I went on a shopping rampage and could use some advice. I probably pulled the trigger on a lot of these sets when most of you guys wouldn't have, and a lot could be losers. I was also thinking of parting out some of them. I can still return them so. There's a lot to look at here... Any way any advice would be appreciated, Thanks.

Huh, so that's what a $1,000 worth of Lego receipt looks like....

It looks like a lot more than 1000 dollars.   Good lord. That receipt is longer than War and Peace! OK... I'll try to break this down for you... I wish Walmart receipt had names of the sets...

I went on a shopping rampage and could use some advice. I probably pulled the trigger on a lot of these sets when most of you guys wouldn't have, and a lot could be losers. I was also thinking of parting out some of them. I can still return them so. There's a lot to look at here... Any way any advice would be appreciated, Thanks.

looks like you got a real steal on that waste basket!

 

Others are probably more adept at identifying the set numbers than I am. 

I don't have all the receipts listed 8k in Lego's.

2000 dollars, actually.   Good lord. That receipt is longer than War and Peace! OK... I'll try to break this down for you... I wish Walmart receipt had names of the sets...

Well, I see one the left for $1,000 and then another in the middle for $2,000. Geeze, that's $3706.26 with tax just on Lego!

looks like you got a real steal on that waste basket!

Oh right, there's a wastebin in there for good measure. Ha.

Going off the prices on the receipt it looks like you got alot at clearance similar to the prices that are starting to pop up nationwide....I spent over 300 last night in a similar fashion, just not to the degree you did.  

 

Without looking up set numbers, I'd say if you got a lot of Batcaves, Unexpected Gatherings, and Uruk-Hai Armies, you are probably making good decisions. If you bought a while bunch of questionable stuff, like the Saesse Tin starfighters, maybe not. I'm not saying the starfighters won't rise in value, I just think they won't do as well as some of the other choices that one could make given which items walmart seems to be clearancing right now. And of course it's just my opinion.

I don't have all the receipts listed 8k in Lego's.

$8,000?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0UNxlTYADI

Going off the prices on the receipt it looks like you got alot at clearance similar to the prices that are starting to pop up nationwide....I spent over 300 last night in a similar fashion, just not to the degree you did.  

 

Without looking up set numbers, I'd say if you got a lot of Batcaves, Unexpected Gatherings, and Uruk-Hai Armies, you are probably making good decisions. If you bought a while bunch of questionable stuff, like the Saesse Tin starfighters, maybe not. I'm not saying the starfighters won't rise in value, I just think they won't do as well as some of the other choices that one could make given which items walmart seems to be clearancing right now. And of course it's just my opinion.

if you want our advice/opinions then break down your receipts for us and tell how many of each set and what you paid. like JoshTX said, not all of the current deals that walmart is offering nationwide are worth investing in at their current clearance prices. I have bought around $1500 worth of their current deals, but all I have purchased are unexpected gatherings, superman/power armor lex, urak-hai, garbage trucks, dirt bike transports (city sets with unique/functional/construction vehicles always do well for me), and hulk heli-carriers. I have passed on everything else, including weathertops at $40, but only because I already have 27 of them that I got for $18.50 each from shopko after xmas. paying $40 for one now doesn't seem like a deal to me. if you are willing to spend that much on lego, then I would return some of the questionable sets and use that money on exclusives or big sets like emazers always suggests. just because it is on sale does not mean it will make you money later.

 

EDIT: I also would have bought batcaves at $50, but none of my walmarts had them at that price. all were still current retail.

 

EDIT PART TWO: I also bought 3 helm's deep at $90 each. I knew I was forgetting one. can't pass on that set at that price!

if you want our advice/opinions then break down your receipts for us and tell how many of each set and what you paid. like JoshTX said, not all of the current deals that walmart is offering nationwide are worth investing in at their current clearance prices. I have bought around $1500 worth of their current deals, but all I have purchased are unexpected gatherings, superman/power armor lex, urak-hai, garbage trucks, dirt bike transports (city sets with unique/functional/construction vehicles always do well for me), and hulk heli-carriers. I have passed on everything else, including weathertops at $40, but only because I already have 27 of them that I got for $18.50 each from shopko after xmas. paying $40 for one now doesn't seem like a deal to me. if you are willing to spend that much on lego, then I would return some of the questionable sets and use that money on exclusives or big sets like emazers always suggests. just because it is on sale does not mean it will make you money later.

 

EDIT: I also would have bought batcaves at $50, but none of my walmarts had them at that price. all were still current retail.

Don't worry I'm working on that right now. It would have been helpful if he did it but I'm almost done I'll post it in five minutes

Ok, so according to your receipt picture, this is what you got (I left a plus behind each item as you said this wasn't all you bought)

 

Lord of the Rings:

 

2+ 9472 Weathertop @ 40

8+ 9471 Uruk Hai Army @ 21

15+ 9469 Gandalf Arrives @ 9

 

The Hobbit:

 

14+ 79000 Riddles for the Ring @ 7

18+ An Unexpected Gathering @ 49

14+ 79002 Attack of the Wargs @ 35

7+ 790001 Escape from the MIrkwood Spiders @ 21

 

Star Wars:

 

6+ Saesee Tiin's Jedi Starfighter @ 21

23+ 75004 Z-95  Headhunter @ 35

3+ 9490 Droid Escape @ 13

2+ 9492 TIE Fighter @ 35

2+ 9491 Geonosian Cannon @ 13

2+ 9493 X Wing Starfighter @ 40

9+ 9497 Republic Class Starfighter @ 25

12+ 9488 Elite Clone Trooper and Commando Droid Battle Pack @ 9

5+ 9489 Endor Rebel Trooper and Imperial Trooper Battle Pack @ 9

3+ 9496 Desert Skiff @ 17

 

Super Heroes:

 

8+ 76000 Arctic Batman Vs. Mr. Freeze: Aquaman on Ice @ 19.97 (undiscounted)

9+ 6873 Spiderman's Doc Ock Ambush @ 21

7+ 6863 Batwing Battle over Gotham City @ 25

2+ 6860 Batcave @ 49

5+ 6868 Hulk's Helicarrier Breakout @ 35

 

Ninjago:

 

2+ 9448 Samurai Mech @ 30

2+ 70504 Garmatron @ 30

 

Chima:

 

3+ 70004 Wakz Pack Tracker @ 21

8+ 70006 Cragger's Command Ship @ 54

 

City:

 

1+ 4433 Dirt Bike Transporter @ 13

3+ 60005 Fire Boat @ 21

2+ 60004 Fire Station @ 69

4+ 4439 Heavly Lift Helicopter @ 35

1+ 4203 Excavator Transport @ 30

3+ 7288 Mobile Police Unit @ 30

3+ 4432 Garbage Truck @ 13

5+ 60016 Tanker Truck @ 13

 

 

That was a lot of work (you owe me three pieces of paper ) so for next time, as terry said it would be helpful if you listed the set names because decoding the numbers on the receipt took awhile and no doubt I mss counted some with so many sets on the receipt. Hope this helps. Analysis in next post.

better put all this money in 41999 but its too late...lol

Re parting out, you have some good possibilities there -- look at what the minifigs are worth on eBay and Bricklink and you'll see which of the sets should do well for you.

 

My personal strategy on parting out is to pull the desirable minifigures from the sets and put them on eBay at fixed price for what I think I can get for them sometime in the next 6 months (i.e, including over the Christmas season), and the rest go on Bricklink as we're trying to build our inventory there.

Also, Brian, you are a fantastic resource -- I've seen you break down complicated and detailed values twice in two days now. We need a User Award called "The Human Google" or something for you. 

if this was me, I would return everything except the sets I mentioned in my earlier reply and use that money on haunted houses, tower bridges, millennium falcons, etc etc. parting out is fine and all, but is a ton of work, and no guarantee of making a large enough profit that warrants the labor involved. whether or not you have the ambition and patience to do all of that is up to you.

Also, Brian, you are a fantastic resource -- I've seen you break down complicated and detailed values twice in two days now. We need a User Award called "The Human Google" or something for you. 

yes...thank you brian for going out of your way to do this. you get a "thumbs up" from me!

Lord of the Rings:

 

2+ 9472 Weathertop @ 40 (The price for this set has been on a steady rise. Commonly regarded as the worst set of the line, but I have no doubts that it has what it takes to double or even triple what you paid in due time, especially if the Ringwraiths don't appear in another set.)

8+ 9471 Uruk Hai Army @ 21 (Definite win. This set is a perfect add on to Helm's Deep and is essentially the battle pack of the LOTR theme. You could part out the minifigures this instant and come out big, but you will get even more money if you wait with it MISB)

15+ 9469 Gandalf Arrives @ 9 (Not a bad choice at all. Gandalf, Frodo, and a new horse should bag you some profit down the road)

 

(I have to go - sorry SW and the Hobbit will have to wait till next post)

 

Super Heroes:

 

8+ 76000 Arctic Batman Vs. Mr. Freeze: Aquaman on Ice @ 19.97 (undiscounted) (It's a good set and will do just fine but wait for a sale of more than two cents. Be patient. I would return these)

9+ 6873 Spiderman's Doc Ock Ambush @ 21 (Should do fine, this set is trading for above retail)

7+ 6863 Batwing Battle over Gotham City @ 25 (Two things could happen with this set. Either it could be a sleeper or it could be Batman's first failure)

2+ 6860 Batcave @ 49 (Excellent. We all know where the  (previous cave is sitting, nice score)

5+ 6868 Hulk's Helicarrier Breakout @ 35 (This is all going to depend on how many times the Hulk maxifig is released again (if any). The Hulk minifigure goes for a pretty penny and on eBay the Maxifig can sell for up to 25 bucks)

 

Ninjago:

 

2+ 9448 Samurai Mech @ 30 (It's eBay value is less than what you paid, probably just because it has been out for so long. The Samurai X minifigure should help this set be decent investment but it will take awhile to profit, if you are super ambitious you should be able to make a better buck elsewhere)

2+ 70504 Garmatron @ 30 (Something just doesn't smell right with this set. Nearly every Ninjago line has had a flopping vehicle (eg. Sonic Raider) and this looks like it might be "that set" for this line. You can probably do better)

 

Chima:

 

3+ 70004 Wakz Pack Tracker @ 21 (It is sitting at about 25 with the price falling so as of right now I'm quiet worried about the set. It has interesting functions but isn't well known enough plus the wolves aren't necessarily the most dominant clan. Could be a sleeper or a part out win)

8+ 70006 Cragger's Command Ship @ 54 (Whether Chima goes big or not, this is a very cool set that will sell itself once it retires.If the TV show fails to perform, it will probably just so slight growth from what you paid)

 

City:

 

1+ 4433 Dirt Bike Transporter @ 13 (An interesting set that appeals to both 4x4 and bike fans. I can see this set hitting 30 in a couple years if all goes well)

3+ 60005 Fire Boat @ 21 (The fire theme needs variation, and this set fits the bill well enough. The last fire boat is hitting 100 dollars so you did well on this one)

2+ 60004 Fire Station @ 69 (I'm a bit hesitant on this guy. All of the recent fire stations haven't really had anything new, and basically are just rearrangements of the station and garage. I would put money elsewhere)

4+ 4439 Heavly Lift Helicopter @ 35 (An interesting set, never approached by Lego before. It's risky right now but as a sleeper it should do great)

1+ 4203 Excavator Transport @ 30 (Yes! This set is closing in on fifty dollars. It is totally unique (something that forges a winner in the City theme) and has the potential to go even higher. You should have picked up more of these!)

3+ 7288 Mobile Police Unit @ 30 (This one has the potential to go either way. You have enough if it becomes profitable, but fe enough that if it flops you can cut your losses)

3+ 4432 Garbage Truck @ 13 (Good score. Should do well)

5+ 60016 Tanker Truck @ 13 (The previous Tank Truck is hovering at 35 bucks, this is a great buy)

 

 

I strongly advise against parting out any of these sets, at least until you know how their value MISB pans out in the next couple years. Ordinary piece value rarely goes down, in fact if Lego puts some pieces in a set you plan to part out out of production the value of that piece will go up. You did well with these prices, bot not extraordinarily. Good luck!

based on brians list here is what i would keep. this is my opinion, and i am sure others may see things differently.

 

keep...weathertop, urak hai, helms deep(if u got any for $90), tie fighter, desert skiff, batcave, hulk helicarrier, dirt bike, garbage truck, excavator, tanker truck, and unexpected gathering.

 

on the fence...Gandalf, riddles for the ring, x wing, battle packs, spider man w/ doc oc, fire boat.

 

return...wargs, mirkwood, saasee tiin, headhunter, droid escape, geonasian cannon, republic star fighter, arctic batman (bought at full retail), samurai mech, garmatron, wakz tracker, cragger command, fire station, heavy lift chopper, mobile police unit, batwing.

 

again, this is just my opinion, but the money you spent on the "return" sets and possibly the "on the fence" sets could have been used on more higher end large sets and exclusives that won't require a ton of labor and are safer choices. if any of those get discounted further beyond what we have all been finding then they become more of a "keeper" than a "return". we all have different selling and investing techniques, but again, just because a set is on sale doesn't mean it should be bought. good luck. keep us posted. this is an interesting thread.

Also, Brian, you are a fantastic resource -- I've seen you break down complicated and detailed values twice in two days now. We need a User Award called "The Human Google" or something for you. 

Hahaha, thanks.

I think the LOTR stuff is a good choice - although the gandolf returns is not that great.

 

Star wars wise, I just really don't see much worth going after except the skiffs. They are easy to part out and make money - but they may rise either way.

 

I honestly like all the superheros sets - definitely the Hulk set. The batcave is pretty new, but it will probably be a winner.

 

The ninjaco and Chima sets don't seem great to me. I passed all of these up.

 

The city sets are the same - just don't see much value.

I can agree with what most have said after seeing the breakdown of the sets. I honestly would've skipped Gandalf Returns and Riddles big time, unless I wanted one of each for myself or whatever. Wargs and Mirkwood, same thing. I'd rather either put their combined cost into something exclusive or purchased more Unexpected Gatherings, Helm's Deeps, and Uruk-Hai armies, if the stock was on hand.

 

I bought one Droid Escape for my kid but I don't think I would've bought any for investing even at that price of 13.00, it just doesn't seem like a set that will rise as high even though the "sand" stormtroopers could probably be parted out for a decent profit. But as Terry said, doing all of that is going to require alot of additional work.

 

At the San Antonio Walmart I visited that had all of this stuff clearanced, they only had two Batcaves, and unfortunately no Helm's Deep. I felt like if the caves were in stock, I would spent my whole $350.00 on them instead of anything else. I know I'm not diversifying here, but my confidence in these appreciating far outweighs how I feel about some of the more dubious investments, such as the Sasee Tin Starfighter or the Garmatron. I see you got two Batcaves, and I'm guessing the only reason you didn't get more was because that was all they had. I bought a Sith Interceptor and two X-Wings, but seeing as I don't feel all that comfortable with those, I'm going to take them back and exchange for more Batcaves should they appear in another store for 49.00.   

Also, Brian, you are a fantastic resource -- I've seen you break down complicated and detailed values twice in two days now. We need a User Award called "The Human Google" or something for you.

Yes, Brian is extremely helpful! Nice job dude!

did you get any superman and power armor lex sets? I didn't see that one listed or mentioned. that is another set that should do well and provide some real good bang for your buck, especially if bought at $13. in 2-3 years I could see this going for at least $40-$50. a bunch bought at $13 a piece will provide some nice profits. they don't take up much space, and are easy to ship. I was able to get 29 of them from all of my walmarts. I am assuming you probably got some since all of your receipts were not posted.

 

 

That was a lot of work (you owe me three pieces of paper ) so for next time, as terry said it would be helpful if you listed the set names because decoding the numbers on the receipt took awhile and no doubt I mss counted some with so many sets on the receipt. Hope this helps. Analysis in next post.

 

Hey Brian thanks so much man I'm still really new to this. Next time I will break down the sets off the receipts my self to make things easier. All of your post gave me a lot to think about and I will definitely be returning some of these sets. Its just tough to pass on a good sale. It almost feel like I'm hunting or something and kinda of gets my adrenaline going lol. Any way still need to store a lot of these and my wife is not very happy with me rite now. This is my living room.

Hey Brian thanks so much man I'm still really new to this. Next time I will break down the sets off the receipts my self to make things easier. All of your post gave me a lot to think about and I will definitely be returning some of these sets. Its just tough to pass on a good sale. It almost feel like I'm hunting or something and kinda of gets my adrenaline going lol. Any way still need to store a lot of these and my wife is not very happy with me rite now. This is my living room.

That's okay, everyone is new to something at some point. But the way you brought home the bacon with that massive clearance haul, I'm having doubts you are new to Lego investing! Your welcome, I am happy to help. LOL nice pile you got going there! You have so much you could make a couch with all those boxes (maybe that would please - or at least amuse -  the other half )! Hahaha, good luck!

Hey Brian thanks so much man I'm still really new to this. Next time I will break down the sets off the receipts my self to make things easier. All of your post gave me a lot to think about and I will definitely be returning some of these sets. Its just tough to pass on a good sale. It almost feel like I'm hunting or something and kinda of gets my adrenaline going lol. Any way still need to store a lot of these and my wife is not very happy with me rite now. This is my living room.

 

Hey - you can just tell her, at least you stacked them well...