Sons 5th Birthday - 1978 Go Kart 854

http://www.brickpicker.com/bpms/set.cfm?set=854-1

If  you read my posts you'll know that i just got into Lego again, mainly because my now 5 year old loves putting the sets together.  He tackled most of the Falcon by himself and just "gets it" and has the patience to find the pieces (not all of them) but it's fun watching his brain twirl as he figures things out and correcting things when he got something wrong (not always of course).  Anyway, he turned 5 today and my parents gave him a brand new box of the 1978 Go-Kart.  Turns out they have had it for over a decade and the only thing opened is the instruction booklet sticker had become unstuck and general wear and tear on the box for something that is older than I am (barely).  Other than that, all the small tabs are sealed and I can't believe they gave it to him.  

I don't think i'm incorrect with what my next move was, but I essentially put the box out of sight so it is out of mind for him and plan on showing him when he is older, maybe 6 months, maybe 5 years, and can make the decision if he would like to keep, open, sell, etc...  I'm not wrong with this move am I?  My wife thinks differently, but she also doesn't quite comprehend the value the gift could continue to have if kept for another 10 years (i doubt it would go down at this point) and these type of chances don't come around that often.  Would I be upset if he opened it, sure, but I also know it's his gift and not mine.  He also got about a dozen lego kits from friends and family and I guarantee he has already forgotten about this one.  So, wrong/right or been in a similar situation?  Let me hear it  

Given that one has sold on bricklink for over $280, I would certainly be putting it away or just selling it. You could buy him a lot more Lego for $280 than a small set with a few old technic pieces that he'll soon tire of.

On the other side, to see your son unpacking and building that vintage Go-Kart is priceless......a trip down to memory lane...(expensive trip though haha)

7 hours ago, LegoMan1212 said:

http://www.brickpicker.com/bpms/set.cfm?set=854-1

If  you read my posts you'll know that i just got into Lego again, mainly because my now 5 year old loves putting the sets together.  He tackled most of the Falcon by himself and just "gets it" and has the patience to find the pieces (not all of them) but it's fun watching his brain twirl as he figures things out and correcting things when he got something wrong (not always of course).  Anyway, he turned 5 today and my parents gave him a brand new box of the 1978 Go-Kart.  Turns out they have had it for over a decade and the only thing opened is the instruction booklet sticker had become unstuck and general wear and tear on the box for something that is older than I am (barely).  Other than that, all the small tabs are sealed and I can't believe they gave it to him.  

I don't think i'm incorrect with what my next move was, but I essentially put the box out of sight so it is out of mind for him and plan on showing him when he is older, maybe 6 months, maybe 5 years, and can make the decision if he would like to keep, open, sell, etc...  I'm not wrong with this move am I?  My wife thinks differently, but she also doesn't quite comprehend the value the gift could continue to have if kept for another 10 years (i doubt it would go down at this point) and these type of chances don't come around that often.  Would I be upset if he opened it, sure, but I also know it's his gift and not mine.  He also got about a dozen lego kits from friends and family and I guarantee he has already forgotten about this one.  So, wrong/right or been in a similar situation?  Let me hear it  

I would first clear it with your parents to make sure that they are cool with you selling it - and then sell it. 

It wouldn't really be that enjoyable for a young one to build this set anyway (compared to others available), instructions were poorly done back then, kids generally have more trouble building w/ Technic, and the details aren't close to the newer sets.

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by KShine

If he's really enjoying his lego and is beyond his age in terms of lego construction you could jointly get an awful lot out of selling the item and buying a mindstorms set - I'm saying this as I recently sold a few sets and did exactly this for the upcoming Christmas. Can't wait! This way it shows to your parents and your wife that he's getting something much greater in return... and you get to play too!

I would put it away somewhere safe, wait until he's old enough to comprehend what value this set has and then let him decide what he wants to do with it. 

I do this with my daughter a lot, she's 7 but she has a good grasp on how things operate. 

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by CrabslayerT

1 hour ago, KShine said:

I would first clear it with your parents to make sure that they are cool with you selling it - and then sell it.

I second this - whatever you do, make sure your parents are part of the decision. If they agree to let it mature until he's old enough to appreciate and you buy him another set for now, or to sell it for something better, you're good to go.

I had that set. I must have been 7 or 8. Loved it. 

Let him build it. It's lego and was a gift. You can always make more money. 

Thanks for responses, by selling it, what I should have said is that, I would pay him myself and hold it and not sell on the market, probably to just give it back again when I die.  I've never had anything that old and in decent condition that actually has a market value, and hasn't been opened. Who knows, maybe I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to rip it open myself.

For now though, this one is going into storage for him to decide later on when he has a concept of money.  Appreciate the feedback and is there a way to see this?  I'm new to that site and don't see a spot that has past sales shown at the moment.

3 hours ago, tractorboy said:

Given that one has sold on bricklink for over $280, I would certainly be putting it away or just selling it. You could buy him a lot more Lego for $280 than a small set with a few old technic pieces that he'll soon tire of.

 

11 minutes ago, LegoMan1212 said:

Appreciate the feedback and is there a way to see this?  I'm new to that site and don't see a spot that has past sales shown at the moment.

 

First go to the catalogue page for the set...

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=5693#T=S&O={}

Then on the right, you'll see the "$ Price Guide"  header with a link to "View Price Guide" underneath. It takes you here..

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?S=854-1&ColorID=0

 

1 hour ago, marcandre said:

I had that set. I must have been 7 or 8. Loved it. 

Let him build it. It's lego and was a gift. You can always make more money. 

I agree let him build it maybe build it with him he will enjoy it and it's always worth it to see him happy

The used complete set is going for $16 on bricklink. Why not have the best of both worlds? Buy one of those to replace it, sell the NISB, and buy him more sets with the profit?

That way he can enjoy the intended set and get to build even more. In the end, once it is open it turns from new to used. At 5 I doubt opening a fresh box one time would be more important than buying more sets and having thousands of more pieces to play with.

Personally can't remember the last time I opened a new box for myself. Always buy a good used one at well below RRP and sell the NISB at a high profit.

 

3 minutes ago, brickvoyeur said:

The used complete set is going for $16 on bricklink. Why not have the best of both worlds? Buy one of those to replace it, sell the NISB, and buy him more sets with the profit?

That way he can enjoy the intended set and get to build even more. In the end, once it is open it turns from new to used. At 5 I doubt opening a fresh box one time would be more important than buying more sets and having thousands of more pieces to play with.

Personally can't remember the last time I opened a new box for myself. Always buy a good used one at well below RRP and sell the NISB at a high profit.

 

It's funny, I just had that thought after looking at the prices for a used one after gregpj's assistance.  Quite the difference.  I'll have to ponder that. I would still keep the other one stored away for now though.  I looked at it a little more and I can't fathom it would go for that much.  Maybe I'll try posting pictures to get some feedback on it one of these nights.  I would be very curious to what condition the other one was in that did sell for $280.  The box here has some scratches on it too and some sticker residual from someone putting one on long ago. 

Again, thanks for the feedback everyone.  My parents were more shocked when I said something along the lines of "Do you know what you've done?"

2 minutes ago, LegoMan1212 said:

It's funny, I just had that thought after looking at the prices for a used one after gregpj's assistance.  Quite the difference.  I'll have to ponder that. I would still keep the other one stored away for now though.  I looked at it a little more and I can't fathom it would go for that much.  Maybe I'll try posting pictures to get some feedback on it one of these nights.  I would be very curious to what condition the other one was in that did sell for $280.  The box here has some scratches on it too and some sticker residual from someone putting one on long ago. 

Again, thanks for the feedback everyone.  My parents were more shocked when I said something along the lines of "Do you know what you've done?"

Just a couple of words of warning here:

1. There are no current US listings of this set NIB (New in Box). Yes, one sold for $290 last month, but that was the only one listed as New on BL.

2. The only US listing for a used one (missing the "9" sticker) is $30 plus shipping. So you'd be spending around $40 to get this set shipped to your house.

3. The $16 listings are all in Europe, and it will cost you to get a set shipped to the US. Likely not much cheaper than buying the one copy available in the US, but you might want to request a few quotes to get a detailed price including shipping.

4. Just because one sold for $290 doesn't mean you will immediately sell yours for that price too :).

5. EBay lists a few 854's as well (all International). Going price seems to be ~$25-$35 plus shipping. Some are with box, none are sealed.

3 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Just a couple of words of warning here:

1. There are no current US listings of this set NIB (New in Box). Yes, one sold for $290 last month, but that was the only one listed as New on BL.

2. The only US listing for a used one (missing the "9" sticker) is $30 plus shipping. So you'd be spending around $40 to get this set shipped to your house.

3. The $16 listings are all in Europe, and it will cost you to get a set shipped to the US. Likely not much cheaper than buying the one copy available in the US, but you might want to request a few quotes to get a detailed price including shipping.

4. Just because one sold for $290 doesn't mean you will immediately sell yours for that price too :).

5. EBay lists a few 854's as well (all International). Going price seems to be ~$25-$35 plus shipping. Some are with box, none are sealed.

^ That right there is what I was just going to say. We see it all the time.. people think their LEGO is worth more than gold but it's not. When there is such a huge disparity between USED and NEW you really have to ask why?

For some sets, a rare piece or sticker can make or break it...  For this go-kart set there are a couple more expensive pieces..

- The sticker .. none for sale.
- The black hose .. cheapest in the US is $5 and you need two.

Some of the "light gray" bricks are harder to find "new" and the "used" ones are always a risk as to their condition. Light Gray parts can also be a wee bit more than newer variants in light bluish gray. That means it's more expensive to "bricklink" (build from parts) than buying a used complete but I see no reason for the 10x price difference.

So unless you're a sticker purist you're going to be satisfied with a good condition used one.

Here's a link to some recently completed auctions... 
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=lego+technic+go-kart&_sop=12&_sadis=15&_dmd=1&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&_osacat=0&_ipg=200&_stpos=R3G1X2&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xlego+technic+854.TRS0&_nkw=lego+technic+854&_sacat=0
 

Note that the current lowest on eBay appears to be missing that sticker.

So I hate to burst the bubble of what the set is truly worth, but I don't think you're reasonably looking at $250+ US here. Maybe $150-175 for the right buyer but it'll sit for a while. Do yourself a favor and open that box and build it with him. I know you're just getting into LEGO but it was a gift for your son, not you. Let him enjoy it. And when he does enjoy it, go and get set 8842 and race him. You won't regret opening it.

Last question and now I have to relook at the box when I get home from work.  Maybe this is the, "nope it's not as good as you may think moment", but what is the difference between 854 and 948? 

1 minute ago, LegoMan1212 said:

Last question and now I have to relook at the box when I get home from work.  Maybe this is the, "nope it's not as good as you may think moment", but what is the difference between 854 and 948? 

94.

2 minutes ago, Phil B said:

94.

Smart Ass.

https://www.toysperiod.com/lego-set-reference/technic/expert-builder/lego-854-go-kart/

and

https://www.toysperiod.com/lego-set-reference/technic/expert-builder/lego-948-go-kart/

Anything? or possibly one was released in USA, other in Europe?

According to the Unofficial LEGO Sets and Parts Guide (Gary Isztok), #854 was the EU/UK/Aus/Can release, and #948 was the USA release.

EDIT: 3 for sale, Used, on BL for $30-$50. No Price Guide data, which means no sales have happened in the last 6 months. Good idea of the popularity of this set.

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by Phil B

14 minutes ago, LegoMan1212 said:

Smart Ass.

https://www.toysperiod.com/lego-set-reference/technic/expert-builder/lego-854-go-kart/

and

https://www.toysperiod.com/lego-set-reference/technic/expert-builder/lego-948-go-kart/

Anything? or possibly one was released in USA, other in Europe?

First of all, I like Bricklink for these comparisons..

854: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=854-1&name=Go-Kart&category=[Technic][Expert Builder]#T=S&O={}

948: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=948-1&name=Go-Kart&category=[Technic][Expert Builder]#T=S&O={}

Honestly, it just appears that the box is different. I am guessing they were simply released in different markets based on the fact that 854 has multiple languages and 948 appears to only have one.

 

 

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by gregpj
Ninja'd by Phil B, but I figured it out on my own. ;)

34 minutes ago, gregpj said:

^ That right there is what I was just going to say. We see it all the time.. people think their LEGO is worth more than gold but it's not. When there is such a huge disparity between USED and NEW you really have to ask why?

Totally get this, to me it's "at least" $50, of which would be a new video game for him , maybe the price of when he uses too much of our data plan someday, or when he breaks something valuable.  Of which, maybe I should definitely keep this aside as collateral for that day.  I'll just say, "don't worry about it, I planned for this day, we're good"   Thanks everyone for your help.  Got a lot of good tips and tricks in here from this.  I can already tell the community here is a notch above the rest, which is appreciated. 

2 minutes ago, LegoMan1212 said:

Totally get this, to me it's "at least" $50, of which would be a new video game for him , maybe the price of when he uses too much of our data plan someday, or when he breaks something valuable.  Of which, maybe I should definitely keep this aside as collateral for that day.  I'll just say, "don't worry about it, I planned for this day, we're good"   Thanks everyone for your help.  Got a lot of good tips and tricks in here from this.  I can already tell the community here is a notch above the rest, which is appreciated. 

Obligatory Meme

More to the story... spoke with my parents and they have two more that are still sealed up.  Sets 955, which looks like a crane set, and also 8050, which looks like random things that can be made.  Neat stuff, that's for sure.  They mentioned that they actually got them all for me but then I started playing games like Hero's Quest and stopped playing with the bricks so they just held onto them hoping I would get back into them with my kids.  Fun day that's for sure hearing the stories from them.