Again thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I hope found it to be helpful. Lego investing is proving to be tough at the moment with all the competition, price increases and rising costs of living/inflation. Let's hope things improve soon!
Tip #7: Don't invest in Lego sets that just got released as they need to sit on the shelf way too long. Invest in retiring sets instead which are usually announced in Q4.
That is definitely a sound tip - hopefully people who do this can still pick the set(s) up on sale before they discontinue so they already have a healthy (potential) profit margin built in. Thanks for sharing!
@@CraftedBricks retailers usually discount prices before retiring sets and bringing in new sets. Tip #8 (from experience) its better to buy investment sets in person as from buying online you run the risk that the box is damaged, and from the point of view of the retailer they usually aren't going to reship for a box with a couple of dents which they think is useless to you anyway.
I just got the pet shop for 270€, which is a modular set from 2011 and im going to wait some time in order to sell it around 450€ at least, when i realize there are no other of these sets available for selling.
I buy Lego to ENJOY them. However I’m smart and when I need to sell a set I make sure I keep all pieces and disassemble them with care and into new bags. I keep spare parts/manuals etc and even keep the front cardboard box art (larger front covers are folded in half). The key is to look into re-released sets and if the reviews are negative that’s more money for me. I know that my old model will sell for a crazy amount. Cause of nostalgia or whatever. There’s only money in the Star Wars stuff, so I watch a lot of Star Wars and buy the sets on discount, my ppc is usually only 8 cents. I’ll sell if I can get 2/3x the original value. And I get it easily. Open sets sell more easily than boxed because they sell for a little cheaper plus I get the value of enjoying the set by assembling it and showing it. I don’t sell a lot of sets but if a set is not my tea I can easily disassemble it and get some money for it. The key for me is that I don’t part out my used sets, they get everything like spare parts etc. most consumers are okay with getting an unboxed used set for $10-30 dollars cheaper. And I’m okay with the loss because that money translated into the joy of me actually building the thing.
As someone who invests in Lego starwars I dont typically have any issues selling sets, the fanbase is so large and diverse that almost any set someone wants. Obviously there’s some factors that play into that heavily like; exclusive figures, current media, and over all build quality that play in how popular a given set is after it retires. But in my opinion still a worth while investment.
I ran a Bricklink store for a year after collecting/storing for about 5 years. Thousands of dollars in revenue but just a few hundred in profit. Can definitely confirm everything he says in this video.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and it is interesting (but also heart breaking) to hear that despite having a good backlog of investment sets to sell making a good (large) profit was difficult. Although yes you can make money from investing in Lego, it is difficult and I stand by my stance that there are better and easier options for investment. Anyway have a superb week ahead. Cheers, Simon
Watched this the night before I was about to drop multiple thousands on retired sets through Marketplace. You slapped me back to attention. I'll keep collecting for sure, but you're right it's not all roses out there. Thank you!
Hi Ken - I'm glad my video gave you pause for thought. Of course there's nothing wrong with collecting and buying some sets (on sale) for investment purposes - but making investing in a Lego a dedicated thing and money making strategy is certainly not as good as it used to be and is becoming more difficult / of a burden versus investing say in other types of assets. I wish you all the best with growing your Lego collection!
Never buy already retired sets at a premium for investment, it's fine for personal collection but there's no profit to be had on trying to flip an already marked up set another 20-40% higher just to cover fees for a profit.
Usually I buy used ones, disassemble and reassemble them for fun, for possibly reselling them later for the same price I bought them. This makes it a free hobby. If I repackage them in plastic bags, they might even sell at a higher price.
An interesting approach! I personally don't like buying second-hand Lego as you never know what quality the parts are going to be in, but it sounds like this a winning strategy for you, so kudos to you!
Anakin - your comment put a huge smile on my face. That's very sweet and true! The primary focus of of buying and building Lego is to ENJOY it and to create cool things to have in your home on display that when you look at them make you feel happy!
Some points I'd want to add: --- Seasonal sets, especially the Winter Village series, have generally increased in price over the years. Not alot of people would buy it at release, but there's always this market of new people trying to get the older sets in order to complete their village-- and unlike the Modular series, there's a smaller market pool availability on it. --- Short-lived themes tend to appreciate in value over time, especially if they get discontinued prematurely. Good examples would be the Mystery Castle from Hidden Side and the Vidiyo Bandmates Series 2. Whilst the former has the added benefit of being a "seasonal set" (since there's a Halloween LEGO community that tends to buy it as well as the Monster Fighters Haunted House and Mystery Mansion from Scooby Doo), the latter was directly affected by scarcity, even after you saw those same figs being sold as discounted stocking stuffers during Christmas as stores were trying to sell them to cover losses. I also believe that Overwatch will increase in value over time as well due to the minifig design and amount of unique elements specific to that theme. --- SDCC items... those have an immediate uptick on market value due to exclusivity and are most guaranteed to not be re-released in normal set production, particularly the packs with a single minifig.
my Lego Mania era took place in the mid 2010s. was easy to find People who hadnt got a sense of what they were selling, or were generous and understood theyre just basically selling a bunch of printed plastic... Good Times. Glad i collected most of the minifigures i wanted before everything got deemed rare and expensive.
It sounds like you were in your peak Lego acquisition phase a good time! That said I do like many of the more modern era sets that Lego are producing, but there's so many sets being released these days that I tend to buy only the sets that I know I connect with and I'm really going to enjoy building and displaying. : )
Since the release the Technic Racers series in 1999, l have been collecting and building Lego. The real value of the Lego experience is actually in the modifications and improvements that one can explore within that car design series. ('Brickself: Lego Transpod') I did at one time tried to justified my purchases by an investing mindset. Most of those sets proved to be a great stock for the exploration of really cool design options...(the transverse engine.) More resently l have noticed more than a growing interest in the investing of sealed sets...never to be played with or shared . More than 20 years forward now...we all have gone through different times...and experiences... hopefully the actually playing, building, modifing...and sharing will remain our main purpose for our interest in Lego.
Hi John, what a well constructed comment, thanks for sharing. And agreed, Lego is, and should be, a creative and enjoyable hobby (that is also best shared) versus a hard and fast means to just make money. But that said there is room for everyone so if people want to use it to make a little extra money too, then that I certainly understand, having done that myself. All the best! Simon
Hi there - BEFORE COMMENTING: Please make sure you have watched the FULL video to listen to BOTH sets of points. I.e. the 7x reasons why I (now) consider investing in Lego to be a bad idea AND the 6x Lego investing tips that I've learnt to help make investing in Lego successful. I'm seeing a lot of comments that make it clear people haven't watched the back 3rd of the video where I go into Lego investing tips like ensuring you buy sets you intend to invest in on sale/at discounted pricing. Also my UCS Snowspeeder purchase example was a once-off mistake and was back in a time when the UCS Millennium Falcon (the older one) was selling for up to $5000! That was a different time with different thinking where pricing like that for some sets was 'normal', now of course I'd never buy an investment Lego set aftermarket. The important point I was actually making is that set-releases are becoming more common place and can adversely impact your ability to sell-off any superseded Lego sets that you may be holding as investments. On the whole though it's be really good to have some constructive commentary on this topic - both for and against. Thank you to all! 🙂
I’m a big believer in buy and hold. I look for good deals on eBay and then just hold them for a very long time. I guess I’m trying to build a collection that would’ve enthralled me as a child. I want my brothers children to step in to my “museum” and just be amazed with it all. I don’t even know if I will ever sell the sets. Im seeking out acrylic boxes to keep all of my sealed sets in to keep them locked in to their condition.
It sounds like you are a 'Collector' versus Investor. But what a collection you must be building if you are taking precautions to protect your sets in acrylic boxes. All the best with it!
I’ve been investing for about the same amount of time (since 2015). I’ve had some big hits and some real losers. Some sets take a while to see a decent return and some jump 50% immediately on retirement. It’s more of a hobby than a true investment to me, as there is no way to make a real large investment with the amount of space it takes. But, after 7 years, I’ve gotten better at picking sets and knowing what will do well. My worst investment was the original UCS Batman Tumbler. Ended up selling it 6 years later for the same amount I bought it for.
Great comment David and thank you for sharing your thoughts on Lego investing. Your experiences echo mine in many ways with some sets doing well in a very short space of time and others languishing or not doing well at all. I was fortunate enough to offload my original UCS Batman Tumbler right in the week that I heard rumors of a new one being released. All the best to you for continued success with it!
This is true for investing in collectibles in general. I always have to laugh when people dismiss the idea of a core-satellite portfolio because "picking individual stocks is gambling", but then proceed to tell me how they've invested into trading cards, watches or any other sort of super-hard-to-resell article. No thank you, I'd rather buy more Microsoft and Danaher stocks.
Very solid points and comments! I'm leaning more and more into ETF's as my investment choice over Lego (or any other collectible), far more liquid and I don't have to store anything or deal with people directly when I need to sell. All the best to you with your investments!
@@CraftedBricks Oh yeah, diversity is of course key. Just picked two super-solid companies with cashflows to the moon and back to proof my point that individual stocks (compared to collectibles) can be way more solid.
Marvelous! I got caught in the algorithm and saw the Wall Street Journal doc on investing in Legos. I collect S.H. Figuarts for hobby, specifically the DBZ line. I'll likely get back into legos minimally for hobby only. However, if I get lucky buy a highly rated set, who knows, lots of options. I may get the Mod Eisley and stash it though.
The Christmas themed sets are almost always a great idea. A new one comes out each year, almost always a $99 set. The original Christmas train goes for $500 now, even though there was a re-release in 2016, that is much more modern looking. The 2016 goes for $250-300. I’m living in Mexico for 1 year, where the elf club house is on clearance for $80, meanwhile in the US it is completely sold out, and is going for $150-200 on eBay. It’s very tempting to buy 10 of them, store them for a year, and sell them in a year when I’m back in the states. Of course I’m keeping one (maybe 2?) for myself :)
Sounds like a good strategy with the Christmas themed sets Neuron21! Especially where as you say you can pick up some select sets in Mexico at discounted pricing. I wish you every success with it! Cheers, Simon
I agree with you, I think it's already happening with the rising costs of living and inflation people are not spending as much on toys and collectables. I think it will be a tough few years for Lego investing. Thanks for sharing!
I agree. It’s a bad idea. There is always risk of the bottom falling out from under investors. So many people trying to invest will end up unloading their inventory for cheap. Never pay retail either. I purchased a brand new sealed UCS AT-AT for $600, when it retails for $850. Purchased a UCS Landspeeder new sealed for $120, when it retails for $240. Sure, these aren’t everyday deals…but they’re out there. And the hunt makes it fun.
Thanks for sharing. Hunting for sets at a discount to sell on later at either retail pricing or above is certainly a sound strategy. I hope it all works out for you!
Renato, thank you so much! Your comment has made my day! ...I have several mod and Lego build type videos planned next. But given how well this video has been received I will make other similar videos in the future on other topics related to our hobby. I have a few ideas already. Thanks for the sub too!
I bought a ton of sets i never built and they sit in a stack on my floor. They are worth a ton now. It blows my mind. I bought all the LOTR ring sets years ago. They sold terribly and i picked up so many in the discount section of Walmart. Now they are worth a TON. Nothing i did was planned. Just ended up that way. Blows my mind what legos are worth. Its just plastic lol.
It sounds like you had a lucky break and windfall! Well done and I'm glad you've been to make some healthy profits. It is amazing how much some people are willing to pay for plastic toys, Lego, collectible SW toys, etc!
One of the best categories for the investments in Lego are the limited edition trains, like Emerald Night, Maersk Train or Santa Fe series. It's a huge Lego train fan base and most of them are willing to pay a premium price for them.
So far my tastes have been pretty spot on with their worth later on in years. Just makes me regret not getting multiple sets but at the same time I don't want to sell my sets at all(I did in 2017 when I was down bad for money and regret it all). I do trade in some surprises that I have to rebuild when they become a ton of money later on(since I pieced them out originally). Ninjago Dawn of Iron Doom, bought two for $10 each as an example. It's just nice knowing my hobby isn't fruitless when times get tough. I only buy what I like not what I think a set is gonna be down the line. So far so good.
That all sounds very good Squaresided - and I agree it's nice to know that our Lego purchases at least hold their value overtime and can be a fallback if we need to sell some for extra funds.
Bit late to the party but my dad runs a Bricklink store where he partouts sets and then sells the parts individually, as that brings up way more than waiting 5 years and selling the set. All of the profit can be used for our own Lego project, so it's really just an investment. He's very busy with it tho and it's definitely not something you can live off on your own, and he's slowly starting to realise it's maybe a bit too much haha
Great comment! ...I always think that BrickLink sellers like your Dad are the un-sung heroes of the Lego MOC/custom model community. Much what we build and do would not be possible with out people who work hard to find, sort, sell and pack Lego parts, I've no doubt that as you indicate it is a LOT of work! Good to know it is profitable though despite the effort commitment.
I am sorry but I do not agree with this idea of not investing in Lego. I have been collecting Lego for 10 years now and I have been investing in Lego for the last 5 1/2 to 6 years and it has been EXTREMELY profitable for me. It all depends on what sets you are buying and for what price. Lego does nothing but just increase. Some sets more than others but for the most part it increases. As for Lego raising their prices and it effecting investing, well there will always be tons of buyers that want sets after they retire and I have sold sets for triple what I paid for them 8-9 months after they retire quite often. Lego is a GREAT investment! Way better than gold. The prices and market for gold go up and down too much. Lego sets will always increase in value if you hold them long enough and buyers will always want them due to the rarity of them once they retire. Everyone is free to have their own opinion and listen to whoever they want but for me, Lego is a gold mine!
No problem at all Jay - I'm pumped to hear Lego investing is working out for you! If you read through the comments you'll see that there are people who've had the exact opposite experience to you or have come to the same conclusion that I have. ...so I think the effectiveness of investing in Lego is going to be situational, and vary from person to person. Which is actually why I presented points for consideration in the video on both: why I think investing / buying & selling Lego is not a good idea AND tips to help people investing in Lego if they choose to. My personal experience is that I have been successful with making money from buying and selling Lego - but I feel it's less profitable now, more of a hassle than it's worth and I think there are more liquid and better options to invest in versus Lego sets. But as you say everyone is free to have their own opinion and will come to different conclusions. So thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience with Lego investing!
The problem is 5 years ago not many people were doing it now there is way too many people buying a ton of Lego and filling up the space room at there home.
Sold my UCS Slave 1 for $500. Sold my Tantive IV 1st gen for $340. Sold the 4x4 Crawler for $450 (used). So far, I am hitting the mark on which sets are hot items. I will always buy at less than MSRP, if possible (for LEGO investing). I sold a few discontinued MegaBloks Call of Duty sets too, and received quite a bit of money (used and new).
I don’t buy extra sets to make a profit so much as to make enough to help pay for the sets I really want to keep. It’s a lower bar to meet. And gifts with purchase really help to this end.
Hi Hector - that sounds good! And I agree selling off those gift-with-purchase sets to offset some of the cost of buying the sets you want for yourself is a good strategy. I do the same thing. Thanks for sharing!
Im investing in a quite a few sealed lego sets but, I'd rather invest more in certain minifigures. I'm investing in about 20 sealed star wars and batman sets just bought them recently because these ones are going to retire before or at the end of 2022. I don't really want to go broke off buying lego so I watch how I am spending.
Lxcas it sounds like you are someone with a plan! And getting those sets close to retirement sounds like the way to go to be able to sell them sooner than later with a mark-up. I know what you mean about over-spending on Lego, I was like that when I first started investing in Lego. You'll be ok though, when you need spare funds you can always liquidate part of your holdings. It's what I did from time to time. All the best! Simon
Hi Simon, you’ve made some great points here and hit the nail on the head when you mentioned buying the right sets. There’s also the competition you’re going to face as more people do seem to be buying investment sets these days. I personally don’t buy investment sets but do occasionally sell some due to a change of heart with the ones I bought with the intention to build. I think you have to be a Lego collector or investor as with the point you made being a collector will sway your opinion on what you think other people will like in the future.
Thanks Simon and I'm glad you found the video interesting and could think about your own journey with buying and selling sets. To one of your points - the good thing about buying Lego is that most sets (not all) seem to at least hold their value so if you do have a change of heart and no longer want a set, as long as you've kept it sealed and new, you can sell it on to reclaim your purchase funds. I've done this myself many times and it sounds like you have too. All the best! Simon
Great video with good arguments against investing. I will say there are a few exceptions to your points that I’ve experienced as an investor. I also feel that there one major factor was not discussed. To my first point. When a new Lego set is released and does sell out, that window of time when it isn’t available can be extremely advantageous. As an example, when a new Speed Champions set is released and is highly anticipated, it will typically sell out fast and be put on a 30-60 day backorder. During this time, there will be a lot of people who missed the initial release and were waiting for that set. In my experience I’ve been able to sell every set I was able acquire fairly easily during that backorder period. As long as you are not gouging prices, people will pay that premium rather than wait. I typically can sell as many as I can get my hands on within 24-48 hours of posting it for that 1-2 month period. So even though it is a small set, if you sell say 25 of them with a 25-50% ROI, that’s a tidy profit. My second observation …the time of year when to sell is extremely important. I will agree that recently the influx of quantity of product has changed the resale market. It wasn’t long ago that during the holidays you would find every single set sold out online for over a month. Still, that time of year can be extremely profitable if you plan for it…Happy to see Voltron representing, wish I had bought more at the time. Well done.
Hi Jason, what a well-crafted, sensible and well worded comment! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with buying and reselling Lego. It sounds like you have several tactics that are working well for you and it will be interesting I'm sure for others to read your comment. I wish you all the best and for continued success! Cheers, Simon
#6 Buy soon to be retired sets, even if price will be bit higher than year prior, you end up with much shorter turnover, buying set on release and freez money for 3 years before retiring is not a good idea when you could turn this money two times giving you better value over time. Great video, i think every new investor should watch it and answer those points themselves. I any of it are problem for you, dont bother. I know im ready for the ups and downs, and want to continue this road :)
Now that's a good a good tip Areios, and when combined with seeking the investment set for a discounted price, which tends to happen when the product is in it's late cycle, then that could be a good strategy. And your last point is what I had in mind for this video, i.e. to present both why I personally think investing in Lego is a bad idea (now) and then tips on how to improve your success with it if you choose to be in the game. It's up to each person to make the decision on whether investing in Lego is a good venture or not go given their personal circumstances. It sounds like it is working out for you, which I'm pleased to hear!
Solid video. I am now rediscovering all my old childhood Lego sets from my attic and finding they have increased massively in value, so am considering getting into LEGO investing more seriously. This video raised some good points. It seems to me that Lego Star Wars is generally a solid investment due to the enduring popularity of the franchise. Some sets that I purchased for around $5 as a child are now worth upwards of $50, even second hand! Being able to hold for the medium - longer term seems to be key.
Great comment! I hope you are holding onto and not selling your childhood Lego! Those sets will have huge sentimental value and you should keep them. As for investing in new sets to hold, yes Star Wars seems to be an ever popular theme, I'd go with the UCS sets a safe option versus smaller sets, but of course up to you. All the best with your Lego investing venture and have a superb weekend!
Reason 3 hits so hard. I'm trying to off load some sets I don't want anymore for less than anywhere they can be found online, and people are still trying to get a 50% discount on top of that.
I never buy a set with the intention to sell later. I have bought hundreds of older "rare" sets at retail or less than retail cost. Why would I use space to store sets for zero profit? I do have a ton of duplicate sets that I bought on discount or on purpose as I felt they were a great value, I've checked if they would be worth it to sell but it just doesn't make any sense. I'm better off to just dump the parts into my collection rather than sell on ebay and have to pay fees and possibly shipping as well. Heck I'd give them away before I did that!
Now you sound like a 'true' Lego enthusiast - only buying what you want to build and/or use for parts for custom builds and mods. I love it! All the best to you with your Lego builds and projects this year!
Ive only been buying sets that I like (ex. 2 of the new AT-TEs) so that if they dont skyrocket, im not out a bunch of money because theyre sets I can use. I also only plan on buying sets to resell for a little bit more money down the road so that I can reuse that money to buy lego sets from when I was a kid back in the early 2000's.
That sounds like a good strategy, especially as they are sets you can use in the future for parts if they don't sell. I used to follow a similar approach but I'm out of the Lego investing game now and focus more on buying parts for custom builds and MOCs. Thanks for sharing and have a superb weekend! : )
Yes that's true - each persons commitment and focus to investing will determine their success with it or not. + the circumstances that are unique to their country. I suspect it may be easier to buy and sell Lego (at a premium) in some countries versus others. Storage of those investment sets is certainly onerous. All the best to you Lee!
Yeah there are definitely too many sets being released every year and also many rereleases for example the Disney castle which got remade or many other sets . And also too many people investing in helmets or others sets and the market is too saturated so idk which set I will invest in maybe some ucs which are always safe picks (if they don’t get remake )
A well reasoned comment, thanks for sharing. Although I published this video quite a while back I still think some of the points I made, like you said to about the market being over-saturated hold true. So many other better things to invest in versus Lego. Have a superb week ahead!
@@CraftedBricks thanks yeah I was thinking about investing but I don’t see many sets with potential and without many people who bought them as an investment.
Thanks for the video mate. I own an absolute carp-load of lego, so I find your video very disturbing / jarring / troubling. But it is thought provoking, and probably the reality check I needed. My wife will be thrilled with your video since it might help me reduce my lego activities. I have many points to make regarding the pros/cons of purchasing lego for profit, but one negative point I want to make which doesn’t get much attention is the environmental ethics. And I have struggled with this for many years, but choose to ignore for some stupid reason… Lego is made out of plastic. Increasing its demand is a bad idea; the environment does not win in any way. More importantly, people (like me) posting boxes of lego around the country/world to each other, only for them to hold and store, and then sell and post to someone else, does not help the environment. This process has some purpose if someone actually opens up a box and enjoys the lego, with minimal postage involved. But a box of lego that simply circulates the planet for a bunch of idiot investors like me to make a potential profit is a waste of resources. I really struggle with this point. Lego is bulky. There are many better ways of investing your money which don’t have such a negative impact on the wellbeing of our planet.
What a superb and well crafted comment. Thank you for sharing your thoughts JK! I'm glad I was able to share some ideas with you that may give you pause for thought and think through maybe adjusting your Lego investing patterns. It is a 'sticky' thing to let go of, I know I struggled to completely stop buying sets to invest in. But I've had much more and easier success with investing in other things like ETF's on the stock market. As for your thoughts on investing in Lego being bad for / not helping the environment. That's a very novel but on point thought. I think with the world progressing as it is we all need to think about ways to be less of an impost on the Environment. Even our small actions can make a difference, you've given me something to think over today, thank you!
i know someone who invested in lego sets around the late 80s till late 1990, i remember seeing a photo of a shelf with about 10 copies of the 6990 futuron monorail alopng 5 copied of 6990 message intercept base. thats over 35k profit just for these...
Oh yeah there will always be cases of people getting lucky and investing in/buying the right toys or collectables in the past and being able to sell then at hefty profit. My video/case is for now. It's of course not impossible, just harder in the current climate, and there are better things to invest in versus Lego. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the great video.. well set out and presented 👍.. it definitely lowered my expectations on what is realistic before getting in lego investing.. what do you think about the idea of buying mid range sets from popular themes like Star wars and for longterm investing (10 to 20+ years)? Ive been thinking about doing this on a small scale, but its difficult to to find current examples or 'vintage' new in box lego set to analyse the prices..
No problem at all, I'm glad the advice and ideas gave you food for thought. As to your question, I would not recommend in investing in mid-sized sets from Star Wars, we see too many re-releases and over the 10+ year timeframe you'll likely be stuck with old sets no one wants anymore. If you are thinking of investing I think invest in some of those niche pop-culture popular sets could be an option, I'm thinking the Back to The Future Time Machine, Optimus Prime, etc. But I feel odd giving advice on what to invest in these days as I'm not into investing in Lego anymore.
@@CraftedBricks thanks for the info and quick reply👍 ye I think the risk of re releasing of sets makes this a no go for me so I might look for something else. And I appreciate that giving investment advice is dodgey haha
I have come to the same conclusion so instead I am a reseller who now buy new and used lego to sell as parts. In the past I used to flip , buy cheap and sell on ebay. I still do that but it's even more money in parts. But it takes time and effort.
Ah excellent, you must now be a BrickLink parts seller. I salute you! BrickLink sellers are so important to sustain and enable our Lego enthusiast community. Without people like you we could not order parts for our MOCs and custom builds. Keep up the good work!
Very good video the problem is Lego is rating prices to the point where people can’t afford new sets and the global economic situation is making it difficult to sell
Thank you Tony! And yes you make a good point. Both the increase in pricing of Lego sets + the current situation with rising cost of living / rampant inflation means it's more difficult to afford even current sets, let alone discontinued sets priced at a premium.
Interesting points. You assume from the outset that investors buy at retail price. Ideally you buy at discount. And even, better at clearance price. Not everything gets discounted of course. Variety is actually a double edged sword. It means not all bets will pay off. Just like how the stock market plays out. You have to try and pick the winners. If you don’t like risk, then Investing in general is not for you. Selling Lego for profit is not difficult. See top point. The difficulty is that people think you will earn millions. Or that prices will only ever go up and never hit a plateau or go down.
Hi Krispy - did you see my 'investing tips' at the back 3rd of the video? Tip #5 was exactly that, wait for a sale to buy Lego sets to invest in! And yes you make a good point, diversifying the sets to invest in - like you do if you were investing in stocks or other assets - is certainly the way to go. Some will result in good profits, others neutral, and some at a loss. The video was intended to provide a balanced view on Lego investing and points to consider for people. I'm glad it is working out for you though, keep it up!
Casual seller here (sold 13 sets in the last year). I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. If I may I would add a few more points. For buyers: Potential loss due to a scammer or transport damage which can lead to a resale price loss. For sellers: Packing boxes and negotiating selling prices is quite a boring job. You might want to do something more challenging in your life. If you like boring jobs, then there are tons of them out there that pay perfectly fine and offer way more security and benefits.
Those are very valid points! I really relate to it being a chore to negotiate prices, pack sets and take them to the post office, contact the buyer with shipping details etc. It can be laborious and if you boost that up with multiple sales/sets is very time consuming. That is of course just part of the buying & selling process (for any goods) but as you say there are better and other options out there for making income.
Good video and solid points. During Covid plenty of people where getting into the game and making easy money. The market has changed now and people are struggling to flip their titanic’s and back to the future cars for profit like they used to.
Thanks Garryn, and you make a good point about things being different during Covid. With all those lockdowns most people, myself included, were buying a lot more things online, so selling investment Lego sets was certainly easier and more profitable. Things have definitely changed now though (as you say) and I think profiting from Lego investing will become harder. Not impossible just harder. Have a great day!
Great video, thank you much! As a parent, who buys occasionally sets for my kids and thought about start investing in it, couldn't agree more, specially in #1 and #3. Recently, the choice is so huge, so there is no reason to buy old set for increased price, but just to scoop a new set for discount. Each themes have unlimited varieties to choose from. As per buying from someone - yes, I realize that the person want to get a profit and i respect this, but I want to get a deal. So I polite way usually offer my price, and if there is no agreement - simply moving on to other seller who will be more flexible...
Great comments - thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts on this topic AK. And your experience when buying says it all, people these days (I've found) are not willing to pay trumped up prices for retired Lego sets. Some mark up sure, but not huge increases to original retail pricing. All the best to you!
Yeah as a Lego enthusiast, I hated the fact Lego retired the castle and Ninja themes only to be replaced with sci-fi Bullcrap like Ninjago or Nextgo. But then I realized, eh these Ninjago mech's are cool enough, I'm curious to see how one of these things comes together..so I make the purchase. Oh look, turns out, Ninjago nowadays is pretty freaking sweet, oh look the best Ninjago sets ever IMO are ones I can go out and buy RIGHT NOW. I'm satisfied with what I own and have 0 interest in buying older Ninjago legacy sets...Why do that when I can buy from the NINJAGO LEGACY line which is based off original sets but are far better looking and are sold in stores right now🤣 My Ninjago 2042 city is looking pretty epic though! Aren't all you investors out there thrilled that Im happy?
I sometimes get asked by ebay time wasters -"What's the lowest price you'll accept for this item?" My reply - "What's the highest price you'll pay?" Stops the conversation pretty quickly. Just chanced upon your channel - quality video.
Hi Matt - that is a brilliant response! (and made me laugh!) ...I'm going to use that one for sure. I'm still in the process of offloading my remaining investment sets. Thanks for sharing!
Purchased a new in sealed bag chrome darth vader fig for 120 and sold it a month later for 375…just to find another one for 100. Depends on what exactly you’re investing in regarding theme, age, and condition
That's a good sale and healthy profit, well done! I'm always amazed at what some people will pay for Minifigures. And yes investing in Lego (sets or minifigs) really does require thinking and knowledge on exactly what items make for good investments. Thanks for sharing!
I'm just going to buy the sets I want to build for myself because I like them or the IP, and hey, if they go up in value great, if not, i still get enjoyment
Certainly different times these days! I feel like 'investing' in Lego has really exploded to become a 'thing' over the last decade. But it's getting to be highly oversaturated with the secondary market absolutely flooded with people trying to sell their sets to profit.
I think I want to start investing in Lego. I've found some sets that seem good that are on sale. How many sets do you think is a good amount to start with?
Hi grasswithflowers2991 - that's a hard question to answer, it really is up to you on how much you want to spend. If you are starting out I wouldn't be buying more than 2 of each type of set that you have your eye on. You are also doing the right thing and buying sets on sale - that's going to give you a buffer when you come to sell them later on. All the best with it!
Another key tip is if the source material is flopping, the merchandise will flop too. The flash bombed at the box office which explains is why they are trying to retire the batcave so fast. Sorceror sanctum is getting retired fast since recent mcu movies like ant man 3, marvels are bombing. So not exactly huge demand for the merch. Plus lego has to pay licensing fees which affect their bottom line
That's an interesting take on things, thanks for sharing that insight. I think may definitely factor into how much demand there is for certain sets, adding to the risk that some retired sets may be difficult to sell, or at least difficult to make a profit on.
Reason 8: You can't liquidate it quickly if you really need the money. I just try to get rid of my collection of movie posters and merchs and this is a serious problem. Even if there is a large collector market left it takes time to find customers for the specific set (and unless you go very cheap they also prefer to wait for you or others go lower). And Reason 9: It's for poor people. Investing more then in $100,000 is only possible if you build an additional storage room.
Some solid points there, thank you for sharing. I fully agree with you on the it being an investment that's not quick or easy to liquidate. There are far better investment options out there that's for sure. Have a superb week ahead!
I now have invested in Lego and have a good selection that I think will do well. I realised it’s a great investment when I wanted the Saturn 5 retail £105 but I really wanted it so paid £175 for it. I don’t regret it except it did get re released. Definitely demand if the set is right.
A great video with good points. For me investing is not something to get rich of: it's a bit of a sport, with the ultimate goal to have my lego hobby fund itself. How cool is it if all the lego I want is paid for by the profit from the sets I sell. I'm not there yet, but slowly creeping towards this goal. I also have the mentality that if a set is not doing well, I always still have the lego in it. I can part it out and build something myself if it does not do well. I think quite a few people see those promises that it does better than gold, and expect that this is a get money quick scheme. But just like with other markets, you have to know the product you invest in to have a chance of making a profit. Not every set is a goldmine.
What a well constructed comment, thanks for posting up your thoughts and experiences with Lego investing! Your comment on 'needing to know the product you invest in' (to be successful) is very much on-point. I think you have to be very knowledgeable and selective with what you choose to buy to invest in. It sounds obvious but as I'm sure you know well from experience selecting the right sets to invest in and what to ignore is harder to do in practice.
To me as a 22 years old, who grew up with most of the subthemes such as Ultra Agent, Agents, Pharaoh's Quest, and one licensed Theme (DC Comics) and still is collecting it, and in a process of making builds of My own... LEGO is not a jewel, but a Toy for Kids starting from the age of 0-4 years old, not 30 years old, as WOODY would say... Yes I named some of important themes that has been part of my teen years, but ever since the success of THE LEGO MOVIE, it made this company a Jewel Company, targeting ADULTS, just let's face it.
Some interesting thoughts there, thanks for sharing. I think when you rediscover Lego as an Adult it becomes and means something else. For me now I think Lego is an amazing 'creative medium' where I can craft anything I set my mind to and that's something really special.
I think a lot of people posting about their investing in Legos are just trying to brag and they don't really have what they say. Aside from that you can still make a lot as long as you don't try to do what everyone else is minus a few sets such as Sesame.
Maybe so Nathan! This topic certainly has had very mixed views and responses. And I think you are right, you can make money with investing in Lego if you put in the time and effort. From my own experience I've been successful with it - but it's time to stop now. I think there are better things that are less onerous to invest in. But each to their own! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the time, effort, and information you put into this video! I am an adult Lego fan experiencing a new wave of Lego craze from my childhood days. I recently became interested in the resale market and have been looking for solid advice. After watching your video, I believe that my investment in Lego will be smaller than planned. It is not something that I aim to make a lot of money at, but rather my goal is to facilitate my own hobby. Thanks again and I look forward to watching your other videos.
Hi there - I'm glad my video gave you pause for thought! I think investing in Lego can still work, if you are careful and don't overdo it. Stick to mid-large sized sets that have high pop-culture appeal and are popular sets, the Back to the future Delorean is a good example of this. But of course use your own judgment to pick the sets. Although I do I like to read everyone's comments on the video, respond and encourage, I can't help but feel worried as I know for me, I'm out! Selling Lego sets at a premium I'm noticing is becoming harder and there are a LOT of people jumping into this and flooding the secondary market. I feel like investing in say exchange traded funds or other investment options is far easier than investing in Lego - but each to their own. All the best and good luck!
@@CraftedBricks Thank you very much for the reply. Yes, I will buy a small number of the sets you recommend. I've enjoyed just researching and learning about it. I hesitate to call it investing at this point as in my research so far, I've noticed a HUGE amount of competition and unpredictability. I plan on initially spending a few thousand and reselling shortly after retirement or thereabouts. I'm just looking for enough to cover buying my own sets. I actually buy used sets as I like to display mine. Thanks again. It's rare that someone replies to all the comments!
Create price alerts for the sets you want. Especially new sets and set it to about 20 percent off. Often comes that the best price is somewhere during the middle of it's lifetime. Almost any set goes down by 30 percent at some point, technic sets easily by 40, bought some friends set at 50. You have to understand that at a certain point the price can't go any lower before it gets shady business somehow. If you are too close to end of life you might see prices already rising again or already out of stock. For me I care less how long I have to hold it, more important is what I paid for.
As per the old age adage: 'buy low sell high' ...and you are in the green. It sounds like you have a solid and well thought through Lego investing approach. I wish you all the best with it and for healthy profits. : )
But buying large lego sets is a lot riskier than buying smaller ones. As you said people might not want to pay so much for a set or maybe you get scammed on ebay. And ebay usually sides with the buyer even for example if they stole all the mini figures out of the set
Good video. I'd caveat the "don't invest in small sets" tip, as it depends on the theme. Some Architecture sets go for good money once they're discontinued. Same with some of the helmet/cowl sets like the Tie Fighter.
Hi Ravens Thorne - that's a very fair point. Some particular popular themes can do well as investments - I feel the SW helmet sets in particular will do well over time. Thanks for sharing and all the best!
Yep, nothing wrong with 'small sets'. They make up the 'guts' of the industry. Not everyone can afford the higher end sets at retail let alone 5 years into retirement at retail +100%.... BUT....most people can afford the smaller set at retail and aren't as likely to baulk at the prospect of paying double or triple years down the track if they really want it.
Hi Torah, yes I think that set would make for a solid investment choice. Particularly if you can pick some up on sale. I built my copy of the set and I really like it, it's well designed and looks superb on display.
Tysm I’m glad I didn’t try to invest I. Lego even though it’s so popular it not worth the amount of effort it takes to even make a small amount on a single set. I still love Lego I’m I’m glad I won’t have to safe extra to invest and can just have fun building and playing with my Lego sets.
Spot on! I do a similar thing with the Modular building sets, I've only built one of the many I own. But better to buy them when they are available versus later at a premium. Thanks for sharing.
Atleast Lego keep there products on the shelf a few year so u can save up. Unlike other brands that rotates 4 times a year *cough! Card collecting,cough!!* 😂
I buy the sets that get reduced pricing at the Lego brand stores and sets with rare characters or pieces. I’ve purchased a bunch of reduced $97 USD The Hobbit: The Lonely Mountain, as the Smaug figure (still one of the largest Lego characters with the least pieces) is the highlight of the set. And it’s a set that potentially would have a larger gap in time before a reissue. I’m planning on holding onto them and selling most of them only until a re-release of the theme is rumored to re-emerge the next year.
An excellent comment thank you for sharing and I wish you success with selling your Hobbit themed sets! Interesting to read in your comment that Lego may be re-releasing some LoTR sets. : )
Thank you. Your video is very informative for someone like myself that has only been going about investing for 6 months. Did you ever use Amazon as your selling platform or just eBay and BrickLink?
Hi Steven, I'm glad you found the video to be helpful and informative. I used to sell on BrickLink, eBay, Facebook marketplace and a local classifieds we have here in Australia called Gumtree. I never sold on amazon, the fees are very high! ~12% for toys like Lego and I feel, but could be wrong, Amazon is better suited to businesses and people selling high volumes of products. Best wishes for your investing journey. Cheers, Simon
@@CraftedBricks Thanks for getting back to me. I agree that Amazon gets a significant cut, and you must sell high volumes to make a good return. I have owned an e-commerce company for 13 years now. Over the past 5 years, on-site sales have decreased yearly, but at the same time, our Walmart and Amazon platform sales have grown. I don't like It because the return could be better, but it just shows how retail sales markets are changing. I'm in a different market than toys/collectibles and have been trying to get what feedback I could before starting a second Amazon store.
Majority of my collection and buying / selling is Pokémon (TCG) I have a sealed Lego collection. Mostly vintage castle sets I love and want in my collection long term. Seeing the proliferation of TH-camrs “investing” in sealed Lego seems doomed to fail for all the reasons you mentioned, when the market becomes saturated there will be a flood of horders exiting. Not every set is special and should command a premium. Very bizarre, at least with TCG, they are “collectible” in the sense sealed product to get the cards is finite and they are easy to ship.
A well worded and thought through comment, thanks for sharing. And I like the utility of your Pokemon card investing, much easier to ship that sort of collectable as you say. The more time that goes on, and it's been a while since I published this video, the more I still think using Lego as a pure investment and profit mechanism is a bad idea, there are so many more liquid and better/ more sensible things to invest in. + Lego is becoming extremely expensive with price hikes and larger and more complex sets being common. So people's willingness to pay a premium on Lego that is already expensive is low.
This is a really well done video, great job! This should have more views lol. I personally am currently just a Bricklink seller that sells parts and Minifigures, and I haven’t gotten too much into the investment side of things due to space constraints and me not being able to wait for a set to go up in value 😂
Thanks for commenting Shroo26! I'm actually pretty happy with the views, and I think this vid will continue to get more views as it's a solid topic and I'm happy with how the video flowed. Good engagement on this means that in the future I will tackle a few other topics that I have in mind. + well done on being a BrickLink seller. As a MOC builder and modder I can't stress enough how important BrickLink is and it's sellers like you who make it possible for people like me to design and build custom models and mods. Keep up the good work!
👍🏽Excellent video, I’m happy that the TH-cam algorithm sent this my way. Question: when do you think investing in LEGO became a thing? My guess would be around 1999 and up since that was when TLG acquired the SW license (which contributed greatly to their comeback and popularity).
That is an interesting question! I think yes TLG producing Star Wars sets, particularly the UCS line of sets was a catalyst for investing in Lego becoming a 'thing'. But also the development and popularity of channels available to regular people to be able to sell retired Lego sets like BrickLink (started 2000), eBay of course (started 1995?) and then other local online classified type sites. I come out of the Dark Ages in 2014 and I remember seeing crazy prices for all of those UCS sets, there was definitely an appetite for paying really high $values for those sets at the time. Which I think Lego cottoned onto, hence what we've seen in the last 5-6 years with them re-releasing most of the UCS line of models. While a bad thing for investors, is a good thing for regular Lego hobbyists that can access those sets at normal affordable price!
I resell here and there, but the most annoying are people asking for lower prices. Not even that, but insultingly low offers. I think it is especially prevalent right now because of the economy. They don’t want to pay market value and they prey on people they think need the money. I want to tell these people sometimes if they want lower go try and find it somewhere else. I do only buy sets now on discount late in their cycle, just because when they retire I can typically get RRP for a used set. I’m not into storing sets to sell later, but if I get tired of a set most times I can get at least what I paid for it back.
Oh yes I hear you - I experience that a lot and it does get very frustrating. Especially the ridiculously low-ball offers where they say things like 'this is my final offer', as if that's supposed to prompt me to accept it! Re buying sets when they are discounted it's becoming pretty much mandatory I think to be successful in this game. Thanks for sharing and I wish you all the best with your Lego reselling!
With walmarts crazy sales and finding $30 sets at $10 and $40+ sets at $20 at my LGS, how can I not invest. I was looking for a video on super mario lego investing but found this and I enjoyed it very much. Subbed.
I think you hit the nail on the head with your 6th point. Selling Lego is not easy. Just because someone else sold something for a certain price does not mean you will also be able to get that price. It takes time to establish a reputation to get maximum value out of your investment Lego. In your second point you committed a cardinal sin when it comes to investing. If you bought a set for $2000, how long did you think it would take to rise in price to $3000 or $4000? Even if the new snowspeeder was not released it seems unlikely to get a 50% or 100% roi in a reasonable amount of time. I agree with your comment about not investing in small sets, but disagree what you consider a small set to be. I think $50-$200 is a great price range to invest in medium to large sets. Good video.
Hi Glenn, thanks for sharing your thoughts. All ok. I wonder if you read my pinned comment however? The UCS Snow Speeder was a purchase ~8 years back and things in the investing space were very different then. For example the UCS Millennium Falcon was going for $5000 at that time! The point I was actually trying to make was that Lego often supersede sets (particularly in the UCS line) and this may impact your ability to sell some sets at a premium, or at all. I wonder for example how many people are trying to desperately sell off their Red 5 UCS X-wing set (from 2013) at the moment given the new one is coming out in May. My mistake was actually including my example in the video, it seemed to really trip people up! Anyway all good and I wish you success with your Lego investing endeavors. Cheers, Simon
@@CraftedBricks It was a bit different a few years ago, I would agree. When Lego revamped the ucs mf and snowspeeder, it signaled their intention to remake UCS sets. I think your example is a great cautionary tale of buying a Lego set and putting it away for 10-15 years .
Sounds good Arachnid-Man, I used to follow the same approach. But just a word of caution, sometimes just because you or I like a set doesn't mean it is a good investment choice. We may like it, but others or the general Lego community may not and then it may be hard to sell. Just some food for thought. Good luck!
Really great video. I like your tip on investing in lines with a series/collection. The Tie Fighter helmet is a great example (helmet, limited supply).
Thanks dfuller81 - and I think you are right the SW Helmet sets could make for decent investment sets! I personally am out and will no longer be investing in Lego, but I wish you all the best with it!
@@CraftedBricks interesting, I wanted to learn more about ETF but never had the time or Money (I'm still at university) Can you suggest an app to use for investing and/or a place to learn about them?
@@skeletoncreek6446 - I can't give you specific investment or financial advice for obvious reasons! But if you are interested in learning more about investing in funds the Vanguard website is very good and has a wealth of information about investing.
I can't do it anyway. At least not with anything that actually interests me. I like building way too much to trust myself around a bunch of unopened sets.
Brett - you are on the right track! Lego is best suited to build and enjoy versus hoarding and investing in. But I appreciate, and I've certainly done it, that there's also a space for people who want to keep, store and resell a collectible toy like Lego for profit. All the best to you!
Came across your video and was wondering if you recommend that I buy the Lego Creator Lion Castle set as an investment as Creator sets I've seen tend to get retired and go up in price over time?
Hi there - I think if you can get the Lion Knights Castle on sale or even a discount with VIP points, then yes you'd definitely be able to sell that set at a premium when it retires. That's a popular set and kicks in the nostalgia for 'castle themed Lego'. All the best with it! Cheers, Simon
@@CraftedBricks Thanks Simon, probley going to stay away from that set and target sets like assembly square which is set to retire soon. But I am also wondering if you can do a video on Brickheadz, Brickheadz usually do well depending on character but the Disney 100th anniversary, should we invest at a $40 tag.
It sounds like you have things well in hand! I can't recommend further sets to you to invest in as I'm personally stopping investing in Lego; as overall I don't think it's a long term good idea (hence my video!). As for Brickheadz I've never bought one! So won't be able to make videos on them, sorry about that! One thing that doesn't become apparent until you start a YT channel is just how much work and hours you have to put into each video. It's really surprising and at times crazy. And as I still have my regular day job I have to be careful to only use the limited time I have at nights and on weekends to work on select videos. I just wanted to share that with you for context. All the best and again thanks for commenting. : )
Yes that's a valid concern for sure! ...and I'm still stunned at how many sets Lego are releasing now, there's always something good on offer, it's becoming a bit overwhelming!
you are telling me that after i have spend more then €150 on closed boxes these 3 months ;) regardless, thank you for making this video, it is extremely helpful and i have learned i did everything wrong over the last months haha
Hi Edward - oh don't worry we all make Lego investing mistakes! I revealed my BIG mistake/disaster in the video, they happen to everyone. I've both lost and made money from investing in Lego, but as I mentioned I'm out, it's finally time to stop! That said, I hope the tips I mentioned in the video help you for the future if you are planning to continue to invest in Lego.
@@CraftedBricks i think i am going to do the same thing as you, i will see where i will end with my current sets and probably stop, it is a lot of fun but indeed, it is not so profitable, again thanks for the video, it is extremely helpful!!!
hey crafted bricks nice video. im thinking of buying 2 copies of the a fram cabin as my first ever lego investment, its 13 percent off RRP. What do you think? cheers
Hi there, given my pitch in this video is to NOT invest in Lego I'm a bit concerned about giving you Lego investment advice. But that said given you can get these sets at less than retail, and that it is a good Ideas set, then yes picking up two of those and holding them sounds reasonable. All the best!
I have started investing in lego sets when the simpsons house came out, i started watching lego investment video's late 2022. Tbh i buy sets I like and think people will want later. I invested in the steamboat willy Mickey mouse set to celebrate the 90th birthday, iff they dont bring the same set on the 100th birthday again this will be a huge profit set same as the simpsons are going. Our local butcher gave 2 simpsons character packs per bought salami so we ate frackloads of salami for months ;) unfortunatly we opened all for the kids to play with since the simpson houses were off limit ;)
I love the fact that your local butcher was giving away Lego Simpsons character packs as a promotion top sell Salami! That's brilliant! Thanks for sharing and I wish you success with your Lego investing journey! : )
100% agree. I came to this same conclusion a while ago. Great video. You have represented my view better than anyone else on TH-cam that I have seen. The unfortunate thing is I think the resell market is very beneficial on the balance. For example, I feel the Battle of Endor, Mill Village Raid, and Medieval Market Village, to be some of the best sets ever. I was in my dark ages though. I am glad I had the option to buy those sets, albeit at a premium. Luckily, there are not too many Star Wars sets that interested me that were still available at retail, and the Castle theme had already died. So there wasn't too much on retail shelves to compete for my money. So I was able to buy those three sets a few years ago. Subbed :) Edit: While I have decided to stop investing, I am considering not selling off ALL my investments because some of them will make amazing gifts for birthdays for nieces and nephews. I have a bunch of 501st battle packs that I will probably hand out as gifts in a few years. The kids would be stoked!
Thanks for your detailed comment Something Awesome! And yes I certainly agree with you, on the whole you can make money from investing in Lego. I just think (for the reasons outlined in the video) that it's more hassle than it's worth and can be harder in the current climate than people may think. + Good call on retaining a few of your sets to give away as gifts to family. I actually may do another give-away on the channel at the end of the year (not confirmed yet) but a few of the set's I've not sold I could give away :)
Interesting video. Some of the old Marvel stuff is hard to get and pretty expensive. To your point, its a part of a series and I can see why I might pay the premium.
It can certainly be an expensive exercise picking up older sets that you really want or feel some nostalgia for. We all do it - I recommend BrickLink as your go-to if you want to pick up some of those older Marvel sets - you'll find the most reasonable prices on that site. All the best!
It seams LEGO Star Wars are the sets that gain the most value. Of course that always depends on what era the set represents. The original trilogy gaining the most and Disney era not really wanted much.
Yes I'd agree with those points. I'd still steer clear of investing in Lego (as there are much better investment options out there), but if you are going to, investing in some of the large Star Wars UCS sets is a relatively safe option.
Hey Simon, here again. Your video just became more relevant today as in...the Tree House is on sale for $175 @ Amazon. This was a set I invested in just before the pandemic. This set is a poster child for not to invest. Keep up with your videos though.
Ah I see, well that's set has a long life by the looks of it. Hopefully if you are still holding them you can make a profit when they retire in the future. I'm working on a new video now! ...the issue is that it may be delayed as I'm modifying a UCS set and the work load is off the chart! I hope to have the build, instructions and photos complete and published over the weekend at least. But the video edits will take time. It's looking good though ...all will be revealed soon!
Great video, I found it very informative and thought-provoking. Your analysis of the Lego investment market and the challenges it poses are very astute. Your seven reasons for why investing in Lego is not a good idea are especially noteworthy and your insights into the competition for people's money, the sheer volume of high-quality Lego products being produced and the mixed to average results of your own experience investing in Lego provide valuable insights for others considering this type of investment.
I'm really happy you enjoyed the video and that it gave you some food for thought. Although I recorded this video last year I'm feeling that in 2023 the points I made are still very relevant and close-to-home. The flood of new Lego sets is well on its way and I see so many people desperately trying to sell off Lego on Facebook, and many other classifieds sites. Investing in a profiting from Lego is definitely becoming harder to do successfully.
After the re-release in 2018 of 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City, I unfortunately highly doubt Lego are going to release a 3rd version. If you missed out on the original and the re-release maybe going down the custom route could be an option for you?
Great video! I think on the small scale "investing" is ok, however it will never be a miraculous Eldorado to gain quick fortune. This applies to almost any sort of investment.
Thanks Matej - and I agree a healthy dose of skepticism when approaching any investment option and an understanding that get-rich-quick schemes are not real is always good!
I completely agree! Unless of course you have bought multiple copies of some sets, but I guess in that case you could always bust them open to use for parts. Thanks for commenting, cheers, Simon
I bough 3 of the nee Avatar sets, and I will give a try on selling them. In my country Lego retails for 2 or 3 times the US retail price so I will test the waters. My choice was based on a set that can be collectible and from a very popular franchise and Movie. I avoided the Ilu (cheapest set). Any thoughts or advice are welcome
Hello there - I think the country you live in and market (demand) for Lego can be a big factor in how successful or limited you can be with investing in Lego. Is there a healthy demand for retired Lego sets in your country? If yes then experimenting with sets from different product lines could be ok. I personally do no think the Avatar Lego sets will make for good investments as they a small sets designed for children / a young audience. And it's unlikely (but possible) that adults will pay a good premium for them in the future. Sorry if this is a bit blunt but it's better that I be honest. I agree with you though that with the 3rd movie coming at some point, maybe a few of the current sets, if discontinued may sell for a moderate gain. All the best to you and good luck!
I apreciaye your honest feedback. The retired sets are not something people will be interested in over here. These new Avatar sets are not small and I feel that adults can like them due to how posseable they are. The largest is $99 set featuring an amazing alien whale. Thank you for your advice. I am about to create the sale listings and will share the results; if they sell !!
Hi @CraftedBricks, got some news, I was able to sell the 80$ Avatar(metkayina reef) set for $136. Sets arrive so late to my country I definitely see lots of people interested on them.
This is an excellent and refreshing video. Personally for me I've gone for the 4 technic supercar sets. I bought four of the range in used condition for my personal use. I will display them in cases. I also bought three of the supercars as investment. (At good prices I paid) New brand new/sealed. I will sit on these for a few years and see what happens. As you say running to the post office every 5 minutes on smaller sets isn't for me. Great channel mate and just subscribed. 👍
Thank you Wayne, much appreciated! Although I've had a mix of both positive and negative comments on this video, the solid engagement has got me thinking that next year I will tackle some other topics that are related to, or about, our Lego hobby and make some videos that are similar in style to this one. As to your investing in the 1:8 large scale Technic Super cars I think you can't go wrong there and will do well with those sets in time! All the best, Simon
Now that I entirely saw the video this is the best and most realistic overview of lego investing I have ever saw.
Again thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I hope found it to be helpful. Lego investing is proving to be tough at the moment with all the competition, price increases and rising costs of living/inflation. Let's hope things improve soon!
Tip #7: Don't invest in Lego sets that just got released as they need to sit on the shelf way too long. Invest in retiring sets instead which are usually announced in Q4.
That is definitely a sound tip - hopefully people who do this can still pick the set(s) up on sale before they discontinue so they already have a healthy (potential) profit margin built in. Thanks for sharing!
@@CraftedBricks retailers usually discount prices before retiring sets and bringing in new sets. Tip #8 (from experience) its better to buy investment sets in person as from buying online you run the risk that the box is damaged, and from the point of view of the retailer they usually aren't going to reship for a box with a couple of dents which they think is useless to you anyway.
I just got the pet shop for 270€, which is a modular set from 2011 and im going to wait some time in order to sell it around 450€ at least, when i realize there are no other of these sets available for selling.
@@rain8183So putting away for 5yrs to make 180 dollars?
I buy Lego to ENJOY them. However I’m smart and when I need to sell a set I make sure I keep all pieces and disassemble them with care and into new bags. I keep spare parts/manuals etc and even keep the front cardboard box art (larger front covers are folded in half). The key is to look into re-released sets and if the reviews are negative that’s more money for me. I know that my old model will sell for a crazy amount. Cause of nostalgia or whatever. There’s only money in the Star Wars stuff, so I watch a lot of Star Wars and buy the sets on discount, my ppc is usually only 8 cents. I’ll sell if I can get 2/3x the original value. And I get it easily. Open sets sell more easily than boxed because they sell for a little cheaper plus I get the value of enjoying the set by assembling it and showing it. I don’t sell a lot of sets but if a set is not my tea I can easily disassemble it and get some money for it. The key for me is that I don’t part out my used sets, they get everything like spare parts etc. most consumers are okay with getting an unboxed used set for $10-30 dollars cheaper. And I’m okay with the loss because that money translated into the joy of me actually building the thing.
I buy sets that go into my loft and I'll be making them with my daughter when she is old enough, that's my investment, the joy
What a lovely and healthy approach to Lego buying!
As someone who invests in Lego starwars I dont typically have any issues selling sets, the fanbase is so large and diverse that almost any set someone wants. Obviously there’s some factors that play into that heavily like; exclusive figures, current media, and over all build quality that play in how popular a given set is after it retires. But in my opinion still a worth while investment.
Sounds good and I'm glad to hear you having success with investing in Lego!
I try to invest in sets I think might do well, but if they flop I’ll be more than happy to add the model or parts into my collection.
Oh yes that's a good strategy! ...and I've done the same, parting out those dud sets into my spare parts or into a new MOC build.
Great advice for any collectible, one I follow myself. If I'm stuck with it, it doesn't bother me, I enjoy it either way.
I ran a Bricklink store for a year after collecting/storing for about 5 years. Thousands of dollars in revenue but just a few hundred in profit. Can definitely confirm everything he says in this video.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and it is interesting (but also heart breaking) to hear that despite having a good backlog of investment sets to sell making a good (large) profit was difficult. Although yes you can make money from investing in Lego, it is difficult and I stand by my stance that there are better and easier options for investment. Anyway have a superb week ahead. Cheers, Simon
You need to run a Brick store, everyone knows that Lego is the worst enemy to all Lego Shops. But there are a lot of other interesting competitors
@@llothar68so megabloks, knex and kre'o?
Oh, and mcfarlane construction toys
Watched this the night before I was about to drop multiple thousands on retired sets through Marketplace. You slapped me back to attention. I'll keep collecting for sure, but you're right it's not all roses out there. Thank you!
Hi Ken - I'm glad my video gave you pause for thought. Of course there's nothing wrong with collecting and buying some sets (on sale) for investment purposes - but making investing in a Lego a dedicated thing and money making strategy is certainly not as good as it used to be and is becoming more difficult / of a burden versus investing say in other types of assets. I wish you all the best with growing your Lego collection!
Never buy already retired sets at a premium for investment, it's fine for personal collection but there's no profit to be had on trying to flip an already marked up set another 20-40% higher just to cover fees for a profit.
Wow, your way of speaking is so kind and reassuring, you emit positive energy!
Aww that's very kind of you, thank you!
Usually I buy used ones, disassemble and reassemble them for fun, for possibly reselling them later for the same price I bought them. This makes it a free hobby. If I repackage them in plastic bags, they might even sell at a higher price.
An interesting approach! I personally don't like buying second-hand Lego as you never know what quality the parts are going to be in, but it sounds like this a winning strategy for you, so kudos to you!
I'm not collecting them to sell, I'm collecting them because they're simple and beautiful and because they make me happy
Anakin - your comment put a huge smile on my face. That's very sweet and true! The primary focus of of buying and building Lego is to ENJOY it and to create cool things to have in your home on display that when you look at them make you feel happy!
Some points I'd want to add:
--- Seasonal sets, especially the Winter Village series, have generally increased in price over the years. Not alot of people would buy it at release, but there's always this market of new people trying to get the older sets in order to complete their village-- and unlike the Modular series, there's a smaller market pool availability on it.
--- Short-lived themes tend to appreciate in value over time, especially if they get discontinued prematurely. Good examples would be the Mystery Castle from Hidden Side and the Vidiyo Bandmates Series 2. Whilst the former has the added benefit of being a "seasonal set" (since there's a Halloween LEGO community that tends to buy it as well as the Monster Fighters Haunted House and Mystery Mansion from Scooby Doo), the latter was directly affected by scarcity, even after you saw those same figs being sold as discounted stocking stuffers during Christmas as stores were trying to sell them to cover losses. I also believe that Overwatch will increase in value over time as well due to the minifig design and amount of unique elements specific to that theme.
--- SDCC items... those have an immediate uptick on market value due to exclusivity and are most guaranteed to not be re-released in normal set production, particularly the packs with a single minifig.
Some solid ideas and points on Lego themes that may do well in the future if invested in. Thanks for sharing Aaron!
my Lego Mania era took place in the mid 2010s. was easy to find People who hadnt got a sense of what they were selling, or were generous and understood theyre just basically selling a bunch of printed plastic... Good Times. Glad i collected most of the minifigures i wanted before everything got deemed rare and expensive.
It sounds like you were in your peak Lego acquisition phase a good time! That said I do like many of the more modern era sets that Lego are producing, but there's so many sets being released these days that I tend to buy only the sets that I know I connect with and I'm really going to enjoy building and displaying. : )
Since the release the Technic Racers series in 1999, l have been collecting and building Lego. The real value of the Lego experience is actually in the modifications and improvements that one can explore within that car design series. ('Brickself: Lego Transpod')
I did at one time tried to justified my purchases by an investing mindset.
Most of those sets proved to be a great stock for the exploration of really cool design options...(the transverse engine.)
More resently l have noticed more than a growing interest in the investing of sealed sets...never to be played with or shared .
More than 20 years forward now...we all have gone through different times...and experiences... hopefully the actually playing, building, modifing...and sharing will remain our main purpose for our interest in Lego.
Hi John, what a well constructed comment, thanks for sharing. And agreed, Lego is, and should be, a creative and enjoyable hobby (that is also best shared) versus a hard and fast means to just make money. But that said there is room for everyone so if people want to use it to make a little extra money too, then that I certainly understand, having done that myself. All the best! Simon
Hi there - BEFORE COMMENTING: Please make sure you have watched the FULL video to listen to BOTH sets of points. I.e. the 7x reasons why I (now) consider investing in Lego to be a bad idea AND the 6x Lego investing tips that I've learnt to help make investing in Lego successful. I'm seeing a lot of comments that make it clear people haven't watched the back 3rd of the video where I go into Lego investing tips like ensuring you buy sets you intend to invest in on sale/at discounted pricing.
Also my UCS Snowspeeder purchase example was a once-off mistake and was back in a time when the UCS Millennium Falcon (the older one) was selling for up to $5000! That was a different time with different thinking where pricing like that for some sets was 'normal', now of course I'd never buy an investment Lego set aftermarket. The important point I was actually making is that set-releases are becoming more common place and can adversely impact your ability to sell-off any superseded Lego sets that you may be holding as investments.
On the whole though it's be really good to have some constructive commentary on this topic - both for and against. Thank you to all! 🙂
I’m a big believer in buy and hold. I look for good deals on eBay and then just hold them for a very long time. I guess I’m trying to build a collection that would’ve enthralled me as a child. I want my brothers children to step in to my “museum” and just be amazed with it all. I don’t even know if I will ever sell the sets. Im seeking out acrylic boxes to keep all of my sealed sets in to keep them locked in to their condition.
It sounds like you are a 'Collector' versus Investor. But what a collection you must be building if you are taking precautions to protect your sets in acrylic boxes. All the best with it!
I’ve been investing for about the same amount of time (since 2015). I’ve had some big hits and some real losers. Some sets take a while to see a decent return and some jump 50% immediately on retirement. It’s more of a hobby than a true investment to me, as there is no way to make a real large investment with the amount of space it takes. But, after 7 years, I’ve gotten better at picking sets and knowing what will do well. My worst investment was the original UCS Batman Tumbler. Ended up selling it 6 years later for the same amount I bought it for.
Great comment David and thank you for sharing your thoughts on Lego investing. Your experiences echo mine in many ways with some sets doing well in a very short space of time and others languishing or not doing well at all. I was fortunate enough to offload my original UCS Batman Tumbler right in the week that I heard rumors of a new one being released. All the best to you for continued success with it!
The old Tumbler is €600 now in my country...
This is true for investing in collectibles in general. I always have to laugh when people dismiss the idea of a core-satellite portfolio because "picking individual stocks is gambling", but then proceed to tell me how they've invested into trading cards, watches or any other sort of super-hard-to-resell article. No thank you, I'd rather buy more Microsoft and Danaher stocks.
Very solid points and comments! I'm leaning more and more into ETF's as my investment choice over Lego (or any other collectible), far more liquid and I don't have to store anything or deal with people directly when I need to sell. All the best to you with your investments!
@@CraftedBricks Oh yeah, diversity is of course key. Just picked two super-solid companies with cashflows to the moon and back to proof my point that individual stocks (compared to collectibles) can be way more solid.
Marvelous! I got caught in the algorithm and saw the Wall Street Journal doc on investing in Legos. I collect S.H. Figuarts for hobby, specifically the DBZ line. I'll likely get back into legos minimally for hobby only. However, if I get lucky buy a highly rated set, who knows, lots of options. I may get the Mod Eisley and stash it though.
Great talk about Lego investing, realistic and honest, appreciate that alot
Thanks and I'm glad my video game you some realistic food for thought on the topic. Have a great weekend ahead!
The Christmas themed sets are almost always a great idea. A new one comes out each year, almost always a $99 set. The original Christmas train goes for $500 now, even though there was a re-release in 2016, that is much more modern looking. The 2016 goes for $250-300. I’m living in Mexico for 1 year, where the elf club house is on clearance for $80, meanwhile in the US it is completely sold out, and is going for $150-200 on eBay. It’s very tempting to buy 10 of them, store them for a year, and sell them in a year when I’m back in the states. Of course I’m keeping one (maybe 2?) for myself :)
Sounds like a good strategy with the Christmas themed sets Neuron21! Especially where as you say you can pick up some select sets in Mexico at discounted pricing. I wish you every success with it! Cheers, Simon
I agree! I do the buy 1, stock 1 to sell later to fund my hobby of collecting. I think a lot of folks are going to get recked in the next few years.
I agree with you, I think it's already happening with the rising costs of living and inflation people are not spending as much on toys and collectables. I think it will be a tough few years for Lego investing. Thanks for sharing!
Also an extra tip: invest in Lego themes you also like, in the worst case you will remain with those sets.
I agree. It’s a bad idea. There is always risk of the bottom falling out from under investors.
So many people trying to invest will end up unloading their inventory for cheap.
Never pay retail either.
I purchased a brand new sealed UCS AT-AT for $600, when it retails for $850.
Purchased a UCS Landspeeder new sealed for $120, when it retails for $240.
Sure, these aren’t everyday deals…but they’re out there. And the hunt makes it fun.
Thanks for sharing. Hunting for sets at a discount to sell on later at either retail pricing or above is certainly a sound strategy. I hope it all works out for you!
This is one of the best lego videos period. Subscribed
Renato, thank you so much! Your comment has made my day! ...I have several mod and Lego build type videos planned next. But given how well this video has been received I will make other similar videos in the future on other topics related to our hobby. I have a few ideas already. Thanks for the sub too!
I sooooo need3d this video right now. I get sucked into hype sometimes and the lego resale hype is high right now. Much much appreciated!!
No problem at all! I'm glad the video gave you some things to think about!
@@CraftedBricks yes for sure.. i was getting so wrapped up in it. Its really making think a biiit more critically and less irrationally 😅
I bought a ton of sets i never built and they sit in a stack on my floor. They are worth a ton now. It blows my mind. I bought all the LOTR ring sets years ago. They sold terribly and i picked up so many in the discount section of Walmart. Now they are worth a TON. Nothing i did was planned. Just ended up that way.
Blows my mind what legos are worth. Its just plastic lol.
It sounds like you had a lucky break and windfall! Well done and I'm glad you've been to make some healthy profits. It is amazing how much some people are willing to pay for plastic toys, Lego, collectible SW toys, etc!
One of the best categories for the investments in Lego are the limited edition trains, like Emerald Night, Maersk Train or Santa Fe series. It's a huge Lego train fan base and most of them are willing to pay a premium price for them.
Yes I think some of the specialised Train sets can make for good investments. Nice tip!
So far my tastes have been pretty spot on with their worth later on in years. Just makes me regret not getting multiple sets but at the same time I don't want to sell my sets at all(I did in 2017 when I was down bad for money and regret it all). I do trade in some surprises that I have to rebuild when they become a ton of money later on(since I pieced them out originally). Ninjago Dawn of Iron Doom, bought two for $10 each as an example. It's just nice knowing my hobby isn't fruitless when times get tough. I only buy what I like not what I think a set is gonna be down the line. So far so good.
That all sounds very good Squaresided - and I agree it's nice to know that our Lego purchases at least hold their value overtime and can be a fallback if we need to sell some for extra funds.
So whats your current set tips? 😁
Bit late to the party but my dad runs a Bricklink store where he partouts sets and then sells the parts individually, as that brings up way more than waiting 5 years and selling the set. All of the profit can be used for our own Lego project, so it's really just an investment. He's very busy with it tho and it's definitely not something you can live off on your own, and he's slowly starting to realise it's maybe a bit too much haha
Great comment! ...I always think that BrickLink sellers like your Dad are the un-sung heroes of the Lego MOC/custom model community. Much what we build and do would not be possible with out people who work hard to find, sort, sell and pack Lego parts, I've no doubt that as you indicate it is a LOT of work! Good to know it is profitable though despite the effort commitment.
I am sorry but I do not agree with this idea of not investing in Lego. I have been collecting Lego for 10 years now and I have been investing in Lego for the last 5 1/2 to 6 years and it has been EXTREMELY profitable for me. It all depends on what sets you are buying and for what price. Lego does nothing but just increase. Some sets more than others but for the most part it increases. As for Lego raising their prices and it effecting investing, well there will always be tons of buyers that want sets after they retire and I have sold sets for triple what I paid for them 8-9 months after they retire quite often. Lego is a GREAT investment! Way better than gold. The prices and market for gold go up and down too much. Lego sets will always increase in value if you hold them long enough and buyers will always want them due to the rarity of them once they retire. Everyone is free to have their own opinion and listen to whoever they want but for me, Lego is a gold mine!
No problem at all Jay - I'm pumped to hear Lego investing is working out for you! If you read through the comments you'll see that there are people who've had the exact opposite experience to you or have come to the same conclusion that I have. ...so I think the effectiveness of investing in Lego is going to be situational, and vary from person to person. Which is actually why I presented points for consideration in the video on both: why I think investing / buying & selling Lego is not a good idea AND tips to help people investing in Lego if they choose to. My personal experience is that I have been successful with making money from buying and selling Lego - but I feel it's less profitable now, more of a hassle than it's worth and I think there are more liquid and better options to invest in versus Lego sets. But as you say everyone is free to have their own opinion and will come to different conclusions. So thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience with Lego investing!
The problem is 5 years ago not many people were doing it now there is way too many people buying a ton of Lego and filling up the space room at there home.
Sold my UCS Slave 1 for $500. Sold my Tantive IV 1st gen for $340. Sold the 4x4 Crawler for $450 (used). So far, I am hitting the mark on which sets are hot items. I will always buy at less than MSRP, if possible (for LEGO investing). I sold a few discontinued MegaBloks Call of Duty sets too, and received quite a bit of money (used and new).
Oh yes you can still make money from investing in Lego and it sounds like you've made some good choices & profits! 👌
I don’t buy extra sets to make a profit so much as to make enough to help pay for the sets I really want to keep. It’s a lower bar to meet. And gifts with purchase really help to this end.
Hi Hector - that sounds good! And I agree selling off those gift-with-purchase sets to offset some of the cost of buying the sets you want for yourself is a good strategy. I do the same thing. Thanks for sharing!
Im investing in a quite a few sealed lego sets but, I'd rather invest more in certain minifigures. I'm investing in about 20 sealed star wars and batman sets just bought them recently because these ones are going to retire before or at the end of 2022. I don't really want to go broke off buying lego so I watch how I am spending.
Lxcas it sounds like you are someone with a plan! And getting those sets close to retirement sounds like the way to go to be able to sell them sooner than later with a mark-up. I know what you mean about over-spending on Lego, I was like that when I first started investing in Lego. You'll be ok though, when you need spare funds you can always liquidate part of your holdings. It's what I did from time to time. All the best! Simon
Hi Simon, you’ve made some great points here and hit the nail on the head when you mentioned buying the right sets. There’s also the competition you’re going to face as more people do seem to be buying investment sets these days. I personally don’t buy investment sets but do occasionally sell some due to a change of heart with the ones I bought with the intention to build. I think you have to be a Lego collector or investor as with the point you made being a collector will sway your opinion on what you think other people will like in the future.
Thanks Simon and I'm glad you found the video interesting and could think about your own journey with buying and selling sets. To one of your points - the good thing about buying Lego is that most sets (not all) seem to at least hold their value so if you do have a change of heart and no longer want a set, as long as you've kept it sealed and new, you can sell it on to reclaim your purchase funds. I've done this myself many times and it sounds like you have too. All the best! Simon
Great video with good arguments against investing. I will say there are a few exceptions to your points that I’ve experienced as an investor. I also feel that there one major factor was not discussed. To my first point. When a new Lego set is released and does sell out, that window of time when it isn’t available can be extremely advantageous. As an example, when a new Speed Champions set is released and is highly anticipated, it will typically sell out fast and be put on a 30-60 day backorder. During this time, there will be a lot of people who missed the initial release and were waiting for that set. In my experience I’ve been able to sell every set I was able acquire fairly easily during that backorder period. As long as you are not gouging prices, people will pay that premium rather than wait. I typically can sell as many as I can get my hands on within 24-48 hours of posting it for that 1-2 month period. So even though it is a small set, if you sell say 25 of them with a 25-50% ROI, that’s a tidy profit. My second observation …the time of year when to sell is extremely important. I will agree that recently the influx of quantity of product has changed the resale market. It wasn’t long ago that during the holidays you would find every single set sold out online for over a month. Still, that time of year can be extremely profitable if you plan for it…Happy to see Voltron representing, wish I had bought more at the time. Well done.
Hi Jason, what a well-crafted, sensible and well worded comment! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with buying and reselling Lego. It sounds like you have several tactics that are working well for you and it will be interesting I'm sure for others to read your comment. I wish you all the best and for continued success! Cheers, Simon
If you buy to sell, the tax man knows. EBay will hand over your details so you better declare!
#6 Buy soon to be retired sets, even if price will be bit higher than year prior, you end up with much shorter turnover, buying set on release and freez money for 3 years before retiring is not a good idea when you could turn this money two times giving you better value over time.
Great video, i think every new investor should watch it and answer those points themselves. I any of it are problem for you, dont bother. I know im ready for the ups and downs, and want to continue this road :)
Now that's a good a good tip Areios, and when combined with seeking the investment set for a discounted price, which tends to happen when the product is in it's late cycle, then that could be a good strategy.
And your last point is what I had in mind for this video, i.e. to present both why I personally think investing in Lego is a bad idea (now) and then tips on how to improve your success with it if you choose to be in the game. It's up to each person to make the decision on whether investing in Lego is a good venture or not go given their personal circumstances. It sounds like it is working out for you, which I'm pleased to hear!
Solid video. I am now rediscovering all my old childhood Lego sets from my attic and finding they have increased massively in value, so am considering getting into LEGO investing more seriously. This video raised some good points. It seems to me that Lego Star Wars is generally a solid investment due to the enduring popularity of the franchise. Some sets that I purchased for around $5 as a child are now worth upwards of $50, even second hand! Being able to hold for the medium - longer term seems to be key.
Great comment! I hope you are holding onto and not selling your childhood Lego! Those sets will have huge sentimental value and you should keep them. As for investing in new sets to hold, yes Star Wars seems to be an ever popular theme, I'd go with the UCS sets a safe option versus smaller sets, but of course up to you. All the best with your Lego investing venture and have a superb weekend!
Reason 3 hits so hard. I'm trying to off load some sets I don't want anymore for less than anywhere they can be found online, and people are still trying to get a 50% discount on top of that.
I've been there too, it sucks! I hope you are able to recover at least some of your funds to save.
I never buy a set with the intention to sell later. I have bought hundreds of older "rare" sets at retail or less than retail cost. Why would I use space to store sets for zero profit? I do have a ton of duplicate sets that I bought on discount or on purpose as I felt they were a great value, I've checked if they would be worth it to sell but it just doesn't make any sense. I'm better off to just dump the parts into my collection rather than sell on ebay and have to pay fees and possibly shipping as well. Heck I'd give them away before I did that!
Now you sound like a 'true' Lego enthusiast - only buying what you want to build and/or use for parts for custom builds and mods. I love it! All the best to you with your Lego builds and projects this year!
Ive only been buying sets that I like (ex. 2 of the new AT-TEs) so that if they dont skyrocket, im not out a bunch of money because theyre sets I can use. I also only plan on buying sets to resell for a little bit more money down the road so that I can reuse that money to buy lego sets from when I was a kid back in the early 2000's.
That sounds like a good strategy, especially as they are sets you can use in the future for parts if they don't sell. I used to follow a similar approach but I'm out of the Lego investing game now and focus more on buying parts for custom builds and MOCs. Thanks for sharing and have a superb weekend! : )
Depends on an individuals commitment.
The biggest obstacle is storage.
Yes that's true - each persons commitment and focus to investing will determine their success with it or not. + the circumstances that are unique to their country. I suspect it may be easier to buy and sell Lego (at a premium) in some countries versus others. Storage of those investment sets is certainly onerous. All the best to you Lee!
Yeah there are definitely too many sets being released every year and also many rereleases for example the Disney castle which got remade or many other sets . And also too many people investing in helmets or others sets and the market is too saturated so idk which set I will invest in maybe some ucs which are always safe picks (if they don’t get remake )
A well reasoned comment, thanks for sharing. Although I published this video quite a while back I still think some of the points I made, like you said to about the market being over-saturated hold true. So many other better things to invest in versus Lego. Have a superb week ahead!
@@CraftedBricks thanks yeah I was thinking about investing but I don’t see many sets with potential and without many people who bought them as an investment.
Thanks for the video mate. I own an absolute carp-load of lego, so I find your video very disturbing / jarring / troubling. But it is thought provoking, and probably the reality check I needed. My wife will be thrilled with your video since it might help me reduce my lego activities.
I have many points to make regarding the pros/cons of purchasing lego for profit, but one negative point I want to make which doesn’t get much attention is the environmental ethics. And I have struggled with this for many years, but choose to ignore for some stupid reason…
Lego is made out of plastic. Increasing its demand is a bad idea; the environment does not win in any way.
More importantly, people (like me) posting boxes of lego around the country/world to each other, only for them to hold and store, and then sell and post to someone else, does not help the environment. This process has some purpose if someone actually opens up a box and enjoys the lego, with minimal postage involved. But a box of lego that simply circulates the planet for a bunch of idiot investors like me to make a potential profit is a waste of resources.
I really struggle with this point.
Lego is bulky. There are many better ways of investing your money which don’t have such a negative impact on the wellbeing of our planet.
What a superb and well crafted comment. Thank you for sharing your thoughts JK! I'm glad I was able to share some ideas with you that may give you pause for thought and think through maybe adjusting your Lego investing patterns. It is a 'sticky' thing to let go of, I know I struggled to completely stop buying sets to invest in. But I've had much more and easier success with investing in other things like ETF's on the stock market.
As for your thoughts on investing in Lego being bad for / not helping the environment. That's a very novel but on point thought. I think with the world progressing as it is we all need to think about ways to be less of an impost on the Environment. Even our small actions can make a difference, you've given me something to think over today, thank you!
i know someone who invested in lego sets around the late 80s till late 1990, i remember seeing a photo of a shelf with about 10 copies of the 6990 futuron monorail alopng 5 copied of 6990 message intercept base.
thats over 35k profit just for these...
Oh yeah there will always be cases of people getting lucky and investing in/buying the right toys or collectables in the past and being able to sell then at hefty profit. My video/case is for now. It's of course not impossible, just harder in the current climate, and there are better things to invest in versus Lego. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the great video.. well set out and presented 👍.. it definitely lowered my expectations on what is realistic before getting in lego investing.. what do you think about the idea of buying mid range sets from popular themes like Star wars and for longterm investing (10 to 20+ years)? Ive been thinking about doing this on a small scale, but its difficult to to find current examples or 'vintage' new in box lego set to analyse the prices..
No problem at all, I'm glad the advice and ideas gave you food for thought. As to your question, I would not recommend in investing in mid-sized sets from Star Wars, we see too many re-releases and over the 10+ year timeframe you'll likely be stuck with old sets no one wants anymore. If you are thinking of investing I think invest in some of those niche pop-culture popular sets could be an option, I'm thinking the Back to The Future Time Machine, Optimus Prime, etc. But I feel odd giving advice on what to invest in these days as I'm not into investing in Lego anymore.
@@CraftedBricks thanks for the info and quick reply👍 ye I think the risk of re releasing of sets makes this a no go for me so I might look for something else. And I appreciate that giving investment advice is dodgey haha
I have come to the same conclusion so instead I am a reseller who now buy new and used lego to sell as parts. In the past I used to flip , buy cheap and sell on ebay. I still do that but it's even more money in parts. But it takes time and effort.
Ah excellent, you must now be a BrickLink parts seller. I salute you! BrickLink sellers are so important to sustain and enable our Lego enthusiast community. Without people like you we could not order parts for our MOCs and custom builds. Keep up the good work!
Very good video the problem is Lego is rating prices to the point where people can’t afford new sets and the global economic situation is making it difficult to sell
Thank you Tony! And yes you make a good point. Both the increase in pricing of Lego sets + the current situation with rising cost of living / rampant inflation means it's more difficult to afford even current sets, let alone discontinued sets priced at a premium.
Interesting points. You assume from the outset that investors buy at retail price. Ideally you buy at discount. And even, better at clearance price. Not everything gets discounted of course.
Variety is actually a double edged sword. It means not all bets will pay off. Just like how the stock market plays out. You have to try and pick the winners. If you don’t like risk, then Investing in general is not for you.
Selling Lego for profit is not difficult. See top point. The difficulty is that people think you will earn millions. Or that prices will only ever go up and never hit a plateau or go down.
Hi Krispy - did you see my 'investing tips' at the back 3rd of the video? Tip #5 was exactly that, wait for a sale to buy Lego sets to invest in! And yes you make a good point, diversifying the sets to invest in - like you do if you were investing in stocks or other assets - is certainly the way to go. Some will result in good profits, others neutral, and some at a loss. The video was intended to provide a balanced view on Lego investing and points to consider for people. I'm glad it is working out for you though, keep it up!
Casual seller here (sold 13 sets in the last year). I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. If I may I would add a few more points. For buyers: Potential loss due to a scammer or transport damage which can lead to a resale price loss. For sellers: Packing boxes and negotiating selling prices is quite a boring job. You might want to do something more challenging in your life. If you like boring jobs, then there are tons of them out there that pay perfectly fine and offer way more security and benefits.
Those are very valid points! I really relate to it being a chore to negotiate prices, pack sets and take them to the post office, contact the buyer with shipping details etc. It can be laborious and if you boost that up with multiple sales/sets is very time consuming. That is of course just part of the buying & selling process (for any goods) but as you say there are better and other options out there for making income.
Good video and solid points. During Covid plenty of people where getting into the game and making easy money. The market has changed now and people are struggling to flip their titanic’s and back to the future cars for profit like they used to.
Thanks Garryn, and you make a good point about things being different during Covid. With all those lockdowns most people, myself included, were buying a lot more things online, so selling investment Lego sets was certainly easier and more profitable. Things have definitely changed now though (as you say) and I think profiting from Lego investing will become harder. Not impossible just harder. Have a great day!
both sets are not EOL how should you be able to sell those at a profit? If you expected that, you did everything wrong
Great video, thank you much! As a parent, who buys occasionally sets for my kids and thought about start investing in it, couldn't agree more, specially in #1 and #3. Recently, the choice is so huge, so there is no reason to buy old set for increased price, but just to scoop a new set for discount. Each themes have unlimited varieties to choose from. As per buying from someone - yes, I realize that the person want to get a profit and i respect this, but I want to get a deal. So I polite way usually offer my price, and if there is no agreement - simply moving on to other seller who will be more flexible...
Great comments - thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts on this topic AK. And your experience when buying says it all, people these days (I've found) are not willing to pay trumped up prices for retired Lego sets. Some mark up sure, but not huge increases to original retail pricing. All the best to you!
@@CraftedBricks Thank you much. Good luck with investments and future builds!
Yeah as a Lego enthusiast, I hated the fact Lego retired the castle and Ninja themes only to be replaced with sci-fi Bullcrap like Ninjago or Nextgo. But then I realized, eh these Ninjago mech's are cool enough, I'm curious to see how one of these things comes together..so I make the purchase. Oh look, turns out, Ninjago nowadays is pretty freaking sweet, oh look the best Ninjago sets ever IMO are ones I can go out and buy RIGHT NOW. I'm satisfied with what I own and have 0 interest in buying older Ninjago legacy sets...Why do that when I can buy from the NINJAGO LEGACY line which is based off original sets but are far better looking and are sold in stores right now🤣
My Ninjago 2042 city is looking pretty epic though! Aren't all you investors out there thrilled that Im happy?
I sometimes get asked by ebay time wasters -"What's the lowest price you'll accept for this item?" My reply - "What's the highest price you'll pay?" Stops the conversation pretty quickly. Just chanced upon your channel - quality video.
Hi Matt - that is a brilliant response! (and made me laugh!) ...I'm going to use that one for sure. I'm still in the process of offloading my remaining investment sets. Thanks for sharing!
Junk wax era for all new modern collectables
Purchased a new in sealed bag chrome darth vader fig for 120 and sold it a month later for 375…just to find another one for 100. Depends on what exactly you’re investing in regarding theme, age, and condition
That's a good sale and healthy profit, well done! I'm always amazed at what some people will pay for Minifigures. And yes investing in Lego (sets or minifigs) really does require thinking and knowledge on exactly what items make for good investments. Thanks for sharing!
I'm just going to buy the sets I want to build for myself because I like them or the IP, and hey, if they go up in value great, if not, i still get enjoyment
That sounds like a very healthy approach to Lego collecting!
Lego used to be bought for the fun of playing with it, not hoping it would "Hold it's value"...new world!
Certainly different times these days! I feel like 'investing' in Lego has really exploded to become a 'thing' over the last decade. But it's getting to be highly oversaturated with the secondary market absolutely flooded with people trying to sell their sets to profit.
I think I want to start investing in Lego. I've found some sets that seem good that are on sale. How many sets do you think is a good amount to start with?
Hi grasswithflowers2991 - that's a hard question to answer, it really is up to you on how much you want to spend. If you are starting out I wouldn't be buying more than 2 of each type of set that you have your eye on. You are also doing the right thing and buying sets on sale - that's going to give you a buffer when you come to sell them later on. All the best with it!
More money for me, cheers!
Ayoo this is crazy but I received some gifts from you yesterday from a whatnot stream! Thanks so much! It was a Robert stream!
Another key tip is if the source material is flopping, the merchandise will flop too. The flash bombed at the box office which explains is why they are trying to retire the batcave so fast. Sorceror sanctum is getting retired fast since recent mcu movies like ant man 3, marvels are bombing. So not exactly huge demand for the merch. Plus lego has to pay licensing fees which affect their bottom line
That's an interesting take on things, thanks for sharing that insight. I think may definitely factor into how much demand there is for certain sets, adding to the risk that some retired sets may be difficult to sell, or at least difficult to make a profit on.
Reason 8: You can't liquidate it quickly if you really need the money. I just try to get rid of my collection of movie posters and merchs and this is a serious problem. Even if there is a large collector market left it takes time to find customers for the specific set (and unless you go very cheap they also prefer to wait for you or others go lower).
And Reason 9: It's for poor people. Investing more then in $100,000 is only possible if you build an additional storage room.
Some solid points there, thank you for sharing. I fully agree with you on the it being an investment that's not quick or easy to liquidate. There are far better investment options out there that's for sure. Have a superb week ahead!
I now have invested in Lego and have a good selection that I think will do well. I realised it’s a great investment when I wanted the Saturn 5 retail £105 but I really wanted it so paid £175 for it. I don’t regret it except it did get re released. Definitely demand if the set is right.
Sounds good Paul I wish you success with it and for continued wise choices with sets to invest in!
A great video with good points. For me investing is not something to get rich of: it's a bit of a sport, with the ultimate goal to have my lego hobby fund itself. How cool is it if all the lego I want is paid for by the profit from the sets I sell. I'm not there yet, but slowly creeping towards this goal.
I also have the mentality that if a set is not doing well, I always still have the lego in it. I can part it out and build something myself if it does not do well.
I think quite a few people see those promises that it does better than gold, and expect that this is a get money quick scheme. But just like with other markets, you have to know the product you invest in to have a chance of making a profit. Not every set is a goldmine.
What a well constructed comment, thanks for posting up your thoughts and experiences with Lego investing!
Your comment on 'needing to know the product you invest in' (to be successful) is very much on-point. I think you have to be very knowledgeable and selective with what you choose to buy to invest in. It sounds obvious but as I'm sure you know well from experience selecting the right sets to invest in and what to ignore is harder to do in practice.
To me as a 22 years old, who grew up with most of the subthemes such as Ultra Agent, Agents, Pharaoh's Quest, and one licensed Theme (DC Comics) and still is collecting it, and in a process of making builds of My own... LEGO is not a jewel, but a Toy for Kids starting from the age of 0-4 years old, not 30 years old, as WOODY would say... Yes I named some of important themes that has been part of my teen years, but ever since the success of THE LEGO MOVIE, it made this company a Jewel Company, targeting ADULTS, just let's face it.
Some interesting thoughts there, thanks for sharing. I think when you rediscover Lego as an Adult it becomes and means something else. For me now I think Lego is an amazing 'creative medium' where I can craft anything I set my mind to and that's something really special.
I feel as the better sets to invest in would be creator expert and technic scale cars.
I definitely agree - the large Technic sets and Creator Expert vehicles are good Lego investment options!
I think a lot of people posting about their investing in Legos are just trying to brag and they don't really have what they say. Aside from that you can still make a lot as long as you don't try to do what everyone else is minus a few sets such as Sesame.
Maybe so Nathan! This topic certainly has had very mixed views and responses. And I think you are right, you can make money with investing in Lego if you put in the time and effort. From my own experience I've been successful with it - but it's time to stop now. I think there are better things that are less onerous to invest in. But each to their own! Thanks for sharing.
@@CraftedBricks I would also suggest diversify since it you can make up for mistakes easier that way.
Thank you for the time, effort, and information you put into this video! I am an adult Lego fan experiencing a new wave of Lego craze from my childhood days. I recently became interested in the resale market and have been looking for solid advice. After watching your video, I believe that my investment in Lego will be smaller than planned. It is not something that I aim to make a lot of money at, but rather my goal is to facilitate my own hobby. Thanks again and I look forward to watching your other videos.
Hi there - I'm glad my video gave you pause for thought! I think investing in Lego can still work, if you are careful and don't overdo it. Stick to mid-large sized sets that have high pop-culture appeal and are popular sets, the Back to the future Delorean is a good example of this. But of course use your own judgment to pick the sets. Although I do I like to read everyone's comments on the video, respond and encourage, I can't help but feel worried as I know for me, I'm out! Selling Lego sets at a premium I'm noticing is becoming harder and there are a LOT of people jumping into this and flooding the secondary market. I feel like investing in say exchange traded funds or other investment options is far easier than investing in Lego - but each to their own. All the best and good luck!
@@CraftedBricks Thank you very much for the reply. Yes, I will buy a small number of the sets you recommend. I've enjoyed just researching and learning about it. I hesitate to call it investing at this point as in my research so far, I've noticed a HUGE amount of competition and unpredictability. I plan on initially spending a few thousand and reselling shortly after retirement or thereabouts. I'm just looking for enough to cover buying my own sets. I actually buy used sets as I like to display mine. Thanks again. It's rare that someone replies to all the comments!
Create price alerts for the sets you want. Especially new sets and set it to about 20 percent off. Often comes that the best price is somewhere during the middle of it's lifetime. Almost any set goes down by 30 percent at some point, technic sets easily by 40, bought some friends set at 50. You have to understand that at a certain point the price can't go any lower before it gets shady business somehow. If you are too close to end of life you might see prices already rising again or already out of stock. For me I care less how long I have to hold it, more important is what I paid for.
As per the old age adage: 'buy low sell high' ...and you are in the green. It sounds like you have a solid and well thought through Lego investing approach. I wish you all the best with it and for healthy profits. : )
But buying large lego sets is a lot riskier than buying smaller ones. As you said people might not want to pay so much for a set or maybe you get scammed on ebay. And ebay usually sides with the buyer even for example if they stole all the mini figures out of the set
Yes I've read some sad stories, on some of the Lego Facebook groups that I'm part of, of people being scammed with eBay Lego set purchases. Not good.
Good video. I'd caveat the "don't invest in small sets" tip, as it depends on the theme. Some Architecture sets go for good money once they're discontinued. Same with some of the helmet/cowl sets like the Tie Fighter.
Hi Ravens Thorne - that's a very fair point. Some particular popular themes can do well as investments - I feel the SW helmet sets in particular will do well over time. Thanks for sharing and all the best!
Yep, nothing wrong with 'small sets'. They make up the 'guts' of the industry. Not everyone can afford the higher end sets at retail let alone 5 years into retirement at retail +100%.... BUT....most people can afford the smaller set at retail and aren't as likely to baulk at the prospect of paying double or triple years down the track if they really want it.
What do you think about investing in the new galaxy explorer?
Hi Torah, yes I think that set would make for a solid investment choice. Particularly if you can pick some up on sale. I built my copy of the set and I really like it, it's well designed and looks superb on display.
Tysm I’m glad I didn’t try to invest I. Lego even though it’s so popular it not worth the amount of effort it takes to even make a small amount on a single set. I still love Lego I’m I’m glad I won’t have to safe extra to invest and can just have fun building and playing with my Lego sets.
That's a positive and healthy outlook on the hobby Snublefoot!
I only buy the ucs sets/other sets that i want and store them cuz i dont have space to build em yet :/
Dont wanna buy retired sets on the 2nd market.
Spot on! I do a similar thing with the Modular building sets, I've only built one of the many I own. But better to buy them when they are available versus later at a premium. Thanks for sharing.
Atleast Lego keep there products on the shelf a few year so u can save up. Unlike other brands that rotates 4 times a year *cough! Card collecting,cough!!* 😂
I buy the sets that get reduced pricing at the Lego brand stores and sets with rare characters or pieces. I’ve purchased a bunch of reduced $97 USD The Hobbit: The Lonely Mountain, as the Smaug figure (still one of the largest Lego characters with the least pieces) is the highlight of the set. And it’s a set that potentially would have a larger gap in time before a reissue. I’m planning on holding onto them and selling most of them only until a re-release of the theme is rumored to re-emerge the next year.
An excellent comment thank you for sharing and I wish you success with selling your Hobbit themed sets! Interesting to read in your comment that Lego may be re-releasing some LoTR sets. : )
Thank you. Your video is very informative for someone like myself that has only been going about investing for 6 months. Did you ever use Amazon as your selling platform or just eBay and BrickLink?
Hi Steven, I'm glad you found the video to be helpful and informative. I used to sell on BrickLink, eBay, Facebook marketplace and a local classifieds we have here in Australia called Gumtree. I never sold on amazon, the fees are very high! ~12% for toys like Lego and I feel, but could be wrong, Amazon is better suited to businesses and people selling high volumes of products. Best wishes for your investing journey. Cheers, Simon
@@CraftedBricks Thanks for getting back to me. I agree that Amazon gets a significant cut, and you must sell high volumes to make a good return. I have owned an e-commerce company for 13 years now. Over the past 5 years, on-site sales have decreased yearly, but at the same time, our Walmart and Amazon platform sales have grown. I don't like It because the return could be better, but it just shows how retail sales markets are changing. I'm in a different market than toys/collectibles and have been trying to get what feedback I could before starting a second Amazon store.
Majority of my collection and buying / selling is Pokémon (TCG) I have a sealed Lego collection. Mostly vintage castle sets I love and want in my collection long term. Seeing the proliferation of TH-camrs “investing” in sealed Lego seems doomed to fail for all the reasons you mentioned, when the market becomes saturated there will be a flood of horders exiting. Not every set is special and should command a premium. Very bizarre, at least with TCG, they are “collectible” in the sense sealed product to get the cards is finite and they are easy to ship.
A well worded and thought through comment, thanks for sharing. And I like the utility of your Pokemon card investing, much easier to ship that sort of collectable as you say. The more time that goes on, and it's been a while since I published this video, the more I still think using Lego as a pure investment and profit mechanism is a bad idea, there are so many more liquid and better/ more sensible things to invest in. + Lego is becoming extremely expensive with price hikes and larger and more complex sets being common. So people's willingness to pay a premium on Lego that is already expensive is low.
This is a really well done video, great job! This should have more views lol. I personally am currently just a Bricklink seller that sells parts and Minifigures, and I haven’t gotten too much into the investment side of things due to space constraints and me not being able to wait for a set to go up in value 😂
Thanks for commenting Shroo26! I'm actually pretty happy with the views, and I think this vid will continue to get more views as it's a solid topic and I'm happy with how the video flowed. Good engagement on this means that in the future I will tackle a few other topics that I have in mind. + well done on being a BrickLink seller. As a MOC builder and modder I can't stress enough how important BrickLink is and it's sellers like you who make it possible for people like me to design and build custom models and mods. Keep up the good work!
To much Over production. Old toys were thrown away or broken. New stuff is saved by old men in there closest. Not very rare.
Interesting take on this, thanks for sharing!
👍🏽Excellent video, I’m happy that the TH-cam algorithm sent this my way. Question: when do you think investing in LEGO became a thing? My guess would be around 1999 and up since that was when TLG acquired the SW license (which contributed greatly to their comeback and popularity).
That is an interesting question! I think yes TLG producing Star Wars sets, particularly the UCS line of sets was a catalyst for investing in Lego becoming a 'thing'. But also the development and popularity of channels available to regular people to be able to sell retired Lego sets like BrickLink (started 2000), eBay of course (started 1995?) and then other local online classified type sites. I come out of the Dark Ages in 2014 and I remember seeing crazy prices for all of those UCS sets, there was definitely an appetite for paying really high $values for those sets at the time. Which I think Lego cottoned onto, hence what we've seen in the last 5-6 years with them re-releasing most of the UCS line of models. While a bad thing for investors, is a good thing for regular Lego hobbyists that can access those sets at normal affordable price!
I resell here and there, but the most annoying are people asking for lower prices. Not even that, but insultingly low offers. I think it is especially prevalent right now because of the economy. They don’t want to pay market value and they prey on people they think need the money. I want to tell these people sometimes if they want lower go try and find it somewhere else. I do only buy sets now on discount late in their cycle, just because when they retire I can typically get RRP for a used set. I’m not into storing sets to sell later, but if I get tired of a set most times I can get at least what I paid for it back.
Oh yes I hear you - I experience that a lot and it does get very frustrating. Especially the ridiculously low-ball offers where they say things like 'this is my final offer', as if that's supposed to prompt me to accept it! Re buying sets when they are discounted it's becoming pretty much mandatory I think to be successful in this game. Thanks for sharing and I wish you all the best with your Lego reselling!
Great tips and good advice! Definitely worth thinking twice about!
Even more so with the current 'cost of living' crisis, people have far less money to spend on toys and luxury items.
With walmarts crazy sales and finding $30 sets at $10 and $40+ sets at $20 at my LGS, how can I not invest.
I was looking for a video on super mario lego investing but found this and I enjoyed it very much. Subbed.
Hi CS, thanks for commenting and subscribing, much appreciated! It sounds like you guys in the US are getting some great Lego bargains at the moment!
I think you hit the nail on the head with your 6th point. Selling Lego is not easy. Just because someone else sold something for a certain price does not mean you will also be able to get that price. It takes time to establish a reputation to get maximum value out of your investment Lego. In your second point you committed a cardinal sin when it comes to investing. If you bought a set for $2000, how long did you think it would take to rise in price to $3000 or $4000? Even if the new snowspeeder was not released it seems unlikely to get a 50% or 100% roi in a reasonable amount of time. I agree with your comment about not investing in small sets, but disagree what you consider a small set to be. I think $50-$200 is a great price range to invest in medium to large sets. Good video.
Hi Glenn, thanks for sharing your thoughts. All ok. I wonder if you read my pinned comment however? The UCS Snow Speeder was a purchase ~8 years back and things in the investing space were very different then. For example the UCS Millennium Falcon was going for $5000 at that time! The point I was actually trying to make was that Lego often supersede sets (particularly in the UCS line) and this may impact your ability to sell some sets at a premium, or at all. I wonder for example how many people are trying to desperately sell off their Red 5 UCS X-wing set (from 2013) at the moment given the new one is coming out in May. My mistake was actually including my example in the video, it seemed to really trip people up! Anyway all good and I wish you success with your Lego investing endeavors. Cheers, Simon
@@CraftedBricks It was a bit different a few years ago, I would agree. When Lego revamped the ucs mf and snowspeeder, it signaled their intention to remake UCS sets. I think your example is a great cautionary tale of buying a Lego set and putting it away for 10-15 years .
I only invest in the sets I like.
Sounds good Arachnid-Man, I used to follow the same approach. But just a word of caution, sometimes just because you or I like a set doesn't mean it is a good investment choice. We may like it, but others or the general Lego community may not and then it may be hard to sell. Just some food for thought. Good luck!
@CraftedBricks good luck to you to!
Really great video. I like your tip on investing in lines with a series/collection. The Tie Fighter helmet is a great example (helmet, limited supply).
Thanks dfuller81 - and I think you are right the SW Helmet sets could make for decent investment sets! I personally am out and will no longer be investing in Lego, but I wish you all the best with it!
@@CraftedBricks Are you investing in something else ?
@@skeletoncreek6446 - yes, these days I invest in Exchange Traded Funds like those offered by Vanguard. 🙂
@@CraftedBricks interesting, I wanted to learn more about ETF but never had the time or Money (I'm still at university)
Can you suggest an app to use for investing and/or a place to learn about them?
@@skeletoncreek6446 - I can't give you specific investment or financial advice for obvious reasons! But if you are interested in learning more about investing in funds the Vanguard website is very good and has a wealth of information about investing.
I can't do it anyway. At least not with anything that actually interests me. I like building way too much to trust myself around a bunch of unopened sets.
Brett - you are on the right track! Lego is best suited to build and enjoy versus hoarding and investing in. But I appreciate, and I've certainly done it, that there's also a space for people who want to keep, store and resell a collectible toy like Lego for profit. All the best to you!
Came across your video and was wondering if you recommend that I buy the Lego Creator Lion Castle set as an investment as Creator sets I've seen tend to get retired and go up in price over time?
Hi there - I think if you can get the Lion Knights Castle on sale or even a discount with VIP points, then yes you'd definitely be able to sell that set at a premium when it retires. That's a popular set and kicks in the nostalgia for 'castle themed Lego'. All the best with it! Cheers, Simon
@@CraftedBricks Thanks Simon, probley going to stay away from that set and target sets like assembly square which is set to retire soon. But I am also wondering if you can do a video on Brickheadz, Brickheadz usually do well depending on character but the Disney 100th anniversary, should we invest at a $40 tag.
It sounds like you have things well in hand! I can't recommend further sets to you to invest in as I'm personally stopping investing in Lego; as overall I don't think it's a long term good idea (hence my video!). As for Brickheadz I've never bought one! So won't be able to make videos on them, sorry about that!
One thing that doesn't become apparent until you start a YT channel is just how much work and hours you have to put into each video. It's really surprising and at times crazy. And as I still have my regular day job I have to be careful to only use the limited time I have at nights and on weekends to work on select videos. I just wanted to share that with you for context. All the best and again thanks for commenting. : )
The problem is lego now keep the sets out for to long which has devalued the set also has you say the price is going up I now only collect a few sets.
Yes that's a valid concern for sure! ...and I'm still stunned at how many sets Lego are releasing now, there's always something good on offer, it's becoming a bit overwhelming!
you are telling me that after i have spend more then €150 on closed boxes these 3 months ;)
regardless, thank you for making this video, it is extremely helpful and i have learned i did everything wrong over the last months haha
Hi Edward - oh don't worry we all make Lego investing mistakes! I revealed my BIG mistake/disaster in the video, they happen to everyone. I've both lost and made money from investing in Lego, but as I mentioned I'm out, it's finally time to stop! That said, I hope the tips I mentioned in the video help you for the future if you are planning to continue to invest in Lego.
@@CraftedBricks i think i am going to do the same thing as you, i will see where i will end with my current sets and probably stop, it is a lot of fun but indeed, it is not so profitable, again thanks for the video, it is extremely helpful!!!
hey crafted bricks nice video. im thinking of buying 2 copies of the a fram cabin as my first ever lego investment, its 13 percent off RRP. What do you think? cheers
Hi there, given my pitch in this video is to NOT invest in Lego I'm a bit concerned about giving you Lego investment advice. But that said given you can get these sets at less than retail, and that it is a good Ideas set, then yes picking up two of those and holding them sounds reasonable. All the best!
@@CraftedBricks they are 30 percent off now. thanks for your advice
I have started investing in lego sets when the simpsons house came out, i started watching lego investment video's late 2022. Tbh i buy sets I like and think people will want later. I invested in the steamboat willy Mickey mouse set to celebrate the 90th birthday, iff they dont bring the same set on the 100th birthday again this will be a huge profit set same as the simpsons are going.
Our local butcher gave 2 simpsons character packs per bought salami so we ate frackloads of salami for months ;) unfortunatly we opened all for the kids to play with since the simpson houses were off limit ;)
I love the fact that your local butcher was giving away Lego Simpsons character packs as a promotion top sell Salami! That's brilliant! Thanks for sharing and I wish you success with your Lego investing journey! : )
100% agree. I came to this same conclusion a while ago. Great video. You have represented my view better than anyone else on TH-cam that I have seen.
The unfortunate thing is I think the resell market is very beneficial on the balance. For example, I feel the Battle of Endor, Mill Village Raid, and Medieval Market Village, to be some of the best sets ever. I was in my dark ages though. I am glad I had the option to buy those sets, albeit at a premium. Luckily, there are not too many Star Wars sets that interested me that were still available at retail, and the Castle theme had already died. So there wasn't too much on retail shelves to compete for my money. So I was able to buy those three sets a few years ago.
Subbed :)
Edit: While I have decided to stop investing, I am considering not selling off ALL my investments because some of them will make amazing gifts for birthdays for nieces and nephews. I have a bunch of 501st battle packs that I will probably hand out as gifts in a few years. The kids would be stoked!
Thanks for your detailed comment Something Awesome! And yes I certainly agree with you, on the whole you can make money from investing in Lego. I just think (for the reasons outlined in the video) that it's more hassle than it's worth and can be harder in the current climate than people may think. + Good call on retaining a few of your sets to give away as gifts to family. I actually may do another give-away on the channel at the end of the year (not confirmed yet) but a few of the set's I've not sold I could give away :)
Interesting video. Some of the old Marvel stuff is hard to get and pretty expensive. To your point, its a part of a series and I can see why I might pay the premium.
It can certainly be an expensive exercise picking up older sets that you really want or feel some nostalgia for. We all do it - I recommend BrickLink as your go-to if you want to pick up some of those older Marvel sets - you'll find the most reasonable prices on that site. All the best!
It seams LEGO Star Wars are the sets that gain the most value. Of course that always depends on what era the set represents. The original trilogy gaining the most and Disney era not really wanted much.
Yes I'd agree with those points. I'd still steer clear of investing in Lego (as there are much better investment options out there), but if you are going to, investing in some of the large Star Wars UCS sets is a relatively safe option.
Hey Simon, here again. Your video just became more relevant today as in...the Tree House is on sale for $175 @ Amazon. This was a set I invested in just before the pandemic. This set is a poster child for not to invest. Keep up with your videos though.
Ah I see, well that's set has a long life by the looks of it. Hopefully if you are still holding them you can make a profit when they retire in the future. I'm working on a new video now! ...the issue is that it may be delayed as I'm modifying a UCS set and the work load is off the chart! I hope to have the build, instructions and photos complete and published over the weekend at least. But the video edits will take time. It's looking good though ...all will be revealed soon!
@@CraftedBricks you're the man!
It hasn’t retired yet so it will go on sale get another couple because it will make money eventually
Great video, I found it very informative and thought-provoking. Your analysis of the Lego investment market and the challenges it poses are very astute. Your seven reasons for why investing in Lego is not a good idea are especially noteworthy and your insights into the competition for people's money, the sheer volume of high-quality Lego products being produced and the mixed to average results of your own experience investing in Lego provide valuable insights for others considering this type of investment.
I'm really happy you enjoyed the video and that it gave you some food for thought. Although I recorded this video last year I'm feeling that in 2023 the points I made are still very relevant and close-to-home. The flood of new Lego sets is well on its way and I see so many people desperately trying to sell off Lego on Facebook, and many other classifieds sites. Investing in a profiting from Lego is definitely becoming harder to do successfully.
How much does nostalgia cost? We need a new cloud city!
After the re-release in 2018 of 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City, I unfortunately highly doubt Lego are going to release a 3rd version. If you missed out on the original and the re-release maybe going down the custom route could be an option for you?
Great video! I think on the small scale "investing" is ok, however it will never be a miraculous Eldorado to gain quick fortune. This applies to almost any sort of investment.
Thanks Matej - and I agree a healthy dose of skepticism when approaching any investment option and an understanding that get-rich-quick schemes are not real is always good!
The good thing with lego Investments is if it doesn't work out, you still have a set to build and have fun with. You can't really lose
I completely agree! Unless of course you have bought multiple copies of some sets, but I guess in that case you could always bust them open to use for parts. Thanks for commenting, cheers, Simon
I bough 3 of the nee Avatar sets, and I will give a try on selling them. In my country Lego retails for 2 or 3 times the US retail price so I will test the waters. My choice was based on a set that can be collectible and from a very popular franchise and Movie. I avoided the Ilu (cheapest set). Any thoughts or advice are welcome
Hello there - I think the country you live in and market (demand) for Lego can be a big factor in how successful or limited you can be with investing in Lego. Is there a healthy demand for retired Lego sets in your country? If yes then experimenting with sets from different product lines could be ok. I personally do no think the Avatar Lego sets will make for good investments as they a small sets designed for children / a young audience. And it's unlikely (but possible) that adults will pay a good premium for them in the future. Sorry if this is a bit blunt but it's better that I be honest. I agree with you though that with the 3rd movie coming at some point, maybe a few of the current sets, if discontinued may sell for a moderate gain. All the best to you and good luck!
I apreciaye your honest feedback. The retired sets are not something people will be interested in over here. These new Avatar sets are not small and I feel that adults can like them due to how posseable they are. The largest is $99 set featuring an amazing alien whale. Thank you for your advice. I am about to create the sale listings and will share the results; if they sell !!
Hi @CraftedBricks, got some news, I was able to sell the 80$ Avatar(metkayina reef) set for $136. Sets arrive so late to my country I definitely see lots of people interested on them.
@@mtbfonseca3367 Great news and it sounds like for your country and scenario you may be onto a winning strategy. I wish you all the best with it!
This is an excellent and refreshing video. Personally for me I've gone for the 4 technic supercar sets. I bought four of the range in used condition for my personal use. I will display them in cases. I also bought three of the supercars as investment. (At good prices I paid) New brand new/sealed. I will sit on these for a few years and see what happens. As you say running to the post office every 5 minutes on smaller sets isn't for me. Great channel mate and just subscribed. 👍
Thank you Wayne, much appreciated! Although I've had a mix of both positive and negative comments on this video, the solid engagement has got me thinking that next year I will tackle some other topics that are related to, or about, our Lego hobby and make some videos that are similar in style to this one. As to your investing in the 1:8 large scale Technic Super cars I think you can't go wrong there and will do well with those sets in time! All the best, Simon