Why Are Resellers Eyeing the LEGO Barad-dûr Set?

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By RC Staff

03 June 2024

Okay, if you’ve been wanting to buy a LEGO set at a seriously discounted price, we’ve got an opportunity for you. LEGO is all set for the release of their Lord of the Rings Barad-dûr set, and both LotR fans and LEGO nerds are hyped. With over 5,000 pieces and ten minifigs, this is one behemoth of a set. Resellers are especially interested in some of the extras included. Some of these have already started reselling, and it seems like with a few careful listings, you could make a few hundred dollars and still be able to build the set.

LEGO Lord of the Rings Barad-dûr 10333

On May 14, LEGO revealed the next addition to their Icons series: Barad-dûr. If you’re not a Lord of the Rings fan, Barad-dûr is Sauron’s fortress and seat of power. You might recognize it as the black tower from Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, topped with the burning Eye of Sauron.

Naturally, the LEGO interpretation is equally intimidating. 5,471 pieces for $460; this is not a set for children, the elderly, people with heart conditions, or brokies.

If you’re a LEGO Insider, you can place an order online right now. Otherwise, LEGO Barad-dûr sets will go on sale tomorrow, June 4. If you’re impatient, it’s free and easy to sign up as a LEGO Insider.

The set itself is modular. If you were to buy multiple copies, you can stack the tower sections on top of each other to create a continuously taller structure. The Eye of Sauron is illuminated with a light brick and swivels in all directions, and you can open the set to see several cutaway sections with various scenes.

There are plenty of other cool details to the set that we don’t really need to get into. For a serious Lord of the Rings fan with money to burn, this is definitely checking a few boxes.

There are two parts of this set that are worth paying attention to as a reseller:

First, if you buy one of these sets between June 1 and 7, you will receive the sold-out LEGO Lord of the Rings: Fell Beast set, free of charge.

Second, the minifigs. This set contains a few notable ones, including Sauron, Gothmog, The Mouth of Sauron, and Gollum. Some of them have released previously, but the Sauron and Nazgul figures are important exclusives, and others have additional details like new helmets or accessories.

LEGO minifig collecting is a big deal. Set-exclusives and rare designs can resell for hundreds, even thousands of dollars on their own. The ten included with this set make it very attractive to resellers.

Here’s our recommendation: If you like this set and are considering buying it, pull the trigger and do it. Make sure you place your order before the seventh so that you can get the preorder bonus Fell Beast set.

Feel free to build the set, but leave the minifigs and Fell Beast set alone. List those on eBay, and there’s a good chance you’ll be able to recoup most of what you spent. We’ve seen similar LotR LEGO minifigs resell for $50 to $100 at a time, and the Fell Beast set is already reselling for $100+.

The most popular minifigs from this set will likely be Sauron, The Mouth of Sauron, Gothmog, and the Nazgul from the Fell Beast set. If you can stomach parting ways with them, you’ll essentially be getting a 50% off coupon for the set, if not more.

You could also try to resell the entire set for a profit. We’re guessing production for the set will be pretty high, and it’s been a while since we’ve seen a mainline LEGO set remain out of stock for any serious length of time.

We know this a little different than most opportunities we cover, but we figured we’d throw it out there. If you want to learn more about reselling LEGO sets, check out our articles on the recent Bricklink LEGO sets or the LEGO Titanic set, and as always, subscribe to our newsletter to stay looped in.