We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Bid: LEGO Shark Splashes Past Auction Estimate
A fisherman’s unusual catch from last year raised a surprising sum for charity.
In August 2024, fisherman Richard West found a LEGO shark among his catch off the coast of Cornwall, England. The unusual catch made waves. LEGO pieces have been washing up on the Cornwall shores for decades after a cargo spill, but West is believed to have found the first shark. He put the piece up for sale at a recent auction, where it raised £430 ($567) for charity.
The Tokio Express cargo ship hit rough seas from Holland to New York in February 1997. 62 containers fell overboard, spilling nearly 5 million LEGO pieces into the ocean off the southwest coast of England. Thanks to the ship’s inventory, it’s possible to know which pieces, and how many of each, fell into the sea, making certain pieces, like an octopus or a green dragon, especially desirable for Cornwall beachcombers. West is believed to be the first to find a shark.
But collecting LEGO from the spill isn’t all fun and games. For writer Tracey Williams, author of the book Adrift—The Curious Tale of the Lego Lost at Sea, it became a lesson on the wide-reaching effects of plastic pollution in the ocean. Fishermen like West have a firsthand view of these drastic effects.
Initially, West intended to keep “Sharky,” but later made new plans. He put the piece up for sale with Plymouth-based auctioneer Anthony Eldred. The shark joined over 400 lots of antique cars, coins, books, vintage toys, and more classic collectibles in Eldred’s Collector’s Items auction on Oct. 30.
Eldred told the BBC that it was “almost an impossible task” to place a value on the truly “unique” shark, but ultimately listed its presale estimate as £50 to £100 ($66 to $132). Vintage LEGO can sell for surprisingly high prices, and he expected that the extraordinary story behind this one would increase its value to the right buyer. Even before the sale, West knew that “gram for gram, it’s the most expensive fish we’ve ever caught.”
The shark made a splash at the auction, with international bidders driving its sale price up to £430. The winning bidder was a Dutch collector.
West is dividing his profits between two of his favorite charities: Cancer Research UK, in honor of friends of his, and the Fishermen’s Mission, a lifeline for people in his profession and their families.
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