LEGO 80045-1 Monkey King Ultra Mech Retiring - Investment Analysis

Retirement puts the market in focus

Monkey King Ultra Mech is heading toward retirement, and that is the point when collectors usually start paying closer attention. Once LEGO stops producing a set, new sealed supply gets tighter, and that often shifts demand to the secondary market. For a large display set like Monkey King Ultra Mech, that matters because buyers who skipped it at retail have fewer easy ways to get one later.

So far, the early price action is positive but measured. The set retailed for $159.99 and its current estimated market price is $184.71. That puts it at a 15.5% premium over retail. In plain terms, the set has already moved above MSRP, but it has not broken into the kind of fast post-retirement climb that some stronger performers manage.

Price and value

The numbers point to steady appreciation rather than a sharp spike. BrickEconomy’s model projects $201.46 in two years and $226.13 in five years. That suggests gradual gains from the current level, not a dramatic repricing event.

How it stacks up within Monkie Kid

This is where the picture gets more mixed. The set’s yearly price change is 4.5%, while the Monkie Kid theme average yearly appreciation is 8.1%. That means Monkey King Ultra Mech is currently underperforming its theme average.

There are a few likely reasons in the data. First, the set is still relatively new, with a release date of 2023-01-01, so it has had limited time to build scarcity. Second, the last year’s rolling growth is 0.0%, which tells you the market has been stable rather than aggressive. That often happens with bigger sets that need a narrower buyer pool, even when the product itself is strong.

And this is a strong product. A 4.80 rating, 1,705 pieces, and 6 minifigures give it solid collector appeal. The issue is not quality. The issue is pace. Right now, the market is valuing it above retail, but not at the same rate the broader theme has managed on average.

What the data suggests

If a collector friend asked whether this is worth picking up before retirement, the cleanest answer is this: the set already has a secondary-market premium, and the model points to more appreciation, but the trend is moderate and currently below the Monkie Kid average. That makes Monkey King Ultra Mech look more like a steady long-term hold than an immediate breakout candidate.

The concrete takeaway is simple. If you want this set sealed or built in your collection, retirement removes the easiest buying window, and the current market price of $184.71 is already above retail. The projection to $201.46 in two years and $226.13 in five years supports a slow upward path, but the 4.5% yearly gain and 0.0% rolling growth say this is not one of the faster-moving Monkie Kid retirements right now.

Data as of April 9, 2026.

Based on historical market data from BrickEconomy's pricing models. Past performance does not guarantee future appreciation. Prices reflect estimated secondary market values and may vary by condition and seller.