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Brickpicker Blog

Brickpicker blog articles on LEGO investing, news, reviews, evaluations, discounts and more...
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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 $10 a set on auction sites like EBAY, especially if you buy in bulk or lots. But as with any sort of investments, there are good ones and bad ones, even within the same LEGO theme or category. Let's take a look at the 20 LEGO Battle Packs that have been released since 2007.
Before we take a look at each individual Battle Pack, let's take a quick peek at some statistical data for the 20 Battle Packs. Besides the set name and number, pieces, minifigure and MSRP data, we also included the percentage growth from retail and the set's CAGR value. The CAGR value, which is known as Compound Annual Growth Rate is explained further here. In layman's terms, the CAGR can be thought of as the growth rate statistic that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period. It simplifies years of different growth percentages and gives you a single number that represents compounded growth percentage of an investment, in this case, a LEGO set. The average, or mean, CAGR for the thousands of LEGO sets in the Brickpicker database is 12.81%. If a set falls above this number, it appreciates better than the standard LEGO set. If a set falls below this number, it appreciates worse than the standard LEGO set. Either way, any set that has a CAGR near 12.81% is a solid investment choice in today's finance and investment world. Let's examine the chart below, then I will break down each set with a description from LEGO.com and my investment analysis:
Set Name Year Released Pieces Minifigs MSRP (US$) Current Value (US$) Total % +/- Retail Compound Annual Growth Rate (%) % Above or Below Average(Mean) CAGR (12.81%) 7654 Droids 2007 107 7 $9.99 $29.00 191% 23.82% 11.01% 7655 Clone Trooper 2007 58 4 $9.99 $38.00 278% 30.49% 17.68% 852271 Knight's 2008 35 5 $14.99 $35.00 168% 27.98% 15.17% 852272 Skeleton's 2008 43 5 $14.99 $35.00 167% 27.87% 15.06% 8014 Clone Walker 2009 72 4 $11.99 $24.00 96% 25.16% 12.35% 8015 Assassin Droid 2009 94 5 $11.99 $14.00 43% 12.57% -0.24% 852701 Troll Warrior 2009 36 5 $14.99 $34.00 128% 31.53% 18.72% 852702 Dwarf Warrior 2009 45 5 $14.99 $37.00 147% 35.13% 22.32% 852747 Pirates 2009 37 4 $14.99 $18.00 17% 5.44% -7.37% 8083 Rebel Trooper 2010 79 4 $11.99 $13.00 11% 5.32% -7.49% 8084 Snow Trooper 2010 74 4 $11.99 $12.00 3% 1.49% -11.32% 852921 Kingdoms #1 2010 18 5 $14.99 $26.00 76% 32.81% 20% 852922 Kingdoms #2 2010 17 5 $14.99 $23.00 54% 24% 11.19% 7913 Clone Trooper 2011 85 4 $11.99 $14.00 21% 20.27% 7.46% 7914 Mandalorian 2011 68 4 $11.99 $14.00 13% 12.84% 0.03% 853176 Skeleton Mummy 2011 29 3 $14.99 $9.00 -43% -43.16% -55.97% 853219 POTC 2011 30 5 $14.99 $14.00 -4% -4.07% -16.88% 853301 Alien Conquest 2011 31 5 $14.99 $14.00 -9% -9.14% -21.95% 9488 Elite Clone Trooper/ Commando Droid 2012 98 4 $11.99 $14.00 10% 9.93% -2.88% 9489 Endor Rebel Trooper/ Imperial Trooper 2012 77 4 $11.99 $12.00 -11% -10.55% -13.04% *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!
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!
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!
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!
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!  
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  
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.
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.
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.  
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.
8084 Snowtrooper Battle Pack : Defeat the Rebels with Imperial might! Set comes with 2 Snowtroopers, AT-AT Driver and Imperial Officer.
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!  
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!  
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.  
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.  
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.  
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
BrickPicker.com was designed and created with the LEGO investor and collector in mind. Through the use of eBay's Terapeak data, we have given the LEGO enthusiast current prices and growth trends of various new and retired sets. We try to keep our information and data fresh and accurate and give the LEGO investors and collectors out there tools in which to make smart LEGO purchases. One such new investment tool we have included in our LEGO set data is called the CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate. It can be found on the top right hand corner of the Set Guide page:

The compound annual growth rate, also known as CAGR, is a formula that is applied to an investment(in our case, a LEGO set) to help determine the investment's annual smoothed* return. The final percentage that you get upon calculating the compound annual growth rate is a smoothed rate of return that shows the positive or negative growth of your investment over a specified period of time.
The CAGR can be used by LEGO investors and collectors to understand what an investment has historically yielded on a yearly basis. Obviously, this formula can’t predict what the future yields of a particular investment(LEGO set) will be, but it can be used as a barometer to gauge the investment's future viability within the market. This number can also be used to calculate an investment's average growth rate over several years.
The formula for calculating the compound annual growth rate of an investment uses the number of years in an investment period and the nth root of a growth rate’s total percentage. The formula is fairly straight-forward.
Using this formula, we can create an example of a compound annual growth rate based on an amazing fictitious LEGO set. As we research the LEGO set, we see that it has solid annual growth and is probably worth purchasing. In the year 2009 our amazing LEGO set had a beginning value of $100.00 after it was discontinued (EOL...End of Line). In 2010 the set jumped to $120.00. Then in 2011 the set ended at $150.00 and by 2012 was a hefty $250.00 for a MISB set. If we place these numbers into our formula, it will look something like this:
The amazing LEGO set that we purchased back in 2009 had an annual return rate of 35.72%. Not bad!
Using the CAGR formula allows us to take an investment's measure by eliminating the volatility, or the up-and-down changes that occur during the fiscal year. Overall, this gives us a much better impression of how the investment is actually performing than if we looked at it month-by-month or even week-by-week. CAGR is especially helpful when you are making decisions on long-term investments.
One very common use of the compound annual growth rate of investments is to compare two potential investments side-by-side. For our purposes, two or more LEGO sets can be compared to one another. This allows you to get a feel for how they are performing over a long period of time and make educated buying decisions. This formula can also be used to determine the growth of various LEGO sets within your own personal LEGO collection and help you decide which sets are keepers and which sets are heading to EBAY to be sold.
You may ask, “Why do we need to know data like this, these are just LEGO sets, not some stocks or bonds?” Well, while it is true that the topic of interest on this site is LEGO bricks, those popular little plastic toys, it is also true that when discussing these said LEGO bricks, the terms money, worth, price, evaluation and investing are also used in correlation with LEGO sets and bricks. LEGO sets and bricks are just the medium, or commodity, we are interested in. Just like other investors use stocks, bonds, gold, oil or whatever to buy and sell for a profit, a good majority of BrickPicker members want to make money from their “toys” and are curious as to their LEGO collection's current value and future prospects.
The CAGR is a useful tool for the LEGO investor and collector because it levels the playing field when comparing LEGO sets. It takes into consideration the investment years and time frame a set has been on the primary and secondary LEGO markets. It also accounts for compounding, which other data does not. While the CAGR number in itself is not an exact number on a yearly basis(in that it does not total up exact annual growth rates and find an average), it is a very useful guide when looking at how LEGO sets compare to one another in annual % growth(or in some cases, non-growth). Regardless of popularity, theme or set size, the CAGR formula converts some basic data(MSRP at release, current price, investment years) for LEGO sets into ONE simple number that can easily be compared to other sets, thus enabling the LEGO investor and collector to make educated LEGO purchases. I hope you find it useful...
* The term "smoothed" in finance and accounting circles means to remove “peaks and valleys” from data and results
We would like to give a special thank you to one of our users TheBrickMeister (aka Brad) for enlightening us to this type of calculation. It's very valuable information that will go a long way to making the site better and more information for all of our users.
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...
As a casual LEGO collector, I always keep an eye out for sets that are worth investing in. Obviously, the intention and goal of LEGO investing is ultimately to make a profit. Therefore, it is crucial for the casual investor to maximize their investment dollar which is usually achieved only after a set is retired, or in LEGO parlance, reached its end of life (EOL). It is no secret that the single biggest factor in LEGO investing and set appreciation is EOL. In simplest terms, no EOL, no profit.
For the LEGO investor, nothing is more eagerly anticipated and perhaps simultaneously dreaded than the three letters: EOL. For many casual LEGO investors, EOL comes far too fast and for others far too late. Many times EOL comes quite unexpectedly. One day a set is seemingly there and the next it is “Out of Stock” or “Call for Availability.” Neither is good if you are the LEGO investor on the outside looking in. There are many EOL theories and prognosticators to be found online with varying claims of purported LEGO sources and inside information. Amidst all the speculation one thing is sure: Unless you work for The LEGO Group (TLG) and have actual product life cycle knowledge, it is all just pure speculation and educated guesses. Regardless of this fact, it is nevertheless fun and potentially profitable to engage in this activity. Virtually every LEGO investor does it. Historically, TLG uses a maddeningly and infinitely flexible two-year EOL rule1 where many sets see their production run end. I like to sum up the phenomenon with three main EOL categories or scenarios which I call: exception, perception, and deception.
Missing out on a great LEGO set is a gut-wrenching feeling that happens all too often for the casual LEGO investor. The two-year rule is nothing more than a vague LEGO barometer for when a set might go EOL. As with almost every rule there are exceptions...in this case many exceptions! Attempting to identify a bright line EOL rule is a true fool’s errand. The following examples are but a few exceptions to the LEGO two-year EOL rule. The first and perhaps most extreme EOL exception would be the Holiday Train set (10173). It was available for only one meager holiday season in 2006 and then poof. The original RRP in 2006 was $89 and today it is valued at upwards of $3002. Granted this was a special occasion set, but still that short a lifespan is a tough pill to swallow if you had any hope of acquiring it. Another notable exception set that many casual investors may have missed out on is the Trade Federation MTT (7662) which was released in late 2007 for $99 and went EOL in late 2008 with just a little over one year in production. The value of this set today is nearly $400, which is a whopping 285% increase. One other lofty example of an EOL set exception to the two-year rule is the VW Beetle (10187) released in 2008 and reached EOL status in December of 2009 for a total lifespan of less than 20 months. The original RRP was $119 and the current value today is listed at about $350, a nearly 200% increase. Unfortunately, there are many more sets that fit into the exception category, like Market Street (10190) and Grand Carousel (10196) to name just two. Both of which make me feel like kicking myself for missing! These exceptions to the EOL rule highlight the perils and pitfalls of LEGO investing, and any investors that snatched up these exceptions to the two-year EOL rule were very fortunate indeed.
So we looked at a few exceptions to the two-year EOL guideline, now on to the bulk of the rule. It stands to reason that a rule should have a large number of examples that support it. In other words, for exceptions to exist, there must be a collective perception of what is supposed to happen. There are numerous examples of the two-year EOL rule that, if observed, still allowed casual investors to make a tidy profit. A favorite set of mine that falls into this category is The Eiffel Tower (10181). Released in late 2007 and going EOL in late 2009, this set is a great example of an almost exact two-year production run. The original RRP for The Eiffel Tower was $199. The current value now stands at an impressively tall $850, which translates to a not too shabby 326% increase. Another fine example of a great investment set with a routine two year production life is Jabba’s Sail Barge (6210). This awesome set was released in 2006 with a modest RRP of $75. Today this set typically commands a price exceeding $400 which equates to a 445% increase on investment. Perhaps the Holy Grail of the LEGO Modular world and the best example of the two-year production life cycle was set 10182 Café Corner. Café Corner lasted a full two years from 2007 to 2009. The mind boggling original bargain RRP of $139 has now ballooned to a staggering $1,136, for a 700%+ increase in value! Other notable sets that fall squarely within the two-year EOL sweet spot are the Taj Mahal (10189); the Green Grocer (10185); The Millennium Falcon (10179); Vader’s TIE Advanced (10175) and loads more. It is hard to claim any surprise or generate much sympathy for missing out on any set that stuck around for at least two years. Two years represents the common perception of the average LEGO production lifespan and is often the determining factor when facing an investment purchase of different sets: Go for the set that is the furthest along in its production run and you are usually safe. That is unless you are the victim of LEGO deception.
LEGO deception is nothing more than those sets that have outlived their welcome for the casual investor yet simply refuse to die a natural death. That is not to say that the general public agrees with that sentiment; in fact, they obviously do not or else these sets would not still be hanging around years after their debuts. A perfect example of EOL deception is the Medieval Market Village (10193). This set came out in 2008 and is still available today. Currently LEGO Shop at Home (S&H) lists this set as not being available until August of this year. Does this mean it is finally nearing EOL? The two-year EOL rule would dictate this result but this set seems to have some strong legs and remains very popular. It may still have some life left in it. The original RRP of $99 is still an outstanding deal. The current value is listed at about $92 which is a 6% decrease from RRP. Interestingly, the value of this set has actually increased 6% over the last month. It seems like investors might start to realize some modest gains in the next six months if it does end up going EOL this summer or fall. Another set that is still available long past the two year EOL rule is the Fire Brigade (10197). This set was released in September 2009 and was thought to be a likely candidate for EOL at Christmas 2011! As of today it is still going strong with no signs of letting up, even after the release of the Modular Town Hall (10224) in March. There has been much speculation surrounding the Modular theme and how many different active sets it can support at any given time. For several weeks this spring most major outlets did not have the Fire Brigade in stock, including S@H and Amazon. This led to a small bubble in value that has since popped and has now returned to near original RRP. Finally, one cannot ignore the biggest and most extreme example of LEGO EOL deception: The Death Star (10188). For many casual LEGO investors it was this set that brought them out of their Dark Ages. So it is somewhat ironic that this set is still available four years later! In fact, it is still a LEGO best seller on Amazon, even with a massive RRP of $399. Unfortunately, the current value is “just” $383 (It is probably selling under RRP due to sales from Toys 'R Us BOGO and reselling these sets on EBAY auctions for less than RRP) and certainly does not mirror the impressive fire power of the real and fully operational Death Star it so wonderfully emulates.
Many factors play a role in applying the LEGO two year EOL guideline. Certainly popularity, profit, theme and price all help to dictate the lifespan of a specific set and each one of those factors could be analyzed in great detail. For most casual LEGO investors, that is just not particularly practical or productive. For now, it is best to keep an eye out for sets that are nearing the two year mark and use your best LEGO judgment. One point that should be made though is that many LEGO sets, large and small, get discounted substantially right before EOL and you have to be very vigilant in your quest for these deals. The bottom line is, if you really want a set, buy the set. Don't risk reaching EOL and losing the set to higher secondary market prices in order to save a couple of dollars. As with any investment, there is a large element of chance involved, but that's the fun part, right? Jump too early and you may sit around with many large boxes in every room of your home and lose out on future sales and deals. Wait too long, looking for that big discount, and you will only wish you had many large boxes in every room of your home. Guess the EOL correctly and you can buy that LEGO set below MSRP and sell it two years later for triple the MSRP. As they say, “Timing is everything.”  
 
1 All time frames discussed here are nothing more than approximations as TLG does not provide much transparency into the EOL process or actual production end dates.
2 All values are for new sets and in US dollars and taken from Brickpicker.com.
 
Editor's Note: Here is another great article written by one of our members, Mos_Eisley. This article covers an issue that many collectors face and answers questions for those that are just starting their LEGO collections. Mos_Eisley received 500 BrickPoints for having this article published on the site. -Jeff
So you’ve decided to enter the dark and alluring world of LEGO investing. Soon you’ll be scouring the internet every day for all the best deals, stopping at every Target and Walmart (maybe a Toys ‘R Us here and there if you’re feeling lucky) you pass in the hopes of finding some great clearance discounts, and explaining to your significant other that this is not weird. But once you pick up all these great finds, what do you do with them? It doesn’t take long before a collection of MISB LEGO sets can become overwhelming:

I’ll get into specific storage ideas later, but first a little background on my experiences so far. When I first started dabbling in LEGO investing, I was able to hide my prizes away in a spare closet. It didn’t take long though before the sets became too much for the closet and started to spill out into the spare bedroom. While I thought it was awesome to have a room littered with sets, not everyone else in the house agreed. I soon realized that if I was going to continue doing this, I was going to need a better solution. After filling the closet and the rafters above the garage, I knew my only option was to get a storage unit. Obviously, renting a storage unit can really start to add up, so for most, making room somewhere in your house is a better option. Since I didn’t have any other choice, I found a nice, clean storage facility near my house and got myself an inside, 5’x10’ unit.
This was really nice. Now, every time I made a purchase, I just stopped by the unit and unloaded the sets. No more mess at home. For about two years I was able to contain everything very tightly packed in the 5’x10’ space. During this time I wasn’t selling any of my sets and it was time to expand again. I moved everything into another storage facility, using a 10’x10’ space this time. Once again, this was able to contain my collection for another two years. After this one was filled, I got an additional 5’x10’ unit to hold the overflow.
At this point, I felt that I had too many sets, too much money tied up and that it was time to start selling some of the collection. I had done a really poor job of keeping my sets organized. In an effort to maximize storage space, I had just packed everything into the unit from wall to wall and floor to ceiling so there was no way of getting to the sets in the back rows. I rented a 10’x20’ space and methodically moved everything from the smaller units into the larger unit. Although slightly more organized, I still had never invested in any type of shelving for storing my sets. I simply stacked the sets as tightly and as high as I could again:

After selling about half of my collection, I decided it was time to store everything properly. I invested in eleven metal racks from The Home Depot and I have been very happy with the results. My 10’x 20’ is now filling up, even with my inventory stacked all the way to the ceiling, but at least most sets are relatively easy to access.
The point of all this is to understand that storing MISB LEGO sets takes a lot of space. Putting away a few sets here and there isn’t an issue, but if you really want to buy a lot of sets, you will need a lot of space to store them all. Not to mention quite a bit of time, patience and money.
That’s a cute story, but how should I store my sets? Let’s take a look at some options:
1) JUST THE SET
Whether you’re storing your sets in a closet, cabinet, basement, attic or storage unit, simply take your sets and stack them on shelves, floors, or anywhere else you can find room for them. This is the least expensive method and it requires the least amount of space. Standing your sets like books is the safest method for protecting the boxes, and it also looks cool to see all those sets lined up like a LEGO set library:

LEGO boxes aren’t very sturdy, so when you start piling them on top of each other, the bottom box(es) will eventually collapse, which can lead to also damaging the boxes at the top of the stack if they go tumbling to the floor. A Chrome C-3PO vanishes every time someone stacks their investment sets in this manner:

If you have no choice and need to stack your sets unprotected, be sure to create an overlapping stack as if you were building with bricks:

Stacking like this will better protect the boxes and allow you to stack higher with less chance of your stack eventually crushing the lower boxes and tipping over. Regardless of how you store unprotected sets, try to avoid stacking them against walls and consider putting acid-free kraft paper between sets and/or any walls. Over time, the boxes can begin to stick to the walls and each other. You’ll want the sets close together though because bricks will settle at the bottom of the box when standing on edge. This pressure can cause the boxes to bow and the seals to sometimes break loose if there is space around the box.
The main problem with this method is that your sets are unprotected from dust and damage. The more you have to move the sets, the more shelf wear and other damage you are bound to cause to the boxes, potentially lowering your eventual return. Sure, a damaged, retired set will still fetch a fine price, but collectors will appreciate and pay for the chance of getting a pristine box.
PROS: inexpensive, easy, space-saving, you can actually see all your sets
CONS: no protection for your investment, stacking limitations
2) STORE MULTIPLE SETS IN LARGER BOXES
When I first started collecting for investment, this is how I stored my sets. When LEGO ships sets to stores, they come in cartons that usually have multiples of the same set. How many sets these shipping cartons contain depends on the set’s box size. Battle packs arrive in cartons of eight. Huge sets like 10188 Death Star and 10179 Millennium Falcon come one per carton. Sets like 7965 Millennium Falcon and 4184 Black Pearl come in shipping cartons that contain two sets. 7785 Arkham Asylum and 6210 Jabba’s Sail Barge came in cartons that had three sets inside:

There are many more sizes. These boxes are great because they are the exact size of the various sets you will want to store in them. Two 2507 Fire Temples can be safely stored in a carton that takes up nearly an identical amount of space as the two sets would take if they sat unprotected on a shelf. Not only are the sets more protected in general, but now you can safely stack more sets on top of these sets without having to worry about crushing them. Still use caution when stacking though because although LEGO ships sets in these containers, they aren’t necessarily the strongest boxes around. An overlapping stack of sets in their original shipping cartons is far more stable than the same stack of unprotected sets.
Not everyone has access to these shipping cartons, and not all sizes are ideally stored in their original cartons. I don’t want to deal with five or six small cartons of battle packs. Instead, I’ve found that the medium moving boxes from The Home Depot are perfect for storing 54 battles packs:

Using these moving boxes, you can easily and safely store and move a lot of sets at a time. The Home Depot has several sizes, but I find the medium ($1.12 each) and large ($1.36 each) to be the most useful. You can fill them up with quite a few of the medium and smaller sized sets, throw them in a closet and not have to worry about your sets being damaged the next time you need to move them. For extra protection, you can wrap each set in acid-free craft paper or bubble wrap when you place them in the moving box to reduce any possible damage from the sets sticking or rubbing against each other. Depending on the weather in your area, you may want to enclose each set in plastic to protect against humidity, regardless of which storage method you choose. Using moving boxes is a great way to go. For less than $2.00, you can easily protect many of your investments. Since LEGO sets vary in size, you won’t always perfectly fill the moving box, which means you are taking up a little more space than you might if you just had your sets stacked in the same space. However, using moving boxes will allow you to utilize vertical space that you can’t safely do with just the sets alone. Be sure to label the contents of your boxes so that you don’t have to dig through all of them to find the set you want!
PROS: better protection of sets, less expensive, easy, allows for vertical stacking
CONS: can take up a little more space, can’t see your sets
3) STORE SETS INDIVIDUALLY IN SHIPPING BOXES
I feel this is the absolute safest method for storing sets for investment. Although it is by far the most expensive and space consuming, I feel it is worth it to not only properly protect the sets, but also have them ready to ship:

As I said earlier, I used the second method when I first started storing sets. The first year I did a lot of selling, I found myself spending way too much time each night packaging orders. Since most sets were expensive and sold individually, I figured I may as well have the sets stored so that they were ready to ship. After switching to this method, the next time I sold it was a much better experience. I was getting the same amount of orders processed in less than half the time.
There are many sources for shipping boxes. My first shipping boxes came from boxes that were going to be thrown away at various stores. These were free. That’s about the only good thing I can say about them. They were often a little (or very) dirty, smelly, damaged, and you never knew exactly what sizes you might get. Shipping in boxes that aren’t the right size can cost you extra in postage and packing supplies, and possibly damage the sets if you don’t properly package them.
If you plan on shipping using the U.S. Postal Service, they provide free Priority Mail shipping boxes. Since most sets weigh more than 13 ounces, you will have to ship via Priority Mail, so you may as well use their free boxes. They come in various sizes that will work well with smaller sets like 9471 Uruk-hai Army, 4866 The Knight Bus and 7869 Battle For Geonosis:

Once you start getting into the larger sets, you’ll need to find another source for boxes. Uline.com is one of the best. They have just about every size you could ever need. I usually get three different sizes from them and these hold most of the sets I save.
19”x 12”x 3” ($1.06) – perfect for the $50-$60 sets that come in boxes like 6212 X-wing Fighter and 7628 Peril in Peru 20”x 16”x 4” ($1.46) – great for $75-$120 sets like 10219 Maersk Train and 6210 Jabba’s Sail Barge 24”x 16”x 4” ($1.29) – ideal for $100-$150 sets with boxes the size of 8038 The Battle of Endor and 10217 Diagon Alley There are a couple other sizes I use as well, but this article is probably too long already! All the above boxes are sold in quantity minimums of 25. The more you buy of each size, the lower the prices, but you must buy in bundles of 25. You’ll notice that the smaller 20”x 16”x 4” box above is more expensive than the 24”x 16”x 4”. You can buy the cheaper 24” box and keep/ship those smaller sets in them, but for me I don’t want to waste the extra 4” of shipping box when I don’t have to.
The individually boxed method is great, but probably not for everyone. Buying lots of shipping boxes gets expensive. You’ll eventually get the money back when you sell the sets, but in the meantime you have money tied up in shipping boxes that you could have invested in more sets. The shipping boxes are also not the exact size of the sets, so there is usually a fair amount of wasted space around the sets. Generally, two sets individually boxed take up about as much space as three of the same set without any protection. However, my ultimate goal is to provide future buyers with sets that are in near perfect condition so it is worth it to me to lose some space and investment money. Like the above method, consider using acid-free craft paper, bubble wrap or plastic to protect the sets inside the boxes. Make sure to label the contents!
PROS: best protection of sets, can stack higher, sets are ready to ship
CONS: expensive, takes up a lot of space, can’t see your sets
4) A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING
I currently use a mix of methods two and three. Eventually I will use all three, having one of each set out for display, but right now I just don’t have the space for it. I like method three for the protection it gives sets and the fact that I can easily and quickly ship sets when the time comes for it. I like method two because it allows for a better use of space. I also individually box sets, then put them in the moving boxes so that I am able to safely stack sets higher than I could otherwise:

THE WRAP-UP
Regardless of which method you use, you will probably need some sort of shelving system eventually. Most stores like Walmart, Kmart, Lowes, The Home Depot and IKEA have many shelving options. I like these two that are available at The Home Depot:


The plastic one on the left is only $26.87 and the metal one on the right is $83.97. I chose the metal one since it’s a little sturdier and has easily adjusted shelves to maximize space. There are plenty of options between these price ranges, and more expensive ones.
For long term storage of sets, make sure to consider the weather where you will be storing them. LEGO bricks shouldn’t be stored in extreme temperatures. If your garage or attic will get below freezing or extremely hot, keep your sets in the climate controlled areas of your home. ABS plastic can handle temperatures from -4 to 176 ºF but that doesn’t mean that stickers in the sets and seals on the boxes will like those temperatures. Humidity can also cause damage to boxes and instructions, cause stickers to peel, seals to come loose, and various other problems if the sets contain metal or wiring. If humidity is an issue where you live, you should try to store your sets in air tight plastic bags if possible. If you keep your sets out, direct sunlight will cause fading to the box art.
One final recommendation is to keep your sets away from exterior brick walls and off the ground or floor! You probably won’t be experiencing really high flood waters, so just a few inches should do. If you keep your sets on the floor, boxed or not, and any kind of moisture comes in contact with them, you are going to lose a lot of value. You’ll likely have to open the set to find out what condition your instructions, stickers and parts are in.
LEGO investing is a fun, but expensive endeavor. Be sure to protect your investments!
[box type="shadow"]Editor's Note: This is the first article written by one of our members, Tim Mahoney(timinchicago). What a great contribution to the site. Hopefully this is the first of many great articles by Tim and hopefully more get submitted by the rest of our members. Tim received 500 BrickPoints for having this article published on the site. -Jeff[/box]
“Dark Age”: the period of time between when a person loses interest in LEGO and when they rediscover it as an adult.
It is not much of a surprise to say that the LEGO collecting, investing and reselling market is almost exclusively the domain of the adult fan of LEGO (AFOL). Without this key demographic, LEGO price guide and investment information websites like Brickpicker.com would not exist. Therefore, the forces that drive people in and out of the LEGO community are worth exploring and understanding as the size of the AFOL market will largely determine the value and worth of all past and future LEGO sets. With that in mind, I sometimes find myself trying to figure out the reasons that contributed to my LEGO Dark Ages in the 1990’s and then thankfully to a personal LEGO Renaissance in the 2000’s. As my experience is probably not unique, I began to think that the LEGO Dark Age phenomenon is not simply a case of shifting adult priorities or responsibilities. That is too simple an explanation. Generally speaking, I believe that there are three universal reasons that contributed to my Dark Ages and ultimate Renaissance that may also apply to many AFOL’s who entered their Dark Ages in the 1990’s only to find their Renaissance in the 2000’s.
The first Dark Age factor is a decline in quality, both materially and artistically. During the 1990’s LEGO quality seemed to decline quite a bit. Memorable sets were few and far between and most sets did not have any real adult appeal. Builds were overwhelmingly simple and uninspired. There was very little to attract the attention or entice anyone out of their LEGO Dark Age. You could count on one hand the number of sets that exceeded 1,000 pieces and even those sets lacked the intricate detail prized and craved by the AFOL of today. This artistic decline only consistently began to change after 2000. Set piece size count, playability, and intricate details greatly increased and allowed the creative aspect of LEGO quality to flourish, much like, well, a Renaissance. The Ultimate Collector's Series was born in 2000 with the release of the 7181 Tie Interceptor and 7191 X-Wing Fighter.
 
The iconic 3450 Statue of Liberty was also released in 2000, making it the largest LEGO set that was released up to that point.
 
One need only compare the Cloud City set (10123), that was released in 2003 with the Death Star (10188), released five years later, to get an idea of the strides that have been made in playability, even within a well-established hit theme such as Star Wars.  
The advent of the “modular buildings” is a great example of the Renaissance in LEGO quality that began in the mid-2000’s and is still in full swing in 2012. This material and artistic revival has resulted in a remarkable jump in value for many of these quality vanguard sets like Café Corner (10182), Green Grocer (10185), Grand Carousel (10196), Eiffel Tower (10181), and Town Plan (10184) to name a few.  
         
Just check out the current values below if you have any doubt:  
Set # Set Name Year Released Pieces MSRP (US$) Current Price (US$) % Increase from MSRP 10182 Cafe Corner 2007 2056 139.99 1099 685% 10185 Green Grocer 2008 2352 149.99 548 265% 10196 Grand Carousel 2009 3263 249.99 667 167% 10181 Eiffel Tower 2007 3428 199.99 890 345% 10184 Town Plan 2008 1981 149.99 438 192% The second Dark Age factor is stagnation and lack of variety. There just were not that many themes or sets available for most of the 1990’s and what was available, lacked variety and gave the impression that LEGO was stagnating and offering nothing really innovative or dynamic. During much of the 1990’s the number of sets released each year hovered around the 200 mark, bottoming out with barely only 100 sets released in 1992! Again, there just was not a lot sets released to drag an AFOL out of their Dark Age. Of those sets from 1990, most were in the Pirates, Space, Town (City) and Castle themes, which were primarily geared towards younger children. It was not until 2002 that a year had more than 400 sets released. Starting in 2006 LEGO routinely released more than 400 sets a year, with some years having significantly more. Last year(2011) for example, saw nearly 600 sets released, including multiple licensed themes such as STAR WARS, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean and extremely popular non-licensed themes such as Ninjago and City/Town. This new found diversity and variety directly contributes to LEGO Renaissances for many AFOL’s and, more importantly, keeps them firmly committed to the LEGO hobby.
The final Dark Age factor is the general LEGO group lack of focus and direction. Beginning in the 1990’s LEGO seemed to be moving in many different directions at once and not particularly focused on their core expertise of making unsurpassed brick building toys. Considerable energy was diverted from this core value to establish the Legoland parks and to compete against the likes of Disney and Six Flags. The entrance into the video game market was yet another ancillary branch that took LEGO further from its core strength and diluted the core LEGO building toy concept. This is not to say that some of the video games were not good—some certainly were—but honestly, there are many, many more companies far superior to LEGO when it comes to video game publishing, and NONE that are superior to LEGO when it comes to creating brick building toys! Finally, there were countless ill-conceived LEGO lifestyle products that simply added nothing to the core LEGO strength and only served to blur the lines of the LEGO brand. LEGO is best when it does LEGO and that means brick building toys. There is room for other LEGO concepts just not to the extent that they take away from the basic LEGO core strength. After all, it is this core strength that ultimately allows the other concepts to exist. Stray too far from this universal truth and you risk losing LEGO fans to the Dark Ages.
The above reasons are by no means exhaustive on the subject and are really only an attempt to stimulate others to explore the forces that led them out and back into the LEGO collecting world. There is a fine line between a Dark Age and a Renaissance and no two AFOL’s journey is exactly the same. Many AFOL’s never had a dreaded Dark Ages, and for that they should consider themselves fortunate. However, now that LEGO is on strong creative footing, with seemingly endless themes to delight all ages and remains laser focused on the LEGO building experience, one can only imagine that there will be far fewer Dark Ages in the futures and many more Renaissances. Who knows, maybe the Dark Ages are on their way to extinction?
 
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:
SET NUMBERSET NAMEYEAR RELEASEDMSRP (US $)CURRENT AVERAGE PRICE(US) 'MISB'% CHANGE FROM MSRP% CHANGE LAST YEAR10179UCS Millennium Falcon2007 $499.99 $1,833.00267%44%10143UCS Death Star II2005 $269.99 $747.00150%43%10181Eiffel Tower2007 $199.99 $890.00345%40%10030UCS Star Destroyer2002 $269.99 $1,157.00287%48%3450Statue of Liberty2000 $199.99 $1,340.00573%-13%5526Skyline2005 $129.99 $343.00164%32%10182Cafe Corner2007 $139.99 $1,098.00685%75%8421Mobile Crane2005 $149.99 $428.00186%66%8285Tow Truck2006 $119.99 $465.00288%16%10018UCS Darth Maul2001 $149.99 $528.00252%45%    Average320%40%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:
SET NUMBERSET NAMEYEAR RELEASEDMSRP (US $)CURRENT AVERAGE PRICE(US) 'MISB'% CHANGE FROM MSRP% CHANGE LAST YEAREstimated Value in One Year (40% increase)Profit (US$)10184Town Plan2008$149.99$438.0019257$613.00$175.00That 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.
 
As an avid LEGO collector and investor, I like to read as much as I can about the various LEGO sets in existence, both new and old.  I try to keep informed by reading the multitude of quality LEGO sites, forums and blogs out there.  One such quality site is the Brickset site.  Brickset has a nice review section for a lot of the sets and I was sifting through some of the reviews for the LEGO 10188 Death Star and found a review by a Brickset member(Chills) that mentioned that the reviewer's wife thought the 10188 Death Star was a "STAR WARS Dollhouse."  I thought that was an excellent description and analysis of this wonderful LEGO set from a non AFOL.  But does this LEGO "dollhouse" have what it takes to be a good LEGO "investment"?  Let's take a look at the set itself, starting with the actual LEGO marketing description:
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.
 
As I was sitting on my couch one day watching Robert Zemeckis's, The Polar Express, with my two-and-a-half-year-old son, I got to thinking about trains.  The Polar Express is my son's favorite movie and he knew how to say “choo-choo” before he could say “Daddy.”  What is it about trains that cause children(and some adults...LOL) to run around the house and yell, “choo-choo, choo-choo” before they can say their own name?  And does this same passion for trains cross over into other hobbies and worlds, say LEGO train sets and accessories?  I decided to take a look and see how much interest there was in LEGO train sets and accessories and if there was any investment value in them.  
 
Lego train sets go back as far as 1966, with sets like the Small Train Set(114) and Motorized Train Set(113).  While these sets were early examples of Lego train sets, the newer versions(and the versions we will be discussing in this article) are quite a bit more complex a   nd definitely more accurate in appearance to actual full-sized trains.  The subtheme of LEGO trains that most resemble full-sized trains are the '9V' variety, which stands for 9 'volts.'  They can either be standalone models of  train engines and cars, or used together with multiple train models and tracks to make complete and operational train sets.  These 9V LEGO trains have been in existence since 1991 and some run off of 9-volt track setups that have a speed regulator, train motor and electrified track(K4548-Train Accessory Collection) to make them “mobile” if so desired.  Other LEGO 9V train sets can be made mobile through the use of LEGO Power Functions motors.  
 
I find that the Lego 9V trains are very accurate in appearance and are some of the best designed Lego sets.  Sometimes, I have a hard time telling if the sets are models made from LEGO bricks or are they actually Lionel Trains?  There is also a huge variety of 'custom' train instructions and models on EBAY that can enable the train fan to use their own LEGO collections to build complete working train sets with multiple engines and cars.  Like real toy trains, complete worlds can be created with LEGO bricks, with towns, bridges, people, modular homes, landscaping, etc... making up fantastic displays...  
 
One of the best features of LEGO trains in my opinion is their appreciation potential.  Here are some LEGO 9V trains that are appreciating nicely from their original MSRP...  
 
 
IMAGE SET YEAR MSRP CURRENT VALUE % INCREASE 10194: EMERALD NIGHT 2009 $100.00 $161.00 66% 10183: HOBBY TRAINS 2007 $100.00 $167.00 67% 10173: HOLIDAY TRAIN 2006 $90.00 $338.00 276% 10170: TTX INTERMODAL DOUBLE STACK CAR 2005 $40.00 $125.00 213% 10133: BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTE FE LOCOMOTIVE 2004 $40.00 $212.00 432% 10025: SANTA FE CARS-SET I 2002 $35.00 $189.00 441% 10022: SANTA FE CARS-SET II 2002 $35.00 $247.00 606% 10020: SANTA FE SUPER CHIEF 2002 $40.00 $223.00 458%
So, as the reader can see, the LEGO 9V trains are not only interesting and accurate in appearance, they are 'on track' with their appreciation as well.  Several of these sets sold for as little as $35 less than ten years ago, are bringing back hundreds of dollars consistently on auction sites.  Newer sets like the 10194 Emerald Night are increasing in value nicely, even after just a year or two of being discontinued.  Look for similar new LEGO 9V trains, such as the 10219 Maersk Train, to continue the trend of accurate and appreciating LEGO sets.
 
There comes a time, in some LEGO collector's lives, that their hobby of collecting LEGO sets and bricks becomes something a little more than a hobby. The AFOL(Adult Fan of LEGOs), with the so-called 'hobby' of collecting little plastic bricks, has ended up spending years and thousands of dollars on these 'toys.' The last thing anybody wants to happen is to lose the entire collection to fire, flood or theft.
LEGO sets and bricks, like coins, stamps, and rare art can be worth a pretty penny and should anything horrible happen to the collection, a person needs to make sure that, although these things may be seem irreplaceable, the LEGO collector needn’t lose everything that they invested in them. With the proper insurance, a person can enjoy their collection and sleep soundly at night.
If the LEGO collector already has homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, they may feel pretty safe, but most policies cover household goods, such as televisions, stereo equipment and jewelry, but may take a different view towards the collection of plastic bricks, set boxes and instructions. Even with insurance, a person would be wise to check with their insurance provider and discuss a “collectibles floater” which is a separate document allowing you to declare that the things listed on the floater are greater than the value they originally sold for.
In some cases, such as your collection being worth more than $2,000, your insurance provider may require you to start an additional policy that covers collectibles. Check with your provider to make sure they offer this service. However, keep in mind that this coverage will still probably be limited to the usual coverage enjoyed by your LCD TV, but what happens if a flood in your basement destroys that $2000 MISB(Mint in sealed box) 1st edition Star Wars Millennium Falcon (set# 10179) or a fire wipes out an entire LEGO collection that took years to obtain? For that, you may need a policy with a bit more kick.
There are insurance agencies that focus only on collectible insurance, such as Collectibles Insurance Services(http://www.collectinsure.com). Their website offers collectors the ability to get a quote, fill out a policy application and answer any questions you may have. According to their website, the LEGO collection will be covered in the event of:
Mail loss Theft Fire Flooding Natural disasters Breakage The benefit of using the services of a collectible insurer is that the policies are very affordable. They usually cover beyond the usual fire and theft and they will have a better understanding of the fact that the LEGO collector's Market Street (set #10190) is selling for $1000+ on auction sites, something that may take some convincing over at the big box agencies.
Don’t surprised if the insurance agencies don’t take your word that the LEGO collection is worth thousands of dollars. Although you may find a better understanding from a specialist agency, most insurance companies are not knowledgeable about the climate of the LEGO collectible market. Another problem is that LEGO bricks are a relatively recent addition to the collectible world and therefore it may not be common knowledge that a MISB Statue of Liberty (set #3450) could command the same collectible price of some of the rarest coins or stamps in the world.
An appraisal from a certified 'antiques appraiser' will go a long way when attempting to insure the LEGO collection for the full amount it’s worth. In fact, many insurance agencies will require an appraisal for specialized coverage such as a “collectible floater.” Check your local directory for nearby antique stores that may offer appraisals, and be wary of online appraisal companies because a rare collectible, with its widely varying degrees of condition, really needs to be seen in person to determine the most accurate value. Also, once you’ve found an appraiser, make sure that they are certified by the ISA(International Society of Appraisers) to insure that they are qualified, properly trained and have the in-depth knowledge the collection requires.
Although an appraisal from an antiques appraiser might be necessary for some insurance companies, others are a little more lenient in their requirements. Collecting LEGO sets for investment purposes is an idea that has flew under the radar of the public for years, but the popularity of these little plastic bricks has exploded over the last several years. It is this popularity that is making LEGO bricks a viable investment vehicle, thus requiring insurance on the investor's collections. More and more insurance companies are insuring LEGO, Barbie Doll, and Matchbox Car collections and realize that antique appraisers might have zero idea how to value LEGO sets.
Basically, the more lenient insurance companies are adding an addendum or rider to homeowner or renter's policies for an amount based on the total amount of the collection. They are requiring receipts, photos and a documented list with current market values of all LEGO sets. Receipts and photos are relatively simple to supply, but what to use for current market values? Here is where BrickPicker.com comes in handy. Brickpicker.com offers a tool called My Brickfolio. With the Brickfolio tool, the collector can input their entire LEGO collection and get up to date values for individual sets and the entire collection. Brickpicker.com utilizes market data from the world's largest online auction site, eBAY, which on any given day, might have over 100,000 listings for LEGO products. With this information in hand, the collection can now be insured.
Once the LEGO collection is appraised and insured, it’s more important than ever to keep the LEGO sets stored properly and maintained. Keep the LEGO sets out of direct sunlight and in a dry location. Use proper shelves and limit stacking of boxes, because it causes shelf wear and collapses the boxes. Maintaining the LEGO collection will insure that the LEGO sets will keep their condition rating and collectible value.
This seems like a lot of work for a bunch of plastic bricks and cardboard boxes, but insuring a large LEGO collection is a way to give a LEGO investor piece of mind that their years of hard work and their thousands of investment dollars don't go up in smoke or down the drain...
 
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...
 
An interesting article was released at the 2012 New York Toy Fair by The LEGO Systems, Inc. Basically, it describes LEGO's year-end highlights and illustrates LEGO's continued growth in the U.S. Toy Market. Let's take a look...  
 
The seven basic bullet points of the article also illustrated to me that the 'secondary' LEGO sales market, such as EBAY sales, will remain strong into the future in my opinion. The children builders of today will be the AFOLs of tomorrow and the AFOLs drive the secondary LEGO Market. The LEGO brands continuing investment in movie and comic book themes will keep the sets fresh and creative. The positive and steady growth of the LEGO brand here in the U.S. for the past 7 years and across the world only gives AFOLs more confidence in collecting and investing in LEGO bricks, instead of other investment vehicles.  
 
What I thought was most interesting to a LEGO collector and investor like myself was the fact that the some of the best selling sets of the past year were non-themed sets, like the Creator '3 in 1' sets and basic Duplo building sets. The LEGO collector and investor needs to pay attention to these under the radar sets. Obviously, there is quite an interest from buying public in these basic building sets and maybe it's time to start adding a few Creator sets to our collections, instead of collecting every Star Wars set imaginable. So, all in all, with the continued growth and success of LEGO Systems, Inc. and the continued influx of new fans and LEGO consumers, the future of LEGO collecting and investing looks promising.
 
Amazing how much money people have! Seriously, this goes to show the amazing appreciation and love for the world of Lego Star Wars. Either the person here has too much money to blow, has no idea what they are looking for on eBay or is just plain crazy. Looking at the numbers the Brickpicker database, we know that the current going rate for a Used #10179 UCS Millennium Falcons is $1125.39 USD, which is way below what this fellow paid. Next month when we run our numbers, I will be very interested to see how much this one listing raises the overall value for the used market for this set. Click Here to view the eBay Listing What do you think, is this buyer crazy? Would you ever spend that much on a used set?
 
Over the years, Lego has released hundreds of 'mini' sets to the buying public.  These mini sets usually were packed in small polybags and had approximately 25-75 pieces.  Most major Lego themes usually had a mini set or two that related to their larger sets.  Some sets had mini figures in them, but the majority(and the ones we are discussing here) are miniature versions of other larger Lego sets.  They were and still are priced well below $10(US).  These tiny sets were often used as "stocking stuffers" or were a giveaway from various newspaper and magazine subscriptions, such as Lego's Brickmaster magazine.  Although these sets were often considered freebies or inexpensive, their value to a Lego collector and/or investor should not be overlooked.  
 
Of the main Lego themes, one usually stands out when it comes to overall appreciation of the sets,  is the STAR WARS theme.  This idea also holds true when  discussing Lego mini sets as well.  The STAR WARS mini sets are cream of the crop of the Lego mini world that is not mini figure related.  These miniature replicas of larger Lego STAR WARS models are not only highly accurate in appearance, they are damn cool from this AFOL's (Adult Fan of Legos) perspective.  Almost every major vehicle in the Lego STAR WARS theme, from the ARC Fighter to the Millennium Falcon to the X-Wing, has been rebuilt in miniature scale.  Not only are these mini sets accurate and awesome in appearance, they also are great investments.  Each and every Lego STAR WARS miniature building set has increased in value since their release.  Let's take a closer look.  
 
The thirty five or so STAR WARS mini models can be broken down into two categories.  The first category is the sets that were released to the general public through stores and similar venues.  These had a MSRP(Manufacture's Suggested Retail Price) and the original sales price can be easily compared to current market data(Current market data is supplied from www.Brickpicker.com and their Lego Set Guide, which is based on EBAY 'sold' auction $ averages).  The second category of Lego STAR WARS mini models were the Lego Brickmaster mini sets.  Brickmaster sets were obtained thru the Lego magazine Brickmaster subscription.  Although the sets were free to all subscribers, there was a fee for the magazine.  Of the Lego mini building sets, these Brickmaster sets are currently the rarest and the most valuable of the bunch, but the actual appreciation figures can only be estimated.  Let's look at some sales data from the first category, the MSRP STAR WARS mini building models:  
 
MSRP Miniature STAR WARS Lego Building Sets
Model # Year Released Set Name MSRP (USD $) Current Value (Avg MISB) % Increase 30055-1 2011 Droid Fighter 2.99 5.33 78% 30054-1 2011 AT-ST 3.99 6.66 67% 30053-1 2011 Venator Class Republic Cruiser 2.99 9.05 202% 30052-1 2011 AAT 3.99 8.78 120% 30051-1 2010 X-Wing Fighter 3.99 11.76 195% 30050-1 2010 Republic Attack Cruiser 3.99 8.05 102% 8033-1 2009 General Grievous Starfighter 3.99 12.16 205% 8031-1 2008 V-19 Torment 3.99 6.29 58% 8028-1 2008 Mini Tie Fighter 2.99 5.61 88% 6967-1 2005 ARC Fighter 4.99 16.56 232% 6966-1 2005 Jedi Starfigher 4.99 7.07 42% 6965-1 2004 Tie Interceptor 4.99 16.35 228% 6964-1 2004 Boba Fett's Slave I 4.99 24.37 388% 6963-1 2004 X-Wing Fighter 4.99 20.76 316% 4495-1 2004 AT-TE 6.99 24.37 249% 4494-1 2004 Imperial Shuttle 6.99 18.12 159% 4493-1 2004 Sith Infiltrator 6.99 14.77 111% 4492-1 2004 Star Destroyer 6.99 38.76 455% 4491-1 2003 MTT 6.99 16.94 142% 4490-1 2003 Republic Gunship 6.99 23.56 235% 4489-1 2003 AT-AT 6.99 27.41 292% 4488-1 2003 Millennium Falcon 6.99 40.17 475% 4487-1 2003 Jedi Starfighter & Slave I 3.99 34.90 775% 4486-1 2003 AT-ST & Snowspeeder 3.99 17.45 337% 4485-1 2003 Sebulba's & Anakin's Podracers 3.99 15.00 276% 4484-1 2003 X-Wing Fighter & Tie Advanced 3.99 31.46 688% 3219-1 2002 Mini Tie Fighter 2.99 18.92 533% As you can see from the proceeding chart, each and every Lego STAR WARS miniature building set that was released to the buying public from the year 2002 to present has increased in value for MIB/NISB sets, some substantially.  Usually, with any investment, the older the investment, the higher the return.  It is no different in this situation.  The older sets are worth more and their % increases are quite high in comparison to the newer sets.  That being said, some of the newer sets(less than 3 years old), such as set 30051-1(X-Wing Fighter) and set 8033-1 (General Grievous' Starfighter) have increased about 200% from MSRP in less than 3 years.  Not a bad return from this Lego investor's opinion.  Another thing to consider when buying these mini sets are the 'bonus' models that can be built when combining particular sets.  Take a look:  
 
*Sets 4491-1, 4490-1, 4489-1 and 4488-1 will each have extra pieces in the four sets to build a mini Y-Wing fighter.
*Sets 4487-1, 4486-1, 4485-1, and 4484-1 will each have extra pieces in the four sets to build a mini Tie Bomber.  
 
So when purchasing these sets, try to buy all four of the series to maximize the appreciation potential.  Potential buyers will want to build that extra model or at the very least 'know' they could build it, even if they never opened the Lego box.  
 
The MSRP mini Lego STAR WARS models were available to the general buying public as earlier stated.  But a second type of Lego STAR WARS mini model was released by Lego beginning in 2008, the Brickmaster miniature models.  These particular sets were only available to customers who purchased the Brickmaster magazine subscription through Lego.  Over the course of an annual subscription, the Lego customer would receive six Brickmaster magazines, along with a Brickmaster mini Lego model with each magazine.  The miniature Lego models would cover some of the larger themes of Lego at the time...City, Atlantis, Bionicle and STAR WARS.  In 2011, the program ended, thus making the mini sets that were released this way a little more rare, thus more valuable.  Here's a look at the Brickmaster mini Lego sets that were released from 2008 to 2011:  
 
BRICKMASTER Miniature STAR WARS Building Sets
Set # Year Released Set Name Current Market Value (USD $ MISB) 20021-1 2011 Mini Bounty Hunter Assault Ship 37.79 20019-1 2011 Slave I 27.38 20018-1 2010 AT-AT Walker 22.41 20016-1 2010 Imperial Shuttle 17.37 20010-1 2009 Republic Gunship 28.96 20009-1 2009 AT-TE Walker 13.00 20007-1 2009 Republic Attack Cruiser 39.23 20006-1 2008 Clone Turbo Tank 52.81 As the reader can see, there is no MSRP for these sets to calculate a % return average for the Brickmaster mini sets, but an educated guess can be made as to their impressive appreciation.  All of the Brickmaster mini STAR WARS models were of similar size, piece number and makeup of the MSRP sets, so if they actually had a 'price tag' when new, they would be very similar to the MSRP sets(in the $4-$7 range).  That being said, their current market values are as high, if not higher than the MSRP sets and in a shorter time frame on average.  If for argument's sake, you say the average price of these sets were $6(high side of MSRP mini sets), the  smallest appreciation was over 100%, while several sets appreciated 700-800% in less than 4 years of time.  Nice!  
 
In conclusion, there is something to be said for the miniature Lego STAR WARS building sets.  While the larger STAR WARS sets, such as the Millennium Falcon, set #10179-1, are the 'Belles of the Investment Ball,' the miniature version of the Millennium Falcon, set #4488-1, has more than doubled the 10179's appreciation percentage.  Similar appreciation figures can be seen throughout the Lego STAR WARS mini building set world in comparison to their larger counterparts.  Not only are they good investments in this AFOL's opinion, they are affordable and enable a beginner Lego investor/collector to start their collection with limited resources.  The mini sets are creative in Lego brick use and accurate in appearance.  They are also easy to store and take up little space in comparison to the larger, boxed sets.  Also, they can be displayed in a relatively small area, such as on a desk or small bookcase, without some little 2 year old hands destroying hours of work.  All in all, they are a very cool theme in the Lego world, and better yet, these mini Lego building sets give a major investment bang for the buck.  What else could you ask for?
 
Legos are an iconic toy. Through my work at www.BrickPicker.com, I have also found out they are valued as an investment vehicle for some very smart collectors out there. Year after year, new sets are released and older sets are discontinued, making those older sets more valuable with each passing year. But an untapped market within the Lego world is now emerging...Custom models and minifigures.  
 
With the advent of CAD software for the Lego community, programs such as Ldraw(www.LDraw.org) give the amateur Lego bulider ways to record and document their creation's 'instructions.' For some talented people, this is a pathway to making money from their hobby. On any given day on eBAY, there are 5000+ listings for custom Lego models, instructions and minifigures. Obviously, someone is buying these custom Lego items.  
 
As with anything, there are quality custom creations and then there is the garbage. As a Lego collector and fan, I have invested in a lot of these custom creations. Some people have a knack for creating some pretty cool stuff, that they sell on eBAY and make a pretty penny doing it. There is a huge amount of time invested in these creations by the builder. But that time investment is rewarded with numerous sales on eBAY. Let me share some of these custom creations with you...  
 
One of my favorite custom Lego companies is ArtiFex Creations. They have a large presence on eBAY with their custom Lego lighting for various large scale models and a Lego 'cleaner.'  
 
EBAY LISTING: Lego Brick Lights PRO PLUS Kit
 
   
 
EBAY LISTING: Brick Duster Kit
 
   
 
I have seen the lights on their R/C Turbo Tank model and they work great and have purchased the Lego Duster and it does a spectacular job of removing dust from my Lego displays.  
 
They also dabble in model 're'creation. One such item is their Star Wars R/C Turbo Tank.  
 
EBAY LISTING: Custom R/C Motorized Turbo Tank Instructions & Lights - Lego Star Wars 8098 7261
 
   
 
Awesome is all that I can say. I have bought and built this monster and it is something any Lego Master Builder would be proud of. Over 4000+ pieces, R/C controller that works multiple functions, lights, working rocket launchers, etc...It is a creation that took a year to make and I can see the love and effort that went into it.  
 
Out of those 5000+ custom Lego listings on eBAY, the majority are for custom minifigures and their accessories. It is a huge market. Anything from custom weapons to headgear to entire figures, make up the major part of custom Lego creations. My favorite custom Lego minifigure creator is a gentleman by the name of Haunted Pirate. This guy comes up with some stuff that Lego was afraid to make. LOL. Minifigures replicating famous movie villains is his specialty. Characters such as Chucky from Child's Play...  
 
EBAY LISTING: Lego Custom Horror Minifig Minifigure Display Chucky Childs Play
 
   
 
Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street...
 
EBAY LISTING: Custom Lego Minifig Freddy Krueger Halloween Display
 
   
 
Jason from Friday the 13th
 
EBAY LISTING: Lego Custom Minifig Jason Friday the 13th Movie Display
 
   
 
All in all, some awesome creations in my opinion and not a bad price. For a basic investment of anywhere from $30-$50, you can have a one-of-a-kind minifigure. He even made a couple special ones just for me. Pretty cool.
 
Besides custom Lego models and minifigures, there is a large selection of custom instructions that use the LDraw CAD system that are for sale on eBAY. Instructions for Star Wars models such as the Imperial Walker...  
 
EBAY LISTING: Custom Star Wars AT AT Imperial Walker are top notch.
 
   
 
The most popular custom instructions are for the Lego Modular Buildings in the City/Town series. The Modular Buildings line of Legos were based on actual Lego fan's designs that Lego converted into actual sets. These sets can be combined to form an entire town block. Sets included buildings such as grocery stores and pet stores. Lego fans continue to produce new and interesting custom instructions for this Lego line and sell them like hotcakes on eBAY. Instructions like these hospitals...  
 
EBAY LISTING: Custom Lego Hospital Instructions CD
 
   
 
EBAY LISTING: Custom Lego Modular Building Instructions Hospital
 
   
 
are also top notch custom creations. As you can see from their listings, these designers have numerous types of buildings to compliment the stock Lego sets. So in conclusion, this author can safely say that the custom Lego market is growing year to year. The amount of 'custom Lego' listings continues to rise annually on eBAY and other Lego sites. Custom sets, instructions and minifigures are being created by the average Lego fan and being sold for a profit. Build or make a quality Lego creation and there is money to be made...a lot of it. All you need is a vision, some spare time and of course, some Lego bricks...
 
I have to admit, I am addicted to Lego store displays. I love them. I scour eBay and Bricklink for any sort of Lego display. From Agents to Star Wars, they are awesome in my opinion. But what are they really worth and are they a good investment?
Lego store displays are rare for the most part. These plexiglass covered, Lego dioramas can be found at any local Toy R' US or Target. The thing that makes them rare is that they are not for sale to the public from Lego or any department store. Rumor has it that they are supposed to be destroyed or returned to Lego when they are done being displayed, yet somehow, some find their way onto eBay and similar auction sites.
Displays can range in size and shape. I have seen tiny minifigure displays from the San Diego Comic Con to large, 4 foot cases with 4-5 complete sets inside. Most Lego displays are glued together from Lego and cannot be taken apart. Some are lighted, some have movement, some have sound or a combination of all three. In short, there is a display for most of the major Lego categories and most Lego fans favorite set types.
But the question remains, are they worth anything? And if they are worth something, how do they compare to a regular Lego set that is new or a used one that is complete? Let's take a look at a variety of Lego displays.
The Lego Collector displays from the San Diego Comic Con or similar Lego expositions probably are the safest bets when investing in displays.

A display similar to the above General Grievous display is a numbered set from Lego and is limited in it's production. Most sold in the $25-$50 range at the show, yet on eBay, these displays bring back double that amount. The Lego store displays are a little trickier when it comes to figuring out investment value. As I stated earlier, it's really up to an individual buyer to set a price for an item. A large, 4 foot display can run anywhere from $100-$500 on eBay. One thing is certain, displays containing STAR WARS sets(such as the one below), bring in more money than a similar sized non STAR WARS display(similar to the Agents display below).


Both sets are the same size and contain about the same amount of sets, yet STAR WARS Legos almost always bring back more money in auctions. Another consideration is the size of a display. These 4 foot store displays make an awesome impression in person, but they are huge to be honest. Lego seems to be downsizing some displays so that they are attractive in appearance, yet don't take up too much shelf space.

The smaller size decreases the value of the display slightly, but it seems that there is more interest in the mid sized displays, because people can actually fit them in an office or bedroom. Most 2 foot displays can go for anywhere from $75-$250 and some of the more expensive STAR WARS displays can hit $400 or more. Last, but not least are the Lego displays not based on actual sets. Stores such as Toys R' Us and Target have had custom designed displays that fetch big time money. Toys R' Us displays that are 18-20 inch plastic replicas of Lego minifigures(see below) have consistently brought in $500-$1000+ on eBay.

Target displays of R2-D2 and Yoda have brought back over $500.

As you can see, these rare displays can bring in big bucks, but unfortunately, they are very hard to come by.
So what's the bottom line? Are Lego displays worth anything and will they increase in value? It's this author's opinion that Lego displays will continue to increase in value. This is based on the fact that the large, vintage minigure replicas of the 80's and 90's have reached exorbitant levels. The current plexiglass Lego dioramas that are being produced are relatively new to the scene.
Although there are some dioramas that were produced in the early 00's, most have been made over the last 4-5 years. As with most collectibles, VINTAGE MEANS MONEY and Legos are no different. As the years go past and more and more of these displays get trashed or destroyed, the remaining ones will become more valuable. At least that's what I'm hoping for(because I have an office full of Lego displays .
As with anything, it's all about the "eye of the beholder". Some, like myself, love these miniature plastic worlds and don't mind paying top dollar for them. Others think they are a waste of space and would rather invest their money in a 'new in box' STAR WARS set. For the investor who really wants a bang for their buck, Lego displays are not the way to go. Vintage, 'new in box' sets are the more consistent investment over the long haul. But at least you can view a completed Lego set in a display. I mean, what fun is it looking at a sealed box? LOL.
Any questions or comments are welcome. Thanks.
 

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