Is the LEGO Star Wars UCS Republic Gunship (75309) a Good Investment Set

3rd September 2023

The Republic Gunship is one of many Star Wars sets retiring at the end of 2023. In this article we determine whether this is a good investment set to buy in the months ahead

The Set

The Republic Gunship was the first UCS set to be chosen by LEGO fans and was long overdue, seeing as the previous rendition of this vehicle was released way back in 2013. Because of that, and the large number of prequel fans in the LEGO Star Wars community, the demand and excitement for this set was high.

The main build didn't disappoint as there's no denying the Republic Gunship is a great model, but it's what we expect from the UCS range. Its proportions are also very impressive, coming in at 28 inches long and 29 inches wide.

Therefore, for any fans of the prequels, this is a must buy. It also brings something different to the UCS range, which is dominated by largely monotone models. However, with that said, there are plenty of better UCS sets of more iconic Star Wars vehicles, such as those from the original trilogy.

Value for Money

The Republic Gunship has an RRP of £344.99 / $399.99 / €399.99, leading to a price per piece of 10.5p / 12.2c / 12.2c. This is quite pricey but LEGO Star Wars sets have never offered up the best value for money.

The set was subject to a 14% price increase shortly after it was released, so those that bought the Gunship when it first hit shelves are almost guaranteed a profit, especially considering the set is rarely discounted.

The Minifigures

There were many complaints about this set's measly minifigure collection when it was released. Fans were hoping to see an updated Jedi Bob and a more distinctive Clone Trooper, such as Commander Cody,. The reasoning LEGO gave for the minifigure selection was that they didn't want to include any minifigures that would become highly sought after collectors items, because it would put them out of reach for those with lower budgets.

Consequently, we got two quite boring minifigures that are not going to be pushing up the price of the Republic Gunship when it retires.

Outlook

Star Wars UCS sets are some of the most popular amongst LEGO collectors and they have traditionally performed very well on the aftermarket. Looking at the most recently retired sets in the UCS range shows us that all now sell for a profit on average. This includes the Imperial Star Destroyer (75252), A-Wing Starfighter (75275), and Y-Wing Starfighter (75181).

The Republic Gunship will also have had a shelf life shorter than most UCS sets, which will act in its favour. While the minifigures disappointing, UCS sets have always primarily been about the build, so they are unlikely to hurt its investment potential.

Although the profitability of UCS sets are common knowledge now, due to the high price of the Gunship, it's unlikely that resellers will have stocked enough copies to flood the market and prevent it from making a profit.

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TLDR

Investment opportunity: GREAT

Being a Star Wars UCS set is almost enough on its own to guarantee the Gunship will make a profit in the years to come. However, combine that with its relatively short life and it's almost certain to be a winner. Due to the growing number of LEGO investors out there, it's unlikely to make an astronomical profit, but we still strongly recommend adding the Gunship to your collection.

Disclaimer: This article or any others on brickranker.com should not be considered financial advice and investing in LEGO is risky.

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