2002 LEGO Sets

2002 was yet another spectacular year for LEGO collectors and investors. 2002 saw a staggering 376 sets released, not including gear or books, with 66 promotional and not for retail sets.

Based on the 376 sets released for that year, the retail value was $7,286.74 with a current value of $51,569.38 for the combined new/factory sealed sets. As of present, the best performing theme for 2002 is currently Advanced Models which has seen an average annual growth of upwards of 10% to date. All together 2002 saw the release of sets covering 29 themes and 47 subthemes with Explore having the highest release count of 65 sets.

In 2002, LEGO continued to expand its product range, though not all themes found long-term success. Star Wars remained a dominant force, celebrating the franchise’s 25th anniversary, with LEGO releasing several collectible sets such as the Imperial Star Destroyer (10030-1) and Attack of the Clones subtheme sets, coinciding with the release of Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The Western theme also contributed to the year’s investment appeal, with sets like Fort LEGOredo (6762-1) maintaining long-term collectibility.

New LEGO themes made their debut in 2002, including LEGO Spider-Man, bringing Marvel’s web-slinger into LEGO form years before the full-fledged LEGO Super Heroes line. Island Xtreme Stunts, a high-energy theme, combined elements of LEGO Adventurers with extreme sports, featuring stunt challenges and coastal rescue missions. Meanwhile, LEGO Racers expanded, introducing more high-speed vehicles and competition-based builds.

However, 2002 also saw some of LEGO’s biggest missteps. One of the most infamous was LEGO Galidor, an action-figure-based theme that strayed far from traditional LEGO brick-building. Galidor was tied to a TV series, but its large, molded figures and lack of customization led many to consider it one of LEGO’s worst themes ever. Another one-year failure was Spybotics, a TECHNIC-based robotics theme that was introduced and discontinued within the same year.

Despite its challenges, LEGO’s core themes like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Alpha Team’s Mission Deep Sea subtheme helped maintain collectibility and brand strength. With a mix of highly sought-after sets, experimental themes, and major flops, 2002 was a year of both investment highlights and lessons learned