Five LEGO sets we can’t believe are retiring in 2023

14/09/202314/09/2023 Chris Wharfe 49110 Views 2 Comments

Hundreds of LEGO sets are retiring at the end of 2023, as now confirmed by the LEGO Group – but there are plenty it’s difficult to believe are leaving shelves so soon.

The natural release cycle of most LEGO sets is fairly predictable: a model arrives on shelves, spends around 18 months in production, then retires and often climbs in price on the aftermarket. But the LEGO Group sometimes throws a grenade into the mix in the middle stage of that cycle, retiring sets prematurely or keeping them on shelves for far longer than expected.

Those occasional early retirements often make sense – 21337 Table Football and 76215 Black Panther are both departing this year after only 12 to 15 months on shelves, and nobody could claim to be shocked – but every now and then, the LEGO Group takes away a set that most of us would have assumed would be available for a good while yet.

These five surprises, now all confirmed to be retiring in 2023 alongside hundreds of other sets, fall squarely into that category…

5 – 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores

Price: £139.99 / $159.99 / €159.99 Pieces: 2,010 Release date: January 1, 2023

The biggest LEGO Friends set of all time dropped on January 1 this year, marking a watershed moment for the rebooted theme in 2023. But 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores is already being shown the door, alongside eight other LEGO Friends sets that launched at the same time. That kind of turnover isn’t too unusual for a theme with such constant and consistent output… and yet it’s still surprising to see a landmark set leaving production so quickly.

4 – 76911 007 Aston Martin DB5

Price: £19.99 / $19.99 / €24.99 Pieces: 298 Release date: August 1, 2022

LEGO Speed Champions debuted a new subtheme of movie-inspired cars in August 2022, beyond the regular release schedule of its annual range. But both of its first two silver-screen roadsters are now speeding off into the sunset after a little over a year on shelves, which is all the more surprising because they’re being outlasted by four sets originally released in March 2022. Is this a sign that 76911 007 Aston Martin DB5 and 76912 Fast & Furious 1970 Dodge Charger R/T have underperformed against expectations? Tricky to say.

3 – 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent

Price: £104.99 / $119.99 / €119.99 Pieces: 1,192 Release date: June 1, 2022

While LEGO Creator 3-in-1’s other two resurrections of retro themes – 31109 Pirate Ship and 31120 Medieval Castle – appear to be well on their way to becoming evergreen sets, 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent is already heading for Valhalla in 2023. That’s all the more surprising because 21343 Viking Village is about to arrive, and while the two sets may not be the best match in size, they’re still a pleasing pair aesthetically and thematically.

2 – 10278 Police Station

Price: £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99 Pieces: 2,923 Release date: January 1, 2021

The LEGO Group has historically retired one modular building per year, but tossed conventionality out of the window in 2022 by keeping the entire current portfolio on shelves. It’s more than making up for things in 2023 by retiring a total of three buildings in one fell swoop – the most surprising of which is easily 10278 Police Station, because it’s only available for two years. That’s a comparatively modest shelf life for one of these sets.

1 – 10497 Galaxy Explorer

Price: £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 Pieces: 1,254 Release date: August 1, 2022

One of two flagship sets that debuted last year to celebrate the LEGO Group’s 90th anniversary, 10497 Galaxy Explorer is already being shown the exit by the end of 2023. Given this set cashes in on deep nostalgia and answers years of calls for the return of Classic Space in the process, nobody would have expected it to last for fewer than 18 months in production. The market for retro Space remakes may not be as strong as we all thought – though medieval fans can rest easy, because 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle isn’t going anywhere.