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Didnt want to talk about any LEGO set, whats retiring, F5 button pushing, DD, etc .... on this milestone post ... Just want to give thanks to the founding fathers of this site and of course the contributing community. Over a year and a half ago when I stumbled upon this site I didnt think I would be where Im at today with LEGO investing. Crazy is all I can say!! Cheers to many many more posts and a profitable LEGO investing venture!

I've been attending the BrickCon Public Expo in Seattle for years, but had never displayed my models before or participated in the longer 4-day Private Convention. I just completed an in-depth write-up that goes "behind the scenes" at one of the largest and oldest LEGO conventions for AFOL's. Some of my highlights: Seeing large LEGO models get re-assembled was really interesting. I loved playing the LEGO games like the "Blind Build" shown here. Displaying my models for the first time to the Public was really cool. As always, there were impressive new models on display at the Public Exhibition. LINK TO LONGER ARTICLE AND MORE PHOTOS: http://tomalphin.com/2014/10/brickcon_2014_behind_the_scenes.html I hope you find this behind the scenes look at BrickCon to be interesting. If you got to attend too, what was your highlight from the show? Sincerely, ---tom

so they help you get ready for halloween to go out trick or treating?

Hi. I'm back. Interesting tax discussion, but I feel that my thread got derailed as a result, so please post tax advice elsewhere. Thanks! How am I doing with the selling? Well, I avoided selling for a few months, but put about 40 sets on eBay the other day. 5 have sold so far (3 Batman sets, 1 Ninjago and a Chima CHI Temple). The profit is not huge (

I don't care that you are at your target and done with this set. I think your analysis that there is still plenty of time left to get this set is completely inaccurate though. Certainly there has been scattered availability across multiple retailers but this trickle of remaining stock has been depleted almost instantly and even shop at home has been sitting in sold out status for nearly a month. Sets that will continue being produced almost never do that. The signs have been pointing to this one being effectively (not officially) retired at this point.

Yoda is looking rather pink today... http://www.brickpicker.com/bpms/set.cfm?set=3947-1

I think he was doing his best Emazers impression....

I'm not too impressed with this set. I do like how the scattered skeleton pieces can complete a full mini-figure.

Oh yeah, definitely. With the rate of exclusives being announced especially in the year 2014 its obvious they will stop rhe bad ass sets. What about the Tumbler then, or the Sandcrawler...or the Slave I, or Volvo front loader? Whatever the percentage is, AFOL have the cash to buy those amazing sets... LMAO! At last someone whose brain hasnt melted of all the pages populated with spam... Funny thing is.... i've been working and still do business with some of the largest OEMs in the auto business. Sometimes, actually quite often decisions are based on personal view or pure human politics inside the company. Certain people at the top have the political weight to swing things however they like, just because they want to...regardless of being right or wrong. Having these examples in front of me and seeing what happens with the TH there could be thousand of different reasons as to why this set had a shorter life... The majority here are over thinking and filling the forum with cluless speculation like old pensioners sitting on a bench and discussing the politics in a small town in the middle of the Italian countryside...

I haven't read this whole thread, but it seems like everyone is speculating that TLG may be doing away with AFOL sets altogether simply because TH is retiring before PS...if that is the gist of the past however many pages of this thread, that has to rank up there with one of the dumbest things that I've ever seen speculated about on this board. TH retiring before PS only means one thing...TH is retiring before PS.

I hope Santa finds it in his heart to create a few more HH's for us good little boys and girls of brickpicker and gives it to Target to mail it out to us. Thank you Santa.

Nope, and yesterday was 10 business days, so I sent another message to CS, who told me to resend the fax. Did that just now, waiting another 10 business days until Nov. 12, and then I'll probably get excitable and start calling everyone including the U.S. Marines.

Yeah, might be worth keeping an eye out there. I haven't seen any good bargains on there in a while though or maybe I just keep missing them.

38 pounds worth of town halls from target is epic. We will never know how 4 THs in a giant oversized frankenbox with absolutely zero padding survived the trip without developing creases and bumps and such. 4 HHs a while back did not have that luck, even though similarly packaged. But i guess all it takes is a single fall from the truck...

I hear ya - I have way more stock than I ever intended to buy. Hanging around this site will do that. Even if I sell 50/100 sets a year, I have enough stock now to last a few years (assuming I don't buy more...) I've actually had some good success with City - maybe it is just me, or luck, but I got some sets at a really big discount and have been happy with the returns. Certainly not every set, but there are some with nice CAGR%s.

If I lived in the UK or EU I am not sure I would be doing this. In some weird way Americans have been trained to be insatiable consumers. AT some point that will come to an end. I expect to liquidate most of my small friends stock, and smaller superheroes stock. All of which are currently retired. It will clear up space and realize some profit and return of basis. My wife who does not work will be handling almost all of this. As a distribution of labor it makes sense. The large exclusive stuff is great and as an investor requires time. Never invest money you will need, nor go into debt painting a perfect picture. The debt scenario rarely works out. Best of luck to the OP.

If you don't already have all the information you are looking for, I have a little more. This is only looking at Bricklink and not Lego Pick a Brick. Brickficiency is a program that most people aren't aware of. It is a tool that can import an xml wanted list from Bricklink and calculate the lowest number of stores your list is contained in as well as cost (before shipping of course). I ran this on a parted out list for the 10185 Green Grocer including Minifigs and excluding instructions. At first I ran the tool only looking for stores in the North America. It got through 3 store combinations with no luck and 4 store combos will take HOURS to calculate. I expanded the tool to look at stores in all countries, here is what it found in 10 or so minutes before stopping the calculation. 2 Store Combo - 1 Solution Total - $1502.06 from 1 Portugal and 1 UK store 3 Store Combo - 3 Solutions Match #1 - Total $884.47 from 1 NY, USA - 1 Portugal - 1 UK (Portugal and UK are the same as in the 2 store combo) Match #2 - Total $1049.02 Match #3 - Total $1479.58 4 Store Combo - 2 Solutions Match #1 - Total $847.03 from 1 NY, USA - 1 OR, USA - 1 Portugal - 1 UK (NY, Portugal and UK are the same as in the 3 store combo) Match #2 - Total $881.01 There may be better combos if you let the tool run all day. And as many have already mentioned if you substitute out some of the more expensive parts (1x8 Sand Green) with smaller parts it could cut the cost greatly. That 1x8 in the Match #1 of 3 stores was running $3.55 each, x 50 = $177.50. The 1x2 Sand Green w/ Groove is also a larger cost at $184.24. There is nothing really to get around that part. Those two parts are making up for 42% of your cost. Seeing as you can get a used set starting around $650, finding all the exact parts isn't worth it. (BL pricing) Hope this info helps.

I bought about 6 of these from TRU for about $70 I think. I was happy to dump all of them for 110-120 over the past few months at a painfully slow rate during my "dump all city" initiative. Which means city will now do great for you guys.

Buy exclusives. They will retire and be worth more money afterwards. You can quote me on that.

Got my 79017 which in reality was 79015. With prime I asked for replacements for both and sending other 2 back. We will see what happens .

Just got a call from my local Intertoys.. they have 2 factory cases TH for me in stock, can pick them up tonight at a 15% discount!

Over the last couple days sold Used 8169 Lambo Gallardo $50 (no stickers/box/instructions) '13 Christmas Truck and Creator Christmas Tree $26 Bricktober Theater $29 Also had good luck selling the PS3 Marvel Superheroes game @ $20 from Walmart, still trying to move Iron Patriots.

Touch

'Please contact CS' for the order placed earlier today... Dead man walking

Oh, how we miss the Frito's Chili Cheese Wrap

Good catch. I made sure I had the correct one of the two but didn't look at the years available.

My only hope is that you DID insert them into your mouth.

Sopranos is fun. I had a friend that owned one for a while. I wish I had bought it when he sold. The one downside is if you have kids it's not really appropriate. I ordered The Walking Dead, should be here in two weeks. Lego money helped pay for it!

I'm also a fan of your videos (suppose you did them?). Especially the click sound is nice though it's probably some totally different source. (Sounds a bit like a metronome or a Geiger counter (though not exactly like one ;-) ). How many tries did you need to hit the witch king with the catapult? ^.^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44-RsrF_V_w

I thought we had emazers for this exact thing...

Big Zoo Duplo set

West coast and 420.. Hmm...

Keep talking about it enough and the panic buying will start now

I am half inclined to give up on this losing battle for one and just wait for the prices to plummet after halloween. I would gladly pay $220.

Well I was about to post all my anger and frustration because I had not been able to get one in the past month, but before that I refreshed my screen once more and low and behold, red add to cart button..... It took me 12 seconds flat to check out and finally got one !!!! now lets hope it ships....

FINALLY! In for 4 (1, then back for 3). Hopefully won't be dinged up. It's ironic, was refreshing all day at work. Had all info ready. Then I when it was actually available, I was on my phone and had to re enter all my info, all while getting a plate for supper! Was for sure it would poof while I did that. Crossing my fingers on good packaging!

I am not familiar enough with Best Offer to advise on that part of it, but, yes, wait for payment. IF the payment comes through in three pieces and eBay gives you three different reference numbers, you will need to ship in three separate packages. If the payment comes through in one payment and eBay gives you one "ship now" reference number, you will package them together.

You might be right, but I also think that "the horde" did spend quite some remaining money on other bigger sets recently. I mean there's only so much money every month and though some here might have a cornucopia to make infinite investments the majority of people here (possibly) is forced to make decissions. Since HE is still largely available I'd say they decided in favor for other investments (for now!). So in my opinion (it's only an opinion...) there might be a couple of "seconds" to take a breath before the big run for this one starts.

Here was my last build. It was a challenge but in the end it was worth it

Dunno. But if yours make that noise, you should call a plumber or eat less rice and more fibre.

Ordered Parisian Restaurant today. Will build it next weekend. All because of people posting here how great it is. Hate you guys... Could have spent the money on an extra TH

enjoy http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com/

As a mere Plebian, my heart is broken and filled with humility at the cost of your Martyrdom in sharing 100.00% accurate information that is above question or rational analysis. And having "only" twelve of this set is tragic as well. Others may not appreciate your prophetic brilliance- and what it has cost you- but rest assured there are those of us who do see the shinning, brilliant Truth of your missive as Biblically important.

You're biased frenchie

Just read through this thread, and for anyone that missed it- someone with the name "Bricksexpert" chimed in last year. The nice thing with that Handle is you don't have to change it a bit if joining Ashley Madison.com, etc. On topic: completely, completely unfair this set became inaccessible in the U.S. So long before it has in Europe. Please take back The Beckham's. Give us the SSD instead.

Everyone wants what they can't get

What are the odds that Slave I UCS retires before DS?

Like already mentioned, buy R2 and DS sets. The other sets should be available for a while. There had only been 1 Lego Sandcrawler (10144). before 75059. When you think it's near retirement, buy as many as you can. Orig Trilogy fans like myself go nutty over that vehicle. It's popularity among SW fans surprises most people. For some reason, people like me are still fascinated with Jawas even after nearly 4 decades. While not as popular as say the Falcon and X-Wing, it's a dark horse. Sent from an iPhone using the Brickpicker app

Gondorian, I would like to thank you. I think your honest posts have been a great service for the BP members, Especially us newer ones. I wish you the best of luck in the future.