really, I will take the 2 or 3 largest ones when analyzing the numbers. Let's see what we find out.
- 10026 UCS Naboo Starfighter

Play-set Versions

- 7141 Naboo Fighter

Comments: This was the first version ever released of the big yellow ship, and as you can see it is actually quite old considering it still displayed the System logo. The set came with four minifigs, with the only exclusive one being a variation of Anakin Skywalker, and was built from around 180 pieces, making it also the smaller model of its type.

Investment wise the set has performed very poorly, with a CAGR of only 3% and selling for only around $ 15 over retail after more than a decade of its retirement. Interesting that this set has really not done better considering it was released the same year the Phantom Menace was in theaters, which I would think would give it some sort of extra popularity. It seems clear that is just not the case.

- 7660 Naboo N-1 Starfighter

Comments: The second version of the ship was released in 2007, and different from its older version this one included one other ship besides the Naboo fighter, the Vulture Droid. Minifigure wise, the set included three minifigs with the most interesting one being kid Anakin Skywalker, only found in one other set. This version was also a lot less blocky and better designed that its predecessor, not that it seemed to help it much in the secondary market.

Retired in 2009, this is yet another version of the N-1 that has not performed very well. Considering it has been retired around 4 years already and only presents a CAGR of 6% and a % change over retail only 40% (not much for a set with a MSRP of only $30), this set is another bad performer, and makes you notice that there might be a trend when it comes to models based in this particular ship.

- 7877 Naboo Starfighter

Comments: And we have come up to the latest remake that has been released of the Naboo Starfighter. This is the largest and most accurate model LEGO has released other than the UCS edition, and it included 6 minifigs in total if you count the destroyer droid

This set was a Target exclusive, so that in theory should give it some sort of more limited availability than most other sets. However, we can see that the ship was retired by LEGO sometime between December 2012 and January of this year, yet the model is readily available at retail or even below retail and several outlets, including Target. I think this speaks volumes about the popularity of the set, and make me think that this one will be no different than the other ones that have been retired for a long time. In short, this will be an investment loser or at least take a very long time to be a decent sale.

Naboo Starfighter Summary: It seems pretty clear that with the exception of the UCS version of the ship, none of the other sets that have been released as play-sets have been nor will be investment winners even in the very long term. I am willing to give the latest model the benefit of the doubt, but it really does not look promising for this set to still be available for under MSRP after LEGO officially retired it. The failure of these sets to take off in the secondary market may be related to the fact that LEGO has re-released this set three different times, but at no point any of these seems to have been selling for much more than they are now, and that makes me think the ship is just not as popular. Even when you analyze the performance of the UCS version, you have to remember that the model is actually the cheapest one that has been released under the series, was a very limited edition and included a bunch of chrome pieces that I believe we have never seen on any other set. These factors and not the ship itself I think played a very large role in the great growth that set has experienced.

- 10215 Obi-Wans Jedi Starfighter

Play-Set Versions - 7143 Jedi Starfighter

Comments: This is really the only play-set that has been released depicting Obi-Wan's starfighter that I could find, even though LEGO has released several other starfighters used by some of the other Jedis like Anakin. This very small version of Obi-Wan's ship comes with only one minifig of Kenobi that is completely exclusive to the set and usually sells for around $8.

The performance of this set is actually quite respectable, considering it was very small and basic looking. At this point, the CAGR of the set is close to 9% and the % change over retail ($20) is 154.48%. Oddly enough, this set has seen a huge increase in value over the past 6 months, going from around $34 to more than $50, an increase of almost 50% over the period.

Obi Wan's Starfighter Summary: The really old and basic 7143 has performed a lot better than its newer and more expensive sibling. The UCS Jedi Starfighter is really not one of the most popular sets, and even though it has been retired for a little more than a year it has not been able to sell consistently over retail. Having said that, the ship itself really has no seen an exact re-release over the past few years, something that speaks volume as the overall popularity of the design.

- 7181 TIE Interceptor

Play-Set Versions - 6206 TIE Interceptor

Comments: This has been the only significant play set version of the TIE Interceptor LEGO has released. There are some small and even mini sets, but I will focus on this one since it fits the most with what I am evaluating in this article. This relatively small set (212 pieces) was released in 2006 and included only 1 very generic minifig in the TIE Interceptor Pilot, so nothing of particular value on that front. Originally selling for around $ 20 this set has actually performer a lot better than several other play-sets based on UCS ships, currently selling for more than double and presenting a CAGR of over 12% since retirement. These gains may not seem particularly interesting for some, but a rate of return over 10% annually is really very respectable.

TIE Interceptor Summary: The 7181 UCS Interceptor was one of the first sets released under the popular UCS line, and as such it has performed extremely well since it was retired, so it is really not even comparable to its play-set version on that front. Having said that, the 6202 version has done pretty well itself for being a somewhat small set with nothing especially interesting about it in the form of minifgs or exclusive parts. From the data, it also seems that the set reached a very high point within the first 2 years of its retirement, so someone who stocked up on these would have almost doubled their original investment relatively quickly.

- 10174 AT-ST

Play-Set Versions

- 7127 Imperial AT-ST

Comments: This was actually the first version (If I'm not mistaken) of the AT-ST LEGO released, and it was a pretty small and cheap model (107 pieces, $10). It did have a Chewbacca minifig, but other than that looking it now it really looks like a very bad recreation of the actual ship mostly due to the small piece count and the fact that LEGO really was not at what I consider the top of their game with some of these older models. Having said that, the set has performed decently in the secondary market selling for three times retail. Surprisingly, there are several of these (New) sold each month on eBay, probably due to it being the most affordable version that is not Mini scale.

- 7657 AT-ST

Comments: This is the largest stand-alone AT-ST other than the UCS version. The model is actually pretty accurate and also includes the only appearance of the AT-ST pilot minifig to date. With almost 250 pieces and retailing for $ 20 this set probably was the most affordable choice to get a decently sized AT-ST. Currently, the set is doing pretty good with a CAGR of 20% and a % change over retail very close to 200%. Some of the aspects that caused this one to succeed in the secondary market could be related to the exclusive minifig and its shorter duration on the retail shelves.

AT-ST Summary: The AT-ST has always been one of the most popular vehicles from the Star Wars universe, and if you take a look at the number of 10174s sold in the past 12 months you will notice that it has been actually one of the top sellers of the entire UCS by far. The play-set versions have done relatively well, especially the newer one, but one can't really say they have exploded in value like in some other cases. I am kind of surprised LEGO has not released a larger version of this to bridge the gap between 7657 and the UCS version, as I believe that it would be a very successful product both in the primary and secondary market.

- 10175 Vader's TIE Advanced

Play-Set Versions

- 8017 Vader's TIE Fighter

Comments: The 8017 Vader's TIE was released in 2008 and included what at the time was the new version of the Darth Vader minifig. On top of that, LEGO randomly inserted a chrome version of Vader in some of the boxes in a similar fashion to Gold C-3PO. The set itself includes around 250 piece and it is, to the best of my knowledge the only play-set version of Vader's ship to date. The investment numbers for this set are very respectable, with a CAGR close to 28% and a % change over retail of 162%. Given its MSRP and its size, this would have been an excellent set to stock up on back in 2010.

Something to note is that after a few months of very stable value, the set has experienced a period of high growth over the past 6 months, increasing around 20% over that period alone. What fueled that unexpected change of pace in growth is beyond me, but the overall conclusion is that the set has become more volatile for some obscure reason (it lost 15% in the last month too).

Vader's TIE summary: I am really surprised this ship has not been released more frequently, as it seems to be very popular with SW fans. The UCS version has grown very consistently over the past 6 months as well, and is getting very close to $ 400. The play-set version has not much to envy about its larger relative, as it has done very well in the secondary market in the 3 years it has been retired. Considering it would have been much easier to invest in the smaller set rather than the UCS, an intelligent investor could have secured the same or more profits by investing in large quantities of the smaller version rather than in just a couple of the UCS.

- 7191 X-Wing

Play-Set Versions

- 6212 X-Wing

Comments: This version of the popular X-Wing was released in 2006 and included an exclusive variation of Wedge Antilles as well as 5 other more common minifigs. The set was available for around 4 complete years, and despite it being retired for around two years already, it has not performed well at all in the secondary market. 6212 has not even gone up 10% over its original retail price, in fact, it has lost value relative to where it was 2 and 1 year ago, as well as 6 and 1 month ago. A definite investment loser.

- 4502 X-Wing

Comments: Even though this set consists of more than just the X-Wing, I feel that it still deserved a place in the list. 4502 was a very unique set since it depicted scenes from Luke's training in Dagobah, while including Yoda's Hut as well as a more particular X-Wing with some foliage attached to it as a result of being in the swamp waters. The set also included an exclusive Luke (Dagobah) minifig. Investment wise, this has been an all out winner going almost 190% over retail since retirement. This is something we don't see often with X-Wing play-sets but, again, this one is a very unique model.

X-Wing Summary: The X-Wing is one of the most popular ships and as one would expect it is also one of the sets LEGO likes to re-release the most. That fact alone is probably the biggest reason most of these play-set versions really don't do as well as others when retired, with the notable exception of the Dagobah model and 7142. The UCS version has been one of the best performing ships of the collector's series, and now that we have seen the first re-release of its kind with 10240 Red Five, we will have to see how much of an impact it has on the older model over the coming months.

- 10219 Rebel Snowspeeder

- 4500 Rebel Snowspeeder

Comments: This is actually the last time LEGO released the Snowspeeder by itself on a set (2004 and not including Mini). Since then, the ship has been included in most Hoth themed sets. This model in particular including 3 exclusive minifig variations of Dack Ralter, Luke and a Hoth rebel, and has actually more than doubled in value since its retirement (to be expected considering its low MSRP and time out of the market). The interesting thing about this set is that over the past 6 months it seems to have picked up once again in value, growing 25% over the period.

- 7130 Snowspeeder

Comments: One of the older System SW sets (1999). For being the first Snowspeeder ever released I was really surprised to find that the set has "only" doubled in value in over 10 years. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that the colors are not really that accurate to the actual ship, or just that people are not interested in sets that are this old and not UCS.

Snowspeeder Summary: This ship has proven to be an extremely popular one. The UCS version of the set is the 2nd set with the higher % change over retail after the more affordable Naboo Starfighter. Play-set versions have not come even close in any instance, and LEGO seems to have abandoned the idea of producing stand alone Snowspeeders in favor of including them in larger sets like some of the Hoth bases and others we have seen over the past few years. I really think that a relatively big stand alone Snowspeeder, even if not UCS, would be extremely popular both with fans and investors.

- 10134 Y-Wing

Play-Set Versions

- 7658 Y-Wing

Comments: The Y-Wing has seen its fair share of re-makes over the course of the years, but most of them have been produced along some other ships like the TIE or just too recently for us to analyze properly (the new version). This 07 version of the Y-Wing has performed poorly over the almost 4 years it has been retired, hovering very close to the original MSRP. None of the two minifigs are exclusive or interesting, to be honest, and I am sure that has something to do with the low numbers, but the main reason has to be, as with the X-Wing, the re-release of improved versions of this ships over relatively short periods of time.

Y-Wing Summary: The Y-Wing is a popular ship in the SW universe, but it is certainly not the X-Wing or Snowspeeder. The UCS version has performed extremely well, as expected, but the play-set versions have had a hard time growing in value over the course of the years. While collectors and hard core fans propel the value of the UCS version into the skies, it would seem that kids and parents are nor particularly fond of paying large amounts of money for a ship that is constantly on the market. We'll see how the newer version performs once retired, but I don't expect too much.

- 10227 B-Wing

Play-Set Versions

- 7180 B-Wing at Rebel Control Center

Comments: Again, this is one of the older SW LEGO models that really have not taken off as much in price over the course of the years. The set has doubled in value, but relative to the time it has been retired and its MSRP that is really nothing to be very impressed about. For such as small model, the ship is pretty accurate, and the set also included a small control center that would in theory make it more appealing (as well as 3 minifigs, pretty generic ones to be honest), but that has certainly not been the case. Poor performer.

- 6208 B-Wing Fighter

Comments: Unlike the previous entry this all ship model has actually done quite good in the secondary market. It has a % change over retail of almost 200% and a CAGR of around 15%, so very good numbers for such a small set. Moreover, the ship has grown over 11% in the past 6 months, surprising for a set that has been retired for a long time now. More recently, it has been decreasing somewhat significantly, and it will be interesting to see if the massive price drop for the UCS version affects the numbers of this version in the coming months.

B-Wing Summary: The B-Wing is one of the most obscure ships of the SW universe for the casual fan, and one would think that this would have an impact on the performance of the LEGO models. Having said that, the newer 2006 version seems to have done well, so it seems that there is definitely a market interested in the ship. The most important test will come with the apparently close to retirement UCS version. It would appear that the model is not selling well at MSRP, and the deep discounts it suffered on May the 4th have some people thinking it will take a long time for it to recover. I for one, am optimist, but we'll have to wait and see.

- 10019 Rebel Blockade Runner

Play-Set Versions

- 10198 Tantive IV

Comments: This is one of my favorite play-sets of ships from the UCS, along with the 6211 ISD. It is a very good replica of the ship and comes with some very nice minifigs to recreate the original scene from the SW movies, and with 1,400 pieces it is a really large model. This set was retired just last year and it already has gone up 50% over retail over the period, but I honestly expect it to be on part with the 6211 in the long run (more than 200%) as it is the only chance collectors and fans will have to get the set ship for a price significantly lower than the UCS version. This set went up over 10% in the last month alone, so it may be setting itself for a second period of high growth.

Tantive IV Summary: This ship really did not have that much screen time, but I seriously consider iconic and one that every SW collector should own in either of the 2 versions released up to this date. I believe LEGO will not be releasing this set for a long time, so the play-set version may prove to be a great alternative for those, like me, who love this ship and don't want to pay the almost $ 800 the Blockade Runner is going for these days.

- 10212 Imperial Shuttle

Play-Set Versions

- 7166 Imperial Shuttle

Comments: This is another of the classic SW sets released back in 2001. This Shuttle included 3 minifigs, 2 of which where the popular Royal Guards. The set has done pretty well in the secondary market, with a change over retail of over 150% and a CAGR that still hovers close to 9% despite the long time it has been retired. In the past 12 months the set has experimented a lot of volatility, moving between $88 and $108.

- 7264 Imperial Inspection

Comments: As the 4502 Dagobah X-Wing, this set is not a stand alone IS, but rather includes several other positive aspects that more than likely played a role in its superior performance. Apart from the actual ship, the set includes some other small builds, but most importantly it came with an outstanding 10 minifigs! For $ 50, that was a great value for the money and now a great driver of growth in the secondary market. Currrently, the set presents UCS like performance measures, with a 350% change over retail and a CAGR of around 21%.

Imperial Shuttle Summary: Even though the UCS Imperial Shuttle has only recently retired, it has become apparent that following on the footsteps of previous UCS sets it will become a huge winner in the long term. The play-set versions of the ship have done pretty good, especially the 10 minifig Imperial Inspection, and definitely beat some of the other play-sets that we have discussed in the article.

- 10030 Imperial Star Destroyer

Play-Set Versions

- 6211 Imperial Star Detroyer

Comments: A very large play-set with nine cool minifigs, this is yet another model that has performed extremely well in the secondary market. It was the first ever Imperial Star Destroyer released as a play-set, and so far remains the only one. To me, part of its appeal comes from the fact that a large amount of people are not willing or able to spend several hundred dollars in order to purchase the UCS version, and if they really want to add this iconic ship to their collection this might be the only realistic choice. A % change over retail of over 200% and a CAGR of 17% are testament of this set's popularity.

Imperial Star Destroyer summary: This is one example of both the UCS and play-set versions of a ship doing very well after retirement. The ISD is one of the most iconic ships in the SW universe, and one that a huge amount of fans really want to add to their collections. The UCS version was one of the first and still is one of the most impressive sets LEGO has ever released, and as such it is currently selling for over $ 1000. On the other hand, we have the play-set version, that up to this date is the only one released and that came with a decent amount of minifigs and cool features. As said before, this is the only really affordable choice for those who missed on the 10030 or just those looking to play with their LEGO instead of only display them. Still, at over $300 the 6211 is no cheap set.

- 10179 Millennium Falcon

Play-Set Versions

- 7190 Millennium Falcon

Comments: To be honest, this is by far my least favorite version of the MF LEGO has ever released. To me, it just looks awful. I guess we can let it slip when we consider it was released over 12 years ago, but even then you have to wonder how is it possible that LEGO was able to release models like the UCS 7191 and could not get this one right. Anyway, the set has, surprisingly, performed decently with % change over retail of over 130%, enough to put it into the mid $200s.

- 4504 Millennium Falcon

Comments: A much improved version of the MF was released in 2004, but for some crazy reason this one seems to have performed very poorly once retired. There is no way to see exactly where this set was before the 7965 version was released, so the re-make effect may have strongly affected the market value of 4504.

Millennium Falcon summary: The MF is more than likely the single most popular and iconic ship from the whole SW franchise, and often that has translated into great secondary market returns (7910 and 10179). In fact, the 10179 is not only the largest (size) and most expensive (MSRP) LEGO ever released, but also the one that has attained the highest secondary market value at around $2500 (and climbing). The play-set versions have obtained mixed results, but with the very accurate and popular 7965 I really think we might be up for some really nice returns in the near future.

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That was a long journey. As you can see, there have been a lot of varied results when it comes to play-set versions of those ships that make up the UCS, but it is clear that the majority has not come even close to the returns of its larger siblings. Of course, this is a result of a bunch of different factors, like the sheer size of the collector's set and their appeal with AFOLs, the group that most of the time ends up picking up the tab when it comes time to get some "toys".

To conclude, picking up the right SW play-sets is nowhere near as "easy" as picking up the right UCS sets, as there are a lot of other factors that need to be accounted for and that are not that easy to measure. Some of the most obvious ones include the popularity of the overall ship, exclusivity and quantity of minifgs and MSRP, but even these are certainly not a guarantee of future success. The most important issue to remember in this case is that LEGO loves to do play-set remakes, and those will for sure affect in one way or another the value of the previous version. Look for unique play-sets like the Dagobah X-Wing and the Imperial Inspection to have a better shot at better profits.

Thanks for reading!

* Lego still owes us a play-set version of the SSD, so it was not included in the article
* DS 10188 has not been retired, and as such it was not included in the article