Author
Ed Mack
BrickPicker Contributor
Ed has written for BrickPicker for over a decade — covering retirement signals, theme cycles, set-specific deep dives, and the analytical discipline behind serious LEGO investing. His pieces from 2013 onward form much of the historical record this blog rests on.
Posts by Ed Mack (57)
Ed's Picks: The COLLECT Roundup from Blocks Magazine
A collected retrospective of Ed's short-form "COLLECT" picks originally published in Blocks magazine between 2018-03-05 and 2019-05-05.
Holiday Season — or Buying Season?
I often use the LEGO fan forums for inspiration for article topics and the like. I read the BrickPicker and Brickset forums (and other…) every day to see what is hot and what is not in the world of LEGO.
Why LEGO Needs To Be Collectible
An excerpt from a recent September 5th article in The Guardian…
Are Modular Buildings Money Makers — or Takers?
Are Modular Buildings Money Makers...or Takers?
LEGO Collectible Minifigures: An Idea Way Ahead of Its Time
LEGO Collectible Minifigures: An idea way ahead of its time.
71040 Disney Castle: Investment Fairy Tale or Horror Show?
71040 Disney Castle: Investment Fairy Tale or Horror Show?
Comic Con LEGO Sets & Minifigures: A Con or a Coup?
BLOCKS: Article 17: Comic Con LEGO sets & minifigures...A con or coup?
A LEGO Collector's Wishlist
BLOCKS: Article 15: A LEGO Collector's Wishlist
10188 Death Star: Investment Supergiant or Black Hole?
10188 Death Star...Investment Supergiant or Black Hole?
The Spoiled LEGO Fan: Too Many Sets, Too Little Creativity?
...Do too many LEGO sets equate to lack of interest and creativity?
Minifigure Madness: The Best Themes for Collectible LEGO Minifigures
Which are the best themes for collectible LEGO minifigures?
Assault on the Ultimate Collector Series — 75098 in Focus
Assault on the Ultimate Collector Series...75098
Super Heroes or Zeroes? Analyzing LEGO Super Heroes as Investments
Several months back, I wrote about the Batman theme and how it has produced some of the best appreciating LEGO sets of all time. Sets like the 7884 Batman's Buggy: The Escape of Mr.
Are LEGO Bricks a Better Investment Than Stocks?
After the recent Telegraph article going viral all over the world stating that LEGO bricks and sets were better investments than Gold over the past few years, one has to wonder what other investment vehicles do LEGO bricks outperform.
MINIFIGURE BOOK: SITE CONTEST
Hello LEGO fans.. It’s been a little over a year since Jeff and I started working on our first book, The Ultimate Guide to Collectible LEGO Sets: Identification and Price Guide.
Go Big or Go Home! An Analysis of the Advanced Models Theme
Rumors have been circulating among the LEGO fan forums of an upcoming large Creator/Advanced Models set releasing sometime in 2016.
The Force Awakens Effect: How a Single Film Reshaped LEGO Investing
Right after the launch of the BrickPicker site, a very intelligent member (The BrickMeister...AKA Brad), mentioned we should use another type of analytical formula to track the appreciation of LEGO sets in our database.
To Build or Not to Build: The Case for Used LEGO Sets
To Build or Not to Build...That is the Question.
66535 Buildable Battle Pack 2 in 1: General Grievous & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Target "exclusives" have seem to do well over the years. Sets like the 9465 The Zombies and 9476 The Orc Forge were Target exclusives that have performed well on the LEGO secondary markets.
The LEGO Shortage: Bricks, Bans and Boon
Recently, several major news outlets have stated that there is a “looming” shortage of LEGO bricks on the horizon in some European countries.
LEGO Losers: Which Sets Are Not Valuable Collectibles?
Which LEGO Sets Are Not Valuable Collectibles…
Sealed With a Kiss: Why Breaking the Seal Means Kissing Money Goodbye
Breaking the Seals on a MISB LEGO Box Can Mean "Kissing Money Goodbye!"
Will the Bat Make Your Wallet Fat? An Analysis of LEGO Batman Sets
An Analysis of LEGO Batman Sets as Investments
Dino-Mite! Will Jurassic World Take a Bite Out of LEGO Dino Sets?
Will the new Jurassic World sets take a bite out of the exploding DINO sets?
The View From 20,000 Feet
I wanted to start a dialogue about what I think many people are missing when they discuss any myriad of topics on this and other sites and that is the view of our ‘business’ from a distance, the big picture if you will.
The Art of Cleaning LEGOs
Here's a topic we haven't seen here yet, and one that's near and dear to our heart... the Art of Cleaning LEGOs. After all, the difference between what looks clean, and what IS clean, isn't always black and white...
LEGO Layout
Ok, as some of you know I am building (or attempting to) build a HO train layout using Legos. The train set it self is not LEGO. So far I have drawn out the Star Wars section, and my mini city.
Making Money from LEGO Bricks...
People are always looking for the next hot investment. With today's volatile stock market and falling real estate prices, people are looking for someplace safe to invest their money. I'm here today to make a case for LEGOS.
Investing in Polybags/Small LEGO sets
One of the best ways to invest in LEGO is by buying polybags/small LEGO sets...To be precise seasonal/exclusive polybags and sets:
Free Shipping from LEGO S@H
I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have missed out on Free shipping from LEGO Online Shop. So many times I have said, "I will place that order tomorrow" only to see it come and go.
LEGO Chess Sets: An Investment "Checkmate"?
As I sift daily through the various LEGO forums and blogs to keep informed on the latest developments in the LEGO world, one particular phrase commonly appears in a majority of the topics...MINI FIGURES. LEGO fans love mini figures.
JABBA THE HUTT LEGO SETS: "Prized" investments or Bantha Fodder?
Jabba Desilijic Tiure...AKA...Jabba the Hutt. The biggest Alien slug this side of Tatooine. But are the LEGO sets designed around this "festering, mountainous pustule"worth anything on the LEGO secondary market?
BRICK BRATS: The Teenage LEGO Investor's Blog
A new category in our Brickvesting Blog, BRICK BRATS: The Teenage LEGO Investor's Blog, will share some of the thoughts and words of some of our younger BrickPicker members.
Anatomy of a LEGO Investment Loser: The Bottom 50
We here at BrickPicker have often been accused of being too pro-LEGO investor. There are some Bearish LEGO collectors out there and they have let me know on several occasions that we never post about the negatives of LEGO investing.
Will Mickey Mouse Save LEGO STAR WARS Investing?
In a time, not so long ago, in a place, not so far away, the STAR WARS theme ruled the LEGO investment world. Iconic LEGO sets like the 10179 Millennium Falcon, 7191 X-Wing Fighter and 10030 Star Destroyer yielded fantastic returns on…
Do LEGO MONSTER FIGHTERS Sets Scare Away Profits?
There are certain LEGO themes that just seem to explode in growth on the secondary LEGO market. Most of the time, popular investment LEGO themes do well after the theme is retired or goes EOL (End of Line).
Old LEGO Sets: Past Their Prime or Prime Investments?
There are over 9000 LEGO sets in existence. Of those 9000+ LEGO sets, the vast majority have been retired or in LEGO terms, gone EOL(End Of Line).
LEGO 10185 Green Grocer: Ripe for the Picking?
The age old question in the LEGO investment world is should I buy a "new" LEGO set, one that has no track record or growth data to examine, or should a LEGO investor look to older LEGO sets that have appreciated well, but may have their…
LEGO Bricks and Barbie Dolls
I recently wrote an article, LEGO Bubble...Fact or Fiction, in which I compared the recent Baseball Card collectible's market bubble and its subsequent bursting, to a potential LEGO investment bubble.
LEGO NINJAGO: Are the Spinners Investment Winners?
"LEGO Ninjago, launched in 2011, maintained its success in all markets in 2012, with the ninja theme selling significantly better than expected."
LEGO Investment Bubble: Fact or Fiction?
Definition of "Speculative Bubble": A spike in asset values within a particular industry, commodity, or asset class. A speculative bubble is usually caused by exaggerated expectations of future growth, price appreciation, or other events…
LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector's Series
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the LEGO STAR WARS Ultimate Collector's Series(UCS), let me tell you how a UCS set helped create Brickpicker.com...
LEGO Larcency: Scams, Schemes and Shady Sales Practices...
Anyone who steals, or with intent to defraud obtains by a false pretense, or whoever unlawfully, and with intent to steal or embezzle, converts, or secretes with intent to convert, the property of another … whether such property is or is…
Do LEGO Battle Packs Offer Any "BANG" for Your Investment Buck?
Bigger is better...Isn't that the saying? Big LEGO sets get all the love, especially when it comes to the investing and secondary LEGO market.
CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate and LEGO
BrickPicker.com was designed and created with the LEGO investor and collector in mind. Through the use of eBay's Terapeak data, we have given the LEGO enthusiast current prices and growth trends of various new and retired sets.
Investment Analysis of the LEGO Technic 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400
Very impressive name for a LEGO set! But does the set itself live up to its 'grandiose' name? Also, will the set, after it is retired, appreciate like a Mercedes-Benz or will a YUGO come to mind when you think of this set's investment…
LEGO 10184 TOWN PLAN: Are retired LEGO sets a worthy investment?
When I write an investment piece for the Evaluation Corner or Investor's Spotlight, I usually try to keep my "investment" LEGO set suggestions to new or recently retired sets.
Investment Analysis of LEGO Harry Potter 10217 Diagon Alley
What makes a LEGO set a good choice for 'investment' purposes? There are as many answers to that question as there are LEGO bricks in a 10179 Millennium Falcon, but several key factors can be found in common with the top appreciating LEGO…
Investment Analysis of LEGO 10188 Death Star
As an avid LEGO collector and investor, I like to read as much as I can about the various LEGO sets in existence, both new and old. I try to keep informed by reading the multitude of quality LEGO sites, forums and blogs out there.
LEGO Trains: An On-Track Investment or an Investment Derailment?
As I was sitting on my couch one day watching Robert Zemeckis's, The Polar Express, with my two-and-a-half-year-old son, I got to thinking about trains.
Insuring Your LEGO Collection
There comes a time, in some LEGO collector's lives, that their hobby of collecting LEGO sets and bricks becomes something a little more than a hobby.
Spotlight on LEGO 10197: Fire Brigade
Back in 2007, LEGO released the first of the 'Town Modular Buildings,' set 10182, Cafe Corner. Since that time, seven more modular buildings have been released, including the 10197 Fire Brigade in 2009.
7 Reasons to Invest in LEGO Bricks
An interesting article was released at the 2012 New York Toy Fair by The LEGO Systems, Inc. Basically, it describes LEGO's year-end highlights and illustrates LEGO's continued growth in the U.S. Toy Market. Let's take a look...
Holy Smokes! eBay Member Pays $4725 for USED #10179 Millennium Falcon!
Amazing how much money people have! Seriously, this goes to show the amazing appreciation and love for the world of LEGO Star Wars.
LEGO Star Wars Miniature Building Sets. Mini Models, but Major Appreciation!
Over the years, LEGO has released hundreds of 'mini' sets to the buying public. These mini sets usually were packed in small polybags and had approximately 25-75 pieces.
Making Money off of Custom LEGO Models and Minifigures
Legos are an iconic toy. Through my work at www.BrickPicker.com, I have also found out they are valued as an investment vehicle for some very smart collectors out there.
LEGO Displays... Cool or for Fools?
I have to admit, I am addicted to LEGO store displays. I love them. I scour eBay and Bricklink for any sort of LEGO display. From Agents to Star Wars, they are awesome in my opinion.