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    Brickpicker blog articles on LEGO investing, news, reviews, evaluations, discounts and more...
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    • Jeff Mack
      It seems that the new LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar for 2015 (#75097) is showing up as sold out on most online retail shops such a LEGO Shop at Home (globally), Target, Walmart and only 3rd party vendors have on Amazon at over $60. We still have almost the entire month of November to go, so there is still time for LEGO to restock the big box stores as well as it's own online shop.  Perhaps we can get some inventory updates from Brickpickers going out to the stores to see what clearance deals they can find.
      I have added this set to our Retail Store Tracker.  If it becomes available online, we will know about it. Make sure you go to the Stock Tracker page and add yourself to the alert system. I wonder if this has anything to do with the inventory shortage that was announced.

    • Alpinemaps
      An image of the first polybag to go with the new LEGO Nexo Knights line to be released in 2016 has made it's way online.  30371 Knight's Cycle polybag, with Royal Soldier minifigure will be released sometime in 2016.
      As you can see from the image, included will be a blue soldier with a jousting lance, riding some sort of cycle with stud shooters.  Very reminiscent of a jousting scene from other LEGO Castle themes.  In keeping with the mix of historic castle and futuristic space of the Nexo Knights theme, you can see how the two have been mixed together.

      No information has been released yet on the release date or availability of this polybag.
      For those that enjoy MOC'ing, it should be easy to recreate this in other color schemes.  The Nexo Knights will appear in colors other than blue, and the primary pieces in the image above that are in blue can easily be changed to other common colors.
      For an investment perspective, this is the first polybag of the line.  Since the line has received a lukewarm reception from some in the investment community, it remains to be seen whether there will be an significant appreciation in this polybag, or if this will be easily gobbled up for pennies on the dollar.
      You can discuss Nexo Knights with other BrickPicker.com forum members here.  Image from Brickset.com and user CM4Sci on Eurobricks.
    • Fcbarcelona101
      It is pretty amazing that we are less than 3 months from the release of the first  film of the new Star Wars trilogy: The Force Awakens.
      After George Lucas completed the much criticized, nonetheless enjoyable, prequels, I had come to the sad realization that we might never have another original Star Wars film. Sure, we would have the occasional mini series and  other smaller productions, but nothing that would really catch my attention in the same way the feature films had done up to that point.
      All of this changed when Disney acquired Lucas’ intellectual property and Star Wars rights for a record financial amount. Surely, the company would not be spending that much capital without any plans to take advantage of the brand and continue expanding its universe. Sure enough, Disney announced the release of a new trilogy just as they announced the acquisition of  Lucasfilms.
      But enough of that, we are a LEGO focused website after all. 
      Star Wars has been one of the keys in TLG outstanding rebirth and rise as the largest toy manufacturer in the world. Along with some important managerial and strategic changes, the introduction of licensed themes gave a much-needed push to the company as younger customers growing up with Harry Potter, the SW prequels and the re-release of the Original Trilogy were able to build their favorite vehicles and scenes in their own living room.
      Furthermore, the release of the Ultimate Collectors’ Series gave LEGO access to the Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL), the most attractive demographic in the market. 
      It is no surprise then that with the announcement of a new Star Wars trilogy the company has already released the first wave of sets based on the Force Awakens. While I will attempt to go over the investment attractiveness of these sets, I would like to quickly go over the historical performance of the theme and the potential impact the new movies will have on already retired and to be released sets based on the first six movies. 
      The following graph shows the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of some of the LEGO themes that have been released so far. The table is longer than this, but you can see the complete version here:
      http://www.brickpicker.com/bpms/cagrbytheme.cfm

       

         You might be surprised to see that the Star Wars theme sits well below the average at 8.78 percent, with themes such as Toy Story and other unpopular ones well above it. However, you have to remember that the number of sets released under the Star Wars license is close, if not above, 500, and it is one of the few themes that have been produced for over a decade. My point is, the theme CAGR is probably skewed negatively by these factors.
         It is also important to note that while the most iconic sets like the Ultimate Collector’s Series and other very unique sets have done extremely well, the Star Wars theme also comes with a large number of duds, in part because several remakes have been released; but also because a majority of the sets have been on a smaller scale and price point.
         Of course, we also have sets such as the 9493 X-Wing, 6210 Sail Barge (before the remake) and others that have succeeded in the secondary market without being part of the UCS.
         As with any other theme, it is a matter of forecasting which sets will be attractive or scarce in the future. Not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.
         So, what will be the impact of the new movies on these previously released sets? That’s somewhat hard to tell, but I will throw my theory out there.
         Whether the new movies are great, ok or just mediocre, I believe that they will serve as a push for newer generations to get more acquainted with the Star Wars universe. Pretty much like when the prequels were released, the newer movies will create new Star Wars fans that will in turn go back and watch every single one of the previous movies.
         Basically, I believe that the very existence of these newer movies will create an increase in demand for both Original Trilogy and, to a lesser extent, the Prequels.
          I wanted to finish this article with a short analysis of the first wave of The Force Awakens sets. While it is extremely hard to predict the popularity of these sets without gauging the impact and popularity of the movie itself, I think we can make an educated guess based on previous patterns.
      Rey’s Speeder

      "Hover into action on Rey's Speeder™! This cool landspeeder has everything Rey needs for scouting the surface of a desert planet, including dual stud shooters, opening storage hatch and side-mounted bag, blaster, buzzsaw and electrobinoculars. There’s also a detachable sled with space for a minifigure when Rey must make a quick escape down the desert dunes! Recreate your own fantastic scenes from Star Wars™: The Force Awakens. Includes 2 minifigures: Rey and Unkar’s Thug with a crowbar.
       Includes 2 minifigures: Rey and Unkar’s Thug with a crowbar Rotate the engine to open the storage hatch Grab the side-mounted accessories Unhitch the sled and get ready for an adrenaline-filled sandsurf! Recreate fantastic scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens The perfect addition to any LEGO® Star Wars collection Measures over 3” (9cm) high, 5” (14cm) long and 1” (5cm) wide” My analysis
      The smallest set in the first wave really reminds me of, wait for it, Luke’s Landspeeder. It features one of the main characters of the film (Rey), similar piece count and similar price point. As in the OT version, I think that the potential gains for this set are severely limited, especially since Rey’s minifigure is not even exclusive to this set in the 1st wave AND we are sure to see it again on future sets.
      On a more personal note, I don’t really like the speeder design at all either.
      First Order Snowspeeder
      "Call in weaponized support with the First Order Snowspeeder™! With a crew of three, this rapid response vehicle features a forward storage compartment, fixed stud shooter in the cockpit, two rapid-fire stud shooters built into the engines and transparent wheels hidden out of site for a true ‘hover’ look. Now you can recreate your own great scenes from Star Wars™: The Force Awakens. Includes 3 minifigures with assorted weapons: 2 First Order Snowtroopers and a First Order Snowtrooper Officer.
      Includes 3 minifigures with assorted weapons: 2 First Order Snowtroopers and a First Order Snowtrooper Officer Features storage compartment, cockpit-mounted stud shooter, rapid-fire shooters and hidden wheels Weapons include 2 blasters and a modified blaster Man the stud shooter and get ready to fire! Looks like it really hovers! Rotate the engines and fire the rapid-fire stud shooters Recreate fantastic scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens The perfect addition to anyLEGO® Star Wars collection Collect 75102 Poe's X-Wing Fighter for even more intense ice-planet battle action! Measures over 3” (10cm) high, 8” (22cm) long and 6” (16cm) wide" My Analysis
         This is probably my least favorite set of the whole line. It seems a little overpriced for what it includes, a not so attractive vehicle and 3 pretty generic minifigures you would rather see in a battle pack type set. I do not have high hopes for this particular set.
      First Order Transporter
      "Lower the ramp, load the troopers and get ready to transport them into battle! This heavily armored First Order Transporter™ is packed with cool features, like dual spring-loaded shooters, top-mounted dual-stud shooter and hatch with space for a minifigure, pilot cabin with opening hatch and space for 4 minifigures in the hold, big engines at the rear, and hidden, transparent wheels for a cool ‘hover’ look. You can also remove the top section for easy access. Get ready to recreate incredible battle scenes from Star Wars™: The Force Awakens! Includes 7 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: 2 Resistance Soldiers, 2 First Order Flametroopers, 2 First Order Stormtroopers and Captain Phasma.
      Includes 7 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: 2 Resistance Soldiers, 2 First Order Flametroopers, 2 First Order Stormtroopers and Captain Phasma Features dual spring-loaded shooters, top-mounted stud shooter, pilot cabin with opening hatch and space for a minifigure, hold with space for 4 minifigures, big engines at the rear, removable top section, and hidden, transparent wheels for a ‘hovering’ look Weapons include 2 blasters, silver-look blaster, titanium-look blaster and 2 flamethrowers Accessories include 6 helmets Turn the gear to lower the ramp Remove the top for easy access Looks like it really hovers! Recreate fantastic scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens The perfect addition to any LEGO® Star Wars collection Measures over 5” (15cm) high, 12” (31cm) long and 5” (13cm) wide" My Analysis
      The First Order Transporter’s main appeal is the minifigure selection, including Captain Phasma. The other 6 minifigures make it a great set for army building and possible parting out candidate; having said that, I do not see it appreciating too much unless the Captain Phasma minifigure remains exclusive to the set. Too early to tell, but the vehicle itself is just not appealing to me.
      Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle
      "Enter the battle with Kylo Ren’s personal Command Shuttle™! This fantastic, highly detailed starship has loads of features, including opening front, rear and bottom storage bays; wing-mounted, spring-loaded shooters and detachable weapon racks. And when you’re ready for even more action, activate the amazing extending wing function! It’s time to hunt down the enemy and play out your own great scenes from Star Wars™: The Force Awakens! Includes 6 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: Kylo Ren, General Hux, First Order Officer, 2 First Order Crew and a First Order Stormtrooper Officer.
      Includes 6 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: a Kylo Ren, General Hux, First Order Officer, 2 First Order Crew and a First Order Stormtrooper Officer Features opening front, rear and bottom storage bays; wing-mounted, spring-loaded shooters and detachable weapon racks, and amazing extending wing function Weapons include 2 blaster pistols, blaster and Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber Accessories include 4 helmets and an electrobinoculars element Activate the amazing extending wingfunction! Launch the spring-loaded shooters! Access the storage bays Rearm with the detachable weapon racks Recreate fantastic scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens The perfect addition to any LEGO® Star Wars collection Measures over 11” (28cm) high, 8” (22cm) long and 7” (20cm) wide with wings retracted, and over 15” (40cm) high with wings extended" My Analysis
      Somewhat similar is shape to the OT Imperial Shuttle, Kylo Ren’s transport currently gets the honor of being the only set in this first release to include one of the most popular characters of TFA. Who?, well, Kylo Ren obviously. The figure currently sells for more than $30, including is cool looking lightsaber. Besides that, the set also includes General Hux and a pretty decent number of First Order troopers.
      First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter
      "Intercept the enemy with the impressive First Order Special Forces TIE fighter™. The unmistakable shape of this iconic starfighter signifies the military might of the First Order, and features a 2-minifigure cockpit that opens from the top and bottom, 2 spring-loaded shooters and a rotating antenna for homing in on enemy starships. With this great model, you can recreate the epic excitement of Star Wars™: The Force Awakens. Includes 4 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: 2 First Order TIE Fighter Pilots, First Order Officer and a First Order Crew.
      Includes 4 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: 2 First Order TIE Fighter Pilots, First Order Officer and a First Order Crew Features iconic design, 2-minifigure opening cockpit, 2 spring-loaded shooters and a rotating antenna Weapons include 3 blaster pistols Accessories include 2 helmets Open the cockpit and load up the crew Rotate the antenna and track the enemy Load the shooters and prepare to fire! Iconic design Recreate fantastic scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens The perfect addition to any LEGO® Star Wars collection Measures over 9” (23cm) high, 7” (20cm) long and 7” (18cm) wide" My Analysis
         Not really sure what to think about this set. It is basically a traditional TIE Fighter with a different color scheme, around 100 more pieces and 4 decent minifigures for close to $15 more than the previous TIE (9492). That set is doing relatively well in the secondary market, even after several refreshes, so I guess this one could have a similar performance once retired. However, the minifigure selection is not one that I would consider outstanding.
      Poe’s X-Wing Fighter
      "Battle the forces of the First Order with Poe's X-Wing Fighter™. This customized starfighter is packed with features, like the 4 spring-loaded shooters, 2 stud shooters, retractable landing gear, opening wings, opening cockpit with space for a minifigure and space behind for the BB-8 Astromech Droid. There’s even a loader with weapon rack, extra missiles and ammunition, and a seat for a minifigure. So climb the access ladder, strap in and get ready to recreate your own great scenes from Star Wars™: The Force Awakens! Includes 3 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: Poe Dameron, Resistance ground crew and a Resistance X-Wing Pilot, plus a BB-8 Astromech Droid.
      Includes 3 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: Poe Dameron, Resistance ground crew and a Resistance X-Wing Pilot, plus a BB-8 Astromech Droid Features Poe's X-Wing Fighter, loader and an access ladder X-Wing Fighter features 4 spring-loaded shooters, 2 stud shooters, retractable landing gear, opening wings, opening cockpit with space for a minifigure and space behind for the BB-8 Astromech Droid Loader features a weapon rack, missiles, ammunition and a seat for a minifigure Weapons include 2 blaster pistols and a wrench Accessories include 3 helmets Open the wings and get ready for combat! Resupply with the loader Fire up the engines, retract the landing gear and launch! Iconic design Recreate fantastic scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens The perfect addition to any LEGO® Star Wars collection Play out exciting snow-planet battles against the 75100 First Order Snowspeeder Measures over 4” (11cm) high, 14” (37cm) long and 12” (32cm) wide with wings open and over 3” (8cm) high with wings closed" My Analysis
         Definitely my second favorite set of the whole release. This newer version of the X-Wing is much more different from the previous than the TIE Fighter, and it also includes Poe Dameron, and BB-8. While I believe that BB-8 will be as easy to find in sets as R2 was in OT sets, the inclusion of Poe and the unique look of the ship will in my opinion boos demand for this set once the movie is released.
      Millenium Falcon
       
      "One of the most iconic starships of the Star Wars™ saga is back, and it’s leaner and meaner than ever before! As featured in exciting scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, this latest LEGO® version of the Millennium Falcon™ is crammed with new and updated external features, including an even more streamlined and detailed design, detachable cockpit with space for 2 minifigures, rotating top and bottom laser turrets with hatch and space for a minifigure, dual spring-loaded shooters, sensor dish,ramp and an entrance hatch. Open up the hull plates to reveal even more great new and updated details inside, including the main hold with seating area and holochess board, more detailed hyperdrive, secret compartment, extra boxes and cables, and storage for spring-loaded shooter ammo. And of course no LEGO Millennium Falcon model would be complete without Han Solo and Chewbacca, as well as other great characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Activate the hyperdrive and set course for LEGO Star Wars fun! Includes 6 minifigures with assorted weapons: Rey, Finn, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Tasu Leech and a Kanjiklub Gang Member, plus a BB-8 Astromech Droid.
      Includes 6 minifigures with assorted weapons: Rey, Finn, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Tasu Leech and a Kanjiklub Gang Member, plus a BB-8 Astromech Droid Exterior features streamlined and detailed design, detachable cockpit with space for 2 minifigures, rotating top and bottom laser turrets with hatch and space for a minifigure, dual spring-loaded shooters, sensor dish, ramp, entrance hatch and opening hull plates Detailed interior includes a more detailed hyperdrive, holochess board, secret compartment, extra boxes and cables, and storage for spring-loaded shooter ammo Weapons include a blaster pistol, silver-colored blaster pistol, blaster, gang pistol, gang rifle and a bowcaster Lift the hull plates and check out the detailed interior Become a make-believe holochess master! Detach the cockpit Fire the dual spring-loaded shooters Hide weapons and other cargo in the secret compartment Pretend to activate the hyperdrive and make a fast getaway! Recreate fantastic scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens" My analysis
      Not at all unexpected, LEGO remade this set for TFA wave with some slight modifications. The Millenium Falcon is the most iconic set of the entire SW universe, and the performance of the previous version, even though it has been retired for only a relatively short period of time, indicates that this should share a similar fate. Of course, you can also plan for it to last a long, long time on the shelves.
      Excellent minifigure selection, including Old Han Solo.
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      I went a little longer than I would have liked, but I hope this pretty rough look of the first wave of Force Awakens sets was interesting and helpful to you. Once the movie is released and interest can be gauged more accurately, it might be good to come back and revise some of my comments.
      Thanks for reading!


    • Jeff Mack
      With any business whether it be a large corporation or a small website like BrickPicker, business models change.  At times, you need to ask yourselves what it is that you are looking to achieve with the product you are working on.  Since the beginning, Ed and I have always set out to try and help the LEGO investor and reseller save and make money.Today we are announcing that Brick Classifieds will be changing to the FREE / NO FEES model.  I don't think you can really complain about that now can you.  We want to help you, the LEGO investor/reseller, to move your product.  Hopefully with some of the new tools that we have added to the system and the new ones that are being worked on right now, you will help spread the word to check Brick Classifieds first to find the best prices on LEGO items.
      Since there are no commissions taken out of your sale, we hope that you will work to price your items accordingly. If you are not going to lose fees, you should be pricing it lower on Brick Classifieds than on the other marketplaces so that you can still make the most money.  Lower prices will help bring new buyers.  Once buyers learn to check Brick Classifieds for best pricing, they will check Brick Classifieds first which means more money in your pocket instead of someone elses.
      We have made some updates to the product detail page of Brick Classifieds. We have included listings from other Brick Classifieds sellers as well as listings from eBay and Amazon.  We are trying to show the buyer where they can get the best deal.  If you, the seller, do your job correctly, they should want to buy the product from you and not go to the big shops.  If the prices are better on eBay or Amazon, hopefully the buyer will click through and Brick Classifieds can earn some revenue through affiliate programs. Over the next few days we will be adding feeds from BrickOwl and still looking to see what can be done with BrickLink.
      It's been a while since I made a post about updates, but here are somethings that have changed on Brick Classifieds:
      Seller fees have been changed to 0% Removed the Trade feature.  That has now returned to the BrickPicker forum. Entire site is in https (SSL) mode Created an infinite scroll page to easily see all the latest items that have been posted on the site Built a Store Banner Generator for you to design a custom banner for your store profile page.  This could be useful for posting specials and discounts
      One of the big things we want to do is help spread the word about Brick Classifieds.  We created a tool that will allow you to select random products in your store or pick the actual items you want displayed.  It will create a snippet of code that you can use to display your store products on forums, websites, eBay, where ever.  Just paste the code we give you and your items can be shown anywhere.
      In the coming days, there will be an update to the price guide template on BrickPicker that will include listings of sets on Brick Classifieds Everything you need to sell LEGO items is here for you.  The price is right, that is for sure. The thing is to get the word out, price aggressively and get the buyers out there to learn more about your shop here on Brick Classifieds that has great prices. Viral marketing from all of you is the best way to get people to see your listings.  Price the items better than eBay, Amazon, etc.  They will buy from you and you will save on the fees.  It is a win for everyone.  Put a snippet about Brick Classifieds in a eBay listing here or there to let them check out your store.  I am sure they would be happy to pay a lower price and know that you are most likely padding the price to help pay the eBay fees.  
    • Fcbarcelona101
      There have been a lot of changes since LEGO almost went bankrupt in the early 2000s: licensed sets became the norm, better designs started coming into production andLEGO became the world’s largest toy manufacturer.
         All this changes and subsequent success created a new breed of investing:  buying sets and holding after their retirement date. For years, this alternative market went unnoticed, propping up the prices of popular sets such as the 10179 Millenium Falcon. As expected, however, higher returns attracted new investors, inherently changing the way the secondary market behaved.
        In this new era, with many more participants and higher price pressure, it is extremely easy for newer investors to get burnt out, make mistakes or even completely forget about their LEGO investing hobby (or business). For this reason, I decided to write this short article with some investment tips and strategies that can help the newer participants enjoy and make money from their favorite toy brand.
      Golden Rule: Set your long term goals
         LEGO investing is a lot like more traditional financial planning. If you don’t take the time to set some objectives, there will be no way to completely gauge success or even to properly develop an investment strategy. For that reason, the first step will be to figure out what exactly you are trying to achieve:
      Do you see LEGO investing as a key part of your investment portfolio or more as a side business/hobby for extra cash?
      To me, this is the most important question. Someone willing to seriously put some money into LEGO for the long term will need to consider a vastly larger number of factors than someone who is just willing to put in a small percentage of their funds. Insurance, proper storage and fund allocation take a more important role in the case of the former.
      In the case you see this more as an online business, a good inventory tracking system, shipping supplies and time will be the main 

      considerations.
         Once you have determined you long-term strategy, it is important to figure out which types of sets you will be investing in.
         To me, focusing on large LEGO exclusives is the “safer” way to lock in a pretty decent return in the long term. While the capital investment and storage space required to invest in these sets is significantly higher/larger than the average, most of them have also produced some of the most consistent and positive returns in the investment market.
        It is easy to see why. We are talking about iconicand highly detailed sets, from both licensed and unlicensed themes, that the adult collector with a higher disposable income is very attracted to. That’s definitely the most attractive target market when investing in LEGO sets.
        Furthermore, the higher price point and space requirements limit the amount of sets that can be hoarded by the average investor, thus reducing supply in the long term. While some people may be able to spend several thousand dollars and dedicate a whole room to store those dozens of Death Stars, most people struggle with at least one of those two key considerations.
         This is not to say investing in smaller sets or even figures makes no sense. We all know that sometimes sets like the X-Wing 9493 produce outstanding percentage returns for one reason or another, so it is completely understandable for investor to consider these for investment. Also, non-exclusives get the advantage when it comes to acquiring them at significant discounts given LEGO’s policy of not allowing discounts on exclusives.

         The problem with these sets, in my opinion, is that it is so much harder to pick winners and avoid purchasing the duds. Does Home One ring a bell?
       Setting up an strategy
         After deciding which blend of sets you will be pursuing, it is time to set up a buying strategy. I think it is extremely helpful to figure out how many copies of a particular set you would like to have before retirement, and making periodic purchases to make sure you meet that goal.
         As an example, you could decide that you will purchase one Palace Cinema each month to make sure you get to your desired goal of 10 before retirement. Making sure you stick to your strategy will make it easier for you to achieve your minimum goal and avoid having to scramble to get multiple quantities when the set starts disappearing from the market.
        How many times have you read someone mentioning that they would like to have a couple more of a particular set when it is already too late? Don’t make that mistake yourself! If by the time a set starts showing signs of retirement you already have your minimum quantity, then whatever you are able to acquire after that will be just an extra source of happiness instead of stress.
         Of course, your strategy can be flexible enough to make sure that you are taking advantage of potential deals or discounts. For example, LEGO will be offering double VIP points in early October and it might make sense to hold this month’s purchases until then. Having said that, I recommend making this kind of behavior an exception rather than the norm; It just does not make sense to completely miss out of a set that ends up appreciating more than 50% because you waited a couple weeks to save 10%.
      Core-Satellite Approach
         Just like in the stock market, you can insert a little variety into your investing life by following the core-satellite approach.
         For example, let’s assume you have an investing budget of $1000 per month. You could divide this into a core fund of $800 that you will allocate to long term, safer investments (exclusives, Ideas sets or whatever you really want to add to your portfolio and keep for the long haul), while keeping the remaining $200 for riskier bets. You think Raptor Escape will be a Zombies 2.0? You can throw your money into some of those; want to try and flip some Wall-E sets before they are available? That works too!
         By dividing your investments in this manner you pretty much guarantee you’ll invest the $800 every month, while still having some money to test your set-picking prowess.
        This leads nicely into my last point. Personally, I believe that investing in LEGO should be not only profitable, but fun as well. It is easy to get inpatient or even bored when all you are doing is hoarding sets and not making any money out of it. While this is an essential part of any investment, I find that people should always try to keep things interesting and fun by trying to flip sets, sell minifigures or even re-selling used sets. Any of these activities will generate some extra income and make you feel a little more excited, therefore avoiding falling into a routine that can get boring over time.
         Obviously, these tips will not work for everyone. Find what works for you, think about your goals and stick to an strategy and you will be in the path of having a pretty healthy alternative income stream in the long run.
         Hope you enjoyed this article, thanks for reading! 
       
    • Fcbarcelona101
      There is one thing LEGO investors and resellers fear more than getting banned from Shop at Home: set re-releases.
      As you all know, LEGO production runs for a particular set is limited to a period between a few months to several years. Once the set hits the end of its life, investors expect never to see that set again at retail price and reap the benefits of secondary market demand and price increases.
      While in the vast majority of cases this is the norm, every once in a while LEGO decides it is time to bring a previously released set back into the primary market. Re-releases are usually improved versions of the previous set including new building techniques, pieces and exclusive minifigures.

      While the re-birth of previously retired sets can bring happiness to collectors that previously missed out, the opposite is usually true when it comes to investors. The possibility of buying a newer version for retail diminishes the need for collectors to pay higher secondary market prices, resulting in a decrease in demand and the expected price decrease. Investors dump the old set quickly in order to secure a small profit or to cut their losses; market reaches equilibrium.
      Up until fairly recently, re-releases had been limited to smaller or mid-range play sets like Jabba’s Sail Barge. The impact of the newer version is easily observed in the graph below:

      While this kind of issue annoyed re-sellers, it was what came after that really started worrying them: the re-release of an Ultimate Collector’s Series set; the 10240 X-Wing.
      Somewhat different from the original model, this was LEGO’s first attempt to re-releasing one of the largest and most expensive sets in the secondary market. This issue has hurt the original version, 7191, significantly over the last couple of years; a 2 year and 1 year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of  -4.27 and -25.34 percent respectively according to the latest Brickpicker data.           
      Despite the negative impact of the newer release, the original UCS X-Wing is still up over              500 percent of its original retail price. The serious collector is more than likely the source of demand for this set at the moment, which coupled with the relative scarcity has provided a price floor for 7191.
      After the re-release of a UCS set, LEGO had opened the door to similar actions in the future. A lot of investors commented that this would be the beginning of the end of LEGO investing the way we knew it, and decided to make adjustments to their long-term investment strategy.
       Enter the Winter Village holiday theme, one of the most admired and popular production lines in LEGO’s arsenal.
      So far, LEGO has consistently released one new set per year on this line, while keeping no more than 2 on the shelves in any particular holiday season. Consequently, LEGO retires one Winter Village themed set per year, making it one of the most easily predictable retirements out there.
       As investors, you can quickly understand why something like this would be appealing: shorter production runs limited to a few months of each year, somewhat concrete retirement dates and huge popularity with collectors are factors we all would like to see more when investing in LEGO.
       Not surprisingly, the performance of the Winter Village theme has been quite stellar, as you can easily tell from the charts below:

      Those are not only some really nice looking sets, but also pretty good investment returns.
      Now, the real issue: LEGO recently announced the new release for this year’s holiday season, the Winter Village Toy Shop (2.0).  From the pictures, you can see that in this case the company took re-releases to a whole new level by only slightly changing the previous model. Basically, we ended up with the same exact set as 2009 with very minimal cosmetic alterations, in addition to suggesting to move the Christmas tree to the complete opposite side of the display.

       
      If you are a frequent visitor to the site’s forums, you will remember the uproar this release caused with investors and collectors alike. On one hand, it hurt investors that still held the previous version, while on the other it hugely disappointed collectors that expected to be able to add a new structure to their Winter Village town.
      What immediately followed the announcement was not really hard to predict: dozens of new listings for 10199 popped up on eBay and other selling venues from sellers trying to realize their gains. The priced dropped very quickly, as sellers undercut each other hoping to get rid of the inventory way before the newer Toy Shop hit the shelves in a couple weeks.

      Why would LEGO do this with so many different potential buildings that still can be added to the Winter Village town? I can think of a few potential reasons:
      The Winter Village Toy Shop is perhaps the most popular set of the entire WV line. The sales numbers on eBay seem to indicate that the Toy Shop sells the best in the entire line, with the Winter Village Bakery being a close second. LEGO determined that demand for a Toy Shop release increased with the release of last year’s Santa’s Workshop. Collectors that purchased the set last year may now be more likely to purchase a place for all of those freshly made toys to be sold. Being the older of the WV sets, the company determined it to be cost effective to bring it back with a few modifications and focus their efforts on other popular lines. Think Episode VII sets coming in the next few months. We probably will never know the actual reasons executives at TLG decided to go with a re-release instead of a completely new concept, but the reasons above make some sense to me.
      Now, does this mark the beginning of the end of the Winter Village line excellent secondary market performance? I honestly don’t believe so. Rarely we will find another theme that is so easily predictable as far as production runs and retirement dates, and even if LEGO re-released every single set every 4 years, by that time most of the post EOL price appreciation would have taken place anyway.
      The key with this line will be, in my opinion, to hold the sets for a shorter time period, say 2 years, and sell to realize the gains. Why run the risk of this happening again when we already have proof that LEGO is willing to bring the older sets back?
      Thanks for reading.
       
       
    • Jeff Mack
      Ahoy me hearties! You'll have to wait another week if you normally buy your copy of Blocks magazine in the shops, but Issue 8 has just landed in the office and is already on its way to subscribers! 
      Feel left out having to wait? You can join them at www.blocksmag.com
      I really look forward to each one of these magazines.  The content is interesting and I really enjoy reading about all the people that have found a way to make a living off of the brick.  There is a special guest writer in this issue of Blocks, someone you know from here very much...(Ed Mack  )
       
    • Jeff Mack
      Experience the wonderful LEGO® Creator Ferris Wheel!
      Build the iconic Ferris Wheel, featuring 12 colorful suspended gondolas with opening doors, ice cream stall, kiosk, 10 minifigures and more.
      Build the majestic Ferris Wheel, the star of the fairground! This delightful LEGO® Creator Expert model has an iconic elegance that evokes feelings of nostalgia, romance and adventure. The carnival has come to town and the ice cream vendor is busy serving a long queue of excited customers as they await their first ride on the magical Ferris Wheel that towers above the fairground. Slowly turn the crank and watch as the Ferris Wheel gracefully lowers the colorful gondolas into position for boarding. Raise the boarding platform with a simple pull of the lever, open the gondola door and help the passengers aboard! Have fun building this elegant model with an authentic charm and magic that will capture your imagination. You can also motorize the Ferris Wheel with the LEGO Power Functions 8883 medium motor and 88000 AAA battery box (not included). Includes 10 minifigures: a ride operator, ice cream vendor, 4 children and 4 adults.
      • Includes 10 minifigures with assorted accessories: a ride operator, ice cream vendor, 4 children and 4 adults
      • Features a Ferris Wheel ticket kiosk, ice cream stall, a bench and assorted flower and tree elements
      • Ferris Wheel features decorative elements, ramps, boarding platform and 12 colorful gondolas with opening doors
      • Accessory elements include a pretzel, balloon, 2 ice cream cones and an ice cream scoop
      • Includes an amazing 2,464 LEGO® elements
      • Climb aboard the Ferris Wheel!
      • Turn the crank and watch the Ferris Wheel turn
      • Motorize the Ferris Wheel with the LEGO® Power Functions 8883 medium motor and 88000 AAA battery box (not included)
      • Ferris Wheel measures over 23” (60cm) high, 21” (55cm) wide and 14” (38cm) deep
      10247 Ferris Wheel Ages 16+. 2,464 pieces. US $199.99 – CA $229.99 – DE 179.99€ – UK £149.99 – DK 1499.00 DKK *Euro pricing varies by country. Please visit shop.LEGO.com for regional pricing.  
      Available for sale directly through LEGO® beginning
      June 2015 via shop.LEGO.com, LEGO® Stores or via phone:
      US Contact Center 1-800-453-4652
      CA (English) Contact Center 1-800-453-4652
      CA (French) Contact Center 1-877-518-5346
      European Contact Center 00-800-5346-1111
    • seanelliotpng
      Introduction to Asia:
      In recent years, The LEGO Group has seen its sales of our favorite toy brick rise greatly, especially in Asia. Here, the local LEGO Scene is abuzz with activity, with annual sales seeing a 35% increase across Asia in 2013. With the recent opening of Legoland Malaysia just over a year ago, with another Legoland slated for Japan in 2017, its not surprising that the brick is becoming so popular.
      I am aware that many of you have questions about what the LEGO Scene in Asia is like. As such, this will be the first in a series of Articles detailing almost every aspect of the Asian Market, from Lego Polybags to the LEGO “Mecca” that is Hong Kong.
      An Overview:
      In light of recent events with the opening of the first Legoland in Asia and The LEGO Movie, the local LEGO Market is growing day by day. Local LEGO User Groups (LUGs) conduct mass orders frequently, while resellers scramble to procure newly released LEGO exclusives for the hungry Asian market.
      Asian LEGO Prices have always been higher than those in the United States and much of Europe. The local MSRP is roughly double that of the US and EU. Prices here are pretty close to that of the UK, Australia and New Zealand, but while all these regions have Official LEGO Stores, Asia has close to none.
      As such, LEGO Exclusives and Polybags such as the 40078 Hot dog Stand which was given away for free with purchases, sells for well over SGD$25 or USD$20 on the local eBay. One can only imagine how much other exclusive sets and polybags sell for.

      40078 Hot Dog Stand 
      Very Hard to Find in Asia
      As a LEGO Collector myself, it is quite a challenge getting all the sets I want at prices that I can afford. With such high MSRP at local retailers and toy stores, and the absence of LEGO Exclusive sets, it is no wonder that resellers are thriving on the price difference. A good example of this would be In’s Point in Hong Kong, a small building with many shops dedicated to selling LEGO Sets that are retired, Hard to Find and LEGO Exclusives.
      General Trends:
      I can’t say much about which themes or sets are more popular in Asia, as it is generally the same as the UK, US, EU etc. However, the sets that perform the best seem to be the LEGO Store Exclusives such as the Ultimate Collector Series of Star Wars and Batman Sets, CREATOR Models such as the T1 Camper Van and MINI Cooper, Seasonal Exclusives and of course, LEGO Ideas or CUUSOO.
      Set Number
      (Year of Release) Set Name USA Retail (USD) Asian Retail
      (Prices taken from Singapore, values in USD) Immediate Cross Comparison
      (Percentage of USA Retail) Current Market Value, USA New
      (USD, as of October 2014) Current Market Value, Asia New
      (USD, as of October 2014) Overall Percentage Growth, USA Overall Percentage Growth, Asia Notes 10179
      (2007) UCS Millenium Falcon $499.99 $799.20 159.84% $3123.47 $5999.20 524.71% 650.65%   10188
      (2008) UCS Death Star $399.99 $639.92 159.98% $451.60 $622.34 12.90% -2.25% Not Yet Retired, still Available at Retail Outlets 10212
      (2010) UCS Imperial Shuttle $259.99 $399.99 153.90% $431.20 $544.29 65.85% 36.08%   10215
      (2010) Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter $99.99 $239.92 139.94% $120.83 $256.00 20.84% 6.70% Vehicle was from the Prequel movies, not as Iconic or popular 10221
      (2011) UCS Super Star Destroyer $399.99 $639.20 159.80% $646.46 $800.00 61.62% 25.16%   10227
      (2012) UCS B-Wing Starfighter $199.99 $319.92 159.97% $214.09 $256.00 7.05% -20.02% Recently Retired in 2013 As you can see, there is a very large price difference between the USA prices of LEGO, and that of Singapore, Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. This trend also exists in regular sets and Retailer Exclusives. For example, 21109 Exo-Suit retailed on the secondary market for well over USD $80 in Singapore, despite having a US RRP of only USD $35.
      It is worth noting that straight off the mark, there is already a significant price difference in the retail prices of sets in Asia and the USA, presenting significant opportunities for Turboflipping sets to overseas buyers, capitalizing on the price difference. It is interesting to see how the growth rate and appreciation value of sets in Asia is actually less than that in the United States. This may be due to many collectors or investors buying from overseas, and lowering prices by selling for less than the Asian Retail amount. Hence, resulting in the "negative appreciation" of certain sets.
      As in all markets, retired sets increase in value as well, which is good for the LEGO Investor. A recent listing for 9492 TIE Fighter sold for more than USD $120, despite being fairly recent and having a US RRP of USD $55.
      So there is indeed money to be made in the Asian Market, with Exclusive sets fetching really high prices.
      For those who wish to make money, Turboflipping and Capitalizing on new releases and Retail Price differences is the way to go. As for investment, I would suggest stocking up on the Original Trilogy Sets such as the Death Star and Red-Five while they are still available. It is worth to note that like the rest of the world, it is the OT Vehicles that register the highest profits.
      Asia Exclusives
      An advantage that Asia has over the rest of the world however, is in the release dates of its sets, and various Asian “Exclusive” sets. Asia typically has early releases of LEGO sets, with the January wave being released in early December, and August Wave released in June. This makes exporting sets from Asia to the USA or UK particularly profitable.
      Sometimes, Asia also gets ahold of certain sets that are unavailable to the rest of the world. For example, the LEGO CUUSOO Shinkai 6500 Submarine was exclusively released to Japan, and now sells for over USD $600, while the LEGO Architecture Marina Bay Sands was exclusive to Singapore (my country!) and is worth around USD $400 or so.

      Recently, LEGO partnered with Shell to release a second wave of the Shell-Ferrari LEGO Polybags to accompany the Annual Formula 1 Night Race in Singapore. This is similar to the 2012 Wave of polybags, except this time it is exclusive to Singapore only. As expected, this made the prices of the original Shell-Ferrari Polybags increase by quite a bit, to around USD $100 for a set of 7 (1 of Each).

      2012 Shell Polybags
      Exclusive to Singapore and Asia

      2012 Shell Polybags
      Exclusive to Singapore and Asia
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      In Conclusion:
      There is money to be made in the Asian market for LEGO, and the growing market and popularity of our favorite brick is only going to increase profits and prices. For those of you who are investors, you might want to consider contacting your friends or relatives in Asia to help you get ahold of some of these nice Asian Exclusives. For those of you who are resellers, it wouldn’t hurt to add International Shipping to your listings to get a nice 50% to 100% profit on new exclusives.
      This is my first ever Brickpicker article, and it is only the “Introduction” to LEGO in Asia. I’m thinking of making this the 1st of a 3-part series talking about Asia in general, so do tell me what else you would like to see or what I can improve on by leaving a comment!
      Also, if you have any other questions, do feel free to send me a private message so I can address them directly.
      Cheers!
    • Neosphinx
      The Green Image
      Over the past several years, The LEGO Group has made an effort to be a "green" multinational company.  Investing in large wind turbines was one way they illustrated this desire to become an ecologically friendly company.  Another way was reducing their carbon use and abuse.  One way to do this was to shrink their LEGO box size.  As the company stated in this memo...
      According to what our friends at the LEGO Company are putting on their website, they have seriously plans to reduce their ecological footprint.

      It has been proven that the accelerated rate of CO2 pollution has a negative impact on the earth’s atmosphere. The continuing industrialization of the modern world is one of the key-factors to this pollution. Whether the pollution is really a hazard to Earth’s atmosphere, I will not go into in-depth.  I do applaud companies like The LEGO Group for trying to go for CO2-neutrality. The people at LEGO have calculated that approximately 15% of the entire Group’s CO2 impact is associated with packing. It seems a logical step that one of TLG’s plans to tackle this problem was to decrease the size of their set boxes.
      Slim Boxes
      The first line of 'slim' boxes was released in 2013 and by 2015; the entire line available in shops should be replaced. It would bring down the usage of cardboard by up to 4000 tons annually and it will reduce the CO2 impact by around 10% of the packaging process. Smaller boxes would also benefit the retailers as they can put more boxes on their shelves.  Shipping costs will be decreased too so it seems to be a win-win for all. Let’s take a look at some of those slim boxes. I assume that all boxes brought out in 2014 are of the newer ‘slim’ kind and all boxes prior to 2013 are those of the ‘fat’ kind. In order to establish if the boxes have actually become slimmer, my criteria are the volume of the box, the amount of pieces and also very important, the weight of those boxes.
      Example 1: Modular Building Series
      As first example, I’ll take the Modular Building Series 10224-1 Town Hall has the largest piece count and 10243-1 Parisian Restaurant, the second largest. I also added 10211-1 Grand Emporium. The conclusion here would be that indeed the box size has been decreased. As a note here, I add that there are plenty smaller pieces in the 10243-1 than in the 10224-1 and 101211. That explains the numbers you find when comparing the piece count and weight to the other sets mentioned. It is looking good here. If I take the average volume for 10224-1 and 10211-1, I calculate 29.8dm³. That would make the 10243-1 a whopping 25% smaller.
        10211-1 Grand Emporium 10224-1 Town Hall 10243-1 Parisian Restaurant Released 2010 2012 2014 Piece Count 2182 2766 2469 Weight (g) 2900 3820 2610 Dimensions (cm) 58.2 x 47.8 x 8.8 48 x 58 x 12.5 58 x 38.5 x 10 Volume (dm³) 24.48 34.8 22.33 Pieces/dm³ 89.13 79.48 110.57 Weight/dm³ 118.46 109.77 116.88 Example 2: CITY Trains
      Another very popular series of sets over the years have been the LEGO City Trains. I left 3677-1 Red Cargo train out of the comparison to spread the production dates. All sets have a similar piece count and all have Power Functions that comes with them. Here the difference is smaller than the MBS example above. We can even see the box size of 60052-1 growing with 2% compared to the 7939-1. Of course, there are 49 pieces more in the latest set so that needs to be taken into account for the City Trains example.
       
        7898-1 Cargo Train Deluxe 7939-1 Cargo Train 60052-1 Cargo Train Released 2006 2010 2014 Piece Count 856 839 888 Weight (g) 2990 2790 2904 Dimensions (cm) 64.77 x 47.75 x 9.4 52.83 x 37.85 x 12.45 58.2 x 48 x 9.1 Volume (dm³) 29.07 24.9 25.42 Pieces/dm³ 29.44 33.69 34.93 Weight/dm³ 102.85 112.05 114.24 Example 3: DC Comics
      One of the more popular series with all the attention from the motion pictures are the DC and Marvell Comics series. I took 3 sets with comparable piece count from the DC Comics line up. While having a larger piece count, the box of 6864-1 does seem to be smaller than the one of 76013-1. The difference is a striking 14% even in the disadvantage of the latter one. Compared to the oldest set of the three with the smallest , the 76013-1 is a comforting 22% smaller.
        7888-1 The Tumbler 6864-1 The Batmobile and The Two-Face Chase 76013-1 Batman: The Joker Steamroller Released 2008 2012 2014 Piece Count 449 531 486 Weight (g) 1020 930 860 Dimensions (cm) 48 x 25.5 x 9.4 47.5 x 28.45 x 6.1 38.2 x 26.2 x 9.4 Volume (dm³) 11.5 8.24 9.4 Pieces/dm³ 39.04 64.44 51.7 Weight/dm³ 88.69 112.86 91.49  
      Example 4: STAR WARS Battle Pack
      I assume these are one of the best-selling sets for LEGO apart from any City set. The weight for all battle packs are the same but the piece count for 8014-1 does differ somewhat from the other 2. The best comparison for box size would be the 2 latest editions. So what we see here is that the box of the 2014 set is 12% larger than 7913-1, the set from 2011. I personally think this example is a very important one due to the similar weight, piece count and included booklets.
       
       
        8014-1 Clone Walker Battle Pack 7913-1 Clone Trooper Battle Pack 75036-1 Utapau Troopers Released 2009 2011 2014 Piece Count 72 85 83 Weight (g) 110 110 110 Dimensions (cm) 19 x 13.9 x 4.5 19.1 x 14.1 x 4.1 19.1 x 14.1 x 4.6 Volume (dm³) 1.19 1.10 1.24 Pieces/dm³ 60.5 77.27 66.94 Weight/dm³ 92.43 100 88.71 Example 5: STAR WARS set (Large)
      For this example, I thought long and hard of which set to use and the one that came to mind was the AT-AT. Various versions of this behemoth have been brought out over the years and the piece count of all sets is about the same. The 8129-1 version of AT-AT was left out due to the ridiculously oversized box and the non-comparable piece count. The box size of the 2014 model has made great progress compared to the older versions. 75054-1 has 18% less volume than 10178-1 and 54%(!) less than the 4483-1 model. We should note here that the 10178-1 does have Power Functions and those parts do weigh extra and take more room than ordinary pieces.
        4483-1 AT-AT 10178-1 Motorized Walking AT-AT 75054-1 AT-AT Released 2003 2007 2014 Piece Count 1068 1137 1137 Weight (g) 1970 1730 1520 Dimensions (cm) 57.5 x 38.3 x 9 38 x 57 x 7 48 x 37.8 x 7.1 Volume (dm³) 19.82 15.16 12.88 Pieces/dm³ 53.88 75 88.27 Weight/dm³ 99.39 114.11 118.01  
      Example 6: City Police
      I was looking for a set to compare from the City theme (apart from the trains) and the one that is most easily comparable is the police station so below you can find the most recent Police HQ sets that have been available. The piece count does fluctuate more strongly than earlier examples. Here the box size of the 2014 model is 9% smaller than the box 7498-1 AND has 71 pieces more. In comparison to the 7744-1, the difference is even bigger at almost 13% but here we have to note that 60047-1 has 99 pieces less than 7744-1.
        7744-1 Police Headquarters 7498-1 Police Station 60047-1 Police Station Released 2008 2011 2014 Piece Count 953 783 854 Weight (g) 2400 2110 2200 Dimensions (cm) 62.2 x 38.4 x 9.6 57.91 x 39.88 x 9.65 48 x 37.8 x 11.2 Volume (dm³) 22.92 22.29 20.32 Pieces/dm³ 41.58 35.13 42.03 Weight/dm³ 104.71 94.66 108.27 Analysis
      In order to establish how much exactly the boxes have gotten slimmer compared to the fat ones, I decided to take the average of boxes pre-2013 and compare them to the average of the 2014 released boxes. This gave me the following table.
        Fat Boxes (<2013) Slim Boxes (2014) Difference Piece Count 977 986 +9 (1%) Weight (g) 1907 1701 -206 (11%) Volume (dm³) 17.96 15.27 -2.69 (15%) Pieces/dm³ 56.55 65.75 +9.2 (16%) Weight/dm³ 104.17 106.27 +2.1 (2%) So the first thing we can see is that the piece count for the sets is more or less equal. Then when we take a look at the actual size, it is noticeable that the boxes have actually shrunk 15% so we can say that LEGO's objective has been reached so far...
      But...
      Not quite. Because there are a few other numbers that need to be looked at. The average weight of a set has gone down 11% or 206 grams. So is this because of the cardboard that LEGO has saved on packaging the set? If we look at a standard box of a medium set like e.g. 75052-1 Mos Isley Cantina we see that the entire box weighs 198 grams (thanks Huskers1236). The box itself has a volume of 9,1 dm³. Per dm³ that means its mass would be around 21,75 grams. If we multiply this by 2.69 we get to 58.5 grams that the boxes should be lighter due to the saved cardboard.
      But what happened to the extra 147.5 grams?
      During the years, The LEGO Group have refined their construction methods of building bricks to try to squeeze as much bricks as they can out of the ABS-pellets. It is hard to calculate how much exactly the production process contributes of the 2014 sets to be lighter. There is however a more interesting fact that we can see in the tables and that is the pieces/dm³. This went up 16% and that could mean 2 things. Either the machines filling the bags are getting more logical and drop the bricks in a more orderly fashion in the bags, or the pieces used in the newer sets are smaller than the pre-2013 sets. I noticed something when I was sorting the pieces for  10243-1 Parisian Restaurant. There were plenty of small pieces in the set. Now, this is not a bad thing, it means more detail, but most people look at a box and say:
      "Wow 2600 pieces. This thing must be huge"
      While in fact, the Parisian Restaurant was everything BUT huge. It has the biggest piece count, received a heavier price tag and although it does have very nice detail, I simply felt a bit left in the cold after building the other 'larger' MBS with fewer pieces. Smaller pieces are also cheaper to produce and coincidentally, they take up less space in a box.
      Conclusion
      I personally find the LEGO claim of reducing box size a bit misleading. Sure, the boxes have shrunk averaged taken and that is a good thing, for the environment, retailers, consumers. However, the sets also did get smaller in my opinion. This is not that noticeable at first sight since the piece count stays about the same, but if you look at the average weight, you just know something is not right.
      LEGO boxes have decreased in size  an average of 15%

      But they didn't do it by some revolutionary new engineering strategy in packaging. It's a bit sad really to see a company that cares so much about the environment using a 'cunning plan' like this that is more about marketing and perception to fool people.
      In the end, it will be the consumer, as always, paying more for these smaller boxes and sets.
      That is how I see it after researching this topic. LEGO looking everywhere to maximize profits. Seeing there could be money in making the average LEGO piece in a set smaller and then coming up with a story that it is good for the environment.


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