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).  But on occasion, there are LEGO themes that appreciate higher than MSRP before the theme is discontinued.  Popular themes like Ninjago, Friends and the CUUSOO line of LEGO sets have shown remarkable growth in values on the secondary LEGO market, even though most sets are still available at retail prices.  Another such LEGO theme was released in 2012 that has shown similar trends, the Monster Fighters theme.  The Monster Fighters theme is based on those old Saturday Horror movies.  Included in these creative and unique LEGO sets are the monsters and men that created them and in some cases, tried to “fight” and destroy them.  Thus the title...Monster Fighters.  Most of the major monsters are included in the mix and the theme has a variety of minifigures, vehicles and buildings to make it quite interesting.  Let's take a look at the individual Monster Fighter sets and their descriptions, data and BrickPicker analysis for each...  

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
The Swamp Creature	9461	70	$6.99	$9.86	-12.04%	41.86%	41.86%
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  Defeat the Swamp Creature and grab the moonstone!
On board his swamp boat, Frank Rock is on the lookout for the Swamp Creature's moonstone. If the Vampyre gets his undead hands on it first, he could use it to eclipse the sun and plunge the world into eternal darkness! Can he make it past his slimy adversary and ****** the stone? You decide! Includes 2 minifigures: Frank Rock and Swamp Creature.  

• Includes 2 minifigures: Frank Rock and Swamp Creature
• Features swamp boat and swamp with green moonstone and fish
• Swamp boat features spinning rotor and dual flick missiles
• Accessories include moonstone and 3 weapons
• Grab the moonstone!
• Battle the Swamp Creature!
• Drive the swamp boat!
• The swamp boat measures over 2” (4cm) high, 2” (5cm) wide and 3" (7cm) long

Very cool little set with the “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and Elvis lookalike minifigures...Worth every bit of $6.99(US).  With the two minifigures and some throw-in pieces, makes this set a surefire hit.  You can already see how the numbers for this set are appreciating and it is still available through primary LEGO retailers.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
The Mummy	9462	90	$11.99	$12.65	4.55%	5.5%	5.5%
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  Stop the Mummy's chariot and take the moonstone!
In her cool helicopter, hero Ann Lee flies after the Mummy making an escape in the ghostly chariot. If she can't stop the Mummy from handing the moonstone over to the Vampyre, the world will be cloaked in eternal darkness. Help her to stop him! Includes 2 minifigures: Ann Lee and Mummy.

• Includes 2 minifigures: Ann Lee and Mummy
• Vehicles include Mummy's chariot and helicopter
• Mummy's chariot features glow-in-the-dark skeleton horse
• Helicopter features spinning rotors
• Accessories include moonstone and 3weapons
• Attack from the skies!
• Capture the moonstone!
• Mummy's chariot and horse measure over 2” (6cm) high, 2” (6cm) wide and 5” (12cm) long
• Ann Lee's helicopter measures over 2” (6cm) high, 1” (3cm) wide and 2” (6cm) long

.Another neat little Monster Fighters set.  I don't see this set doing as well as the cheaper 9461, but it should be a steady gainer in the future.  A nice set for the investor with limited fundsBrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
The Werewolf	9463	243	$19.99	$22.39	-7.4%	12.01%	12.01%
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  Avoid the treetop ambush and recover the Werewolf's moonstone!
Major Quinton Steele spots the Werewolf's moonstone under a tree. But it's an ambush! As he jumps out of his hot rod to ****** it, the sneaky Werewolf pounces on him from the treetops above! Can Major Quinton Steele fend him off with his giant blunderbuss weapon and make off with the moonstone? You decide! Includes 2 minifigures: Major Quinton Steele and Werewolf.  

• Includes 2 minifigures: Major Quinton Steele and Werewolf
• Vehicles Major Quinton Steele's hot rod
• Includes tree, moonstone and a weapon
• Tree features opening top ambush section with space for the Werewolf
• Avoid the Werewolf's ambush attack!
• Watch out for the Werewolf's glow-in-the-dark claws!
• Fire the blunderbuss weapon!
• ****** the moonstone!
• Quinton Steele's hot rod measures over 2” (4cm) high, 2” (5cm) wide and 3” (8cm) long
• Tree measures over 5” (12cm) high, 7” (17cm) wide and 4” (9cm) deep

One of my favorite smaller sets, The Werewolf is a set that will do well because of the Werewolf minifigure, which is awesome.  I love the big head.  LOL.  With 243 pieces, this set is a fair value, but I would wait for the discounts before picking one up.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
The Vampyre Hearse	9464	314	$34.99	$36.92	7.33%	5.52%	5.52%
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  Stop the hearse and retrieve the Vampyre's moonstone!
The Vampyre and his faithful servant the zombie driver have the moonstone and are making a getaway in the black hearse. Can Dr. Rodney Rathbone catch them on his motorcycle and steal the moonstone? Or will Vampyre launch a surprise coffin attack and send the doctor spinning out of control? You decide! Includes 3 minifigures: Rodney Rathbone, Vampyre and the zombie driver.  

• Includes 3 minifigures: Dr. Rodney Rathbone, Vampyre and the zombie driver
• Vehicles include the Vampyre's Hearse and Dr. Rodney Rathbone's motorcycle
• The Vampyre's Hearse features coffin with catapult function
• Accessories include moonstone and 4 weapons
• Stop the Vampyre's Hearse!
• Dodge the Vampyre's catapult attack!
• Retrieve the moonstone!
• Measures over 4” (10cm) high, 3” (7cm) wide and 7” (19cm) long
• Dr. Rodney Rathbone's motorbike measures over 2” (6cm) long
•  

Sharp car...I love the bones on the engine block!  Bang for your investment buck, not a great deal.  Wait for the discounts.  Probably will be a solid performer over the long haul, but I wouldn't call it one of my favorite sets for investing.  A must have to complete the entire theme, though.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
The Zombies	9465	447	$39.99	$57.71	2.12%	44.81%	44.81%
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  Help Jack McHammer get out of grave danger and seize the zombie moonstone!
Through the mist, Jack McHammer catches sight of the zombie graveyard. He's on a mission to recover the zombie moonstone, but as he reaches for it, the zombies rise from their coffins and attack! Can he make it back to his car and battle the zombies with the giant hammer? You decide! Includes 4 minifigures: Jack McHammer and 3 zombies.  

• Includes 4 minifigures: Jack McHammer and 3 zombies
• Features zombie graveyard and Jack McHammer's car
• Zombie graveyard features crypt, 2 coffins and zombie attack function
• Accessories include zombie moonstone and a weapon
• Bash the zombies with the giant hammer!
• Run from the zombie attack!
• Seize the moonstone!
• Zombie graveyard measures over 4” (11cm) high, 7” (18cm) wide and 5” (12cm) deep
• Jack McHammer's car measures over 3” (8cm) high, 5” (12cm) wide and 6” (16cm) long

.LEGO S@HGreat set and looks like a rare one.  This set was not sold with the 5001133 Monster Fighters Collection, so you have to buy it separately.  This set looks to have been retired as of this moment(EOL) and I would say that it will explode in value very soon.  It was an under-the-radar set to begin with and now that it looks to be EOL, it will become that much more valuable.  See if you can locate it on EBAY in the $50-$70 range, because it might be a lot more than that in a short time if it does not come back into stock on   Zombies are investment winners!BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
The Crazy Scientist & His Monster	9466	430	$49.99	$50.32	-3.97%	0.66%	0.66%
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  Defeat the Crazy Scientist and his Monster at the laboratory!
Dr. Rodney Rathbone and Major Quinton Steele have stumbled upon the Crazy Scientist's laboratory. As our heroes reach for the moonstone, the dastardly scientist zaps his ghoulish monster and brings him to life! Can they escape to their car or will the Crazy Scientist's Monster win the battle and imprison them in the laboratory? You decide! Includes 4 minifigures: Rodney Rathbone, Quinton Steele, the Crazy Scientist and his monster.

• Includes 4 minifigures: Rodney Rathbone, Quinton Steele, the Crazy Scientist and Monster
• The Crazy Scientist's laboratory features resurrection table with LEGO® light brick, catapult on the roof and prison with space for minifigure
• Vehicles include the hero's car
• Hero car features sliding seat and 3 flick missiles
• Accessories include moonstone and 3 weapons
• Zap the Monster to life!
• Launch a rooftop catapult attack!
• Fire the missiles!
• Zap the Monster with the light brick!
• Measures over 6” (16cm) high, 9” (24cm) wide and 5” (13cm) deep
• Hero car measures over 3” (8cm) high, 3” (8cm) wide and 4” (12cm) long

Another cool set that doesn't have a lot of bang for your investment buck when piece count is a factor.  Some of these Monster Fighter sets have well done models and creative minifigures, but you pay for it.  This set in particular has some creative features, but for the price($49.99), its piece and minifigure count is on the low side.  By no means an investment loser, just not a good “part out set.”BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
The Ghost Train	9467	741	$79.99	$64.81	3.46%	-18.98%	-18.98%
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  Stop the Ghost Train in its tracks and grab the moonstone!
The Ghost Train is getting away with the moonstone.  Help Frank Rock and Ann Lee catch it in their acrobatic airplane, suck up the ghosts with the vacuum weapon and grab the moonstone! Don't let them trap the heroes in the Ghost Train's prison! Includes 5 minifigures: Frank Rock, Ann Lee and 3 ghosts.  

• Includes 5 minifigures: Frank Rock, Ann Lee and 3 ghosts
• Vehicles include Ghost Train and hero airplane
• Ghost Train features prison, detachable carriages and lots of glow-in-the-dark elements
• Hero airplane features vacuum weapon, flick missiles and spinning propeller
• Suck up the ghosts!
• Fire the missiles!
• Stop the ghost train!
• Includes glow-in-the-dark elements
• Measures over 4” (10cm) high, 4” (10cm) wide and 19” (48cm) long
• Hero airplane measures over 3” (7cm) high, 8” (21cm) wide and 8” (20cm) long
•  

BrickPicker Analysis: LEGO trains are investment winners and I see this set continuing that trend.  Very creative set.  A must have for any Monster Fighter fan.  Another set that is pricey on the parts side, but is well worth it.  You can find this set discounted quite frequently, so keep your eyes peeled.  Prices are a little low right now, but that is from heavy discounting.  This set will do very nicely after EOL.

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
Vampyre Castle	9468	949	99.99	117.34	41.36	17.35	17.35
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  Enter Vampyre's castle and rescue the world from eternal darkness!
It's time for the final showdown with the Vampyre! He has gathered all 6 moonstones at his castle and is about to cloak the world in darkness forever so that his followers can roam free for the rest of eternity! Will our heroes Dr. Rodney Rathbone and Jack McHammer survive the castle's hidden spikes and traps to disable the moonstone device? Or will the Vampyre's bride and the manbats throw them into the castle dungeon? You decide! Includes 6 minifigures: Rodney Rathbone, Jack McHammer, the Vampyre, the Vampyre's bride and 2 manbats.

• Includes 6 minifigures: Rodney Rathbone, Jack McHammer, the Vampyre, the Vampyre's bride and 2 manbats
• Features the Vampyre's Castle with the moonstone device, shooting spiders, hidden spikes, trapdoor, stairs, secret entrances, coffin, organ and dungeon
• Hero car includes a net launcher
• 4 weapons included
• Watch out for the spiders!
• Dodge the hidden traps!
• Defeat the Vampyre and his nightmarish helpers!
• Measures over 18” (45cm) high, 11” (28cm) wide and 10” (26cm) deep
• Hero car measures over 1” (5cm) high, 2” (6cm) wide and 6” (16cm) long 

Great set.  An investor should buy multiples of this set.  A truly creative and accurate looking castle from those late night B Horror movies.  Nice selection of minifigures and the playability looks fantastic.  A solid, solid investment that will make you money in the long term.  Another set that can be found at discounted prices, so be patient.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
Haunted House	10228	2064	$179.99	$214.64	7.19%	19.25%	19.25%
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  Enter the haunted house at your peril!
The crooked Haunted House is home to the scariest ghosts and monsters. Tremble in fear as you open the gate, go weak at the knees as you step onto the porch and gasp in horror at the fireplace, kitchen, office, folding staircase, bedroom, potion room, music room and collection of other creepy objects. Dare you enter the Haunted House?  

• Add to your LEGO® Monster Fights Collection with the first officlal LEGO® Haunted House!
• Includes 6 minifigures: 2 glow-in-the-dark ghosts, Vampyre, Vampyre's Bride, Zombie chef and butler
• Features unique ‘crooked’ design featuring boarded up windows and working front gate.
• Haunted House opens to reveal detailed interior with 3 floors.
• First floor features fireplace that swings open and displays a ship in a bottle on the mantle.
• Cook up a ghoulish meal with the Zombie chef in the kitchen complete with old-style stove, jars and table!
• Write letters from the Vampyre’s haunted office!
• Pull the lever hidden in the chimney to release the drop down staircase and access the top floor!
• Top floor features gramophone, records and newspaper LEGO® elements.
• Customize the Haunted House with new stickers for wall hangings, spider webs and curtains!
• Measures 15.4” (39cm) high, 9.4” (24cm) wide and 7.5” (19cm) deep

One of the BEST LEGO sets created in years in my opinion.  A LEGO “exclusive,” this set is hard to find at this writing.  A cross between the Monster Fighters theme and the Modular Building theme.  Creative, accurate, a wonderful display piece and a nice bang for your investment buck.  This is one complete model.  It splits in half to show a well done and finished interior.  The exterior, with its boarded up windows and dead shrubs truly amazes.  If you can afford just one LEGO set, make it this one.  Whether or not you like the Monster Fighters theme, make an exception for this set.  It might not be the biggest or baddest set out there, but as a whole package, this set is truly a winner in my book.  Just don't buy one, buy multiples if possible.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
Zombie Chauffer Coffin Car	30200	32	$3.49	$8.94	4.68%	155.43%	155.43%
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  LEGO.com Description: N/A

Rad little car that is no longer available.  These limited release polybags sometimes explode in growth as this one looks to be doing.  LEGO Zombies are winners and this set looks to continue the trend.  Pick one up now before the set quadruples in price.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
Ghost	30201	33	3.49	14.06	-0.42	301.71	301.71
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  LEGO.com Description: N/A

Another Monster Fighters set that is no longer available, but this one has already tripled, if not quadrupled in value.  The set has a cute little Ghost in it with a ball and chain attached, which is unique to this set I believe.  Overall, an investment winner.  Pick one up to complete the entire theme.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
Zombie Car	40076	60	N/A	$11.10	18.34%	N/A	N/A
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  LEGO.com Description: N/A

Once again, this is a limited edition polybag that was released by LEGO around Halloween 2012.  This is a rare set at the moment and difficult to come by for less than $10 a set.  As with the other Monster Fighter Zombie sets, I believe this set will continue to increase in value, so now is the time to get one while they are still available at acceptable prices.BrickPicker Analysis:

Set Name	Set #	Pieces	MSRP (US $)	Current Value (US $)	% Change (Last Month)	% Change (From Retail)	CAGR (%)
Monster Fighters Promotional Pack	5000644	12	N/A	$11.50	N/A	N/A	N/A
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  LEGO.com Description: N/A

Rare promotional set that has a skeleton minifigure with some other neat little trinkets.  Not a big winner in my opinion, but because of its rarity, I can see the definite increase in value continuing.BrickPicker Analysis:

As the reader can see, there is quite the variety of LEGO sets in the Monster Fighters theme.  Small and large.  Cost effective and expensive.  Hearses, houses, planes, trains, graves, zombies, bats, rats...whatever.  There is something for everyone.  The theme caters to the casual fan and serious collector and investor.  For instance, the 9461 Swamp Creature is a tremendous value for the investor with limited funds to invest, while the iconic 10228 Haunted House will be talked about for years as one of the all time classic LEGO sets.  Also, Zombies seem to play a major role in the theme and we all know how well the 8683-5 Zombie, from the Series 1 Collectible Minifigures collection, has done in the secondary market.  A $2 Zombie collectible minifigure has hit the $20 mark in the secondary market, so one would like to think that Zombies are moneymakers and will enable some sets in the theme to do very well in the secondary market.  If I have any issue with this theme it's the lack of sets and no proposed new Monster Fighters sets for 2013.  But on the positive side, a theme with limited sets is one that can be collected in its entirety, which, in the LEGO world, is rather difficult to do on a regular basis.

  As stated above, the one thing that stands out to me with this theme is that no new sets are planned for 2013 as of this writing.  It looks to be a LEGO theme that has a limited life span.  While I have no proof of this and there is no telling when these current sets will be retired, an educated guess would be this is a one and done theme.  One year and on to the next theme.  It is quite possible a new Monster Fighters set or two will be released around the Halloween holiday, but I would bet against it.  Why?  If you look closely at the current Monster Fighter sets, the majority of generic monsters have been turned into minifigures and sets.  Vampires, Frankenstein, The Mummy and Wolfman, Zombies and the Creature(from the Black Lagoon) all have been immortalized in ABS plastic.  What's left?  Maybe the Invisible Man and mostly 'themed' movie monsters like Jason(Voorhees), Freddy(Kruger) and Michael(Myers).  I don't think LEGO wants to go there...LOL.  Another reason why I think this theme is limited in its production is that set 9465, The Zombies, looks to be EOL already.  The set is “sold out” on LEGO S@H and is not available at MSRP at any other retailer.  Now, being sold out is not a definite indicator of a set being EOL, but from the word on the proverbial LEGO street, from fans who have tried to buy this set, is that no more are going to be available.  Time will tell.

  So what does this mean to the investment potential of this theme?  Well, for starters, limited production of a popular LEGO theme means big time appreciation later in the secondary LEGO market.  Depending on how long this theme remains in production will determine how valuable the current sets will become in the secondary LEGO market.  If set 9465, The Zombies, is the first to actually go EOL, then the others might follow soon after.  But if the 9465 comes back in stock on LEGO S@H in a couple of weeks, then all bets are off and this theme might be produced for months.  My gut feeling is that this theme is winding down, with the exception of the 10228 Haunted House, which will be produced for quite a while due to its popularity, but what do I really know...I thought the 10188 Death Star was going EOL two years ago.  Point is, this is a quality theme, with quality sets, that engages adults and children alike.  It has shown great investment potential so far as indicated by the Theme CAGR and depending on how much longer the Monster Fighters are produced, the sets will either show strong growth in the secondary market or have the possibility to explode in the secondary market.  Either way, now is the time to buy these sets if you haven't already, because you never know when the LEGO Grim Reaper will come and “retire” these sets...

Big and bold, the 10214 Tower Bridge is one of the largest LEGO sets ever created. With 4287 pieces, the 10214 Tower Bridge is in fact the third largest LEGO set ever created. That is quite an impressive feat considering there are over 9000 LEGO sets in existence. A beautiful recreation of the grand Tower Bridge that spans the River Thames in London, this particular LEGO model would make a wonderful display piece in any home or office. But does this huge set have huge potential written all over it? Quite possibly. Let's take a look at the LEGO Shop @ Home description of the set:

  Build London's famous Tower Bridge!
Stretching over the River Thames since 1894, the famous Tower Bridge of London, England is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. Now you can add this timeless classic to your LEGO world buildings collection! Designed with advanced building techniques and rare colors and elements, the Tower Bridge is complete with its iconic paired towers and a drawbridge that really opens. Fun to build and display, it locks together solidly but can be taken apart in sections for easy transport. Includes 4 miniature vehicles; a black London taxi, a traditional red double-decker bus, a yellow truck and a green automobile. Completed model measures 40" (102 cm) long, 17" (45 cm) high and 10" (26 cm) wide.

• Includes 4 miniature vehicles: a black London taxi, a yellow truck, green automobile and even a traditional red double-decker bus!
• Features the iconic paired towers and a drawbridge that really opens and closes!
• Includes unique printed shield!
• Features hundreds of 1x1 slopes in tan!
• Many useful arches, angular bricks in tan!
• Includes 4 blue base plates and over 80 windows!
• Tower Bridge is ideal for building and display - it can be taken apart in sections for easy transport!
• Add this amazing landmark to your LEGO world buildings collection!
• Completed model measures an impressive 40" (102 cm) long, 17" (45 cm) high and 10" (26 cm) wide.

For those of you investors who don't currently own the 10214 Tower Bridge, now would be a good time to start thinking about grabbing one (or more, if you have the means.)

This colossal LEGO landmark has just hit its two year anniversary, and as many of you know, the two other LEGO sets from the Advanced Models Buildings theme, had a lifespan of right around two years. The 10181 Eiffel Tower was available at LEGO.com for approximately 24 months, and the 10189 Taj Mahal was available for about 26 months.

Speaking of the 10181 Eiffel Tower and the 10189 Taj Mahal, has anyone happened to look at what these sets are selling for these days? The 10189 Taj Mahal is a very cool set, and is going to capture anyone's interest upon the first glance, but it is also the biggest LEGO set ever as far as piece count goes. This might have something to do with why people are regularly selling a new in box set for between $1,200 and $1,500 on eBay. Not bad for a set that had an original price tag of $299.99. Then there is the 10181 Eiffel Tower. This set debuted in October 2007. As stated earlier, it had a shelf life of almost exactly two years. It was available for purchase from your friendly neighborhood LEGO store for $199.99. My research shows that the last three new in box sets sold for $1,175, $1,199, and $1,274.95 on eBay. Once again, not a bad day's work on a $200 set. Check out the chart below with the investment data for the three large Advanced Model Buildings:

The 10214 Tower Bridge, as of this writing, has not been retired as of yet and is still available from all major retailers, so the data above for the 10214 Tower Bridge is not that relative at the moment. But it does show you how similar the 10214 Tower Bridge is to the 10181 Eiffel Tower and 10189 Taj Mahal in set pieces and prices...and maybe future growth. As stated earlier, all three sets mentioned thus far are part of the Advanced Models Buildings theme. In fact, they are the ONLY three sets in the theme. The first two that have retired have appreciated very nicely, and the Tower Bridge should be no exception. The price tag might be a bit of a hurdle for some at $239.99, but please be aware that at 5.6 cents per piece, it is an exceptional value. Plus, if history is on our side here, that $240 looks like it should easily become $1,000 if you are willing to give it a couple years. This set has also been heavily discounted recently, even as low as $180, so it pays to pay attention to Brickpicker.com alerts on LEGO deals from the various major retailers.

  In conclusion, it would appear that the Tower Bridge may very well be one of the safest bets out there. There just aren't a whole lot of sets to compare it to, but I say that in the best way possible. It is a set that doesn't get a lot of attention, but don't let that fool you. The smart LEGO investor has several in their collection. People seem to love real world landmark sets that are done on a large scale. It will be interesting to see what is next in this highly successful series, but until then, ****** up a Tower Bridge while it is still available and tuck it away under your pillow, or wherever it is you keep your LEGO sets...

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 best growth days behind them?  Both have possible advantages.  The newer sets can be bought easily at a discount from the retail price and can be found in mint and sealed condition with little issues.  The older sets are proven commodities that have appreciated over several years and have shown to be investment winners.  Both have disadvantages as well.  Newer sets are an unknown commodity and a positive return on investment is not guaranteed.  Retired sets are more expensive and may be past their investment prime.  This leads us to our topic LEGO set, the 10185 Green Grocer, which, by all accounts, is considered an older and retired LEGO set.

I usually try to recommend newer LEGO sets to LEGO investors because they are more cost effective and readily available to the buying public.  But every once in awhile, I come across an older and more expensive LEGO set that has shown positive growth and has great potential, even after being retired for years.  I wrote about one such set, the 10184 Town Plan, in another one of my Evaluation Corner articles.  Another such set is the 10185 Green Grocer.  The Green Grocer is a Modular Building and was released in 2008 for $149.99.  It has 2,352 pieces and 4 minifigures.

Let's take a look at the LEGO.com description of the Green Grocer:
Expand your LEGO® neighborhood or start a new one with the Green Grocer! Designed in a modular style, this colorful and lively building features a grocery store and classic apartments that can be built, rebuilt and rearranged to suit your own LEGO town. Detailed architecture includes realistic interior, courtyard access, a roof terrace and fire escape, lots of windows and doors, and much more! Build a street layout by combining Green Grocer with 10190 Market Street and 10182 Café Corner! Top 3 floors lift off to reveal inner rooms! Grocery store features a blue and white awning, cash register, bins for bread, vegetables and fruit, refrigerator and tiled floor! Apartments have lots of details like bay windows, fireplace with tools, grandfather clock and windows that open to the fire escape! Stairs lead up to the apartments and to the roof terrace! Roof terrace has chairs, umbrellas, grill and flowers! Check the mailboxes for letters! Fire escape ladders move up and down! Access the courtyard behind the building! Street features lampost, fire hydrant and light fixtures! Includes 4 townspeople minifigures, plus a cat and rat! Measures 14" (35cm) high and 10" (25cm) wide!

Being one of the seven “Über” popular Modular buildings is a very positive attribute of this set.  The Modular Buildings, especially the retired Modular Buildings like the 10182 Cafe Corner and 10190 Market Street, are one of the most popular LEGO themes in existence.  Along with popularity, amazing growth has been shown by all three retired Modular Buildings, especially the older 10182 Cafe Corner and 10190 Market Street, which have been around another year or so longer than the 10185 Green Grocer.  Take a look a the chart below:

Take a look at the two graphs below showing the strong and steady growth of the 10182 Cafe Corner and 10190 Market Street over the past 21 months:

  The growth of these three retired Modular Buildings is just amazing.  What is even more amazing is that the 10190 Market Street was a better investment than the iconic 10182 Cafe Corner.  Along with the 10179 UCS Millennium Falcon, the 10182 Cafe Corner was considered by many LEGO investors as one of the two greatest LEGO investments of all time.  The 10190 Market Street was never considered in the same league, to be quite honest, by most LEGO investors and collectors.  But with an increase of over 1000% from retail and a CAGR of 64%, there are few LEGO sets, if any, that can compare with that sort of growth.  So how does this relate to the 10185 Green Grocer and its future investment potential?  Well, for one thing, the 10185 Green Grocer was the third Modular Building released by LEGO.  It was released a year or so after the 10182 Cafe Corner and 10190 Market Street and was retired about a year or so later.  So it is possible that there could be some potential strong growth in the next year that was similar to the growth of the10182 Cafe Corner and 10190 Market Street during the same investment time period after EOL(End of Line).  Why?  Because I assuming that the LEGO “completists” will want to collect  every Modular Building set and an older and retired set like the 10185 Green Grocer is one of the seven existing Modular buildings needed to do so.  Also, the Green Grocer was retired before the huge potential of these Modular Buildings were realized, so many LEGO collectors passed on this set, but might entertain buying it now, even a high prices.  A final reason for possible interest in this set is the Green Grocer is an attractive and well done LEGO set and many AFOLs with extra disposable income would love to add it to their collection.

The one thing that strikes me about the data is about 21 months ago, the 10182 Cafe Corner had a value of about $588 and the 10190 Market Street had a value of around $560.  The current values of those two sets are $1122 and $1069 respectively...almost DOUBLE(approximately 91%) in 21 months!  The current value of the newer 10185 Green Grocer is around $562.  If you extrapolate that type of growth to the 10185 Green Grocer in 21 months, a value of $1073 is produced.  Now, I'm not guaranteeing that if you buy a MISB 10185 Green Grocer for $600 right now that it will appreciate to $1000+ in a year and a half, but history indicates that there is still that sort of potential with the 10185 Green Grocer.  Maybe the 10185 Green Grocer will never reach that lofty price.  Maybe the 10185 Green Grocer is not as popular as the earlier Modular Buildings.  Maybe there were more Green Grocers produced and they are less rare.  Maybe the LEGO secondary market crashes.  Maybe people get tired of the Modular Buildings and buy only Ninjago sets.

Maybe...Maybe...Maybe...Maybe the 10185 hits $1200 in 21 months...

In conclusion, I would like to leave you with an example of a similar situation I encountered two and a half years ago.  The 10182 Cafe Corner was selling for $550-$600 for a MISB set and I did not have one.  I wondered what all the hub-bub was about with this retired LEGO set?  To me, anyway, it was a rather gaudy-looking set that was unattractive to a LEGO STAR WARS aficionado like myself.  But I took the chance and picked one up for $575 with free shipping on EBAY.  Needless to say, I have doubled my original investment.  I also bought a retired NIB(New In Box...not mint)10190 Market Street for $400 at the same time and that has exceeded my expectations as well.  I would like to think that the 10185 Green Grocer has a similar growth pattern over the next year or so.  These retired Modular Buildings are a rare commodity and getting rarer all the time and many LEGO fans want the complete set.  The 10185 Green Grocer might not hit the $1000 mark, but even if it hits the $800-$900 level in the next year, that is over 30% return on investment.  Not bad in my book...or any investor's book for that matter.

The LEGO Modular Buildings series came out in 2007, and has quickly turned into every investor's dream.  The first three sets that have been retired have all skyrocketed in value in a relatively short time.  This Evaluation Corner installment will take a look at the Grand Emporium, set 10211.

There is a lot of other great data about the Modular series that can be found in a previous Evaluation Corner article that was done on the Fire Brigade.  It does a good job of illustrating the rapid rise to power that the earlier Modular buildings have enjoyed.

Here is the official LEGO description of the Grand Emporium:

Welcome to the grand opening of the Grand Emporium!
The LEGO® Modular Buildings series continues with this spectacularly detailed 3-story department store, designed in a realistic scale with lots of special building techniques and rare pieces. On the street outside, citizens carry shopping bags, send letters at the mailbox, admire the window mannequins, then cool off at the ice cream stand while a busy window washer works above. Enter through the revolving doors to discover a ground-floor clothing department, complete with a cash register, fitting room, hats, jewelry, perfume, and even a selection of spare trousers. A brick-built escalator carries customers to the second floor housewares department with glassware and golden plates for special occasions, and then it’s up to the top floor for the toy department (complete with toy house and push-scooter) with an impressive chandelier above the open atrium. Up on the roof are a billboard and skylight!

• Add this classic department store to your LEGO Modular Buildings collection
• Grand Emporium features many authentic details
• Set includes 7 minifigures
• Measures 15" (38cm) high and 10" (25cm) wide

The Grand Emporium is currently locked in a battle with the Fire Brigade as to which set will be next to retire.  Although the Fire Brigade has been around since September 2009 and is continuing its improbable three year production run, these sets are typically available for around two years.  The Grand Emporium just hit the two and a half year mark, and recently sold out on LEGO.com.  While it may end up ultimately being restocked, it always turns heads when something sells out from the original source.  There are an awful lot of Modular sets available right now, so it seems that one or even two sets should be going away by the end of 2012.  Fire Brigade and/or Grand Emporium are both great candidates to hit EOL status very soon.

This set is in a unique position in a sense that it may be in its final days of existence, but is still widely available to those who want to grab one before they're gone.  Another fact that is worth mentioning is that this is only the second corner building to come out.  What good is a street if there is never a corner to…round it out?  There will be more demand for it because people are going to need that corner building, but very likely won't want to pay the going rate for the Cafe Corner set.

I think that the Grand Emporium is destined for greatness, and that any serious LEGO investor would be very wise to pick one up in the next couple months.  It's very difficult to argue with the track record of the Modular buildings series.  This set should be a lock to at very least double your investment in a couple years.  From a personal standpoint, when I was first getting back in to LEGO, I had no interest in investing, but when I saw the Grand Emporium, I immediately wanted to build it.  I suspect that a lot of other people are going to experience the same feeling when they first lay eyes on it.  So whether it is for a collector, or a builder who missed the boat on this set, the price tag to obtain one is only going to go up.

%%IMAGEGALLERY%%

From the most recent LEGO Press Release:

"LEGO Ninjago, launched in 2011, maintained its success in all markets in 2012, with the ninja theme selling significantly better than expected."

This is a statement that confounds many adult LEGO collectors and investors. Ninjas? Dragons? Snakes? Spinners? Trading Cards? What is this, Dungeons and Dragons??? Well, whatever you want to call it, the LEGO Ninjago theme is taking the LEGO world by storm. The Ninjago theme, along with another unconventional LEGO theme, the Friends theme, are producing sales that far exceed The LEGO Group's expectations. Well, that is great news for The LEGO Group, but what does that mean for the average LEGO collector and investor? Let's take a look at the Ninjago theme.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Ninjago theme, it is a theme based on Ninja warriors. The theme has an Asian flavor, with the Ninjago buildings and structures replicating old Japanese temples and shrines. There is a touch of fantasy mixed in, with dragons and large serpents, four armed characters and snake men minifigures. Also thrown into the mix, is a modern twist, with jet airplanes and helicopters, trucks and motorcycles. You can see why children would be interested in this theme. What makes it even more interesting to kids is activity and playability level of these sets. The LEGO designers were very intuitive incorporating a game element to this theme. The basic models use conventional LEGO pieces and building techniques, unlike Bionicle, Hero Factory and Technic themes, which use special pieces and methods of building, but there are special pieces called 'spinners' added to several sets. These spinners enable LEGO fans to battle one another in LEGO brick 'arenas.' Various minifigures and weapon combinations can be used to battle friends and family.

Not only do some Ninjago sets have action-packed spinner pieces, these same sets offer the LEGO fans 'Battle Cards.' Some people call them 'trading' or 'playing' cards, but whatever you call them, the Ninjago Spinner sets offer another gaming-like option from a LEGO set. The Battle Cards are utilized in coordination with the spinners and enable the players to employ special weapons when their minifigures are pitted against other minifigure/spinner combos. The Battle Cards are reminiscent of the old Yu-Gi-Oh or Dungeons and Dragons cards in my opinion and everybody knows how popular those cards were. They even add an element of collecting to the Spinner sets in that children will want to collect all the cards in addition to the sets and minifigures. Along with the Spinner sets, the Ninjago theme also consists of more traditional LEGO building sets. As stated earlier, they are based on ninja themes, with a touch of fantasy and modern ideas mixed together. For our purposes here, we will break down the Ninjago theme into three major categories: Ninjago Spinners, Structures/Buildings and Creatures/Vehicles. Let's take a look at the Ninjago Spinners first...

The basic Ninjago Spinner set consists of around 20-25 pieces, which include one minifigure, a spinner, several weapons and some Battle Cards. All the Spinners, with the exception of the Spinjitzu Starter set(2257/$19.99), listed at $9.99(US). These Ninjago characters are based on a TV show called The Masters of Spinjitzu, which can be found on the LEGO TV channel. It is a very entertaining show and basically looks like a LEGO video game. But what is nice about the TV show is that it promotes the LEGO brand among the young and creates new LEGO collectors on a daily basis. As with the entire Ninjago theme, the Spinners were launched back in 2011. That's right. 2011. If you take a look at the below chart, you will see some extraordinary returns for a theme that is so new:

* Average LEGO set CAGR: 10.64%

There are some Spinners that show the typical LEGO “new set” decrease in value from discounting from primary retailers, yet the majority are showing very positive returns for two years or less on the market, a few have been around a year or less. Kai(2111), Cole(2112) and Zane(2113) all have CAGRs over 60%. The CAGR, or Compound Annual Growth Rate, can be thought of as the growth rate statistic that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period. It simplifies years of different growth percentages and gives you a single number that represents compounded growth percentage of an investment, in this case, a LEGO set. The typical LEGO set yields about 10.64%, so at 60%+ in less than two years' time, that is exceptional. Even more exceptional is the return of Spinner set 2172, Nya. This set appreciated 126% in less than two years. Wow. That's impressive. Overall, the Ninjago Spinners have yielded on average almost 27% in less than two years. The Spinners are indeed investment winners. But what about the non-Spinner Ninjago LEGO sets? Let's take a look...

There are more traditional Ninjago building sets. These sets include the buildings and structures of the theme. They all have an Asian flair and look like old shrines and temples. Some of these sets do contain a spinner or two, but the primary idea of these sets is that they are some sort of non-movable building. If you examine the chart below, you will see the smaller sets of the group that have gone EOL have the best returns so far:

* Average LEGO set CAGR: 10.64%

Ninja Ambush(2258) and Ninja Training Outpost(2516) have appreciated 118% and 173% respectively. Sometimes the smaller sets do very well when they are relatively new, especially when they are already retired like these two sets. Another newer small set, the Venomari Shrine(9440) has appreciated well so far to a clip of 53%. As for the larger sets, Garmadon's Dark Fortress(2505) stands out with a ~40% return from retail. The Fire Temple(2507) is a set to watch in my opinion. It is the largest of all Ninjago sets and I believe it will explode in value when it is finally retired. Overall, the Ninjago structures and buildings appreciated over 38% from retail as a group so far. That is even better than the spinners, which, as we all know, are investment winners.

This leads us to our last classification of LEGO Ninjago sets and the most interesting in my opinion, the creatures and vehicles of the Ninjago theme. These sets are damn cool in my opinion. Dragons, snake trucks and helicopters, skull trucks, jet fighters, motorcycles, boats and mechanized monsters. Cool beans. Each one of these sets can do well after EOL, but four stand out in my opinion...the Dragon sets which include the Ice Dragon Attack(2260), Earth Dragon Defense(2509), Lightning Dragon Battle(2521) and Epic Dragon Battle(9450) sets. Take a quick glance at the chart below:

  * Average LEGO set CAGR: 10.64%

With the exception of the newest set, Epic Dragon Battle(9450), the remaining dragon Ninjago sets have gone EOL. The Lightning Dragon Battle(2521) has appreciated over 78% in less than two years and the Earth Dragon Defense(2509) has appreciated over 122%. The Ice Dragon Attack(2260) has appreciated a whopping 223% in less than two years. That is some of the best gains I have ever seen when discussing a LEGO set...or any investment for that matter. Although these three dragon Ninjago sets have gone EOL, they have gone EOL very recently and there is still room to grow in my opinion. What is even better news is that the best of the dragon bunch, the Epic Dragon Battle(9450) is still available from primary sources for $119.99 and figures to be discounted at some point before it gets retired. This set is close to 1000 pieces and has some very unique minifigures and models. I really like the potential for that set. As for the other sets in this category, Destiny's Bounty(9446), the Rattlecopter(9443), the Ultra Sonic Raider(9450), both Mechs(9448/9455) and the Fangpyre Wrecking Ball(9497) all look very promising. Overall, as with the Ninjago structures and buildings, the Ninjago creatures and vehicles category appreciated over 38% from retail as a group so far. But the overall 38% appreciation was largely due to the Dragon sets, with only moderate increases from other sets in the category. This is not to say that these sets are poor investments. Quite the contrary. Most Ninjago sets are relatively new and still available through primary retail sources like LEGO, Amazon and Toys R' Us and some are being discounted or will be discounted, so their numbers are flat. Most of the sets I've mentioned as big gainers are recently retired sets, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that similar high returns will be seen with other Ninjago sets when they are retired.

In conclusion, I have to say that not only are the Ninjago Spinners “investment” winners, that all the Ninjago sets are potential winners. The Ninjago theme has been ignored by the adult LEGO collectors and investors, like myself, for too long...but no more. I am here to tell you that dragons and snake men make for big-time profits in the LEGO world of investment. It is OK to buy a Spinner set and look at another adult in the face. You can explain to them that it is an investment(Good luck with that...LOL). On a serious note, these sets are just very creative and cool and I can see why kids love them. These are the types of sets a future AFOL might buy, thinking back to their youth and wishing they could have bought an Epic Dragon Battle, but couldn't at the age of 10, but can at the age of 30. What is great for the LEGO collector and investor, is that these sets are still readily available and are going up in value at the same time. That is rarely seen in the LEGO investment world. Another very important point that should be addressed is the possible retirement of the entire Ninjago theme after the 2013 calender year. Rumors are circulating through the LEGO world of the Ninjago theme heading off into the sunset in a year or so. Whether that is true or not, it will make investing in these sets a very intriguing proposition. Why? Because if the theme remains as popular as it is currently, why would The LEGO Group discontinue it and if they do choose to discontinue the Ninjago theme, how will that affect the prices of Ninjago sets on the secondary market? Prices could explode from lack of sets and too many buyers, or they could head south because of the lack of new LEGO Ninjago sets and fans losing interest and moving on to the next hot LEGO theme. Whatever the future holds, the possible end of the Ninjago theme is a year or two away and will bring much riveting debate in the meantime, but for today's LEGO investment and collecting purposes, the Ninjago theme is a winner in my book and a must buy for any LEGO fan out there...

LEGO Press Release: http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/news-room/2012/august/half-year-result_2012/

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...

Adult LEGO fans(AFOLs) often talk about their “dark ages” when referring to their LEGO collecting hobby. Basically, the term “dark ages” refer to the time a LEGO fan stops playing with LEGO bricks(usually around the age of 12-14) and when they rediscover LEGO bricks(usually when they have kids or are old enough, with enough discretionary income, to buy some expensive STAR WARS Ultimate Collector's Series LEGO set). The end of my personal “dark age” was when I purchased the 10030 UCS Star Destroyer about five years ago. My brother Jeff and I were at work one day and he showed me a picture of the 10030 off of some STAR WARS site and I said I gotta have it. It was Christmas time and I told my wife that's what I wanted for Christmas. She was like, “What the Hell is a 38-year-old man going to do with that?” I said, “Build it.” And so it began...I received the 10030 for Christmas, then continued to purchase all the UCS sets in existence at the time. I even bought the 10179 for $399.99 from Amazon.com(I should have bought more, but that's another story). Then something happened...

We had our son Max, and my LEGO collecting took a hiatus for two years. I stopped collecting LEGO sets completely for those two years...No eBay...No Amazon...No LEGO...Nothing...Nada. Two years quickly passed and I was messing around on eBay, looking for something for my son and decided to take a look at some LEGO set auctions. What I saw left me speechless. The 10179 Millennium Falcon that I bought two years previous for $399.99, was now selling for close to a $1000.00. I started going through the various LEGO sets that I owned and saw huge gains in all the sets. I mentioned this amazing appreciation to Jeff and we started to formulate the basis of an internet LEGO Price Guide, with an emphasis on investing. The rest is history and Brickpicker.com was born. So there you have it, a couple of Ultimate Collector's Series STAR WARS sets were the spark to the BrickPicker idea. But what about all the UCS sets? Are they all investment winners or are some underachievers or even outright flops? Let's take a more in-depth look at the Ultimate Collector's Series STAR WARS sets.

The LEGO STAR WARS Ultimate Collector's Series began back in the year 2000, with the release of the 7181 TIE Interceptor and the 7191 X-wing. Both sets were a huge change from the typical STAR WARS themed set, which began in 1999. It was the first time that LEGO designers developed a set geared to the adult LEGO collector market. I get the sense that a change took place with the LEGO company itself around the year 2000. LEGO sets in the year 2000, with the UCS sets leading the charge, became more complicated, original and just downright cool. In 2000, LEGO dropped the “System” nomenclature from the STAR WARS sets and were just known as STAR WARS sets, as if to let fans know that the STAR WARS line was to be taken seriously. The UCS models were such a breath of fresh air from the stagnant, childish line of LEGO sets that encompassed the previous 20 years(with the exception of the 3450 Statue of Liberty of course...) It was as if a light bulb went on in LEGO Corporate Headquarters and said enough already...we can build realistic looking models with LEGO bricks, cater to both the younger and older LEGO fans and make money doing it. Maybe George Lucas had something to do with the improvement in creativity and quality of the STAR WARS theme, maybe not. Regardless, it was a welcome change of pace from basic Space, Castle and City themes and the boring first year models of the STAR WARS “System” theme.

LEGO investment and collecting is a phenomenon that has grown in popularity over the last several years. I highly doubt that in the year 2000, LEGO thought about developing a theme geared towards LEGO “investors,” but they inadvertently did. The recent amazing appreciation of the UCS 10179 Millennium Falcon and other large LEGO sets has brought much attention to the LEGO secondary market and the UCS theme in particular. The UCS theme consists of some of the largest and well known LEGO sets in existence, but does that popularity convert into successful investment sets? Do UCS sets appreciate any better than the average LEGO set(Average CAGR, Compound Annual Growth Rate, for all LEGO sets is 10.81% as of 8/7/12)? Are the STAR WARS Ultimate Collector's Series really the “ultimate” LEGO investment? Let's take a look at the 19 existing UCS sets and their investment data and BrickPicker analysis for each:

Mean/Average CAGR = 10.81%

7191 X-WING FIGHTER
Year Released	Pieces	MSRP (US$)	Current Value(US$)	% Return Last Year	% Return From MSRP	CAGR(%)	Over/Under Mean CAGR
2000	1,300	$149.99	$750.00	15%	400%	14.35%	3.54
BRICKPICKER ANALYSIS: Beautiful LEGO model. To me, this is where the LEGO designers really started doing a fantastic job with the UCS sets and in LEGO sets in general. The X-Wing is just a gorgeous display model and looks just like the real thing. No STAR WARS LEGO collection is complete unless you have this set in my opinion. Although the current MISB sets are quite pricey(in the $800 range), a used 7191 in good condition can still be bought around $300. This set has seen very strong and steady growth since EOL, around 14.0% annually, and it looks to continue. If you have a chance to buy one of these sets, new or used, do so. You won't be disappointed.

10026 SPECIAL EDITION NABOO STARFIGHTER
Year Released	Pieces	MSRP (US$)	Current Value(US$)	% Return Last Year	% Return From MSRP	CAGR(%)	Over/Under Mean CAGR
2002	187	$39.99	$255.00	29%	539%	20.37%	9.56
BRICKPICKER ANALYSIS: The smallest and cheapest of the UCS STAR WARS sets, this set is not small in appreciation. Current values for a MISB set are in the $300 range and the set has been averaging over 20% growth annually since EOL. Last year alone, the set grew 29%, which is outstanding. A very small set, it is a nice change of pace from the gray and white ships of the STAR WARS UCS theme. The set is a bright yellow with very cool chrome pieces, which makes for a bold little model. An easy build and a perfect shelf piece, it is a nice addition to any LEGO collection. But the prices for a new one are a bit high for what you get, so see if you can locate a used one in good condition for around $100. Obviously, the set is still appreciating well, but with a small set such as this, who knows if that growth will continue.

10030 IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER
Year Released	Pieces	MSRP (US$)	Current Value(US$)	% Return Last Year	% Return From MSRP	CAGR(%)	Over/Under Mean CAGR
2002	3,096	$269.99	$1173.00	32%	292%	14.65%	3.84
BRICKPICKER ANALYSIS: One of the “Big Boys” of the UCS theme. The 10030 Imperial Star Destroyer is one large and in charge STAR WARS set, maybe the largest in physical size. “Impressive” is its middle name. With well over 3000 pieces, this set will be a jewel in any LEGO investor's collection. This is my favorite all time LEGO set and was the set that brought me out of my “Dark Ages.” I could not believe that you could reproduce a Star Destroyer and sell it to the public. When I saw this set, I was amazed. I was used to childish sets in the Space theme and the like and really opened my eyes to LEGO sets again. From an investor's standpoint, this set is still appreciating very, very well. Last year alone, it increased 32%. There is no getting around spending a chunk of change for this set, new or used. New, they are selling well above $1000, used...around $600. If you are fortunate enough to afford one, buy one...you will not be disappointed.

10143 DEATH STAR II
Year Released	Pieces	MSRP (US$)	Current Value(US$)	% Return Last Year	% Return From MSRP	CAGR(%)	Over/Under Mean CAGR
2005	3,441	$269.99	$805.00	34%	169%	15.21%	4.4
BRICKPICKER ANALYSIS: The “non-minifigure” Death Star, this set is nevertheless, still quite a sight. This is another tedious and difficult build in that it is basically all one color...gray. There are almost 3500 gray pieces. LOL. It takes some time and patience to complete this UCS model. As stated earlier, the finished product is another impressive UCS display, but this is one of the larger ones and needs some space. The 10143 Death Star II took some time to catch the eye of the LEGO collector and investor. I guess people were putting their investment dollars into the 10179 Millennium Falcon and other popular UCS sets early on, but with a 34% growth rate last year, I guess the 10143 Death Star II has found some fans. If you like the accurate version of the Death Star, then this set is for you. If you like the “diorama” Death Star, the 10188 is for you(and a better deal at this point).

10175 VADER'S TIE ADVANCED
Year Released	Pieces	MSRP (US$)	Current Value(US$)	% Return Last Year	% Return From MSRP	CAGR(%)	Over/Under Mean CAGR
2006	1,212	$99.99	$259	78%	159%	17.21%	6.4
BRICKPICKER ANALYSIS: If you thought the recent gains of the 10174 Imperial AT-ST were extraordinary, then the 10175's data will really excite you. The 10175 Vader' TIE Advanced went up 78% last year!!! That is better than Cafe Corner's numbers last year! You can see how these UCS sets explode in growth at some point after EOL. Some might take a little longer than others, but most of the sets have a value spurt at some time, you just have to figure out when that will be and buy them before they start appreciating too high to be worth investing in. As a set, the 10175 is an excellent replica of Darth Vader's ship from STAR WARS IV, The New Hope. The one issue I have with these older UCS sets is that they do not come with minifigures or are exactly to scale for them. They could be, but the designers chose against it. This set craves for Darth Vader to be sitting at the controls. Overall, this set is a great choice. Buy one now before they hit $500.

10225 R2-D2
Year Released	Pieces	MSRP (US$)	Current Value(US$)	% Return Last Year	% Return From MSRP	CAGR(%)	Over/Under Mean CAGR
2012	2,127	$179.99	New	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
BRICKPICKER ANALYSIS: Another new UCS set with no relevant sales data as of yet. This is one set the LEGO designers did a fantastic job with. Retractable leg, rotating head, panels that remove with the interface arm and saw...WOW. Plus the UCS display plaque has a R2-D2 minifigure attached. How cool is that? Needless to say, I love this set and will buy multiples for my own collection.

  CONCLUSION: As a whole, the STAR WARS LEGO sets that make up the Ultimate Collector's Series are and have been solid investment choices for the LEGO collectors who have bought them. Each and every set, from the 10179 Millennium Falcon and earlier, has yielded better returns than the average 10.81% CAGR of the standard LEGO set. The newer UCS sets have not fared that well, but that is to be expected. All new LEGO sets go through a period of heavy discounting before the set goes into EOL, or retirement as some would like to call it. Even the 10179 Millennium Falcon was discounted 20% before it was retired for good. The one thing that I noticed with these UCS sets is that they take a little longer to rebound from these discounted prices than some other themes. Maybe it's because the sets are pricier than most other themes and the discounts are larger, thus taking longer to get back to the original retail price.  Whatever the reason for the delay, once the UCS sets start appreciating, they take off like the Millennium Falcon in Hyperdrive.  Now, not all UCS sets are created equal.  Some sets like the 7181 TIE Interceptor and 7194 Yoda have not exploded in growth like the 10179 Millennium Falcon or 10026 Naboo Starfighter, but they all yielded better than the average LEGO set.

As with any sort of investment, say stocks for instance, picking the right stock(even within the same category or class), can mean a huge difference in profits and losses.  It is no different with LEGO sets.  You can see the large differences between some sets within the UCS theme.  Some appreciated well, but others exploded in growth.  Size didn't matter.  The largest(10179) and the smallest(10026) UCS sets both had the best yields, it's just that the 10179 started at a much higher price point, so the end results seemed so astronomically high in comparison.  The high original cost of these UCS sets is another reason why they appear to be such great investments.  When a $300 set averages 15%-20% annually, it doesn't take long for a set to hit $1000.  In all honesty, the UCS sets are not even close to being the theme with the best CAGR returns.  Even though on average, the UCS sets gain around 15% annually, there are many non-STAR WARS UCS based LEGO themes that  have better annual percentage yields and better percentage growth from retail, but they don't get any love because they sell for $20, instead of $2000.  As I referred to earlier, the high current prices of most of the UCS sets gives this theme a certain swagger and sexiness that other themes don't have.  Without a doubt, they are my favorite LEGO sets and these sets not only led me out of my “Dark Ages,” they also enabled LEGO to become relevant again to a lot of adults out there.  But they are not the “ultimate” investment(maybe with the exception of the 10179 Millennium Falcon) as the article title asks.  The LEGO STAR WARS Ultimate Collector Series sets are solid, above average investments that cost a lot new and sell for even more years later, if you choose to utilize them in that manner.  But it is my belief, regardless of your investment preferences, that these UCS sets are too fantastic and fun not to build, and that if you have to make a choice between keeping the UCS set sealed or building it...build it.  You won't be disappointed!

Please Note: If you do decide to open and build your MISB UCS set, keep one thing in mind...You might lose more than 50% of the value of the set if it is unsealed and built.  Although the “used” set is still worth more than the retail price of the set in most cases, losing out on hundreds of dollars might be a hard pill to swallow.  A possible solution for the LEGO investor and collector that wants to “have a sealed set and build it too,” would be to buy a cheap “used” set that does not have a box or instructions, just the pieces.  You can always go to LEGO.com for the instructions.  Sometimes you can save more than 50% on a UCS set in this condition.  Just my final two cents...

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. What's not to love about a 5000 piece 10179 Millennium Falcon or 10189 Taj Mahal and their returns? I'll tell you what's not to love...their current prices. These large iconic LEGO sets sell more than a lot of cars do. In other words, thousands of dollars. Not every LEGO collector and investor is a well-to-do AFOL, that has thousands of dollars of discretionary income to spend on big ticket LEGO sets like the new Modular Buildings or STAR WARS Ultimate Collector's Series sets. So what does a novice LEGO investor, with limited means, do? Can a person invest in smaller, more cost efficient LEGO sets and still see positive returns on their money? I believe the answer is a resounding...YES! And there are many options to do this. Let's take a look at one...

In one of my earlier articles, I spoke about LEGO STAR WARS Mini Building Sets and their investment returns and potential. These small and affordable polybag sets appreciated nicely in the secondary LEGO market, and still do. I have another suggestion for the budget conscious LEGO investor...LEGO “Battle Packs.” The “Battle Pack” is a very small LEGO set, usually less than 100 pieces. It frequently contains four or more minifigures that are theme related. They are called “Army Builders” by some, due to the fact the Battle Packs have a large number of minifigures for the set size and that they are based on warriors or soldiers of some sort. LEGO fans and collectors will buy boxes and boxes of these sets to build their own “Clone Armies” or legions of Knights in shining armor. The STAR WARS and Castle themes make up most of the Battle Pack population. They are usually less than $15(US) and can be found for less than $10 a set on auction sites like EBAY, especially if you buy in bulk or lots. But as with any sort of investments, there are good ones and bad ones, even within the same LEGO theme or category. Let's take a look at the 20 LEGO Battle Packs that have been released since 2007.

Before we take a look at each individual Battle Pack, let's take a quick peek at some statistical data for the 20 Battle Packs. Besides the set name and number, pieces, minifigure and MSRP data, we also included the percentage growth from retail and the set's CAGR value. The CAGR value, which is known as Compound Annual Growth Rate is explained further here. In layman's terms, the CAGR can be thought of as the growth rate statistic that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period. It simplifies years of different growth percentages and gives you a single number that represents compounded growth percentage of an investment, in this case, a LEGO set. The average, or mean, CAGR for the thousands of LEGO sets in the Brickpicker database is 12.81%. If a set falls above this number, it appreciates better than the standard LEGO set. If a set falls below this number, it appreciates worse than the standard LEGO set. Either way, any set that has a CAGR near 12.81% is a solid investment choice in today's finance and investment world. Let's examine the chart below, then I will break down each set with a description from LEGO.com and my investment analysis:

*Numbers in green indicate LEGO sets that appreciate better than the Mean CAGR(12.81%).

*Numbers in gray indicate LEGO sets that appreciate approximately the same as the Mean CAGR(12.81%).

*Numbers in red indicate LEGO sets the appreciate below the MEAN CAGR(12.81%).

7654 Droids Battle Pack : The Trade Federation is on the march! Send your Separatist forces into battle against the Republic with a droid transport carrier and 'hovering' STAP vehicle, complete with a full squad of armed and combat-ready battle droids. Set includes four Battle Droid and three Super Battle Droid minifigures! Build your own army and stage a battle against the #7655 Clone Troopers Battle Pack!

Brickpicker Analysis: Oldest and largest of the Battle Packs, with seven minifigures. Above average growth and the Battle Droids are hard to come by. If you are a droid fan, this set is for you. One of my favorite Battle Packs...

7655 Clone Trooper Battle Pack : The Clone Wars are on! When the Separatists attack, the Republic fights back with its legions of Clone Troopers. Build your army with an assortment of battle-ready troopers, complete with a blaster turret and speeder bike! Set includes Shock Trooper, Star Corps Trooper and two Clone Trooper minifigures. Build your own army and stage a battle against the #7654 Droids Battle Pack!

Brickpicker Analysis: Clone Troopers...LEGO's gift to STAR WARS fans. Any set with them has a great chance to be an investment winner. This set has four and has shown tremendous growth. A bit on the pricey side right now, but it is a good indicator of what sets 7913 or 9488 could do in the future.

852271 Knights Battle Pack : Whether you're building your LEGO Castle army or defending the kingdom from evil skeleton warriors, these brave knights are here to save the day. Includes five heroic minifigures equipped with lots of different weapons, shields and armor!

Brickpicker Analysis: Castle Battle Packs are great Army builders. Five minifigures in this set. A nice performer over the past several years. Future growth remains solid with the popularity of the Castle/Kingdoms themes.

852272 Skeleton Battle Pack : Knights of LEGO Castle beware -- the skeleton warriors have brought reinforcements! Build up your skeleton army with this set of five skeleton minifigures. Includes five different evil skeletons equipped with plenty of weapons, armor and gear, plus a creepy spider!

Brickpicker Analysis: The complimentary set to the above 852721 Knights Battle pack, this set also is a solid investment. Five skeleton warriors make up the set. A very popular LEGO set among the Battle Packs.

8014 Clone Walker Battle Pack : As the Clone Wars rage across the galaxy, the Republic army advances across the battlefields of hundreds of planets. Build up your army with the Clone Walker, a tough two-man vehicle with poseable legs and flick-firing missiles! Includes two Clone Troopers, Clone Gunner, Clone Commander and ARC trooper gear! Build your army and add #8015 Assassin Droids Battle Pack for even more fun! Measures over 3.5" (8cm) tall!  

Brickpicker Analysis: Another Clone Army building set. Four Clone Troopers plus a Clone Walker makes for a nice little set for investment. It has appreciated well over the last three years. Once again, this set is a good indicator where the newer Clone Battle Packs might be heading.

8015 Assassin Droid Battle Pack : Programmed for stealth and destruction, Assassin Droids are used by gangsters, smugglers and crooks on every planet from Coruscant to Tatooine. Build up your own army of these silent, skilled and sneaky droids and send them out with their flick-missile-firing speeder on secret missions all across the galaxy! Includes three Assassin Droid and two Elite Assassin Droid minifigures and two flick fire missiles! Build your army and add #8014 Clone Walker Battle Pack for even more fun! Measures 8" (20cm) long  

Brickpicker Analysis: Very 'average' Battle Pack. The CAGR is right around the mean. I guess these Assassin Droids just are not too popular with the LEGO and STAR WARS fans out there. Not a bad set, by any means, just nothing special.

852701 Troll Warrior Battle Pack : Build up your LEGO Castle army with the Troll Warrior Battle Pack! Set includes three fierce troll soldiers and two elite warriors to challenge your knightly forces, plus helmets, shields, plenty of weapons and even a rat.

Brickpicker Analysis: Excellent appreciation for this set over the past several years. The minifigures are very cool and there are five of them. These Castle Battle Packs really appreciate well. There must be a whole group of LEGO fans that build huge Armies with these sets. Nothing similar to this set on the market today...too bad.

852702 Dwarf Warrior Battle Pack : When the trolls attack, the fearless dwarfs stand ready! Build up your LEGO Castle army with these five mighty dwarf warriors with helmets, shields, weapons, mining equipment, ore and a blazing torch to light the way through underground caverns.

Brickpicker Analysis: These Dwarfs are the Giants of the Battle Pack CAGR world. This Castle themed Battle Pack leads the pack with a CAGR almost triple the average LEGO set(35.13%). Great things do come in small packages. Rare set. If you can find one at fair price, pick it up...

852747 Pirates Battle Pack : The Pirates and the Soldiers face off in an epic battle for the treasure map and the treasure chest it leads to! Who will win? Who will lose? Who does that silly monkey belong to? Only you can decide the fate of the greatest battle the oceans have ever seen! Set includes 4 LEGO Pirates minifigures, a monkey, and a treasure box.  

Brickpicker Analysis: The Pirates theme just doesn't cut it as a Battle Pack. This set falls below the average LEGO set in annual appreciation and besides the monkey and parrot, nothing is really special about this set. LEGO Pirate ships are cool, LEGO Pirate minifigures are not...

8083 Rebel Trooper Battle Pack : Help the Rebels defend their base on Hoth! Set comes with three Rebel foot soldiers, a Rebel pilot and a Rebel transport craft.

Brickpicker Analysis: This STAR WARS Battle Pack was recently discontinued, along with its sister set, the 8084 Snowtrooper Battle Pack. Both sets should appreciate well in the near future. The one neat thing about STAR WARS LEGO sets, or STAR WARS themed toys in general, is that George Lucas is constantly re-releasing movies and coming up with new material that revive some portion of the STAR WARS Universe. If the Hoth scene from Empire Strikes Back is redone, or newer LEGO sets are released pertaining to the snow environment, these 'snow' minifigures could really see a nice uptick in value...

8084 Snowtrooper Battle Pack : Defeat the Rebels with Imperial might! Set comes with 2 Snowtroopers, AT-AT Driver and Imperial Officer.

Brickpicker Analysis: See set 8083 above for more details...I personally like the STAR WARS Imperial Battle Packs more than the Rebel Battle Packs, but I guess I'm just a Sith at heart...LOL. As with the 8083, I see positive appreciation for this set after the initial drop in value(from sellers unloading excess old inventory and store discounts).

852921 Kingdoms Battle Pack 1 : Set of 5 Knight minifigures are ready to go into battle to defend the realm against all enemies. Engage the Knights against the Dragon Knights in battle for complete medieval fun! Includes 5 authentic Knight minifigures Knights are equipped with swords, shields, helmets and more Set up mock battles against the Dragon Knights!  

Brickpicker Analysis: These Castle and Kingdom Battle Packs really appreciate well. This set has almost doubled in value in two years. Another option for the Castle and Kingdoms “Army Builder” is the 8533373 Kingdoms Chess Set (now that these sets went EOL and are hard to find at a fair price). That set has 28 Kingdoms minifigures for $50(US). Not a bad deal...

852922 Kingdoms Battle Pack 2 : Set of 5 fully armed Dragon minifigures are armed and ready for mock battle. Engage the Dragons against the Knight Battle Pack for massive medieval mayhem! Includes 5 authentic minifigures Dragon knights are equipped with full battle gear: swords, shields, helmets and more Create your own battle for the kingdom!  

Brickpicker Analysis: Similar to the 852291, Kingdoms Battle Pack 1, is another rare and expensive set for its size. Like its sister set, the 852922 has and is continuing to increase in value at a good clip. A good Army building set when first released, this set is too expensive to make an Army now. Better off buying the Kingdoms Chess Set, 8533373, to populate your Kingdom.

7913 Clone Trooper Battle Pack : Unleash the might of the clone army against the Mandalorians! As the Clone Wars rage across the galaxy, the Army of the Republic faces a powerful new enemy- the Mandalorians! Build up your crack team of clone troopers with the BARC speeder, the all-new ARF clone trooper, 2 new bomb squad clone troopers and the new clone commander minifigures.  

BrickPicker Analysis: A future winner here folks...This is my favorite Battle Pack. Love the minifigures. Still can be found in some stores, even at a discount! This is a fantastic Clone Army building set and I think the orange Bomb Squad Troopers stand out from the crowd. See if you can locate any remaining sets in clearance isles at your local Target or Walmart.

7914 Mandalorian Battle Pack : Fight off the clone troopers with the Mandalorian Army! A new force has entered Clone Wars on the side of the Separatists - the Mandalorians! Build up your Mandalorian Army and take the battle to the Clone Army with Mandalorian assassin and 3 Mandalorian trooper minifigures, each with their own unique weapon.  

Brickpicker Analysis: The sister set to the 7914 Clone Trooper Battle Pack. Another future solid performer and still available on the primary market. Look for clearance items. The blue soldiers are very unique in the STAR WARS minifigure world. This set is starting to gain more traction and interest from STAR WARS fans. This might be one of those sleeper sets that you'd wish you bought cases of, yet ignored it and bought the pretty orange Bomb Squad Troopers.

853176 Skeleton Mummy Battle Pack : Battle the Pharaohs posse for the treasure! Set contains one Flying Mummy and two Mummy Warriors,a sarcophagus, jewels, snakes and a couple of scorpions.  

Brickpicker Analysis: Very under-rated theme in my opinion(Pharaoh's Quest). This is the worst performing set of the bunch, so I would stay away unless, like me, you like the Pharaoh's Quest theme. The whole package is creative with the little scorpions, jewels and sarcophagus and the kick butt Flying Mummy, but it is not an investment juggernaut by any means...

853219 Pirates of the Caribbean Battle Pack : All hands on deck for a battle on the high seas! Wage a pirate war or set out for a treasure-packed adventure with 5 salty scalawags from the LEGO® Brand Pirates of the Caribbean™ building sets. Act out your favorite scenes from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean™: On Stranger Tides film. A great gift for any LEGO Brand Pirates of the Caribbean fan.

Brickpicker Analysis: The POTC theme is coming to an end and heading into retirement. This is a neat little Battle Pack, with five quality minifigures, but who builds Armies with POTC minifigures? Answer...No one. Pass on this set. All these minifigures are readily available in the other POTC sets.

853301 Alien Conquest Battle Pack : Stage an outer space attack with the LEGO® Alien Conquest Battle Pack! The aliens have landed! Battle the outer space intruders and defend the earthling with 5 minifigures and accessories from the LEGO® Alien Conquest building sets. A great gift for any LEGO Alien Conquest fan.

Brickpicker Analysis: I really like the Alien Conquest theme, but not many others do I suppose by the looks of the data. Cool Battle Pack, but I guess there is no reason to form an Alien Army out of lovable little Aliens. Maybe LEGO should take note and make the next Alien theme more like the real Alien movie, if they want to increase sales, that is. Just my two cents....By the way, pass on the Alien Conquest Battle Pack if you like your money. LOL.

9488 Elite Clone Trooper and Commando Droid Battle Pack : Bombard the Separatist forces with the Republic artillery cannon! The Separatists have sent a new droid enemy to attack the forces of the Republic, but the clone army’s elite troopers have a new weapon of their own: the powerful Republic artillery cannon! With elevating turret and flick missile, those clankers will be running for cover! Includes 4 minifigures: ARC trooper, ARF trooper and 2 new enemy Commando Droids.

Brickpicker Analysis: New set, so the data is irrelevant at this time. As with any Clone Battle Pack, the investment growth and potential is above average to high. The two Clone Troopers are very cool and the Droids are different than most. I like the looks of this set, but without FOUR Clone Troopers, I doubt it will ever be equal to older Clone Battle Packs.

9489 Endor Rebel Trooper and Imperial Trooper Battle Pack : Surprise the Imperial troops at the Battle of Endor! Recreate the battle of Endor™ from Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi with this fantastic new battle pack. Help the Endor Rebel troopers launch a surprise attack on the Imperial forces from the secret Rebel hideout. Includes 4 minifigures: Stormtrooper, Scout Trooper and 2 Endor Rebel Troopers.

Brickpicker Analysis: As with set 9488, the data on this set is not important at this time. It is a new set and any data is skewed by sales and discounts and lack of time to appreciate. Going forward though, this looks to be another quality investment on a small scale. Personally, I dislike the Endor minifigures with a passion, but that's just me. Others might love Ewoks and weird-looking rebel uniforms, but that's for another discussion. If I had to pick between the 9488 and 9489, I would pick the Clones and Droids any day of the week...

CONCLUSION: So there you have it, the 20 LEGO Battle Packs that have been released to date. As the reader can see, there are some winners and a few losers in the LEGO investment game. Surprisingly, it looks like the Castle and Kingdoms Battle Packs are the top of the food chain, even beating out the STAR WARS Battle Packs when it comes to the CAGR data. I would imagine in the gross sales department, direct from LEGO or other primary markets, the STAR WARS Battle Packs outsell all other themes by vast quantities. But as far as appreciation and investment growth go, the Castle and Kingdoms Battle Packs are the best. As for the rest of the Battle Pack themes, although they might be creative and fun, they are not valued as 'investment' sets.

There is one issue that needs to be addressed before I conclude this anthology(LOL). The topic concerns making money from Battle Packs by “parting” out a set and reselling the pieces for more than the set was bought for. This is a very common and effective practice among the STAR WARS Battle Packs. For example, little Eddie eBayer buys a discounted Clone Trooper Battle Pack for $10. He opens the box and resells the four Clone Troopers for $3.50 apiece(which is approximately the going rate on EBAY or Bricklink). Eddie then takes the remaining pieces and sells them for $1 on his Bricklink store. So, at the bare minimum, Eddie “parts” out his Clone Battle Pack for $15 makes a 50% profit. This is on a small scale and taxes and commissions to EBAY and Bricklink are not accounted for, but you can see that there is profit to be made if you are creative and willing to put in a little effort. Multiply this by 10, 20 or 30 and you can make some serious cash. There are a boatload of these Clone Trooper lots and minifigures for sale on EBAY that sell every day, so this system works.

I'm going to wrap this story up now...It has gotten way too big for such small LEGO sets. But I guess that's the point. LEGO collectors and investors can make big money off of small investments like the LEGO Battle Packs, especially in multiples. Just like picking the right stocks, picking the right LEGO Battle Packs will make or break the investment. Knights, Trolls and Clone Troopers are good investments...Pirates and Aliens are not. The “parting” out system is a winner for those who want to put a little more effort into an investment and don't have the time for it to appreciate. LEGO investment on a small scale is a possibility and the LEGO Battle Packs are a good example of this. Once again, LEGO sets of all shapes, sizes and costs continue to impress me as a worthwhile investment and with small sets like the LEGO Battle Packs, there are enough options to cater to all walks of life...

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 potential? Let's take a look...

The LEGO Technic theme was launched back in 1977. It was one of the first 'themes' of LEGO. Along with the Space and Castle themes of the mid-1970s, the Technic line helped introduce LEGO bricks to AFOLs such as myself. One set in particular, the 853 Car Chassis, got me hooked on LEGO bricks. This set was spectacular. It had moving engine pistons, working steering, two speed transmission, and an independent rear suspension. For a LEGO set in 1977, that was one impressive design. Over the years, the Technic theme took a back seat to much more popular themes. The STAR WARS, Bionicles, and Town themes...just to name a few, overshadowed the Technic theme in popularity and exposure. But if you take a closer look at the Technic theme, you find a group of sets that are well designed, creative, and accurate in appearance, use and playability. Technic bricks have been used in standard LEGO sets, to bring unique and necessary design elements, where standard bricks were insufficient. I am a huge fan of Technic sets, yet I even ignore them, but should I? Are these sets worth 'investing' your LEGO allowance on? Let's take a look at the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400, the biggest and most expensive Technic set ever created.

Here is what Lego.com says about the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400:

Take on any tough task with the high-tech Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 400!

No job is too big for the multi-purpose Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 400! Featuring a pneumatically powered, articulated crane with working grabber and a recovery winch on the front – this mechanical monster is driven by LEGO® Power Functions. The high-tech design features working steering, 4-wheel drive and suspension, a gear block for extreme ground clearance and a detailed engine with moving pistons. Rebuild the crane and winch into a huge snow plow.

• Features pneumatically-powered, articulated crane with working grabber and winch powered by LEGO® Power Functions
• Includes a gear block for added ground clearance on any terrain
• Maneuver over anything with realistic steering, 4-wheel drive and suspension
• Watch the detailed engine go to work with moving pistons!
• Rebuild into a Snow Plow!
• Blast through any weather with the powerful Snow Plow!
• Measures over 19” (48cm) long and 12” (30cm) high

Sounds like a quite an impressive LEGO set. I'll tell you how impressive it is from a build and appearance standpoint...It has FIVE instruction manuals. Heck...it weighs close to 10 pounds. But will this “Flagship” of the LEGO Technic theme be impressive on the secondary LEGO market, such as EBAY, when it heads into retirement, or in LEGO vernacular, EOL(End of Line)? Does size really matter? Let's take a look at some comparable retired LEGO Technic sets to see if that helps give insight to future appreciation of the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400.

When comparing LEGO sets for future appreciation potential, theme and piece count are the two main categories I use to differentiate from other LEGO sets. The 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400 is the largest 'Technic' set ever created for sale to the public, so I tried to locate the four largest Technic sets that were released over the past several years and came up with these four: 8421 Mobile Crane, 8285 Tow Truck, 8258 Crane Truck and the 8275 Motorized Bulldozer. These sets range in piece size from 1384 to 1884 pieces, slightly smaller than the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400's 2048 pieces. From an appearance, build, and playability standpoint, they are all very similar. Big models, motorized functions, tons of pieces...these sets are the “Big Bad Boys” of LEGO Technic sets (Let's call them the BBB sets for future reference.). Take a look at the chart below of these four super-sized Technic sets:

THE BIG BAD BOY (BBB) LEGO TECHNIC SETS

	Year Released	Investment Age (from year released to now)	Pieces	MSRP (US$)	Current Average Price (US$)	% Change From MSRP	% Change Last Year	Average % Increase Per Year
8421 Mobile Crane	2005	7 years	1884	$149.99	$458	206%	11%	17.29%
8285 Tow Truck	2006	6 years	1877	$119.99	$464	287%	15%	25.28%
8258 Crane Truck	2009	3 years	1877	$149.99	$218	45%	17%	13.27%
8275 Motorized Bulldozer	2007	5 years	1384	$149.99	$438	192%	19%	23.9%
		5.25 years1				182.5%2		21.41%3

1. Average Investment Time(from release to now)

2. Average Total Percent Increase, from release to now, for all four BBB sets.

3. Average Yearly Percent Increase for all four BBB sets.

  The chart above illustrates what the BBB sets' MSRPs (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) were when released. It also shows their current average price according to www.BrickPicker.com. Also on the chart, the BBB sets' % increase from MSRP, % increase in the past year and the average % increase per year. Both individual set data and group totals are shown. The first thing that stands out in my mind is that all four comparable BBB sets have “increased” in value, over both the short term(one year) and long term(3-7 years). If you take into consideration the investment age of the BBB sets(LEGO set release date to now) when calculating the Average % Increase Per Year for all four BBB sets, you come up with an annual 21.41% increase per year. Now, this is an average annual return for all four BBB sets. Individually, the 8258 Crane Truck comes in on the low side with only a 13.27% annual increase from MSRP. On the high side, the 8285 Tow Truck comes in around 25.28% as an annual increase. Now the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400 is the largest of all the LEGO Technic sets, so I'm going to make an educated guess and say that it will appreciate towards the higher end of the spectrum.

Past performance is no indicator of future results, but if you were to extrapolate the future appreciation data for the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400 using the Average % Increase Per Year of 21.41% and the MSRP of $199.00, you might be able to conclude that the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400 will appreciate $42.60 in the first year after EOL. Of course, this is just all guesswork and there are no guarantees of anything, but the one continuing trend I see in LEGO investment data is that “big” sets appreciate quicker and higher than most mid sized to smaller LEGO sets. That being said, with bigger being better, it would not be surprising to see an annual increase similar to the 8285 Tow Truck's, or an annual increase of approximately 25.28%. This would result in an increase of $50.56 in the first year after EOL. That would be quite a nice bump up in value for a MISB 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400 and I know of few other investments, if any, that can possibly match that.

So, in conclusion, I have to say that I was impressed with the BBB LEGO sets and their % returns over the last several years. These sets definitely “fly under the radar” when it comes to discussions among LEGO collectors and investors. A set like the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400, which compares favorably with the BBB sets, is one impressive set in all categories...pieces, playability, accuracy, building techniques, display qualities, etc., yet I don't read about this set on any of the major LEGO forums or blogs. Well, I'm here to break that trend and tell you that the 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400 should be included on any serious LEGO collector or investor's “must buy list.” Although it is a little pricey at $199.99(US), sometimes you have to spend big to reap larger profits later on. If you are tired of STAR WARS and Modular Building LEGO sets and want to diversify your LEGO collection and possibly make a few dollars in the process, buy a 8110 Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U400. In this case, bigger is better...

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.  My thought process on this is to give the LEGO investor/collector the ability to invest in a LEGO set that is still currently being sold on the primary market, basically at MSRP, or in some cases, slightly less than MSRP.  Even recently retired sets are usually very close to MSRP.  I mean, I could recommend an $1800.00 10179 UCS Millennium Falcon to potential LEGO investors every day of the week, but who could afford it and what fun would that be?  I want the average LEGO investor/collector to be able to afford the LEGO sets that I suggest in my articles.  But is that the right and only way to make money in LEGO investing?

The answer to the last question is...NO.  Investing in new or recently retired sets and flipping them a couple of years later is only one way to make money in the world of LEGO investment.  There are over 9000+ LEGO sets in existence, and many of the older, retired sets are available on sites like eBay.com, Chowrentoys.com and ThePlasticBrick.com.  Some of these sets must be worth investing in...right?  Yes, many older and retired sets are worth investing in.  The trick is figuring out which retired LEGO set still has room to increase in value.  Most new LEGO sets increase in value shortly after they are discontinued.  Even the undesirable and forgettable sets usually show some value increase in the secondary LEGO market after being retired, albeit a tiny increase.  All new sets that are flipped a couple of years after EOL(End of Line) might not make huge sums of money for the LEGO investor, but some do.    The real question for the LEGO investor is, "How and where do you want to invest your hard earned money?  Into a safe and reliable 'new' LEGO set that could bring back a small profit(...with a possible larger payoff on some sets)?  Or do you want to take a risk on an older and retired set, that has a track record of positive growth and has appreciated a substantial amount for the current seller, but still might appreciate to the stratosphere”?  Sometimes in the investment world, you have to take a chance on the more expensive investment option to reap larger rewards.  In the case of LEGO sets, the retired sets that are large in size and price are the expensive investment options.  But which retired LEGO set should I risk my investment dollar on and why?  With that question in mind, let me suggest the 10184 Town Plan...

Here is the LEGO.com description of the 10184 Town Plan:
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the modern LEGO brick with this special-edition update of the classic Town Plan set! Completely redesigned with the best of modern bricks, details and design, the all-new Town Plan features a 1950s-style gas station with pumps, car wash and garage, a town hall with a newly-married couple, a movie theater with ticket booth, seats and posters, 2 automobiles, 8 minifigures, rare LEGO colors and elements, and more. Includes a letter from company owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who appeared as a kid on the original Town Plan box and returns on this one! Includes 3 gold bricks to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LEGO brick! 

Let's take a quick look at the 10184 Town Plan and what makes it so special.  First off, it has almost 2000 pieces(1981 to be exact).  Included in those pieces are three GOLD METALLIC BRICKS that are not found in any other set, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the LEGO brick.  The eight minifigures found in the set are exclusive to the 10184 Town Plan, which is another nice feature.  Rumor has it that the 10184 Town Plan was a limited release LEGO set, but only LEGO itself only truly knows the actual production numbers.  In addition to the special bricks and minifigures, also included in the set is a letter from company owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen commemorating the 50th anniversary of the LEGO brick.  Besides the 10179 Millennium Falcon, this is the only set I know of that has any sort of special letter or document inside from LEGO or its owner.  These are some very unique qualities that no other sets possess.  The 10184 Town Plan is one of the most highly rated sets by AFOLs and offers a quality design and building experience.  LEGO fans love the Town theme, and this set does not disappoint on any level.  All this is great, but is it worth the current market average price of $438.00+++ for a MISB and what kind of increase, if any, can we expect to see from this set in the future?

Well, in my opinion, the answer is yes...the 10184 Town Plan is still a good buy, even at $438.00+++.  Why?  Take a look at the chart below:

The chart above is of the ten LEGO sets that are similar in size to the 10184 Town Plan and are considered some of the largest sets in the LEGO world, basically anything over 1800 pieces or so falls into this class(Call them the XL sets...LOL).   These ten comparable sets were also released before 2008, the year the 10184 Town Plan was released.  These pre-2008 sets were used because I wanted to see if LEGO sets older than the 10184 Town Plan were still appreciating well, especially over the past year.  The ten comparable sets are varied in themes and minifigures, with the 10182 Cafe Corner being the closest in piece size, theme type and minifigure count.  As you can see, these sets as a group appreciated approximately 320% from MSRP, with the 10182 Cafe Corner and 3450 Statue of Liberty being the top gainers with gains of 685% and 573% respectively.  There are two things that interest me with that data.  Number one, the 10182 Cafe Corner had astronomical gains since 2007.  Number two, the 3450 Statue of Liberty might be nearing its maximum value in the secondary market.  Why?  Because it was the only set of those ten that showed negative % change last year and that it is the oldest of the sets.  Maybe there is a ceiling for older and retired LEGO sets, but is the 10184 Town Plan at that ceiling?

That question leads me to the previous year gain/loss data.  As I stated earlier, the 3450 Statue of Liberty was the only set among the ten comparable sets that showed a negative return last year(-13%).  The other nine sets showed gains from 16%(8285) to a whopping 75%(10182) for an average increase of 40% for the entire lot.  That is an incredible one-year increase for these large, retired sets.  Granted, these are some of the most popular and iconic LEGO sets in existence, yet they have been retired for years and they are still appreciating very, very well.  This bodes well for the future appreciation on the 10184 Town Plan.  Now you say, “The 3450 Statue of Liberty didn't increase in value last year!”  Very true.  Nine out of ten comparable sets had positive returns in the past year, except for the 3450 Statue of Liberty.  Why?  Maybe the set has hit its ceiling like I mentioned earlier.  The set is selling for close to $1400 and has been around since the year 2000.  It has appreciated close to 600% since it debuted and maybe it's finished appreciating or maybe there was a scarcity of MISB sets that were sold.  The 3450 Statue of Liberty is sold as a used set, most of the time, due to the lack of quality MISB 3450 sets in existence, and their astronomical high price($4000.00+ in some cases).  There is a limit to which LEGO sets will appreciate and maybe that's it for the 3450 Statue of Liberty, but taking into consideration the fact that used sets are the majority of sales and most sold listings that were considered 'new' are actually 'used,' maybe the 'used' figures are more accurate for this set(10% gain for the last year...which still shows moderate growth).  Regardless of the new/used misclassification of the 3450, if you compare the 10184 Town Plan to the 3450 Statue of Liberty in age and current price in the secondary market, The 10184 Town Plan is much newer and affordable set, and still might have a long way to go to maximize its investment potential in my opinion.

A better comparison for the future value potential of the 10184 Town Plan is the 10182 Cafe Corner.  Both sets are from the Town theme.  Both sets are approximately 2000 pieces.  Both sets have minifigures.  Both sets are similar in scale, playability and building techniques.  Both sets are creative and innovative in their brick types and colors.  Some might even say both sets are "ostentatious."

Whether or not you think these two sets are rather flashy, there is no denying the "grandiose" returns of the 10182 Cafe Corner...685% increase from MSRP and a 75% increase in value in the last year!!!  That is some serious appreciation.  Now, I'm not telling you that the 10184 Town Plan will increase 75% in the upcoming year like the 10182 Cafe Corner did in its fifth year since its launch(The 10184 was released a year later than the 10182), but even if the 10184 Town Plan appreciates in a similar manner(40% average yearly increase) to the other nine comparable sets being discussed, you can see a $175.00 increase if you buy the 10184 Town Plan for the current average EBAY price of $438.00.  Take a look at the chart below:

That is still nothing to scoff at.  Because of the special nature of this 50th Anniversary LEGO set, you might stand to see an even better return, maybe similar to the 57% increase that the 10184 Town Plan appreciated last year.  This would bring the potential value to $687.00, a possible $249.00 increase in one year.  Nice.  Now all this data and talk of potential value increases are just prognostications, or in layman's terms, guesses.  But they are “educated” guesses, with some historical data to back them up.  I originally asked whether or not it was wise to invest in older, retired sets and from the data presented, I would have to say the answer is a resounding...YES!  These older sets are still appreciating very, very well and even with the higher current prices of retired LEGO sets, one has to seriously consider investing in a "known" commodity, over a newer LEGO set that is a total crap-shoot.  Also, LEGO collectors and investors sometimes go into a buying “frenzy” when they sense certain sets are becoming too rare and too expensive to buy.  They fear not being able to obtain a discontinued LEGO set at a reasonable price and start snapping up the remaining retired sets at a very rapid pace...and higher and higher price.  This might happen to the 10184 Town Plan as it did with the 10182 Cafe Corner...might.  ;-)  Take a chance on the 10184 Town Plan.  With all of its special features and possible limited production quantities, you might be pleasantly surprised in a year...

For what it's worth...I encountered a similar situation/question two years ago when I bought my 10182 Cafe Corner.  A MISB 10182 at the time was selling for $600.00 on EBAY and I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to buy one.  Well, I did and I am very happy today, because the set is selling for around $1100.00...consistently on eBay and Bricklink, for a 83% return on investment($500.00).  Just my last 2 cents...LOL
 

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 sets:

• Themed/Licensed sets
• Large set(brick count)
• Exclusive pieces and/or mini figures

Sure, there are plenty of small sets with no mini figures that appreciate nicely over time(STAR WARS mini building sets come to mind) and non-themed sets made with regular, non-special bricks(Sculpture/Large Scale Models come to mind) that kick investment butt, but when a LEGO investor/collector can find a set with all three of those attributes, you usually find a set that skyrockets in value after it is discontinued.  One such set is 10217, Diagon Alley.  Let's take a look at LEGO.com's official description:

Expand your very own wizarding world of Harry Potter™!

No need to pass through the Leaky Cauldron. Now even Muggles can shop in Diagon Alley™ by building this fantastically magical set that includes 3 extensively detailed buildings and 11 minifigures! Join Harry Potter™, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as they shop for their Hogwarts™ school supplies. Visit Ollivander's, Borgin and Burke's, and Gringott's Bank. Each Diagon Alley building is realistically detailed. Ollivander's offers an extensive selection of wands, storage shelves and a step ladder that allows Ollivander to gather wands from the top floor. The front desk has an "exploding" function for those inconvenient times when a spell goes awry. Borgin and Burke's includes a scary skeleton, glow-in-the-dark elements, a fireplace attached to the Floo Network and a Vanishing Cabinet that Dark wizards might use to sneak in. Gringott's Bank is an impressive two-story building with double doors, and can be opened completely into a large building or closed to create a smaller building. The bank's interior features a removable vault, along with the Philosopher's Stone, a clerk's desk, a chandelier and 'wonky' support pillars. Includes 11 minifigures: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, each with magic wand; Rubeus Hagrid, equipped with his umbrella; Fred and George Weasley; 2 Gringott's goblins; Mr. Ollivander; Lucius Malfoy (in Death Eater disguise); Fenrir Greyback; and 4 new, decorated owls.

• Ollivander's measures 8" (20 cm) high x 5" (13 cm) wide!
• Borgin and Burke's measures 8" (20 cm) high x 7" (18 cm) wide!
• Gringott's Bank measures 8" (21 cm) high x 4" (10 cm) wide when closed, 8" high x 9" (23 cm) wide when opened wide!
• Completed model (depending space allocated between parts) measures 24" (60 cm) long x 12" (30 cm) deep x 8" (21 cm) high

From the LEGO description and pictures, you can see that 10217 Diagon Alley is a very detailed and accurate set, filled with nooks and crannies of all types of Harry Potter goodies.  But does that make for a valuable set?  Well, for one thing, Diagon Alley is a Harry Potter set, which makes it a themed or licensed set.  Themed sets like Harry Potter and STAR WARS usually appreciate quicker and higher than non-themed LEGO sets.  What is especially intriguing about Harry Potter sets is that they are being discontinued by LEGO shortly.  The value of 10217 Diagon Alley and other Harry Potter sets could really take off in the secondary market, once LEGO sells out.

Diagon Alley meets the first requirement of a possible investment winner, does it meet the two others?  Well, the set contains 2025 pieces, which classifies it as one of the largest LEGO sets and it is the largest of the Harry Potter sets.  So, yes Diagon Alley meets the second requirement.  As for the third requirement(Exclusive pieces and/or mini figures), the set contains five exclusive mini figures found only in this set.  Fred and George Weasley, two Gringotts goblins and Mr. Ollivander are the exclusive minifigures found only  in Diagon Alley.  The five exclusive mini figures is a great feature, but at  eleven mini figures total, it ranks among the top LEGO sets in total mini figure amounts.  So, Diagon Alley does qualify for the third requirement.

In conclusion, set 10217, Diagon Alley does meet all the requirements of a possible mover and shaker in the world of LEGO investing.  Diagon Alley is an officially licensed Harry Potter LEGO set.  Diagon Alley is one of the largest LEGO sets sold today and in the past (23rd out of 9000+ LEGO sets).  Diagon Alley has five exclusive mini figures and has eleven total mini figures, making it one of the top LEGO sets for obtaining those “Oh so valuable!” LEGO minifigures.  Also, in this author's opinion, this set is just fun to look at, play with and build, which helps make it even more desirable to people in the future.  I appreciate the dedication to details of this set and the fact that it will be discontinued in the near future, makes it a 'must have' for any serious LEGO fan, investor or collector in my opinion.
 

Battle inside the Death Star™!
Recreate the action and adventure of the STAR WARS movies with the ultimate Death Star playset! This amazingly detailed battle station features an incredible array of minifigure-scale scenes, moving parts, characters and accessories from Episodes IV and VI on its multiple decks, including the Death Star control room, rotating turbolaser turrets, hangar bay with TIE Advanced starfighter, tractor beam controls, Emperor’s throne room, detention block, firing laser cannon, Imperial conference chamber, droid maintenance facility, and the powerful Death Star superlaser…plus much more! Swing across the chasm with Luke and Leia, face danger in the crushing trash compactor, and duel with Darth Vader for the fate of the galaxy!

• Includes 24 minifigures and droids, plus all-new Dianoga™ trash compactor monster!
• Includes 6 new and exclusive minifigures and droids only found in this set: Luke Skywalker™ (Stormtrooper™ outfit), Han Solo™ (Stormtrooper outfit), Assassin Droid™, Interrogation Droid, Death Star Droid and 2 Death Star Troopers™!
• Also includes Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi™, C-3PO™, R2-D2™, Princess Leia™, Chewbacca™, Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), Darth Vader™, Grand Moff Tarkin™, Emperor Palpatine™, 2 Stormtroopers, 2 Emperor's Royal Guards™, R2-Q5™, and mouse droid!.
• Movie-authentic Death Star environments include the Superlaser control room and target monitor, Imperial conference chamber, TIE Advanced hangar bay with moving launch rack, Emperor's throne room, droid maintenance room, detention block, trash compactor, and much more!
• Rescue Princess Leia from the detention block cell, then escape through the secret hatch to the trash compactor below!
• Reenact the final duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the Emperor's Throne Room!
• Death Star measures 16” (41cm) tall and 16½” (42cm) wide!
• TIE Advanced measures 3½" (9cm) wide!

A very impressive description of an equally impressive LEGO set!  Let's go over the "investment" basics of the 10188 Death Star.  The first thing that comes to mind is the size of the set.  It is the fourth largest LEGO set currently in existence at 3803 pieces.  The 10188 also contains 24 collectible STAR WARS mini figures and droids, the most of any STAR WARS themed set or any other non-Chess or community LEGO set.  Along with this large piece and mini figure inventory comes a hefty price tag.......$399.00(US).  Comparing the 10188 to another current large STAR WARS themed set, the 10221 UCS(Ultimate Collector's Series) Super Star Destroyer, the 10188 Death is a bargain.  The 10221 sells for the same $399.99(US), yet only has 3152 pieces and only 5 mini figures.  Big difference and a much better bang for your investment buck.

I guess even at close to $400(US), the 10188 Death Star is a bargain.  That is one of the reasons why this set is still being produced after 4+ years.  The 10188 was released in 2008 and LEGO is still selling them.   One of the most common topics on LEGO forums is when will the 10188 be discontinued?  Needless to say, most forum posters have been wrong, as the set is still being produced.  The 10188 Death Star is one of the most popular LEGO sets of all time, even at $400 a pop.  The secondary sales market is salivating at the discontinuation or EOL(End of Line) of this set, yet LEGO is making a substantial amount of money from the sales of this set, so why stop?  Eventually, LEGO will stop production of this set and the prices will head northward on auction sites like EBAY.

What kind of returns can a LEGO investor/collector expect when the 10188 is discontinued?  Let's look at some pros and cons of the 10188 Death Star:

PROS:

• 10188 is a STAR WARS set...Need I say more?
• 4th largest LEGO set in existence with 3803 pieces
• 24 mini figures and droids...Most of any STAR WARS set or non-Chess/Community set
• Fantastic playability...A “dollhouse” for AFOLs.
• Is well built and displays well.  A very detailed and accurate LEGO set.
• A very popular set...4+year production run!

CONS:

• Expensive...$400(US)...But not bad when comparing to the 10221 Super Star Destroyer, which is the same price.
• A non-UCS(Ultimate Collector's Series) STAR WARS set.  UCS sets sell for more money and appreciate quicker.  Some AFOLs might argue that it is indeed a UCS set, but I say, without the UCS plaque that comes with each UCS set, it is not a UCS set.
• The 10188 is not rare.  4+ year production run means there are plenty out  there to possibly reduce prices and interest in the secondary market.
• Besides a couple minor modifications to a few of the mini figures, there are really no unique LEGO bricks to a set of 3800+ pieces.  This is not a major issue, but some other LEGO sets increase in value off of their rare pieces.  One such example is the UCS 10026, Naboo Starfighter.  The set contains 187 pieces, yet sells for $300(US)+ because it is a UCS set and has special “chrome” bricks.

All in all, I love this set.  UCS set or not, it is a must have for the LEGO investors and collectors out there, especially if you are STAR WARS fan.  There is tremendous value in this set with the amount of pieces and mini figures.  There are some people on EBAY currently that are taking new sets, removing the mini figures and reselling the mini figures and Death Star separately for more than $400.  Although there will be a ton of these sets available after they are discontinued, I still look for this set to appreciate very well after it is discontinued.  It might not be on par to the 10179, Millennium Falcon, but this set's value in the secondary market should keep pace with the other UCS sets...and that's good enough for me.
 

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.  Each set can stand alone or be used with the other modular buildings to form an entire block of LEGO buildings, with sidewalks, streetlamps and other structures found on your average city block.  Not only are these modular buildings attractive, creative and accurate in appearance, they have been highly profitable on the secondary LEGO market.  Let's take a closer look at the 10197 Fire Brigade and its 'investment' potential.

This is what LEGO writes about set 10197, Fire Brigade:

Build an authentic vintage fire station! Ding ding ding! There’s a fire in town! The fire brigade drives to the scene from this detailed and realistic 1930’s fire station. Designed to fit with other modular buildings like 10211 Grand Emporium and 10185 Green Grocer, the station features rare LEGO® pieces and innovative construction techniques. It includes a ‘30s-style fire truck, 4 minifigures, a fire-dog, an opening station garage door, and a removable building roof for interior access. It also includes 2 fully-furnished floors with fire-fighting tools, racks for the firemen's helmets, fire-pole, ping-pong table, kitchen with fully-stocked fridge, couch, bookshelf and a roof with a water tower and bell. Measures 14" (35cm) high and 10" (25cm) wide.

• Includes a 1930’s-style fire truck, 4 minifigures and a fire-dog!
• Features lots of realistic details including fire-fighting tools, racks for firemen’s helmets and even a fire-pole!
• The station house features an opening station garage door and 2 fully-furnished floors including a kitchen with fully-stocked fridge and a ping-pong table!
• Remove the roof for interior access!
• The roof is equipped with a water tower and bell!
• Fire Brigade features rare LEGO elements including bricks and plates in dark tan, 1x1 dark red tiles, a red hot dog and the 3x6x5 Belleville® arch. It also features gold fireman’s helmets, a tan hand bag and a red sliding garage door!
• Measures 14" (35 cm) high and 10" (25 cm) wide!
• Add Fire Brigade to your LEGO Town and combine it with other modular buildings like 10211 Grand Emporium and 10185 Green Grocer!

Looks like a well done and creative LEGO set, with lots of pieces and neat features.  But what about its potential as an 'investment'?  Number one, it's a 'Town Modular Building.'  That cannot be understated.  Past modulars, such as the 10182 Cafe Corner  and 10190 Market Street  have appreciated very well since the sets were discontinued.  Take a look a some values of earlier modular buildings...

SET	YEAR RELEASED	MSRP(US$)	CURRENT $(MISB)	%
10182 Cafe Corner	2007	$139.99	$874.00	524%
10190 Market Street	2007	$89.99	$844.00	832%
10185 Green Grocer	2008	$149.99	$485.00	223%

These are the three modulars that were released before 10197 Fire Brigade and look at how they have exploded in value.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this modular will also explode in value once LEGO discontinues the set.  LEGO fans love this theme and it translates into huge increases in the secondary LEGO market.

Besides the fact that the 10197 Fire Brigade is a modular building, the point that it is one of the larger LEGO sets(2231 pieces) is a huge plus.  Large LEGO sets seem to appeal to the LEGO collector/investor more than the smaller sets.  Maybe the high cost of listing fees on auction sites and the simplicity of selling one set to make 'X' amount of money instead of selling multiple smaller sets(to make similar money), makes a large set more appealing to the reseller.  The set also features rare LEGO elements, including bricks and plates in dark tan, 1x1 dark red tiles, a red hot dog and the 3x6x5 Belleville® arch, gold fireman’s helmets, a tan hand bag and a red sliding garage door, all which make it more valuable to some LEGO collectors.  This particular modular also has a vehicle in it(Fire Engine), which makes it different from the rest of the theme.

All in all, 10197 Fire Brigade is a winner in my book.  It is a well designed LEGO set that has tons of pieces(some unique to this set) and appeals to the LEGO collector/investor as well as casual LEGO fans.  The set works well with the other modular buildings and is similar enough in most respects to expect similar appreciation results.  Buy one now before they are discontinued and hit the stratosphere in the secondary LEGO market...