For the past few years, a toy designed to spark creativity in children has become a hot commodity for thieves around the world. Notably, French police have been investigating an international ring of criminals with a fondness for LEGOs, those colorful interlocking toy bricks used to create models of buildings, sculptures, robots, vehicles, and everything in between.
Last year, French police arrested three people attempting to steal boxes of LEGOs from a toy store near Paris. They are believed to be part of a team of criminals from Poland who swipe valuable LEGO sets sought by collectors. Demand for LEGO sets, which was already significant, has increased as people have spent more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lucrative LEGOs:
- LEGO robberies have occurred in the United States, too. A man in Oregon was recently arrested after local police suspected he stole $7,500 USD worth of LEGO toy sets.
- LEGO sets are released in limited editions, and become coveted by collectors when they’re no longer available. As is the case with most collectible items, the most sought-after sets are those in their original packaging, and not yet opened.
- LEGO Café Corner, a set released in 2007 for about $150, can be worth $3,000 in its original condition, as can a set containing a 4-foot (1.2-m) tall Eiffel Tower. Some sellers are asking for more than $3,500 for an unopened set of the iconic 7,541-piece LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon.
