I have four of these now, I purchased them for about $60 on average ($55 after CC discounts ect), I thought the deals were too good to pass up but after seeing this set slump by, I have to wonder if I will ever get my money back. I know I have my own investment strategy here and getting stuff for as cheap as possible is part of it, but I am curious what your thoughts on this set. It is the biggest of its lineup, but if it isn't a disappointing set, I don't know what is. What are your thoughts on this set?

vestment that were 50% off (or $65 up here in Canada) and I will certainly buy more at that price if I see it again. Anytime I can sell at retail and make a 100% profit I will take that no problem. Just waiting for EOL.

My wife says it's ugly...and she says it with disgust in her voice. She's more of your typical shopping Mom, not a LEGO fanatic, but she likes her Winter sets. Even when we saw it discounted she couldn't get past how ugly it is to even consider it as a parts pack. To me this speaks volumes and proves that the market is vey narrow for this set as shown by the fact that they don't move when discounted. Around here, a 15% off sign will clear a Target shelf of LEGO sets, yet this set keeps soildering on with it's 15%, then 30%, and so on. It's usually the last to go, if at all.

This set has some good qualities that give this  some promise.  The Hobbit/LOTR theme is pretty solid overall.  All the minifigures except Gandalf are exclusive, and we have a maxifigure (Goblin King).  There has been only 1 licensed set that had a $100 price point with 6 exclusive minifigures that tanked and that was Home One.    I hope this set won't share that fate. 

At this stage of the game and time of the year, for 50 or 60 bucks you'll spend on the set, I would spend the time to find 3 Wolverines still in the wild. You already have a paper profit rather than hoping for appreciation on a set that is rotting on the shelves at retailers.

This set is solid.  It has been discounted since it first came out.  Why?  Who knows.

All of these themes were way over priced to begin with, hence the massive discounts.

I bought these for $45 and can already sell them for over $100.  If that's what people consider a stinker, I'll take a stinker any day of the week.  This set was a complete no-brainer during Target's 55% off blow-out.  Although we haven't really seen how LOTR sets will do in the after-market yet, I have a hard time envisioning a scenario in which I will lose money on these sets.

I bought these for $45 and can already sell them for over $100.  If that's what people consider a stinker, I'll take a stinker any day of the week.  This set was a complete no-brainer during Target's 55% off blow-out.  Although we haven't really seen how LOTR sets will do in the after-market yet, I have a hard time envisioning a scenario in which I will lose money on these sets.

I agree.  I like this set and at these discounted prices, you can't go wrong.  With the new Hobbit movie just being released and another one coming, this set will be a nice gainer for some people IMO.

Im with the no brainer market at 50% off i can't see this hurting the pocket 

 

I bought these for $45 and can already sell them for over $100.  If that's what people consider a stinker, I'll take a stinker any day of the week.  This set was a complete no-brainer during Target's 55% off blow-out.  Although we haven't really seen how LOTR sets will do in the after-market yet, I have a hard time envisioning a scenario in which I will lose money on these sets.

 

You can get rid of these for 100 on Amazon right now. Ebay is going for 50-60 sealed with free shipping. You are still in the red. Great flip right now if you sell on Amazon. The question is: is this set a long term hold.

I am not surprised the set is popular, I don't think it's nearly as bad as some do, but considering it was JUST on sale at $55 at TRU and then $45 at Target... Who the heck is just NOW getting around to pulling the trigger for $100? I also think there will be plenty of these remaining on post Christmas shelves for discount...

I had them at my local Wally down to 40 bucks a pop. NExt day I went in they were gone. I hope they took them to the back for after christmas clearance sale.

Forgive my ignorance... I'm new to this business...

 

... so the last Goblin King disappeared off my local Walmart shelf at $75 a few weeks ago.  Now I've watched them averaging on ebay at about $81 (+ $8 shipping)... maybe about 1-a-day for the past couple weeks?  Is it time to admit that this set was not a loser for all those 'suckers' who picked them up at 50% off?  Or is this just EOL "dead cat bounce"?

   I wish I had bought a few (I have zero).  I think it could run higher.

I don't think it goes much over $100, but decent profit for those who got in around $50.

to be honest with the maxi fig and heavy discounts this set was going to do well, I picked up 12 myself at

In for ten at an ave price of $54 each...Not sure how I could pass that up.  Maxi Figure, pretty decent price per piece (.064) at that level.

 

7 of the 8 figs are unique to the set.

 

Limited run not really, but it was short at 1 year.  What is not to like here when bought at a heavy discount?

I have two, got them on Amazon in December for $45. I actually like the set and enjoyed the scene in the movie. Probably one of the better hobbit sets out there I think. I am not a fan of the desolation of smaug sets but then again I didn't like the movie

I personally thought the set sucked.  I don't like $100 sets that are a bunch of little builds and don't amount to much, ala Mines of Moria, but MoM was better than GK.  I would have invested had I found them sub $50, but never did.  If this gets back to retail, which it should, be happy, take your $20-30 profit, and invest in something else.

I turn on my computer and Amazon is flashing me the Goblin King for $98.

2.5 years after eol and Amazon still has them $2 below retail.
What a piece of dodo.  
And I thought the EDB was the King of DoDo.

And it even has so many exclusive minifigures.  I guess nobody cares about the 11th, 12th, and 13th dwarves though.

That being said, I still sold these around $110-$120 during the holiday season, with a $50 buyin, still a more than solid profit.

 

The discounts hurt this one badly, but in time it will do fine.

Wasn't it free with purchase at 1 time? 

Just now, Darth_Raichu said:

Wasn't it free with purchase at 1 time? 

I don't recall that one?  Y-Wing and Palps Arrest were though.

You still need this set if you want to collect all 13 dwarves.  So, I think over time it will go up, but like most hobbit, and LOTR sets, this is a 4 to 5 year investment to really make money on them.  The reseller market is thinning out, but slowly.  Already some of the first wave LOTR and Hobbit sets (minus this one, and the barrel escape) are starting to show signs of going up. 

The Lonely Mountain, Dol Guldor Battle, Black Gate, and Council of Elrond all just went EOL last november, and they are showing signs of potentially doubling within a year.