The Ultimate Collector Series, or UCS, holds the large display versions of Star Wars ships, vehicles and places. It began in 2000 with 7181 TIE Interceptor and 7191 X-wing Fighter. The designer of that first X-wing gave it a black stand and a printed information plaque to show it was a model to display rather than a toy, and the stand and plaque have been part of the series ever since.
2011 LEGO Sets
2011 introduced Ninjago, which quickly became one of LEGO’s most successful original themes and the foundation of a long-running multimedia franchise. Other launches included Pirates of the Caribbean, coinciding with Disney’s On Stranger Tides, the sci-fi Alien Conquest, and Master Builder Academy, a design-focused building program. LEGO also experimented with digital-physical integration through Life of George, an early augmented reality experience. Collectible Minifigures Series 3–5 strengthened LEGO’s growing collector market, while internal employee-exclusive sets like Moulding Machines became prized rarities. Several themes concluded this year, including Harry Potter, Ben 10, Power Miners, Toy Story, Prince of Persia, Space Police III, and BrickMaster.