25 Lego sets every serious collector needs to own

4. Pirates of the Caribbean The Black Pearl – 804 pieces

Every pirate needs a ship. And every LEGO collector who is also a fan of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise needs The Black Pearl. Captain Jack Sparrow finally has control of his vessel once again; but just as fast as you can get all of its 804 pieces put together, Davy Jones and his cronies have swung aboard to take it away again. Your Jack Sparrow minifigure will need the help of his trusty sidekicks, Will Turner and Joshamee Gibbs to fight off the keeper of the Dead Man’s Chest. You will also need weapons aplenty; thankfully, this set has an arsenal at your disposal. First, cast the anchor to get some footing on the seabed. Then, fire the cannons to ward off your enemies’ initial assault. When the battle finally comes down to face-to-face combat, simply take up your cutlasses and have at ye, matey! As soon as the fighting dies down, weigh anchor and turn the helm to set a course for more peaceful waters. Now, Captain Sparrow and his crew can retreat into the cabin to riddle out their next destination from the magical compass that points the user to whatever he or she wants most.

What I love about this set is how black it is. I mean, I know it’s the Black Pearl, but for some reason when I picture the boat from the film in my head, it isn’t quite as dark as this set. What I don’t like is the selection of minifigures. I would have loved to see Barbossa and his monkey, and Elizabeth Swan in addition to Sparrow, Turner and Gibbs. Instead, we get Davy Jones, Turner’s dad Boostrap, and another of Jones’s random pirate lackeys. But, one could argue that the slim minifigure pickings are worth it for the Pearl to sit on display on your shelf. It is retired from the official LEGO online store, however, so you’ll have to go hunting (not pirating!) for it on Amazon and/or eBay.