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Message "darin" and tell him you want to have Chris Weidman's baby. He might cut you a deal.

This to me is a typical media article. The title of the article makes it sound like sales are down. As noted when looking at the numbers growth has only slowed but as others have said it is still growing. The market is never happen unless growth is greater than the previous year. It sounds like the business is still very sound and still growing albeit at a slower pace. Technically sales havent slowed down, growth has. Those are 2 very different things.

I forgot that most important step: celebrate. However, lately, it's been Scotch or Whisky...a worthwhile ding to the wallet. My wife laughs and rolls her eyes when she sees her 'adult' husband drinking Scotch and building LEGO sets/MOCs. Cheaper than therapy and/or a mid-life crisis of the worst kind.

"Lego has said that U.S. and European toy markets are being pressured by the flood of new competition." I guess they don't want to mention buying restrictions and reductions in discounts....

For what it's worth, the z-95 is a bit different from other Clone Wars sets in that the ship itself first appeared in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy from the early '90's (set a few years after the events of ROTJ). It was also included in the X-Wing computer game from the mid-90's. Thus, it has a place in the expanded universe of the original trilogy. Now the average person probably wouldn't know this but a diehard Star Wars fan should. I think it's pretty cool that they made one and even though I haven't seen the Clone Wars 'toon I still associate this ship with it's earlier appearances. It would have been a much cooler set IMO if the figures had been either OT characters or characters from the Zahn novels though but it could still end up doing better than other Clone Wars sets. Time will tell.

2 Olivia treehouse for 53.49$ ea.

So the train at the end of the third movie got 10,000 votes. I recently picked up the Delorean, but haven't built it yet. I would probably pick this up too, just a cool bit of nostalgia associated with BTTF for me. http://www.thebrickfan.com/lego-cuusoo-bttf-jules-verne-train-achieves-10000-supporters/

I know this may be a little off topic, but I would also list on Craigslist. You would be surprised how much response you get, and no fees and usually cash in hand, so no paypal fees.

Battle over gotham does have a slightly more classic look, but I agree that the new Batplane is sweet and the whole set figs to vehicles is a grand slam. 2014 Batman sets are VERY good and I think they will have to hurt demand at least a bit for 2012/2013 sets. The good news is I think it will increase demand for the funhouse. Where else are you going to park your steam roller?

I use Bricklink some. It's better for used sets and for selling large quantities of new sets. I have found it to be the best way to sell sets in wholesale quantities to overseas buyers. Margins are thinner than retail sales, but the profits are easier to come by when you're selling 100 copies of a battlepack.

Ooh, I remember that rumor. The guy pretty much posted a list on eurobricks then bailed lol

They have always released new sets in this manner. They don't need new sets to encourage sales in December, you need new products to encourage purchasing when people aren't already looking to buy. Also, I think too much weight is being put into the no discounting exclusives policy. Sure, people may not be buying as many exclusives, but they're still spending the money, just on different stuff. If someone has a $2,000 budget, they probably didn't stop buying sets because they can't buy exclusives, they just put that same money into other stuff they could get at a discount. Either way, most people weren't buying their exclusives from TLG directly since Amazon usually had bigger discounts on them.

You are paying for the level of exposure. Consider this you marketing/advertisement budget :-) There some buyers who have no idea what ebay is or too lazy to check it, so they buy stuff on Amazon purely due to brand recognition. Sure, BP will have "classifieds" soon, with very attractive fee schedule, but regular Joe would have no idea what this site is (and it is probably a good thing, otherwise market would become too efficient)

I kind of agree, but this Batmobile has a more "classic" look, hopefully there is some draw there.

Yeah, it is BS for sure. Basically he realized it was back in stock at multiple places for $150 and now wants to return because he paid $240 for it. I feel I have never gotten an honest reason from any eBay buyer when returning something. I would be happier about it if they would just tell the truth and not make up such lame reasons for returning. In any case I have no choice but to let him return it and refund the money. eBay and PayPal will always side with the buyer and there is little that the seller can do. This is the risk we all take selling. I am wondering how many people are stockpiling sets that have never tried to sell and will be in for a shock once that time comes. I'm not saying it isn't worth it but it is a lot of work and you will run in to a trouble like this every now and then.

Hi guys, I happen to be an economist. The numbers I posted above are directly from The Lego Group Annual Report which can be found on their website in the About Us section. In 2012 sales for the first 6 months were 9.1 bil dkk, and 23.4 bil dkk for the year, meaning the first half of the year accounts for roughly 40% of the total. Fast forward to 2013, first 6 months sales were 10.4 bil dkk. Assuming this will be 40% of annual revenue, this would result in annual sales of 26 bil dkk, meaning sales growth will slow from 25% in 2012 to roughly 10% in 2013.

As I stated earlier, the final data can be read as a positive, but what interests me is how we got to this point with the sales and growth reducing in the US in the second half of the year. If it is LEGO's policies that slowed sales, then they can change back to the old methods as well. I'm not making any predictions on the future of LEGO investing, but I've been waiting for months to see if sales dropped because of all the recent changes...and they did.

The article I listed in the original post said Chima was doing well. I guess we will have to wait until Thursday to get more info on this.

I can see one thing that would certainly explain some of the drop in the second half of 2013 - The cancellation of The Clone Wars. While I know that many members of this site dismissed the show, it was extremely popular (and good by the way), and that connection has been lost. There is no longer that must have factor that existed before - kids are not going to grab them quickly from the shelves, since it is no longer an active part of their lives.

I don't see Mega Blocks or Kre-O as a significant threat to Lego either though mainly because those lines are anchored by themes that Lego won't touch--specifically modern/realistic military themes. Mega Blocks has of course had the HALO line for a few years now along with the new Call of Duty Line released last year and continuing this year. Kre-O has the ***.I. Joe line carried by Toys R US. I personally don't own any of the COD kits but I have heard very good things about them--that the quality of the bricks is much improved and that the kits are very detailed. The figures are also very realistic and have multiple points of articulation. I have honestly been impressed with some of the images I've seen and if I ever see the tank set on sale/clearance at my Wal-Mart I will very likely pick it up. They have a new Blackhawk coming out later this year that also looks really, really nice. As for Kre-O, I am a die-hard ***.I. Joe fan and therefore own a complete set minus one convention exclusive of that line. I will acknowledge that Kre-O bricks feel "lighter" than Lego bricks and some of the figure printing is not as detailed, but they also tend to be less expensive (even with Toys R Us prices) than Lego and the line really nails the vintage ***.I. Joe feel. The kits are fun to assemble and, most importantly, they stay together. My boys have a few as well and they hold up to play just as well as their Lego builds do. For what it's worth, it was getting heavily into Kre-O that then led me more heavily back into Lego--I've spent more on Lego in the last 2 months than the last 10 years combined (mostly for my own collection). So maybe some of these competitors are actually helping Lego out . . . Also, not all Kre-O is created equally. The Cityville sets are pretty much @$%^. I realize that some of what I have said here may be considered blasphemy by some, but that brings me to my last point: while company/product/brand loyalty can be a very good thing, blind loyalty has the potential to be harmful, especially if you are an investor. To automatically dismiss a competitor as inferior without truly assessing what it is they are doing or offering "just because they aren't X" or haven't been as good in the past can come back and bite you later. There's already been some discussion here about Lego relying more on Chinese production resulting in a "cheaper feeling" product while Mega Bloks may very well be improving (again, I cannot say this from my own ownership of a recent kit one way or the other). Then there are the doors that Lego leaves open to competitors by not producing certain types of kits (military). Who knows--within the next 10 years most Lego bricks could be made in China and people will be investing in Call of Duty sets. Finally, if the sharp drop off in Lego sales in 2013 was due to buying limits on investors that tells me that a very significant amount of Lego buying is being done by investors. Which seems a bit bubble-ish to me . . . Okay, back to work. P,S. I've got my next TRU Lego shipment arriving today--Star Wars and Super Heroes--can't wait to get home this afternoon!

No charge for listing, if you have free listing available but they do deduct from your free listing each month they renew. So if you had 50 GTC listings and none sold all month, the next month when they renew your free listings would all be used up, assuming you don't have a store and didn't receive a free listing bonus offering. At least that is what I think is true but not tested.

Also, while not in the same category, I think it is important to note that the PS4 and Xbox ONE were released in 2013, updates in the console generation for the first time in 8 or 9 years. Also, reports of the economic recovery have been greatly exaggerated...

The only part I don't particularly care for about the set is Pong Krell despite being a well-made minifigure. Other than him, the ship and other two characters are pretty cool. Also, the bit of backstory I recall coming across states that technically the Z-95 Headhunter is the spaceship that eventually became the current X-Wing we all know from the original trilogy.

Kid's have overactive immune system and can get all kinds of gross stuff out of the blue. I had my newborn daughter sleeping next to a frigging cat without any ill effects and breaking out in hives and having difficulty breathing whenever there was a fish in the house. Mind you not near her but in the general vicinity. Fish smell, hives wheezing, get her outside wheezing stops hives go away in an hour. Point is that yes it is possible that her son got rashes from Lego or something that was on that Lego so what? As long as he didn't go into anaphylactic shock he'll be fine. This is a case of an overbearing overprotective mom, it's probably her first. She'll either snap out of it or she'll totally screw up that kid.

I just tried it out and there were no extra fees added. Thanks.

Doubt they'll be able to read interactions on it.

I don't think so, I think they'd charge you, but you could test it, they'll show you the fee at the bottom of the listing page before you finalize it.

Let them build Lego just don't let them procreate.

I`d get it to part out. Sell the minifigs if you can, that will recoup most of your money at $30, then see what you can get for the ship. Just as a personal rule, I buy any Lego at 50% off, excluding things like Chima raiders/speedorz/etc. This isn`t always an absolute, but most of the time you just can`t lose

I don't want to talk about how he got them. In fact, I don't believe he really ever had them. I think he's lying, and just trolling me.

for 30 i would get it. 40% of msrp. $10 less than walmart/target hard core sw lego fans will want it - it will be a rarer set down the road. the cheapest you could realistically hope to ever get this would be $25.

OK so I ordered a Tower Bridge with GC and after I received my $40 GC I applied it to order for HH with GC. I received both today. TB arrived in decent shape except for the big white sticker which was easily removed with hair dryer. But the outer box for HH was pretty much mangled. The shipping box was extra large and over 12" deep with ZERO packing. Needless to say the set box is creased and bent and one end was completely open (both seals loose) all the bags are sealed but there are 5 grey plates loose? Is this normal? Packing slip says to go to Walmart.com/Returns which states you may return via mail or to a store. Any recommendations as to which is better? Does Walmart offer discounts for damaged sets like Amazon does sometimes? Any experiences you can share would be appreciated. I had planned to use last GC to maybe order another TB but at this point I'm not sure I want to chance it or not.

I think you answered your own question. From my personal experience, I have had a hard time making any decent profit on anything other than original trilogy, even if purchased at a substantial discount. Maybe in a few years when the kids who grew up with the prequels and clone wars have more disposable income these sets might sell at a premium, but for now they are a tough nut to crack.

What??? That's over double MSRP + $13.49 for costs.

I guess we now know what they do with the damaged box returns .. Pathetic

This would almost be funny if it wasn't such a headache for you guys.

That is insane. Post a pic of what it should look like and what you got on their Facebook page. You'd be amazed how quickly it'll get resolved. I've had great shipping w Walmart but there is no excuse for your situation.

Winter Toy Shop for 199.99 Now my village is complete .

Chances are you will be getting a double update early next month. I am swamped this week traveling for business. Sorry about that, but the job comes first

I'm not a fan. I too don't like how the minifig is designed to sit on the vehicle. It's just weird. If the figure was separate it may be a little better. I also think most of the builds aren't up to the same standard as previous mini-build sets. If I wanted a MF on my desk I'd choose the 4488. But I guess for the cheaper price and the general consumer being unaware of previous sets they might do ok.

I have the Millenium Falcon and X-Wing sitting on my desk at work. My friends I've shown them to love them as well. I definitely think it's too soon for investment, but original series vehicles could end up in the $15-20 range. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker

Sold about 60 CMF's in 5 different lots for a total a little under $200 shipped. These were in a craigslist lot, so price paid is difficult since there was also 100+ lbs. of Lego in it as well. Also sold a 7637 City Farm last night for $200 shipped.

I got all (via TRU BOGO) except the AAT as I hate using those when playing SW Battlefront II. They have their charm and a good conversation starter due to their uniqueness. Also, it is easier to take 5 minutes break and play around with mini MF vs SD instead of their system couterparts. Plus over the weekend I saw probably the best use of it, as a birthday cake topper. So, yay for collecting, wait and see for investing

I started investing a few months ago with a budget of $1000 per month in mind... That was when ALL the sales and 3x VIP Points were happening so that budget went out the door... I have invaded my boys' closets along with the wife's walk-in. I'm slowing down now...

I am not sure what your margin was on this set. But I would charge a re-stocking fee to make up for the profit lost by taking a NEW set and making it USED. My policy is clear. If I sell a new lego set then I do not accept returns if the set has been opened or if a seal has been broken. Another tactic is to try and string the buyer along until 60 days elapse. After 60 days from purchase, they can't open a case or leave feedback.

All my TBs from walmart.com arrived in shipping boxes and in near perfect condition. Maybe I got lucky but I'm seriously considering ordering another one or two. To award and encourage their good behavior maybe.

You wanna bet? Meanwhile at the Walmart Hiring Center.... (Warning: What you will see cannot be unseen.)

What exactly are you implying!!?? I'm heading to my local WM right after work tonight just in case. And if no Lego, I'll check out the other sections DNIIM mentioned...

Chin up! We'll get through another round! Slow-moving parents of young children despise faster-moving parents of small children who get there first. Fast-moving parents of small children despise adult collectors who buy the last box on the shelf when they SHOULD leave it "for the children!" Collectors despise the collector/casual investor who buys TWO of a set (shocking! Just shocking! Even if they are the LAST TWO!!) and don't leave any for the purist collector. Collector/Casual Investors despise the Mid-Level Investor/Collector who don't leave any for them. Mid-Level Investor/Collectors despise the High-Level Investor/Reseller (often those counting on Lego for a significant amount or all of their income) who don't leave any for them. It's not "sick" for someone to buy more Lego than another person, or for them not to leave Lego on the shelf for the children, the parents, the purist collectors, the casual investors, the lazy, the stupid, or the weak. We're not talking bottled water in a hurricane here, we're talking a luxury toy. I won't call you whiny if you don't call me sick. Or, better yet, keep calling me sick all you want instead of taking steps to make sure you can compete with me on the fair and level playing field called "Open Hours" at the store selling Lego.