Ultra-rare LEGO Peter Jackson minifigure sells for almost $40,000
Former LEGO designer Marcos Bessa has sold his ultra-rare Peter Jackson minifigure for nearly $40,000 – and you may recognise the buyer…
One of just 20 examples of LEGO Peter Jackson minifigures produced for the company’s first meeting with the Lord of the Rings director, chances were good that when Marcos put it up for auction through his Instagram account late last month, the final price was going to be high. But few of us could have predicted it would sell for an incredible $38,028, as confirmed by Marcos in a recent Instagram story.
The former LEGO designer unearthed the rare treasure late last month while sorting through inventory for his BrickLink store, and within hours of starting his private auction had already attracted a $15,000 bid. The final bid was placed by Samuel Burkhardt, who you may know on Instagram as rarest_lego_minifigures, and who has now shared a picture of the Peter Jackson minifigure in hand.
It’s another fine addition to Samuel’s extensive collection of rare minifigures, which also includes solid metal Star Wars characters, Toy Fair invitations, employee exclusives, an official George Lucas minifigure, and one of every single LEGO Star Wars minifigure ever released (a collection that in itself Samuel has most recently valued at $35,000).
“I am very excited to add another piece of LEGO history to my collection,” Samuel tells Brick Fanatics. “The minifigures that are made in small quantities and only internally circulated between board members/high ranking designers are some of my favourites, both for their rarity and ingenuity as a minifigure design. Peter Jackson definitely takes a special place in my collection for multiple reasons.”
There were apparently several bidders in the running when the auction first began, but by the end it was down to just Samuel and one other (anonymous) bidder – and that fierce competition helped to convince him that it was worth the final asking price.
“I try to be mindful of the price as it continues to climb but I do not tend to set a specific ceiling when it comes to adding something truly special to my collection,” he says. “An item is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. There were several people willing to pay quite a bit, with at least one other intending to pay almost as much as the final bid which helps to justify the value in my mind.
“I’m not the only crazy minifigure collector out there!”
For his part, Marcos has now submitted the sale to Guinness World Records, although a quick glance at other individual items on Samuel’s Instagram page suggests it may not be the most amount of money that’s ever exchanged hands for a single minifigure. He values his solid sterling silver R2-D2, for example – of which only 10 were produced – at $50,000.
“I’m still waiting on an answer from Guinness World Records, but making this much money out of an item I had forgotten I even had in my collection was mindblowing and will make a huge difference in my life!” Marcos wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to everyone that took part in the auction!”
If you want to see Samuel’s LEGO Peter Jackson minifigure in person, he’s hosting a one-day pop-up museum at the Bricks & Minifigs Store in Grandview, Ohio on July 26, where it will be on display alongside other rare and vintage items from his collection.
Featured image: rarest_lego_minifigures
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