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After the recent Telegraph article going viral all over the world stating that LEGO bricks and sets were better investments than Gold over the past few years, one has to wonder what other investment vehicles do LEGO bricks outperform. With the recent roller coaster on Wall Street and foreign markets, a question presents itself...Are the LEGO secondary markets and LEGO collecting and investment in general, more stable and profitable over the long haul than other more high profile investments? Let’s analyze some data… With 2015 coming to a close, the final financial year-end data on stock markets, crude oil and gold prices is available. Take a look at the major stock market and commodity returns for 2015 stated in an article from the USA TODAY: A quick analysis indicates an overall poor year for most major indexes and benchmark commodities. Only the tech heavy NASDAQ escaped the carnage and posted positive gains for the year. Now, compare the above chart to the “average” LEGO set returns over the past five years and this is what you find: Now, when I say, ”Average LEGO Set,” I am referring to the “mean” appreciation of all LEGO sets in our database. The Return On Investment is calculated from the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). There are thousands of LEGO sets in our database that get aggregated into these figures, some new and available at retail, but most retired and no longer available at primary retailers. The data shows a very consistent pattern for LEGO sets over the past five years. Even when other major investment vehicles were having a hard time getting into the black in 2015, LEGO sets held their ground. In an overall bad year for investing, LEGO bricks and sets still appreciated close to historical levels. Themes like Jurassic Park, Mixels, Speed Champions, Ideas and Lord of the Rings all had banner years, while Friends, Monster Fighters, Minecraft, DC Comics and Marvel Super Heroes themes all took a huge hit. There are many sets that appreciated very well, while others stagnated or fell in value. Just like stocks, the trick is picking the right sets. Now, before everyone goes out there and dumps their stocks, bonds and gold for LEGO sets, a potential LEGO investor needs to realize the pitfalls of investing in little ABS plastic bricks. First off, they are difficult to store and take up a lot of space. LEGO boxes play a large role in their values. The better the condition, the higher the value in most cases. They are susceptible to moisture and sunlight. Boxes are large and delicate, and a person can easily fill up a small room with a moderate LEGO collection. Another issue with LEGO investing is their expense. Their impeccable quality comes at a high price. They are very expensive toys. Period. Unlike stocks, bonds and gold, they are not liquid. A person has to sell and ship them to realize profits. This takes time and effort. Buying LEGO sets is easy. Selling and shipping them is not. Speaking of selling them, many LEGO secondary market sites such as eBay and Amazon charge high commission fees...ranging anywhere from 10-15% (Unless of course you sell on Brick Classifieds with ZERO commission and fees). This takes a huge bite from your appreciation. Granted, if you choose wisely and pick the right LEGO sets to invest in, these negative factors can be overcome, but many people do not choose wisely and end up failing at this endeavor. So are LEGO sets a better overall investment and more stable than stocks, bonds, gold and crude oil? At this point in time, probably, if you choose the right LEGO sets to invest in and buy and sell them with some creativity and frugality. What they seem to be is more consistent. Take a look at the chart below: A quick glance indicates a rather steady growth pattern for LEGO sets, while the various stock market indexes are quite turbulent. Even when stocks were down, LEGO sets yielded in the 10% range. Pretty solid. While the LEGO secondary markets will probably never take off into stratospheric levels like stocks did in 2013, there are multiple individual LEGO themes and sets that could explode in growth at any given time. To find those sets, one needs to research the markets and study the products. It also takes effort to find deals on LEGO sets when purchasing and work to properly list, package and ship LEGO boxes. Experience also matters. While a novice can make profits from investing in LEGO sets, it often takes experience in buying, selling, packaging and shipping to maximize profits. LEGO investing is no longer “easy” money as it once was, but if you educate yourself, make prudent choices, adapt to changing trends and get a little lucky, you can still see solid profits...

I'll dive right into this article by discussing the investment potential of the "comes in black" 76023 Lego Tumbler set. It appears production was stopped for the $199.99 76023 Lego Tumbler set months ago about the same time Lego slapped the infamous "retiring soon" tag. European and US Lego Shop At Home websites have either sold-out (red font for those who track that) or removed this set's page entirely. In the US, only Amazon and Target have stock currently. According to Brickpickers who try to track inventory like @trekgate502 , the current inventory at those 2 online retailers could be gone by the time the 4th NFL Wild-Card game finishes this Sunday. Regardless of the availability left, the clock is near midnight folks. Time is running out so please check the Brickpicker Inventory Stock Checker. http://www.brickpicker.com/brickwatcher/lego-stock-checker.cfm#76023-1 Since coming out of my Lego Dark Age in 2012, there have been only one time I felt a set's popularity growth was guaranteed to grow after retirement (aka a Grand Slam) : 10212 : UCS Star Wars Imperial Shuttle. The Tumbler is the second set I've had this feeling about. In recent months, this set has fallen out of favor with many Brickpickers. They have their reasons. Reasons why this set is a "Grand Slam". It's Batman. This character has global appeal. Past set comparisons can help predict future growth. The initial $49.99 Tumbler set (7888 from 2008) continues to sell for a premium : $470 MISB and $244 used. Granted, this set had a very limited production run and was the only Lego Tumbler available for from 2008 to 2013. The Batmobile: Ultimate Collectors' Edition (7784 from 2007) retailed for $69.99 and grew to $432 MISB and $208 Used. 2013's Batman: Arkham Asylum Breakout has increased from $159.99 to $238 in one year of retirement. If this set performances 1/3rd as well as of the previous 3 sets, that gives us a secondary market price of $700-$800 within 3-4 years of retirement. If achieved, that growth will be considered a success. More Batman films are coming. Building this set is fun. The designer used various elements and techniques to create the Tumbler's complex outer design. Batmobiles are popular. There have been countless debates whether the 1966 Adam West version is better than the 1989's Tim Burton one and if the latter is better than the Tumbler. The Tumbler was introduced in Christopher Nolan's 2006 Batman film. He wanted something different than done in past films. The point is that any vehicle Batman drives remains popular. Lego marketed this set as an advanced model and included a UCS-styled plaque. Christian Bale and Health Ledger minifigures are included and both remain exclusive to this set. I doubt they will appear in future sets especially this Joker version. The vehicle is massive. It measures over 5” high, 15” long and 9” wide. Don't let the 1,869 piece count fool you as most pieces are Technic bricks, medium to large plates and semi-exclusive tires. The picture below shows the minifigure to vehicle scale. Many elements are still harder to find for those trying to "bricklink" this set. 9 non-minifigure elements are available in only 6 or less sets including 1 element still being exclusive as of writing this article (Pearl Gold Wheel Bearing Back). Retail availability of this set appears it will be less than 2 years since it was introduced in August 2014. I don't have many issues with this nor identified "Cons". One not is this model is meant to be displayed and not played around with by the kids. The fenders and rear roof are two of the more fragile areas. One review I've liked since the set was introduced, was written by Ace Kim's in Aug 2014. http://www.fbtb.net/2014/08/18/review-76023-the-tumbler/ In summary, The Tumbler has a "love it or hate it" affect on Lego fans. One thing for certain is that Batman fans will never forget The Tumbler when debating Batmobiles for decades to come. NOTE: Please be sure to check-out our popular forum topic and the Lego Designer Video for more information. Also included below is a link to the awesome Jay Leno's Garage episode which highlights a film used Tumbler. </p> <p>   </p> <div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo" contenteditable="false"> <div> <iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ydtGew7bWuw?feature=oembed" width="480">

Yesterday I was contacted by the website Tech Insider to help them list the Top 25 most valuable sets of All Time. It was good timing too since I did run the price guide numbers recently. With no real big surprise, Star Wars led the pack with getting 10 sets into the list. I think the one surprise is getting a set from 2015 in there with the Bat-Pod. No one is really sure how long that will remain in the list and if aftermarket builders will do a good enough job on the "fakes" to kill that market. Good old Mr Gold is still going strong after a few years and holding onto a value greater than $1,500. If you are lucky enough to have every set on this list, you are holding onto a pretty nice bundle of cash, $35,277.95! So the big question is, how many sets on this list do you own? SET NUMBER SET NAME THEME YEAR VALUE (NEW) VALUE (USED) 10179 Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon Star Wars 2007 $3,987.40 $2,499.34 10189 Taj Mahal Advanced Models 2008 $2,732.93 $1,219.53 10196 Grand Carousel Advanced Models 2009 $2,593.27 $1,450.53 3450 Statue of Liberty Advanced Models 2000 $1,998.87 $1,282.00 10181 Eiffel Tower Advanced Models 2007 $1,781.60 $851.87 10030 Imperial Star Destroyer Star Wars 2002 $1,744.00 $1,030.40 10182 Cafe Corner Advanced Models 2007 $1,676.13 $773.25 10143 Death Star II Star Wars 2005 $1,656.87 $875.11 710019 Mr Gold Collectable Minifigures 2013 $1,558.88 - 10190 Market Street Factory 2007 $1,537.40 $729.13 5004590 Bat-Pod DC Comics Super Heroes 2015 $1,530.20 $700.00 10129 Rebel Snowspeeder Star Wars 2003 $1,365.53 $734.13 10019 Rebel Blockade Runner Star Wars 2001 $1,199.20 $718.33 852293 Castle Giant Chess Set Gear/Board Games 2008 $1,128.20 $513.60 10134 Y-wing Attack Starfighter Star Wars 2004 $1,067.60 $621.93 10185 Green Grocer Advanced Models 2008 $959.93 $674.27 10221 Super Star Destroyer Star Wars 2011 $881.33 $687.20 7191 X-wing Fighter Star Wars 2000 $848.87 $320.80 10018 Darth Maul Star Wars 2001 $807.13 $388.60 10187 Volkswagen Beetle Advanced Models 2008 $754.13 $423.27 10173 Holiday Train Trains 2006 $734.40 $359.47 10210 Imperial Flagship Pirates 2010 $731.61 $477.20 10175 Vader's TIE Advanced Star Wars 2006 $673.20 $387.73 8275 Motorized Bulldozer Technic 2007 $671.87 $257.87 21021 Marina Bay Sands Architecture 2013 $657.40 $353.17 Here are quick breakdowns by Theme: