NY I ♥ Yoda Statue Replica (MOC)

I’ve been collecting LEGO Star Wars sets, minifigs, and promotional items for several years. It’s rare for me to find a model or set that I haven’t seen before. A few weeks ago, I ran across a YouTube video about an ultra-rare, NY I ♥ Yoda Statue (https://youtu.be/ZlblwMyV49M). Prior to seeing that video, I had never heard of this statue.

With an item so rare reportedly only three in existence), I knew it would be nearly impossible to find one for my collection. I decided to do the next best thing. I built a replica based on the video.

It took weeks. I watched the video multiple times to see the statue from every possible angle. Many of the shots in the video were even clear enough to see the seams between bricks. However, there weren’t any shots from a few key angles (e.g., the underside). I emailed the video’s maker to ask for more pictures, but he didn’t reply. I can’t blame him really. I’m sure my email went to his junk folder. Or maybe he is concerned about people making fakes.

I hope you enjoy building this as much as I did.

Instructions & Parts List

I am offering these instructions solely for personal use. No commercial or advertising use permitted. To prevent counterfeit statues from reaching the market, using these instructions to build a model for subsequent sale is expressly prohibited.

Click here to download a BrickLink parts XML file for this model. Hint: right-click the link and select Save As to download the file to your computer. If you need help uploading the parts data to BrickLink, please follow these instructions.

Comments / Questions

What do you think of my build?
Are there other rare models / builds that you think I should recreate?
If you own one of these statues and you are willing to send additional pictures or other info that would help me improve the MOC, I would greatly appreciate it.

Note to Collectors

Ultimately, I made this model for the benefit of the LEGO Star Wars community. Most people will never get an opportunity see this model up close and I see that as a travesty. Yes, unscrupulous people could uses these instructions to make and sell fake statues. However, since this item is so rare, it would be very difficult to do it at any scale.

When buying ultra-rare brick-built items like this, please use extreme caution. We all know there are lots of people that make and sell fake LEGO items (just look at the NY I ♥ Yoda minifigure as an example. If you decide to buy one of the three originals of this statue, please ask for verification of the provenance of the item. Maybe the contest winner received a letter that proves you are buying an original? Maybe the seller has a believable story as to how they came to own the item and why they think it is legitimate?

I, too, am a collector. I believe that making these instructions widely available will reduce the market for the original statues. Only serious collectors will consider buying an aged original version over downloading these instructions and building a replica for a fraction of the price. Serious collectors are usually be more cognizant of the risk they are taking regarding the provenance of a statue that is so easily replicated.

Happy collecting!

Best regards,
Matthew Bryce, The Curator, BrickPubs