Hey everybody. I just moved to Tucson, AZ from Las Vegas. I'm prior military and have been all over the world (I assembled an X-Wing in Iraq and an Imperial Shuttle in Northwestern Africa). I never really thought of Legos as an investment. That is until I decided to put my 10174 and my 10175 up for auction on the bay. I paid less than a hundred bucks for each set and unbelievably both sets sold for over, WAY over retail.....and that was with no box!!! The AT-ST sold for a buck fifty and the Tie went for 250. As awesome as that was for me it was less awesome to see what they were going for still boxed lol.

Anyways, I LOVE Legos and would love to collect and build as many sets as I can. I also collect comic books and with comic books I've been able to find lots of books that I can flip and use the profits to get the books that I want to keep for my private collection. I'm hoping the same can be done with Legos. So after a bit of Google-fu I found this site and have been really excited at how much information is available here. Hope to meet up with some good guys on the site and not be much of a pain. Thanks guys!!!

 

I do have a few quick questions though. Is there a way to know if something is gonna go on sale??? I see tons of listings where guys say "its a good deal if you can get it for 50%). Where do I find those deals and is there a way to be notified of them??? When sets are to be EOL do they get marked down considerably??? Is Christmas the best time to find deals on Lego sets??? What typically is a deal that cant be passed up?? For instance I've found a site where I can get 20% off a set I want. Is this safe?? Or will I be regretting a better price down the road??? Thanks again!!!

Welcome to the site and thank you for your service. Typically for most people here a 30% discount is where they can't resist and that is a preety good deal. I personally only buy sets that I think are going to make me the most profit after they EOL so if i see a set that is discounted pretty good but not gonna be real winner after EOL I will just leave it alone. Most people would buy at that discount and easily flip for a profit. Its all about your investing style. Even if you aren't an investor, they are plenty of people here who just like to build and sell sets to further fund their Lego addiction. There are decent sales clearances throughout the year online and in stores so just keep your eye out.

Thanks for the info Stephen. I think I'm just so anxious to buy right now and dont want to make my first mistake. I have a grand I'm looking to spend and am trying to choose my first few sets wisely. I'll post a "what should I buy thread" in the appropriate sub forum. Thanks!!!

Look through the forums and see what we here think would be good investments.....if you have any specific questions feel free to ask......all our members are happy to help.

Welcome to BrickPicker, amnesiac. Being a military brat myself, I have the utmost respect for those who serve.

Is there a way to know if something is gonna go on sale???

Err, not reliably. There seem to be times of the year for different clearances like the recent Summer sales or currently going Labor Day event but you won't know what is on sale until you look around. I am personally trying to record all of this year's different events, see how things go the next, and hoping to see a distinct pattern.

I see tons of listings where guys say "its a good deal if you can get it for 50%). Where do I find those deals and is there a way to be notified of them???

First off, 50% off is not the norm for most and for some even 30% off isn't. Anyway, you could follow some of the different sales topics here and see what you can find. I ended up snagging some similar deals hearing about what others have found themselves. It also helps to know the retailers in your general area, how each are typically stocked, where the clearance aisles are (assuming they have any), etcetera. It is a bit of homework but you never know when you'll come across a nice payoff!

Is Christmas the best time to find deals on Lego sets???

Actually, after Christmas sales are the best. I haven't found anything worthwhile during the holiday season let alone worth all the craziness of going out during that time. Yeesh. Anyway, the after Christmas sales all retailers hold in January have some good deals if you can get there early.

What typically is a deal that cant be passed up??

Half off for sure, 40% is good too, and in some case so is 30%. Less than that, I wouldn't bite unless I truly cannot find anything better at all or I really wanted the set like right now! It can also depend on what you are used to seeing normally as well as what you are willing to pay.

For instance I've found a site where I can get 20% off a set I want. Is this safe??

If you have questions about a specific website you are unsure about as to the validity or 'safeness' of it, start a topic, post a link to the site, and get some second opinions. You need to watch out for potential credit card crooks and illegal dropshippers. We have each others backs here.

will I be regretting a better price down the road???

There is always the potential of a possibly much better deal later on or not. That's the gamble and part of the excitement of it all. I have missed out on a few things expecting a better discount or even a decent one at all while other times I thought I had only to find that wanted set on my list discounted just as I wished. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut and hope for the best.

Have fun, friend!

ORC thanks for taking the time to answer so much!!! Very insightful, indeed. Initially, I was leaning towards making my first purchases in the UCS line of SW. Then I thought "well what would be a better investment" as opposed to what I actually want for myself. I think the better bet is spending my first grand on the Tower Bridges. Of course I intend to do a bit more homework, but unless I find something truly eye opening I think I will snap up as many as I can and maybe a B-Wing or two with whatever is left over. Thanks again!!!

Welcome to the site.

As far as prices everything just depends on the investment potential, how long it had been out, and the possibility of future discounts.

For instance, buying a set that just came out is not really cost effective. People that bought the bwing when it came out were mad when it sold for 100 6 months later.

I normally look to buy sets tha have been out for a long period and are most likely to be done sooner than later. I then set a price for them that I would buy at. Some items it's a low percentage off just because you never see them discounted.

You can always ask on here too as there are a lot of knowledgable members with different viewpoints. Whenever I am unsure I ask and people set me straight real quick.

Its so awesome that people are so fast to offer advice on these boards. I really appreciate it!!! So on the subject of the B-Wing....is 150 a good price to scoop up a couple or is it more than likely to be heavily discounted post X-Mas (or even in the lead up to the holidays)?? From what I've read it sounds like a set thats due to retire relatively soon...

Its so awesome that people are so fast to offer advice on these boards. I really appreciate it!!! So on the subject of the B-Wing....is 150 a good price to scoop up a couple or is it more than likely to be heavily discounted post X-Mas (or even in the lead up to the holidays)?? From what I've read it sounds like a set thats due to retire relatively soon...

I think 150 is a good price. I really like the set. I think it's done too - it's out at amazon and at lego and there has been no indication it is coming back. This set had a ridiculously short run and while I definitely think there a lot of people who stockpiled them I feel like it will gain well once it's gone.

Its so awesome that people are so fast to offer advice on these boards. I really appreciate it!!! So on the subject of the B-Wing....is 150 a good price to scoop up a couple or is it more than likely to be heavily discounted post X-Mas (or even in the lead up to the holidays)?? From what I've read it sounds like a set thats due to retire relatively soon...

Not sure if you were into LEGO in May but this set was available for 100 bucks (half off) on may 4th. There are a lot of these sets floating around waiting for retirement so who knows how long it will take to make any money off of these things if you buy it at 150. I personally think its an awesome set and have a few stashed away for a rainy day. Just know that tons were sold that day, so that will affect the value for in the short term. My guess is that its pretty close to retiring because its been sold out for a while now at S@H. It was a bit overpriced at 199.00 retail but a hell of a deal at 99.00 and decent at 150.00. Doubt it will dip during Christmas.

Hello.  A 35%-50% discount is a rarity and is the exception, rather than the norm.  But you can regularly find 10%-30% off deals on "most" sets at some point.  Check out the Amazon Discounts page for some sweet deals.  There are some sets though that will only discount for small amounts...or no discounts in some cases.  Those sets you will have to pay retail for.  Most deals are found by scanning this site daily and through searching through many eBay, Target, and Amazon listings.  It is a second job at times.

Welcome to Brickpicker.

welcome aboard, and as others have mentioned, thank you very much for your service and sacrifice.

 

a couple things to add...

 

a "good" % off is all relative to the set in question. 10% might not seem like much, but if lego offers it on the haunted house, everyone will be jumping all over it because it rarely goes on sale and is considered to be one of THE sets to be acquiring now for big profits later. on the other side of the coin, if a retailer offers 50% on the atlantis or galaxy quest themes, many on here, including myself, still won't even sniff at it. each set and theme is a bit different. orc forge was rarely discounted, except for a lucky few who found some on 30% clearance, so I didn't hesitate to buy out all of my targets using my red card which got me a 5% discount. 5% isn't much, but I had to have them and it is better than nothing.

 

if you come here on a regular basis you won't miss any good sales. everyone on here is very helpful and eager to post a good sale they may see in their local areas. just check in daily and be sure to return the favor when you come across some good finds.

 

if you have a kmart near you they might possibly be running their 50% clearance sale starting this coming sunday, 9/8. this is speculation, but they ran one on memorial day as well as july 4, so the rumor is that they will do so also this sunday to get rid of their summer leftovers to make room for the new holiday toys. they are currently running a 20% off clearance sale that goes through 9/7. I plan on being at my kmart when they open at 8am this sunday just in case. it is only a mile from my house so I will let everyone know if the sale is on or not. kmart clearance is a great way to stockpile sets at a great price.

 

good luck!

Welcome. Enjoy your stay. Stomping

Welcome to the forum!

Good to see another service member (well former one anyway). Good to see I am not the only one

Welcome to Brickpicker, a place that can occupy alot of your time and money.

Welcome to the site!

Hi! Welcome to the site Amnesiac!

Welcome to the site.

 

Thank you for your service, I personally really appreciate what you guys do all over the world!

Thanks everybody for making me feel welcome!!!

Welcome to Brickpicker you should learn a lot in a few months. It's a great place here.

Welcome to BrickPicker. That's really cool to hear how you got into LEGO investing!

Welcome to your newest addiction! The first two months are the hardest - everything looks like a good deal and your money burns in your wallet. After a bit, you'll get the hang of it - especially if you frequent this site often, lol?

Welcome to your newest addiction! The first two months are the hardest - everything looks like a good deal and your money burns in your wallet. After a bit, you'll get the hang of it - especially if you frequent this site often, lol

Indeed!!! Everytime I think I know what I want I see something else that seems like a super good deal as well. I'm gonna post on the investors sub forum and see where everybody stands. Thanks for the welcomes guys!!!